Arkansas Tonight

Are you earthquake prepared?

2010-01-14T09:47:00.002-06:00

I've been watching a lot of coverage of the earthquake in Haiti and one thing that strikes me is the fact that there hadn't been a major quake on the fault running through the nation's now-flattened capitol in about 200 years. Hasn't it been about that same time since Arkansas experienced the big one on the New Madrid? I'm not saying that I think it will happen anytime soon, but scientists are. Researchers at the University of Memphis and UALR have varying predictions of the next big one hitting anytime within the next 50 to 100 years.

Pat Robertson has lost his effing mind

2010-01-13T22:03:00.003-06:00

Pat Robertson has lost his effing mind. Check out how he somehow finds a way to blame the people of Haiti for a natural disaster of Biblical proportions:

Baker announces support for balanced budget amendment & term limits

2010-01-13T21:57:00.005-06:00

No huge surprise here and no scandal: Gilbert Baker's major announcement was that he supports a balanced budget amendment and a term limit of two terms for the US Senate. These are basic conservative principals that I think most voters in Arkansas, right and left, would agree with. No big surprise, Sen. Baker. My only question is this: Why didn't you come out for these issues when you first announced your candidacy? Shouldn't this have been a basic tenet in your platform?

Randy Allen enters crowded GOP Senate primary; major announcement expected from Baker; bus boy may enter Senate race

2010-01-12T23:46:00.009-06:00

Randy Allen, director of student housing at the University of Arkansas, officially threw his hat in to the US Senate race today, becoming the 9th announced Republican candidate vying for Sen. Blanche Lincoln's Senate seat.

In other GOP Senate primary news, Gilbert Baker's campaign sent out the following e-mail this morning:

United States Senate Candidate Sen. Gilbert Baker will make a major campaign announcement at a news conference Wednesday.

What major announcement could he be making? Is he going to fess up to something or does he have dirt on Lincoln or his fellow GOP challengers? Is he receiving a major endorsement from the likes of Sarah Palin, HuckPAC or Dick Cheney? What could it be? I'm so totally not excited that I'll probably sleep like a baby tonight.

Also, Christopher Spencer over at Ozarks Unbound is reporting that Adam Fire Cat, who many of us know from his great work as a world champion bus boy at the Village Inn and as a former Fayetteville mayoral candidate, is advertising on Craigslist that he needs a campaign manager for a US Senate run. His party affiliation is something that I do not know, but I would assume he would be running as an independent. Maybe I'll stop in Village Inn next time I'm in Fayetteville and ask what's going on. Until then, enjoy this video.

We stand with Coco

2010-01-12T19:28:00.002-06:00

Feigned outrage over Nebraska compromise?

2010-01-11T19:56:00.004-06:00

This morning the Baker campaign released the following statement regarding Dustin McDaniel calling on the Nebraska Compromise to be removed from the Senate health care reform bill:

I'm glad to see that at least one Arkansas Democrat will do more than provide lip service to the Cornhusker Kickback. This move by Attorney General McDaniel is, however, pure political cover for Sen. Lincoln who has provided nothing more than feigned outrage over this deal. She had the chance to vote down this bill and didn’t do it. I will serve as a check and balance to the Obama - Reid - Lincoln liberal agenda and will fight for what's in the best interest of Arkansans, their health care, and their pocketbooks.

Is it really nothing more than feigned outrage? And what is the Arkansas Secretary of State doing getting involved in Senate politics in Washington?

Lincoln suffering from low favorability; Baker exact opposite

2010-01-08T16:47:00.005-06:00

A recent Rasmussen poll has come out and it isn't looking real good for Sen. Blanche Lincoln. Her favorability numbers are bad as are her numbers versus Republican candidates fighting to challenge her in the general election in November. Here's the breakdown:

Favorability:

Favorable: 38%

Unfavorable: 56%

Unsure: 6%

Lincoln vs. State Sen. Gilbert Baker (R):

Lincoln: 39%

Baker: 51%

Lincoln vs. Curtis Coleman (R):

Lincoln: 38%

Coleman: 48%

Now as for Baker's numbers, you just read that in a hypothetical matchup, Lincoln would lose pretty handedly to Baker. What about Baker's favorability ratings? It looks like he's doing pretty well. His numbers: 42% favorable, 20% unfavorable and 37% unsure.

In a statement after the release of these poll numbers, Baker said:

Sen. Lincoln is out-of-touch with Arkansans and her out-of-control spending in Washington will no longer be tolerated. Even those on the left admit she’s in trouble and it’s time for her to retire. I am the common sense conservative who has the principals and support to unseat Lincoln in November.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Toplines - 2010 Arkansas Senate Race - January 5, 2010

Kos to Lincoln: Retire for the good of the party

2010-01-07T21:17:00.004-06:00

The Daily Kos gave Sen. Blanche Lincoln an ass beating today with the following analysis:

Quite simply, she is unelectable.

Democrats have a thick bench in Arkansas, and could make a serious bid to hold the seat. But Lincoln won't pull it off. She's toast.

If Lincoln cares about her state and her party, she'll do the honorable thing like Chris Dodd and retire. Otherwise, let's hope Lt. Gov. Bill Halter forcefully retires her in a primary.

So, will she drop out? Will Bill Halter enter the race? And what do Republicans think about this? I've reached out to the Republican campaigns for their responses. I'll post their responses as soon as I get them.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Time for Lincoln to retire

Baker campaign responds to Holt candidacy

2010-01-06T18:49:00.004-06:00

The Gilbert Baker campaign is coming out swinging after news broke that Jim Holt will be entering the crowded Republican primary for US Senate this summer. Baker communications director Alice Stewart sent me the following e-mail in response to Holt's entry into the race:

Sen. Baker is the true, common sense conservative in this race and we look forward to a spirited primary. Sen. Baker has traveled the state for months letting Arkansans know he will be a check and balance on the liberal establishment's big government agenda. The Obama - Reid - Lincoln leadership has led to more government control, and less personal liberties. Sen. Baker is the only candidate who has the record and resources to to beat Blanche Lincoln in November.

The only candidate? We shall see.

Tolbert: Holt to announce candidacy Jan. 14th

2010-01-05T21:27:00.003-06:00

Jason Tolbert with The Tolbert Report, my new go-to blog for Arkansas GOP politics, is reporting that Jim Holt will announce his candidacy for US Senate on January 14th at speaking events across the state, making him the eighth announced GOP Senate candidate.

Now I know I'm thinking out loud here (or visually since I'm writing), but could this be Gilbert Baker and Curtis Coleman's most likely contender for a three way Republican race? And will Baker and Holt let it get nasty between the two of them?

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jim Holt To Announce His Candidacy for U.S. Senate January 14

New year, new web site

2010-01-05T13:41:00.004-06:00

Last year an great year for me. I started writing here at Arkansas Tonight and launched a personal blog. Now in 2010, my personal blog has pretty much disappeared but replacing it will be Midnight Politics, a site that I have launched with the help of my good friend on the right, Paul Hodge. Paul and I met while in college at UCA in Conway and we've decided that since we both stay up way too late and can't agree on anything politically, we might as well make a web site that caters to others like us. So please join us in the middle of the night as we discuss politics and policy. And don't worry about me leaving AT. I'll still be here, but now instead of you all having to read my rants on national politics, Blago and Roland Burris, I'll be solely focused on Arkansas politics.

2010 Arkansas political predictions

2010-01-05T13:36:00.005-06:00

So what are the big stories going to be this year? What big things will happen politically in Arkansas? Will Blanche Lincoln survive re-election? Will Bill Halter challenge her in the Democratic primary this summer? Will the Republican primary surprise us all? What about Bernie Skoch? Will he actually be able to be a true primary opponent to John Boozman? And let's not forget about my favorite punching bag, Mike Ross. Is he going to face another easy re-election or is he going to have a close general election fight? This year is going to be an interesting one. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Halter staying put?

2010-01-04T21:27:00.002-06:00

Conservative blogger Jason Tolbert wrote a column published yesterday for Stephens Media about Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. The article was exploring Halter's past in politics and his possible run for Senate. In the article, Halter told Tolbert:

...my focus has been on raising funds for re-election.

So are we to believe that he WILL NOT run against Blanche Lincoln in this year's primary? I don't know that I believe it.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Halter's Gamble | Arkansas News

College football should have playoffs

2010-01-04T17:03:00.004-06:00

I'm not the only one who feels this way. Check out this advertisement that's been running in Salt Lake, Dallas-Fort Worth and Boise, the hometowns to arguably the best teams in college football, all of whom didn't make the BCS championship.

Also, congrats to the Razorbacks for salvaging your pitiful performance in the Liberty Bowl. Never again should you ever let a team like East Carolina come so close to kicking your ass. When are you going to start playing like you belong in the SEC?

Limbaugh fine after health scare

2010-01-01T16:27:00.003-06:00

Conservative radio host (and possibly the craziest man in the GOP) Rush Limbaugh was released from a Honolulu hospital today after being admitted during the week with chest pains. In a press conference outside of the hospital, Limbaugh said all tests came back normal and that there appeared to be no explanation for the chest pains.

After answering some basic questions about his condition, he took a chance to take some jabs at liberals trying to fix the health care system, saying that he got some of the best health care, "right here in the United States of America." Yeah, if we had a $400 million contract to do a half-rate radio program, maybe we could afford good health care, too.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Rush Limbaugh Says Nothing Wrong After Health Scare

Top media mistakes of '09

2010-01-01T10:04:00.002-06:00

Politico has ranked the top media blunders of 2009. I think the worst mistakes in the media this year have to be CNN reporting shots fired near the President's motorcade on 9/11 above on Potomac River and The New York Post posting the Obama monkey cartoon. What do you think are the biggest mistakes made by the media this year?

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Media blunders of 2009

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T10:02:00.000-06:00

Happy new year from all of us at Arkansas Tonight!

The decade's most overhyped stories

2009-12-31T09:18:00.002-06:00

First Read is at it again with even more top ten lists. This time it's the top ten most overhyped stories of the decade. The one story I think was way overhyped? Joe the Plumber. Joe's not his name and he's not a licensed plumber. End of story.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Decade's Top 10 most overhyped stories

BREAKING NEWS: More on Limbaugh health scare

2009-12-30T20:53:00.002-06:00

I've managed to find a report detailing what has been confirmed thus far regarding Rush Limbaugh's rush to the hospital. From KITV.com:

Conservative radio talk host Rush Limbaugh was rushed to a Honolulu hospital on Wednesday afternoon with chest pains, sources told KITV.

Paramedics responded to the call at 2:41 p.m. at the Kahala Hotel and Resort.

Limbaugh suffered from chest pains, sources said. Paramedics treated him and took him to Queen's Medical Center in serious condition.

More information as we get it.

BREAKING NEWS: Rush Limbaugh rushed to hospital with chest pains

2009-12-30T20:51:00.000-06:00

I have no further details except that Rush Limbaugh has been rushed to an undisclosed hospital with chest pains. Arkansas Tonight will have more information as it becomes available.

Should we be mad at Obama?

