After ripping Sarah Palin, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski isn’t mincing words about another one of her high-profile GOP critics: South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint.
“I think some of the Republicans in the Congress feel pretty strongly that he and his actions potentially cost us the majority by encouraging candidates that ended up not being electable,” Murkowski told POLITICO outside her Senate office. “And I think Delaware is a pretty good example of that, and I think there’re some folks that feel that DeMint’s actions didn’t necessarily help the Republican majority.”
Murkowski suggested the South Carolina conservative and favorite of the tea party seemed more interested in bolstering his own political standing rather than that of the Republican Party.
“So the real question is, what’s his desire?” she said. “Does he want to help the Republican majority, or is he on his own agenda, his own initiative?”
Asked what she believed the answer was, Murkowksi said: “I think he’s out for his own initiative.”
They just created their own Lieberman. Have fun with that, teabaggers.
Jim C.
File this under, “This should be a lot of fun to watch”?
Just Some Fuckhead
That is really unfair to Murkowski.
Xecky Gilchrist
What Republican majority, Sen. Murkowski? There isn’t one! hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee
Anya
From your lips to .. you know how it goes. I hope Ms. Murkowski is the type that holds a grudge. After this desissive win, she earned her Liebermaness.
Percy Percy
I wish she was their Leiberman. It’s fun to watch Republicans squabble among themselves, but when it comes time to vote she’ll fall right into line.
burnspbesq
Stop for a second and consider the notion of Lisa Murkowski as progressive heroine. That’s almost too weird to contemplate. It gives new meaning to “best of a bad bunch.”
Brian S (formerly Incertus)
Did the Republicans pick up a majority in the Senate when I was busy grading papers or something? Because last I heard, Democrats still held the Senate (at least nominally). I’d really like some Senate Democrats to tell their Republican counterparts that they really don’t have any more power in the Senate now than they did a few weeks ago. Wishful thinking, I know, but it would be nice.
Hunter Gathers
You are so funny, Cole. Like she’s going to change her voting patterns in any way, shape, or form. Sure, she’s pissed at her own party, but that pales in comparison to putting Obama in his place. All you are going to get from her is smack talk. In the end, she’ll vote with her party 100% of the time.
Thoughtcrime
She’ll fall in line.
SiubhanDuinne
Popcorn, pass it plz.
scav
Well, this is at least a somewhat in-theme with title if technically OT contribution.
via ChiTrib
GregB
Whoever is the first to get Kool-Aid flavored tea on the market is a winner in my book.
David
The RINOs waited too long to push back. They gave away their political party to a moldy, fringe element of society who ruined the Republican brand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The reviews are in for new Palin book!
❛It’s Sarah Palin’s “Mein Kampf.”❜
Sarah Palin’s new book excerpts leaked:
http://palingates.blogspot.com/2010/11/sarah-palin-rails-in-her-book-america.html
gnomedad
@scav:
Who will be the first winger to describe this guy as a “liberal”?
Zifnab
Let’s watch how she votes first, then talk about who is whose Joe Lieberman. If Murkoski isn’t voting for any health care bills or START Treaties or middle class only tax cuts, I’m not seeing much reverse-Lieberman in her.
Alex S.
Hard to believe, but she actually was one of the more moderate members of the republican caucus – and from a very republican state. Her “liberal” votes were mostly related to women’s issues though, Lily Ledbetter-act, and SCHIP, too, I think. But since the Tea Party is all about lockstep voting with the Republican majority she was a worthy target.
cleek
@Brian S (formerly Incertus):
yes.
at least that’s the impression they want everybody to have. and the media seems happy to indulge them.
aview999
BREAKING NEWS!! Going Viral Right now!!
Palingates blog has obtained an advance copy of Sarah Palin’s forthcoming book, America By Heart.
http://palingates.blogspot.com/2010/11/sarah-palin-rails-in-her-book-america.html
Sarah Palin has to be the most delusional, petty and self-righteous person in the whole wide United States of America.
NonyNony
The comparison to Lieberman is unfair. Because Lieberman is loyal to no one in the Democratic caucus while Murkowski’s loyalty lies with McConnell. She’ll vote how McConnell tells her and, if one of those votes somehow comes at the expense of Jim DeMint, well, that’ll be nice. But she’s not going to be running against the Republican Senate leadership any time soon – that’s just not how it works.
