Joe Miller – Liar, or Idiot? A Legal Analysis.
Joe Miller – Constitutional Scholar. That’s the meme. And even though Sarah Palin didn’t think much of constitutional scholars when she was referring to the one in the White House, she apparently likes this one. Well, inquiring minds want to know what the deal is with Miller’s supposed mastery of all things Constitution. So, in the wee hours of the morning we got in the creaky elevator here at Mudflats Central and pushed “6″. That’s the home floor of the Mudflats Legal Department, and the office of our crackerjack lead counsel Mudflatter Legal Eagle. Sure enough LE was busy at work, spectacles perched on nose, and looking quite triumphant. Pull up a chair.
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By Mudflatter Legal Eagle
In a recent interview with The Alaska Dispatch, Joe Miller stated that he will fight for state ownership of Alaska lands that are presently owned by the federal government. His plan is to develop these lands, including for natural resource extraction. Putting aside the entirely ludicrous notion of developing millions of acres of pristine wilderness, including Denali National Park, the question becomes whether alleged Yale Law graduate Joe Miller has ever read the Alaska Constitution. While it’s true that Yale Law is pass/fail, and while we can assume that Mr. Miller was grateful for that during his constitutional law classes, one would assume that he at least had given our founding document a quick skim.
Any Alaskan will tell you that Alaska is different. And any Alaskan lawyer will tell you that the Alaskan Constitution is different. From the right to privacy enshrined within it, to the “pursuit of happiness” in the text of the document, the Alaska Constitution is brilliantly drafted and clearly unique. In at least one crucial respect, however, the Alaska Constitution is the same as the Constitution of almost every state in the union.
Under Article 12, Section 12 of the Alaska Constitution, the State of Alaska expressly disclaims all right and title to ANY property belonging to the United States:
§ 12. Disclaimer and Agreement
The State of Alaska and its people forever disclaim all right and title in or to any property belonging to the United States or subject to its disposition, and not granted or confirmed to the State or its political subdivisions, by or under the act admitting Alaska to the Union. The State and its people further disclaim all right or title in or to any property, including fishing rights, the right or title to which may be held by or for any Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut, or community thereof, as that right or title is defined in the act of admission. The State and its people agree that, unless otherwise provided by Congress, the property, as described in this section, shall remain subject to the absolute disposition of the United States. They further agree that no taxes will be imposed upon any such property, until otherwise provided by the Congress. This tax exemption shall not apply to property held by individuals in fee without restrictions on alienation.
AK Const. Art. 12, Section 12 (emphasis added).
This disclaimer of any ownership interest in federal lands in this state was a condition of statehood, as further evidenced by the Alaska Statehood Act:
As a compact with the United States, said State and its people do agree and declare that they forever disclaim all right and title to any lands or other property not granted or confirmed to the State or its political subdivisions by or under the authority of this Act, the right or title to which is held by the United States or is subject to disposition by the United States, and to any lands or other property, (including fishing rights), the right or title to which may be held by any Indians, Eskimos, or Aleuts (hereinafter called natives) or is held by the United States in trust for said natives; that all such lands or other property, belonging to the United States or which may belong to said natives, shall be and remain under the absolute jurisdiction and control of the United States until disposed of under its authority, except to such extent as the Congress has prescribed or may hereafter prescribe, and except when held by individual natives in fee without restrictions on alienation: Provided, That nothing contained in this act shall recognize, deny, enlarge, impair, or otherwise affect any claim against the United States, and any such claim shall be governed by the laws of the United States applicable thereto; and nothing in this Act is intended or shall be construed as a finding, interpretation, or construction by the Congress that any law applicable thereto authorizes, establishes, recognizes, or confirms the validity or invalidity of any such claim, and the determination of the applicability or effect of any law to any such claim shall be unaffected by anything in this Act: And provided further, That no taxes shall be imposed by said State upon any lands or other property now owned or hereafter acquired by the United States or which, as herein above set forth, may belong to said natives, except to such extent as the Congress has prescribed or may hereafter prescribe, and except when held by individual natives in fee without restrictions on alienation.
Alaska Statehood Act, Section 4 (emphasis added).
Strange. It’s almost as if Joe Miller is making these claims without any legal basis.
