Photo and Story by Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
It was a day of waiting for the Alaska Press Corp. in Anchorage. The campaign for Joe Miller had originally scheduled a press conference with Miller for 11 a.m. today, but it was canceled and re-scheduled to follow the Senate candidate debate sponsored by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce at noon. All three candidates, Republican primary winner, Joe Miller, write-in candidate, Senator Lisa Murkowski and the Democrat nominee, Scott McAdams were present and fielded questions from the moderator, from each other and from the audience. But the main story came after the conclusion of the debates. Fox News personality Greta Van Sustern was granted an interview with Joe Miller and although the Alaska Press Corp. was present, a question from an Anchorage Daily News reporter was brushed off. After Van Sustern concluded her questioning of Miller, the press corp. waited, and finally Miller approached a microphone to assail the press for an alleged leak of information out of his personnel file from the time he was employed as an attorney with the Fairbanks Borough. Miller said it was illegal.
Miller said it highlights what he sees as viciousness in the campaign.
Miller has not held elected office before and scrutiny has increased as information has surfaced that some of the federal programs he has denounced have in the past, benefited his family. His wife received unemployment benefits, Miller has called them unconstitutional. they applied for and received low income hunting and fishing licenses when they first moved to the state, his children benefited from Denali kid care, the low income, state run health program that includes federal Medicaid money. Miller has criticized his opponent Senator Lisa Murkowski for supporting Denali Kid care because funds can be used for abortions. Miller was also seven months late in filing his required Senate candidate financial disclosure forms.
Miller’s opponents have accused him and his Tea Party Express supporters of setting a negative tone in the race. But Miller told the press today, the campaign has been hard on him.
He then told the press that he was making a new commitment today.
Candidate Miller then stepped away from the microphone, refusing any questions from the Alaska press, as did his campaign spokesman Randy Desoto.
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