Senate GOP Puts Pro-Life Barrasso in Pro-Abortion Murkowski’s Leadership Spot
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 21, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — With pro-abortion Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski having lost her primary election bid to pro-life candidate Joe Miller, and with her running a smarmy write-in campaign that has former GOP colleagues up in arms at the betrayal, Senate Republican leaders replaced her in her party leadership role.
Murkowski, as one of the few women in the Senate Republican caucus, rose to the fifth-highest leadership rank in the party, the position of vice-chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.
With the leadership role open, GOP senators early Wednesday afternoon cast a unanimous vote for Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso.
"I am grateful that I have earned the confidence and the support of my colleagues to represent them as Vice Chairman," Barrasso said in a statement following the vote. "I’m looking forward to the hard work and the challenges ahead of us."
Barrasso maintains a consistent pro-life voting record and was heralded as a pro-life leader in the state legislature, where he was the main sponsor of an unborn victims bill to protect pregnant women and their unborn children, like Laci and Conner Peterson, and ensure they are provided proper justice when killed or injured in violent crimes.
He’s well-known in the state and in Congress as a pro-life physician and was one of the leading critics of ObamaCare as pro-abortion Democrats railroaded the legislation through the House and Senate.
Even with running as a write-in candidate, a new Rasmussen Reports poll shows Miller with a lead in his race. Miller attracts 42% of the vote in the first Rasmussen Reports poll of the Alaska Senate race since she announced her write-in campaign to try to keep her job.
The telephone survey of likely voters shows Murkowski picking up 27% of the vote and Democrat Scott McAdams earning 25%. One percent of Alaskans prefer another candidate and 5 percent remain undecided.
Miller, fueled by an endorsement from pro-life former Governor Sarah Palin and by strong Tea Party support, was the upset winner over Murkowski in the August primary. Despite pleas from the GOP leadership to accept the primary’s verdict, Murkowksi announced a write-in campaign late last Friday.
"Polling for write-in campaigns is always challenging, so results should be interpreted with caution," says pollster Scott Rasmussen.
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