Another head-banging-against-the-wall moment: Senate GOP protects Evita Murkowski
Photoshop credit: Slublog
Yesterday, GOP Sen. John Cornyn said it was “pretty clear” that sore loser Sen. Lisa “Evita” Murkowski would lose her energy post:
“Senator Murkowski has submitted her resignation by share of the Congress last Friday. There’s also an issue as to whether or not its appropriate for her under the circumstances to continue as ranking member on the energy committee. Both of those issues will be addressed tomorrow afternoon,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican.
Senator John Cornyn, Texas Republican and Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told reporters that “it’s pretty clear” that Senate Republicans will move to vote Ms. Murkowski out of her leadership position on the energy committee.
“I think it’s the appropriate thing to do. When you choose not to accept the judgement of the primary voters and to run as a write-in and not be the Republican nominee, it has consequences,” he said.
Twenty-four short hours later, the Senate Republicans backpedaled faster than circus clowns on a high wire. Via WSJ, Sen. Orrin Hatch said it was a matter of “good taste.”
In a rare triumph for Senate traditionalists in this anti-establishment year, Republicans Wednesday decided not to punish Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska) by stripping her of a powerful committee post.
Senate Republicans, angered by Murkowski’s decision to run for re-election as a write-in candidate after losing the Republican primary, met behind closed doors to consider demoting her from her post as top Republican on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, a prized perch for her resource-rich state.
But with the committee unlikely to conduct any further business this year and the act seen as largely symbolic, Republicans decided not to add insult to her injury at the hands of Joe Miller, the tea party-backed candidate who beat her in the primary.
“We all respect the system, and she still is a Republican senator,’’ said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah.) after the closed party caucus. “It’s just a matter of good taste. We decided to keep the status quo as long as she’s a senator.’’
Ah, the perks of entrenched incumbency and senatorial comity.
Nope, the Senate Republicans still don’t get it. Like so many Beltway GOP boyz club members.
Time to resurrect the famous head-banging-against-the-wall GOP=Stupid Party graphic…
***
Allahpundit at Hot Air wants answers:
If Murkowski somehow let them know that she’d vote Democratic in the lame-duck if they stripped her of Energy seniority — I’m not saying she did, but if — then the caucus should reveal that to the world so that fencesitting Republicans in Alaska know exactly what kind of snake they’re dealing with here. It’s amazing to me that they were promising to boot her yesterday and, 24 hours later, suddenly they’ve reversed themselves and don’t want to talk about it. Spill it.
***
Public service reminder: Support Joe Miller for U.S. Senate.
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
 |
Who’s funding Brett Kimberlin?
May 25, 2012 01:52 PM by Michelle Malkin
22 CommentsObama’s Land of the LOST
May 25, 2012 01:42 PM by Michelle Malkin
47 CommentsObama’s latest campaign angle: I’ve been saving America from wild Republican debts
May 24, 2012 04:33 PM by Doug Powers
49 Comments
Senate finally passes a budget approves bill striking word ‘lunatic’ from federal law
May 24, 2012 11:22 AM by Doug Powers
193 CommentsStammertime: Jay Carney asked if Chicago protests have soured Obama’s support for OWS
May 23, 2012 07:44 PM by Doug Powers
54 Comments
S.E. Cupp, Hustler, and the four stages of conservative female abuse
May 23, 2012 02:13 PM by Michelle Malkin
142 CommentsPig Maher’s boy Bill Burton mocks my support of Hatch challenger Dan Liljenquist
May 23, 2012 11:37 AM by Michelle Malkin
32 CommentsFree speech blogburst: Show solidarity for targeted conservative bloggers; Update: It’s Everybody Blog About Brett Kimberlin Day; Donation fund for targets
May 23, 2012 05:59 AM by Michelle Malkin
112 Comments
Jaczko the Jerk: Harry Reid’s sexist crony gets the boot
May 23, 2012 05:15 AM by Michelle Malkin
31 Comments
Babalu Blog
» U.S. Manned Space Flight in The 21st CenturyVillainous Company
» Must Read Post of the Day. Possibly, the YearRedstate
» Kimberlin’s Associates Caught on Tape?
How much “taste” did she exhibit when she refused to recognize the people’s choice for her opponent?
Well, she’s only going to be around for a few more months and they risk her voting with the lame duck Democrats. I don’t have any problem with this. It’s a smart move.
I suppose the logic would be that if they stripped her of her position, she would vote with the Dems during the lame duck session.
