The American Spectator : Joe Miller, RINO Killer

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Joe Miller, RINO Killer

By Robert Stacy McCain on 8.30.10 @ 6:08AM

Alaska once more shocks the GOP establishment.

Joe Miller's ascent to political stardom has been astonishingly sudden. When I first interviewed Miller in early July, he was "Joe Who?" After last Tuesday's stunning upset -- defeating Sen. Lisa Murkowski by 1,668 votes in the Alaska Republican primary -- he has become a hero to grassroots conservatives nationwide.

That Miller has beaten Murkowski is something the incumbent has not acknowledged. After coming up short on Tuesday night, the senator said she would not concede until the absentee ballots had been counted and then held a Wednesday press conference where she declared, "It ain't over."

The senator's non-concession has forced reporters to spend the past several days contorting their stories into euphemistic pretzels with talk of Miller "leading" Murkowski, as if it were still an active campaign. In fact, the campaign is over and Miller is the winner, pending a count of those remaining ballots that will likely only confirm what a majority of Alaska's 92,000 Republican primary voters decided on Tuesday: They're sick and tired of the GOP establishment.

That establishment is nevertheless still powerful, even in (apparent) defeat. Conservatives could only shake their heads and curse in impotent frustration last week when it was reported that the National Republican Senatorial Committee had flown its top lawyer Sean Cairncross to Anchorage to advise Murkowski's campaign in what may turn into an ugly fight over the absentee ballots.

The actual number of those ballots has been a moving target. On the night of the primary, it was reported that there were 8,000 absentees, but this was only the number of such ballots received by Election Day. While absentee ballots must be postmarked no later than Aug. 24 to be valid, the deadline for receiving ballots mailed within the U.S. is not until Sept. 3 and overseas ballots may qualify if received as late as Sept. 8. And by late Saturday, the Anchorage Daily News reported, the total number of uncounted ballots received by the Alaska Division of Elections had swollen to 23,472, including 9,069 "questioned" ballots cast on Election Day. By the time they start counting the ballots tomorrow, the number will likely increase by a few hundred more, and the more ballots, the greater the possibility for the kind of vote-counting shenanigans Americans have come to expect in close elections since the Florida presidential deadlock of 2000.

Miller's supporters were therefore dismayed to learn over the weekend that Murkowski -- who still has more than a million dollars in her campaign fund -- had retained the services of Mike Roman, a key player for Republican Norm Coleman's team in the nightmarish 2008 Minnesota recount that eventually produced five of the most dreaded words in the English language: United States Senator Al Franken.

Murkowski's campaign is "bringing in the big shots," Miller campaign spokesman Randy DeSoto said in a telephone interview late Sunday. Meanwhile, voters who cast absentee ballots were reporting that they had gotten calls asking how they'd voted -- the names of absentee voters are a matter of public record in Alaska -- and when Miller's campaign suggested this was evidence of mischief by the senator's team, Murkowski accused Miller of being "paranoid."

Of course, it's not paranoia if they really are out to get you, and Miller's supporters already had solid reasons to suspect that Murkowski would stop at nothing to retain her Senate seat. Chief among these reasons was the fact that Anchorage political consultant Andrew Halcro placed a call first thing Wednesday morning to Scott Kohlhaas, chairman of the Alaska Libertarian Party. Halcro was asking whether the Libertarians would be open to having Murkowski replace their Senate nominee, Dave Haase. Halcro is a former Republican state legislator best known for his boundless hatred of Sarah Palin. After Palin won the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2006, Halcro waged a third-party campaign aimed principally at attacking the Republican and earned him the nickname Mr. Nine Percent, that being his share of the vote. Since being chosen as John McCain's running mate two years ago, of course, Palin has become world-famous and Halcro's bitterness toward her has only increased.

It was Palin's early endorsement of Joe Miller that was widely credited with launching the underdog to victory, and thus the intrusion of ex-Republican Halcro into the post-primary phase of the Senate campaign is scarcely surprising. Certainly Miller's supporters could be forgiven for wondering if Halcro would be reaching out to the Libertarians on Murkowski's behalf without the senator's permission, especially after he disclosed to the Anchorage Daily News that he had spoken by phone with Murkowski.

