These days, not so much:
Republican Senate candidate Joe Miller used borough computers in Fairbanks for partisan political purposes in 2008 when he organized the failed effort to oust state GOP chairman Randy Ruedrich from his post, the borough mayor who supervised Miller said Wednesday.
Jim Whitaker, the mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough when Miller was the borough’s part-time attorney, said Miller was disciplined in writing for violating the borough’s ethics policy.
Whitaker said he decided to speak out publicly now after Miller vowed this week to not answer questions about his past. Miller told reporters he has been the victim of “lies and innuendos” after questions were raised about his work history with the borough.
Nowadays, being a liar isn’t that big of a deal. Hell, Miller will turn this into a fundraising letter, because being a victim is the highest achievement possible in the current GOP.
joe from Lowell
This post is just a deflection from the real issue: did Al Gore use the right phone?
Bella Q
It will be interesting to see if it matters to the Alaska Supreme Court, which I’m assuming has jurisdiction over ethical issues for members of that bar. You are correct though that it doesn’t seem to matter. For a cognitive dissonance induced headache, read some comments after the various AK news stories, where people say they still think he’s the best choice. On the upside – could there be some fallout for Snowflake Snooki here?
garage mahal
Robert Byrd! Mary Jo Kopechne! Tire Gauges! halal Soup! The Won!
Aaaaarrrggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
cat48
The corporate press doesn’t even try any more. They’re obsessed with O’Donnell’s debate with our new Senator Coons, not so much.
General Stuck
Wingnuts lying. That is so 2008. It’s the 2010’s let’s teach democrats a lesson by electing republicans era. Please adjust your dial.
And with that, I am all out of exasperated snark. Take it away firebaggers.
williamc
@joe from Lowell:
This.
I remember writing my undergrad History thesis about the Clinton scandals back in 2001, and being upset that I didn’t have enough space to write about the media orgy that broke out over Gore’s fundraising phone usage, let alone openly using government equipment to subvert an election.
Its like they are going out of their way to prove the DFH right with the IOKIYAR stuff…
Ash Can
Hey, as long as he stays a faithful member of the GOP tribe, anything’s excused. Anything.
bkny
@cat48: had to stop watching msnbc — some chatterbunny is talking about how odonnell was very appealing in last nite’s debate. sure, she didn’t know shit, but at least she wasn’t frothing at the mouth.
Rosalita
@Bella Q:
HAHAHAHAHA!
El Tiburon
Focusness on the issues, people.
Why must we be all about the personal destruction?
Look forward – not to the side, down, up, askance, to or fro or backwards.
Do not judge lest ye be judged.
Stay on target Red Leader.
A dingo ate your baby.
Focusness. Focusness.
MattF
Ethics is for looooosers. Just ask turdblossom.
Corner Stone
Why do all College Republicans look like such creepy assholes?
I mean, I know they are on the inside and all, but they all just look like unrepentant assholes.
Barb (formerly gex)
I think this has nothing to do with the era. Is he a Republican? IOKIYAR seems to always hold. I’m not convinced this wouldn’t be an issue if he were a Dem.
Barb (formerly gex)
@Ash Can: Indeed. Sins can be forgiven, but you must still believe and be a member of the faith.
williamc
@Corner Stone:
Because they haven’t learned to put on their smiley “I am you” Christine O’Donnell-like salt-of-the-earth middle class ‘merican” faces yet. They are still pure Rand-worshipping selfish asshats that haven’t been taught how to fool the rubes yet.
Redshirt
There you go with your LIEbural media gotchya games!
Bullsmith
It seems like soliciting gay sex in an airport bathroom is pretty much the only transgression that can ruin a Republican these days. Being a crook, a liar or an adulterer are all pretty much requisites for the job these days.
El Tiburon
@Corner Stone:
Because they are creepy assholes.
You are welcome.
arguingwithsignposts
Since the topic of Ms. O’Donnell has come up, I will post this shameless blogwhore for the last time. New graphics for the war against self-gratification: Strike a blow! Suitable for stickers, posters, yard-signs, etc.
And yeah, I imagine Miller will get a pass. He’s got a cool five o’clock shadow, you betcha.
4tehlulz
@Corner Stone: Because they are creepy assholes.
stuckinred
Look who’s talking about creepy assholes.
valdivia
@Bella Q:
Snowflake Snooki. OMG that was too funny.
I am calling it right now: Bristol Palin is going to win that dancing contest. Any takers on that bet?
Omnes Omnibus
@valdivia: Some Palin has to be able to win something at a national level. Statistically speaking, that is.
cat48
@bkny:
I see, he’s not “sparkly” enough for them anymore. That makes sense, O’Donnell is more sparkly than Palin now. We need to get him on TV, then maybe they’ll notice he’s a crook.
