The Truth In Arkansas Politics

In an article published Wednesday, 9/21, Mac Campbell stated "Republicans are more interested in money than religious conviction, saying that Republicans want to lure voters to the 'revival tent' so they can sneak back to town and take their money. 'They’re not interested in salvation. They’re interested in the money,' said Campbell, who describes himself as a Christian." At The Truth we think that Mac needs to get in touch with the Arkansas people and stop playing the role of Howard Dean and Jason Willett by attacking the faith of Arkansans. Mac also said that he thinks "Republicans like it when the nation goes into debt because many of them, as investors, benefit from the interest payments." Republicans like it when the nation goes into debt? Ok...that is news to me. That sounds like a conspiracy theory dreamed up by Michael Moore and MoveOn.org. Mac, Arkansans don't want another Howard Dean, they have that in Jason Willett.

Candidate Calls Attention to Office
BY LAURA KELLAMSPosted on Wednesday, September 21, 2005
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SPRINGDALE — Voters should pay more attention to the state treasurer’s office, taking time to learn about how and where state money is invested, a Democratic candidate for the office said Tuesday. Mac Campbell of Harrison said the 2006 race for state treasurer probably won’t get much attention from voters or the news media. "Ask the questions, because the treasurer’s seat is more important than you know," he said during a speech to the Northwest Arkansas Senior Democrats. "Most folks that walk in to vote for state treasurer won’t know my name.... They’ll probably vote for the first name on the ballot." Campbell is an attorney and former tax policy adviser to U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark. State Treasurer Gus Wingfield of Delight, also a Democrat, hasn’t said if he’s running, although he’s raising money for the race. Another Democrat, former state Rep. Don House of Walnut Ridge, has also said he’s running. Campbell said people should pay more attention because the treasurer watches over billions of dollars in tax money and decides where some of that money is invested. He said it should be invested not "with a specific buddy" but where it yields the most benefit for Arkansas. In an interview later, Campbell said he wasn’t trying to imply that Wingfield invests for his friends’ benefit. "I’m not in a position to say bad things are going on, but I have questions, and I think the public should ask questions," he said. "And I think the question would be: Is our state money being managed for the public trust or is it being managed for personal gain in ways to benefit political cronies?" Wingfield was out of town Tuesday and didn’t return a telephone message left for him at his office. Wingfield has been the subject of criticism for hiring his daughters to work in his office. Campbell was asked by a Senior Democrats member whether he’d do something similar. "Well, I’ve not been fortunate enough to find the woman of my dreams, so I do not have any children to hire," Campbell said to the group’s laughter. Campbell described himself as a populist who’s from a long line of Democrats and a seventh-generation Arkansan. He said Democrats should generally do a better job asking questions about who benefits from public policy and public spending. For example, he said he thinks Republicans like it when the nation goes into debt because many of them, as investors, benefit from the interest payments. He joked at one point that Republicans are more interested in money than religious conviction, saying that Republicans want to lure voters to the "revival tent" so they can sneak back to town and take their money. "They’re not interested in salvation. They’re interested in the money," said Campbell, who describes himself as a Christian. Clint Reed of Greenbrier, executive director of the Republican Party of Arkansas, said the comments sounded like typical Democrats’ attacks. "It is repulsive that Mr. Campbell would question the religious convictions and beliefs of thousands of Christians across this state, especially as a punch line to a political stump speech," Reed said.