2009-12-30T19:23:00.002-06:00

I just read an op-ed by Maureen Dowd in The New York Times where she gets seems to vent a lot of frustration at President Obama and his administration over the attempted terror attack on a Northwest Airlines flight last week. Part of me wonders if she is, at least partly, correct in her observations. Should the president really be vacationing in his native Hawaii while the country is concerned about national security? But then I think back to all the time President Bush spent at Camp David and Crawford, Texas, not working hard as our President, but instead clearing brush and trimming trees. At least Obama can quit his golf game at any time to deal with an emergency while it probably would have taken Bush a terribly long time to get from BFE back to his ranch house to deal with an emergency.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: As the Nation’s Pulse Races, Obama Can’t Seem to Find His

Top one liners of the decade

2009-12-30T07:00:00.002-06:00

Politicians are known for their one liners. Sometimes it's so incredibly stupid that you remember it forever. Other times it's so incredibly prophetic that you wish you'd listened instead of mocked. With that in mind, First Read has released their list of the decade's top ten political lines.

WHEN WILL JIM HOLT ANNOUNCE FOR SENATE?

2009-12-29T22:39:00.002-06:00

Jim Holt held some fundraisers tonight in Northwest Arkansas for his yet to be announced bid for Blanche Lincoln's Senate seat. Roby Brock at Talk Business reported that one fundraiser was held at Mad Pizza and the cost was $100 for each attender. Classy joint, let me tell ya'. Another fundraiser was later held at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Rogers at $1000 per attender. No telling when Holt will announce officially, but it's pretty much a forgone conclusion that he will run, bringing the number of GOP candidates in this year's Senate race to approximately 20 million. We'll take them seriously once Gilbert Baker has a lock or is in a narrowed two or three way race.

10 most intriguing people of the last year

2009-12-29T07:00:00.001-06:00

We've been doing a lot of top ten lists from First Read. Now it's time to jump on over to CNN.com and take a look at their top 10 most intriguing people of 2009.

TOP NEWS CONFERENCES OF THE DECADE

2009-12-28T19:23:00.003-06:00

First Read is out again with their top ten lists. This time it's the top ten news conferences of the decade. One news conference that didn't happen but would have been great? The one where Bill Clinton admitted to a lot of reporters that he got head in his office. That would have been so much better than just giving a serious speech to the American people admitting, "an inappropriate relationship."

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Decade's top 10 news conferences

Who made Santa's good and bad lists in '09?

2009-12-27T09:06:00.000-06:00

Top Tweets of '09

2009-12-26T19:45:00.003-06:00

We've looked at some top 10 lists from the last decade, now it's time to check out some top 10 lists from this last year. Check out Politico's list of top 10 tweets of 2009. I think you'll find it amusing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Top Ten Tweets of 2009

CHRISTMAS BLIZZARD & TOP 10 POLITICAL SPEECHES OF THE DECADE

2009-12-25T18:36:00.004-06:00

Wow, what a wild night last night. I got stuck in the blizzard in Oklahoma City and never made it back to Arkansas to spend Christmas with my family. I, instead, spent last night in a Sleep Inn. And then this morning I Skyped with my mother, siblings, nieces and nephews as I watched them open their Christmas gifts to me. What a way to spend Christmas, right? So anyway, I am now sitting in my warm home, on the couch, watching breaking news of the attempted bombing of a Delta flight from Amsterdam to Detroit and catching up on my Google Reader items.

One of the great items was another list from First Read. This time it's the top 10 political speeches of the last decade. I personally think President Obama's 2004 keynote address to the DNC should be ranked first. What do you think?

I had a hotel staffer take the following picture of me this morning as I was leaving to go find my car on the highway. I found it along with some ice and snow on it and missing a windshield wiper.

Merry Christmas from Arkansas Tonight!

2009-12-25T05:00:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas from all of us at Arkansas Tonight! We hope it's a great one for you all.

And for all of our Jewish friends, we have a special little treat after Horatio Sanz' Christmas song.

THE TOP 10 RISERS OF THE DECADE

2009-12-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

We had the list of the biggest downfalls in politics yesterday. Today, we have the list of the biggest political risers. The top of the list is, of course, President Barack Obama, who was just three years into his career in the Illinois State Senate when the decade began.

Following closely behind his metaphoric rise is former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who at the start of the decade was in her fourth year as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. Now she's been a governor and vice presidential candidate on top of becoming a millionaire, according to the list from msnbc.com's First Read,. Not too shabby for a girl from a small town (even if I do think she's nuts).

FOR MORE INFORMATION: The Top 10 risers of the decade

TV RATINGS RELEASED FOR NWA STATIONS

2009-12-23T18:53:00.002-06:00

The City Wire in Fort Smith is reporting that Nielson has released their ratings for the last ratings period and KFSM is leading in total market share with the following breakdown of the three major local stations: KFSM - 42%, KHBS/KHOG - 31%, and KNWA is a sad last place at 12%.

So with these ratings I have two questions: 1) How in the world is KFSM the number one rated station in the area? 2) When is KNWA ever going to increase their ratings? They work so hard and then to be third in the market just seems so sad and pitiful.

TOP POLITICAL DOWNFALLS OF THE DECADE

2009-12-23T09:28:00.002-06:00

msnbc.com's First Read has ranked what they think are the top policial downfalls of the decade. For the most part, I agree with their list, especially ranking former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards as the biggest and fastest downfall. But check out the others and tell me what you think.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: The decade's Top 10 political downfalls

ABC NEWS: ALABAMA CONGRESSMAN SWITCHING FROM DEMOCRAT TO REPUBLICAN

2009-12-22T11:13:00.002-06:00

ABC News is reporting that Freshman Democratic Congressman Parker Griffith of Alabama will announce this afternoon that he is changing his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. Giffith is among a host of Democratic Congressmen and Senators who is vulnerable in the upcoming 2010 election.

Part of me wonders if Blanche Lincoln is considering this as a last-ditch effort to save her seat. She's done dumber stuff before, like accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from big health companies and their cronies.

SENATE VOTES FOR CLOTURE

2009-12-21T02:32:00.004-06:00

The Senate voted for cloture overnight after a vigerous debate over the health care bill. The bill, which has continued to be the source of much heated debate over the last several months, will continue to change, though, as the House and Senate versions continue to be revised and eventually joined together so that a final joint bill can be voted on in both the House and Senate. But don't expect a vote to occur anytime before the first of the year. And actually, I would be surprised if we even got a vote before the first of February. But I've been wrong before.

I initially reported that the Senate passed the health care bill overnight. I misreported and jumped the gun. It was the middle of the night and I was sleepy. I shouldn't write while tired. I have updated the story and stand corrected. Thanks to the anonymous poster who brought my mistake to the forefront.

LINCOLN WILL VOTE FOR SENATE HEALTH CARE BILL

2009-12-20T20:56:00.004-06:00

Now that she and other moderate Democrats have essentially watered down the Senate's version of the health care bill to practically a joke, Sen. Blanche Lincoln is saying she will vote in favor of the bill, according to our friend Roby Brock over at Talk Business. She opened her Sunday conference call with members of the press by saying:

I will vote for the Senate health care bill because it will help with health care costs.

Well, Senator, thanks for fighting tooth and nail to ruin the original bill. I hope you're proud of yourself.

And I hope that all of the money you've received from the health care industry in the form of campaign contributions helps unfreeze that cold heart of your's. Who knows? Maybe I'll encourage Arkansas voters to vote in the GOP primary for Gilbert Baker. If he would win the GOP primary and end up in a head to head with you, I'd consider voting for him just because of the crap you pulled with the health care bill.

Stanley Reed drops out of US Senate race after only 8 days

2009-12-18T19:31:00.004-06:00

Former Arkansas Farm Bureau President Stanley Reed announced today that he is dropping out of the US Senate race after only 8 days as a candidate. His decision to drop out of the race is due to health reasons.

Now what I can't believe that Drew Pritt stuck with his Senate candidacy longer than a man many in the Arkansas political establishment thought would be in a runoff with Gilbert Baker.

Some of the most honest television reporting I've seen in a while

2009-12-18T19:28:00.003-06:00

Man, Dylan Ratigan really does great reporting and asks great questions. Check out this clip from his MSNBC show this morning.

PFAW'S "FIGHT THE RIGHT" - TAKE A LOOK

2009-12-18T16:26:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays from "People For the American Way" - or, what drives us up the wall, courtesy of PFAW.

People For the American Way: Thank you for helping us Fight the Right

LIMBAUGH SAYS "BOMB IRAN"

2009-12-18T16:18:00.000-06:00

More proof Limbaugh is out of his gourd. Hey, Rush, the whole bombing thing worked really well in Hanoi, didn't it? No ground troops you say? Again, for a second time today, I say "WTF?" - So nicely said by a man who couldn't serve his country because he had a problem with his ass.

Remember, this is the man ostensibly STILL leading the Republican party.

Watch Rush Limbaugh Calls For Massive Bombing War With Video at mediaite

NOW REPUBLICANS WANT STIMULUS MONEY? WTF?

2009-12-18T16:08:00.000-06:00

A nice young Republican researcher from conservative hot-bed George Mason University sent this to me - apparently, "Democratic areas" are getting more stimulus money than Republican voting districts - and the money, as such, isn't going to the places with the highest unemployment.

Oddly enough, it seems to us that people like Governors Sanford, Palin and Perry all screamed and cried about the stimulus money, and swore up and down they wouldn't take any. We'd love to see the unemployment figures in each of those states - much of the stimulus money that was rejected was for extending unemployment benefits. We can see where that contradicts the conservative mantra about making people "get off welfare" - removing their support so they somehow feel motivated to discover employment. We also wouldn't trust anything sent us by anyone at Mason or Mercatus - pretty biased research, we'd say. And funny as well - keep on trying, folks, keep on trying.

Want more of a laugh? Read the biased results from a biased school at Stimulus Facts | Mercatus.

We're pretty sure you won't find many "facts" but instead, a lot of "spin."

Mark Sanford: The Musical

2009-12-18T07:15:00.000-06:00

Enjoy this cheap YouTube video and have a happy Friday and an enjoyable weekend.

Robocalls should be outlawed

2009-12-17T07:00:00.001-06:00

I am so glad that Jason Tolbert recorded and posted a robocall from State Sen. Gilbert Baker (R - Conway). I am not making any statement here in support of any candidate, I am just complaining about the practice of robocalling. If there is one way to really tick me off and make me not want to vote for you, call me at dinner time when I am trying to spend time with my family or simply trying to unwind from a long day. If I hear any politician's voice on the other end of that phone and he or she isn't returning a phone call that I made to them, then that's a surefire way for me to write you off of my list of potentially supportable candidates. Listen to the call by Sen. Baker and tell me that you wouldn't find this annoying right in the middle of dinner on your unlisted telephone number. And once again, thanks Jason for recording this.

George Stephanopoulos shifting GMA to hard news?

