Lisa Murkowski: Heir to Privilege, Political Favor & Power

By Patrick Read

In the highly charged political atmosphere of today, one must consider the overall resume of each candidate and make a focused decision regarding who has the most to offer their state and their nation. The responsible voter will objectively compare & contrast to decide if they have faith in a candidate’s ability to lead during a frenzy of serious challenges, each with a lasting consequence. 

As it was intended, the voter becomes like an employer whose business is at stake, and the employer must make a decision whether to hire one promising a return to prosperity—even if a labored, tattered and torn return. 

The decision must be focused and based on work history, qualification, dependability, reliability and integrity of character.  With economic perils already realized via the riots in Greece and France, it would be dismissive for a voter to base the most important electoral-decision in 30 years on personality, humor, a pleasant smile or on how nice an one seeking to be hired seems to be. 

After all, most people seeking work say what they think the interviewer wants to hear. So, the decision must be based on employee history and action – not just words, attire and smile. 

But when the National Debt is $13.7 Trillion and 93% of Gross Domestic Product, and the CBO reports that the the Debt WILL reach 102% of GDP by 2015---The People of Alaska must act and better do it now.  Murkowski had her hand in this economic dilemma and cannot be rewarded to further its demise. Alaska already made the right choice in the primary and now MUST follow through.

A few of the issues at hand that need to be addressed & are on the employer’s table are: extreme spending, the national debt vs. gross domestic product, inflation, cap and trade, another stimulus, the reform of health care reform, potential bailouts of entire state budgets, progressive tax hikes only targeting a societal few, how taxes will affect the stubborn “total unemployment number,” domestic terrorism, the nation’s security and the war. 

It doesn’t seem like an easy task at hand considering the serious nature facing The People and our nation. But history paints a clear picture for each candidate.

Alaska is a land known to be the last frontier for rugged individualism, where the measure of a person is the measure of self-reliance and Lisa Murkowski holds an all but empty tackle as she desperately tries to cling to power bequeathed her.

Frank Murkowski (here) was a devout Catholic and Republican during the 1980s, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. He was a successful Banker when elected to serve as US Senator from Alaska in 1980. At the same time, his daughter took an interest in business as well.  

In 1980, Lisa Murkowski (here) graduated with a degree in economics from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. She was taught Keynesian Economics—a theory put forth by John Keynes—a registered Socialist (here) in England whose theory (here) took hold in the US, especially with Johnson & Carter. Georgetown was in recent news for obeying the Obama Administration’s demand to remove a Holy Crucifix (here) and have it out of sight before the President made a live address from the school. It’s not change to believe in for a Catholic Institution to easily dismiss the very reason they are established to simply appease the “PC Crowd.”

In 1985, after learning how to progressively spread the wealth on a global scale,  Lisa Murkowski finally graduated Law School from the progressive Willamette University College of Law (here) located in Oregon.  She had a nine year “college student career” starting in 1976.  It begs the question, what took so long? 

Well, the Senator’s daughter was a sorority girl with more than her fair share of the “Pi Beta Phi.” It was the 1980’s, or what hippies called the “Decade of Greed,” and a daughter of privilege might have indulged in all that society had to offer her. The boomers said that the largest expanse in free-market growth under Reagan, who recovered from Carter’s Keynesian Policy, was entirely predicated on “selfishness.” This wrong-headed thinking must be why their recovery attempt is taking so damn long. Clearly, charities did much better under Reagan, when people had much more money to give, than they are doing under Obama--especially as the total unemployment number (not just those actively claiming benefit) is approaching 18%.

But there was certainly some greed to be found during the 1980s and it too involved political corruption, deceit & payoffs. Bill & Hillary Clinton can attest to this fact after being involved in “banking & real estate scandal” not unlike the sub-prime mortgage one of today (here). It resulted in his impeachment.  

In 1987, a full two years after obtaining her law degree and finally with a full head of steam, Lisa Murkowski picked up and ran straight into a brick wall. 

