The Truth In Arkansas Politics

Despite the best efforts of DNC Chairman Howard Dean and Minority Leader Harry Reid, The Truth is beginning to reveal itself as Democrats across the country are getting caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar at an alarming rate. The NYT reports the FBI has told three nonprofits created by Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV) and “financed primarily through special federal appropriations he steered their way that they should expect subpoenas soon for financial and other records.” Mollohan “stepped down from the House ethics committee last week over accusations of financial impropriety…”

ArkTimes, this is starting to sound really pathetic...just accept their decision and move on...

If you want to be critical about the Governor citing a "working papers" exemption just remember that your boy Beebe did the same thing to avoid releasing information to the DemGaz...

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By Aaron Sadler
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK - Gov. Mike Huckabee and the editor of a weekly political newspaper - long at odds over the governor's politics and practices - squared off Thursday over the paper's access to Huckabee's press releases and public schedule.

Max Brantley, editor of the Arkansas Times, said the publication may sue the governor, claiming possible constitutional and Arkansas Freedom of Information Act violations.

Brantley said he learned this week that the liberal-leaning tabloid had been removed from Huckabee's e-mail list of routine releases and announcements.

"We believe constitutionally they could not deprive us of services provided others on a broad basis on account of them not liking our opinions," Brantley said. "We think that's a First Amendment violation."

Huckabee, a Republican, said news releases and announcements are available on the Internet and that he had no duty to offer special treatment to the paper.

"The Times is whining because we don't go out of our way to personally contact them with information they can readily obtain by accessing our Web site," Huckabee said through spokeswoman Alice Stewart.

The Times has been critical of Huckabee's use of a state police airplane and spending by his political action committee, and it also has raised ethics complaints against the governor.

"Certainly they're free to continue not just reporting what they consider news, but to make actual attempts at creating the news through multiple filings of ethics complaints, and in turn self-congratulate themselves on their own actions," Huckabee said.

Brantley said he believes removal from the e-mail list is clearly retaliatory.

The Times' lawyer is considering whether the action is a First Amendment violation or whether Huckabee is in violation of the state FOI law, Brantley said.

He said his paper's case is unlike one in which Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich ordered executive branch employees not to talk to two Baltimore Sun employees. A federal appeals court panel in February upheld a lower court's dismissal of the Sun's suit.

Brantley said his newspaper would have a stronger case because Ehrlich, unlike Huckabee, did not refuse access to an entire organization.

Removal from an e-mail list prevents the publication from attending news conferences that may be called with only a few hours' notice, he said.

"It makes it impossible for us to do our job as well as we'd like to do it if we can't be made aware of the things that others (are)," Brantley said.

Huckabee criticized Brantley's complaints as a ploy for attention.

"There are hundreds of real news outlets throughout the state and the simple fact is, we don't make phone calls or e-mail every one of them each time we issue a press release or announcement," the governor said.

Thursday, the governor's chief counsel, Milton Fine, denied the Times' FOI requests for all future news releases and for the names of news organizations that remain on the governor's mailing list, Brantley said.

In declining the request, Fine said the paper could not make a standing request for future documents. The mailing list was exempted as part of the governor's "working papers," Brantley said.

AP) MILWAUKEE Four Democratic presidential campaign workers were sentenced to jail time ranging from four months to six months Wednesday for puncturing the tires of Republican vehicles on Election Day 2004.

The men had pleaded no contest in January to misdemeanor property damage. A fifth worker was found not guilty.

Those who pleaded no contest were Sowande A. Omokunde, the son of Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee; Michael Pratt, the son of former acting Milwaukee Mayor Marvin Pratt; and Lewis Caldwell and Lavelle Mohammad, both from Milwaukee.

They originally were charged with felony property damage but accepted plea deals on the lesser charge.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Michael Brennan rejected prosecutors' recommendation of probation and no jail time.

"This case had to be a public example of what can happen when you interfere with voters' rights," Brennan said.

The men faced a maximum nine-month jail term and fines of $10,000.

Congresswoman Moore said, "I love my son very much. I'm very proud of him. He's accepted responsibility."

The state Republican Party had rented more than 100 vehicles that were parked in a lot next to a Bush-Cheney campaign office to give rides to voters and poll monitors on Nov. 2, 2004. The vandalism caused some delays in the GOP's Election Day work as party workers rounded up different vehicles.

Democrat John Kerry won Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes in a close race.

Omokunde was sentenced to four months, Mohammad to five months and Caldwell and Pratt to six months. All were granted work-release privileges.

Brennan also ordered them to pay a $1,000 fine each, in addition to the $5,317 in total restitution ordered earlier.

Justin Howell was the only one who did not take part in the plea deal, and jurors found him not guilty.

FAYETTEVILLE - Former state Rep. Mike Hathorn of Huntsville on Tuesday accused Bill Halter, an opponent in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, of violating state election laws by moving political contributions among several campaign accounts.

Halter is "playing shell games by moving thousands of dollars from one 'Halter for Arkansas' campaign to another 'Halter for Arkansas' campaign," according to Hathorn, who said he planned to file a complaint against Halter with the state Ethics Commission today.

