Arkansas Blog

I am glad to see that the Arkansas Times has the support of other members of the media. However, I dont think you should worry too much about the actions of the Huckster. I wonder who is advising him to act this way towards y'all. These actions are not going to look good when he tries to run for President or Vice-President and give ammunition to his opponents. These acts are short-sighted which will cause him great damage in the long run, IMHO. In the mean time, as that fine Southerner Nathan Bedford Forest said, "Keep up the skere" and stay after them!

The Governor should write back and say..."Screw You".....The Ark Times and Brantley have no one to blame but themselves....silly & juvenile mean spirited slant with the same respect as the National Inquirer...given away free because no one would pay to read it...not a real newspaper would be an understatement.

AT, put the huck on a spit and keep turning until he talks or falls in the fire.

You know, this was news orignially, but now it is getting older than the LG race. Write us back when Huck changes his policy, otherwise move on and try not to be such self centered whiners.

I think probably our Governor dislikes the AT because lots of people like me regularly call him a gift whore, a Moonie Marriage monger, an ego-maniac, a liar, cheat, swindler and world class traveler on our dime.

Not even Orval Faubus, who entered the Governor's office a poor man and left rich, grabbed up the goodies like the Huckster has for the last 10 years. Old Orval would have loved the whole idea of Pacs and no one deserves the name PacMan, like our Gov.

A brighter man would have hidden his greed a little better. A better man would have known better than to be a whorish funnel all these years. Now that he deems himself fit to lead this nation in 2009, he apparently feels the need to thump the only news outlet that dares to criticize him from time to time. A smarter man would have known this ploy would backfire. He may have removed the fat from his body, but he forgot to remove the fat from his brain.

Imagine the Mike Huckabee we'd have today if there had been no Arkansas Times to try and keep him honest. We can do better!

Hey anon...I'm surprised you can see the keyboard through your tears over the 214-point drop in the Dow or Commodity prices posting their biggest weekly decline in more than 25 years.

Sure am glad my welfare-funded steaks/liquor/cigs keep on coming while I post on the Times' blog and attend 'commie' meetings.

You're such a broken record of out-dated stereotypes you're actually pathetically funny.

Oh yeah...keep after em Max. This will never be old news as long as the Huckster refuses to alter his petty, un-Democratic behavior toward the Times.

Sure thing, "Zelda" also known as Max.

Dear Anon -- What would you have said if Jim Guy selectively denied public services to the D-G when that newspaper was lifting its skirts to Ken Starr and his cronies? Or when John Robert Starr was demanding that Bill Clinton justify the mansion's grocery bill?
The reason the Founders made the First Amendment No. 1 because they knew by experience the tyrrany wrought by a government that thinks it has a divine right to rule.

Note to Huck: you may have lost weight, but you still have a fat head..

Sure thing, "Zelda" also known as Max.

Why thank you for the promotion and the compliment.

Now if there's a paycheck (cash, actually, can't interrupt those welfare niceties) in all that my 'commie' buds will appreciate my dues payment.

^me...not paying attention.

Max, obviously you are paying attention...

Here we go again, diggin' up bones...

Though, as I have stated several times before, I agree that what the Gov. is doing to the Times is not right or a smart policy, is there really anything new to this story? Yes, I see the letter, but it seems to me it's just another chance for the Times to play "fainting diva" once more (which y'all do, oh so well). Instead of being the news, just simply report on it. If you keep doing stories like this, it will only allow people to keep questioning your legitimacy. I realize it's hard to take the high road when you're engaged in a catfight, but do us all a favor and just let this go unless there is truly something groundbreaking.

Warrior, fair post. Glad to see that someone can stay on topic and debate the worthiness of Huck's policy. Unfortunately, others - such as Deathbyinches or Regnet - simply cannot keep their "eyes on the ball" and concentrate on the policy and its merits, or lack thereof (based on how you feel). Instead, they divert away from the subject and resort to calling the Governor names and trash-talking. Is it impossible to keep this "above the board," guys? Or would that level of maturity be expecting too much from you???

I know, maybe we can throw food at each other at lunch! Hope the teachers don't catch us though.

ARK. BLOG The news is the letter, previously unreported, by some of the biggest names in the business. And his non-response.

Pope Huckster-Pious will ignore these appeals to his sense of fairness and reason, because he has none. He is a pompous ass, and the position he holds is evidence of the ignorance of the masses. But, please, AT, do keep your spotlight trained on him. Given his whoring ways and overall duplicity, he'll slip up big-time one day and you'll be the only publication with the balls to call him on it. What fun that will be, like seeing one of those night-time photos of the racoon raiding the garbage can.

ArkTimes- The letter has been reported on, I already knew it, so did everyone else. A "Non-Response" is not news, a response is. What is it with your insatiable desire of self promotion? No wonder Huck doesn't consider you a real paper.

