Palin reiterates support for Miller

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Republican Joe Miller, his bid to become Alaska's U.S. senator imploding, called on Sarah Palin, an early supporter, to help juice his campaign.

Palin made her first public appearance on behalf of Miller Thursday in Anchorage in the final days of his roller-coaster campaign before Election Day, The New York Times reported.

"I read his resume, I read his accomplishments, I read his passion for America and I think, 'Are we even fit to tie his combat boots?'" Palin asked the crowd at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center.

The former governor jabbed one of Miller's opponents, incumbent Republican Lisa Murkowski, who is mounting an aggressive write-in campaign as an independent to retain her seat.

"Let's call her the candidate for the entitlement party," Palin said.

Miller, backed by the Tea Party Express, stunned Alaska and national Republicans when he defeated Murkowski in the Republican primary in August. Murkowski's decision to be a write-in candidate infuriated Miller supporters. The Democratic candidate is Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams.

Miller led the opposition until recently when his campaign suffered a series of setbacks. Court-ordered personnel records released this week indicated Miller was disciplined in 2008 for using government computers for political purposes -- then lying about it -- when he was a part-time lawyer for the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Before the documents were released, security guards hired by Miller's campaign handcuffed and detained a reporter asking about the disciplinary action.

Recent polls indicate Miller was running third in the three-candidate battle.

"He's running against two candidates who are in complete denial about the problems that big growing government causes for you all," Palin said Thursday. "One of them is an out-of-touch liberal and the other happened to be the mayor of Sitka."