U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller kicked off his campaign last night in Wasilla before a few hundred cheering supporters. Amid prayer and patriotic songs, Miller and those introducing him talked about God, guns and government mistrust.  Miller drew cheers as he hit on popular Tea Party themes, such as abolishing the IRS and ending state surveillance.
“They need to understand that the people have had it That’s why you’re here today,” he said, to applause. “This is about ‘we the people.’ It’s not about Joe Miller. It’s about restoring you to your rightful position, where government is the servant and you are the master!”
This is Miller’s second run for U.S. Senate. He didn’t mention the dramatic undoing of his earlier campaign, except for a passing reference to the time his security team shackled a journalist trying to interview him. Miller, a father of eight, made the aside as he was introducing the four younger children, who were on the stage with him in Wasilla.
“They’re all martial arts experts. We learned that from the 2010 race. We needed in-house security. So I don’t have t0
bring my handcuffs any more,” he said.
Other speakers at the event included a Big Lake church pastor, a Gun Owners of America director and also conservative radio talk show host Lars Larson. Despite a low campaign profile in recent months, Miller has been raising money. On that score, he’s in third place in the three-way Republican race, but not far behind Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