2009-12-16T10:00:00.000-06:00

I'm one of those dorks who either spends Sunday mornings in front of the TV watching all of the political programs or I spend my evening doing it on my laptop if I overslept, had to work or had something to do at church. One of the highlights of my Sundays was watching George Stephanopoulos, or as I saw him referred to earlier this week on another blog, GSteph, anchoring This Week on ABC. But now he is leaving for Good Morning America, which has has now been anchoring for three days. So how do you think he's doing? Do you think he's going to take the program to a permanent hard-news arena or will he be anchoring a program that catches up on the latest celebrity gossip along with cooking segments featuring an obnoxious fat man from New Orleans? A recent AP article seems to think the program will shift to the more hard news arena simply based on GSteph's first broadcast on Monday. It's too early to tell, but we should have a pretty good idea in a month or two.

And hey, if the permanent shift happens, what will happen to locally produced ABC morning programs, such as Daybreak and Good Morning Arkansas? Will they shift to a hard news focus or stay a mix of both?

The perennial candidate: Drew Pritt

2009-12-15T11:12:00.004-06:00

He’s ran for city council in Warren, county supervisor in Bradley County, the Little Rock School Board, and lieutenant governor in 2006. He then announced a run this year for the US Senate seat currently held by Blanche Lincoln before dropping out of the race last week in order to run for lieutenant governor again. Any Arkansas political observers hear his name and smirk. Who is this man who’s lost more elections than most politicians have ever ran in? His name is Drew Pritt, a 34-year-old University of Arkansas – Little Rock political science and history major.

Pritt is well-known by most in the Arkansas political establishment, having run in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor against now-incumbent Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, as well as being an outspoken advocate for gay rights in a traditionally conservative state. But while many might know that he has an appetite for politics, many might not know his other passions.

In a series of interviews he did with me for Arkansas Tonight, Pritt shared stories from his life, including his past work as a field operative during Gen. Wesley Clark’s failed presidential campaign during the 2004 Democratic primaries as well as why it is that he was wanting to replace Sen. Blanche Lincoln before deciding, instead, to run against Lt. Gov. Bill Halter for his seat.

“I’m maybe the only person you’ll ever meet who actually wants to be lieutenant governor,” he said as we discussed his decision to change campaign direction. “I never wanted to be a US Senator, but I felt that I had no other choice but to run since no one else was challenging Blanche’s decisions regarding health care [reform] and the Employee Free Choice Act.”

The issue of health care reform is important to Pritt. He’s a cancer survivor who knows how important good insurance is. He told me that, “it can literally be the difference between life and death.”

With regards to the Employee Free Choice Act, Pritt is very strongly pro-union. He says that unionization is the right of all workers. “They shouldn’t be penalized for doing what is right. If they want and feel that they need to unionize, they should be able to do it without fear of losing their jobs,” he said passionately as if trying to rally the base, even though it was just a conversation between the two of us.

As part of his fight for the rights of the worker, he comes back to his fight for civil rights, wanting to protect the rights of homosexuals to live and work without fear of losing their own jobs. “We should be able to be who we are without fear,” he said.

And while his fight might appear noble and he might just appear to be a man wanting to make a difference in his home state, there is another side to Drew Pritt. In 1999 and 2000, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that he was charged with felonies in Bradley and Drew Counties related to writing several hot checks. In their report, they also mention an arrest in Jonesboro and being detained in West Virginia for similar charges.

When asked about the charges, Pritt told me, “It was a tough time for me. I made some stupid mistakes. But I’ve learned from them. The charges were dropped and I’m obviously not a convicted felon since I can still vote and hold public office.”

The charges from the last decade aren’t the only embarrassing episodes in Pritt’s life. The Arkansas Ethics Commission investigated Pritt after the 2006 race for lieutenant governor and filed a report stating the following:

“IT IS, THEREFORE, CONSIDERED, DECIDED and ORDERED by the Commission that the Respondent, Drew Pritt, shall be issued a Public Letter of Warning and is hereby fined $250 for: (i) failing to timely file C&E reports for January and February of 2006; (ii) failing to provide reporting for the thirty-day period between January 16 and February 15, 2006 on a C&E report; and (iii) failing to file C&E reports for March and April of 2006.”

Pritt says the matter was just a misunderstanding on his part on how to file proper campaign reports with the commission, although he did admit that he paid the fine after having retained a lawyer to plead his case to the commission. He also went back and filed proper reports to ensure that he was in compliance.

Upon finding out about the ethics violations, I asked Pritt to be completely honest with me and tell me if there was anything else I was going to find out in my research. After stumbling for a bit, Pritt admitted that he has been competing as a drag queen for the last three years and has actually been crowned Miss Gay Central Arkansas. When asked how this would play with family values voters across the state, particularly in northwest Arkansas, Pritt said, “I don’t see that this goes against any morals. I’m not wanting to be a woman, I just happen to do drag shows. It’s a billion dollar a year industry. And if you looked into the history of it you would understand that it’s about more than dressing up as a woman.”

Pritt, a very motivated and politically active individual, does have some issues to work through before becoming a serious candidate for any elected office. It is obvious that while this young man truly wants to work for all Arkansas voters, this self-described progressive Democrat is going to have to grow a bit first. And who knows? Maybe we'll see him run for state senate or state representative later on, but for now, we have in the lieutenant governor's race and as long as he's in the race, it's bound to be colorful.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Drew Pritt for Lieutenant Governor

Projects we're working on

2009-12-14T21:56:00.004-06:00

So we've been working on a few projects here at Arkansas Tonight.

The first project is a profile I'm writing on perennial candidate Drew Pritt. I planned on having it published days ago, but I have run in to a few roadblocks. First, Drew decided to jump from the Senate race to lieutenant governor's race, changing the direction of my piece. Additionally, since I am a bit of a researcher and I keep finding more and more for the article, it's just getting longer and more interesting. With any hope, the article will be up tomorrow morning. Of course, I told Cris Seligman that it would be up this morning at 5 am. We all see how well that worked out.

The second, and more important project, is that we are in the process of switching our publishing platform from Blogger to Wordpress, which will allow us to have a faster loading site with more content and a sleeker and more professional appearance. Look for the redesigned site to be up and running within a month or two after the New Year holiday.

The last thing in the pipe is a new political website that my media company is launching (*disclosure: my media company, Ryan Saylor LLC, and Arkansas Tonight are not the same; Arkansas Tonight is privately-owned by Don Elkins). It will go live January 4, 2010, and will have more of a national focus instead of just an Arkansas focus. I still have a lot of work to do, but as soon as it's up, I'll post a full article here along with a link and then hopefully some of you will join me on this new adventure. And for those of who are regulars, don't distress. I'm not leaving Arkansas Tonight. I will be here for the long hall (I'm approaching my one year anniversary. I can't leave before that big date). If Arkansas Tonight is still online, I'll still be here.

Now it's back to watching The Big Bang Theory on my DVR and doing more edits on my profile of Drew Pritt. Check back here tomorrow for the great, highly interesting article. You'll be happy you did.

Is the RPA a bunch of amateurs?

2009-12-14T21:50:00.002-06:00

Our friends over at The Arkansas Project have a great article on the amateurish Arkansas Republican Party. Check it out:

It’s amateur hour for the Republican Party of Arkansas, which has cranked up their moral dudgeon to “high” in response to a throw-away comment from the state Democrats’ executive director in a recent news story.

It's a great read for anyone that cares about anything Arkie GOP related.

Arkansas' best and brightest offers advice

2009-12-13T07:30:00.000-06:00

Arkansas' best and brightest athlete, John Daly, offered a bit of good advice to embattled professional golfer Tiger Woods in a recent AP article. Woods, who has been in the headlines lately for allegations of infidelity, was given this piece of advice by Daly:

You don’t stay married for the kids or the money. You stay together because you love each other.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but the man who smokes cigs while competing on the greens is right.

Amanda Manatt new House Communications Director

2009-12-12T00:25:00.004-06:00

Amanda Manatt, a general assignment reporter for KATV, has been hired to run the communications office for the Arkansas House of Representatives, according to a report by KATV. Manatt begins her position at the capitol on December 21st.

This is not the first time a Little Rock television personality has made the jump to state government work. Former Little Rock anchor/reporters Matt DeCample and Alice Stewart have also made the jump, with DeCample working for Gov. Mike Beebe and Stewart having worked for former Gov. Mike Huckabee and now working as deputy campaign manager for State Sen. Gilbert Baker's US Senate campaign.

Duggars welcome Josie Brooklyn Duggar to family

2009-12-11T11:19:00.004-06:00

We reported previously that Michelle Duggar was airlifted to UAMS in Little Rock after suffering from gallstones. We can now confirm a report originally made by TMZ.com that Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar are new parents to a baby girl, Josie Brooklyn Duggar. Josie was born last night at UAMS via emergency c-section. She weighed 1 pound 6 ounces, according to a report by TMZ. Congrats to the Duggars. I wonder if they're going to try for baby 20?

Curtis Coleman's speech to the RPA plus Stanley Reed jumps into the crowded GOP field of Senate candidates

2009-12-11T01:01:00.007-06:00

Curtis Coleman, a Republican candidate for US Senate and the second place winner in his party's straw poll this past weekend, made a speech at the party with a line that I think can really rally state conservatives to his campaign:

...in the last 50 years, Jesus has never left me but on occasion the Republican Party has.

After watching the speech, I am convinced now more than ever that this race is between Gilbert Baker and Curtis Coleman, even though more and more Republicans are getting into the race. *Video of Coleman's full speech at the bottom of this post.

One of those who just jumped into the race is Stanley Reed, the former president of Arkansas Farm Bureau, according to a report by Roby Brock. I don't think it matters much, but hey, I've been wrong before. We'll keep watching for any action from the Reed campaign and we'll keep you updated.

ARKANSAS TONIGHT EXCLUSIVE: Drew Pritt quitting US Senate race, instead running for lieutenant governor

2009-12-10T21:45:00.003-06:00

Drew Pritt, who has up to this point been running for the Democratic nomination for US Senate, will be dropping out of the race, Arkansas Tonight has confirmed. Instead of running for the seat currently held by fellow Democrat Blanche Lincoln, we have confirmed that Pritt will be running for lieutenant governor.

UPDATE 9:50PM: Arkansas Tonight has just obtained the following statement from the Pritt campaign regarding his decision to drop out of the US Senate race.

Although it seemed impossible and improbable, I announced a candidacy for U.S. Senate because I wanted Senator Blanche Lincoln to know that there are progressive Democrats who were dissatisfied with her votes on ENDA & EFCA and her opposition to a public option for health care reform. And I believe that overall, that is part of the discussion right now in this Senate race this year. However, I am a Democrat for a reason and even though I disagree with Senator Lincoln, I do not want to see this seat taken over by many of the Republicans that are challenging her now. I also recognize that statements made in our primary by any Democratic challenger can be used by Republican operatives and campaigns to attack an eventual Democratic nominee and weaken the Democrats chance to continue to hold that Senate seat.

