Fairbanks Republican seeks support from conservatives

Joe Miller hasn't held political office. But he made a splash in Republican Party politics two years ago, joining with then-Gov. Sarah Palin to lead an unsuccessful coup attempt against Alaska Republican Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich.

Now he's challenging Murkowski, who has attracted just one Republican opponent -- Miller -- in her bid for re-election, with the candidate filing deadline only a month away. The only Democrat in the race is Frank Vondersaar, a perennial candidate who drew just more than 1 percent of the vote when he ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate two years ago.

Miller, whose campaign announcement said the nation is in a "head-long plunge into socialism," was in Washington, D.C., for meetings with conservatives last week. He was not specific in an interview about whom he spoke with, describing it as the "leadership of the conservative movement in America."

It remains to be seen whether the meetings will lead to help with his campaign. Miller said his message was that the federal government should be limited to powers set forth in the Constitution. He described the recent health care act, which Murkowski also opposed, as an example of the overreaching of federal government.

A Washington Post blog reported on Miller's visit and said he was offering a "strong implication" that Sarah Palin was going to endorse him in the race on Monday. Miller fed speculation on his campaign website Sunday by saying he was "getting ready for the big announcement tomorrow."

Miller's announcement Monday was that Todd Palin, Sarah's husband, would appear at a fundraiser for him in Wasilla Friday. His campaign site now includes a testimonial from Todd Palin, saying, "Joe Miller isn't afraid to shake things up in order to get the job done, and that's exactly what we need in Washington today."

Miller didn't answer directly when asked if he expects a Sarah Palin endorsement. "This is about a U.S. Senate seat, it's not about endorsements," he said in a Monday interview. "Frankly, my opponent and I have fundamentally different views on where the government should be and that's the message that needs to get out."

Miller said he'd work to repeal the health care law and Murkowski wouldn't.

Murkowski told KTUU-TV a month ago that the law needs to be changed but "if you just repeal and you do nothing, we will not have addressed health care reform." Miller is also critical of Murkowski's 2008 vote in favor of the Bush administration's Wall Street bailout proposal. Murkowski said at the time that she had reservations about the plan but felt it was needed to avoid a sharper economic downturn.

Miller described Todd Palin as a friend who stands for many of the same principles that he does.

Sarah Palin's political action committee donated $5,000 to Murkowski's campaign last June. But Murkowski subsequently criticized the use of the term "death panels" popularized by Palin during the health care debate, saying it wasn't accurate. Murkowski also was critical of Palin's decision to resign from the governor's office last July, saying that she was "deeply disappointed that the governor has decided to abandon the state and her constituents before her term has concluded."

Anchorage pollster Marc Hellenthal said he hasn't polled on Murkowski since before Christmas, when her numbers were about 63 percent positive, 27 percent negative and the rest undecided. "Lisa's not really vulnerable, your gut tells you that, and Joe Miller is not exactly what we call a household name," he said.

Miller said that "sweat equity is how this race is going to be won."

Miller, who came to Alaska 16 years ago as a Gulf War veteran and graduate of Yale law school, is an attorney in private practice. He ran for state representative in 2004, losing a close race to Fairbanks Democrat David Guttenberg.

Find Sean Cockerham online at adn.com/contact/scockerham or call him at 257-4344.