Senator Murkowski brings candor, enthusiasm back home to Alaska

Frontiersman editorial board

With a presidential election year approaching -- a year when Senator Lisa Murkowski will also face her first electoral challenge in the U.S. Senate -- the freshman senator recently toured Alaska. She spent some time with the Frontiersman reflecting on her first year in the senate, discussing her vision for the future and laying out what she sees as some of the most significant challenges and opportunities facing the country, Alaska and the Valley.

Murkowski took office under a cloud of controversy and intense media scrutiny after being appointed, by her father, to fill the senate seat he'd vacated. There were calls of nepotism, and some questioned Lisa Murkowski's credentials to make the leap from Juneau to Capitol Hill. The Frontiersman suggested that voters simply watch the senator's performance and act upon those observations in the upcoming election.

In fact, Murkowski's approach has seemed moderate and conciliatory to a large extent. In her interview with Frontiersman, the senator displayed candor, intelligence and a self-described idealism that seemed genuine enough. She believes she brings a different perspective to the Hill than some of her older counterparts -- pointing out that she, with school-age children, is directly affected by legislation such as "No Child Left Behind."

What was perhaps most refreshing about Murkowski was discovering that she speaks straight ahead -- without the cautious rhetoric that colors so much political speech these days. She said she supported the notion of the Knik Arm crossing, but only if it was done right, with an eye to the future. To her that means the inclusion of a rail line as well as automobile roadways. She expressed frustration that voters have come to expect less work from their elected officials during election years. "We should be able to still get our work done and campaign at the same time," the senator said. She stressed that voters need to demand that from their senators and congressmen -- saying voters needed to hold their elected officials' feet to the fire, election cycle or not.

Our impressions of Murkowski were positive, and we sensed energy, optimism and determination in her approach to the challenges ahead. We also found the freshman senator to be forthright and honest, refreshing characteristics in modern politics. Given her efforts during the short time she has served, and given these early impressions, we feel it's safe to say Lisa Murkowski has stepped out from her father's shadow, and she is ready to be judged on her own merits.