From the Alaska Dispatch:
When CNN host John King asked Miller on Monday if it was fair for the public "to look at your history as a taxpayer-paid attorney, anything and everything you did, while you were on a public payroll as a public servant," Miller responded: "Well, the event in question is something that happened on my time off. So it was during the lunch hour. So, frankly, there is not a direct correlation to that."
But Miller didn't have a lunch hour.
Miller's routine at the Fairbanks North Star Borough, where he worked as a part-time attorney, was to work the afternoon shift, from about 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., said Sallie Stuvek, the borough's human resources director.
"We don't provide lunch hours unless somebody works five or more hours per day," she said.
A review of Miller's e-mail traffic, obtained by Alaska Dispatch, reinforces Stuvek's assessment of Miller's schedule. Most outgoing e-mails sent from his borough e-mail account routinely occured in the afternoon.
At the time the computer incident took place, Miller and another part-time attorney shared an office and the other attorney worked a morning shift, from 8 a.m. to noon, Stuvek said. The goal was to avoid staff overlapping hours. From noon to 1 p.m., most of the legal department is out for lunch and offices are locked, she said.
So now I think I am beginning to understand why Miller is so freaked out about the public seeing his personnel records. He was using those computers when most of the legal team, of which he was a part, were out of the building having lunch. If what he did was "petty" why did he not want any of the other legal staff to see him doing it?
Jill Burke wonders the same thing.
Why would Miller come in to work early only to take a lunch break? (The first e-mail sent from his borough e-mail account March 12 doesn't occur until 12:41 p.m..) Why couldn't he have worked on the political activities from the non-borough computer at which he was presumably working earlier in the day? What, exactly, did he do? How far was he willing to go -- breaking borough ethics policies -- to get what he wanted in a heated political battle? If it's truly not a big deal, why not just let Alaskans know about it and allow them to decide for themselves what, if anything, it means?
The Miller campaign didn't respond to questions.
Obviously Miller knew that what he was doing was wrong, and possibly illegal, or else why lie to his own father about it? And remember he also confessed to his dad that "He emptied the cache files on the computers so the users wouldn’t know what he had done." That is not a thing that somebody with a clear conscious would even think to do. Miller knew what he was doing was wrong, and even then was worried about getting caught.
I believe it should be clear to everybody in our state that we need to see Miller's personnel file just as soon as possible! And if you are a registered voter who was thinking of staying home on November 2nd, what more do you need to know about this guy to get you up of your ass and vote to keep him out of the Senate?
(Huge hat tip to Ella. Thanks very much for your help!)
Update: It looks like Miller has once again had a reporter mistreated at yet another PUBLIC event. Here is ADN reporter Julia O'Malley's reaction after being summarily ejected from the "Meet and Greet:"
I walked to my car in front of the Indian restaurant next door, and sat in the driver's seat. I hadn't done anything but carry a notebook into the room and the campaign decided I was a threat. I wanted to understand their candidate, but all I got was a door shut in my face.
So now Miller is afraid of and a clearly non-threatening young woman like Julia O'Malley? And THIS is the guy who wants to represent the tough, independent people of Alaska in Washington D.C.?
those pesky datails...
ReplyDeleteGryphen, you do a great job of keeping us informed. Thank you for your tireless dedication. Wow, who knew this would end up being a FT job?
ReplyDeleteRegarding the update, read Julia O'Malley's article.
ReplyDeleteBet it was the party planner gal.
Joe, you have the amazing ability to prove that not only do you not deserve the Senate position, you don't deserve any taxpayer-funded position ever again.
ReplyDeletePS - You and your shit-scared staff needs to remember that reporters get to vote too.
Oh, of course, the old, I-broke-the-law or /office policy-during-my-own-time defense.
ReplyDeleteThese guys are brilliant. With Van Flein or any and all of em partners having their back's, no wonder Palin's progressed her organizational skills so much in two years.
You know that saying, Loose Lips Sink Ships? Palin criticized Obama for setting up meetings with foreign governments
Looking forward to watching Fair Game, a movie based on the Bush Administration's effort to discredit former Ambassador Joe Wilson for his explosive July 6, 2003, op-ed entitled, "What I Didn't Find in Africa."
