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 [...]
Editor of the Arkansas Times Max Brantley slices up a nice piece of Senatorial politics in this week’s publication. He has tough words for Sen. Blanche Lincoln who is getting it from all sides right now. Brantley writes…
Several political professionals knock Lincoln for not spending enough [...]
In the second part of my interview with state Sen. Gilbert Baker, we discuss his thoughts on the Republican primary, specifically he answers my question as to why someone should support him instead of one the other candidates.
“First of all, I am thrilled that all these folks are running,” said Baker. [...]
I received President Obama’s Thanksgiving message Wednesday evening (on the jump.) It was not sent as an official Office of the President press release but through his Organizing for America list. It included a good positive message of being thankful for his family and for the [...]
Today is sort of a slow news day in the lull before Thanksgiving so I thought I would take the opportunity to do what most bloggers do and try to make much ado about nothing by highlighting some interesting twitter conversations from last night.
There were several interesting [...]
We all set breathlessly waiting last Saturday for Sen. Blanche Lincoln to announce her vote on the motion to move the Sen. Reid’s Health Care Bill to the Senate floor. With 59 Senators all lined up to vote for the motion, Sen. Lincoln finally announced in her [...]
I sat down with state Sen. Gilbert Baker this afternoon at his campaign headquarters in Conway. We spent several minutes discussing why he was running for the Senate, his thoughts on the current health care debate, and even got into a bit on the field of Republican primary opponent. [...]
Max Brantley is hearing some of the same buzz I am hearing – that a Senate announcement could be coming very soon for Jim Holt who challenged Sen. Blanche Lincoln in 2004. I have a call into Holt, and I am waiting to hear back but [...]
The Pulaski County Quorum Court is scheduled to meet Tuesday evening at 7 pm in what proves to be a showdown on several issues in their budget. Notably the budget includes a four percent pay increase for quorum court members shortly after receiving a four bonus in [...]
Sen. Blanche Lincoln flew back into Arkansas today to host a field hearing for the Senate Agriculture Committee on “Revitalizing Rural America.” As the new Chairman of this committee, I am sure Sen. Lincoln hoped that this would be a welcome relief from the heated debate [...]
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will be speaking at the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock, Arkansas on December 14. He will be speaking to the public and signing copies of his new book “A Simple Christmas” at 2:00 that afternoon.
Gov. Huckabee spoke [...]
Mike Huckabee interviewed Patti and Guy Cannady over the weekend on his Fox News television show “Huckabee.” The Cannady’s truly are amazing people. My prayer are with them.
[...]
While many criticized Sen. Lincoln’s vote over the weekend to move the health care reform bill to the next step, she was abundantly clear that she would not vote for the next cloture vote if the bill includes a public option. This lead several left [...]
The Republican National Committee has a video out this morning on the Senate vote to move along the health care reform bill over the weekend. On our own Sen. Blanche Lincoln, they said she “voted for the bill, when she said she would oppose it.” In fairness to Lincoln, she still has [...]
Sen. Lincoln’s just announced that she will vote for cloture and her potential Republicans opponents were quick to react.
“The people of Arkansas now know that Blanche Lincoln is more beholden to the Washington establishment than to the people who elected her to office,” said State Sen. Gilbert [...]
Speaking on the floor of the Senate, Sen. Blanche Lincoln announced that she will vote for the motion to begin debate of the health care bill. This vote is the last vote needed for Majority Leader Harry Reid to move the bill to the floor…developing…
Sen. Lincoln said, [...]
My political intuition tells me that Sen. Blanche Lincoln will vote for the motion to proceed on the Senate Health Care Bill when it comes to the floor tomorrow. I thought I would go ahead and take a crack at what her statement will be following her vote. [...]
If my email inbox is any indication, then tomorrow’s vote on the health care bill is huge. Democrat Majority leader Harry Reid has scheduled a test vote for his health care bill for 7:00 CST Saturday night. The bill was unveiled late Wednesday night. The Saturday night vote [...]
Press Releases regarding Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s vote on the Health Care Bill are coming in faster than a politician can spend money so I will post this on this thread and keep the top thread open for developments in Sen. Lincoln’s vote.
From Republican Candidates
Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter was on MSNBC last night discussing the free health clinic in Little Rock this coming Saturday. The Arkansas politico types are all a buzz if he will be soon jumping in the race for U.S. Senate. Some say he will get in if Sen. Blanche [...]
If you were curious where Fox News contributor Dick Morris stands on the Health Care Bill, he cleared it up today at an Americans for Prosperity Rally in Little Rock. He is against it. Surprise!
Morris threw out the red meat to the crowd after first being worked up to a [...]
A new ad from the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) targets Rep. Vic Snyder’s vote on health care. This one takes an interesting twist by quoting what several fellow Democrats have to say about the bill.
“The worst thing you can do in a recession is raise taxes and this bill [...]
With much fanfare, the Senate Democrats unveiled their long awaited health care reform bill last night. Weighing in at 2,074 pages, I have obviously not digested the whole thing but one part of it jumped out at my CPA brain while skimming it last night.
If passed [...]
Everyone who expected the Republican Primary in the Second Congressional District to be a heated one will not be surprised to see the latest press release from Scott Wallace. Last month, Wallace took issue both with incumbent Democrat Rep. Vic Snyder and Republican primary opponent Tim Griffin [...]