Now is the time for all good progressives to come to the aid of the Democratic party. We cannot risk another turning back of the clock like we experienced in 1994. We cannot also risk running a protest campaign that provides enough votes to defeat a Democratic nominee in the General Election, like what we saw happen in the 2000 Presidential race. There is something to be said about working within our party for our nominees. There is a time to challenge incumbents who do not vote the values of our party. But there is also a time for all challengers to ask themselves which is better? To split the party and encourage individuals into the process that will not support another nominee in their party, or to make a statement to the incumbent, we are not happy with how you have voted, and we will continue to watch how you vote and be a voice of concern, but NOT a voice of conflict or a vehicle of division.

For me, as I ran for U.S. Senate, I have had many individuals encourage me to look at another bid for Lt. Governor. They have been inclined to support me for a second Lt. Governor bid but hestitant to do so on a Senate bid, for the same concerns expressed above. So I am listening to those supporters and individuals and I am ending my race for U.S. Senate and instead run for Lt. Governor in 2010.

I will continue to be a voice of progressive issues and values. I will continue to urge the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Arkansas to support health care reform, thats true reform, as well as offering health care coverage to ALL Americans.

The Lt. Governor's office has always been an office I have wanted to serve in. As Lt. Governor, I can be an effective advocate for health care reform as well as economic development in the Delta, protecting a woman's right to choose in Arkansas, and most of all, continue to be a voice for equal rights for all Arkansans. However, to another level, unlike the current incumbent, as Lt. Governor I am willing to work with the leadership of the State Senate and the Governor's office, rather than just offering my own agenda.

The Lt. Governor of Arkansas has always been a role of partnership with the Governor and State Senate. The current incumbent has not met that role. However, an additional role I will bring to this office is to be a voice for those who currently do not have a voice in state government. For those who cannot afford a well-paid lobbyist, as Lt. Governor, I will be that voice. For those who have been shut out of the process, as Lt. Governor, I will be an obudsmen who brings them back into the process and gives them a voice. Most of all, as Lt. Governor, I will be a voice for health care reform that covers ALL Arkansans, not just some.

Some people have viewed me as a frequent candidate and some members of the media have talked about the fact that I have run or sought to run for office a few times. The fact is, that is the truth, but thats who I am. Some people are firemen. Some people are called to the ministry. Some people are teachers, or lawyers, or farmers. My passion, my calling, my role is to be an activist. And I have wanted the chance to serve in public office, not as a means to further my own-self or my own goals. I believe politics is an honorable profession. And to serve in office means the opportunity to have a bully pulpit, to have a means, to not just promote issues and an agenda, but also to return to the other facet of elective office, which is to be a spokesperson and an advocate for those citizens without a voice.

Also, I want Senator Lincoln to know while I don't agree with her 100% of the time....I cannot imagine being part of any effort that would endanger that Senate seat to be held by someone like Gilbert Baker, who is willing to say or do anything to get elected to office, or Curtis Coleman, the man who first gave us in Arkansas Mike Huckabee, or many of the other radicals running for U.S. Senate as Republicans. I will not be part of any effort that will give Mitch McConnell and the other Republicans in Washington, D.C. a vote for discrimination, obstruction, and exclusion.

Reptiles found in UArk dorm room

2009-12-10T03:06:00.005-06:00

This is the opening to the AP story I just read:

A baby alligator, a diamondback rattlesnake, six pythons and three chameleons have been found in a University of Arkansas dorm room.

Now, having spent a lot of time in the various dorms at the University of Arkansas during my brief time as a student there, the first dorm that seemed to fit this kind of mischief was possibly Yocum Hall. As much as most students would have expected it there, it didn't appear at Yocum. No, it appeared at Maple Hill West. That's the last place I would expect to find all of those wild reptiles, but apparently there are some little entrepreneurs over at MHW who wanted to make a quick buck. This is the rest of the story from the AP:

UA student Jacob Miller of Marion told police that he and roommate Michael Robbins of West Memphis were getting the reptiles free online and selling them for a profit. Crain says the two were not arrested but were fined by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission because it's illegal to possess alligators or rattlesnakes without certification as a handler.

Crain says police went to the room after dorm's resident director received an anonymous phone call reporting marijuana and reptiles inside.

I don't know what's worse: having all of these in the dorm room expecting to sell them and make a profit or a young Mike Huckabee frying up some squirrels in his dorm room at Ouachita Baptist down in Arkadelphia.

Huckabee answers for Clemmons release

2009-12-09T22:36:00.003-06:00

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee appeared on The Daily Show last night. Of course, the issue of Maurice Clemmons' clemency was discussed, though I still think that Huckabee is trying to skip out on his personal responsibility to the families of the dead in Washington State. Below is the full, unedited two part interview.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Exclusive - Mike Huckabee Extended Interview Pt. 1

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Exclusive - Mike Huckabee Extended Interview Pt. 2

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Video: Exclusive - Mike Huckabee Extended Interview Pt. 1 | The Daily Show | Comedy Central

Video: Exclusive - Mike Huckabee Extended Interview Pt. 2 | The Daily Show | Comedy Central

Lincoln may come to support health care reform bill

2009-12-09T22:26:00.003-06:00

The Huffington Post's Sam Stein is reporting that Sen. Blanche Lincoln may come to support the new health care reform plan that she and nine other Democrats helped to negotiate over the last several days. This is a portion of Stein's article:

The Arkansas Democrat did, however, applaud one aspect of the new version of reform: the decision to drop the public plan in favor of a non-profit system run by private insurers but regulated by the federal government.

"It takes the best of both words," she said. "Government creates an environment where private industry can operate but... it creates the environment in a way that private industry is providing a product that best suits the needs of the consumer. [Office of Personnel and Management] being the negotiator will help, I think, be able to bring the best product forward."

Time will tell if Lincoln will actually support the bill she helped to make. Let's hope she doesn't pull a John Kerry, saying that she actually voted for it before she voted against it. We all know how well that worked for him.

Sanford saved from impeachment

2009-12-09T21:58:00.003-06:00

CNN is reporting that a South Carolina House subcommittee has voted not to proceed with a bill that would have included impeachment of Gov. Mark Sanford after he left the country for five days in June without informing his staff or the lieutenant governor of his whereabouts, which happened to be Argentina, where he was visiting his mistress.

The CNN report states that the full judicial committee could still vote for impeachment, overturning the subcommittee's decision, though that is highly unlikely. Instead, a bill is expected to move forward in the house recommending a censure for Sanford's actions, which include using state jets for private travel and using state funds to purchase first class tickets for personal reasons.

Editorial note: I still remember when I first heard Sanford's admission of guilt. I was driving along the Alpine Scenic Loop Byway in Utah. After Sanford's announcement, I remember listening to Sean Hannity's radio program, where he said Sanford should resign. Why is Hannity no longer pushing for resignation? Where is his outrage that Sanford isn't being impeached? Has Hannity forgotten how he felt six months ago? If he's changed his mind, maybe he should explain the change of heart and how Sanford is different from any Democratic lawmaker who gets caught up in a sex scandal.

The Democrats have a plan...maybe

2009-12-09T11:25:00.004-06:00

MSNBC's First Read and the AP are reporting that Sen. Joe Lieberman and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, MD, are on board with the new Democratic plan hammered out by the gang of ten and announced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. According to the AP, the following are the basics of the plan:

Officials said it included nonprofit national health plans administered by the Office of Personnel Management, which runs the popular federal employees' health plan, as well as opening Medicare to uninsured Americans beginning at age 55, effective in 2011.

Greater government involvement would potentially kick in if private insurance companies declined to participate in the nationwide plan, although details weren't available. One possibility was for the personnel office to set up a government-run plan, either national in scope or on a state-by-state basis.

Sen. Mark Pryor was interviewed shortly after the announcement and told the AP, "I think when people see this they'll really like what we've done."

In addition to expanding insurance options, the Tuesday night's deal also says that 90% of premium costs must be spent for medical purposes, not administrative costs, according to the AP.

And in case you're wondering why I added "maybe" to the headline...every story I read keeps talking about this fragile coalition, so one would speculate that one of the most fragile and unstable, Sen. Blanche Lincoln, might still vote against a plan she helped negotiate. That would then kill the chance to get it passed with the 60 vote margin. So yeah, maybe the Democrats have a plan, just maybe, but nothing is certain just yet.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Dems stick together on public plan compromise - Capitol Hill - msnbc.com

Public option dead?

2009-12-08T20:54:00.002-06:00

My BlackBerry has been buzzing all night with breaking news alerts and e-mails proclaiming that the so-called gang of ten, which included Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, has killed the public option. There is no word on if there will be any sort of private insurance subsidy provided or if there are any other solutions for the uninsured. We'll have a complete rap up tomorrow as we gather more information through the night and into tomorrow.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Senate Dems: Deal near to drop public option - Capitol Hill - msnbc.com

Boozman/McCain appearance canceled

2009-12-08T16:00:00.007-06:00

Our friends over at Fayetteville Flyer reported this afternoon that Sunday's town hall meeting featuring Rep. John Boozman (R - Rogers), Sen. John McCain (R - Arizona), and Sen. John Barrasso (R - Wyoming) at Har-Ber High School in Springdale has been canceled. No word on if or when the event might be rescheduled.

The following statement was made by Rep. Boozman's office to Flyer staff via e-mail:

Senators McCain and Barrasso have cancelled their trip to Arkansas due to the likelihood that the Senate will hold a vote this weekend. The Senators expressed their regret and said the only thing that could force a cancellation like this is the Senate Calendar, which is far beyond their individual control. We are really shocked, and weekend votes are rare for the Senate, but the Majority Leader (Senator Reid) has begun indicating to colleagues that it will be a good idea for them to keep their schedules free this weekend due to the likelihood of votes.

We have attempted to reach Sen. McCain's staff for comment. We'll post their response as soon as we get it.

UPDATE 4:53PM: McCain staffer Brooke Buchanan sent this short response but failed to mention if McCain will attempt to reschedule a visit to Northwest Arkansas.

Due to the Senate schedule Senator McCain will no longer be participating in the town hall meeting this weekend.

UPDATE 5:47PM: We just received another e-mail from Brooke Buchanan:

A date has not yet ben chosen but Senator McCain plans to reschedule the town hall as soon as his schedule permits.

So there you have it, McCain supporters. Sen. McCain has not forsaken you, he's just postponed meeting you.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: McCain, Boozman, & Barrasso appearance cancelled :: Fayetteville Flyer

Mother Duggar airlifted to UAMS

2009-12-08T09:35:00.004-06:00

TMZ.com is reporting that Michelle Duggar, the matriarch of the always-growing Duggar family (she's currently expecting child 19), was airlifted to UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock yesterday. Apparently Mrs. Duggar has gallstones. Mix that and a pregnancy and I guess people decide to get extra cautious. No word on when she might be released from the hospital.

McCain and Baucus get into heated exchange while debating Lincoln amendment

2009-12-07T06:45:00.000-06:00

It was bound to happen, wasn't it? Sen. Blanche Lincoln has caused not just fighting within her own party but now her amendments to bills are causing Sen. John McCain (R - Arizona) and Max Baucus (D - Montana) to fight. The amendment that caused their big blow up was an amendment that Lincoln wanted introduced that would, according to C-Span, limit the deductibility of executive compensation for health insurance companies. I find it humorous that Lincoln would even introduce amendments to the health care reform bill if she is going to probably vote against it. Don't you find that a bit hypocritical?

