Murkowski returns to the Capitol
(CNN) - Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski was warmly embraced by some of her fellow Republicans who shunned her for launching a write-in campaign instead of accepting the results of the GOP primary she lost.
Murkowski was one of 11 Republicans to attend a swearing-in ceremony in the Senate chamber Monday for two Democrats who won special elections.
Before the event began, as colleagues spotted her on the Senate floor, several approached her with a hug or an arm across the back.
With some – like GOP Senators Richard Lugar, R-Indiana and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah – the interaction seemed comfortable.
But it was slightly awkward when she was approached by Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, who elected to replace Murkowski in the Senate GOP leadership when she was forced to resign her leadership position after losing her primary, and when she was greeted by National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who had urged her not to launch a write-in campaign.
After the event, Murkowski lingered.
From the press gallery above the Senate floor, she could be seen and heard reporting the latest developments to her colleagues in the still undecided race against GOP candidate Joe Miller.
At one point Murkowski showed off a rubber wristband with her name on it that was handed out to voters to help them spell Murkowski's name correctly on the write-in ballots.
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Welcome back to one of the elite, entitled Republican establishment. You better not stop and stare in the headlights because you are the next to go.
Even though I'm a registered Democrat I was hoping for Murkowski to win. It literally means she thumbed her nose at Palin's Tea Party and won. That's a win for us all. Hooray!!!
Disgusting Alaska. How could you? How much money does Alaska get from Big Oil Corporate Welfare? Most people would have preferred the Fleabagger candidate than this stooge.
I'm not a Republican, but I believe Alaska "done good" by this write-in. It shows Palin and her Tea Partyites that they are NOT mainstream, even in their stomping grounds.
Yeah, I love the hypocrisy. Murkowski was warmly embraced by "some" of her GOP colleagues who shunned for launching a challenge to GOP candidate and Tea Party favorite Joe Miller. With friends like those, nobody needs enemies. In when it comes time to extend tax relief to middle class Americans AND reduce the deficit (by letting tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans expire), the American people will see how loyal the GOP is then.
I really like her gumption
If anything more clearly has said F U to the GOP in these past two years
THIS WAS IT ...
You Go Girl ...
I wish Scott McAdams had won, but am VERY relieved that Murkowski will probably win. Miller is a more of an embarrassment to Alaska than Palin – and that's saying a lot!
All of a sudden the republicans who criticized her are having to do some butt kissing. I hope she shuns them for supporting a nut job like Joe Miller.
I don't often say this of Republicans- but welcome back Congresswoman.
It proves what I have thought all along- the Tea Party is a group of extremist that when the choice for a sane person is given, will lose. This loss should be the shockwave the media needs to realize that the Tea Party and Sarah Palin are products of their over-hype.
So the question is, now that she won without the support of the Republican party, does she still owe them anything?
Of course they're going to kiss Lisa's butt now, because they know that she's going to win the election. She should declare herself an Independent and make them kiss her butt every time they need her vote.
But I thought tea party Joe miller won,lol
I hope Ms. Murkowski wins the election, then throws 20 X the attitude back at the Repub knuckheads who shunned her.
Oh how I wish she had the courage to switch to an INDEPENDENT!!!!! That would really SLAP the RepubliCAN'Ts in the FACE!!!