In a letter to Halter, Hathorn cited 18 different alleged abuses of campaign finance law, all of which centered around one central theme. "In short, isn't your lieutenant governor's race benefiting from money given to you to run for governor?" Hathorn wrote.

Hathorn sent the letter to Halter's campaign and sent copies to news outlets, saying he would file an ethics complaint unless Halter provided satisfactory explanations. He said later he would file a complaint with the commission.

"We will not respond to Mike Hathorn's desperate shenanigans. Our financial disclosures are open to the public," Halter campaign spokesman Bud Jackson said.

"It is obvious to voters and the media that the closer we approach this election the more desperate Mike Hathorn grows," Jackson's statement said. "Bill Halter will continue to run a positive campaign focusing on his plan to make our schools excellent while building and attracting the better-paying jobs of the 21st Century."

Halter formed a committee to explore running for governor last fall, announced his gubernatorial campaign in January and dropped out of the race just weeks later to run instead for lieutenant governor.

He has seven accounts that require financial disclosures be filed with the Secretary of State's office, records show.

The accounts are for his governor's primary exploratory committee; governor's race general election exploratory committee; governor's primary campaign; governor's general election campaign; lieutenant governor's primary election campaign; his lieutenant governor's run-off campaign; and his lieutenant governor's general election campaign. (Arkansas News)

The Arkansas GOP has a post about the true Mike Beebe...Check it out...

Cynthia you just keep on telling The Truth and let the Capitol Police tell The Truth as well...
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"People love me because I tell the truth. They know I told the truth about September 11th" - Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) on why she will be re-elected in November.

This was forwarded to us. Check it out...


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Press Advisory Notice
Contact: Aaron Wolfe
Phone: 479-236-4388

Group Forms to Address the Issue of Democrats Running in Republican Primaries
A group of concerned Republican voters in Northwest Arkansas have formed the Conservative Republican Coalition of Northwest Arkansas to address the recent disturbing trend of Democrats posing as conservatives and filing for public office as Republicans. Led by Aaron Wolfe of Springdale, the group has made it their goal to make sure that the public is aware of the fact that these "recent converts"
to the Republican Party are putting their own personal political ambition above political principle.
"We must question the motives of Kathy McFethridge and R. Shawn McGrew in switching political parties," Wolfe said, "Both of them were beaten badly by Republican opponents in their previous political races. This election year conversion smacks of political opportunism."
McFethridge who is now running for State Representative as a Republican in Springdale ran for the same office as a Democrat against Republican Jim Bob Duggar in 1998. In addition, she stated at a recent Republican Party candidate forum that she voted for Democrat Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential Election.
McGrew was, up until this year, a member of Benton County Democratic Committee and also the Arkansas Democratic Hispanic Caucus. He ran for Benton County JP in 2000 as a Democrat.
"We welcome those who share our ideas and principles to join the Republicans Party. We are the Big Tent Party," Wolfe said, "We, also, realize that almost everyone in this state was at one point a Democrat; however, there is a difference between joining the Republican Party because of ideological kinship and using the Party for personal political gain."
The Conservative Republican Coalition of Northwest Arkansas is grassroots organization committed to the conservative principles of limited government, lower taxation, and the traditional values that have made our country great.

This article in the AP states that if you ask Democratic leaders “to identify their party's election-year message,” you “get everything but consensus…Democrats are divided over whether they already have – or even need – a national theme that tells voters exactly where the party stands.” A dozen Democrats “rattled off lists of what they believe to be their party's message in 2006. Each had a different take.”

An editorial in The Economist says all this adds up to a heavy lift for Democrats in the upcoming mid-term elections because “the Democrats ooze dysfunctionality: Divided, beholden to interest-groups and without a coherent policy on anything that matters to America and the world…America deserves better.”

BOSTON (AP) _ Gov. MittRomney and Arkansas Gov. MikeHuckabee plan on Friday to visit the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, where they'll tour the detention center, attend an intelligence briefing and meet with Defense Department officials, Romney's spokesman and DOD officials said.

Romney, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, is weighing a run for president in 2008. Huckabee, chairman of the National Governors Association, has been raising money for GOP hopefuls through a political action committee and also said he's considering a run for president.

The trip is an opportunity for the men to see firsthand how the prison is run and to share ideas from their experiences with their own state systems, said Eric Ferhnstrom, Romney's spokesman.

A Pentagon spokesman said state officials regularly visit the base on fact-finding missions and to give input.

Romney's chief of staff Beth Myers and Massachusetts Correction Commissioner Kathleen M. Dennehy also plan to go.

The group will attend an intelligence briefing, tour the detention and health facilities and possibly lunch with home-state troops stationed there.

Roughly 500 detainees, accused of links to Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime or al-Qaida, are being held at the prison in Cuba. Most were taken in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The U.S. government has been criticized for the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. It has denied any abuse there. The United Nations recently urged the White House to shut down the detention center. President Bush rejected the idea.

