Sarah Palin Shreds Lisa Murkowski, Then Threatens Primary Run Against Her
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin dared Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to “do the right thing” in terms of the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, and said there could be consequences in 2022, including a challenge from Palin herself
Palin made her comments in videos released on Instagram Saturday and also shared on YouTube.
After the Sept. 18 death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Murkowski said she opposed filling Ginsburg’s seat before the November elections.
Murkowski on Tuesday gave herself some wiggle room.
“I know everybody wants to ask the question, ‘Will you confirm the nominee?’ We don’t have a nominee yet. You and I don’t know who that is. And so I can’t confirm whether or not I can confirm a nominee when I don’t know who the nominee is,” Murkowski said Tuesday, according to the Washington Examiner.
Palin then said, in her unique style, that she might take on Murkowski in 2022 if Murkowski fails to support President Donald Trump’s nomination of Barrett.
“So, you should walk back. We’ll forgive you. If you can’t do that, remember my house? I can see a lot of things from my house. … Lisa, I can see 2022 from my house,” Palin said.
Playing on the “Saturday Night Live” joke from 2008, when comedian Tina Fey impersonated Palin and delivered the fictional quote, “I can see Russia from my house,” Palin delivered a message that wasn’t joking around.
“Lisa Murkowski, this is my house,” the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate said at one point.
“I’m willing to give it up for the greater good of this country … if you can’t find it within yourself to do the right thing this time and at least give a fair shake to the Supreme Court nominee that your president will be bringing before you,” she said.
Palin told Murkowski to “do what the majority of Americans want you to do, what you were sent to Washington, D.C. to do.”
On Saturday, Murkowski issued yet another statement on the vacancy.
“For weeks I have stated that I do not support taking up a potential Supreme Court vacancy this close to an election. But today the president exercised his constitutional authority to nominate an individual to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I welcome the opportunity to meet with the Supreme Court nominee, just as I did in 2016,” she said.
Although Murkowski is on the record as voting “present” during the 2018 confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, that vote was cast in a maneuver to avoid making a colleague travel to Washington to offset what would have been her vote against Kavanaugh.
“I believe that Judge Kavanaugh is a good man. He’s a good man,” she said at the time, according to CNN. “He’s clearly a learned judge. But in my conscience — because that’s how I have to vote, the end of the day, is with my conscience — I could not conclude that he was the right person for the court at this time, and this has been agonizing for me.”
Palin at the time suggested she might run in 2022.
Trump said, in speaking of Murkowski after her vote, that Alaska “will not forget. They will never forget. What she did was unacceptable. Really unacceptable,” according to The Washington Post.
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