Sen. Lisa Murkowski Concedes in Alaska to Tea Party/Palin Insurgent Joe Miller

Chalk up another victory for common sense conservatives over the establishment!

This is HUGE news. From the Hill newspaper:

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) conceded Tuesday night after failing to gain enough votes on Republican challenger Joe Miller in Tuesday's count of absentee ballots.

Speaking at her campaign headquarters in Anchorage, Murkowski said that based on the vote count: "I don't see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor."

Murkowski's concession completes what is one of the most shocking upsets of the political season to this point and it marks the third primary defeat of a sitting senator in 2010.
...
Miller, who was backed by the Tea Party Express and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), will face Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams (D) in November's general election. The seat is expected to remain in Republican hands.

This shows that the Palin effect is alive and well. Miller came from WAY behind with at least one poll showing him being beaten by 30 points. The conventional wisdom was that a defeat for Palin's hand-picked candidate in Alaska was a sign that her influence was waning. One columnist at Slate even went so far as to write the day before last week's primary an article titled: "Why the candidate of Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Express is losing in Alaska."

Well, most of us learned a long time ago that the Palin bashers have let their hatred for her cloud their judgement. You think they will learn after this?