Romney and Huckabee recently were together in Memphis, Tenn., at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference. In a presidential straw poll conducted there, Romney came in second with 14 percent and Huckabee came in sixth with four percent. Sen. BillFrist, R-Tenn., came in first with 37 percent. (By BROOKE DONALD Associated Press Writer)

The Truth loves the statement made by Zac Wright: Beebe campaign spokesman Zac Wright dismissed the accusations as "nothing new."

Zac, we tend to agree, this is nothing new. It seems to be a recurring trend that Mike Beebe has a disregard for ethics.

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LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- A Bella Vista man filed an ethics complaint against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike Beebe on Wednesday that repeats accusations that Beebe used the attorney general's office for political purposes.

The accusations made by Jim Parsons, a self-described "gadfly," were made earlier this month when he tried to amend another complaint against Beebe. Parsons said he filed the complaint because he was told he couldn't modify his original accusation, which resulted in a public letter of caution against Beebe.

Among other charges, Parsons accuses Beebe of meeting with his gubernatorial campaign manager in the attorney general's office and conducting meetings with campaign consultants in that office.

Beebe campaign spokesman Zac Wright dismissed the accusations as "nothing new."

Wow, $10 billion....that is a lot of moolah...

The RPA put out a press release this afternoon...check it out...

Mike Beebe: The $10 BILLION MAN..... And Counting

Little Rock (April 17, 2006)- Monday, April 17, 2006 is "Tax Day" or the deadline in which individuals must pay their taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and to the State of Arkansas. It is on this day every year that the citizens of Arkansas are reminded of the extraordinary tax burdens they face.

Clint Reed, Executive Director of the Republican Party of Arkansas, used "Tax Day" to highlight a pattern of fiscal irresponsibility by Arkansas' Attorney General Mike Beebe, the Democratic candidate for Governor.

"Mike Beebe is the $10 Billion Man," stated Reed. "During his 20 years of service in the Arkansas Senate, Mike Beebe voted for more than $10 Billion in tax increases on the people of this state."

Mike Beebe's voting record shows that he supported $10,386,209,475.10 in tax increases (See Supporting Documentation).

"Mike Beebe's record shows there is not a tax increase he does not like," Reed stated. "There is a pattern of fiscal irresponsibility that cannot be ignored."

According to CNN's Money Line, Arkansas ranked 11th in the nation in state and local tax burden as a percentage of income in 2005.

"The people of Arkansas deserve to keep more of their hard earned paychecks and pay less in taxes when they check out at the grocery store," Reed continued. "However, Mike Beebe does not agree with this approach to protecting Arkansans' hard earned money, and that is very disturbing."

Reed continued by saying, "From proposing raising property taxes, being opposed to a supermajority to raise the sales tax in the legislature, and having voted to raise taxes by more than $10 billion dollars while in the legislature, Mike Beebe's tax policy is flat-out wrong."

The impact of Mike Beebe's sales tax increases alone was over $700 million last year. Furthermore, the sales tax was only 3% when he was first elected to the Arkansas Senate, and it is now stands at 6%.

Mike Beebe has voted for enough tax increases to fund the general revenue portion of Arkansas's budget for two years. For example, the general revenue budget for fiscal year 2004-05 was $4,756,726,527.07.

Republican Gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson has proposed making it harder to raise taxes by requiring a super-majority vote before the state legislature can raise sales or general taxes. Historically, Arkansas lawmakers have turned to the sales tax to bring in more money to the state. These repeated tax increases over-burden working families and have a chilling effect on the economy, particularly small businesses.

Earlier this year, Republican legislators released their "Blueprint for Reform" that included several tax reform proposals. These reforms included the following: raising from $6,000 to $12,000 annually the state tax exemption for pension/retirement income; requiring a supermajority vote both legislative bodies to raise the state sales tax; providing a consumer tax credit of $500 annually for alternative fuels, including bio-based fuels and ethanol, and repealing the sales tax on utilities for manufacturers.

Posted by Max Brantley on April 15, 2006 06:28 AM

Comment From Reader of ArkTimes Blog:
Posted by: Under the Dome

What are your thoughts on this latest poll?


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A new poll shows North Little Rock Democrat Bill Halter and Springdale Republican Jim Holt leading in their respective party’s primaries for lieutenant governor.
Survey USA conducted the poll Saturday-Monday for the Little Rock station KTHV, Channel 11. The primary election is May 23.
Among the 446 likely Democratic primary voters polled — resulting in a margin of error of 4.7 percent — 33 percent of the respondents said they would vote for Halter if the primary was held on the day they were contacted.
Halter worked for the Social Security Administration in the Clinton administration,
Fifteen percent of the respondents said they would vote for State Sen. Tim Wooldridge, D-Paragould, 14 percent for former State Rep. Mike Hathorn, D-Huntsville, and 7 percent for State Rep. Jay Martin, D-North Little Rock. Thirty-one percent said they’re undecided.
So far, Halter, who quit the governor’s race a month ago to run for lieutenant governor, has been the only one of these candidates to run television ads.
In a poll of 353 likely Republican primary voters — carrying a 5.2 percent margin of error — 59 percent of the respondents said they would vote for Holt, a state senator, if the primary were held on the day they were polled.
Twelve percent said they would vote for former U.S. Attorney Chuck Banks of Little Rock and 7 percent for State Rep. Doug Matayo of Springdale.
Twenty-two percent said they’re undecided.
Holt is the only one of these candidates who has previously run for a statewide office. In 2004, he lost to U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, a Democrat from Little Rock. (ARDemGaz)

Check out David Sanders latest story...