For their part, Alaska LP officials initially said they were receptive to Murkowski's interest and seemed dazzled by their newfound status as potential kingmakers (or at least, senator-makers) in what had suddenly become the hottest political story of the summer. Yet Halcro's attempts to play matchmaker were clearly hampered by the vast difference between Murkowski's big-government Republicanism and the anti-statist ideology of the Libertarians. Harley Brown, vice chairman of the Alaska LP, told me Saturday that his feeling was "99 percent… no way" that his party would replace Haase with Murkowski. The top leadership of the LP held a two-hour meeting Sunday to discuss the idea and have scheduled a press conference for today. If, as seems likely, the Libertarians say they won't take Murkowski as their nominee, that will end all talk of the senator seeking re-election as a third-party candidate.

That would leave those 23,472 remaining uncounted ballots as the only obstacle between Joe Miller and one of the most surprising upsets of what has already become a banner year for political surprises. His conservative supporters view Murkowski as a RINO (Republican In Name Only), a breed they're determined to hunt to extinction. Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter and Utah Sen. Robert Bennett have already been bagged, and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is now pursuing dwindling third-party hopes of being elected to the Senate. If Miller can hold on to defeat Murkowski, the RINO species will become more endangered than ever.

About the Author

Robert Stacy McCain is co-author (with Lynn Vincent) of Donkey Cons: Sex, Crime, and Corruption in the Democratic Party (Nelson Current). He blogs at The Other McCain.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (60) | Leave a comment

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 8.30.10 @ 6:23AM

The reaction of the Republican establishment shows that we have a ruling class in Washington, not two political parties. Real conservatives are not welcome inside the beltway because the ruling class from both parties have no desire to stop the spending.

A perfect example of that is Scott Brown whose election presaged a political sex change operation as he became more like Snowe and Collins, and less like his political personage.

Scott Brown, that last alleged surprise conservative who went to Washington, has voted for gender and racial preferences and other liberal concepts. Not only is he not a conservative, he's simply another liberal.

All Scott Brown's talk about cutting spending was just that. Scott Brown has found a cozy niche similar to McCain's, where you chat out of both sides of your mouth while voting out of your ass.

Let's hope Joe Miller wins and we can keep our fingers crossed that he might be a real conservative. He may be. There's no way of telling until they get to Washington and worry more about fitting in as opposed to doing the right thing.

Let's hope that the RINO's are hunted to extinction. So far, the evidence for that is weak as I have yet to see one ounce of conservative legislation.

There is little talk of cutting costs anywhere, and two of the biggest earmarkers in the U.S. Senate were Republicans. Murkowski was one of them.

Siegfried X| 8.30.10 @ 6:58AM

I agree. In 1996 we had a real conservative party which opposed the Democrats on every issue. That party balanced the budget, cut spending, cut welfare, supported law & order like by opposing illegal aliens, and stood up for family values such as their Defense of Marriage Act which said that marriage is a union between a man and a woman.

Within 4 short years the Republican Party was destroyed, turned into a Democratic clone, and IT WAS DESTROYED BY RINOs like Bush, McCain, and Boehner. The Bush administration spent its time passing Ted Kennedy's socialist legislation, while sneering at movement conservatives. Today's Republican Party is an echo, not a choice. They are afraid to oppose the Democrats on principle in anything; afraid that the New York Times might criticize them. The result is that we have a one party system.

The original Contract With America is proof of this. Comparing that full-spectrum, tough conservative document with today's Democrat-lite Republican Party will show how the Republican Party has been destroyed from within.

Siegfried X| 8.30.10 @ 7:20AM

The old-time Republican went into debate with his own, strongly conservative solutions, determined to fight the Democrat tooth and nail, and to show the world that conservativism is right.

Today's Republican politician goes into debate with a Democrat-lite proposal that's a slight modification of the Democrat plan. His resistance ends when the host or a Democrat accuses the Republican of being a right-winger. Terrified, the Republican politician throws himself to the floor, begging and sobbing, "No! No! I'm just as progressive as you. Don't call me a conservative. I'm kind. I'm gentle. I'm green. I want to pass out money just as much as the Democrats do. Soccer moms, don't leave me! Illegal aliens, don't leave me! New York Times, don't say mean things about me."

Jorge| 8.30.10 @ 1:08PM

Your very close to 100% if you include the GOP Gov's of all the failing States!

Cliff| 8.30.10 @ 8:24PM

Yah, back in 1996, we had all these hardcore conservative Republicans in the Senate like Jim Jeffords, Bob Packwood, John Chafee, Olympia Snowe, Arlen Specter, Trent Lott, etc.