OTOH, she basically won on a mandate from Alaska voters to bring home the pork. She ran against a hardcore “no pork” candidate and he’s losing pretty badly in the count. The folks who didn’t vote for her voted and didn’t vote for the anti-pork guy voted for the Democrat. So overall, she has a mandate to bring money to Alaska. That means she’s “bribable” by a Senate majority leader willing to cut deals. Much like Ben Nelson. So Reid should get on that.
geg6
@Alex S.:
She’s pro-choice, too, I believe.
All I can say to this is…heh. Indeed.
Ash Can
“Senator Murkowski? Rush Limbaugh on line one for you.”
fasteddie9318
If she bucks McConnell on a single cloture vote, I’ll be stunned. Meanwhile Lieberman has fucked with his party on every single cloture vote since he lost that primary. There’s no comparison here.
John PM
@David:
Oh my God that is a real book. I thought it was a parody at first. I am now literally sick to my stomach.
Julia Grey
That’s actually not all bad. It will make the inevitable failure to quickly and fabulously improve the economy seem more like the Republican’s fault.
“They had a MAJORITY [carefully eliding the specifics of the situation] and couldn’t do anything.”
HAHAHAHAHAHHA!
Gravenstone
DeMint’s actions surprise her how, exactly? I mean he’s literally on the record proclaiming his desire for a small cadre of ultra-loyalists, even if its at the expense of a true Senate majority.
chopper
i’m betting she’s feeling the murkmentum.
Suck It Up!
yak yak, you’ll fall in line like all the others.
cleek
@NonyNony:
now that McConnell has declared the Senate off-limits to earmarks/pork, she’s gonna have to be creative about it…
Alex S.
@aview999:
Shouldn’t the title be “America by words I’ve written on my hand”?
Xecky Gilchrist
@Suck It Up!: yak yak, you’ll fall in line like all the others.
People keep saying this, but I bet that when the Redoublechin leadership yell “jump!” she will shout “how high!” nearly one one-hundredth of a decibel quieter than all the other R senators.
danimal
The dynamics of opposition are very different than the dynamics of governing. While the GOP has been in opposition mode, they have been able to maintain unity. This won’t last now that they control the House and have a 47-53 majority in the Senate. They will see cracks appear that haven’t been evident for the past two years. Add in a potentially explosive and divisive presidential primary and all the characteristics of a chaotic legislative session are in place.
All the negativism of the BJ commentariat may be misplaced. Obama is not as weak or stupid as many of you are pretending he is. In Congress, I predict much more Dem unity and much less GOP cohesion than is currently expected. Murkowski is likely the first of many apostates from the GOP purity ranks. Don’t assume they are are the juggernaut they pretend to be. Divide and conquer, divide and conquer.
And quit your damn bitching about things that haven’t yet occurred (caving on taxes, for example).
Lukeness
It wouldn’t even occur to her to ask if DeMint is interested in improving the country or helping Americans. Republicans don’t even think of such a thing.
tammanycall
She’s rated 14% by NARAL on choice, which typically indicates an anti-choice voting record. However, looking at her actual votes, she’s pro-stem cell research, and she supports federal abortion funding. Unfortunately, she also supports abstinence-only education and mandatory parental notification laws. She’s probably a little more liberal than her voting record indicates. At least in this area, she’s not one of the anti-science, anti-women Republicans. But I wouldn’t hold your breath when it comes to climate change, LGTB issues, civil liberties, etc.
GregB
Does this mean that the Senator from South Carolina has Dementum?
Cris
But… he’s with us on everything but the war!
Shalimar
@aview999:
Nah. She’s a narcissist. They’re all like that, she is just the most prominent.
JohnR
Speaking of “Fury(s)”, I probably missed this earlier (in which case I apologize), but I was amused by this bit of ‘white-on-white’ attacking (via the fine and reasonable Ordinary Gentlemen, of course):
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/lgf-shrieking-harpy-generator.php
I leave it to others better equipped than I to draw the proper conclusions from the one-by-one, lurching, groping efforts to reach the light by those of us who used to be Republicans. Plato would be amused, I think.
Ranbo
You folks are like a bunch of kids – the dems had the majority but couldn’t pay attention to the folks that elected them, and they’re still not listening. Kiss 2012’s election goodby……………………………
Calouste
@aview999:
I wouldn’t exactly call that BREAKING NEWS ™, alhough I must admit that the competition is pretty stiff.
HyperIon
So is Murkowski Lieberman or is Demint Lieberman?
I can’t keep up.
rikyrah
Did she win a full six year term?