# Alaska Senate race
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [August 27, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607 "2010-08-27T01:03:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 15
### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/281 "2010-12-27T16:04:45Z")
Miller is abandoning his effort to stop Murkowski from being certified as the winner of the election. The state supreme court had ruled against him on that anyway. He is still suing in federal court.
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/282 "2010-12-27T16:09:25Z")
Then what is he suing for? Dies he want her to be un-certified later after he wins in court?
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/283 "2010-12-27T16:14:36Z")
He claims the suit is now about [preserving the integrity of the election process](http://joemiller.us/2010/12/miller-will-not-oppose-certification-of-u-s-senate-race/):
> [@](#):
>
> “After careful consideration and seeking the counsel of people whose opinion I respect and trust, I have decided that the federal case must go forward. The integrity of the election is vital and ultimately the rule of law must be our standard. Nevertheless, I have also decided to withdraw our opposition to the certification of the election, ensuring that Alaska will have its full delegation seated when the 112th Congress convenes next month.” Miller added, “This decision will allow Alaskans to focus on bringing fairness and transparency to our elections process without distraction of the certification issue.”
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/284 "2010-12-27T16:19:02Z")
He’s asking the federal courts to order a recount of all the ballots because the state wrongly awarded votes to Murkowski. In the state lawsuit, he said the court should stop Murkowski from being seated because the results hadn’t been resolved. He’s given up on that because the courts told him to get bent. The federal courts aren’t buying it either and there’s no way they are going to order a recount, or for that matter, that his challenges and other claims are going to succeed or overturn the result. But he’s not ready to give up for whatever reason. [Here are some details.](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/12/27/joe_miller_to_keep_fighting_in_federal_court_108359.html)
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/285 "2010-12-27T16:19:41Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> Then what is he suing for? Dies he want her to be un-certified later after he wins in court?
Yeah. He wants to win and then have her unseated. He also, humanitarian that he is, wants to make sure that never again is someone treated as unfairly as he was.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/286 "2010-12-27T16:31:45Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#):
>
> He claims the suit is now about [preserving the integrity of the election process](http://joemiller.us/2010/12/miller-will-not-oppose-certification-of-u-s-senate-race/):
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > After careful consideration and seeking the counsel of people whose opinion I respect and trust. . .
So I guess he had a beer and talked to his cat.
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/287 "2010-12-27T16:33:21Z")
Cats will betray people for a chicken nugget. Maybe his dog.
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### Author:  [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/288 "2010-12-27T23:56:45Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> Cats will betray people for a chicken nugget. Maybe his dog.
Dude, dogs are nowhere near picky enough to require a whole chicken nugget…
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/289 "2010-12-28T00:02:00Z")
I misspoke, I meant I would betray anyone for a chicken nugget.
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/290 "2010-12-30T02:31:17Z")
The federal judge has not only lifted his stay, but also has dismissed the case.
The elections director has certified Murkowski’s win, and tomorrow Parnell will sign it, and then the paperwork will be hand carried to D.C.
Miller appears to be surprised at the dismissal. I think he expected that the stay would be lifted, but that he would be able to continue his arguments. He is considering his options.
Now that it’s all over, I’ve got to say that as a fairly liberal Democrat, I’m not delighted to have Murkowski reelected, but I am 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 times happier to have her in the Senate than Miller.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2010, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/291 "2010-12-30T04:58:30Z")
> [@Frank](#):
>
> The federal judge has not only lifted his stay, but also has dismissed the case.
>
> The elections director has certified Murkowski’s win, and tomorrow Parnell will sign it, and then the paperwork will be hand carried to D.C.
>
> Miller appears to be surprised at the dismissal. I think he expected that the stay would be lifted, but that he would be able to continue his arguments. He is considering his options.
>
> Now that it’s all over, I’ve got to say that as a fairly liberal Democrat, I’m not delighted to have Murkowski reelected, but I am 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 times happier to have her in the Senate than Miller.
Ditto that. As I’ve said before, Murkowski is a moderate, which is fine with me as long as she votes her conscience and not the party line.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2011, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/292 "2011-01-01T05:22:53Z")
[Miller concedes defeat to Murkowski](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12101976)
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### Author:  [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2011, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/293 "2011-01-01T05:50:34Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Ditto that. As I’ve said before, Murkowski is a moderate, which is fine with me as long as she votes her conscience and not the party line.
She introduced a bill to give DC a representative. Considering that the rep would probably be a Dem, I would say that’s not the party line.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/294 "2011-01-01T17:47:57Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#):
>
> [Miller concedes defeat to Murkowski](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12101976)
He’s not only conceded, but he’s dropped all further efforts to find any remedy in the federal courts. It’s only taken him months to figure out what everybody else knew a week after the election. :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/295 "2011-01-01T18:09:49Z")
As the Senate is such a deliberative body, he would have fit right in.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/296 "2011-01-01T18:31:21Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> As the Senate is such a deliberative body, he would have fit right in.
And so ends the thread.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/297 "2011-01-01T18:35:10Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> He’s not only conceded, but he’s dropped all further efforts to find any remedy in the federal courts. It’s only taken him months to figure out what everybody else knew a week after the election. :rolleyes:
I’m sure the timing of his concession had more to do with the slowing pace of contributions than anything else. He doesn’t want to spend his entire war chest on a losing battle, so when the dollars stopped coming in, he pulled the plug. I am sure he still has several hundred thousand dollars in his campaign/litigation fund.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/298 "2011-01-01T21:04:47Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#):
>
> I’m sure the timing of his concession had more to do with the slowing pace of contributions than anything else. He doesn’t want to spend his entire war chest on a losing battle, so when the dollars stopped coming in, he pulled the plug. I am sure he still has several hundred thousand dollars in his campaign/litigation fund.
I would also suspect that the national and local party orgs want their money back.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/299 "2011-01-01T21:39:04Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> I would also suspect that the national and local party orgs want their money back.
And people in Hell want ice water.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/300 "2011-01-02T00:02:51Z")
Does anybody think that this guy can possibly ressurect his reputation and political “career”? I don’t see it happening.
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