ARK. BLOG Different letter. Interesting to watch the Huck spin machine at work, by the way.

You just proved my point, AT. Thank you. Your remark, "...previously unreported, by some of the biggest names in the business," says it all. Perhaps your peers just feel this isn't that big of a story. Is his policy a bit misguided? Sure. Is his not answering a letter, of the thousands he undoubtedly receives, newsworthy? Again, that's been answered by your peers and their non-coverage of this.

Again, simply report and move on. You can't create legitimacy for yourself by putting yourself at the center of your stories. As much as you question the Gov. and his advisors, perhaps you should get some new ones yourselves to get a better perspective.

ARK. BLOG The letter was just released today. AP has been covering this issue previously and I expect will note this letter. Though it matters not. The issue does. We can't count on others to advance our interests so we will. Thanks all the same for your free advice.

The Universe orbits around the Arkansas Times.

ARK. BLOG As we told hogsnout, we do intend to defend our interests. But it's worth noting that the governor picked this fight -- for reasons that remain unclear -- not us. But we don't intend to surrender, no matter what talking point the Hucksterites invent to silence us.

To all who are tired of the story and think the Times sucks...let your fingers do the walking to another blog, or skip over the parts you don't like.

Or, just keep reading the same old story and keep posting your tired old comments. It's a free country (in some respects).

Why are you lying? I just ran a search for Huckabee at news.google.com and the only article posted on this letter is from ArkTimes. Call me crazy, but when wire services issue news, they generally appear on Google News.

Please, for the love of God, focus on something other than your self-righteous selves.

ARK. BLOG: I'd call you the lying sack of crap, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and just say you are misinformed. Google News is not the be-all and end-all. Here's just one of several news accounts you'll find if you check Nexis:

Copyright 2006 Associated Press
All Rights Reserved
The Associated Press State & Local Wire

May 3, 2006 Wednesday 12:07 AM GMT

SECTION: STATE AND REGIONAL

LENGTH: 251 words

HEADLINE: Ark. Gov. says paper's claims of being cut off 'laughable'

BYLINE: By ANDREW DeMILLO, Associated Press Writer

DATELINE: LITTLE ROCK

BODY:

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Tuesday a weekly newspaper's complaint over its removal from his e-mail distribution list is "laughable."

Max Brantley, the editor of the Arkansas Times, said he learned last week that Huckabee no longer sends press releases or schedules to his paper. In an open letter, Huckabee said Brantley was "whining" and that information from his office is available freely on the Internet.

"It is apparent this tabloid's editor is behaving like a hobo who, when provided free food from a restaurant, proceeds to tell everyone it tastes bad and then wonders why he isn't invited to have the best table in the house for free," Huckabee said.

Brantley, who has twice filed unsuccessful ethics complaints against Huckabee, said his paper is not seeking special treatment, just the same notices given to other media that cover the Capitol. Brantley said the information his paper seeks is not always on Huckabee's Web site.

"We once received such notices. For reasons unclear to us, the governor decided to blackball the Arkansas Times," Brantley said. "It will be, for one, difficult to attend news conferences about which we are no longer informed."

Huckabee's chief counsel, Milton Fine, last week denied the paper's requests under the Freedom of Information Act for future news releases and for the names of news organizations that remain on the governor's mailing list. Huckabee's office on Tuesday denied an FOI request by The Associated Press for the governor's e-mail distribution list.

No one advises the guv. He advises us!

To the Huckabees and Bushs of the work, the BIll of Rights is something they can pick and choose from as they need.

If we don't throw the Republicans out of office, we won't have a constitution left. They'll have sold it to the highest bidder, given it away to their old buddies, the Bin Ladens, or simply just made it disappear like the folks in Gitmo.

All these Huckabites who keep telling Max and the Times how to run their business should take their cue from their Fearless--no, make that Clueless--Leader and just ignore the Times' insistence on sticking up for itself in this fight. After all, if the Times is not a "legitimate" newspaper, what should it matter to these True Believers in the grand scheme of things how the AT chooses to use its paper and ink?

If, as Max notes, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette had been similarly frozen out by a previous Democratic governor, and had repeatedly made much of that fact within its pages, these same righteous defenders of the faith would no doubt be criticizing DoG for its efforts, right? RIGHT???

Hugh -- your last sentiment would be the exact reason we continue to post on here. Just as you are questioning some posters, we also have the privilege to question the AT's motivations; the tone taken by certain posters; etc.

And yes, AT, you're right, you cannot count on others to advance your interests. But that leads to an interesting series of questions, what exactly are YOUR interests? Don't say your interests are those of the public for reporting-purposes, because that undermines your standing as an "unbiased" media source meant to simply report the story, aka, the press - a constitutionally protected entity.