She is one piece of work that Lisa Morecowbellski, but then again, so is the Republican Party establishment and leadership.
CANNOT. WAIT. FOR. NOVEMBER.
Such an act on her part would further prove how classless, tasteless and mean-spirited she truly is!
The Alaska voters should show just how pleased they are with her act of defiance and recall her worthless @$$ from DC and relegate her to dogcatcher — although even such a post is probably beyond her capabilities.
May be the prudent thing to do, but the voters in Alaska need to be made painfully aware of it.
First question when I read this was, “What does she have and who does she have it on?”
http://hardresetamerica.com/
I bet Rove will be incensed over the actions of this “can’t win Republican” — RIGHT???
A few years ago, a Dr. Murkowski, whom I believe is the uncle of Lisa Murkowski, lectured on methods to insure health care, & the payment, just kept rolling in. While what he said was legal, it was devious, & he seemed as nuts as his brother & niece. Some people in the audience ate it up. Others paid little attention (it was a required class, after all) & gagged on his nonsense. Apparently, the entire Murkowski clan have a need for power, & are willing to do anything to get it.
republicans are in dire need of leaders. as for hatch, and the matter of good taste line. it’s just another way of him saying, I’m weak and cowardly and yes, I need to be replaced.
Regarding my post # 5: For any Alaskan voters out there, here is some useful information on recalling a Senator.
Who is ultimately responsible for this bet-hedging? Cornyn? Whoever it is needs to GO!!
it’s just Rino creeps trying to save the other half of their shaky house that we have not yet burned down. but it’s on fire already boys.
these libs in R-clothing don’t know what to do when the people are at their gates screaming that we won’t accept their lies and backstabbing any more.
I love this.
can’t wait until Nov 2 to stab communism in the heart. sad having to say that in the USA but that’s what Leftists and Marxists have done to our society, ruined it to the point of us rising up like never before to reverse the damage.
All this means is that the GOP still does not take the Constitutionalists seriously.
Somebody’s got some splainin’ to do….
There is no reason to think lisa will vote with the r’s. If she does not win she sure the heck will vote with the d’s till her hind end is out come Jan. 2011. She is one mad, hateful, tiny mind gal who thinks she should be in dc till she craters! Daddy needs to see to it and to heck what the voters in AK think! She fits right in with dear nan as a ‘I’m entitled’ gal.
L
The big government Republicans would rather lose that seat (and others) to a Democrat than let the small government TEA Party and libertarian-types sneak in.
I cannot wait for 2012, so we can boot Hatch’s butt out of office.
Hatch is still Republican? Who knew?
Somebody file an FOIA request for the minutes of that meeting.
The people of
AlaskaAmerica have a right to demand full disclosure.Wait – this is a feature, not a bug for a politician.
to Mr Orrin Hatch, I can’t wait until our “good taste” has you unemployed and sitting at home like Mr Bennett is.
I hope Utahans remember the weak and cowardly Orrin Murhatchski when he’s next up in a primary.
when is that again?
You lying bastage!
National Republican Committee called yesterday asking for money. I told them to get it from Steele, oh.. oh second thought he must be broke from spending thousands in entertainment. They are all screwed up at the national level and in the Senate itself.
Entrenched,encrusted, encamped, A*****es…
Utahns should never forget that Orrin Hatch was one of the authors for the DREAM Act. I do hope this is his last term, as he is spineless.
I have some symbols fer you lot. Most are not acceptable in social, um, intercourse.
The Republican Party needs to be taken over and dominated by Tea Partiers period. The people who currently run it act like potheads in retail management.
I’m about to have an aneurysm here. WTF is wrong with these people?
Do onto others as you would have them do onto you my fellow senators.
Translation: She needs that seat on the energy committee to shakedown lobbyists so she can retire in style.
The republicans support her so she doesn’t vote with the lame ducks before she leaves? Don’cha just love politicians. November Come She Will.
As a matter of good taste crapweasel Senator Murkowski did not vote on Dream/Defense bill.
Just because we are at war against an entrenched and spreading elite that is slowly imposing a new Marxist regime on America doesn’t mean that we can’t be nice.
After all, think about those awkward moments at the coming holiday galas like when someone gets assigned to the same table as Senator Murky. That would be s-o-o-o-o-o gauche.
It is so difficult to decide whether Murkowski or the GOP Senate “leadership” is more pathetic.