The text of both of these documents is crystal clear. There is no wiggle room, and no room for interpretation. Alaska has NO right to any federal land located within its borders, and it never will. Could it be that Joe Miller is a liar? An idiot? A politician with no shame or remorse about making promises that he has absolutely no intention of keeping? (Is any of this sounding familiar?)
How exactly does Joe Miller intend to accomplish this miraculous feat? If elected to a position in the United States Senate, will he convene a constitutional convention in Alaska to attempt to remove Section 12 of Article 12 from the Alaska Constitution? Will he then sue the federal government to overturn Section 4 of the Statehood Act?
This raises further questions for me: specifically, how will these actions align with the oath that he would swear as a U.S. Senator?
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
What about the oath that he took in order to gain entry into the Alaska Bar?
I do affirm:
I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Alaska;
I will adhere to the Rules of Professional Conduct in my dealings with clients, judicial officers, attorneys, and all other persons;
I will maintain the respect due to courts of justice and judicial officers;
I will not counsel or maintain any proceedings that I believe are taken in bad faith or any defense that I do not believe is honestly debatable under the law of the land;
I will be truthful and honorable in the causes entrusted to me, and will never seek to mislead the judge or jury by an artifice or false statement of fact or law;
I will maintain the confidences and preserve inviolate the secrets of my client, and will not accept compensation in connection with my client’s business except from my client or with my client’s knowledge or approval;
I will be candid, fair, and courteous before the court and with other attorneys, and will advance no fact prejudicial to the honor or reputation of a party or witness, unless I am required to do so in order to obtain justice for my client;
I will uphold the honor and maintain the dignity of the profession, and will strive to improve both the law and the administration of justice.
Alaska Bar Rule 5, Section 3 (emphasis added).
How exactly would Joe Miller be upholding his oath as an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Alaska, or as a United States Senator if he sought to wrest control of federal lands in Alaska away from the federal government? It’s simple: he wouldn’t. It would be in violation of his duties both as an attorney and as a United States Senator to advocate for this course of action. Perhaps things are different in Kansas, but I suspect that Joe Miller hasn’t read that constitution either.
The simple fact is that Joe Miller is making headlines for what amounts to an elaborate game of bullshit. I could do an elaborate legal analysis on why exactly these claims are absurd, but let’s face it: you don’t need a J.D. to understand the above. Although, perhaps members of the campaign’s messaging team can take up a collection to buy Mr. Miller a Black’s Law Dictionary so he can learn what big words like ‘disclaimer’ mean.
It’s your move, Alaska: time to call Joe Miller’s bluff.
Excellent! Thanks for this post.
Something to think about as the guy spews his bs:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-09-01/extreme-weather-5-most-vulnerable-us-cities/
Fairbanks, AK
Over the past 50 years, Alaska has warmed more than twice as fast as the rest of the United States. The state’s average temperature has increased 3.4°F and winters have warmed by a whopping 6.3°F. Warmer days and nights are causing earlier spring snowmelt, reduced sea ice, widespread glacier retreat, and permafrost thawing. Permafrost, or permanently frozen ground, underlies about 85 percent of Alaska and when it thaws, it often causes the soil to sink thereby damaging whatever is built on it. Economists estimate that thawing permafrost could add between $3.6 billion and $6.1 billion (10 to 20 percent) to future costs for publicly owned infrastructure by 2030 and between $5.6 billion and $7.6 billion (10 to 12 percent) by 2080 leaving cities like Fairbanks at risk.
Complicating matters is the fact that Fairbanks is no stranger to wildfires. Massive fires during the summers of 2004 and 2005 forced many of the city’s residents to wear surgical masks. By the end of this century, the area burned in Alaska is projected to triple under even a moderate greenhouse-gas emissions scenario. Bark beetles are also on the rise. In the 1990s, Alaska saw the largest outbreak of spruce beetles in the world as rising temperatures allowed the beetle to thrive and drought-stressed trees were unable to fight back. Wildfires and spruce beetle infestations, coupled with growing risk of stronger coastal storms and the potential for impacts of warmer water on Alaska’s fisheries—which include salmon, crab, halibut, and herring—suggest that even cold places have a lot to lose from global warming. That said, an adaptation advisory group has been formed to look at these impacts.