This is a very interesting article on religion and politics.

Check it out...

The Truth

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To: National Desk, Political Reporter

Contact: Esten Perez of Harvard's Institute of Politics, 617-496-4009

WASHINGTON, April 10 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A new national poll by Harvard University's Institute of Politics (IOP), located at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, finds seven out of ten of America's college students believe that religion is somewhat or very important in their lives, but they are sharply divided -- along party lines -- over how strong a role religion should play in politics and government today.

Despite these differences, more than half of students agree they are concerned about the moral direction of the country. While a majority believes hot-button issues like abortion policy, gay marriage and stem cell research are issues of morality, many also agree that the Government's response to Hurricane Katrina, education policy and Iraq war policy are also questions of morality. In addition, when asked whom they would support in a potential 2008 presidential matchup between U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain, students give each forty percent (40 percent), with twenty percent (20 percent) saying they are unsure.

The poll also includes the IOP's innovative method for assessing the political ideology of America's college students. The eleven-question "Harvard Institute of Politics' Political Personality Test" finds that America's college students do not fit traditional ideological labels like liberal and conservative and that forty percent (40 percent) are religious and secular centrists who incorporate religious views with their political attitudes and actions. The test is available online at http://www.iop.harvard.edu .

"Religion is not only very important in the lives of college students today, but also religion and morality are critical to how students think about politics and form opinions on political issues," said IOP Director Jeanne Shaheen. "The political parties and candidates should take note of the significant number of votes and key swing constituency that college students represent for the 2006 and 2008 elections."

The survey of 1200 college students, drawn randomly from a national database of nearly 5.1 million students finds:

-- Religion is important in the lives of college students, but Republicans and Democrats may never agree on the role of religion in politics today. Seven in ten college students today say religion is important or very important in their lives. What's more, a quarter of students (25 percent) say they have become more spiritual since entering college, as opposed to only seven percent (7 percent) who say they have become less spiritual. However, they are sharply divided along party lines as to religion's role in politics: only twenty-one percent (21 percent) of self-identifying Democrats say they want to hear politicians talk about religion, while more than two and a half times as many Republicans (56 percent) say the same. Sixty-two percent (62 percent) of college Republicans say that religion is losing its influence on American life and by a seven to one margin believe that is a "bad thing." Fifty-four percent (54 percent) of college Democrats say that religion is increasing its influence and by a two to one margin believe that is a "bad thing."

-- Morality playing a strong role in students' political views. College students believe many issues at the forefront of political debate today are closely linked to morality. Not surprisingly, a majority of students agree somewhat or strongly that hot-button issues like abortion policy (61 percent), stem cell research (51 percent), and gay marriage (50 percent) are questions of morality; but a full fifty percent (50 percent) of college students also say the government's response to Hurricane Katrina was a question of morality. Roughly four in ten Democrats and Republicans agree education policy (45 percent D, 38 percent R) and Iraq War Policy (39 percent D, 44 percent R) are questions of morality. However, Democrats greatly outnumber Republicans (52 percent D, 35 percent R) in believing healthcare policy is a question of morality and twice as many Democrats as Republicans say the same about the minimum wage (34 percent D, 17 percent R).

Both Democrats and Republicans agree on their concern over the country's moral direction, but students are generally optimistic about our country's future. Fifty-four percent (54 percent) of college students say they somewhat agree or strongly agree that they are concerned about the moral direction of the country, up three points from a year ago. This is an issue a majority of both Democrats (57 percent) and Republicans (52 percent) agree on. Although more than four in ten (46 percent) college students agree that they are optimistic about the country's future, many more young Republicans feel that way (61 percent) than young Democrats (37 percent).

-- College students continue to support a more multilateral U.S. foreign affairs stance and are conflicted over unilateral action to prevent nuclear weapons development, including in Iran. Nearly three out of four college students (72 percent) believe the United States should let other countries and the United Nations take the lead in solving international crises and conflicts, nearly identical to Spring 2005 IOP poll findings (74 percent). Students also struggle over the U.S. role in the development of nuclear weapons. More students say they are unsure (37 percent) over whether the United States should stop the development of nuclear weapons in other countries, even if it requires unilateral military action, than those who either agree (33 percent) or disagree (31 percent). An identical number (37 percent) are equally unsure when asked specifically about the U.S. intervening in Iran's development of nuclear weapons.

