Miller on CNN: "I'll admit I'm a man of many flaws"

[TomCADem]

Source: Alaska Daily News


Republican Senate candidate Joe Miller told CNN's John King today that he was disciplined for using borough computers to engage in political activity, but that it had "absolutely nothing" to do with his departure from the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

In the wide-ranging interview, King asked Miller about his employment record, why he doesn't think his employment record at a public agency is fair game, and what justification he has for his security team's detainment of a reporter who pressed Miller for answers Sunday night. Miller, who called President Barack Obama "bad for America," and responsible for "expanding the entitlement state," in an earlier interview with King. That gave King an opening to ask about the public health care benefits Miller's own family accepted.

But King spent much of the time on Miller's job as the part-time Fairbanks North Star Borough attorney in 2008, when he led an attempt to oust state Republican Party chief Randy Ruedrich. Jim Whitaker, the mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough when Miller was the borough's part-time attorney, said Miller got in trouble in March 2008 for misusing borough computers. Miller was the Interior regional chairman of the Republican Party at the time and, along with then-Gov. Sarah Palin, was trying have Ruedrich replaced as party chair at the annual GOP convention.

Miller spent seven years as part-time borough attorney before leaving in September of last year, a day before he was to be fired over a separate issue.

Read more: http://community.adn.com/adn/node/153756

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Of course, I wonder why Republicans get such prominent billing while Democrats are still largely ignored. Jack Conway gets no coverage, while Christine O'Donnell is 20 points behind gets major coverage.

[onehandle]

1. How much spellcasting has Jack Conway performed? nt

[awoke_in_2003]

2. one of those being...

that "freedom of the press" is not part of the Constitution.

[karynnj]

7. It's in the bill of rights which is part of the Constitution as the first 10 amendments nt

[awoke_in_2003]

9. my post was poorly worded...

working off of the phrase "man of many flaws", I meant that to read that one is his many flaws was that he didn't believe in freedom of the press. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

[karynnj]

10. looking back - that makes sense

and a good point at that.

[awoke_in_2003]

12. I was celebrating...

a Ranger victory, and had had a few. I am a happy drunk, but sometimes the words just don't come out right :)

[Bette Noir]

3. Why do Republicans get so much coverage?

Because the news is a freak show, and Democrats aren't freaks. Really, what drives the ratings, a sensible man talking about good government, or a pretty brunette saying that she once went on a midnight picnic to a Satanic altar?

[FirstTimeVoterAt37]

4. You nailed that one

Well said.

[bemildred]

5. What's the "separate issue" he got fired for? nt

[karynnj]

8. He took vacation when told not to - pretty unprofessional

"The issue allegedly stemmed from Miller's unwillingness to cancel a hunting trip, time off for which his supervisor was going to deny him because the office was short-staffed. One attorney was out for a pregnancy, another after a heart attack, and the office couldn't afford to have anyone else gone, Whitaker said.

"The borough attorney came to see me and said she thought she was going to have to fire him," Whitaker said. "But she called the next morning and said the problem had resolved itself. He resigned."

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/politics/7149-former-fairbanks-mayor-ethics-claims-against-miller-are-true

(from the paper's who editor was handcuffed by Miller's people

[karynnj]

6. Note that the coverage of O'Donnell and Miller is pointing out controversial things and glaring

deficiencies. The problem may be that "news" has become "entertainment". Unfortunately, Conway may get more coverage if his controversial ad is given more play. You might note that Miller and O'Donnell won primaries UNDER THE RADAR of the media - not because the media pushed them. Now, their coverage is not necessarily good.

Where I do think there is a major bias is that over the last year and a few months, the "grassroots" angry tea party has been given far more positive coverage than their original numbers warranted. (The result is Palin calling out the Republican party yesterday.)

[Stuart G]

11. I hope they keep this flawed man out of the Senate nt