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Thursday, August 9, 2012

Thursday line

Posted by Max Brantley on Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 4:20 PM

The day is done. The Thursday night line is open. Final words:

* CHANGE AT WINROCK GROUP: I learned today that Baker Kurrus, the lawyer and former Little Rock School Board member who was active recently in an unsuccessful drive for an ethics reform act, resigned last week as president of the Winrock Group, where he's worked for 14 years. He headed the business enterprises of the late Win Rockefeller, including a large group of auto dealerships and real estate investment enterprises. I reached Kurrus, 58, on vacation on a Florida beach. He said he had a "wonderful relationship" with the Rockefeller family and he felt good about what he'd accomplished there. He said he'd continue as a minority stockholder (and continues to be a principal in other separate real estate ventures), but said, "It just came to a point where I said I'm going to see what else is out there and whether I can build something my family can have after I'm gone." He said the Winrock Group had a great management team and "it's not like I'm leaving them in the lurch." The company remains a Rockefeller family enterprise. Lisenne Rockefeller, Win Rockfeller's widow, will assume the presidency, a spokesman said.

* BRIDGE TO ARGENTA: The state Highway and Transportation Department issues a reminder of a public hearing from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, at the Arkansas Transit Association Building, 620 W. Broadway, North Little Rock about the Broadway Bridge. The department yearns to start a replacement for the bridge in 2013, with two years of traffic nightmares to ensue. Others prefer alternatives, particularly a new bridge upriver first, then conversion of the existing span to a park. The department will discuss five alternatives, including no action at all for the time being. That last one sounds good if the alternative is a teardown in 2013.

* PERFECT RECORD: 4th District Republican candidate Tom Cotton is still batting 1.000 on extremist endorsements — Citizens United, Club for Growth, NRA, Tea Party, United States Chamber of Commerce and now National Right to Life. Did we miss the Family Council? How about Chick-fil-A?

* I SWORE I WOULDN'T: But New York magazine's item on the Oxford American dustup is noteworthy for its reader comments. Scathing. In addition to doing himself no favors, fired editor Marc Smirnoff dragged the whole state of Arkansas along with him. And then there's Slate. And also, Jezebel.

* OLYMPICS HEROISM: U.S. sprinter Manteo Mitchell ran half of his 400-meter leg on the 1600-meter relay in a preliminary heat with a broken leg. The team qualified. Wow.

* SCHADENFREUDE EDITION: Republicans are buzzing about yet another family values politician hooking up outside the bounds of matrimony — this time, to spice the broth, with the spouse of another family values politico. "Traditional marriage" — one man, one woman and .... another woman. At least one of these is, of course, a Chick-fil-Ater who participated in National Nuggets for Jesus Day.

* SHOOTING SUSPECT SOUGHT: The Pulaski sheriff's office today circulated a photo of a man they say is a suspect in a recent shooting at Roland. A man stopped to check on a car parked on a driveway and the windows of his car were blown out by an apparent shotgun blast from woods nearby. Lt. Carl Minden said he didn't know what led detectives to the suspect or the explanation for the shooting.

Tags: Baker Kurrus, Winrock Group, Tom Cotton, Broadway Bridge, family values, Chick-fil-A

        
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Arkansas Blog

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Thursday line

Posted by Max Brantley on Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 4:20 PM

Speaking of...

Here's a list of the Republicans who voted against disaster aid for areas hit by Hurricane Sandy. /more/

The New York Times reports this morning on the wave of retirements from the U.S. Senate and a lack of clamor from people anxious to join the filibuster-frozen body. /more/

"Media sweetheart" is how this piece in Politico puts it and they should know, having been pumping U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Club for Growth) since forever. /more/

A Republican even crazier than Nate Bell, the last vetoes of the session, the latest outrage from Tom Cotton and Bloomberg versus Pryor — all covered on this week's podcast. /more/

U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton of the Club for Growth was right proud the other day of his rush to make political hay of the Boston bombing by lumping it with some other incidents that he said represented failure of counter-terrorism efforts of the Obama administration. /more/

Sorry, folks. I've been working on a project and away from blogging duties. /more/

Joe Nocera writes this morning about the vote to block legislation to expand gun purchase background checks and his pursuit of an answer to why from the four Democrats, including Sen. Mark Pryor, who stood in the way of a vote. /more/

Comments (47)

More by Max Brantley

Ernie Dumas this weeks elaborates on a favorite topic — the inordinate benefit that the wealthy will enjoy from pending Republican tax cut plans, both on regular and capital gains income.

The University of Central Arkansas Board of Trustees voted this morning to opt out of the new state law that allows concealed guns to be carried on campus.

Event Calendar

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