She failed her bar exam in Alaska four times before finally passing the bar on her fifth attempt.  One might say the bar was set way too high. 

Perhaps it was just by chance that Frank Murkowski (his site) was finishing up his first term as US Senator and running his re-election campaign when his sorority daughter finally passed the bar.

Was it coincidence that  Murkowski finally landed a job in 1987, when her US Senator father was running for re-election? Nothing in politics is ever coincidence. She was offered a job serving the Anchorage District Court and was assigned to the clerk’s office, making it easy for Senator Murkowski to proudly announce on the campaign trail that his kid worked for the largest city in Alaska, serving their judicial system.  Lisa  Murkowski wanted that job so badly that she left it having only served less than two years---about half the time she spent with Pi Beta Phi. She took a job with private law practice in 1989, where she worked for nine years—the same amount of time she spent as a “professional student.” But it was not the end of her political “career.” 

In 1990, Lisa Murkowski accepted the Anchorage Mayor’s offer to “serve” on his Homeless Task Force. It was a position Murkowski held until 1991 – exactly one full year – and Senator Murkowski could proudly announce his daughter’s selfless act of caring for Alaska’s homeless—for a whole year—until the election cycle played out and Daddy was re-elected. 

Frank filled the seat for 20 years until 2001, and for the last six years he was Chairman of the “Energy and Natural Resources Committee.”  He was fighting, but losing to the Sierra Club, as the Chair of the US Energy and Natural Resources Committee. And there is no question that during this time Frank met with and befriended high-powered Alaskan Oil Producers and key power players of whom became known as “The Good Ole Boys Network.” 

In 1998, Lisa Murkowski re-emerged in the political arena and was “almost, but not quite” following in her Daddy’s footsteps. He won his 4th US Senate race and she won an election of her own and joined Alaska’s House Representatives as the candidate from the 14th Disctrict—a place widely recognized for its self-made hockey mom turned Mayor, Sarah Palin. 

Palin first took her political stand with the PTA in the ‘80s before being elected to two terms for the Wasilla City Council in 1992 and 1995. In 1996, Palin ran for and won her first executive position. Maybe Murkowski felt she was being out-shined by Palin's star in District 14, because as Sarah was serving her 2nd term as Mayor, Lisa Murkowski fled the area after serving only one term.  Murkowski was re-elected to the Alaska Legislature 2000 from Eagle River, the 18th district, just north of Anchorage—where she had served the homeless for one whole year—or just long enough to be added to her resume. How could Lisa Murkowski have represented either of her constituents effectively having only served each of them for one term or two years? 

During Lisa Murkowski’s 2nd term in Alaska’s House of Reps; Frank Murkowski came to know all the right people and decided to run for Governor of Alaska. During the primary he took full advantage of Palin’s political pull. Her star was rising when she was selected as the President of “Alaska’s League of Mayors” in 1999 & fulfilled her 2nd term as the wildly popular Mayor who had an 85% approval rating. 

In 2002, after winning his race, Frank Murkowski took his seat as Alaska’s Governor and had a decision to make. It was post 9.11 and the nation had just been attacked by Al Qaeda.  

The US already recovered from Clinton’s Dotcom Recession, and now had to recover from the 9/11 Recession while gearing up for war. 

What candidate could Governor Murkowski name that had the political experience needed to fill his Senate seat during this tough time? 

In the most affronting display of feudalism not seen since the English Monarchy controlled American politics—Frank Murkowski bequeathed The People’s Senate Seat to his clumsy daughter—the Heir to privilege and political power. The State of Alaska was so outraged with Frank’s clear nepotism & conflict of interest, that they took the power away from the Governor’s Office to name future national nominations when needed. He named his daughter Lisa as US Senator, who had a total of 4 years political experience in 2 different districts and 1 year experience serving on a Homeless Task Force. 

In 2003, Palin was appointed to serve on the “Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.” She soon became chair and was tasked with oversight of their oil & gas fields for safety and efficiency. This position was in Palin’s wheel house as her husband Todd was a worker on the North Slope and in the field. It would later serve as a catalyst launching the people’s approval of Palin to an all new level of popularity.