Rethugs have a bad case of hubris right now. They asked a Senator on MJ this morning what they were going to work on first and he blurted out that it would be time to start working on winning the presidency back in 2012. Jo/Mika were not there & the people who were looked stunned…….”You’re going to start on 2012? That’s all?? Really funny to watch.
Zifnab
IOKIYAR!
Honestly, I don’t see why the Democrats even bother running as Democrats anymore? Just take your message, take your platform, take your voting base, and invade the Republican Party. Slap “We’re Republicans too” and be as liberal as you damn well please. I’m curious to see if simply adding an (R) in front of your name really is the panacea for all ills.
Apparently, politics and policy and all the rest doesn’t even matter. Just that one letter and you’re golden.
cleek
I think what we’ve had here is a little social concern in the Media. The media has been very desirous that a “Conservative” candidate do well.
/antiRush
valdivia
@Omnes Omnibus:
Good point. I just think she will be in the final two and the network will give it to her. Just guessing. I never watch the show but given the MSM’s love of Palin this seems logical to me. They have to make up for that mean interview they did with her 2 years ago.
Anya
@valdivia: She will not. She does not have enough appeal and the whole “I am a 19 year old mother” whine will lose its impact.
someguy
He probably beats his wife, too.
GregB
What has me really seething about all of these ethical scumbags tea-baggers and bagettes is that they are all part and parcel of the impeach Clinton-family values-character counts crowd.
Now the GOTea has fielded the most ethically challenged mob of rubes, nitwits, liars, hacks, hypocrites and thieves I have ever seen.
Now it only matters what they believe, their backgrounds and history have no meaning whatsoever.
Yet they still hold the Democrats to account for letters they wrote in college and even in Obama’s case his father’s ideological history.
Anya
What I don’t understand about this Joe Miller issue is why isn’t Lisa Murkowski using this issue? At least the local media was focused on the issue and was pressuring Miller to give them some answers.
Bella Q
@valdivia: I can’t claim it – though I find it delightful. I can only hope that Spawn of Snowflake Snooki gets no better than runner up, but I’m petty like that.
Omnes Omnibus
@GregB: Once you have been born again, it is unfair to use your previous sins against you. After all, God has forgiven you, why can’t everyone else. For those Tea-types who are not born again, I am guessing that IOKIYAR applies.
pablo
Ladies & Gentlemen….The perfect Republican candidate.
morzer
@valdivia:
Hmmm Jello in Motion as the favorite? I suspect she’ll fall at the last fence.
Bella Q
@someguy: There’s a photo of Miller here, bottom of page with his fingers around his wife’s neck that certainly suggests he’s, ah, controlling. To put it politely. There is something very creepy about him.
Poopyman
@Omnes Omnibus:
My vote would be for Michael.
Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle
@bkny: What chatterbunny was that? I’d watch some Savannah Guthrie on Christine O’Donnell action.
Rick Massimo
“In Years Past” = “Way Back in 2008.”
Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle
@Anya: Because Murkowski is using her money to buy up all the pencils in Alaska so she can have them imprinted with her name. So Alaskans can remember how to spell her name.
Brachiator
In related News of the Crazy, Carl Paladino gets bitch slapped by an angry rabbi:
J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford
@valdivia:
There is no way in hell Bristol Palin will win DWTS. Jennifer Grey has been wonderful and Brandi is pretty good/smokin’ hawt. Bristol has been at the bottom each of the 4 weeks and should be gone by the 6th week.
Wow, that was embarrassing for me.
comrade scott's agenda of rage
@Corner Stone:
They look how they are.
J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford
@Anya:
That’s as deep as Bristol gets. The girl is not intelligent and about what you would expect for someone who did not graduate from high school on-time. Audrina Patridge seems to be as dumb as a box of rocks but she at least has a flicker of life in her ceiling eyes, and is a pretty good dancer.
Btw, does the youngest Palin daughter ever go to school? For parents who are 0 for 2 in regards to getting their children to graduate high school on-time Sarah and Todd seem to show very little concern with getting their younger children on the right track.
joe from Lowell
@Bella Q: Wow. Look at her face.
What a creep. Like the brother-in-law you have to make an effort not to throw out of the house every Thanksgiving.
