PLANNING: NRA front man Asa Hutchinson also has plans in Arkansas.

  • ‘PLANNING’: NRA front man Asa Hutchinson also has plans in Arkansas.

Oh, OK. Twitter is abuzz with a new report that NRA lobbyist Asa! Hutchinson is “planning” to run for governor in 2014. That’s been pretty clear for some time now, even before I quoted him Nov. 16 as saying it was time to “look at” that. UPDATE: Make that, according to AP, “fully expects” to run. More breaking news when he announces plans to announce. And when he announces. And so on. UPDATE: Make that, according to DOG’s Beherec, “fully intends.” UPDATE: John Lyon of Stephens Media makes it simply “intend.” He tells Lyon he has to get that gun lobby job done in the next few months first.

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But just to keep the Arkansas Blog record on this, be it duly noted: Asa! is still running. Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead. So might be Dustin McDaniel, politically speaking, unless he comes out of hiding in a credible fashion before too long.

UPDATE: Bud Jackson, political spokesman over the years for former Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, volunteers this comment:

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“Welcome to the race, Asa. There will undoubtedly be new Democrats and Republicans joining you.”

I should have mentioned originally that Halter is expected to run. And I also should mention that Asa’s entry won’t drive all Republicans out of the race. Not every Republican is a Hutchinson Republicans, though he’s done plenty to nourish good relations with the party. But a lot of new faces have risen to the top of the Republican scrum since Asa’s salad days. Some are lean, some are not, all are hungry.

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