Lisa Murkowski makes things crystal clear:
Murkowski also vehemently disagreed with the assertion that she and Republican senate candidate Joe Miller held very similar positions.
“The suggestion that Miller and I would have virtually similar voting patterns is just not valid,” she said. “Consider earmarks — he’s signed two pledges to oppose any and all earmarks in the name of reducing federal spending. To suggest as Joe has that somehow or other if we eliminate all earmarks we’ll bring federal spending under control is deceptive to the nth degree. And Joe knows that. But he has bought into the [Republican senator from South Carolina and Tea Party champion] Jim DeMint mentality and he’s engaging in these flip and easy answers that people shouldn’t be responding to, and that makes him dangerous for our state.”
The senator also says that GOP senators want her to win. I suspect there’s something to that. Miller would shake things up much more than the Senate tends to be comfortable with. That and he can be all DeMinty.