The Arkansas Times On Mike Beebe
“The flipside of that practicality, according to a longtime Senate expert who asked for anonymity in this article, is that Beebe was timid about being the primary sponsor of controversial legislation, voted for politically expedient bills, and accepted the ethically questionable culture of the Senate, even if he personally stayed clean.
For instance, the observer said, Beebe would often join his fellow legislators for golf outings sponsored by lobbyists. Beebe paid his own way, but his colleagues would accept the freebie.
It is that kind of tightrope-walking that led Beebe to be called to testify in the 1997 federal prosecution of senators who created a kickback scheme utilizing state programs. Beebe claimed ignorance about their actions, even though he was running the Senate as president pro-tempore at the time and the common understanding was that nothing passed the Senate with at least his tacit approval.
Beebe’s coziness with business and other special interests is well-known, but not easily quantifiable. His defenders say that such relationships are impossible to avoid as a legislative leader – after all, the lobbyists make a point of ingratiating themselves with anyone in a position of influence.
Still, Beebe shepherded the 1999 electricity deregulation bill while Entergy was a client of his law firm, and other companies with little or no business in Searcy kept him on retainer. One of his best friends is Morrill Harriman, with whom he served in the Senate and who now leads the Arkansas office of The Poultry Federation. The list of similarly close connections to special interests goes on and on.”
A few questions:
“Beebe was timid about being the primary sponsor of controversial legislation, voted for politically expedient bills, and accepted the ethically questionable culture of the Senate. . .”
Do Arkansans deserve a leader who will be timid about putting forth controversial legislation or politically expedient legislation, and accept the ethically questionable culture of the Arkansas legislature?
Mike Beebe, it is time you come clean. Who are all of these other businesses that had little or no business in Searcy who kept you on retainer? Please, do tell.
Let us begin the process by taking a look at Entergy and your good friend Tom Kennedy.