Other places facing similar risks: Anchorage, AK; Barrow, AK, the Kenai Peninsula, AK
It is my understanding that Fall has begun later this year, as well, at least in the “Anchorage Bowl.”
He was asked a question about his plan to disband social security and refusing Federal monies and how he would go about doing it.
He gave a long winded response about getting state land back bla bla bla.
The answer was inarticulate and did not even come close to answering the question.
He reminded me of u-how-who!
Oh Alaska, you have fostered one idiot upon the lower 48 and possibly will send another to the Senate.
What did we ever do to deserve this???
Maybe we’re trying to get even for those who thrust Little w on the country.
It’s like Alaskans are saying, I’ll see your idiot and raise you one. Now we have a pair.
OK, let’s call it a draw – we all got landed with W for 8 more years than we should have and Sarah Palin is still blah blahing all over the country. So, let’s let Joe Miller stay where he is. (And as a native Kansan, my apologies to all of you for letting him escape from our borders.)
Maybe we should all agree to keep our village idiots at home.
Pat, (chuckle!) I agree, HOWEVER, I don’t want the village idiot in Alaska to stay here. We did, at one time, have what are known as “Blue Tickets” for undesirables. It was a one way ticket outta Alaska. It’s too bad we don’t have that still. I would pay for it myself if we did.
Could you guys take Joe the Tea Bagger back? Maybe we can trade.
We didn’t deport the Chena River whores/prostitutes with the Blue Tickets, either! LOL
Like “death panels,” “social security is broken,” is a myth. Estimates are that the system is solvent THROUGH 2037 and after that if NOTHING IS DONE, benefits payed out would be reduced by 25%. I know Congress is slow, but before 27 years goes by I think we might be able to do something. Jeez. And Miller’s bright idea is to hand social security over to the states? Interviewed by John King on CNN Miller said “Ultimately we want to transfer the power back to the states so that states can take up the mantle of those programs if they so desire.” IF they so desire? 50 different social security systems, brilliant! These people do realize that the states are gubmint, too, right?? What an idiot. God help Alaska and the rest of us if this clown gets a Senate seat.
benefits *paid* out (sigh)
If I am thinking correctly, States currently handle the Teachers Retirement Plans, since technically they work for State Dept. of Ed. And MANY states are also currently underfunding schools because they have to put more money into the retirement accounts FOR existing retired teachers. The TRP lost big bucks in the 2008 stock market and even here in Montana (relatively lower teacher salary and number of teachers compared to many states) we are facing a billion dollar shortfall in the projected fund.
snip] The committee couldn’t agree on changes to the state Public Employees Retirement System. That fund’s potential shortfall is $790 million to $1.3 billion. The eight-member panel is charged with recommending how to fix the state’s pension funds for nearly 30,000 retired public employees and teachers or their survivors. The value of both systems plummeted during the dramatic stock-market decline of 2008. [end snip
I suggest that whatever CUTS (salary, medicare, social security) our representatives pass, should also effect GOVERNMENT employees also. Raise the retirement age to 70, that goes for government employees also, senators & congress take a 10-15% cut in medical coverage and can’t collect full retirement until 70. These ppl work FOR us, or they are suppose to, and yet they can raise their salaries & benefits while cutting cost of living raises & medical coverage for people who work to pay their salaries.
maybe he is a secessionist in sheep’s clothing
I seriously thought about that especially with Todd’s support.
maybe he is a secessionist in sheep’s clothing
He’s not in sheep’s clothing – he’s just pretending not to know anything about the AIP. Unless he really is $owah Palin in Drag. Which is a very viable possibility.
Although not a lawyer am going with “Idiot”.
Speaking of Mr. Miller, does anyone know if he wears dentures?
It’s not a question of supreme importance, but a perplexing enigma nevertheless.
Lessee–
W graduated from Yale.
JM graduated from Yale.
Is this the same Yale that’s in the Ivy League, or is there another one?
Potato U should be embarrassed that people with as little understanding as Ms. Palin are getting degrees from them. I can’t begin to express how places like Yale should feel about putting their seal of approval on people like George and Joe. It certainly cheapens what is an incredibly expensive degree for everyone else that has gone there and calls into question the rigor and standards of what once was a great institution of higher learning.