:rolls eyes:

If you want to rail against the establishment, fine, but do so in a way that doesn't make you look like an idiot.

SeattleBruce| 8.31.10 @ 2:03AM

"Yah, back in 1996, we had all these hardcore conservative Republicans in the Senate like Jim Jeffords, Bob Packwood, John Chafee, Olympia Snowe, Arlen Specter, Trent Lott, etc."

This shows us how long this problem has been around. Finally, this year, when we're headed off a cliff - we're seeing RINOs slain.

erp| 8.30.10 @ 9:16AM

RINO's are hard to kill. Their hide is as thick as their namesakes, rhinos, so to take them down, you need to hit them right between their eyes.

If Alaska Republicans allow Murkowski to steal the election, all bets are off for November and we might as well get used to our socialist masters.

RAMIII| 8.30.10 @ 11:20AM

"hit them right between the eyes"

That won't work either -- you'll probably hit their horn and deflect the blow. The best place would probably be IN THE EYE.

darcy| 8.30.10 @ 2:27PM

There is no way on God's good earth that I will ever bow to socialist "masters." We're talking tyranny here. If we cave to them we are not worthy of being called Americans; we would dishonor the blood and sacrifice of our forebears.

Hell NO.

shukov| 8.31.10 @ 2:08AM

Damn right.

Mike Rogers| 8.31.10 @ 1:04AM

Time to "Alter or Abolish" our present form of government. We need to take over the Republican party and make it into a constitutionalist bulwark for our liberties, or we must replace it. If that doesn't work, we'll be at "Live Free or Die, for Death is not the worst of all evils..."

stmichrick| 8.30.10 @ 10:28AM

All true except that, from a state like Massachusetts, we are fortunate to get someone who will vote against the national disaster called ObamaCare (and hopefully to repeal it) .

As Republicans of the other reliably Blue State, Maryland, should remember that conservatism is too esoteric for a voting majority in these parts at this time (or anytime given the large numbers of government employees here) and you will likely encourage the leftist status quo by trying to force the issue. I'm referring to the primary for governor between a right leaning, but pro-choice former governor, vs a Palin-endorsed total newcomer. The conservative Murphy would have no chance in a general election.

Alaska and Pennsylvania are two places that are not so far gone that true conservatism can strike a chord and a majority when presented by a competent candidate. Let's savor that.

Siegfried X| 8.30.10 @ 10:32AM

Ronald Reagan proved that real conservatism can win anywhere, any group, any time. There is never a need for a RINO, and never a reason to vote for one.

stmichrick| 8.30.10 @ 11:49AM

...except when your informed opinion tells you that the ONLY alternative is a leftist, statist Democrat.

Cliff| 8.30.10 @ 8:25PM

Then why did Reagan support so many people you'd call "RINO's"? He put GHWB on the ticket, hired Jim Baker as his COS, supported Arlen Specter, etc.

Was he stupid or something?

SeattleBruce| 8.31.10 @ 1:53AM

"The conservative Murphy would have no chance in a general election. "[Maryland]

We need to combine the Conservative parts of this country with all other Republicans that, as Ronald Reagan remarked vote with us 80% (or more) of the time, and creative a Conservative leaning coalition. We can't expect nor demand every last member of that coalition to be like Jim DeMint.

L Blanchard| 8.31.10 @ 9:39PM

I think a conservative CAN be elected anywhere. Look at Gov Christie. People are fed up. Many are willing to vote for someone who brings sanity to congress.

Bruce| 8.30.10 @ 7:48PM

I cannot find a single thing to disagree with in Bills comments - not one. The facts are simple to see if one bothers to open ones eyes - professional politicians are professional politicians no matter what the alleged party affiliation, and they will do absolutely anything to retain that power.

A simple question might provide a clue ... For WHAT reason would someone spend millions of dollars to land a job that pays but $180k per year?

A clue, anyone?

Mike Rogers| 8.31.10 @ 1:11AM

Why?
Because they can earn millions more in kickbacks and payoffs, not to mention a lucrative lobbying job while taking a full pension for life on our dime. Think of it as buying an annuity, with membership of the world's most exclusive club as a bonus!

Slightly risque, but I am reminded of the old joke:
Ladies and Gentlemen, here we have the RINO-Sore-Ass..... RINO meaning money, SoreAss - how he got it!

