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Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski has conceded in her primary battle against unknown-challenger Joe Miller in the Alaska GOP primary after a full day of absentee vote counting that left her just 199 votes closer to victory than she was a week ago.
Saying that she can no longer see "a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor," Murkowski threw in the towel on a re-election bid that she has trailed in by 1,668 votes since the primary on August 24. The counting of absentee and questionable ballots resumed Tuesday and although Murkowski at one point reduced her deficit to 1,210, the day ended with her behind by 1,630 votes.
While the primary between Miller and Murkowski revolved around some uniquely Alaskan dynamics, the outcome further advances the national midterm picture as well. Miller will become the fifth bona fide tea party-backed Republican Senate nominee this year, joining: Rand Paul in Kentucky, Sharon Angle in Nevada, Ken Buck in Colorado and Mike Lee in Utah.
Two of those candidates defeated incumbent Republican senators (Murkowski and Utah's Bob Bennett). The other three defeated GOP establishment-backed candidates in the primaries. If you're looking for the tea party's impact on this election, the senate races this fall will be the major barometer of its success.
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Could the Tea Party have given democrats a shot at a second Alaska senate seat? Hard to say but Joe Miller may lose even staunch republicans because they like their social security and medicare.
Jody, you have no clue. It is lefties that want socialist programs to expand.
LOL, Bob We will see about that soon;)
Looks like you hit a nerve early this morning Jody.
The lefties smear the Tea Party as dumb rubes, but will have some trouble with Mr. Miller: an Ivy league educated lawyer, West Point graduate and military hero.
We need more Joe Millers in Congress!
Bob, the lefties think being a hero is driving a Prius, even though their welfare benefits aren't enough to afford them one. They are on the bus to nowhere.
What planet do you live on Bob, Republicans are not only less educated, They are proud of it and actually want less educational ops for everyone, As far as the welfare slap, It missed and swung back on ya 10 fold,
http://www.window.state.tx.us/tpr/tpr4/c8.cg/c813.html
In 1993, federal aid became Texas' largest single source of state funding, topping sales tax collections.
Pretty much the same thing can be said about EVERY single Republican controlled State
Republicans ARE the Welfare State, Check the FACTS, NOT the BS
I thought you teabagger republicans didn't like lawyers Bob?
Another Republican encumbent loses to the tea party! The gift that keeps on giving!
AnaBanana-1782128
"Another Republican encumbent loses to the tea party! The gift that keeps on giving!"
Why? Because she was a lefty pretending to be a republican, like Olympia Snow.
Quick Quiz...
What state receives the most federal funding per capita?
Kind of like saying "My dog beat your dog in a horse race" Hahahaha
DaNoid, You can pick from virtually any Republican controlled State and be VERY close
AnaBanana-1782128
"Another Republican encumbent loses to the tea party! The gift that keeps on giving!"
Why? Because she was a lefty pretending to be a republican, like Olympia Snow.
****************************************************************
Really?
What were her policy positions that revealed her left leaning tendencies?
Yes, I don't recall her voting for any bills proposed by Democrats.
Liberals for the Tea Party! Dems love the Tea party! Sarah Palin is a gift from God!!!
About time we got a 'Ralph Nader' of our own to divide and conquer...but wait... we don't have A 'Ralph Nader' we have hundreds of them...screwing up the best-laid plans of Republican'ts everywhere by giving Democrats seats in the House and Senate with barely 40% of the vote (Has Alaska ever sent a Democrat to the Senate? And how about the two Tea party freaks both running for Colorado governor?) We win...
Jonbo, Yuk it up. Your team is sinking in the quagmire it created. I can only hope Obama keeps campaining for your favorites. His presence is killing them at the polls. lol Ride that sinking ship of the left that was made from swiss cheese. Want some whine to ride it down?
You need to start checking FACTS instead of just spewing BS Bob, LOL
bo that's what the right does just spews venom and don't have a clue there going down
The more Tea Party candidates there are in the November elections, the better the Democrats will do.
Reasoning Americans- including Republican moderates and Independents- see right through the Teabaggers' hooey and want no part of it.
Bali Bob - you are correct, the Tea party is surely giving the local republican party chairman in my county fits! i love it when republicans eat their own for breakfast.
Yeah Baby - Obama hasn't even started campaigning yet, and already the Republi-can'ts are setting up their circular firing squads.
Great time to be alive - Great time to be an American - Great time to be a Democrat!!!
Whats to see through, They have no plan, They have no clue, They have no real agenda other than to shut down the Federal Government as much as possible and implement practices that will destroy their own State economies, Any 5 yo knows what the Tea Party really is, Worthless
No Doubt, Bo - Thing is, that has been the objective of the Republican party proper for 40 years. They're just smart enough politcally to not say it out loud in public!!! What's Obama say - "No antisceptic like sunlight!" It's not just that Republican'ts need the Tea Party votes to get elected - It's the fact that deep down in their soul, they agree with the Tea Party on darn-near everything.
Currently reading a fantastic book on that subject: Anrig's "The Conservatives Have No Clothes - Why Right Wing Ideas Keep Failing" He explains (better than any other I've read) how stupid it is to believe that government isn't good for anything, and still choose a career in government!