FOR MORE INFORMATION: C-SPAN Video Player - Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) & Other Republican Senators on the Health Care Bill (for the really good stuff, jump to the 3:00 minute mark)

Bob Schieffer ripped Tiger Woods this morning

2009-12-06T20:27:00.002-06:00

Something I never thought I would see happened this morning: Bob Schieffer used his position as a Sunday morning political news anchor to rip Tiger Woods on his complaints of celebrity. Watch and enjoy.

Baker campaign responds to straw poll win

2009-12-06T05:30:00.000-06:00

As reported yesterday, State Sen. Gilbert Baker (R - Conway) won yesterday's straw poll among Republican nominees for US Senate. Businessman Curtis Coleman came in a close second.

When reached for comment about yesterday's win, deputy campaign manager Alice Stewart told Arkansas Tonight, "[State] Sen. Baker is happy with the victory at the RPA Straw poll, but we know the vote that counts for conservatives will come on May 18." She added, "The large turnout in Hot Springs is a sure sign that Arkansans are ready to work hard to see their conservative values restored in Washington."

When asked about much of the negative attacks against Baker, Stewart avoided responding with any attacks on Baker's opponents, instead enlisting a common Republican response. "We are committed to running a positive campaign because Sen. Baker believes in Ronald Reagan's eleventh commandment, 'Thou shalt not speak ill will of a fellow Republican,'" she said.

Lincoln in trouble in Democratic primary?

2009-12-06T05:00:00.000-06:00

It appears that Sen. Lincoln could be in a bit of trouble if Lt. Gov. Bill Halter decides to enter the race for her Senate seat. According to a new Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll, if Halter were to enter the race, he would draw 26% to Lincoln's 42% with a whopping 32% undecided.

We don't know if Halter will actually enter the race, though word on the street is that he is being pushed by many nationally to mount a primary challenge against Lincoln.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Daily Kos: AR-Sen: Primary bound?

Baker wins RPA's straw poll

2009-12-05T20:05:00.004-06:00

State Sen. Gilbert Baker won today's straw poll at the Republican Party of Arkansas' annual meeting held today in Hot Springs. He garnered about 35% of the votes cast. Second place was businessman and Mike Huckabee's 1992 campaign manager Curtis Coleman with 33% of the vote.

As the primary is drawing near I feel it is safe to say that this race is probably going to be between Baker and Curtis. As with most straw polls, the results probably will not change the minds of the average voter, but it will definitely give the Baker and Curtis campaigns a boost.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Curtis Coleman for Senate

Gilbert Baker for Senate

Republican Party of Arkansas

Did you camp out for Palin?

2009-12-04T07:27:00.003-06:00

My friend Eric did it at a Hastings in Norman, Oklahoma, and I know a lot of others did it back in Northwest Arkansas, too. But I have to question everyone's intelligence if you camped out in the freezing cold in order to meet the dropout that is Sarah Palin. Seriously, what is the appeal there? It's Sarah Palin. She can't even handle being governor of Alaska, so why in the hell do you think she's worth camping out for? Now some hardass like Dick Cheney, maybe. At least he isn't just willing to give up halfway through the job, no matter what he did to make the country worse than when he got it.

If you were one of the many who camped out in order to see this woman, I feel really sorry for you. I hope you don't get pneumonia from your stupidity.

Johnson isn't the only one leaving the right

2009-12-03T12:33:00.004-06:00

Charles Johnson isn't the only blogger leaving the right-wing behind. Andrew Sullivan, who blogs for The Atlantic (and formerly for Time), announced on his blog that he is breaking ranks with the right, as well. Among his reasons for leaving the right:

I cannot support a movement that claims to believe in limited government but backed an unlimited domestic and foreign policy presidency that assumed illegal, extra-constitutional dictatorial powers until forced by the system to return to the rule of law.

I cannot support a movement that exploded spending and borrowing and blames its successor for the debt.

There are many other reasons for his break, including the right's stance on homosexuality and using religion as their guiding light for policy. It's a very interesting read to say the least.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Leaving the Right - The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

Commercial shows Lincoln's loyalties

2009-12-03T09:41:00.003-06:00

I know it's an old commercial (old as in a few weeks, so I guess it's not that old, it just isn't as relevant now), but it proves my point from earlier today about Sen. Lincoln's loyalties to the health care industry and their large financial donations. She needs to immediately cut ties with all lobbyists from the health care industry and start answering to her constituents.

Majority want a public option

2009-12-03T08:57:00.003-06:00

Sen. Lincoln, are you there? Are you listening to what the people want? If so, you would know that according to a new poll conducted by Thomson Reuters, 60% of respondents want a public option as part of a health care reform bill. That's 60%, Senator. You can't argue with that, unless you are too worried about whether or not your campaign contributions from the health care industry will dry up.

Washington governor bans Arkansas parolees; Huckabee says he would make the same decision today

2009-12-03T06:00:00.003-06:00

It seems that the criminal justice system here in Arkansas is starting to get a bad name since Maurice Clemmons was linked to numerous crimes here and had a sentence commuted before being paroled for other other crimes and then moving to Washington State and eventually killing four police officers. Because he was able to get by with so much and has he has now put so much fear in the citizens of the Northwest, Washington's governor, Chris Gregoire, has banned all Arkansas parolees from coming to Washington, according to an Associated Press report. I can't say that I blame Gov. Gregoire. She's right to do what she did.

* I've found video of Gov. Gregoire's announcement regarding accepting Arkansas parolees. It's embedded below.

Now on to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. I don't know how I completely missed this the other day, but apparently the right reverend wouldn't change a thing if he had to go back and consider a clemency request for Maurice Clemmons. This is what Huckabee wrote on Newsmax.com on Monday:

...if the same file was presented to me today, I would have likely made the same decision.

If the fact that he just killed four police officers isn't enough to say you'd make a different decision, then what about the fact that he had been sentenced to 95 years in prison? Can't you just admit that you would make a different decision if you could? Why can't you just eat some crow and admit that you effed up? I just think it's the right thing to do.

Clemmons' full Arkansas criminal history is slowly being revealed

2009-12-02T21:54:00.005-06:00

Below is video from KARK/KNWA-TV that appeared on CNN regarding the pardon of Maurice Clemmons. The individual speaking is Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley, who says that Clemmons wouldn't have been up for parole until 2021 if former Gov. Mike Huckabee had not commuted Clemmons' sentence.

Also, later tonight, I'll be posting an interview with Huckabee done by CNN for Anderson Cooper 360. It's their attempt to get the truth out of Huckabee regarding the pardon. It's CNN's way of, "Keeping them honest."

The Body gets smacked down on "The Opie & Anthony Show"

2009-12-02T21:22:00.002-06:00

How many of you listen to The Opie & Anthony Show on XM Sirius? I don't, but I occasionally catch their studio footage on YouTube. I saw this video of former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura appearing on the program today and dang, he's mad. Just take a look at the video and see what happens at the end. I thought Ventura was going to open a can after the verbal smackdown that was just delt to him.

Did anyone know there was a Senate debate?

2009-12-02T20:43:00.006-06:00

Yeah, I don't know if anyone was aware that there was a debate in the 2010 Senate race. I sure wasn't aware of it. But I scrolled over to The Tolbert Report and he had a whole blog post on the "debate". He introduced the upcoming meeting this way on Monday:

If you have ever thought to yourself, “Man, I would love to go watch Michael Gravel have a serious debate with Ron Paul,” then you - one probably read this blog several times a day and - two you are in for a major treat tonight in Little Rock. Progressive Democrat (which mean really liberal) Drew Pritt will take on 80’s Democrat turned today’s gaffe prone Republican Kim Hendren in a debate at UALR.

With an introduction like that, I would want to attend this debate. But while it seemed it would be exciting as hell, it wasn't. This is what Jason Tolbert posted after the debate:

I went to the event and I must admit that I was wrong. It was not a circus. It was much worse; it was boring. About 10 people gathered in the large UALR meeting room to hear from Pritt and Hendren. It appeared to be mainly Pritt friends and Hendren’s wife.

So is this how the 2010 election is going to be? High expectations of craziness dampened by a sense of the same old boring crap?

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Kim Hendren for U.S. Senate | The Tolbert Report

*I did try to find a campaign web site for Drew Pritt for Senate, but I couldn't find a site. If anyone knows of a web address for the campaign or an exploratory committee, please add the address to the comments section.

Matthews makes his dumbest statement of 2009

2009-12-02T08:20:00.000-06:00

Chris Matthews has a loud mouth, and while the majority of the time he is very intelligent in the political analysis that comes out his mouth, other times he is just completely, insanely stupid. Take last night, for instance. I missed him saying this as I was eating donuts and watching The Biggest Loser, but the guys over at Mediaite caught it and posted what might be the dumbest thing Chris Matthews has ever said on air. It even illicited a response from Fox's Greta Van Susteren.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Chris Matthews Says Obama’s West Point Speech Was At “Enemy Camp” | Online | Mediaite

Popular conservative blogger breaks ranks

2009-12-02T04:30:00.000-06:00

Charles Johnson, founder of Little Green Footballs, has officially split from the conservative base of the Republican party. In his official announcement on his blog, he cites 10 reasons why he parted with the right. His tenth listed reason for breaking with the right was by far the most interesting, yet unsurprising:

Hatred for President Obama that goes far beyond simply criticizing his policies, into racism, hate speech, and bizarre conspiracy theories (see: witch doctor pictures, tea parties, Birthers, Michelle Malkin, Fox News, World Net Daily, Newsmax, and every other right wing source)

You've got to check out the reasons he left the right. It's all things we've been talking about here at Arkansas Tonight for well over a year.

Olbermann wants immediate Afghan pullout

2009-12-01T21:00:00.003-06:00

I guess President Obama couldn't please everyone tonight with his war plan. Among those who doesn't agree with the President: Keith Olbermann. Take a look at this "Special Comment" from Countdown and you'll see what Olbermann thinks should happen with the War in Afghanistan.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Full Text of President Obama's speech on War in Afghanistan

2009-12-01T19:37:00.003-06:00

The following is the full text of President Barack Obama's speech on the future of the War in Afghanistan that just concluded at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, as provided by the Los Angeles Times.

Good evening. To the United States Corps of Cadets, to the men and women of our armed services, and to my fellow Americans: I want to speak to you tonight about our effort in Afghanistan – the nature of our commitment there, the scope of our interests, and the strategy that my Administration will pursue to bring this war to a successful conclusion. It is an honor for me to do so here – at West Point – where so many men and women have prepared to stand up for our security, and to represent what is finest about our country.

To address these issues, it is important to recall why America and our allies were compelled to fight a war in Afghanistan in the first place. We did not ask for this fight. On September 11, 2001, nineteen men hijacked four airplanes and used them to murder nearly 3,000 people.

They struck at our military and economic nerve centers. They took the lives of innocent men, women, and children without regard to their faith or race or station. Were it not for the heroic actions of the passengers on board one of those flights, they could have also struck at one of the great symbols of our democracy in Washington, and killed many more.

