Murkowski calls Miller 'paranoid'

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) pushed back against her Republican opponent Joe Miller on Friday, calling him "paranoid" for suggesting she is conspiring with her legal team to steal victory in Tuesday's primary.

Miller holds a narrow lead over the incumbent Murkowski, who has vowed not to concede until all 20,000 absentee ballots have been counted. On Thursday, Miller said Murkowski was attempting to "pull an Al Franken" by enlisting the help of National Republican Senatorial Committee attorney Sean Cairncross. On Friday, he accused the NRSC of manipulating the race in favor of Murkowski.

Murkowski responded Friday, telling the Anchorage Daily News that Miller was the first to "lawyer up" and argued she only wants to ensure all primary votes are counted.

"To suggest that the NRSC has sent an attorney to Alaska to skew results is paranoid," Murkowski said. "Mr. Miller shouldn't be afraid of what the voters still have to say about this race."

Miller also issued a longer apology on Friday night for a tweet on his account that likened a potential Murkowski run as a Libertarian to prostitution.

"Throughout the campaign, I have had volunteers who assist in many areas, including assisting me in communicating through Twitter. This tweet was in poor judgment and the volunteer has been relieved of those duties," Miller said. "And while the comments have been misconstrued (they were directed at the Libertarian Party), I don't stand by those comments.

"The Libertarians are free to choose whomever they want to represent them. It's up to them to decide who best represents their values. I am a Republican Party U.S. Senate candidate, and look forward to representing that party's message of limited government and returning power to the states and the people who live in them. I certainly apologize to Senator Murkowski for any hurt feelings caused by this poorly conceived post."