It appears we are in for another long weekend of Washington debating health care. It began this morning with an announcement from Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska that he worked out a compromise on the bill and will vote for both cloture and the final [...]
Campaign Manager for Conrad Reynolds Senate Campaign K. Ryan James departs ways “to pursue other interests.” James was under contract to manage Reynolds’ campaign through December 31 and he notified Reynolds today he will not be serving past that date. No word yet what James will [...]
In what could be the shortest Senate campaign in Arkansas history, Stanley Reed announced he is dropping out of the U.S. Senate just 8 days after announcing he is running. This is developing fast but here is his press statement…
Today, Republican Stanley Reed announced he is withdrawing [...]
For those of you burning up the phone lines calling Sen. Blanche Lincoln on health care and not getting through, her office has a message for you. They are working on it.
“We are aware of the difficulty constituents have faced in trying to reach the offices, and [...]
It looks like District 64 (Fort Smith area) will see a Republican Primary challenge to incumbent Republican Rep. Stephanie Malone from Fort Smith Vice Mayor Gary Campbell. Malone was elected in 2008 to her first term and is expect to seek reelection next year.
“I’ve been encouraged by [...]
Most of you saw the news yesterday regarding the court ordered assembly of the Winter Solstice display on the state capital grounds. The display is sponsored by an atheist group called the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers. Since obviously atheist do not celebrate the birth of [...]
The ever watchful Max Brantley picked up on some activity at Jim Holt’s old campaign website. It seems it now directs you JimHolt2010.com – from there you can see where Holt has a $1,000 a plate fundraiser at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and a $100 [...]
I noticed today in all the coverage of the Senate Democrats holding up health care, Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s frequently mentioned name was missing. Politico reported that Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) is “not on the bill” primarily due to concerns about abortion funding. Several others Democrats have [...]
Dick Armey is in Little Rock today talking about what else? That’s right health care. Why? Well, everybody else is doing it. Seriously though, if nothing else comes from this health care debate and Sen. Lincoln’s swing vote, at least she managed to help bring in quite [...]
State Sen. Kim Hendren is one of the eight Republican candidates trying to win over the crowded field for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. In an effort to get his campaign some traction, Hendren put out the word today that he is putting up $200,000 [...]
As I mentioned previously, I appeared on Talk Business with Roby Brock this weekend discussing the Republican Senate Primary. It is certainly shaping up to be a quite a race. Enjoy the video.
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Gov. Mike Beebe’s spokesman Matt DeCample tells the Tolbert Report this morning that their office still has concerns over the cost of the health care reform proposal. In November, Gov. Beebe expressed “big concerns” over the impact of the house version of the health care proposal [...]
I got home tonight to find this robocall on my answering machine from Gilbert Baker. I thought I would share it with you. Baker is responding to this attack ad which is currently airing in a $200,000 media buy by a group funded by labor unions. Here is [...]
The New York Times blog is reporting that the Senate Democrats have been summoned by President Obama to come to the White House for some eggnog and last minute arm twisting on health care reform. I mean nothing says Merry Christmas Happy Holidays like having the [...]
Gerard Matthews over on the Ark Times reports that the state capital display will get a bit more crowded as Federal Judge Susan Webber Wright orders Secretary of State Charlie Daniels to allow the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers to put up their winter solstice display. Not sure exactly what [...]
You may have noticed the addition of the little ad box on the side bar of your screen on the Tolbert Report. A few weeks back fellow blogger Blake Rutherford and I had some sort of twitter back and forth over what I am sure was an important issue [...]
If watching “Talk Business with Roby Brock” is not part of your normal Sunday night routine, then you should really re-think your schedule. But especially tonight because your favorite Arkansas blogger is on it talking about the U.S. Senate race. What? No, not Blake Rutherford you [...]
Michelle Malkin was in Little Rock today to speak at a Tea Party Rally at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Little Rock. The rally was at noon for the 12/12 at 12 theme. Malkin sat down with me to share her thoughts on the impact of the Tea Party [...]