As we know, these men belonged to al Qaeda – a group of extremists who have distorted and defiled Islam, one of the world’s great religions, to justify the slaughter of innocents. Al Qaeda’s base of operations was in Afghanistan, where they were harbored by the Taliban – a ruthless, repressive and radical movement that seized control of that country after it was ravaged by years of Soviet occupation and civil war, and after the attention of America and our friends had turned elsewhere.

Just days after 9/11, Congress authorized the use of force against al Qaeda and those who harbored them – an authorization that continues to this day. The vote in the Senate was 98 to 0. The vote in the House was 420 to 1. For the first time in its history, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization invoked Article 5 – the commitment that says an attack on one member nation is an attack on all. And the United Nations Security Council endorsed the use of all necessary steps to respond to the 9/11 attacks. America, our allies and the world were acting as one to destroy al Qaeda’s terrorist network, and to protect our common security.

Under the banner of this domestic unity and international legitimacy – and only after the Taliban refused to turn over Osama bin Laden – we sent our troops into Afghanistan. Within a matter of months, al Qaeda was scattered and many of its operatives were killed. The Taliban was driven from power and pushed back on its heels. A place that had known decades of fear now had reason to hope. At a conference convened by the UN, a provisional government was established under President Hamid Karzai. And an International Security Assistance Force was established to help bring a lasting peace to a war-torn country.

Then, in early 2003, the decision was made to wage a second war in Iraq. The wrenching debate over the Iraq War is well-known and need not be repeated here. It is enough to say that for the next six years, the Iraq War drew the dominant share of our troops, our resources, our diplomacy, and our national attention – and that the decision to go into Iraq caused substantial rifts between America and much of the world.

Today, after extraordinary costs, we are bringing the Iraq war to a responsible end. We will remove our combat brigades from Iraq by the end of next summer, and all of our troops by the end of 2011. That we are doing so is a testament to the character of our men and women in uniform. Thanks to their courage, grit and perseverance , we have given Iraqis a chance to shape their future, and we are successfully leaving Iraq to its people.

But while we have achieved hard-earned milestones in Iraq, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated. After escaping across the border into Pakistan in 2001 and 2002, al Qaeda’s leadership established a safe-haven there. Although a legitimate government was elected by the Afghan people, it has been hampered by corruption, the drug trade, an under-developed economy, and insufficient Security Forces.

Over the last several years, the Taliban has maintained common cause with al Qaeda, as they both seek an overthrow of the Afghan government. Gradually, the Taliban has begun to take control over swaths of Afghanistan, while engaging in increasingly brazen and devastating acts of terrorism against the Pakistani people.

Throughout this period, our troop levels in Afghanistan remained a fraction of what they were in Iraq. When I took office, we had just over 32,000 Americans serving in Afghanistan, compared to 160,000 in Iraq at the peak of the war. Commanders in Afghanistan repeatedly asked for support to deal with the reemergence of the Taliban, but these reinforcements did not arrive.

That’s why, shortly after taking office, I approved a long-standing request for more troops. After consultations with our allies, I then announced a strategy recognizing the fundamental connection between our war effort in Afghanistan, and the extremist safe-havens in Pakistan. I set a goal that was narrowly defined as disrupting, dismantling, and defeating al Qaeda and its extremist allies, and pledged to better coordinate our military and civilian effort.

Since then, we have made progress on some important objectives. High-ranking al Qaeda and Taliban leaders have been killed, and we have stepped up the pressure on al Qaeda world-wide. In Pakistan, that nation’s Army has gone on its largest offensive in years. In Afghanistan, we and our allies prevented the Taliban from stopping a presidential election, and – although it was marred by fraud – that election produced a government that is consistent with Afghanistan’s laws and Constitution.

Yet huge challenges remain. Afghanistan is not lost, but for several years it has moved backwards. There is no imminent threat of the government being overthrown, but the Taliban has gained momentum. Al Qaeda has not reemerged in Afghanistan in the same numbers as before 9/11, but they retain their safe-havens along the border.

And our forces lack the full support they need to effectively train and partner with Afghan Security Forces and better secure the population. Our new Commander in Afghanistan – General McChrystal – has reported that the security situation is more serious than he anticipated. In short: the status quo is not sustainable.
As cadets, you volunteered for service during this time of danger. Some of you have fought in Afghanistan. Many will deploy there.

As your Commander-in-Chief, I owe you a mission that is clearly defined, and worthy of your service. That is why, after the Afghan voting was completed, I insisted on a thorough review of our strategy. Let me be clear: there has never been an option before me that called for troop deployments before 2010, so there has been no delay or denial of resources necessary for the conduct of the war.

Instead, the review has allowed me ask the hard questions, and to explore all of the different options along with my national security team, our military and civilian leadership in Afghanistan, and with our key partners. Given the stakes involved, I owed the American people – and our troops – no less.

This review is now complete. And as Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home. These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative, while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan.

I do not make this decision lightly. I opposed the war in Iraq precisely because I believe that we must exercise restraint in the use of military force, and always consider the long-term consequences of our actions. We have been at war for eight years, at enormous cost in lives and resources.

Years of debate over Iraq and terrorism have left our unity on national security issues in tatters, and created a highly polarized and partisan backdrop for this effort. And having just experienced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the American people are understandably focused on rebuilding our economy and putting people to work here at home.

Most of all, I know that this decision asks even more of you – a military that, along with your families, has already borne the heaviest of all burdens. As President, I have signed a letter of condolence to the family of each American who gives their life in these wars. I have read the letters from the parents and spouses of those who deployed. I have visited our courageous wounded warriors at Walter Reed.

I have traveled to Dover to meet the flag-draped caskets of 18 Americans returning home to their final resting place. I see firsthand the terrible wages of war. If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every single one of our troops home tomorrow.

So no – I do not make this decision lightly. I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is the epicenter of the violent extremism practiced by al Qaeda. It is from here that we were attacked on 9/11, and it is from here that new attacks are being plotted as I speak. This is no idle danger; no hypothetical threat. In the last few months alone, we have apprehended extremists within our borders who were sent here from the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan to commit new acts of terror.

This danger will only grow if the region slides backwards, and al Qaeda can operate with impunity. We must keep the pressure on al Qaeda, and to do that, we must increase the stability and capacity of our partners in the region.

Of course, this burden is not ours alone to bear. This is not just America’s war. Since 9/11, al Qaeda’s safe-havens have been the source of attacks against London and Amman and Bali. The people and governments of both Afghanistan and Pakistan are endangered. And the stakes are even higher within a nuclear-armed Pakistan, because we know that al Qaeda and other extremists seek nuclear weapons, and we have every reason to believe that they would use them.

These facts compel us to act along with our friends and allies. Our overarching goal remains the same: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and to prevent its capacity to threaten America and our allies in the future.

To meet that goal, we will pursue the following objectives within Afghanistan. We must deny al Qaeda a safe-haven. We must reverse the Taliban’s momentum and deny it the ability to overthrow the government. And we must strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan’s Security Forces and government, so that they can take lead responsibility for Afghanistan’s future.

We will meet these objectives in three ways. First, we will pursue a military strategy that will break the Taliban’s momentum and increase Afghanistan’s capacity over the next 18 months.

The 30,000 additional troops that I am announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 – the fastest pace possible – so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers. They will increase our ability to train competent Afghan Security Forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans.

Because this is an international effort, I have asked that our commitment be joined by contributions from our allies. Some have already provided additional troops, and we are confident that there will be further contributions in the days and weeks ahead. Our friends have fought and bled and died alongside us in Afghanistan. Now, we must come together to end this war successfully. For what’s at stake is not simply a test of NATO’s credibility – what’s at stake is the security of our Allies, and the common security of the world.

Taken together, these additional American and international troops will allow us to accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces, and allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011. Just as we have done in Iraq, we will execute this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground.

We will continue to advise and assist Afghanistan’s Security Forces to ensure that they can succeed over the long haul. But it will be clear to the Afghan government – and, more importantly, to the Afghan people – that they will ultimately be responsible for their own country.

Second, we will work with our partners, the UN, and the Afghan people to pursue a more effective civilian strategy, so that the government can take advantage of improved security.

This effort must be based on performance. The days of providing a blank check are over. President Karzai’s inauguration speech sent the right message about moving in a new direction. And going forward, we will be clear about what we expect from those who receive our assistance. We will support Afghan Ministries, Governors, and local leaders that combat corruption and deliver for the people. We expect those who are ineffective or corrupt to be held accountable. And we will also focus our assistance in areas – such as agriculture – that can make an immediate impact in the lives of the Afghan people.

The people of Afghanistan have endured violence for decades. They have been confronted with occupation – by the Soviet Union, and then by foreign al Qaeda fighters who used Afghan land for their own purposes. So tonight, I want the Afghan people to understand – America seeks an end to this era of war and suffering. We have no interest in occupying your country.

We will support efforts by the Afghan government to open the door to those Taliban who abandon violence and respect the human rights of their fellow citizens. And we will seek a partnership with Afghanistan grounded in mutual respect – to isolate those who destroy; to strengthen those who build; to hasten the day when our troops will leave; and to forge a lasting friendship in which America is your partner, and never your patron.

Third, we will act with the full recognition that our success in Afghanistan is inextricably linked to our partnership with Pakistan.

We are in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country. But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan. That is why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border.

In the past, there have been those in Pakistan who have argued that the struggle against extremism is not their fight, and that Pakistan is better off doing little or seeking accommodation with those who use violence. But in recent years, as innocents have been killed from Karachi to Islamabad, it has become clear that it is the Pakistani people who are the most endangered by extremism. Public opinion has turned. The Pakistani Army has waged an offensive in Swat and South Waziristan. And there is no doubt that the United States and Pakistan share a common enemy.

In the past, we too often defined our relationship with Pakistan narrowly. Those days are over. Moving forward, we are committed to a partnership with Pakistan that is built on a foundation of mutual interests, mutual respect, and mutual trust. We will strengthen Pakistan’s capacity to target those groups that threaten our countries, and have made it clear that we cannot tolerate a safe-haven for terrorists whose location is known, and whose intentions are clear.

America is also providing substantial resources to support Pakistan’s democracy and development. We are the largest international supporter for those Pakistanis displaced by the fighting. And going forward, the Pakistani people must know: America will remain a strong supporter of Pakistan’s security and prosperity long after the guns have fallen silent, so that the great potential of its people can be unleashed.

These are the three core elements of our strategy: a military effort to create the conditions for a transition; a civilian surge that reinforces positive action; and an effective partnership with Pakistan.

I recognize that there are a range of concerns about our approach. So let me briefly address a few of the prominent arguments that I have heard, and which I take very seriously.

First, there are those who suggest that Afghanistan is another Vietnam. They argue that it cannot be stabilized, and we are better off cutting our losses and rapidly withdrawing. Yet this argument depends upon a false reading of history. Unlike Vietnam, we are joined by a broad coalition of 43 nations that recognizes the legitimacy of our action.

