Before election, Miller eyes Senate posts

Alaska Republican Senate nominee Joe Miller is looking ahead to what committees he would like to serve on in the upper chamber, two months before the general election.

Miller, a little-known attorney and Iraq war veteran, pulled off a stunning upset of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in the state’s GOP Senate primary. In an interview with conservative talk-radio host Hugh Hewitt that aired Wednesday, Miller was asked if he would like to serve on the Judiciary and Armed Services committees “when you get [to the Senate].”

{mosads}”You hit the top two. I would absolutely love to be on either of those, both of those,” Miller said.

The candidate mostly detailed his thoughts on the federal judiciary.

“Frankly, you know, the reason that we’re at the point right now as a nation is because we’ve got activists on the bench,” Miller said. “They’ve permitted this growth of government that’s allowed the entitlement state to grab hold, and created this dependency that we have. And so that really is critical, that we get people in place that really do honor the Constitution, uphold their oath.”

The Tea Party-backed Miller attracted national attention for emerging from last Tuesday’s primary 1,668 votes ahead of Murkowski, a member of an Alaska political dynasty. A further count of absentee ballots this week upheld Miller’s lead, launching him into the general election.

But Miller still must beat his Democratic opponent, Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams. Polls show that Miller is the clear-front runner, but McAdams is still within striking distance.

Democrats have made Miller a prime target, painting him as a far-right-wing candidate who is outside the mainstream and has caused dissension within his own party.

Miller, who has received the endorsement of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), predicted he would win the election because voters have rejected the “failed socialist agenda of Obama.”

“The DNC is already all over this race. They’ve put out a YouTube video. I guess I’m the prime example of why they think they’re going to win, but obviously, they aren’t,” Miller said. “They are basically representing a failed socialist agenda of Obama. I think Americans are going to roundly reject them.”