For some reason, a group called Citizens for Strength and Security funded primarily by labor unions have begun running an ad attacking Republican Senate candidate Gilbert Baker for not being fiscally conservative enough. The ad accuses him of bring in $53 million in pork barrel spending as a state senator.
“The [...]
Mariah Hatta, executive director of the Democratic Party of Arkansas, was interviewed yesterday by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette on the newly elected State Senator Michael Lamoureux from Russellville. In it, Hatta said she hoped that Lamoureux will “avoid the hyper-partisanship cult of Republican legislators, mostly in the [...]
In telephone interview with David Sanders, he confirms that Stanley Reed will run for U.S. Senate as a Republican and that he will serve as his campaign manager.
Roby Brock, who was first to break the story, spoke with Reed who told him he planned to file [...]
I had this listed as an update to a previous post but thought it might need its own attention. Curtis Coleman held a press conference yesterday in Fayetteville to announce that he hired some staff members. I have not seen this press conference covered anywhere [...]
Public Policy Polling had some interesting numbers today on the declining popularity of President Obama, especially when compared to Bush. They write…
Perhaps the greatest measure of Obama’s declining support is that just 50% of voters now say they prefer having him as President to George [...]
Americans for Prosperity is bringing in another speaker to Arkansas in their efforts to defeat the health care reform bill. This Saturday morning, they are flying in conservative columnist and blogger Michelle Malkin to speak at 11:00 noon at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Little Rock.
Malkin [...]
A liberal blogger Greg Sargent provides further evidence that Bill Halter is considering mounting a primary challenge to Sen. Lincoln. For his evidence, he called fellow liberal blogger for FireDogLake Jan Hamsher who confirmed that Halter had a little Washington DC pow wow with her [...]
With totals in from Russellville and Logan County as well as early voting, Republican Michael Lamoureux has 732 (70%), Democrat John Burnett has 216 (21%), and Independent Tachany Evans has 98 (9%). With the largest city in, and an almost fifty percent lead, Lamoureux will be the next State Senator from [...]
Pro-life Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska offered an amendment today in the Senate that would have prevented funding of abortion in the health insurance plans that participate in the proposed health care reform program. The bill mirrors the amendment offered by Democrat Rep. Bart Stupak of [...]
Voters in Senate District 4 (Russellville area) are heading to the polls today to cast their votes in a special election called to the fill the vacancy created by Republican Sen. Sharon Trusty. The race is a three way race between Republican Michael Lamoureux, Democrat [...]
The Curtis Coleman for Senate Campaign sends along this video of his speech on Saturday at the Republican Party Straw Poll, where Coleman finished second just behind Gilbert Baker by two points. Several attendees told me that thought it was the best speech of the day and caused them [...]
Coming off the heels of his straw poll win, Baker took to the national airwaves on Monday on the syndicated Hugh Hewitt radio show.
“We have got to change America and we can do it right here in Arkansas,” Baker said. As one example of why he is running, Baker [...]
According to a release from the National Republican Senatorial Committee and shown in the video above, Sen. Blanche Lincoln first voted against a motion to recommit the health care reform bill offered by Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE) with instructions to restore the $42 million Medicare cuts to home health [...]
This week Arkansas lost a legendary legislator from El Dorado (photo from El Dorado Times.) Jodie Mahony served his district for 36 years in both the Arkansas State Senate and House of Representative. As a fixture at the capital, he most recently worked on the staff of the Arkansas [...]
At a crowded gathering of Republicans in Hot Springs, Gilbert Baker narrowly won the Senate Straw with 35% of the vote of the estimated 700 ballots cast. However, surprising close on his heels was challenger Curtis Coleman with 33%. Rounding up third place finish was Conrad Reynolds [...]