"Did the Bush administration manipulate intelligence about Saddam Hussein's weapons programs to justify an invasion of Iraq?" he wrote. "Based on my experience with the administration in the months leading up to the war, I have little choice but to conclude that some of the intelligence related to Iraq's nuclear weapons program was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat. "
What ensued was the Administrative level leaking of his wife Valerie Plame's covert identity as a way to compromise their safety and violate their privacy.
Joe Miller couldn't help but brag about the blustering posturing DeMint and other establishment GOP Senators were saying as they wined and dined this Tea Party candidate situated to take Murkowski's seat. That was incredible egg on their faces, his being unable to keep confidences.
Sarah Palin is the same way, in not being able to articulate substantively on foreign policy, even on canards she's parroted since 2008.
You can't trust these fringe leaders whose ambitions far exceed their qualifications and ability to conduct themselves in a stately manner and rise above the fray.
Immature, temperamental bullies. And Liars. My god, the lies. . .
I think sarah palin needs to be asked if she knew this about joe miller before she endorsed him?
ReplyDeleteAnd if she did, did she feel that this was OK?
O/T (sort of pertains :-): Tea Party Convention cancelled-
ReplyDeletehttp://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/tea-party-convention-is-canceled/#postComment
oops, that article I posted was dated Sept. 24 - old news - my Sunday morning eyes thought it said October. :-) anyway, it was good to read.
ReplyDeleteSounds to me like Joe needs to put his man pants on, man up and show he's got some cojones! I'm sure Sarah will let him know.
ReplyDelete-anneonn
Gryphen,
ReplyDeleteHere is the key sentence:
"...THIS is the guy who wants to represent the tough, independent people of Alaska in Washington D.C.?"
He does not appear to want to represent anyone. He wants to win this race so he will be one step closer in order to influence change according to his own agenda and beliefs.
I have a very hard time believing Joe Miller's beliefs accurately represent what Alaskans wants in their Congressional representatives.
You can blame this all on $P. She started it and no one did anything to her. It was allowed by the media, nobody made any big stinks about her not allowing media to her events. Monkey see, monkey do. If she could do it then I can too. $P is such a a danger to this country. People/media need to start treating her the way they do with Joe Miller. Why are they treating her so differently? Is it because she is a women? If she is allowed to do whatever she wants, expect to see everyone else following suit. Hold Palin accountable!
ReplyDeleteI think every time another revelation about Gestap Joe is uncovered it should introduced with the phrase: "Sarah Palin endorsed candidate Joe Miller...". Let's not forget the type of person she supports. Her name should be tied to his at every opportunity.
ReplyDeleteAny candidate who will not talk to reporters for whatever reason will not be representing the best interests of the public. People like Joe Miller are reactionary tools and fully owned and operated by our Corporate Masters. Why would anyone sensible vote for a jackass of this ilk?
ReplyDeleteFrom Julia O'Malley's story in the ADN: "He'd been dogged by unflattering headlines. The campaign was frustrated that news media hadn't focused more on the personal flaws of his opponents or what it saw as the big issues."
ReplyDeleteShe's being way too nice. Miller hasn't been dogged by unflattering headlines, but critical stories. What "personal flaws of his opponents" compare to his own, other than the uncorroborated hearsay allegation of Murkowski's cocaine use that Miller tried to publicize?
Character is, in fact, a "big issue," as big an issue as the spendthrift government benefits and entitlement programs Miller loves to attack once he's done exploiting them.
O'Malley should have hung around and interviewed people leaving the "Meet & Greet" on the public sidewalk -- and asked them whether they thought it was "private" or "just for volunteers."
You would think the press would take the gloves off after Miller put the handcuffs on.
Moore Up North with Tony Hopfinger interview is up. Great panel too.
ReplyDeletehttp://shannynmoore.wordpress.com/2010/10/24/moore-up-north-cuffgate/#comment-14872
Maybe if the ADN had done their job all along, and reported the truth about Palin and her gang, the country would not be subjected to these people. Instead they have been palin's boot licker now we have are stuck with these crazy people.
