Here's the latest from Alaska's hugely entertaining GOP Senate primary aftermath: incumbent U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski is furious at apparent victor Joe Miller for tweeting a comparison of her potential third-party bid to an act of prostitution:
"Alaskans deserve better. This type of statement is inexcusable from someone who wants to represent our state," she said. "While I have been focused on the remaining ballots, the Miller campaign has launched yet another smear campaign against me. They lied about my record during the primary and now they have resorted to name-calling -- it’s disgusting."
"Alaskan values have never included a complete disregard for the truth or a lack of common decency," Murkowski said. "Mr. Miller owes all Alaskans, women and my family an apology."
Before Murkowski released a statement, Sean Cockerham spoke with her campaign manager John Bitney, who had this to say:
"He just basically called Senator Murkowski a prostitute," Bitney said. "I am doing my best in a moment of extreme anger right at the moment to be measured in my remarks. The word that comes to mind is deplorable. Disgusting. The man has no place representing Alaska in the U.S. Senate with that kind of attitude."
Bitney said this is being watched nationally and Miller should be ashamed to take it to that level. "He owes Alaskans an apology."
You don't need to be Chuck Todd to figure out that even if she doesn't launch a third party bid, Lisa Murkowski isn't going to be appearing at a unity rally with Joe Miller. There is some seriously bad blood between those two. And as an outside observer who'd love to see Democrat Scott McAdams win this campaign, all I've got to say to her is: "You go, girl!"
As for the tweet, Miller quickly deleted it, claiming that it wasn't intended to compare Murkowski to a prostitute and blaming it on a staffer. (Ironically, his clarifying tweet, in which he blamed the original tweet on a staffer, was also sent by a staffer.)