UPDATE – The amendment failed in a Sunday afternoon vote gathering only 56 votes with 60 needed
Sen. Blanche Lincoln today proposed a tax increase on the health insurance companies who pay their executives what she believes is too much money. Under her proposal, health insurance companies that [...]
Various sources are confirming that serious discussions are currently taking place within the Gilbert Baker for Senate campaign about whether to proceed with plans to participate in the straw poll tomorrow. Although Baker is expected to win the straw poll by a wide margin, reports have [...]
Gov. Mike Beebe appearing on “Ask the Governor” on KARN News Radio today spent quite a bit of time discussing Maurice Clemmons. One thing that he discussed that I found interesting was his own policy on granting clemencies and commutations.
“I have done one commutation,” said Gov. Beebe. “I am pretty [...]
Blake Rutherford thinks that Sen. Lincoln should invest some of her multi-million dollar war chest in some television ads to turn around her tanking poll numbers. Rasmussen released more numbers yesterday showing her trialing all four potential Republican opponents polled by margins ranging from 7 to 3 points, [...]
Rumors came in today that Republican State Rep. Mark Martin is considering jumping in the race for Secretary of State. Martin is currently serving his last term as state representative from Prairie Grove before being term limited.
I called up Martin to see if this was the case. [...]
With the Republican Party of Arkansas Senate Straw Poll only a couple days off, Senate candidates are evaluating how they believe they will perform. A standard part of such events are setting expectations going into the event.
Conrad Reynolds Campaign did that today with a [...]
In a release today from the Democratic Party of Arkansas, Chairman Todd Turner takes some shots at Sarah Palin who is in northwest Arkansas today for her book tour.
“Defeated GOP Vice Presidential nominee and current standard bearer from the national Republican Party Sarah Palin will travel to [...]
Multiple sources are confirming that Lauren Huckabee has resigned as chief of staff of the U.S. Senate Campaign of Curtis Coleman. This is developing fast but speculation is that Lauren Huckabee will be joining the staff of Stanley Reed if he decides to jump in the race, [...]
State Rep. Dan Greenberg and candidate for the State Senate took some time today on The Arkansas Project to address a serious issue facing us all – Internet Polls. I can see how this would rank high on his list of issuing facing everyday Arkansans particularly [...]
Details will soon be firming up on the U.S. Senate straw poll organized by the Republican Party of Arkansas. All seven announced candidates will be participating and are drawing for ballot and speaking order at noon today. Republican Congressional candidate Rick Crawford will be master of [...]
In an internal campaign memo obtained by the Tolbert Report last night, I have learned that state Sen. Gilbert Baker plans to fight back against charges made by former state Sen. Dave Bisbee. Bisbee blames Sen. Baker for costing him the Senate Pro Temp position [...]
As I mentioned this morning, I resigned my position as Arkansas coordinator for HuckPAC today where I served in a volunteer capacity. My departure was with a heavy heart but was done after serious prayer and consideration. Some have asked about the timing. As most could [...]
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 [...]
Over the weekend speculation grew that Kim Hanke of Hanke Brothers was considering jumping into the race for Lieutenant Governor as a Republican. The news first broke on twitter from Bradley Phillips and then spread to the Arkansas Blog with Max Brantley posting…
Kim Hanke [...]
The above audio clip is from Mike Huckabee’s radio program “The Huckabee Report” on Monday, November 30, 2009.
According to reports breaking late Sunday, Maurice Clemmons is being sought by police in the killing of four Washington state police officers. Clemmons had been sentenced to prison in Arkansas for [...]
Appearing today on Fox News Sunday, Gov. Mike Huckabee debated health care reform with Howard Dean but he also indicated for the first time that he is currently leaning against running for President in 2012. Huckabee cited several factors that will be influencing his decision.
Host Chris [...]
Conrad Reynolds spoke earlier this month and offered some interesting insight into his campaign strategy. He indicated first that he believed it was not necessary to nominate someone who had raised a lot of money but that Republicans should stay away from anyone who has held elected office.
“This is [...]
