Murkowski makes waves

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski has been making waves on the national scene quite often in recent months.

Her most notable entry in the headlines was her vote to convict former President Donald Trump in the impeachment trial resulting from his role in the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. Trump is widely considered to have egged on those who invaded the Capitol that day.

That vote on Trump’s impeachment won Murkowski the national spotlight for a week or so but she has stayed there with decisions of conscience on a regular basis. Lately she has played a pivotal role in confirmation of some of President Joe Biden’s cabinet nominees. As a result the national media often ask how she will vote on a given issue in advance of voting. In one recent week she was mentioned prominently in The New York Times almost every day.

Murkowski seems always to do what she thinks is right even when voting against a nominee or a deal that could benefit her or her constituents, the people of Alaska. Many of us want her to do just what she is doing. That is what presumably makes the job worthwhile. When important questions are before the Senate, Murkowski seems to ask herself what is the right thing to do. And that is how she votes.

Her decisions grate on quite a few people who will be deciding whether to vote for her in next year’s election. Her current term expires in 2022 and her detractors look forward to voting against her when her name is on the ballot next time, presumably in November 2022. She generally has more supporters than detractors and it seems likely she will be re-elected, assuming that she decides to run again next year.

Murkowski has held the Senate seat since December of 2002 when her father, Frank Murkowski, resigned the post to become governor after he was elected to lead the state from Juneau.

He appointed her to take his place, a historic move that still grates on quite a few of her detractors. At that time Murkowski was a member of the Alaska House of Representatives and House majority leader.

Lisa is considered a moderate and often seen as a swing vote on critical Senate issues. Many people assume she will decide to stay in the Senate if she can and run for re-election next year, but Lisa doesn’t always do what people expect of her.

If her name is on the ballot in 2022 I’ll vote for her, as I have in the past. I know some of my friends wouldn’t vote for her under any conditions. I respect their opinions even though I don’t feel the same way.

Politics is an interesting game, especially for those of us who watch it from the sidelines. Quite a few of us are just glad we have people like Lisa Murkowski who are willing to throw their hats in the ring and keep them there.

Having people of conscience in such jobs is important to the republic. It has always been that way and hopefully always will.

Tom Brennan is an Anchorage columnist and author of six books. He was a reporter/columnist for The Anchorage Times and an editor and columnist at The Voice of The Times.