Why I Voted for Joe Miller

Lisa Murkowski was appointed a US Senator, December 2002, in a nepotistic move by her father, then Governor of Alaska, Frank Murkowski. I was angered by this move – it was clearly corrupt. One of the other candidates under sham consideration was a former 4-Star General that I had worked for – Joe Ralston. He was far more qualified in my view.

A few months after Lisa was appointed, I was on a Northwest Airlines flight to Washington DC, and was surprised to see Lisa sitting across the aisle from me in Coach. It was a long flight, so I wrote down my three top concerns on an envelope, then leaned across the aisle and passed it to Lisa. I suggested that if she had any questions to just ask me.

My note introduced me as a US citizen originally from New Zealand and an Alaska resident. I was a retired USAF officer who had returned to active military service immediately following 9-11. I was stationed in Alaska and was known by my fighter-pilot call sign as “Kiwi.” My three top concerns related to national defense:

1. Win the war against radical Islam by continuing to engage them in their home

 – not ours

2. Secure our borders

3. Extend the obscure 1997 law that allowed the Department of Defense to (voluntarily) recall retired personnel that were experts in skills that were short. This was the law under which I returned to active military service and it was to expire in 2003.

Lisa did engage me in conversation and we spoke for about 45 minutes. I found her very gracious and a good listener. She was not aware of the law I referenced, so I acquainted her with that. I told her bluntly that her appointment was an act of nepotism, and that I was opposed to it. From my perspective she would have to work very hard to get my vote. She acknowledged the nepotism and recognized an extra responsibility to prove herself to Alaskans.

She did work very hard and she got my vote in 2004. So why did I not vote for her in 2010?

The United States is clearly in decline. The housing, education and healthcare bubbles have all been caused by the Federal Government’s take-over of major portions of these industries. As these bubbles are bursting the corrupt politicians in Washington are plunging us into bailout debt that even our grandchildren will not be able to pay. But these "thieves" were elected by "we the people." Therefore we have asked them to steal for us - whether we be the poor or we be the States. "We the people" need to see our own corruption and vote for good and honest representatives who will follow the principles of limited Constitution government.

Part of this corruption is the seniority system and earmarks that bring home the gravy and keep us voting our senior representatives back in. I saw Lisa as a career politician intent on keeping herself in power by supporting that gravy train. I can no longer support that system and the only way to exercise term limits is at the polling booth. I put a term limit on Lisa Murkowski in the hope of restoring limited Constitutional government.

Joe Miller, if you do not pursue limited Constitutional government, I will term limit you also!

Kiwi