SAVE THIS COUNTRY!!! FIRE MORE REPUBLI-CAN'TS!!!
Good thing a 5 yo doesn't need a job. Because if the Dumbocrats in power have their way, no one will have one.
We have fanatasy football, I guess Alaska figures why can't we have fantasy politics?
Republican Party v Democratic Party, there simply is no doubt that neither is perfect. Both exaggerate, embellish and ‘puff there wares’; like in advertising it is just part of the game. Then by necessity, because huge amounts of money are regrettably required just to survive in politics, they all solicit and give considerations for the support gained. There are major differences though and to ignore them is a mistake that can be the result of being conned, of having creative appeals to biases, prejudices and self-interests successfully manipulate emotions and block rational and objective discernment. Then decisions may seem satisfying but they are very likely to be against people’s own best interests.
Both parties have their ideology and subjective goals that need to be measured for value in conscience, in who they actually benefit and in honesty. Is what they say a con, just a corruption of the truth to favor them, or is it actually conscientiously true with real value for the people and does their history support their promises, both stated and inferred? To get caught up in their words, which is their intention for us, is likely to then be blinded to reality and to be emotionally swayed – to be conned.
Under Bush-Cheney the Republicans clearly demonstrated a history and a philosophy of concentration on benefit for Special Interests and the powerful, influential and very wealthy few who strongly supported them, while they gave only apathy, the costs and an abundance of subterfuge to the majority; that literally cost this country and most of us greatly. Today, with their faulting, obstructing and lack of any responsible effort, with the Tea Party Movement (like ‘Swiftboat’, being a fully supported 3rd party effort to manipulate public opinion), with the unconscionable antics of the likes of Palin, Beck and Limbaugh and the arrogant irresponsibility of the likes of Boehner, McConnell, Kyl and McCain, they make it clear nothing has changed – they have put their political ambitions above all else, at any cost, are still firmly focused on being ‘puppets’ for the few and remain arrogant in expecting to manipulate public opinion. When we have our emotions checked, their consistency and gross dishonesty become totally apparent and actually insulting. Their whole intent is to return to ‘more of the same’ that cost us so much and they will just say/do whatever to accomplish that, with the totally aggressive support of those they benefit.
As already stated, the Democrats are not perfect, not even close, but with a rational, objective and unemotional evaluation differences do stand out. Their solutions really need (bipartisan) fine tuning yet they are conscience driven and not just favoring their strong supporters while offering only deception to the people. Democratic representatives are not intimidated and coerced to maintain unity as the Republicans are, they instead can and do differ according to their individual consciences. While the Democrats are motivated to achieve their goals, which some may see as socialistic, those goals are aimed to benefit the many and not just the few who provide active overt and covert support, contributions and even promises for after office compensation. The scare of Socialism is what the Republicans are trying to sell, yet, as the pendulum swings both ways, we really need to come back from not enough government and not enough (responsible) spending that has caused so many problems while greatly benefiting only the select few. If government now fails to intervene or stops spending before things are stabilized, then we will return to ‘more of the same’ and even worse.
Some may not be able to rationally see all of this but then maybe they really need to focus their own conscience and check their motivation – understanding that con artists depend on being able to appeal to people’s greed/self-interests to sell the con and to gain benefit. It usually isn’t hard to see the truth but often it can be hard to check emotions and to be objective; that is when the con is easy.
I believe the only hope is for the Republican and Tea Party groups is to consolidate under the banner of the Libertarian Party. This is the only third alternative that will satisfy the basic goals of those who want civil liberties and fiscal conservatism.
Both parties have been revving our country on the economic "red-line" to a point where they mailed out "rebate" checks to stimulate the economy, bailed out companies "too big to fail" $4 trillion, and spending a TRILLION dollars to get us a pretty good QUARTER of economic activity. We can't seem to stay out of a war for profits for more than a year or two. Our brand of fascism embraced by both parties is reaching its inevitable end, and there are a lot of p.o.'ed people. The Tea Parties, to me, represent just the beginning of the radicalization of the middle class. My only hope is that those in the Republican and Democratic camps wake up real soon.
We are making some progress on the Republican side however the democrats are determined to remain completely fiscally irresponsible and feverishly expand everything federal. Goals that benefit the many are useless if they are not fiscally responsible and affordable. Our current debt and federal budget shows its folly. It is simply buying votes using the borrowing power of the US Treasury to retain power.
IF socially liberal and fiscally conservative members of both parties could peel off and enter into a real dynamic libertarian middle, we might yet save this thing. Unfortunately, I think both parties are in too deep with their well connected supporters - owe too many "favors" - and have little desire to make the radical changes necessary to please the radicalized middle class. It is the very backdrop that every revolution has played out against.
George Bush's administration systematically de-regulated pretty much everything and de-funded many Social Programs, ostensibly to save money. In addition they borrowed massive amounts of money from the Chinese. Where did all that money go? Wealth for the top 2% of citizens increased many times over while wages for workers decreased and they eventually lost their jobs altogether. Now we are in this economic catastrophe and the solution is to eliminate more Social Programs and give more tax cuts to the already wealthy. How can anyone think doing more of what created the problem is going to fix it?