The Other McCain

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EXCLUSIVE: Murkowski’s Libertarian Effort Is Led by Longtime Palin Enemy

Posted on | August 27, 2010 | 43 Comments

Early Wednesday morning, Alaska Libertarian Party chairman Scott Kohlhaas got a call from ex-Republican Andrew Halcro, asking if Kohlhaas would be open to having Sen. Lisa Murkowski replace Dave Haase as the LP’s Senate candidate.

Such a switch would be the only option for Murkowksi to be on the Nov. 2 ballot, should she and the National Republican Senatorial Committee fail in their effort to overturn conservative challenger Joe Miller’s 1,668-vote victory in Tuesday’s primary.

A former Republican state legislator, Halcro has disavowed any “official” connection to the Murkowski campaign, but a source in Anchorage says Halcro has masterminded the effort to secure the LP nomination for the incumbent Republican senator as a fallback option, should Miller’s victory hold up. And Halcro acknowledged to an Anchorage Daily News reporter that he is in direct communication with Murkowski.

Major national media have quoted Halcro without noting that, after Sarah Palin won the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2006, Halcro launched a third-party vengeance campaign focused on attcking Palin. He finished with 9% of the vote, and subsequently launched a blog which made him a “folk hero” to Palin’s enemies, according to an Anchorage Daily News article published in August 2008 — just two weeks before Palin was picked as the GOP vice-presidential nominee.

The New York Times extensively quoted Halcro in a story Wednesday without detailing his anti-Palin animus:

“The Murkowski campaign just did not attack, and these guys are bullies,” said Andrew Halcro, a former state lawmaker and candidate for governor who is now a political consultant. “The Tea Party people are bullies. From his introductory spot to all of the Tea Party spots, they were all scorched earth.”
Mr. Halcro, who supported Ms. Murkowski but did not work on her campaign, said he was aware that Ms. Murkowski’s advisers had debated how to respond.
“At the end of the day it was we weren’t going to give credence to his message by responding,” Mr. Halcro said. “But when somebody’s whacking away at your kneecaps consistently for weeks, you’re going to start to wobble.”

Halcro is now reported to be teaming up with Anchorage pollster David Dittman to conduct a poll testing how Murkowski would fare as a Libertarian candidate.

Erick Erickson of Red State wrote this morning that Murkowski has offered the LP ”a sizeable chunk” of her more than $1 million in campaign cash in return for the Libertarian nomination. My source in Anchorage says the Miller team has had no direct contact with Libertarian Party officials, although many grassroots supporters of Miller have spoken to Kohlhaas and Haase.

UPDATE: Dan Riehl has two long reports today about the Alaska situation:

I’ll have more in a little while, but first I have to change out of my pajamas, go buy some smokes and get some more coffee. Remember, I’m still rattling the tip-jar for next week’s planned Alaska trip.

UPDATE II: Vodkapundit on GOP tactics: “It’s almost as if they’re trying to lose.” The sad thing is, why do the worst people always seem to have the Big Money on their side? One of the commenters who lives in Alaska describes Palin-hater Halcro as “a smarmy little richboy scumsucking RINO” and another calls our attention to this photo of the PDS sufferer:

Pathetic looking, isn’t he? Instapundit had a roundup of Alaska Senate news this morning and didn’t link here, but did link our friend Sissy Willis, who also has a roundup. The other day, Rush Limbaugh had an excellent rant about Murkowski as a “Ruling Class RINO.”

UPDATE III: Ace is in fine foaming fury over the NRSC’s intervention. BTW, I don’t know Erick Erickson’s sources are, but he’s gone much further than I have in stating definitively that Team Murkowski has offered to buy the LP Senate nomination. I’ve hinted in that direction, but I don’t know for a fact that such an offer has been made. Anchorage seems to be a political Peyton Place filled with two-bit Machiavellis, doesn’t it?

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Category: Alaska, Election, Republicans, Sarah Palin, Senate

Comments

  • Eyeroll
  • Eyeroll
  • waylay

    My source in Anchorage says the Miller team has had no direct contact with Libertarian Party officials,[...]