I mean if you can’t deal with a vindictive, bitter woman intent on kicking you in the teeth, you certainly aren’t going to stand up to an actual Marxist in the Oval Office…
It’s easy to believe that she’d take her anger out on everybody by voting with the Dems. As far as the caucus meeting was concerned, it wouldn’t take much more than threats from the usual RINO suspects to go with her to get the caucus to back down. She’s on her way out and good riddance but there’s no sense in getting all fired up about what she’s going to do in retaliation. We can’t do anything about it anyway, and if we can win the WV and Del. seats, her vote won’t matter. Eyes on the prize, people.
In the immortal words of Chris Redfern…
Here is what the next episode of Hannity should go like:
Hannity: Let me get this straight, Sen. Hatch, you are going to still allow a sitting Senator to keep her committee spot even though the Republican voters of her state rejected her bid for re-election?
Sen. Hatch: Why yes, it is the right thing to do!
Hannity: So you have no problem with the fact that Ms. Murkowski is no longer a GOP Senator, but yet you are willing to lend her monetary and political support against your own Republican candidate for that Alaska Senate seat chosen by the people of Alsaka?
Sen. Hatch: Why yes, It is the right thing to do!
(This is where Mr. Hannity should break out that Irish within him and take a real football and throw it at Sen. Hatch’s face)
Sen. Hatch: Sean, that hurt! Why did you do it?
Hannity (proposed response): Because it is the right thing to do.
This is why Tea Party Patriots are almost as upset with the Republican Party as with the Democratic Party.
Pathetic cowards. They go after O’Donnell with gusto … and then protect a primary loser like Mrkwski who threatens to throw a seat to the Democrats.
Can’t wait until the Tea Party goes after Orrin Hatch’s seat in ’12. Buh-bye, Orrin.
It’s stuff like this that makes it 100% sure I won’t be donating one thin dime to the GOP any time soon.
Start looking for Hatch’s challenger starting Novemeber 3.
It only looks bad on the surface because we are blinded by our political principles. We were taught earlier this year by a “Tea Party favorite” that personal loyalty trumps political principles.
Geez, the Stupid Party strikes again. Just when you think they’ve bought a clue.
So, conservatives like Sarah Palin shouldn’t part from people like Murkowski because, as RSS put it, they helped her get established? Murkowski is just doing what her dear daddy taught after years of entrenched incumbancy himself. Ugghhh, apparently, the voters of Alaska are gonna have to intervene and toss her out for a second time.
Murkowski is another example of why the Repubs don’t get my automatic vote anymore. I’m sorry to have to say this, but I’d vote for the Dem running against McCain just to get him out. Political whores cannot be trusted. They never truly go away until forced to.
I guess the voters will have to force Murkowski out…. AGAIN.
The fact that the republican party continues to be the party of pussies is why we have the problems we do in America! Sooner or later we need to replace this pathetic party.
Not so difficult WE. Both are equally worthy of loathing. Thank you for putting “leadership” in quotations. Who is running the show and what is the GOP platform? Answer – No one and who knows? For the most part it’s the tired old “We suck less than Obama.”
So tomorrow Boehner is rolling out the looooong awaited GOP platform – “Pledge to America” – to a deafening collective yawn. Looks like a rehash of “Contract With Americe”, but with no concrete goals, no real potential to get teeth in Congress, and no one behind it.
No leadership, no vision, no unity and no brains means a golden opportunity to derail the Obama Train is rapidly slipping away. Pathetic indeed.
It has to be the water. Yes, the water inside the Beltway must be hexed. That has to be the reason for the mass insanity that emanates from there.
I have a bad feeling that Miller will get something less than 100% support from “the old boyz club” during the campaign, and that somehow they’ll try to channel hidden support to Murky… if not obvious dollars, then more subtle things like the use of mailing lists or on-the-sly phone calls to the right people – stuff like that.
Orrin don’t let the hatch hit you on the ass in 2012.
Well we’d better be on the lookout, shouldn’t we?
The frank fact is that the GOP can’t be trusted. It needs to be taken over by Tea Partiers, and then relegate the GOP to the third party joke status that it deserves….This is what is in store for us for the long haul.
2010 is just the beginning,not he end of that struggle.
Whoever else she endorsed, Palin didn’t endorse Murkowski. According to the reports I’ve seen, they hate each other’s guts.
I doubt it will make any difference at all whether the Republicans support Miller. Alaska is pretty heavily Republican and after all, they’re the ones who threw Murkowski out in the first place.
As I recall, the reason why Murkowski was going to be stripped of her seniority was to encourage her to drop her write-in campaign by letting her know in advance that she would not profit from it.
