Essential questions for Sens. Murkowski, Sullivan to address Thursday

Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan will have the chance Thursday to explain to Alaskans their positions on key issues that they have not covered in press releases.

The two senators are planning another electronic town hall meeting at 4 p.m., which can be accessed here.

“Sign up to join the conversation. Those who sign up will receive a phone call on Thursday at the time of the event joining them to the teletown hall and will be given instructions on how to ask a question during the call,” the senators said in an announcement.

We need to hear from both senators on several key questions regarding the president that have not been reported in detail in Alaska, if covered at all.

  1. It has been nearly two weeks since President Trump commuted the prison sentence of his friend and ally, Roger Stone. There has been no news coverage in Alaska about what Murkowski and Sullivan think of this move by Trump. There has also been nothing from Rep. Don Young.

    Utah Sen. Mitt Romney described it as “Unprecedented, historic corruption: An American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president.”

    Romney’s right. Murkowski and Sullivan should let Alaskans know if they agree with Romney or agree with Trump. In February, Murkowski said she opposed the intervention of the Justice Department in Stone’s case.

  2. Trump is sending paramilitary forces into cities as a campaign stunt, inciting violence. Murkowski and Sullivan have yet to talk about this reckless federal overreach, which threatens the peace and threatens to undermine confidence in the U.S. government.

  3. Trump claims that the real COVID-19 problem in the U.S. is that the nation is doing too much testing for the disease and he wants to slow down the rate of testing. Murkowski is among the senators calling for testing funds in the next federal bailout bill. Does she agree with the Rockefeller Foundation that $75 billion is required? Where does Sullivan stand on testing and Trump’s desire to reduce testing?

  4. Russian bounties. Trump claims that he was not told of the allegations. Sen. Sullivan took issue with the New York Times reporting on the matter. But Frank McKenzie, the U.S. head of Central Command, told the Washington Post he is investigating and "I remain worried about it.” Are you worried about it and why Trump refuses to criticize Putin?

  5. Election interference: What are you doing regarding reported efforts by the Russians and Chinese to interfere in the 2020 elections?

  6. President Trump refuses to say whether he would abide by the results of an election loss. ”No, I’m not going to just say yes. I’m not going to say no, and I didn’t last time either,” Trump told Chris Wallace on Fox News. This is a threat to the country. What do you plan to do about it?

  7. In 2016, both of you said you could not vote for Donald Trump. Do you plan to vote for Trump this year?

  8. Washington Post conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin says the following questions should be put to every incumbent Republican. This is a good start.

    • Do you think President Trump is fit even to complete his term?

    • Do you regret supporting his exoneration in the Ukraine scandal?

    • How can you support a president who clings to the Confederate flag and defends the killing of African Americans by police by saying more white people are killed?\

    • How can the administration address the pandemic when members of the administration heap scorn on Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases?

    • Why are you supporting a president who refused to respond to Russian bounties placed on U.S. servicemen and women?

    • Does the self-enrichment and corruption bother you, even a little? Is there anything he could do or say that would cause you to renounce him?

Dermot Cole15 Comments