-- More than seven in ten students believe the United States should withdraw some or all U.S. troops from Iraq. Sixty percent (60 percent) of college students believe the United States should begin to withdraw troops from Iraq, a twenty point increase from six months ago (40 percent - Fall 2005 IOP poll). However, only twelve percent (12 percent) of college students now believe the United States should withdraw all troops from Iraq - a ten point drop from Fall 2005 IOP polling (22 percent).

-- Potential 2008 Clinton-McCain presidential matchup is a dead heat on campuses. If the 2008 presidential elections were held today and the Democratic and Republican candidates for President were U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain, we would see a dead heat on college campuses. Students give each candidate forty percent (40 percent), while most national polls of the general public give Senator McCain a near ten point advantage.

-- President Bush's approval rating still dropping, as students continue to feel the country is on the wrong track. Only one-third (33 percent) of college students say they approve of the job George W. Bush is doing as President, down eight points from this past fall. Following recent trends, students also continue to feel the country is on the "wrong track" rather than headed in the right direction. Fifty-eight percent (58 percent - an identical number to the fall 2005 IOP poll) believe the country is on the "wrong track," while only thirty-percent (30 percent) believe the country is headed in the "right direction," down five points from October 2005.

-- A majority of students trust our government's ability to correctly choose which phone calls and e-mails to monitor, but they are still generally unwilling to allow it. A majority of college students (53 percent) say they have a fair amount or a great deal of confidence in government's ability to correctly tell whose phone calls and e-mails should be monitored and whose should not. However, the same percentage (53 percent) say they also would not be willing to allow the government to monitor Americans under suspicion to reduce the threat of terrorism, with only forty-one percent (41 percent) saying they would be willing. This reluctance was not evidenced in a recent poll of the general public, where sixty-eight percent (68 percent) of Americans say they would allow such monitoring (CBS News/NYT Poll 1/06).

-- Traditional party identification labels of "conservative" and "liberal" are antiquated, and don't fully represent students. This year's survey reveals that a full forty percent (40 percent) of college students think about politics in a different way, with religion and morality playing a major role. The IOP's typology (used first in 2004 and again in 2005) segments students not only on the traditional liberal and conservative axes, but also on religious and secular axes. One in four college students (25 percent) can now be classified as Religious Centrist, a group which grew by four points (up from 21 percent) over the past year. Traditional Conservatives have increased by two points (16 percent from 14 percent) since 2005, Traditional Liberals remain largely unchanged, and Secular Centrists (now 15 percent) are smaller by three points.

IOP TYPOLOGY SPOTLIGHT: Religious Centrists (25 percent of college students).

-- Splitting in the 2004 elections nearly evenly for President Bush and Senator Kerry, this group will likely be the critical swing vote in the 2008 elections. Optimistic about the future and very likely to participate in elections, the Religious Centrists' views are characterized by a deep concern over the moral direction of the country. With a large concentration of African Americans and Hispanic students, Religious Centrists support free trade, strongly support universal healthcare and are very protective of the environment.

Harvard students designed the poll, in consultation with Professor David King and pollster John Della Volpe, whose firm prime group, llc conducted the survey and analyzed the data. Complete results and past surveys are available online at http://www.iop.harvard.edu.

---

Harvard University's Institute of Politics (IOP), located at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, was established in 1966 as a memorial to President Kennedy. The IOP's mission is to unite and engage students, particularly undergraduates, with academics, politicians, activists, and policymakers on a non- partisan basis and to stimulate and nurture their interest in public service and leadership. The Institute strives to promote greater understanding and cooperation between the academic world and the world of politics and public affairs. More information is available online at http://www.iop.harvard.edu/.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

ROGERS - Arizona Sen. John McCain, a possible 2008 Republican presidential contender, said Monday in northwest Arkansas that he favors a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.

McCain campaigned in the state for GOP gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson as more than 2,000 people rallied at the state Capitol in support of the Hispanic community and against immigration legislation pending in Congress.

"Today, we're seeing unprecedented protests in the U.S." by those who want a method for illegal immigrants to establish legal residency, McCain said at a Rogers news conference with Hutchinson. "These are mainly young people who are citizens who have passion for this issue because it concerns their parents and grandparents."

McCain said he was opposed to legislation that "rewards people for breaking the law" but supported a compromise that would require illegal immigrants to pay a fine and back-taxes, then "go to the end of the line for getting citizenship."

McCain answered questions about immigration and casinos operated by American Indian tribes during the news conference. He and Hutchinson also hosted a town hall meeting later at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, and McCain was to highlight a evening fundraiser for Hutchinson in Arkansas' capital city.

McCain described Arkansas a potential swing state and "weathervane" in national elections. He did not mention Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, another possible GOP president contender in 2008. Huckabee said he did not plan to attend the Hutchinson fundraiser.

The senator said he met and got to know Hutchinson while both were in Congress.

"When I really got to appreciate him, though, was when he became an undersecretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security," McCain said.

Hutchinson left Congress to join the Bush administration in 2001, going to the new Homeland Security Department after serving as director of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

Shortly after his appointment, Hutchinson, who was in charge of border security at Homeland Security, accompanied McCain in a tour of the Arizona border. McCain said more than half of the illegal immigration into the United States from Mexico takes place along the border.