    Hahaha…i like this! So much for behind the door deals while you can’t even be seen sneaking into the room. Btw, what mutually beneficial deal would Miller make with the LP party? Just in case if Murkowski successfully “pulls a Franken” he would want to get on to the LP ticket? LMAO!

  • waylay

    My source in Anchorage says the Miller team has had no direct contact with Libertarian Party officials,[...]

    Hahaha…i like this! So much for behind the door deals while you can’t even be seen sneaking into the room. Btw, what mutually beneficial deal would Miller make with the LP party? Just in case if Murkowski successfully “pulls a Franken” he would want to get on to the LP ticket? LMAO!

  • http://maaadddog.wordpress.com/ NeoVictorian

    One minor correction–the pollster is Dittman, not Pittman.

    I am an Alaskan, I voted for Miller. A couple of observations: Andy Halcro is a smarmy little richboy scumsucking RINO. Also, if the Libertarian Party puts Murkowski on their line they become just another whore to be bought. I don’t think it will happen but if the Republican Party has one brain cell left it will make sure it does not.

  • http://maaadddog.wordpress.com/ NeoVictorian

    One minor correction–the pollster is Dittman, not Pittman.

    I am an Alaskan, I voted for Miller. A couple of observations: Andy Halcro is a smarmy little richboy scumsucking RINO. Also, if the Libertarian Party puts Murkowski on their line they become just another whore to be bought. I don’t think it will happen but if the Republican Party has one brain cell left it will make sure it does not.

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  • mojo

    Is it legal to buy your way onto another party’s ticket? I wouldn’t think so. Certainly it’s unethical.

  • mojo

    Is it legal to buy your way onto another party’s ticket? I wouldn’t think so. Certainly it’s unethical.

  • http://NeoSexist.com Neo

    I recall watching the 2006 AK Governors debate on C-span after Palin was announced as McCain’s veep. Halcro was a smarmy creep. Video here:
    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2831629878468947508&hl=en#

  • http://NeoSexist.com Neo

    I recall watching the 2006 AK Governors debate on C-span after Palin was announced as McCain’s veep. Halcro was a smarmy creep. Video here:
    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2831629878468947508&hl=en#

  • Scott

    If you really want to have fun, go over to Redstate and search for posts/comments by Art Chance. This is a man that truly hates Sarah Palin, and most of the time, violates all of the posting rules at Redstate. Bitter, much? Yeah. Much.

  • Scott

    If you really want to have fun, go over to Redstate and search for posts/comments by Art Chance. This is a man that truly hates Sarah Palin, and most of the time, violates all of the posting rules at Redstate. Bitter, much? Yeah. Much.

  • http://maaadddog.wordpress.com/ John Doe

    I smell a road trip. We needs Stacy to go to Alaska and find out what the hell is really going on. NeoVictorian can show him around.

  • http://maaadddog.wordpress.com/ John Doe

    I smell a road trip. We needs Stacy to go to Alaska and find out what the hell is really going on. NeoVictorian can show him around.

  • anginak

    I’m with NeoVictorian on Andrew Halcro. He is absolute poison tongued/penned when it comes to Sarah Palin. I’m sure Joe Miller will be the recipient of his acidity also. Halcro’s just another loser who can’t face loss with even a modicum of decency.

  • anginak

    I’m with NeoVictorian on Andrew Halcro. He is absolute poison tongued/penned when it comes to Sarah Palin. I’m sure Joe Miller will be the recipient of his acidity also. Halcro’s just another loser who can’t face loss with even a modicum of decency.

  • TR Sterling

    RSM,
    When I moved to Tucson, AZ for a job at the U.of A. there, I found that for a small western town there were much worse politics (deceit and betrayal) than in the Big-Time Eastern cities known for their political play. Seems like the one-horse town puts out a lot of ‘smiling faces’ but the handshakes are cold and the choices are already made before you get there. My guess, Anytown, AK is along the same lines. That’s why Sarah Palin, who cut her teeth in AK is really no bumpkin at all and why Linda Ronstadt (just like Lisa Murky in AK) is still the queen of Tucson as her family “owns” the democrat half of the town.