Unlike Vietnam, we are not facing a broad-based popular insurgency. And most importantly, unlike Vietnam, the American people were viciously attacked from Afghanistan, and remain a target for those same extremists who are plotting along its border. To abandon this area now – and to rely only on efforts against al Qaeda from a distance – would significantly hamper our ability to keep the pressure on al Qaeda, and create an unacceptable risk of additional attacks on our homeland and our allies.

Second, there are those who acknowledge that we cannot leave Afghanistan in its current state, but suggest that we go forward with the troops that we have. But this would simply maintain a status quo in which we muddle through, and permit a slow deterioration of conditions there. It would ultimately prove more costly and prolong our stay in Afghanistan, because we would never be able to generate the conditions needed to train Afghan Security Forces and give them the space to take over.

Finally, there are those who oppose identifying a timeframe for our transition to Afghan responsibility. Indeed, some call for a more dramatic and open-ended escalation of our war effort – one that would commit us to a nation building project of up to a decade.

I reject this course because it sets goals that are beyond what we can achieve at a reasonable cost, and what we need to achieve to secure our interests. Furthermore, the absence of a timeframe for transition would deny us any sense of urgency in working with the Afghan government. It must be clear that Afghans will have to take responsibility for their security, and that America has no interest in fighting an endless war in Afghanistan.

As President, I refuse to set goals that go beyond our responsibility, our means, our or interests. And I must weigh all of the challenges that our nation faces. I do not have the luxury of committing to just one. Indeed, I am mindful of the words of President Eisenhower, who – in discussing our national security – said, "Each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs.”

Over the past several years, we have lost that balance, and failed to appreciate the connection between our national security and our economy. In the wake of an economic crisis, too many of our friends and neighbors are out of work and struggle to pay the bills, and too many Americans are worried about the future facing our children.

Meanwhile, competition within the global economy has grown more fierce. So we simply cannot afford to ignore the price of these wars.

All told, by the time I took office the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan approached a trillion dollars. Going forward, I am committed to addressing these costs openly and honestly. Our new approach in Afghanistan is likely to cost us roughly 30 billion dollars for the military this year, and I will work closely with Congress to address these costs as we work to bring down our deficit.

But as we end the war in Iraq and transition to Afghan responsibility, we must rebuild our strength here at home. Our prosperity provides a foundation for our power. It pays for our military. It underwrites our diplomacy. It taps the potential of our people, and allows investment in new industry. And it will allow us to compete in this century as successfully as we did in the last. That is why our troop commitment in Afghanistan cannot be open-ended – because the nation that I am most interested in building is our own.

Let me be clear: none of this will be easy. The struggle against violent extremism will not be finished quickly, and it extends well beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan. It will be an enduring test of our free society, and our leadership in the world. And unlike the great power conflicts and clear lines of division that defined the 20th century, our effort will involve disorderly regions and diffuse enemies.

So as a result, America will have to show our strength in the way that we end wars and prevent conflict. We will have to be nimble and precise in our use of military power. Where al Qaeda and its allies attempt to establish a foothold – whether in Somalia or Yemen or elsewhere – they must be confronted by growing pressure and strong partnerships.

And we cannot count on military might alone. We have to invest in our homeland security, because we cannot capture or kill every violent extremist abroad. We have to improve and better coordinate our intelligence, so that we stay one step ahead of shadowy networks.

We will have to take away the tools of mass destruction. That is why I have made it a central pillar of my foreign policy to secure loose nuclear materials from terrorists; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to pursue the goal of a world without them. Because every nation must understand that true security will never come from an endless race for ever-more destructive weapons – true security will come for those who reject them.

We will have to use diplomacy, because no one nation can meet the challenges of an interconnected world acting alone. I have spent this year renewing our alliances and forging new partnerships. And we have forged a new beginning between America and the Muslim World – one that recognizes our mutual interest in breaking a cycle of conflict, and that promises a future in which those who kill innocents are isolated by those who stand up for peace and prosperity and human dignity.

Finally, we must draw on the strength of our values – for the challenges that we face may have changed, but the things that we believe in must not. That is why we must promote our values by living them at home – which is why I have prohibited torture and will close the prison at Guantanamo Bay. And we must make it clear to every man, woman and child around the world who lives under the dark cloud of tyranny that America will speak out on behalf of their human rights, and tend to the light of freedom, and justice, and opportunity, and respect for the dignity of all peoples. That is who we are. That is the moral source of America’s authority.

Since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, and the service and sacrifice of our grandparents, our country has borne a special burden in global affairs. We have spilled American blood in many countries on multiple continents. We have spent our revenue to help others rebuild from rubble and develop their own economies. We have joined with others to develop an architecture of institutions – from the United Nations to NATO to the World Bank – that provide for the common security and prosperity of human beings.

We have not always been thanked for these efforts, and we have at times made mistakes. But more than any other nation, the United States of America has underwritten global security for over six decades – a time that, for all its problems, has seen walls come down, markets open, billions lifted from poverty, unparalleled scientific progress, and advancing frontiers of human liberty.

For unlike the great powers of old, we have not sought world domination. Our union was founded in resistance to oppression. We do not seek to occupy other nations. We will not claim another nation’s resources or target other peoples because their faith or ethnicity is different from ours. What we have fought for – and what we continue to fight for – is a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if other peoples’ children and grandchildren can live in freedom and access opportunity.

As a country, we are not as young – and perhaps not as innocent – as we were when Roosevelt was President. Yet we are still heirs to a noble struggle for freedom. Now we must summon all of our might and moral suasion to meet the challenges of a new age.

In the end, our security and leadership does not come solely from the strength of our arms. It derives from our people – from the workers and businesses who will rebuild our economy; from the entrepreneurs and researchers who will pioneer new industries; from the teachers that will educate our children, and the service of those who work in our communities at home; from the diplomats and Peace Corps volunteers who spread hope abroad; and from the men and women in uniform who are part of an unbroken line of sacrifice that has made government of the people, by the people, and for the people a reality on this Earth.

This vast and diverse citizenry will not always agree on every issue – nor should we. But I also know that we, as a country, cannot sustain our leadership nor navigate the momentous challenges of our time if we allow ourselves to be split asunder by the same rancor and cynicism and partisanship that has in recent times poisoned our national discourse.

It is easy to forget that when this war began, we were united – bound together by the fresh memory of a horrific attack, and by the determination to defend our homeland and the values we hold dear. I refuse to accept the notion that we cannot summon that unity again. I believe with every fiber of my being that we – as Americans – can still come together behind a common purpose. For our values are not simply words written into parchment – they are a creed that calls us together, and that has carried us through the darkest of storms as one nation, one people.

America – we are passing through a time of great trial. And the message that we send in the midst of these storms must be clear: that our cause is just, our resolve unwavering. We will go forward with the confidence that right makes might, and with the commitment to forge an America that is safer, a world that is more secure, and a future that represents not the deepest of fears but the highest of hopes. Thank you, God Bless you, God Bless our troops, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Huckabee tries to defend himself

2009-12-01T19:21:00.004-06:00

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee was a call-in guest on this morning's The Joe Scarborough Show on WABC radio. While on the program, Huckabee tried to defend himself against charges that he let Maurice Clemmons out of jail too soon. Check out the video from MSNBC and you tell me if his excuse holds any weight.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Huckabee and those pesky little commutations

2009-12-01T14:30:00.004-06:00

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee just can’t seem to stay out of the spotlight these days. You’d think a guy who lost a bid for the Republican presidential nomination might fade away into oblivion, but the killing of four police officers on Sunday in Washington State brought Huckabee’s record of commutations as governor of our great state back into the spotlight.

Why, you ask, is the killing of four police officers in Washington State tied to Huckabee's commutation record? The answer is because Huckabee commuted the 95-year sentence of the accused killer, Maurice Clemmons, who himself is now dead after being shot by police. CNN reports that Clemmons had his sentence commuted in 2000 by then-Gov. Huckabee and has since gone on to be accused of numerous crimes and has served jail time since then, such as in 2001 when he returned to prison, only to be paroled in 2004. He has been in trouble with the law on and off ever since, including in May of this year when CNN reports in the same article that he was accused of child rape and assaulting a police officer. But, just as before, he was put back on the streets.

None of these crimes would have happened had Huckabee not commuted his sentence. There are numerous crimes, actually, that would not have happened if Mike Huckabee had not commuted certain individual's sentences. Remember the uproar over Wayne DuMond? His parole, which Huckabee allowed to happen, caused the death of two women. If he, just like Clemmons, had been kept in jail, those two women would be alive today. MSNBC says this about Huckabee’s record on commutations as governor:

By the end of his 10-and-a-half years as governor, Huckabee had issued 1,033 [commutations]. As of 2004, Huckabee had issued more pardons than the leaders of six neighboring states combined -- Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Missouri -- in the preceding eight years.

I am at a complete loss for why Huckabee would have compassion for these men who clearly should not be on the streets. I wonder about Huckabee’s decisions just like many in 1988 wondered about Michael Dukakis’ decisions regarding Willie Horton. I don’t know if Huckabee thought he was doing convicts a service by allowing them to get of jail in order to try to start a new life, but if that’s what Huckabee felt he was doing and he thinks it was noble, then good for him. But shame on him for putting all of the rest of society at risk. Putting men on the street who will kill is not noble, it is shameful and sinful, Rev. Huckabee. Since Huckabee is a man of God, he should clearly understand the meaning in Romans 13:2: “If you’re irresponsible to the state, then you’re irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible.” Get ready, Rev. Huckabee. God will hold you responsible.

Suspect in Washington State cop murders given clemency during Huckabee administration

2009-11-30T05:00:00.000-06:00

So it appears that former Gov. Mike Huckabee's problems of recommending clemency for convicted criminals is still haunting him. The Huffington Post is reporting that Maurice Clemmons, whom Gov. Huckabee granted clemency over nine years ago, is wanted for killing four police officers in the Tacoma, Washington, area yesterday. Gov. Huckabee released the following statement in response to today's news that Clemmons was wanted in connection with the murders:

The senseless and savage execution of police officers in Washington State has saddened the nation, and early reports indicate that a person of interest is a repeat offender who once lived in Arkansas and was wanted on outstanding warrants here and in Washington State. The murder of any individual is a profound tragedy, but the murder of a police officer is the worst of all murders in that it is an assault on every citizen and the laws we live within.

Should he be found to be responsible for this horrible tragedy, it will be the result of a series of failures in the criminal justice system in both Arkansas and Washington State. He was recommended for and received a commutation of his original sentence from 1990, this commutation made him parole eligible and he was then paroled by the parole board once they determined he met the conditions at that time. He was arrested later for parole violation and taken back to prison to serve his full term, but prosecutors dropped the charges that would have held him. It appears that he has continued to have a string of criminal and psychotic behavior but was not kept incarcerated by either state. This is a horrible and tragic event and if found and convicted the offender should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our thoughts and prayers are and should be with the families of those honorable, brave, and heroic police officers.

Happy Thanksgiving from Arkansas Tonight!