Impeach Don't Wait| 8.30.10 @ 8:31PM

Have a listen to Joe Miller. Here's a CBS news video interview:

http://www.ktva.com/ci_15941359?source=pkg

SeattleBruce| 8.31.10 @ 1:50AM

Scott Brown never claimed to be a staunch Conservative. He did say he'd vote against socialist Obamacare - and that he did. He certainly hasn't been a perfect Conservative, but last time I checked we have Zero actual power and can only block things. Hopefully we can reign people like Scott Brown over to the Conservative mooring. In any case, no one expected Teddy Kennedy's seat to go to someone that would vote against socialist care.

Did you?

ROBERT | 8.31.10 @ 12:34PM

Brown is a traitor to the truth and to those who voted for him. There is not a conservative bone in his body. He is well aware that tea partiers put him into power. He then voted for a "Financial Reform" bill the dangerously expands federal power. Worse the bill imposes a whole new error of racist racial quotaism under a new euphemism. "Fair Inclusion."

Brown is a traitor.He should have a Republican opponent in the next election. His resignation should be demanded by everyone on the country at least once a day.

BobInFL| 8.31.10 @ 5:22PM

Meh...Scott Brown has a lifetime (or, six year) pass. He never hid what he was -- a Massachusetts "Rebublican" that could win Teddy Kennedy's seat, with all that description entails.

BUT

He opposed ObamaCare, and that opposition forced the House to pass the Senate bill, rather than the other way around. That, in turn, infuriated the left (hurting Dem support this November) AND included the individual mandate, which EVERYBODY hates (hurting Dem support this November).

For that signal service, Brown has his 6-year pass as far as I'm concerned. (Imagine what this spring and summer would have looked like, had the Dems retained their 60 vote filibuster-proof majority?)

bruinbirdman| 9.1.10 @ 12:46AM

Scott Brown is no Ted Kennedy. If nothing else, he has little seniority and is counted as a Republican for committee allocation. In Massachusetts, Democrats lost big.

George| 8.30.10 @ 6:29AM

Great win for Miller if it holds up.
Palin was responsible for loss of a Senate seat
in 2008 by failing to back a candidate against
Ted Stevens, who was on trial for bribery. Stevens barely won the primary. If Sarah had backed another candidate, that person would be Senator today....Instead we have a Democrat.

i am also named george| 8.30.10 @ 7:04AM

and we are not all stupid...

how about blaming the criminal mischief of the prosecution?

64 days to go

Louis Jenkins| 8.30.10 @ 8:11AM

Lets face the truth, although not 100% Palin has become a force to be reckoned with. Far better to have her endorsement than not. It may take a couple of more years, if we have the time, but she could become the King Maker.

Old Soldier| 8.30.10 @ 8:15AM

Next time Michael Steele asks for a donation to the GOP general fund, I am going to send him this article.

Redstateboy| 8.30.10 @ 11:31AM

I didn't need to read this to know why when I receive Fund Raising mail from the RNC it goes right in to the garbage.

darcy| 8.30.10 @ 2:40PM

I send it back to them in their postage-paid envelopes telling them in bold sharpee print why I won't give them any money: As Siegfried X stated above, "The Republican Party [has become] an echo, not a choice."

Elected to oppose the enemy statist agenda, they jump in bed with the Leftists instead. And they have the unmitigated gaul to come to me asking for my money to help them do it!!!

They are playing us for fools; but NO MORE. Starve them out. And if that doesn't work, WE NEED A THIRD PARTY -- the threat of which should be sufficient to turn them around. And if not, then adios Republicans.

Sen. Cornyn and his NRSC have heard from me; I emailed the Texas Senator from his contact page at his Senate website and gave him a good tongue lashing for not keeping out of the Alaska primary, as Haley Barbour had done when he was in charge; Barbour's policy was to stay out of primaries.