Isn’t there a Yale Community College somewhere near Leaking Kidney Missouri?
It’s right next to Whatsamatta U.
Bullwinkle was a genius in comparison.
And isn’t Brian sending his kids there?
“I can’t begin to express how places like Yale should feel about putting their seal of approval on people like George and Joe. It certainly cheapens what is an incredibly expensive degree for everyone else that has gone there and calls into question the rigor and standards of what once was a great institution of higher learning.”
Apparently they feel fine about it. The Kinda Bearded Wonder was recently featured as Yalie of the Week, on July 2, 2010:
http://www.yalealumnimagazine.com/yotw/index.html (Scroll down to July 2).
Bill and Hillary Clinton have Yale Law degrees. I don’t know HOW Miller got though with knowing so little. It’s a wonderment.
AIP AIP AIP.
In case you haven’t bopped over to Shannyn Moore…this is hilarious:
http://shannynmoore.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/no-joke-get-this-man-a-beer/
I enjoyed that.
LOL – that was great. I couldn’t imagine what I was going to see in such a short video.
Awesome.
He even looks like Joe! Joe the Doppleganger.
At least people see him for what he really is a BS artist.
Oh, my, how wonderful! Wish I could buy that young man a drink or give him a hug. Beautifully done
Oh that good fellow..was a joy! Yes..he did us all..a great service..and chuckle to boot!
Very funny! And the contrast of the handsome young man really showed how odd and creepy Miller is…eewwwww!
Hey, didn’t the Feds buy this whole place from the Russians, anyway?
$7.2 million in 1867, to be exact.
OMG Alaska was bought with federal funds? Pork? Big government pork funds? Socialist funds? Everyone run! Run for Canada! Or Russia! Just run!
Precisely. I’ll defer discussion of whether the Russians were actually entitled to sell the place (there were prior inhabitants, after all), but as far as immigrants from Kansas are concerned, the US bought it, made it a territory, and eventually made it a state, and anything that the state “owns”, it only owns because the US (that would be the rest of us) delegated (or is it devolved?) those properties.
I don’t have to be a lawyer to understand that.
He’s an idiot. Like his mentor McQuittyPants.
Someone should ask the question of Miller plans to get around the Constitution of Alaska and it’s agreement it had with the United States when it become a State. The longer he goes without giving a reasonable answer, the longer the Teabaggers and other conservatives will go on thinking he will be able to accomplish it. He has made some outlandish proposals, and I hope McAdams has the intellectual ability to make him squirm and state how he will accomplish everything he proposes. Which brings up the qustion, does McAdams have the intellect and experience to debate and to go against someone who obviously has been well trained in debating. From what little I’ve seen, it appears that McAdams needs a lot of polish before he can go up against Miller, no matter how crazy Miller’s platform is. After watching him on Rachel Maddow and seeing him in photographs, it also appears he needs to polish up his appearence and look more like he is “Senator” material, if the public is going to take him seriously. He sounded good on Maddow, but he was also using his talking points that he can only get away with using for so long, not unlike our favorite exhalf term Govenor.
Sorry for my poorly worded first sentence. It should have read, “Someone should ask Miller the question on how he plans to get around the Constitution of Alaska and its agreement with the Unitied States when it became a State.”
I thought the same thing last night when I watched McAdams. But it sounds like he intends to run a local (Alaska) campaign rather than a national one. And that’s the way it should be with senators and congressmen. I think the important thing is to start nailing Miller on some of his radical and apparently undo-able promises. And it needs to be done now. We’ve seen what happens when lies are left unchallenged (health care reform). They don’t go away. They just become bigger talking points by people who are too ill informed or too lazy to do any research on their own.
Exactly. Time is indeed of the essence. The days are fast dwindling down to a precious few as the song reminds us. The longer Miller stands unchallenged on his claims, the deeper those lies penetrate into the minds of gullible voters.
I’m confident that Scott McAdams will get up-to-speed fairly quickly. And to be honest I kind of like the fact that he seems more Alaskan than Miller or Palin ever will. I do agree that the U.S. Senate is a significant step up from the small town mayor field and I think McAdams can make that leap.
As the republicans were so fond of (wrongly) parrotting in 2008, McAdams has a great deal more executive experience than Miller.
