New AK Senator to be named Friday [12.20.02]

Anchorage Daily News ^

[Anchoragite]

New senator to be named Friday REPLACEMENT: Ben Stevens surprised he's on Murkowski's short list.

Gov. Frank Murkowski will announce his choice Friday morning for the U.S. Senate seat he is vacating, his office said Wednesday.

The governor this week told several unsuccessful candidates for the job that he has made his selection. Murkowski's spokesman John Manly declined to comment about who would be named.

[Anchoragite]

C'mon, Frank, the suspense is KILLING us!

[Cicero]

I suppose it would be awkward to name your own daughter. Usually these things are done more tactfully, by getting someone else to do it.

[Anchoragite]

She's popular here, and he has no choice -- he's our new Gov. now, so he has to name his own successor.

[AuH2ORepublican]

Great. Murkowski will probably name his daughter, which not only leaves him open to charges of nepotism, but will lead to a potentially fractious primary in 2004, since from what I understand Lisa Murkowski isn't conservative enough to ward off a challenger on the right. Somewhere, Tony Knowles is smiling, knowing his odds of being the first RAT elected to the Senate from Alaska in over a generation have greatly improved. Here we are trying to get to 60 Senators, and we're going to have to defend seats in Alaska.

[Anchoragite]

I doubt he'll choose his daughter, but who knows? (At least he's not choosing the Union scum he had on his list). The mistake I thought was him leaving Washington in the first place, giving up all that seniority.... And because Seniority is no longer an issue with our Jr. Senator, *any* challange next election will be a *real* challenge.

[ken5050]

What happened to Sara Palen (sp?)...I thought she was a leading candidate..she's popular, conservative.....wassup?

[Anchoragite]

Palin was ruled out a few days ago. No real reasons for why anyone was whittled out -- no details. We've just been listening to the political gossip and tapping our feet impatiently since the last election.

[ken5050]

Thanks for the info..Sounds like M really wanted to name his daughter all along..just set up this whole charade to deflect attention...

[TontoKowalski]

Why is Don Young not on the list. Understand it would mean a special election for the at-large House seat that Young now holds, but Lord knows, he's conservative enough.

Also has VERY good name recognition, and could certainly withstand a challenge from Knowles in '04.

[RightWhale]

I sure wouldn't like seeing him appoint Murkowski.

[Anchoragite]

Are you *nuts*? Give up.... gadz, how long's Don been there anyway... Decades of House seniority to start all over as a Junior Senator? That would surrender Alaska's power in both the house *and* the senate!

We ain't all that stupid, ya know....

[Anchoragite]

"I sure wouldn't like seeing him appoint Murkowski."

Why not? (I don't know her too very well. She didn't seem to stand out too far from any of the others in Juneau, to me...) Personally, I wouldn't mind Ben Stevens getting it -- seems like a bright young man.

[CPT Clay]

Good point Young is definitly qualified.

I still like Gen Ralston.

[RightWhale]

Why not?

Don't like nepotism in government. Don't like it in public corporations of any kind.

[TontoKowalski]

My apologies if you somehow interpreted a sincere question as my calling you stupid.

A few points:

1. There is some concern that Knowles will challenge for the Murkowski-appointed Senate seat in '04. He's a known quantity statewide, and while we may not like him, apparently a lot of Alaskans do. We'll need a strong candidate to withstand that challenge. Other than Young, how many well-known Republicans have been elected statewide?

2. While the appointment of Young may mean abandonment of years of House seniority, it will definitely increase the chances of Republican control of the Senate seat in question, which I think is of interest on a national level.

3. Regardless of whether Young moves or not, Alaska will still have Stevens as Chair of Senate Appropriations. Your concerns of "surrender" of Alaska's power, at least in the Senate, are unfounded.

While "we" ain't all that stupid (to advocate Young for Senate), "I" apparently am. For what it's worth, I vote in Alaska, as I assume you do (judging from your screen name).

[Malcolm]

I agree. Anybody but his daughter. There has to be a conservative Alaska Republican who can be appointed and reelected.

Why did Murkoski leave the Senate in the first place? I've never seen anything about his reasons.

[RightWhale]

Why did Murkoski leave the Senate in the first place?

Don't know, but I suspect he was recruited by the Republican Party, either of Alaska or nationally, to run for Governor due to the dismal performance of Republican candidates for Governor lately.

[Anchoragite]

The point is we've already surrendered our power in the US Senate when Frank left. We now have power in the house, with our one representative, and if he went to the Senate, we'd lose that. That would leave us with 2 newbies and an aging Senator Stevens.

Nobody within the GOP here would even *suggest* that Don run for Senate at this point. There are several other more viable candidates, and we're an awfully small state, population-wise, so the name recognition is a minor consequence.

[ambrose]

Why is Don Young not on the list.

Because Don Young isn't interested for one. He's going to be Chairman of the Transportation Committee in the next congress. Why would he give that up to become a freshman senator at the age of 70?