ReplyDeleteWow - an attorney who violates the 1st Amendment - you know, freedom of the press.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the point of using these computers instead of his own?
ReplyDeleteMy guess it had to do with IP addresses. If he used his home or his office computer, the IP addresses would tattle on him.
He probably thought if he used this town's IP address it would place the blame on the employees; and by using different office computers, it would be difficult to apply blame to any specific employee.
But it backfired on him. He got caught not only playing a bad political game, he got caught trying to implicate innocent people.
There is nothing trustworthy about this man. It makes me sick to think of the power & money of Washington would be in his deceptive hands. He must be defeated!
Denise
This was posted on another blog. Hope Alaska can turn out a Democrat Governor and U.S. Senator, if the Independents get out and vote with their conscience:
ReplyDeleteThree recent polls show a surge of support for Dems among Independents:
1. Newsweek has the President's Job Approval at 54% and shows a 10-point advantage among Independents (49 to 39%)
2. Bennett is tied at 47% in CO due to a 21-point swing among Independents to his favor
3. Sink is tied for FL Gov... there has been a 15-point swing among Independent to her favor
This may not be related, but these huge shifts came after Sarah Palin told the Tea Party they were winning - and told the GOP to get with the Tea Party program or they were through. She then said she could see November from her house. I don't think Dems or Independents could have gotten any greater wake-up call than that! If the choice is Palin and the Tea Party vs. President Obama and Democrats, we will win!
[Obviously the shift could have come from the GOTV efforts of President Obama, Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, and other Democrats across the country, but I have no doubt she and her wacky candidates from DE to NY pushed moderates in our direction.]
Instead of "Yes, we can!", this election's mantra could be: "No, you don't!" (to the teabaggers).
ReplyDelete8:40 a.m. I bet you are right!
ReplyDeleteIf Alaska elects Joe... you guys are fucked
ReplyDeleteJoe and His Working Lunch Part One
ReplyDeleteJoe Miller is not lying about his lunch- at least to John King.
This is long but what to leave out?
The art of speaking precisely is something that most attorneys are good at. This is what Joe did with CNN and all the voters who saw the 'statement'. In order to be sure what Joe Miller really said it is necessary to take BOTH John King's questions AND Joe Miller's statement apart literally word for word.
"When CNN host John King asked Miller on Monday if it was fair for the public "to look at your history as a taxpayer-paid attorney, anything and everything you did, while you were on a public payroll as a public servant," Miller responded:
"Well, the event in question is something that happened on my time off. So it was during the lunch hour. So, frankly, there is not a direct correlation to that."
Start with Joe's answer.
Ignore the phrase "event in question" for now. Look at- "something that happened on my time off", He is stating a claim that he was not doing whatever he did while being paid by the Borough.
Next Joe says: "So it was during the lunch hour". Which appears to be true. THE OFFICIALLY ESTABLISHED OFFICE LUNCH HOUR. No where does Joe claim that he was on his lunch hour.
The last part of the explanation -
"So, frankly, there is not a direct correlation to that." Here Joe appears to be claiming that as he was not being paid when he did whatever he did, that this act DOES NOT correlate to...the question that John King asked. Which was can the public see his employment records at the borough.
And by doing so...probably learn what Joe Miller did concerning "the event in question". The public might well learn if there were 'other events not yet in question' that negatively impacted Joe during his employment with the Borough.
Nowhere does Joe claim to have a lunch break, or that he did what he did on HIS lunch break. Now as a carefully constructed statement- if people have jumped to the incorrect conclusion- then did that statement serve it's purpose? Because Joe does not apparently want the voters to know many facts.
To summarize- the claim made by Joe is that
1. He was not being paid by the Borough for the time he spent doing what he did and
2. That BECAUSE #1 is true- by extension that excuses whatever use of borough resources he made to do what ever he did.
More on this in Joe and His Working Lunch Part Two.
Joe and His Working Lunch Part Two.