Excellent informative post.
I’d already read some criticisms of McAdams’ Maddow appearance before I watched it. I saw more sincerity than BS. He seems like a person who would accept reasonable advice on his “polish,” unlike someone else who might go for the, um, celebrity factor. If he can counter the “it can’t be done” part with some “but this is what CAN be done” you may have a winner.
He was a little hesitant, but he actually listened to and answered the questions rather than spouting polished, practiced talking points. He may have lost a few points on smooth delivery, but gained some on genuineness (is that even a word?).
I admired his performance and supported his talking about and focusinig on Alaska and it’s citizens’ concerns having read here for quite some time. Really loved his saying, ” I’m the only one with a tie on,” at the fair and seeing his really big neck. He’s your guy, Alaska: I think he’s your guy. Who cares if he’s smooth; his concern is about YOU, and he gets it.
Scott McAdams makes up for Sarah Palin in every way. I truly hope you get to have him as your senator. (You know, he’s the ‘rill dill.’)
Great post gives Scott some good ammo to aim in Millers direction. Keep up the great work down there at the Mudfalts.
He’s a liar. He’ll say anything to get elected.
But he’s also an idiot.
Nicely done, Legal Eagle.
Link to interview with Miller on CNN John King on Sept 1st. http://tinyurl.com/2dpvbu6
Time ran out and balance of interview I believe is on tonight.
Heard Miller on some show speak of his parents are on SS, medicare, etc., that being their means to live. He wants to remove the entitlements from the fed gov to the state gov (meaning privatize it or get rid of it) for people not presently collecting but for what would be the boomers coming up.
I hope someone asks one of these people who want to do away with Social Security if they are planning on handing back the money that people are currently paying in – the ones who won’t get the benefits. I doubt it.
Pat, I’ve said the same on other sites. All monies should be returned, together with reasonable interest. Social Security taxes were paid by the worker and employer specifically for the benefit of the worker, not to be spent on guns, ammo and senseless wars. If the government were to renege on the Treasury Bonds held for the Social Security Trust, it would devastate the Treasury Bond market and the government would probably go bankrupt.
I’d like to see somebody ask him about the medical and retirement benefits US Senators receive. He’s running for a position that doesn’t pay into Social Security, but does receive a lifetime government guarantee for health care and retirement. And at the same time he wants to take my 30 years of payments into Social Security to pay for his health care and retirement? And I get nothing?
But I can’t agree with the Constitutional analysis presented here. The state constitution says:
“… shall be and remain under the absolute jurisdiction and control of the United States UNTIL DISPOSED OF UNDER ITS ATHORITY, except to such extent as the Congress has prescribed or may hereafter prescribe… ” The federal government can dispose of federal land in Alaska by ceding it to Alaska. Joe the Bagger, as a US Senator, could legally pursue such an agenda.
Just wanted to correct something. Senators (and federal employees under FERS) DO pay into social security. We also pay federal taxes. State and local taxes varies. But I certainly do pay MY state and local taxes.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/socialsecurity/pensions.asp
But yeah, this guy is a dolt.
Legal, you’re missing the big picture here. The Alaska Constitution is a piece of paper; but Denali National Park is a gold mine. Just wait until we get rid of the feds and their tree-hugging conservationist National Park Service hippies. Next up: we sell permits at auction to machine-gun brown bears from a helicopter in Denali. If you’re thinking “well, an orthodontist from Phoenix might pay a couple thousand for that” . . . you’re thinking way too small. Think Koch brothers. Call up Donald Trump and ask “hey, you gonna let some orthodontist outbid you for the right to blow up nature’s finest animal into little tiny bits?” The state will be rich, I tell you. And we’ll put the money into the Permanent Fund so the state can pay for everybody’s new Hummers. Because real Alaskans are self-supporting, independent, proud people who have set up direct deposit for their PFD checks.
Yes – and October is just around the corner! …or was that a moose??
Don’t forget the hundreds of expensive condos and 18-hole golf course with prime views of Mt. McKinley. Develop the heck out of the park…there’s lots of trees in other places, after all!
Maybe even create one of those hunting camps where the animals are herded into controlled areas to make it easier for the big, brave hunters to bag their trophies. Who needs wilderness?