On Indian casinos, McCain said he was opposed to operation of casinos that are not on an existing Indian reservation or at least adjacent to it.

Such a dividing line would not allow the Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians to build a proposed casino in Fort Smith on land held in trust by the tribe. The band petitioned the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs for permission on March 27 and is awaiting a decision. The bureau is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

U.S. sovereignty is restricted on Indian reservations, with tribes being semi-autonomous.

McCain said since courts ruled that tribes have the right to have casinos and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 passed, gambling in tribal casinos has grown from $500 million to $20 billion a year and the number of applications by groups for tribal status has grown.

Hutchinson said he was opposed to casino gambling in Fort Smith.

Hutchinson faces Democratic Attorney General Mike Beebe in the Nov. 7 general election.

"Governor's elections are important because governors get things done. Washington is gridlocked," McCain said. "Arkansas, as you know, is something of a swing state. It's a weathervane. The way elections go here tell us what to expect over the rest of the country."

Jason Willett, chairman of the Democratic Party of Arkansas, said it was ironic that McCain was in Arkansas campaigning for Hutchinson because of the senator's strong criticism of federal employees negotiating for private-sector lobbying jobs while still on the government payroll.

Willett has accused Hutchinson of negotiating for a job with a Washington lobbying firm before turning in his resignation at Homeland Security, a charge that Hutchinson's campaign has denied.
(Arkansas News)

Actor Ben Affleck shot his mouth off while appearing on Friday's Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO. Affleck “charged that President Bush ‘probably also leaked’ Valerie Plame's name and so ‘if he did, you can be hung for that! That's treason!’ In full rant, an apoplectic Affleck asserted: ‘You could be killed. That's not a joking around Tom DeLay 'I'll do a year, I bribed the state officials with corporate money.' That's like they shoot you in the battlefield for doing that.’” Affleck also claimed Delay “gerrymandered that district so severely that it looks like a map of Italy, you know what I mean? There won't be a Democrat elected in that seat for a thousand years. You can't say he's the poster boy for the left. He happens to be an incredibly powerful Republican who is a criminal and now you blame Democrats for pointing it out!” Affleck’s somewhat of an authority on criminal behavior, just ask anyone who sat through “Surviving Christmas” or “Gigli.” (Newsbusters.org)

Great letter in the DemGaz today...
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Someone should inform staff writer Seth Blomeley and Walter Hussman that Mike Beebe already has a spokesman on his payroll. Seth’s unpaid ads for the attorney general disguised as news articles should be relocated to the personal opinion page.
It appears that Blomeley travels with a Beebe spokesman who gives rebuttal to everything that Asa Hutchinson says publicly. Is Blomeley giving Hutchinson the same opportunity to clean up behind Beebe?

KIM GARTMAN
Sheridan

Asa Hutchinson Media Advisory
For Immediate Release
Monday, April 10, 2006
Contact: David Kinkade
(501) 837-7372

Senator John McCain Joins Asa Hutchinson In Arkansas TODAY

Events scheduled in both Northwest Arkansas, Little Rock
Little Rock – Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will visit Arkansas today (Monday, April 10) to join Asa Hutchinson, 2006 Republican candidate for governor, at events in Northwest Arkansas and Little Rock.

Details for the Little Rock visit are as follows:

3 p.m. "Straight Talk America Town Hall Meeting": Asa will join Sen. McCain for a town hall meeting at Philander Smith College in Little Rock. The event is open to the public. (Little Rock: Philander Smith College, Nugent Conference Center, One Trudie Kibbe Reed Drive)

4-4:30 p.m. Media Availability: Asa and Sen. McCain will be available to members of the news media. (Little Rock: Philander Smith College, Nugent Conference Center, One Trudie Kibbe Reed Drive)

6:30-7:30 p.m. Sen. McCain will join Asa for a fundraising banquet in Little Rock at the Embassy Suites Hotel. Tickets are $125. (11301 Financial Centre Parkway).
For tickets, call Asa for Governor headquarters at 501.978.4334.

The Truth

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In a news article today Drew Griffin, Republican running for House District 93 announced his withdrawal from the race due to residency issues. He stated:

“ 'It has been brought to my attention that due to a technicality, I believe that I have not met the residency requirements needed to seek the office of state representative,' Griffin said in the release.

'While I have lived [in ] Springdale my whole life and have lived in my district since last year, I have been made aware that my actions fall short of those necessary to run...' "

The article went on to say that:

"Griffin declined to endorse either candidate but said he is committed to increasing the GOP voter base and helping 'other Republican candidates who believe in our issues.'

State Rep. Doug Matayo, R - Springdale, is vacating the seat so he can run for lieutenant governor.

Griffin plans to seek office another time and is considering a run for Springdale City Council.

'There is a need for conservative leadership in our state and conservative representation here at home,' he said"

For once Beebe didn't say 'Me Too'...
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Boston.com:

LITTLE ROCK --Republican gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson said Thursday that Arkansas should examine new legislation in Massachusetts that expands health-care coverage for that state's uninsured.