Mike Rogers| 8.31.10 @ 1:19AM

I actually believe that Steele is not the perpetrator of these crimes against conservatism. I believe that the current party leadership which calls the shots is behind the disastrous candidate picks and (ahem) 'missteps' of the RNC. Watch and listen to Steele himself, and he's completely different to the party - his mistake was to think that the chairman was more than a figurehead.
Now, I have MUSH more scorn for the apparently conservative John Cornyn, because under his leadership, the National RINO Support Council has been on the wrong side of almost every senate primary. And NOW, the have the gall to post Rubio's picture on the NRSC home page, after trying like hell to defeat him and support Crist.
With judgment like that, is it any wonder our government is a hopeless mess of addictive personalities!
Give me more like Senator TEA Party and Doctor NO!

kingfish| 8.30.10 @ 8:31AM

Miller needs to be smart. He needs to avoid making stupid such as this one. Its stupid, antagonizes the other side, and serves no constructive purpose at all. He needs to be hitting the conservative websites and raising money to combat the "recount" effort.

darcy| 8.30.10 @ 3:39PM

This makes for some very interesting reading:
http://www.riehlworldview.com/.....mpbell.pdf

It is a letter from attorneys on behalf of the Miller campaign citing irregularities in the vote count and requesting that troopers be sent to all five Regional offices where ballots are being counted, and it is dated YESTERDAY.

Check it out to see for yourselves to see what's taking place even as we write.

Lois C| 8.30.10 @ 4:31PM

Darcy - Wow, blockbuster letter there. I have absolutely no doubt that Murkowski will go to any lengths to illegally win this election. All you good folks in Alaska need to be innundating the board of elections with calls to stop this voter fraud immediately.

wodiej| 8.30.10 @ 8:57AM

Best thing to do is send money to individual candidates not the RNC. If there is no funding they cannot support people like Murkowski and that woman from NJ who lost and ended up endorsing the Democrat. RNC apparently has not learned. They backed Murkowski too even though she voted w Dems 300 times.

Susie Wilson| 8.30.10 @ 10:35AM

Amen to that! When the RNC called the other day asking for $$, I told them we would be sending $$ to specific individuals so that our $$
doesn't go to McCain, Snowe, Collins, Graham, etc.

Redstateboy| 8.30.10 @ 11:33AM

the RNC vis-a-vis the resurgent Conservative movement ala' Tea Party is as Churchill said... one trying to ride a Tiger for fear of being bitten.

Kingfish| 8.30.10 @ 9:02AM

RGA is doing a good job and from what I've heard, Haley has stepped in behind the scenes here to calm things down a little, which is not a bad thing.

Cris Worth| 8.30.10 @ 11:02AM

Another flare in the coming barrage between establishment Romney vs Tea Party Palin for the '12 GOP nomination.

loulou| 8.30.10 @ 12:13PM

RINO Romney is out of the question. Period.

He couldn't even beat McCain in the primaries in '08. He's yesterdays news. I would hope he'd have the sense to disappear gracefully.

Charles Martel| 8.30.10 @ 2:38PM

It is foolish and counterproductive even to be thinking about 2012 until we have completed the work of 2010, but I'll toss you this tidbit: it will be neither Palin nor Romney. Neither is electable.

+++

Sheila| 8.30.10 @ 11:10AM

Right now Cornyn and the NRSC are hard at work to ensure Murkowski triumphs, no matter how much tampering or how many recounts it takes. I've already called that piece of @%$ (unfortunately, one of my state senators) and told him to butt out of this and all other primaries. Melt that bas3ard's phone lines or we'll have another Minnesota result really soon. Decline and fall.

emo| 8.30.10 @ 6:13PM

There will be such a conservative backlash againt the GOP , if they steal the election for murkowski. I could see millions of conservatives sitting home on election day and the Dems winning big

Siegfried X| 8.30.10 @ 11:27AM

Roll Call reports: National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) spoke with Joe Miller over the weekend and assured him that the NRSC will stay neutral in the Alaska GOP Senate primary and support whoever wins, according to Republican sources.

Redstateboy| 8.30.10 @ 11:36AM

whew... that's a relief - I like John Cornyn

JmsA| 8.30.10 @ 2:18PM

I don't like cornyn. He's an establishment Republican. Just look at the mess he made of things in Florida.

EQV| 8.30.10 @ 12:06PM

Sieg, Sen. Cornyn can "assure" Joe Miller for the benefit of the press all he wants, but the fact remains that they flew attorney Sean Cairncross to Anchorage to help Murkowski.

$$$ speaks louder than empty words to the press.

MikeN| 8.30.10 @ 11:44AM

Well that's a sign of competence in a Senator. When needing help in a recount, she went to the guy who lost. Was Connie Mack's guy unavailable? How about James Baker?

EQV| 8.30.10 @ 12:03PM

I already boycott the RNC. They don't even bother sending their mailers to me anymore - which I would send back saying no donations til they stop supporting RINO's like Scozzafava & Crist.

