Anchorage Daily News blasts Murkowski

The largest newspaper in Alaska blasted the state’s senior senator today for trying to “have it both ways” on federal spending.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) “works to bring home federal money while playing to anti-government sentiment,” the Anchorage Daily News said in a harshly worded editorial.

The editorial was motivated by Murkowkski’s comments at a recent healthcare town hall:

“I don’t believe the government should be running health care. The government is good at some things, but don’t ask me to tell you what they are.”

The Daily News wasn’t having any of it: “One thing she thinks ‘the government’ is ‘good at’ is writing checks from the federal treasury to Alaska,” the editorial board said, going on to list a handful of multi-million dollar projects that Murkowski has touted in recent months.

Murkowski isn’t considered particularly vulnerable in her 2010 re-election bid. Nevertheless, it can’t help to have your state’s leading newspaper to concluded a editorial with this:

“Sen. Murkowski continues the congressional tradition of having it both ways: Get all the federal money you can get, while also complaining about federal spending.”