Speaking to the West Little Rock chapter of AARP, Hutchinson said he wants Arkansans to have more options for their health care. And the Massachusetts bill that blends the ideas of universal health care with personal responsibility is one example, he said.

"We need to learn from their experience," Hutchinson said. "And we need to look in Arkansas at how we can lower the number of uninsured."

Lawmakers in Massachusetts approved a plan this week that would use a combination of financial incentives and penalties to expand access to health care over the next three years and extend coverage to the state's estimated 500,000 uninsured.

If the bill works as planned, poor people will be offered free or heavily subsidized coverage. Those who can afford insurance but refuse to get it will face increasing tax penalties until they obtain coverage, and those already insured will see a modest drop in their premiums.

But Zac Wright, spokesman for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike Beebe, the state attorney general, said Massachusetts and Arkansas have distinctly different problems when it comes to health care. Arkansas has more small businesses that can't afford health insurance for their employees and more residents who don't have access to health insurance.

"What's good for Massachusetts may not be good for Arkansas," Wright said Thursday. "Before Beebe would endorse that kind of tax increase he'd have to exhaust all the proposals to expand access for Arkansans."

On other issues, Hutchinson said he would make it tougher to raise the state's sales tax and said he would revoke a 1999 law that has allowed payday lending companies to exploit Arkansans who live paycheck to paycheck.
Hutchinson said he also supports a smoking ban in work places and restaurants because second hand smoke is a health hazard.
"I believe that people ought to be able to go to work without having a health hazard at work," he said.

"'Mayberry' TV spot can be seen on Web site

The newest TV spot for the "Andy Mayberry for Congress" campaign can now be seen from the home page of our Web site at www.andymayberryforcongress.com. The spot features Andy, Julie and the girls all at the lake ... doing a little fishin' and Mayberry thinkin'. It was introduced to a large viewing audience Thursday night during the 10 p.m. newscast on KATV, Channel 7. For dial-up viewers, it can take a few minutes to download, but we hope you'll take the time to watch it and let us know what you think."

Kime, your wife will be in our thoughts and prayers. You made the right decision...

The Truth
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BENTON — Kime Eubanks of Benton, who had announced he would run as a Republican for District 28 in the state House of Representatives, said Thursday that he did not file as a candidate for personal reasons. “A few weeks ago we found out that my wife, Tina, has cancer,” Eubanks said in an email. “Although the chances of her recovering fully are good, the treatments and surgery will last into September of this year. All of my attention and energy needs to be focused on my wife and family.” Eubanks announced his intended candidacy in January.

Asa: Time For Action To Close Down Predatory Lending
Calls for repeal of 1999 law allowing exploitation of poorest, most vulnerable in Arkansas; penalty provision for usury violations
Little Rock – Asa Hutchinson, 2006 Republican candidate for Governor, said today that he would lead the charge to revoke a 1999 law that has allowed payday lending companies to exploit the poorest and most vulnerable Arkansans.
Speaking to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) in Little Rock today, Hutchinson called specifically for the revocation of the 1999 Check Cashers Law. He also called for a penalty fine provision to put teeth into the state's usury law.
Hutchinson noted that these two actions would serve to protect low- and middle-income Arkansans from the spiral of debt and exorbitant interest that accrue in predatory lending transactions. Arkansas members of AARP, many of whom live on fixed incomes, have made reigning in the practice of predatory lending one of their priorities.
"It's past time for somebody to step up and do away with this exploitative practice," Hutchinson said. "Predatory payday lending is a trap for the unwary that becomes a financial ball and chain around the necks of our working families and our most vulnerable citizens."
One provision of the 1999 Check Cashers Act allows payday lenders to charge fees and interest rates in excess of the state's usury limit of 17 percent, as laid out in the Arkansas Constitution. The result is that borrowers frequently find themselves paying triple-digit interest rates on short-term loans, creating a debt spiral from which they cannot escape.
"This is certainly something that the Legislature should address, and as Governor, I'll work with lawmakers to correct this exploitative law," Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson discussed his views on predatory lending before a lunch meeting of the West Little Rock AARP, in which he discussed a range of issues related to seniors and the race for Arkansas Governor. Low-income seniors are one group ripe for exploitation by predatory lenders, Hutchinson said in his remarks.
(Hutchinson first denounced the practice of predatory lending in December 2005. Click here to read the full article).

You know it is pretty sad when the guy that is charged to uphold the law and show an example to other Arkansans is given a 'Public Letter of Caution' for breaking ethics laws. The Truth has presented fact after fact of Mike Beebe's disregard for ethics. MIKE BEEBE WHEN WILL THIS STOP?

By ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press Writer
LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- Arkansas' Ethics Commission issued a "Public Letter of Caution" to Attorney General Mike Beebe after the state's chief lawyer acknowledged a campaign worker used a state-owned computer to edit a speech Beebe gave as part of his race for governor.
Beebe had previously acknowledged that use of the state computer - by a campaign volunteer who also works in his state office - was a violation of ethics rules. The letter of caution, written Monday, came after a Bella Vista resident complained to the ethics panel.
Beebe, a Democrat, is running this year for governor against Asa Hutchinson, a Republican who previously was a federal prosecutor, congressman and Homeland Security undersecretary.
"Mike Beebe months ago accepted responsibility for a volunteer's after-hours use of a state computer to make minor changes in a political speech. He immediately put procedures in place to ensure it would not happen again," Beebe campaign spokesman Zac Wright said. "This decision is additional evidence of Mike Beebe's commitment to taking responsibility and doing the right thing."
Jim Parsons of Bella Vista filed the complaint against Beebe. Parsons describes himself as a "gadfly" who once urged state officials to create an inspector general position to root out inappropriate public expenditures.
The Ethics Commission said the case was closed.
"We note that the ... final action was taken as a result of your acknowledging a violation ... based upon your campaign worker using for campaign purposes an item of personal property (i.e., a computer) provided with public funds," commission Director Graham F. Sloan wrote.
Parsons amended his complaint on Tuesday to add an accusation that Beebe also had used his office as the site of political strategy meetings. Wright previously had said that allegation was unfounded.
Hutchinson's campaign declined comment.

Did anyone see the post on the Arkansas Times blog? The Truth couldn't help but notice how they are trying to connect Asa with this guy Brian Doyle, charged with sexual solicitation. I think it is very interesting how they left out some very important facts about this guy.

ARKTIMES:

"Coincidentally speaking:

Papers today report the arrest of Brian Doyle, the deputy press secretary for the federal Homeland Security Department, on charges related to his alleged sexual solicitation of someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl. (Actually an undercover cop.)

We page back to Aug. 31, 2004, when the Homeland Security Department came under scathing criticism for misconduct by its air marshals. Brian Doyle was the press spokesman who assured reporters that Homeland Security was going to do a better job at background checks. Asa Hutchinson, then in charge of transportation security, likewise promised that guidelines would make marshals more accountable. Same cast of characters were quoted when the airline passenger screening program came under fire on Asa!'s watch.

No, we are in no way blaming Doyle's illicit Internt solicitations and use of office phone for such purposes on Asa. But we can't help but note the ironic timing. Doyle's arrest was announced the same day Hutchinson handed out a news release urging the legislature on in the univerally popular drive to toughen sexual predator laws. Said the news release:

While serving in the Department of Homeland Security, Hutchinson oversaw one of the nation's most intensive crackdowns on child predators, Internet child pornographers, and human trafficking of children for purposes of sexual slavery. “Operation Predator,” as the crackdown was dubbed, was hailed nationwide, including by national child protection activist and “America's Most Wanted” host John Walsh.

The department apparently missed one guy working down the hall."

WASHINGTON (AP) _ The U.S. Capitol Police on Monday submitted their case against Rep. Cynthia McKinney to the U.S. Attorney's office, which will consider whether the Georgia congresswoman will face charges for tangling with a law enforcement officer last week.

``We are working with Capitol Hill police to fully understand and appreciate the incident,'' principal assistant U.S. Attorney Channing Phillips told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Citing the ongoing investigation, he declined to say whether the referral included a recommended charge against the six-term Democrat or when a warrant for her arrest might be issued.

McKinney spokesman Coz Carson acknowledged the investigation.

``We're aware that the wheels are turning in Washington,'' Carson said. ``We have no control over what they decide to do. We will make the appropriate statement and take the appropriate action once we know where they're going.''

For her part, McKinney said she expects to represent her suburban Atlanta district for many years.

``Rest assured, I am doing the work they sent me to Washington to do. Nothing is going to keep me away from my responsibilities,'' McKinney told a crowd of supporters in Atlanta Monday.

McKinney, 51, scuffled with a police officer on March 29 when she entered a House office building without her identifying lapel pin and did not stop when asked. Several police sources said the officer, who was not identified, asked her three times to stop. When she kept going, he placed a hand somewhere on her and she hit him, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

McKinney issued a statement of regret for the incident, but no apology. At a press conference Friday, she and her lawyers declared that she was a victim of inappropriate touching and racism and said they were considering pursuing civil action against the officer.

Black clergy and lawmakers came the defense of the firebrand congresswoman on Monday. McKinney smiled as her supporters heaped praise on her leadership and her new look _ her trademark cornrows replaced earlier this year by a curly brown afro.

Her supporters tried to minimize the incident _ which they called political, not criminal _ but they also suggested it was an example of racial profiling. They called publicity surrounding the episode a distraction that is being used by ``her enemies'' to keep the congresswoman from performing her elected duties.

Immediately after the news conference, McKinney was ushered out of the building and into a black SUV, smiling and keeping silent when reporters questioned her.

The Rev. Reverend Darrell D. Elligan, president of Concerned Black Clergy, called McKinney competent, courageous and committed.

``She has our support unconditionally,'' Elligan said. ``She is not a threat to the security of our country.''

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Associated Press Writer Errin Haines contributed to this report from Atlanta.