Alaska governor Frank Murkowski now rated the most unpopular governor in entire country

9/25/06

Juneau, Alaska

By Dennis Zaki

After a humiliating defeat in the August gubernatorial primary, Alaska governor Frank Murkowski is now the laughing stock of the entire nation after a new poll shows his approval rating lower than indicted Ohio governor Bob Taft.

After a humiliating defeat in the August gubernatorial primary, Alaska governor Frank Murkowski is now the laughing stock of the entire nation after a new poll shows his approval rating lower than indicted Ohio governor Bob Taft.

A new survey was just released today that ranks Murkowski as the nation's most unpopular governor with an approval rating among Alaskans of just 14 percent — 5 percentage points below indicted Ohio governor Bob Taft.

Popular opinion turned on Murkowski after missteps that constantly thrust him into battle with his political opponents and his own Republican-led Legislature, including: appointing his daughter to his U.S. Senate seat, unpopular budget cuts his first year and a highly publicized fight to buy a state jet. The more Alaskans got to see of Murkowski the less they liked him.

Critics have questioned Murkowski's leadership skills, his endless ethical lapses, and his secret pipeline proposal with the three largest oil companies in Alaska behind the backs of state legislators.