To borrow a quote — “That man is an Idiot!”
Good one, fishingmamma!!!
Oh, Alaska, do the right thing and elect McAdams to the Senate!
Alaskan’s are upset, and rightly so. We are tired of being embarassed and humilated by having sarah palin and her ilk representing Alaska. No longer can we say, “We Are Proud Alaskan’s”…as long as we have her and her family painting Alaska in such a poor light, we have lost some pride. Most of my friends are moderate conservatives and we are very angry at how shabby joe miller treated Senator Murkowski…we will NOT forgive him or Palin who have brought out the worst in Alaska. Never before have we ever had such a crude, vindictive mean spirited hag representing Alaska….EVER!!! McAdams did not hold back on his thoughts or feelings towards her and miller…he is NOT afraid of her, and well….no one that I know in Alaska or outside Alaska can stand her. She destroyed the Republican party and has driven moderate republicans to NOT put miller in office. She did this…she did all of this on her own. As a matter of fact….the republicans can thank scarah palin for putting the second democrat in Alaska’s senate. Yep…scarah…take that credit.
Well said!
Yes, take the credit….and the cake….therefore too also then again.
I recommend the posting “Joe Miller Ignores the Law” on the following blog:
http://wickershamsconscience.wordpress.com/
It points out Miller’s inept understanding of unemployment insurance and Social Security. It really lays it out chapter and verse (okay – statute and case law) so Joe can finally get it right. Obviously, Joe Miller didn’t pay attention when he was at Yale. Just as in AKM’s post, the WC author points out how much Joe is getting wrong and why.
I found it to be an informative, delightful and well-written read. I hope you will as well.
Joe didn’t have to pay attention at school… he was an Academy student on the Federal dole.
I will adhere to the Rules of Professional Conduct … [with] all other persons;
Sounds like you already nailed him as failing his Oath, AKM, if the nasty treatment of Murkowski is evidence.
I’m going for idiot, Palin is the liar. I wonder what kind of pants an idiot wears? We already know what kind of pants a liar wears.
An idiot wears normal pants — backwards.
Summary judgment granted to Legal Eagle and against Joe Miller on this issue.
According to a poll on Halcro’s blog, Lisa M. is way ahead of Miller and McAdams. Is this an indication of the primary having been fixed???
I’m off to Scott’s fundraiser tonight, and am taking all my buddies with me. Hope we can get the DNC interested in helping to fund our race. My take is that if we trounce Palin here we may be pretty much done with her. She will be radioactive if she costs the Republicans what was a “safe” seat. The more of her Teagbaggery candidates that lose, the worse she will look. I think we should continually refer to Miller as the TeaBag candidate, and not the Republican. Then Scott is the “Alaskan” candidate!
Are the votes all counted? I thought they had a while to wait for all the absentee ballots to come in and be counted.
To me, that Halcro blog post indicated the people who “wanted to teach Lisa a lesson” realized they extent of their screw up. I hope McAdams can win, but IF Lisa were to run as a write-in candidate, would she retain her “seniority” in the Republican Party?
Don’t forget that they went by the polls before for Murkowski and looked what happened.
Thanks, Legal Eagle. Case dismissed for failure to show grounds upon which a state may be claimed.
“Stunned by tea partier Joe Miller’s upset of Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Republicans are taking no chances in Delaware, which holds its primary Sept. 14. The party sees Castle, the state’s lone congressman since 1993, as the best candidate for the seat long held by Vice President Joe Biden.”
Interesting / HuffPO:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/02/christine-odonnell-hammered-by-republicans_n_704128.html
Well in all honesty, It That Quit is a liar and a idiot. So clearly, Joe could be both.
I must say, Alaska is changing. Used to be that the creepy freaky extremists came out of the woods. Now they come from the mid-west.
Joe Miller – Liar, or Idiot?
Ooh, ooh, ooh…AKM, can I vote for ‘all of the above’ ?????
Okay, I might have to revise my vote to lean more heavily towards the ‘idiot’ option.
This little pipsqueak, upstart, two-bit hustler from Fairbanks is dissing McConnell and the Republican leaders, questioning whether or not they have the “courage and leadership” to lead the country out of the crisis that he says it’s in.
