17,000 of the 24,000 absentee ballots in Alaska will probably be counted Monday. Given Joe Miller’s late surge, it may not help him. However, I am told by a number of people that given where those absentee ballots came from and his overall support in the areas, the odds remain in joe Miller’s favor.But word is coming out of Washington that the National Republican Senatorial Committee, already in “cover their butts” mode, is intervening in Alaska to help Lisa Murkowski.John Cornyn, Chairman of the NRSC, has been upfront that the NRSC will help incumbent Republicans being challenged. But there is a problem with Murkowski. I have confirmed through multiple sources that Lisa Murkowski has already approached the Alaska Libertarian Party. In exchange for putting her on the Libertarian ticket in November, Murkowski will hand the Libertarians a sizable chunk of her +$1 million war chest.The Libertarian Party Chairman, Scot Kohlhaas, is denying direct talks with Murkowski, and says it probably won’t happen, but I can confirm conversations are still happening regarding this.I am willing to bet that John Cornyn is sending Murkowski help without first getting a promise from her that she will not run third party if she loses.What’s more, the NRSC, in “cover their butts” mode, is telling every reporter who will listen that Lisa Murkowski did not take the NRSC’s advice and attack Joe Miller. In fact, the NRSC gave the same advice to Sue Lowden, Jane Norton, Charlie Crist, Trey Grayson and other NRSC losers. The advice is simple — attack the opponent for being fiscally responsible, i.e. opposed to earmarks and being a real fiscal conservative.Joe Miller is speaking out on this and accusing the NRSC of meddling in the election. If and when he gets to Washington, the number of people opposed to the present GOP leadership will have one more.It’s as if Rob Jesmer, the NRSC’s Executive Director, is a Tea Party saboteur, intentionally destroying the NRSC. On the bright side, because of Rob Jesmer’s incompetence, the GOP has one of the most conservative batches of candidates in a long time: Angle, Buck, Lee, Paul, Rubio, and Toomey — all opposed by the NRSC and supported by Jim DeMint.