The Murkowski Factor

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[TBP]

Question for you Alaska FReepers:

Now that Murkowski has won the Governor's race up there, any idea on who might be appointed to his Senata seat 9which is up in '04)?

[ambrose]

I heard that Ted Steven's son is a front runner.

[Jewels1091]

Well since he gets to appoint his own replacement, it'll probably be someone pretty much like him.

[ALASKA]

I'm hoping for Sara Palin. Maybe Teresa Obermeyer?

[fieldmarshaldj]

"Maybe Teresa Obermeyer?"

Not funny... Well, only if she wears that striped jailsuit. :-)

[fieldmarshaldj]

I'm not sure appointing State Sen. Ben Stevens would be such a great idea, the voters might not like that. Of course, Murkowski's daughter, Lisa, is a state legislator, also (but, that, too would be nepotism). I actually would go with the suggestion of Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin. She's young and fairly conservative. Remember that current Gov. Tony Knowles is warming up in the bullpen to challenge whomever gets the appointment in 2004, and a Dem hasn't won a Senate seat since the dreadful Mike Gravel.

[Ken H]

Why not appoint an Alaskan freeper?

I'd pay money to hear Murkowski announce, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Senator Skull Stomper..."

[Tribune7]

Why does Murkowski want to give up his Senate seat to become gov. of Alaska?

[Wycowboy]

I bet it won't be Jay Hammond, after he (Jay) endorsed the pro-abort ulmer.

[ambrose]

Why does Murkowski want to give up his Senate seat to become gov. of Alaska?

One big reason is he was unhappy being in the minority in the senate. LOL.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

AS hard as it may be for folks in the "lower 48" to believe, a lot of us actually love this place. Frank Murkowski wanted to come home (and I'm sure he is sick and tired of the phony crapheads who inhabit Washington DC!)

[Tribune7]

OK, thanks. I'll figure the answer is somewhere in the middle. :-)

[ambrose]

Would Don Young be interested in switching to the senate? I don't think so, because he's got tons of seniority built up in the House.

[okie01]

"Why does Murkowski want to give up his Senate seat to become gov. of Alaska?"

Where would you rather live? Washington, D.C. or Juneau?

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

"Would Don Young be interested in switching to the senate? "

No- Don will be the new Chairman of the House Transportation Committee- one of the most critical committees for our State.

I would like to see Loren Leman appointed to this seat- he is very smart, a good Conservative, a real Alaskan (old Alaskan family, commercial fisherman) and has the education (Yale) to keep his head above water in Washington. He was elected Lt Governor, though, and I'm not clear on the law regarding who can be appointed to this seat.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

"Where would you rather live? Washington, D.C. or Juneau?"

LOL! In the Army, I was on the "short list" (final three candidates) for a very desirable job in Washington DC (I'd tell you what it was, but you wouldn't believe me- it was THAT good). I called my Branch Manager and asked him to take my name out of consideration. I would NEVER want to live in DC, or make my family live there!

[okie01]

"I would NEVER want to live in DC, or make my family live there!"

Mine is a similar story. I could have the job of a lifetime. All I needed to do was move to New York City.

No thanks.

[UofORepublican]

Actually Bob Novak wrote about this a couple weeks ago. This is what he said:

Alaska Teamsters leader Jerry Hood may become the big union's first member of the U.S. Senate if Republican Sen. Frank Murkowski is elected governor of Alaska Nov. 5.

Murkowski as governor would appoint his own successor. He may select Hood, who as secretary-treasurer of Local 959 has been Alaska's top Teamsters official since 1994. He has worked closely with Murkowski in unsuccessful efforts to authorize drilling in Alaska's ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge).

A longtime Democratic activist and former Democratic National Committeeman, Hood re-registered as a Republican earlier this year. Labor sources say the other two members of Alaska's all-Republican delegation -- Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young -- have signed on to the Hood appointment.

I sure don't like the sound of it.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Gravel was a rather unbalanced individual from what I read and observed (he was the character who began to recite "The Pentagon Papers" into the Congressional record). He managed to piss practically everyone off and was notoriously unreliable with keeping his word as a Senator. He and Ted Stevens (who came to the Senate at the same time) were practically mortal enemies. Many Democrats were never thrilled about the man who beat "Mr. Alaska" himself, Sen. Ernest Greuning, in the '68 primary, and were not all that upset when Greuning's grandson, Clark, beat Gravel in the '80 primary. Murkowski defeated Clark for the seat that year, and Gravel has never run for office again.