2009-11-26T05:05:00.001-06:00

From all of us at Arkansas Tonight (all of us being Cris, Don, Isaac, Rick, and me), Happy Thanksgiving! We will all be enjoying time with family and friends and then we will return next week.

Now he can't do a live TV

2009-11-26T05:00:00.000-06:00

I want to take a second to thank KARK-TV for some great clips. I wonder what happened to this guy? Anyone know?

"F*@#ing mutt!"

2009-11-25T09:09:00.003-06:00

I guess filming a tease was a little too much for this fomer KARK-TV reporter. I doubt the entire video ever made the air, but thanks to YouTube, it always makes it to the internet.

Newsweek wants to know: "What's the Matter With Arkansas?"

2009-11-25T08:59:00.002-06:00

Newsweek has a really great article up at their web site about Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Arkansas politics. It's a great read. If you get a chance to read it, you definitely should.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: What's the Matter With Arkansas? | Newsweek.com

Matthews rips the Catholic church on abortion rights

2009-11-24T06:00:00.001-06:00

Did you catch Chris Matthews' interview with Bishop Thomas Tobin yesterday? I was just half-watching and stopped what I was doing to see the smack down that Matthews did on the right reverend. Enjoy what I think will become a classic Chris Matthews clip.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

HOW BRAIN-DAMAGED ARE PALIN SUPPORTERS?

2009-11-23T21:46:00.001-06:00

We're pretty convinced that Palin supporters may be as brain-dead when it comes to the the technical aspects of governance as she is. No wonder they follow her, and no wonder they can't explain why they like her - the mentally challenged voting for, and buying books from, the mentally challenged.

Courtesy of: Palin Supporters Struggle To Explain Why They Support Palin (VIDEO).

South Carolina's Sanford facing 37 ethics charges

2009-11-23T17:30:00.001-06:00

Dang, 37 ethics violations charges. It sucks to be Mark Sanford, although it was probably fun while it lasted. I am guessing that Sanford will still not resign from office, even though he will likely be 1) censured or 2) impeached (let's hope).

Many people ask me, "Ryan, why do you want Sanford impeached? What makes him different from Bill Clinton? You think he shouldn't have been impeached." Well, good question and good point. Let me take a minute to answer that.

Bill Clinton was getting action all the time and doing some weird, freaky stuff. The cigar thing was something I would have never thought of. Really. But the key to his affair is that he was still able to work. He never left the White House and many times didn't even leave the Oval Office. In some cases, he was even taking phone calls from big wigs while he was getting serviced.

Now in the case of Mark Sanford, he left the country and didn't even tell his lieutenant governor that he was going to be gone. So what would have happened had there been a disaster that needed executive leadership while Sanford was in South America getting laid? No one, not even he closest staff members, could get in touch with him.

The other big issue with Sanford was that in some cases he was accused of using state funds to visit his mistress, even sitting first class on his flights. It would be one thing if he was doing this on his own dime.

It's a terrible thing to do to his wife, but it wouldn't be impeachable if he had flown down there on his own dime and let his number two know he would be out of touch and transfer power for the time being. Governors do it all the time. In many states, Arkansas included, the governor must transfer certain powers by law if they are out of the state.

What do you think? Should Sanford be booted from office? Could he ever rehabilitate his image (I'm thinking of former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's recent image rehabilitation after his dalliances with an expensive hooker)? Tell me what you think. Leave a comment and let's get the conversation started.

KATV has a stalker outside their River Market studio

2009-11-23T17:25:00.005-06:00

I know I said we were going to be doing some news bloopers and we will continue that, but I think this video should be included in the best local bloopers contest even though it isn't a news blooper.

Now in case you are wondering what this video is all about, the gentleman doing the video is a homeless man (or was homeless last time I heard) who has a video camera and basically stalks the KATV crews and harasses them. He does that and also posts other rants and raves on his YouTube channel (I'm assuming he posts his videos from the public library). I remember seeing him every now and then when I was a volunteer at the Union Station national headquarters of Wesley Clark's presidential campaign in 2004. He never really gave anyone a hard time when we saw him in the parking lot but he was always talking to himself and now apparently he is talking to the rest of the world online.

Also, he ends with this, "...know that this is a shitty-ass TV station." If any of you all can figure out why he feels that way about KATV, please let me know because I've watched some of his videos and I can't figure it out.

Rowdy LSU fans?

2009-11-22T06:30:00.000-06:00

Continuing with our look at some of the best local news bloopers, today we feature Mike Irwin of 5 News. There really isn't much to say about this clip except how funny it was great to hear Mike say damn on air and even better when Garrett Lewis threw it to commercial with this, "Find out if Mike opens up a can." That, and appearing on Dr. Phil, is why Garrett is my favorite local weather man.

Lincoln and Pryor vote in favor of allowing health care bill to make it to floor

2009-11-21T22:05:00.002-06:00

Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor were among the 58 Democrats and two independents who voted in favor of allowing debate to continue regarding a health care bill that is approaching consideration on the Senate floor. Reporter Kelly Dudzik of Fox 16 in Little Rock had an interview with Sen. Lincoln earlier today after her vote and asked why she voted with the other 59 to allow debate to continue. Check out the interview HERE.

What is the best local news blooper?

2009-11-21T09:24:00.004-06:00

Over the next two weeks, we here at Arkansas Tonight are on the lookout for the best local news bloopers. They can be old, new, during news or sports or weather. With any luck, they are on a high-rated station, not Fox 24. But anyway, if you know of any good clips on stations in Northwest Arkansas, Little Rock or Jonesboro, click HERE to e-mail me the link. If we (Cris and me) like it, we'll post it. Then in two weeks, we will rank our favorite local news bloopers.And like I said on the post about Neile Jones, it's too bad Don Elkins doesn't have any embarrassing bloopers. It would be nice to have at least one blooper produced by an individual who is in-house.

We'll start this little adventure with the blooper seen around the world. Enjoy.

TEA PARTY ON, DUDES!

2009-11-20T20:07:00.000-06:00

Funny, unintentionally, and totally on-the-level. A new documentary about the tea party movement. The sound bites are amazing by themselves.

Read more from Matthew Yglesias - Tea Party: The Documentary Film

Clinton will not attend Little Rock free health clinic; claims Olbermann making event political

2009-11-20T19:56:00.004-06:00

Well this is surprising: former President Bill Clinton thinks that Keith Olbermann is politicizing the free health clinic in Little Rock tomorrow. Eve Gittelson, a reporter for FireDogLake.com, ran into Clinton in the gift shop of his presidential library yesterday and asked whether or not he would attend. Clinton indicated he would not and then made the comments about Olbermann. I guess this might muddy up any support I thought Lt. Gov. Halter might have had from the former President.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: FDL News Desk | President Clinton to Skip Arkansas Free Clinic, Blames Olbermann for Politicizing Event

Will Phillips, Mick Foley has your back

2009-11-20T19:18:00.002-06:00

You remember earlier this week when I showed video of West Fork fifth grader Will Phillip being interviewed on CNN regarding his story of not standing up to do the pledge of allegiance until gays and lesbians have equal rights? Do you remember in that video where he said that other students had called him a gaywad because of his actions? Well, Will has no reason to fear anymore. It appears that Jon Stewart used his connections to get Will some backup. Ever heard of Mick Foley? The name sounds familiar, you say? Well, that would be because this former pro wrestler used to be all over the television and can definitely kick any grade school kid's ass if he messes with Will. Check it out:

Tim Russert's office now on display at the Newseum

2009-11-20T18:50:00.004-06:00

I don't know how many of you were deeply affected by the death of Tim Russert, but I can tell you that for me, it was a huge loss. Russert was the one journalist who really got me interested in politics and in media. Between him and my freshman civics teacher, they both got me to go down this path that I am on today, being a political junkie who writes constantly, analyzing the political issues of the day.

If you are like me and would like to see what Tim Russert was like, both as a father, journalist and just a regular guy, you might be interested in a new exhibit opening at the Newseum in Washington. It opened today and it is called, "Inside Tim Russert's Office: If It's Sunday, It's 'Meet the Press.'". Basically the Newseum has recreated Tim Russert's NBC News Washington Bureau office, with the help of bureau staff and Russert's wife and son. It'll be an interesting exhibit among many amazing exhibits that make up the Newseum.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Newseum | Exhibits and Theaters | Inside Tim Russert's Office: If It's Sunday, It's 'Meet the Press'

Huckabee defends Obama

2009-11-19T20:32:00.002-06:00

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is regularly mentioned as a possible candidate for President in 2012, had some pretty tough words for his fellow Republicans recently. According to The Huffington Post, Huckabee had this to say regarding Republican criticism regarding President Obama's recent trip to honor the war dead as they returned to Dover Air Force Base: "When he [Barack Obama] was at Dover the other day, and went there to pay respect for soldiers, I heard a lot of people on the Right say, 'Aw, that's just a cheap photo-op.' No, I think it was the Commander-in-Chief of our military paying respect to a dead soldier, and I'm grateful that he did that, and I was proud of him for doing that. And I think we all -- as Americans -- should give him credit for doing that." Finally, a Republican with a little bit of a brain.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Huckabee Calls Knee-Jerk GOP Attacks On Obama 'Deplorable' And 'Shameful' | The Huffington Post

The attitudes of the teabaggers

2009-11-19T13:52:00.002-06:00

This video hasn't really been a hit on YouTube, but I think it should be. It gives us some great insights into the minds of teabaggers, albeit a bit exaggerated.

Halter on Lincoln, Health Care Reform, Election 2010

2009-11-18T21:15:00.006-06:00

Also on Countdown tonight was an interesting interview with Lt. Gov. Bill Halter regarding an upcoming free health clinic in Little Rock and how and when conservative Southern Democrats might come on board with health care reform, especially now that it appears that the senate might start debate on a bill soon.

During this interview, Lawrence O'Donnell brought up the idea of Halter challenging Sen. Blanche Lincoln in the 2010 Democratic primary. Halter tried to beat around the bush and say he wouldn't discuss 2010, especially not when he was trying to organize a free health clinic in Little Rock, but if you ask me, it looked like he's running. We shall see. If he does run, he'll most likely have Bill Clinton willing to come back home to stump for him. And hey, while I'm thinking about it, it appears that Halter did his interview from Boston. I could be wrong, but that definitely didn't remind me of the Little Rock skyline I used to see on a daily basis when I lived in central Arkansas.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Lawrence O'Donnell looking old

2009-11-18T21:02:00.002-06:00

Random post, I know, but did any of you catch Countdown tonight? I just turned it on and noticed that fill-in anchor Lawrence O'Donnell is looking mighty old these days. Watching him in HD just makes it worse.

The following is the opening from tonight's show, the same segment that I am currently watching right now on MSNBC. Just watch the first few minutes and tell me whether or not you agree with me.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Will Lincoln join GOP fight against health care reform?

2009-11-18T07:15:00.000-06:00

So the gentleman asking the questions and filming the senator is quite possibly the worst wanna-be journalist I've ever seen, but Sen. Lincoln's reaction is interesting. I wonder how much internal polling her staff has done among Arkansas voters to really determine what would be best for Arkansans.

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