The only explanation for the reversal that makes any sense is that in return Murkowski threatened to caucus with the donks for the remainder of her term.
What a snake. But given that until late January one Republican turncoat in the Senate is all it takes for Harry Reid to cram his agenda up our butts, what choice was there?
1. Naval Intelligence
2. Jumbo Shrimp
3. Mild Heart-attack
4. Slightly Pregnant
5. Republican Leadership
Another spineless moment for the GOP. Can we trust them to do anything meaningful? The only difference between the 2 parties is the amount of crap they dump on us.
Her injury? Insult her? She insulted all Republicans by running against the Republicans after she was beaten. But we have to worry about insulting her?
Her injury was self inflicted. Why are we cowtowing to someone that shoots themselves in the foot?
As soon as she went against the party by announcing a write in, she should have been reprimanded by losing her chairmanship. Those are passed out by the “party”. She is not the “party” candidate there anymore because she is running against us.
Is Steele or the Republican party going to give her other help as well? Keeping her chair will HELP her in the general election against the Republican party. Booting her would HURT her in the general as it would show she would not have the same influence as a write in. See J Liebermann for more details.
Thats like spending money against yourself. How lame can these people be? And yet, they still want my cash. Dede Scuzzyfavor not only took our money but then endorsed the Democrat.
Oh, and has Castle decided to run the same way? He will. Talk about a sack of woe.
Another reason why a 51 seat majority in the Senate means little. Could I invite the man over for some under cooked pork ribs–or would that not be in good taste?
Utah Republicans turned out Bennett, perhaps Snake Hatch will be next. Our country and our Party are only the line and this clown worrying about “good taste”. I’ll be at the door frame.
This hideous woman must go!
Whenver the Republicans weenie-out on an issue, they blow the dust off of Orrin Hatch and let him make the announcement. When the bastard became a senator, Cadillacs still had tailfins.
Go home and play golf, Orrin. Sheeez…
I wonder if all Repulicans sent Joe Miller a dollar, how much cash could he raise in a day?
It’s going to take several election to fix what ails.
I must move back to Texas or Oklahoma. I don’t want to be behind enemy lines when the coming civil war starts.
Might I suggest that, instead, you beat Sen. Orrin Hatchs head against the wall. It’ll do more good, and you’ll actually feel better.
So we elect candidates, how do we change the leadership at the RNC?
Are those posts gimmees for party loyalty, fundraising, and putting signs in yards?
Do delegates vote on those positions or does the “leadership” get together and pass them out as “Crony Awards”? Wheres my photoshop of a Crony statue?
I can help you find a home in the Oklahoma City area.
Hangfire, we will need you to conduct intelligence, subterfuge and sabotage operations. Emphasis on the intelligence since you will be one of the few there with any.
True. If I leave Honolulu, the number of Republicans in the state of Hawaii drops by 5%.
My first target would be the University of Hawaii. All they do is crank out Liberals, Eco-Nuts, and Quarterbacks that can’t make it in the NFL.
The timing couldn’t be better- right when we are supposed to trust them on a new Contract with America.
Ah yes, the Rainbow coalition where everything is Rainbows and Unicorns but the pot of gold is empty.
Or try Bethany Okla by Lake Overholser.
NO way, T-Bone. I’m a MWC or Choctaw guy.
I am curious as to what energy have been created by the Energy Department since its inception? It is as useless as the Department of Education!
I wonder if Orrin Hatch knows what a bad taste this leaves in the mouths of Conserative Republicans. Another of what old Joe McCarthy called a “medical wonder” no brain, no guts and no backbone. Murkowski resigned from the Republican Party or have these fools forgot that already. Time to throw them all out of office.
Just Tinker-ing.
I hate to say, “I told you so,” but I told you so. I told you the ‘moderates’ are all in on it.
As long as we fail to punish the ‘moderates’ as a group for shafting tea party winners of the GOP nominations, they, as a group, will keep shafting tea party winners of the nominations.
If McCain and Fiorina went down to defeat because tea party voters refused to vote for them because we are fed up with traitorous, lying, hypocritical ‘moderate’ elitist scum, this kind of sell out would come to a screeching halt.
If we continue business as usual, then nominated ‘moderates’ will all win and many tea party nominees will be defeated and the ‘moderates’ will continue to hold all of the party money and power.
And don’t tell me we must do it to stop the leftists. Our own ‘moderates’ don’t seem to think that’s a problem, so how can we pretend they’ll be on our side in the political battles over the next two years???