ReplyDeleteTo summarize- the claim made by Joe is that
1. He was not being paid by the Borough for the time he spent doing what he did and
2. That BECAUSE #1 is true- by extension that excuses whatever use of borough resources he made to do what ever he did.
As far as #1- From the Alaska Dispatch article you linked to-
"Stuvek also said that if the attorneys work outside their usual shift, they are asked to let their supervisor know.
On March 12, 2008 -- the date in question -- Miller sent an e-mail to a colleague in the legal department saying he would be in before lunch. It was time-stamped 10:07 a.m. and originated from an e-mail address affiliated with his private law firm."
There are some common reasons for a policy like this. First- Payroll Control. To be sure that the payroll is correct-that persons are at work when they claim to be-that the payroll can be submitted as accurate- AND that supervisors APPROVE extra work and thus extra pay IN ADVANCE.
Second-access control. When the employer has an interest in controlling access- it should be possible to know all persons authorized to be present- at any time, and without having to ask those present. Obviously an office such as Joe was working in have sensitive and confidential documents in them. LIKE JOE'S PERSONNEL RECORDS. Proper security must be ensured . The assumption should be- NO ONE CAN BE TRUSTED...
In view of this does it make sense that Joe got permission/notified that he was coming in early TO DO WORK THAT HE WAS NOT PAID FOR?
If Joe Miller had been on the clock
when he did what he did- then he needs a new and improved statement. The important thing here-whether or not Joe was on the clock is a fact likely conclusively documented in the Borough files.
It would have been one of the first questions asked. If he was on the clock...other questions might be asked concerning what he did; and what he might have done after the fact to possibly conceal what he did.
Which might be one reason why Joe is speaking precisely here with John King.
Maybe Joe speaks precisely like this all the time. Is this a trait desirable in elected officials?
Joe Miller is permanently out to lunch...
ReplyDeleteany hour is lunch time for this BOZO
Joe Miller = Delusional, paramilitary, hypocritical, egomaniacal, paranoid, liar.
ReplyDeleteAnyone but Joe.
Miller also lied about Scott McAdams on FAUX News last week:
ReplyDelete"In fact, hundreds of thousands of dollars have gone into this race. We've filed an FEC complaint about it yesterday. We're calling upon Murkowski and McAdams to basically call off these donations that are ilegal, but so far we haven't heard anything from either of those campaigns."
Miller has not complained about McAdams, yet he is willing to brazenly lie to a national TV audience
Like I have said before...I hope to hell the media and bloggers go after Sarah Palin in the same manner they have Miller. She will be far more harmful when running for President of the United States, should she get the nomination. God forbid!
ReplyDeleteMs. Stuvek stated that over the lunch hour everyone is gone and the offices are locked. Mr. Miller entered the locked offices -- how? He had no business even being in the building at that time, and no right to enter another's office without their sayso. Sounds like breaking and entering could be added to his offenses.
ReplyDeleteHi defense tells us all we need to know about his "character", which is that he has no character. We know what you are doing when we can SEE you gestapo Joe. What's important is what you do when we can't see you. And you are clearly clever enough to think through how to cover your tracks. And we are supposed to TRUST you to do the right thing? How can we trust a person who is doing his darndest to keep his true character hidden away?
ReplyDelete11:31, ADN and the AK Legislature. They all knew what Palin was. And now we are having to deal with what she is: A pox on the US.
ReplyDeletethis guy is a slimy shit gryphen, I hope alaskans reject him!
ReplyDeletesaying he did this on his lunch hour when he was part time and did not have a lunch hour? f*ck!
what I have been wondering - why didn't murkowski's team expose this loser before the primaries? did they not think he was a threat? do you know gryphen?
Oh that fucker Van Flea again!Remember when Sarah took off her gov hat to endorse Pebble mine?
ReplyDeleteAnd then Well she's on duty 24/7 so she should get per diems!
Joe is a slimy grifter like Palin! I hope Alaskans throw his ass off into the hunny bucket where it belongs. Then bring charges against him. Next up go after palin there is still time....What about 254 Alaskans who were disabled and died during Sarah Palin's "Death Panels"? Who will step up to the plate?
Who? There is still a year left to bring Ethics charges or worse against her.