While mainstream media political pundits have been busy trying to figure out how Sen Susan Collins(R-ME) will vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court, very little has been discussed about the fact that out of all GOP Senators, it is Sen Lisa Murkowski(R-AL) and not Sen Susan Collins who is most likely to vote NO on Kavanaugh. This point appears lost to all the beltway political pundits.
Luckily it turns out the Lisa Murkowski angle is not lost to one Jennifer Bendery of the Huffington Post who penned a brilliant piece on this subject–an absolute must read folks. Bendery’s article clearly illustrates that contrary to popular belief, Sen Murkowski is under significantly more pressure than Sen Susan Collins when it comes to the Kavanaugh confirmation issue. As a matter of fact, based on Bendery’s reporting, Lisa is almost certainly a NO on Kavanugh at this juncture.
So you say, “@Emolclause you full of it. Why would you make such a gigantic leap of faith on Murkowski?” Here’s why. There is a case currently pending at the U.S. Supreme Court, Sturgeon v Frost, in which the court will have to decide who controls Alaska’s waters–the state or the federal government. As it currently stands, Alaska has federally protected waters where native Alaskan tribes survive on subsistence fishing. Sturgeon’s argument(the plaintiff) is that the state of Alaska should control its own waters not the feds. A win for Sturgeon at the the U.S. Supreme Court would therefore threaten the way of life (subsistence fishing) of the native Alaskan tribes, who played a major role in Sen Murkowski’s election victory. Kavanaugh’s previous decisions at the DC Circuit Court apparently line up with Sturgeon’s argument for state over federal control of Alaskan waters and the locals are making it crystal clear to Sen Murkowski that she must vote NO on Kavanaugh.
Therefore unlike Sen Collins who is pressured by Mainers mostly over Roe v Wade questions, here you have Sen Murkowski who is getting flooded by calls from native Alaskan fishermen who put her in the U.S. Senate, telling her a vote for kavanaugh would literally upend their way of life. This is why Yours Truly argues that Sen Murkowski is under more significant pressure than Sen Collins and is at this juncture an almost definite NO on Kavanaugh. It cannot also be left unsaid that other factors like Kavanaugh’s controversial “vetting” process(hiding documents) and the fact that he is one of the least popular Supreme Court nominees ever, also support Yours Truly’s conclusion that she is less likely to jeopardize the livelihoods of her native Alaskan fishing communities(her voting block) for a Supreme Court nominee as flawed as Kavanaugh–one who there is already talk of impeaching even before he is seated on the high court. Voting for Kavanaugh despite desperate pleas from Alaskan fishing communities, her loyal voting block, would literally make Sen Murkowski the hands down winner of the world’s “most deplorable person” contest.
Bottom line Alaskans, like Mainers must continue putting pressure on Sen Murkowski. There’s a very good chance she will vote NO on Kavanaugh as a result of desperate pleas from Alaskan fishing communities.
For those of you very happy with @Emolclause’s activism don’t shy away from the “tip jar” below on your way out