If they shaft us in the elections without regard for the consequences of losing to Democrats, how stupid do we have to be to think they won’t do the same on the legislation??
This just means there is still much work to do. We thought the GOP Senate leadership were getting a clue and were growing a pair. It’s obvious we were wrong.
Good one, T.
It’s going to be a lonnnnng couple years cleaning the barn of these old RINOs.
Captain Red-Legs Terrill: “Doin’ right ain’t got no end.”
Sybill Fawlty: Orin, I have seen more intelligent creatures than you lying on their backs at the bottoms of ponds! I have seen better organized creatures than you running around farmyards with their heads cut off! Now collect your things and get out!
Dial back your expectations and get used to this. We’re going to be seeing a lot more of this kind of stuff when/if the republicans take congress. In truth, the Republicans only know how to make deals with Democrats/Rinos/Diablos. If they win it is only because there is no other alternative available to the electorate.
Now a lot of people are saying Obama is the next Carter which strikes me as terribly unfair — Obama is much worse than Carter — but it is starting to look like 2010 is 1994 all over again. A lot of excitement, pledges, contracts, whatever which in the end amounts to nothing.
Gee, I wonder who our next Bush will be? Romney? Could be, but heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if the republicans ran McCain again in 2012.
Is this the way they will also carry out the Pledge to America? Just like they reneged on the Contract With America? They keep screwing around and the Tea Party will start their own party.
Earth to GOP, victory isn’t for the weak.
*There is actually much work to do over the next 3 election cycles; That is what it will take, if the right way forward can be accomplished at all; The GOP is going to roll out their pledge tomorrow, where they could have just adopted the “Contract from America”, a pathway “we the people” had already put forward to them.
*Over the next 3 election cycles, we must remove as many of the Democrat(Death to America)Party members as possible, as well as all their RINO enablers such as Grahamnesty, Snowe, Collins, Hatch(Schip), and others; If not, they will default back to their old ways, assisting in the destruction of our country.
*As an aside, if the GOP doesn’t go full bore scorched earth against our socialist enemies in D.C. over the next 18 months, expect the birth of the Tea Party as a viable political party, with many GOP’ers jumping on board.
By splitting the vote between Murkowski and Miller, Alaskans run the risk that neither Murkowski nor Miller will win. I would call it the “Perot Factor.” The GOP needs to understand this and pariah-tize her if they want to keep the seat.
Next I’ll be saying that the GOP should be more perspicacious about this matter.
How many times is Orrin Hatch going to get away with his ‘decorous’ impotency. Maybe he’ll cure Murkowski by one of his ballads or poems.
What a tool.
***
Tell Orrin Hatch to stop acting like Charlie Tuna. The American People don’t want “tunas with good taste”–we want “tunas that TASTE GOOD!”
***
Out! Out! Damn’d spot! Lady MacBeth probably didn’t like RINO’s either.
***
John Bibb
***
“It’s just a matter of good taste.
Is this moose turd pie? Sure tastes good, though. Mmmm-mmmm-mmmm.
OK LOTE-rs, tell me again why I should fill the bed with vipers before laying down with the bedfellows?
Won’t happen. See McCain, Graham.
Well, dyin’ ain’t much of a livin’ boy.
OUR moderates are leftists, Roland. McCompromise & Grahamnesty support comprehensive reform for a reason and it’s not because they love conservatives.
This is exactly why we are voting you limp wristed (_*_) out of office in the primaries. NO CAJONES. You can’t even punish a turncoat like Murkowski, or deal with your rino colleagues. So you leave it to us the voters, and then criticise us as extremists. Senator Hatch, Cornyn, McCain, Snowe, Graham, Collins, etc. if you want to represent the interests of your democrat constituency, or your independent constituency, THEN RUN AS A DEMOCRAT OR AN INDEPENDENT. TRUTH IN ADVERTISING!
Why even have GOP primaries if the party elites insist on supporting the Zombie candidates like Lisa Murky?!
So are we to presume Orrin and the boys squeezed in an Amy Vanderbilt etiquette class in the 24 hours they went from being manly men to being girly men?
This action connects to Rove’s outburst, in this way: it shows that the GOP’s “leadership” is Progie-filled.
It also connects to Rove in that, it shows the important point (to Constitutionalists) of Rove’s actions. It is the proof it gives that Reagan’s “11th Commandment” only applies when it is convenient for the GOP’s Progressives. They use it to *silence dissent* — something 2nd nature and an automatic response by Progressive-infected people!