Also in 2003, Palin was named as the Chair of “Ted Steven’s Excellence in Public Service Inc”—which promoted deserving women in public service.  Since being undeservedly ordained with the title “Senator from the great State of Alaska,” Lisa Murkowski has been all over the political spectrum on issues, taking away from any sense of reliability and dependability anointed her.  And the controversy surrounding her knows no end. 

From the way she was appointed US Senator by her Daddy, to her now using the Alaskan Courts to release Judge Joe Miller’s private employment records—which have been made public for over 6 months—Murkowski seems completely enveloped by corruption & conflict of interest issues.  The Judge that sided with Lisa Murkowski (who filed the suit) was appointed his seat by Governor Frank Murkowski; and it was all carried out in the name of “The People of the State of Alaska,” using “Blind Justice!” But who did the issue best serve, the people of Alaska or Lisa Murkowski herself? 

It was this same style of self-centered corruption that led Sarah Palin to file ethical complaints against Frank Murkowski’s “Good Old Boy Network” for leaking insider information to Oil Company executives—the same ones appointed by Governor Murkowski. Frank was the Governor who purchased the Governor’s Private Jet despite Legislative disapproval.  He also tried to sign his own Pipe Line Deal despite Congressional disapproval. It took the threat of a law suit to stop Frank from moving forward with his “Good Old Boy” agenda. 

In 2006, Sarah Palin soundly defeated Frank Murkowski as Alaska’s new Governor. He only took in 19% of the vote. And then the wildly popular Governor Palin bequeathed her own benefit. She passed a “resource subsidy check” onto every single Alaskan to the tune of $1,200.00 each—courtesy of Big Oil.  And like her father’s Good Old Boy’s Network, Lisa Murkowski had an ethical complaint filed against her too. 

In 2007, while Palin was busy working for the people, Murkowski was busy at work using her position over the people.  She was busted taking a political favor in the form of an under-valued house from the same firm that cost Ted Stevens his career as THE Senator from Alaska. Bob Penney offered her a loan for river front property (here), which would have reportedly made Murkowski up to $170,000.00. Obama had the same type deal made him by Tony Rezko—who recently got out of jail. 

She only offered to sell the property back after a Washington DC watchdog group filed an ethics complaint against her. To this day, she says there was nothing dishonest about the scam (here)—which would beg the question—if there was nothing dishonest about the deal, then why did she sell the mansion before facing a Senate hearing? The controversy is not unlike Bill & Hillary Clinton’s involvement in the White Water scandal (here) which led to Clinton’s being impeached by the House of Reps in 1998. Her oath is her word, an judging by her concession speech made last June, her word is not worth the spit it takes to speak!

And beware Alaska, the subsidy check negotiated by Palin will not be issued for an eternity and was almost repealed by the Frank’s  “Good Old Boy Network” in state Congress back in 2008. You know, by Lisa's Legislature-friends.

Sometimes when people benefit by a leaders character it’s for only as long as the moral guide is present. Palin went onto auction off Frank’s jet on e-bay, but not before he took it on the people’s dime to Japan and Korea—two nations at odds with Alaska’s fishing industry!  I am sure good old Frank had a “whale” of a time though. 

Are these the real tribulations that the real people of Alaska face on a daily basis? I assumed they are struggling just like everyone else—with how to pay the bills, or what job to interview next, how to make ends meet or get ahead and prepare for retirement. 

Certainly, only the pampered nobility have to worry about what to do with that pesky $170K river front property. And who needs to be bothered about a jet when there’s a pipeline to jump on.  Lawsuits be damned when you appoint the Judges and are all but assured a favorable outcome. 

Everyone from Alaska is just like Lisa Murkowski—right? 

The next article will focus on Murkowski's voting record and how she uses it to benefit only herself. The history provided quite a grim picture to paint. The employer will have to make a decision on what to do for the company in two days.