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
@williamc:
Speaking as someone who remembers the 1972 election, reading this makes me feel really, really old. Just lower me into the hole and shovel the dirt in slowly and gently, thanks.
williamc
@ThatLeftTurnInABQ:
Trust, writing about it doesn’t make me feel young. The 1990s were still fresh, and just coming into politics as a historical observer and not into politics at all as a hard-partying college kid, I was fascinated by how good the media and the opposition were able to falsely define the President. Defending the thesis in front of my department chair, professor, and a fellow student, I was pelted with questions about why I was so one-sided in my defense of Bill, not taking seriously any of the Republican arguments and the only answers I had over and over again were “outside of the sex with the intern thing, none of these scandals had any merit behind them” and “in the course of my research, I discovered that the Republican Party is completely untethered from reality when it comes to what Democrats are like, how they think, and even what words mean”. And this was back in 2001, before 9/11.
Paul in KY
@valdivia: I’ll take it. Jennifer Grey will end up winning.
Pancake
“Nowadays, being a liar isn’t that big of a deal.”
someguy
@Bella Q:
Wow. Shocker I got the wife beater vibe off of him, huh? Looks like she’s been punched out once or twice too, but maybe that’s just the strain of living with an out-of-control maniac.
valdivia
@J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford:
LOL. No I’m very glad to be wrong about this.
valdivia
@Paul in KY:
@morzer:
@Anya:
I am very happy to be told I am totally wrong, as I said above, if you see HuffPo they’re pimping her for all they’re worth.
jayboat
@someguy:
Homeschoolin’ eight little Millerites will take a toll on ya.
Anyone else pick up the stuff floating around the toobs about Lisa Murkowski being a cokehead?
Karen
Isn’t there some rule that the only verboten things for politicians is to be caught with a dead girl or a live boy in their bed?
Well when you’re a Republican all you have to do is say that the Democrats are so desperate that they got a girl to commit suicide to make the Republican candidate look bad. OR, say the girl was Muslim! She was part of a Sleeper cell and the virtuous Republican saved the Real Merkin public.
If it’s a boy? The MSM will never mention it.
Anya
@valdivia: I get all of my Palin news from Gawker, and the commenters assure me that she will be eliminated next week. She was in the buttom two this week, so aside from the Palin worshipers, I don’t think anyone else is voting for her.
@J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford:
I think she in the home-schooled demo. I actually feel for that poor child. In addition to being adorable, she looks intelligent and seems to have a big personality.
Bubblegum Tate
I guarantee Miller raises half a mil by pretending to be an innocent victim being savaged by the LIEbrul media.
chopper
@Brachiator:
what decade is this dude living in? ‘folded like a cheap camera’?
‘when paladino wants to get back on the trolley, he can give me a call!’
Paul in KY
@valdivia: Shucks! I wanted to retire on my winnings.
Irony Abounds
With Republicans, lying is a feature, not a bug. Particularly Ms. Palin.
FlipYrWhig
Joe Miller is astoundingly smug and creepy. Much smugger and creepier than Rand Paul, who had set the bar pretty high. Carl Paladino is exceptionally creepy, but not smug, because he’s too ramshackle (not a bestia1ity pun) and belligerent. Miller really bothers me, viscerally.
Jay in Oregon
@Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle:
Her father, Frank Murkowski, has been a staple of Alaskan politics since I was a kid. Trust me, they know how to spell her name.
Arctos
In Alaska, some of us call Piper “America’s littlest dropout.”
Those of you who think Joe Miller is creepy should watch his wife in the video posted on http://www.themudflats.net. He was announcing that he was no longer going to answer questions about his background before flouncing away, hence prompting his former boss to come forward and tell all. His wife looks miserable, and he comes off as angry/scary.
This latest revelation about his ethical breach is kind of a big deal in Alaska because Sarah Palin made her reputation as a reformer by ratting out the state GOP chair for using state resources on party business. She quit her short-lived job on the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission so she could tell the people all about the bad man. Her whistle-blower image helped her trounce the immensely unpopular Frank Murkowski and land the governor’s job. (Of course it was ALL image, as it turns out.)
So now we’ve learned that her protege Joe Miller was trying to topple the very same GOP chair by voting for himself multiple times from his co-workers’ computers. The ultimate irony is that in 2002 when Sarah Palin was Wasilla’s mayor, she used city computers for campaign business, too, only she called that “innocuous.”
Bella Q
@FlipYrWhig: That’s because Miller is a sociopath. Paladino’s just kind of kooky and crass (to put it politely) and Baby Paul is kooky and smug, with undertones of creepiness because he really believes that glibertarian garbage. But of the 3, only Miller is a sociopath. I suspect that’s why there’s the visceral reaction. For me it was pretty immediate, and the photo with his hand on his wife’s throat did not surprise me. But I’ve got a very sensitive pathology meter.
Pooh
efgoldman, polls show Miller and Murkowski as basically even, and his campaign has a certain whiff of implision about it. Lisa, not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth is running some pretty stinging ads. Sadly, our boy Scott McAdams has responded with a pretty meek call to “focus on the issues”.