  • TR Sterling

    RSM,
    When I moved to Tucson, AZ for a job at the U.of A. there, I found that for a small western town there were much worse politics (deceit and betrayal) than in the Big-Time Eastern cities known for their political play. Seems like the one-horse town puts out a lot of ‘smiling faces’ but the handshakes are cold and the choices are already made before you get there. My guess, Anytown, AK is along the same lines. That’s why Sarah Palin, who cut her teeth in AK is really no bumpkin at all and why Linda Ronstadt (just like Lisa Murky in AK) is still the queen of Tucson as her family “owns” the democrat half of the town.

  • JeffS

    Methinks that Stacy needs theme music for his possible excursion!!!!!

  • JeffS

    Methinks that Stacy needs theme music for his possible excursion!!!!!

  • JeffS

    Certainly it’s unethical.

    And would put the Alaskan “Libertarian” Party square in the back pocket of the GOP.

  • JeffS

    Certainly it’s unethical.

    And would put the Alaskan “Libertarian” Party square in the back pocket of the GOP.

  • johnl

    Doesn’t our friend Dave have a girlfriend in AK? Can we ask her to do some research? It would be hard to understand the LP nominating Murkowski. She’s not the best fiscal conservative. Has she ever spoken out against TARP, DEA, NCLB, NEH, NEA, Medicare B, BATF, Department of Education, Department of Agriculture, or anything else Libertarians want to abolish?

  • johnl

    Doesn’t our friend Dave have a girlfriend in AK? Can we ask her to do some research? It would be hard to understand the LP nominating Murkowski. She’s not the best fiscal conservative. Has she ever spoken out against TARP, DEA, NCLB, NEH, NEA, Medicare B, BATF, Department of Education, Department of Agriculture, or anything else Libertarians want to abolish?

  • William

    It’s a fairly sensible play for the LP, John. There’s enough of an Alaska contingent around that a vote for the “middle” candidate becomes viable. People who are embarrassed that Palin’s an enemy of their favorite celebrity, people who want to suck at the government’s teat, people who are still clueless about, well, everything. Plus the usual “making enemies to succeed” thing every politician has to worry about, I’m sure (people voting against Joe because he doesn’t like their favorite pie, etc.). So if the NRSC is really helping a third party candidate because she’d be a political lapdog for GOP but with an (I) by her name… wow. That would be the GOP scandal of the decade.

  • William

    It’s a fairly sensible play for the LP, John. There’s enough of an Alaska contingent around that a vote for the “middle” candidate becomes viable. People who are embarrassed that Palin’s an enemy of their favorite celebrity, people who want to suck at the government’s teat, people who are still clueless about, well, everything. Plus the usual “making enemies to succeed” thing every politician has to worry about, I’m sure (people voting against Joe because he doesn’t like their favorite pie, etc.). So if the NRSC is really helping a third party candidate because she’d be a political lapdog for GOP but with an (I) by her name… wow. That would be the GOP scandal of the decade.

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  • http://maaadddog.wordpress.com/ NeoVictorian

    Re my comment above: “Also, if the Libertarian Party puts Murkowski on their line they become just another whore to be bought.”

    Apparently, someone in the Miller campaign agrees with me on this (Tweeted earlier today):

    “What’s the difference between selling out your party’s values and the oldest profession?”

    http://community.adn.com/adn/node/152924

    But I was first!

  • http://maaadddog.wordpress.com/ NeoVictorian

    Re my comment above: “Also, if the Libertarian Party puts Murkowski on their line they become just another whore to be bought.”

    Apparently, someone in the Miller campaign agrees with me on this (Tweeted earlier today):

    “What’s the difference between selling out your party’s values and the oldest profession?”

    http://community.adn.com/adn/node/152924

    But I was first!

  • Kojocaro

    waylay this is not going well for yall

  • Kojocaro

    waylay this is not going well for yall

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  • Formerly known as Skeptic

    The thing that gets me about this is: The result of the primary is NOT final. Murkowski COULD still end up as the Republican nominee. All this pussyfooting around with jumping parties has got to hurt her chances in the long run if that happens. One would think that she would be smart to at least take the high road until the count is done!

  • Formerly known as Skeptic

    The thing that gets me about this is: The result of the primary is NOT final. Murkowski COULD still end up as the Republican nominee. All this pussyfooting around with jumping parties has got to hurt her chances in the long run if that happens. One would think that she would be smart to at least take the high road until the count is done!

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