Obamacare continues to dominate Arkansas’s political discussions. It exposes a rift in the Republican Party, where many legislators signed on the “private option” iteration of Obamacare and are now enduring criticism from within the party for doing so. It will be an issue in contested primaries even as Republicans prepare to chant Obama/Obamacare incessantly against Democratic candidates in the fall of 2014.
But there’s another wrinkle. It’s the petition drive by hard-right teabaggers to repeal the private option legislation spearheaded by Glenn Gallas of Hot Springs.
An e-mail this morning from Debbie Pelly of Jonesboro (yes, THAT Debbie Pelly) reports on petition drive progress. They are making headway.
If you believe Republicans, there’s no surer thing than Arkansas enmity toward Obamacare. So it should follow that if this petition makes the ballot, it will pass. That will leave the likes of David Sanders, John Burris (Tom Cotton’s political director), Jonathan Dismang, Davy Carter, Michael Lamoureux and Co. holding a big, steaming bag of something. And the people of Arkansas in need of health care in a terrible fix.
Read on for Pelly’s report on canvassing: