Libertarian Not Stepping Aside for Lisa Murkowski

JUNEAU, Alaska — If U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski decides to re-enter the race, it won't be as a Libertarian.

That party's candidate, David Haase, told The Associated Press on Monday that he's not stepping aside.
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Haase would have to withdraw his candidacy by Wednesday to clear a spot on the party's ticket. He said last week he would consider doing so if Murkowski personally asked him to do so. Surrogates did, he said, but she did not.

"I think she's come to the conclusion that she could walk on water and announce she's a Libertarian and people would throw tomatoes at her," he said.

Murkowski campaign manager John Bitney said Murkowski "wasn't anticipating" going the Libertarian route.

The Libertarian Party chairman did not immediately return a message.

Murkowski has said that friends of hers — without her direction — approached the Libertarians, asking whether they'd consider putting her on; she met with Haase, as a courtesy to them, last week. But she also made clear the decision of whether she'd be on the ticket would have to be the Libertarians' and that she was not changing her views.

There was a lot at stake with this option, on both sides. Murkowski, a Republican, would have had to join the party and sign a pledge that states she does not believe in or advocate the initiation of force for social or political goals. For the Libertarians, as appealing as was the prospect of potentially electing a U.S. senator, there was the risk of angering the rank-and-file, many of whom opposed Murkowski running as their candidate.

"If we had a Libertarian U.S. senator, that would be a really good thing," Haase said. "But if we had a Libertarian (Senate candidate) who was something else, and (who) loses, the party loses, too. So, it's a tough decision, but continuing any longer (without making a decision) is not going to help anybody."

Congress resumed its work session Monday without Murkowski; she's been in Alaska, mulling whether to re-enter the race after receiving an outpouring of encouragement. She conceded the GOP race to Joe Miller last month.

Should she opt to run, Murkowski could do so as a write-in candidate. A decision could come this week.

"I would guess she's making lots of calls," Bitney said. "What's important is that she makes a good decision."

Miller, meanwhile, is headed to Washington later this month for fundraising and for meetings with Republicans. Since winning the primary, Miller has begun receiving endorsements from GOP leaders and the establishment, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

And Democrat Scott McAdams began airing his first radio ad of the general election campaign. In it, he emphasizes his blue-collar roots — saying he didn't go to Yale, like Miller did — and makes other contrasts with Miller, too, notably on the issue of federal funding.

Miller has said he wants to get a reign on government spending, arguing that spending in Washington is out of control, but McAdams says his belief is that a senator should fight for Alaska's "fair share."

McAdams' campaign says the ad is running in Anchorage and Fairbanks market but would not disclose the size of the ad buy.

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