The Truth In Arkansas Politics

The Democrat Party continues to defend radio ads attacking John Boozman for not protecting Arkansans against gas prices and receiving $1,000 donation from ExxonMobil in 2004. This is an example of the Democrat Party's hypocrisy in accusing one elected official when the other elected officials have done the exact thing. As The Truth mentioned before, Blanche Lincoln received $17,000 in 2004 from ExxonMobil, Shell and Murphy Oil. The Democrat Party has not said one word against her. They continue to attack John Boozman relentlessly for taking this $1,000 contribution. The Truth calls on the Democrat Party to stop their hypocrisy and apologize to Congressman Boozman. Jason Willett needs to get a better grip on his "party" and start showing leadership by calling on the Washington County Democratic Committee to STOP their hypocrisy.

~The Truth

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Democrats back ads criticizing Boozman
BY TRACIE DUNGAN ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Democrats defend their ads attacking an Arkansas Republican congressman for accepting money from Exxon Mobil Corp., but do not mention that Democratic members of the state’s congressional delegation have accepted oil money, too.
Washington County Democrats began running a 60-second radio spot Oct. 17 accusing U.S. Rep. John Boozman of siding with oil companies at consumers’ expense. It contended Boozman voted against stiffer penalties on oil corporations that gouge consumers after he accepted money from Exxon Mobil. The ad is silent on how much Boozman received and when. According to Federal Election Commission records, Boozman accepted $1,000 from the Exxon Mobil Corp. Political Action Committee in April 2004.
The ad contended that Boozman “did nothing” to protect Northwest Arkansas families when gas prices hit first $1.50, then $2 and finally $3 a gallon.
“Exxon Mobil just surpassed Northwest Arkansas’ own Wal-Mart to become the world’s largest corporation,” the announcer says in the ad. “If John Boozman can do so much for others, why has he done so little for Northwest Arkansas?”
The ad mentions forecasts of higher home-heating costs this winter before urging listeners to call Boozman and tell him to help stop rising fuel costs.
Boozman’s spokesman, Patrick Creamer, has said it was disingenuous for the county Democrats to say the congressman isn’t doing anything about gas prices when they simply disagree with his approach.
On Oct. 7, Boozman voted along with other Republicans for House Resolution 3893, which he believed would more quickly get oil refineries operating again. No Democrats voted for the successful version of the bill, designed to spur refinery construction by softening some environmental restrictions. Boozman voted against the Democrats’ substitute bill, which would have given broader authority to the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on price gouging.
The Republican Party of Arkansas accused Democrats of “spreading half-truths” about Boozman.
“Key Democrats, including members of the Arkansas Democratic leadership, have accepted much larger donations from oil and gas companies,” the GOP said.
Arkansas Democrats in Congress have accepted more than $150,000 in contributions from “big oil and energy” and gas companies since 2001, the Republicans said.
The Republicans contended that U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln accepted $112,500; U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, $16,345; U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, more than $15,000; and U.S. Rep. Marion Berry, $6,262.
“One chapter of a book does not tell a whole story,” Clint Reed, executive director of the Republican Party of Arkansas, said in explaining why his group researched the contributions going back to 2001. “It appears that once you read a few more chapters in this story, the story suddenly changes, thus undermining the Democrats’ argument and the validity of their radio ads.”
Adella Gray, the Washington County Democratic Central Committee chairman, said it “is an entirely different situation” between the two political camps “because the Democrats are not in power. The Republicans are in power, and they are very much in control. And they have to be accountable to the American people for the gas prices.”
This is especially true in Northwest Arkansas, she said, where companies like trucking giant J.B. Hunt are extraordinarily affected by gasoline costs.
Spokesmen for the Democrats said the contributions don’t compromise their service to constituents.
Drew Goesl, spokesman for Lincoln, said many things determine Lincoln’s votes on issues, including constituent input, how the outcome would best serve her state and its interests, and fulfilling her sworn constitutional obligations in a particular area.
“Campaign contributions do not influence her decisions in Congress,” Goesl said. “Having served on the Energy, Finance and Agriculture committees in the Senate, Sen. Lincoln is proud of the broad support she has received over the years from a wide array of interests.”
Pryor’s spokesman, Lisa Ackerman, said that in mid-September, he was the first senator to get legislation passed to essentially mandate the Federal Trade Commission to conduct an investigation into gasoline price gouging through the supply chain and distribution markets.
“He’s putting Arkansas’ interests first” despite accepting the contributions, she said.