That’s right, Joe. Call the leaders of your party cowards and see how strongly they back you between now and November! Sheesh!!!
(Not that I’m complaining, mind you. I’m all for Joe continuing to open his pie hole and let these pearls of wisdom spew forth!)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/02/joe-miller-noncommittal-o_n_703329.html
Looks like Palin taught him well.
I actually understood your excellent post, Legal Eagle. Thank you for injecting some logic and legal facts into all of this teabagger-buffalo-checked-shirt-bearded inane flotsam. The 6th floor is pretty cool in this Mudflats place.
Maybe this will answer the question…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaysTVcounI
Joe’s new campaign song?
Choosing between liar and idiot, i would go with liar.
But strictly speaking, liar isn’t very accurate.
Joe Miller isn’t lying–he’s exploiting the ignorance of Alaskan voters.
I don’t respect this, but it is successful politically…Should we be surprised to see politicians doing what works?
Any Alaskan politician who hasn’t carefully observed Sarah Palin and made note isn’t a very good politician.
Joe Miller is just doing what Sarah Palin has done.
Palin sends out little signals which voters pick up on much more than they do on substance.
They like these little signals, like when Palin says, eg, “our elders”, indicating she is at one with the native community on treatment of respect for the old. That registers. Did it ever register while Palin was governor, how poor Alaskan care for the elderly really was?
Miller is just sending out a little signal when he talks about the “unconstitutionality” of federal ownership of “Alaskan” lands. It gets picked up by the “back to the constitution” contingency in Alaska… most of these people simply assume Miller’s signal attaches to something substantive.
Exactly.
What an important valuable piece. This piece should be reprinted in every Alaska newspaper..
print and online..also receive attention on Alaska tv. Very few..people understand or can interpret
the Alaska state constitution..much less the Constitution of the USA as well. Mudflats again..
their own legal eagle..totaly superior. To be able to explain the Alaska state constitution so
accurately and with words as well that a voter that can read can understand..it quite a feat..
Actually should also be in all Alaskan high school courses that relate to these important issues.
It is evident when voters do not understand important issues..many are easily fall for con situations.
The question is this headline..my opinion.. Miller is both a liar and an idiot.
Elect without fail…McAdams…Alaska needs ..the USA senate needs people like McAdams..
straight talking..ones who actually work for all the people..McAdams understandS for real
the Alaskan and Alaska situations.. Alaska has situations today..in particular..that are very
important nationally as well..Alaska needs in the senate as a senator McAdams.. who knows
Alaska..and will work for all Alaskans best interests..and the USA.
after 4 hours of raspberry farming..my mind started looking for a j.miller..”similar”..person, one with absurd ambitions..like him, and his 10 kid family. TWO FACED’, for one..VAIN, CONTROLLING!..like sarah? yes! My family, has a 20 year old black-belt fine artist that builds stencil paintings!..a pro at 20. what about BRISTOL?..she cusses as well as my son! but, he has an ironworker dad. My DAUGHTER..is 22 and has traveled the world! Malta, Europe proper, Australia, she don’t curse school teachers! like the BRISTOL did in Homer. she is also a black belt!..the mother sarah uses terms that redneck-type people use! she and little TODD, once had a small business, called rouge..neck spell’d out in french! red-neck sign-painted on the business..RED-NECK!..So my “similar character of the past” quest is being launched..1st name that comes to mind is..Gen Custer!..D. Coresh? BOZO. BUT REALLY THERE ARE POLITICAL ASPIRES THAT HE FOLLOWS sorry for caps..not really angry-peace. hi jeannie.
Since he IS an attorney, the voters in general (Do, But Shouldn’t…) depend on him to interpret the Alaska Constitution correctly… but, the main thing people are forgetting is this: THE VOTERS ARE NOT HIS CLIENTS – therefore, we can’t be sure if his personal opinion – even if he IS a Yale Law grad – can in fact be legal or implemented.
And, in this particular instance, as Jeanne pointed out, according to the Alaska Constitution, it cannot. So he can promise the moon, the stars, the wilderness – but he legally cannot deliver… unless he gets the constitution changed. Isn’t that a mantra of the A.I.P.??? To secede from the US and invalidate the Alaska Constitution?