Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Arkansas Culture and Characters / Crime Weirdness: Temple gunman killed himself; Randy Travis cited for driving drunk, naked; Repub tells truth; Toad Suck
Posted by Max Brantley on Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 11:01 AM
Slow day, interrupted by:
* SELF-INFLICTED: The Sikh temple racist gunman fatally shot himself after being wounded by police fire.
* REALITY C&W SONG: Randy Travis arrested for driving drunk (and naked) and threatening to kill cop.
* TRUTH IN POLITICS: State Rep. Justin Harris, the Republican state-subsidized religious school operator, complained on Twitter that an Insurance Department official, Cynthia Crone, said at a national legislative conference that Tea Party Republicans were responsible for blocking implementation of health insurance exchanges to cover more working poor in Arkansas. Party shills instantly parroted this supposedly terrible partisanship on Twitter. Rep. John Burris of Harrison responded:
"That's the first time I've ever agreed with her. She's right. I just think it's a good thing."
Exactly. Own it. Truth is a complete defense. (Also effective ammunition.)
POINT OF CLARIFICATION: It's worth remembering what the 'bagger Republicans blocked was Arkansas-run insurance exchanges. There WILL be health exchanges, barring future Republican blockades. But the issue in the Arkansas legislature was whether the state would control it or the feds. The Republicans' bitter opposition dictated that they let the feds takeover rather than approve a Beebe administration plan.
* TIM GRIFFIN AND OBAMA SHARE IRAN TIE: The Washington Examiner notes that a British bank that does huge business in Iran has made contributions to the Democratic National Committee and the Obama campaign. Before the Repub reverb machine revs up, please note that Republican Rep. Tim Griffin also got $7,300 from the Standard Chartered bank and Republican committees also were beneficiaries.
* UNFORTUNATE: A poll says Toad Suck, Ark., has the most unfortunate town name in the U.S. On the other hand, were it not for the graphic moniker, would there be Toad Suck Daze?
Speaking of...
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Sunday morning: IRS, Kochs and movies
May 19, 2013Not much new to report this morning. If all goes well, I'm going to catch at least three movies today at the Little Rock Film Festival. /more/
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Tuesday topics
May 7, 2013The line is open. Final words: * THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT HAS DESIGNS ON ARKANSAS: Church and State magazine reports on plans by the American Renewal Project, a Religious Right organization, to politically target 12 states including Arkansas in 2014 to "restore America to its Judeo-Christian heritage." /more/
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May more Sundays be the same
April 21, 2013Nice ays wasn't it? Quiet, except for the CYA noise from up in Faulkner County where Rep. Tim "Pipeline" Griffin is busy 'splainin' how that oil-spewing pipeline isn't like the other pipeline he wants to build carrying the same dangerous stuff. /more/
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Griffin touts Exxon to oiled constituency
April 11, 2013Put yourself in the shoes of Rev. Pat Robertson or one of the other clerics who insist that disasters, whether natural or manmade, are God's way of showing His wrath over the stupid things people are doing. /more/
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Mayflower oil spill: The hand of God?
April 9, 2013Ernie Dumas writes this week on the Mayflower oil spill, beginning by musing, a la Pat Robertson/Jerry Falwell/etc., whether a divine hand might have had an influence. /more/
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The evening line: Sen. Pryor retreats on gay 'choice' comment
April 5, 2013Enough already. The Friday night line is open. /more/
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McDaniel presses Exxon on oil spill info
April 4, 2013Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is pressing Exxon Mobil for information on the devastating oil spill in Mayflower. /more/
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Morning report: Tim Griffin defends oil spiller; help for immigrants
April 4, 2013The morning report: * TINY TIM GRIFFIN: Of course he is an apologist for Exxon Mobil in the pipeline spill in Mayflower and he continues to exaggerate to the point of nearly criminal dishonesty about the jobs to be created by the Keystone XL pipeline he's shamelessly flogging for his financial patrons like the Koch brothers. /more/
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Inconvenient truth
April 4, 2013The crack of a 20-inch interstate pipeline rupturing in Mayflower, Ark., announced more than a flood of heavy Canadian crude oil on a trim subdivision near Lake Conway. /more/
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McDaniel to investigate Mayflower pipeline spill
April 2, 2013Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, who's been something less than an environmental crusader to date, has announced that he'll investigate the Exxon Mobil pipeline spill that drenched a Mayflower neighborhood with thousands of barrels of heavy Canadian crude oil. /more/
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