Saturday, October 20, 2012
Arkansas Elections The new Republican day — eroding ethics, dishonesty
Posted by Max Brantley on Sat, Oct 20, 2012 at 6:42 AM
Two good examples in the morning paper of what to expect from a rising Republican majority:
* EROSION OF ETHICS LAWS: State Republican Party Chairman Doyle Webb wants the state Ethics Commission to allow political candidates to use campaign money to attend national political conventions. This is boodling, pure and simple. There's no need for campaign money to be used to stay in an expensive hotel in a faraway city to rub shoulders with party pals except for self-aggrandizement. This is essentially an incumbent enhancement act. Only incumbents — who rake in cash from lobbyists sufficient to build up the unconscionable incumbent reserve fund allowed by the legislature — are likely to have the dough to use for these trips anyway. This will essentially open a back door for corporate interests to pay for deluxe travel for sitting legislators. It's wrong. Regnat Populus is coming. It's overdue. If you think this is the last money cadging gimmick in the quiver of Doyle Webb and the unemployed Republicans who live off the public teat and lobbyists' credit cards you ain't seen nothing yet.
* DISHONESTY: Rep. Bryan King is back with another lament on the op-ed page about the push for Voter ID laws to suppress voting by important Democratic constituencies — the poor, minorities and students. He is being dishonest yet again. He links absentee vote law abuse to the Voter ID laws. There is NO connection. Voter ID doesn't apply to absentee balloting, where abuses do indeed occur. In fact, Republicans in other states have objected to stiffening absentee voting laws for fear of depressing this vote, which is generally a Republican strength. If anything, in swing states, Republicans have worked to increase absentee voting.
But almost nothing has been done about the distinctive challenges posed by absentee ballots. To the contrary, Ohio’s Republican secretary of state recently sent absentee ballot applications to every registered voter in the state. And Republican lawmakers in Florida recently revised state law to allow ballots to be mailed wherever voters want, rather than typically to only their registered addresses.“This is the only area in Florida where we’ve made it easier to cast a ballot,” Daniel A. Smith, a political scientist at the University of Florida, said of absentee voting.
He posited a reason that Republican officials in particular have pushed to expand absentee voting. “The conventional wisdom is that Republicans use absentee ballots and Democrats vote early,” he said.
Yes, Arkansas Republicans have tried to curb early voting, becoming particularly enraged one year when black churches organized voter drives on Sundays before an election. Black people voting? That is fraud to Republicans.
Speaking of...
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Vote fraud: Myth-busting in Ohio
May 24, 2013This is really important, since the Republican-majority legislature in Arkansas just joined the "vote fraud" brigade with Voter ID legislation designed to depress turnout among traditional Democratic constituencies. /more/
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The death and taxes open line
May 16, 2013The line is open. Closing out: * THERE THE GOP GOES AGAIN: The Arkansas Republican Party is in all-out assault mode on U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, today pounding him for saying seven years ago that he supported permanent repeal of the estate tax (dishonestly called a "death tax" by the Republicans) but joining in recent bipartisan approval of what is now a dramatically lower estate tax. /more/
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The Tuesday night line
May 14, 2013Finishing up early again today. Some closeout specials: * TAX DELINQUENT LIST TURNS UP FAMILIAR NAME: Republican Party Chair Doyle Webb tied to delinquent tax list. /more/
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Arkansas Republicans hate on Nancy Pelosi, in LR today
May 2, 2013The Arkansas Republican Party is positively thrilled that Nancy Pelosi is speaking in Little Rock today (noon at Statehouse Convention Center to accommodate an expected large crowd). /more/
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Republicans mount PR effort on Voter ID bill
April 4, 2013The Arkansas Republican Party, having passed a Voter ID bill developed nationally to depress turnout among traditional Democratic constituencies, mounted a PR effort this morning to show that they really do care about people voting. /more/
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House overrides Beebe veto of voter ID bill
April 1, 2013At 2:20 p.m., the House is hearing arguments from Rep. Stephen Meeks to override Gov. Mike Beebe's veto of the bill to require a photo ID to vote in Arkansas. /more/
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Speaker Carter gets touchy on senator's outburst
March 30, 2013The Arkansas legislature faces a six-day week next week because of the need for extended meetings to complete action on pending business before the currently scheduled end of the session April 19. /more/
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The Good God Friday Edition
March 29, 2013Prop 8 and DOMA and the Arkansas General Assembly and Sen. Mark Pryor shameful responses where, the fight over voter ID, media criticism of the Democrat-Gazette, the morality of Republican tax cuts, Big River Steel, new numbers on expansion and the latest on the potential merger between UAMS and St. Vincent — all covered on this week's edition. /more/
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Republicans don't want poor people to vote
March 29, 2013When they say it (voter ID, whatever) isn't about race or poor people .... Check this out. /more/
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The floor to Gov. Beebe
March 28, 2013Gov. Mike Beebe on Monday vetoed the Republican vote suppression bill because it unnecessarily restricts the right to vote. It was courageous. /more/
- More »
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