Time to do the same with the NRSC. Call them at 202-675-6000 & raise HELL!

Republicans are their own worst enemy - they don't stand up to Democrats' insanity, and they form circular firing squads at a moment's notice. I can just see the NRSC spending thousands of dollars in donations for their lawyer Sean Cairncross to help Lisa Loo Loo - only to have Murkowski run on the Libertarian ticket - after a sizable donation to them from her war chest of course. Then Cornyn will act so surprised and so shocked. Idiots.

Support Joe Miller - joemiller.us - it takes real $$$ to fight a legal battle against the wealthy Murkowski & NRSC cabal.

Thorvald| 8.30.10 @ 1:25PM

I'm with EQV: I don't contribute to the RNC any more, and will not until there is zero probability my $$ will go to the ilk of RINO. Moreover, I propose a short pledge each Republican officeholder will swear. If and when the swearer breaks the vow, the party severs the connection. Some will become "Independants", some will go to the Dem. Commies. Let them try to get re-elected. Instantly, the opposition becomes more like us. Their party will have its Murkowski vs. Barney Frank fights.
By the way, according to my inchoate list, even our beloved Ben Stein would have to leave if he is truly in doubt about whether Keynesianism will work. (I recognize that he worked for President Nixon, but Nixon clearly does not qualify.)

Michael| 8.30.10 @ 2:42PM

Fellas, let's wait until the 23,572 votes are counted, then we can celebrate Joe Miller as "the RINO killer". You never can tell what will happen when they count the votes.

emo| 8.30.10 @ 6:15PM

not all the 23,572 ballots are GOP. Some are Dem and some are neither, they are initiative only ballots. There arent 23,572 GOP ballots

David| 8.30.10 @ 3:28PM

Redstateboy, I USED TO like Cornyn years ago. After he and the establishment repubs openly supported Crist, Scozzofava (sp?), Specter, and McCain over their more conservative opponents, I see him as a danger to restoring sanity to this great nation. Cornyn does vote conservative on the issue, but he appears to go out of his way to avoid supporting conservative challengers in the primaries.

NePjr| 8.30.10 @ 5:05PM

Comment

Bruce| 8.30.10 @ 8:00PM

Gentlemen, there is another thing at work here that needs consideration. I recently wrote on my blog a post questioning whether or not the GOP is worthy of taking the reins of the House majority from the hated lefties. It is my considered opinion that they are not. I no more trust those bastards to change anything in their personal playground than I do the Dems. These people think they are ENTITLED to spend our money as they see fit. They get the goodies - the people get to pay. Lawyers being lawyers, what more can we expect?

I still say this ... upon being elected to political office, it should be required that every lawyer relinquish his/her license to practice law PERMANENTLY. Not that it will ever happen, but it doesn't take a genius to understand my reasons for that.

REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!!!!

Osamas Pajamas| 8.30.10 @ 9:59PM

This registered Libertarian ex- Republican will vote Republican this year in the hope of driving from the field Democrats everywhere --- but when the blood has dried I'll be back with the Libertarians and conservatives and we'll be merciless in our criticism of statist / RINO Republicans. Get with the program, Republicans --- this is about limited, constitutional government.
Quit jerking-off with the big-government stuff or get the hell out of government.

Scott| 8.30.10 @ 11:40PM

"Miller's supporters were therefore dismayed to learn over the weekend that Murkowski -- who still has more than a million dollars in her campaign fund -- had retained the services of Mike Roman, a key player for Republican Norm Coleman's team in the nightmarish 2008 Minnesota recount ..."

Then Miller has nothing to worry about. I know nothing about Mike Roman, but anyone involved on the Norm Coleman side of that post-election situation with Al Franken is a total loser. Or is he being hired to just offer advice on what not to do?

Long Ben | 8.31.10 @ 12:29AM

The several States should pick their nominees , representatives and senators not the house or senatorial commitees of either party . Up Joe Miller.

Mike Rogers| 8.31.10 @ 1:25AM

Then elect really strong state legislatures and repeal the 17th. THAT was the Progressives' real Trojan horse!

pat| 8.31.10 @ 2:14AM

Coleman? The Whimpering Whimp that allowed his seat to be stolen by a distasteful crook? Sheeesh.
She is a RHINO. She sold her vote for pork that never materialized.
Take her down.