Of course, you could admit to being biased, but then that simply means your operation would be rendered nothing more than a simple blog/editorial, and not "press." Instead, you'd be a "public forum" which has some free speech protections, but doesn't exactly pass muster for forcing the Gov. to treat y'all on the same level as your press peers.

Interesting line of questions.

And yes, my advice is always free and mostly good for nothing. But every now and then, there's a grain of truth to it.

ARK. BLOG Sure we have a point of view. We've never said otherwise. It's a rich tradition. The First Amendment was drafted at a time when news media were more like us than the newspapers of today. The pamphleteers were highly opinionated. But we do solid reporting. The governor doesn't like it much. The airplane rides. The Mansion expense account. The pardon and parole funny business. We absolutely believe we are working in the public interest. We favor an open government that doesn't operate on favors and self-enrichment. Constitutional protection applies to all speech and all press, whether you like it or not. That's the point here. There isn't an admiission standard. There isn't a license. There certainly isn't a likability rule. You've invented nothing more than hogwash on the notion that there's some difference between opinion and reporting in how the court views what constitutes the press. Nonetheless, we meet all the conventional definitions set by statute for such things as second-class mailing permits and the like of regular publication, original content, etc. Fact is, you don't like what we say and you're inventing reasons to suggest we should shut up. Ain't gonna happen.

By the way, for somebody who's sick of the topic, YOU sure seem to like to write about it. What's this, Post #3 today and Post #7 overall?

I think the Times is making a mistake by not pursuing legal remedies. I understand it will have no real effect, but it certainly will leave a blot on Huckabee that would have to be explained during any subsequent political campaigns.

"No one advises the guv." Humph, you are in error. God advises the Huck, as He does with W., Reverends Pat, Jerry, Ronnie and Brother Ralph. Don't know if Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart are still in the fold but I bet their claims are just as valid as the beforementioned.

Now, now, AT, please poitn out where I told you, or implied that you should, "shut up?"

I would never say such a thing. In fact, i cite that same Constitution very often in my posts. I would fight vehemently against anyone who would seek to limit the free speech of others. That is with your rights as a citizen, mine and everyone else who posts here and beyond.

I too, crave for a nation of open government. However, I can safely assume, I likely want a lot less of it than you.

But that's an argument for another day. The thing is, I find your posts to be very entertaining. Many times, your like the opposite of Fox News at times - a lot of entertainment that's got a dash of news so to maintain some level of "press credibility."

So, I do like constitutional protections - very much so. For both individuals and for the press. However, just as our Founding Fathers knew best, they are completely different entities.

Unlike the Gov., though I have my doubts, I do believe you are a news outlet, AT, yet you keep undermining yourself by acting like a biased individual. I'll support you one way or the other, but not as one posing as the other.

ARK. BLOG Post #8 on a topic you find tiresome.

Huck is just a little man with little ideas. He won't change. too much like Bush, stubborn to the detriment of all. Keep on the pressure.

Hog Snout:

I am part of the public, and I rely in part on the Arkansas Times (electronic and print) for my news. If I had to get everything from the Arkansas Democrat and Channel 4, I'd be less informed.

Who thinks that any legitimate news source doesn't have an editorial bent?

My outrage over this whole dustup between the governor and the Times is that MY taxes fund the governor's press office, which is essentially acting as a news filter. That infringes on my rights as a taxpaying citizen.

The governor sees the Times as a propaganda machine. I see the Democrat as the same. If the governor gets to be the Decider in this case, he's whittling away at our democracy.

Please keep demanding accountability from the governor's office. We have all lost some freedom and part of our civility when public officials refuse to carry out their responsibilities publically. Thank you for pursuing this worthy cause.

Huckabee's presidential campaign is dead in the water. His desperate attempt to curry favor with right-wingers by "giving back" the state surplus will go nowhere. The D.C. media will be all over him like flies on a turd about his silly, petty vendetta against the Times.

This is just the latest nail in the coffin to the idea that Huckabee can win the Republican nomination. He will be painted as soft on crime (i.e., Wayne Dumond, who will be Huckabee's Willie Horton); a big government liberal (raising taxes, raising the minimum wage, banning smoking in private businesses); and ethically challenged (suing the Ethics Commission to preserve his access to unlimited freebies); and, of course, there's Janet, who will be the red-state Teresa Heinz Kerry and alienate the media, supporters and, well, the entire country.

"I'd call you the lying sack of crap"

Way to rise above the fray and turn the other check. Somehow, I doubt you would see this from a reporter at the NY Times. Or any other legitimate newspaper.

You kids should return to your sandbox, amatuer hour is over.

Did anyone else see our Governor get dismissed on Meet The Press by Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA) for comments he made on the illegal immigrant issue?

It was great!

Posting that AP story here proves the point - look at the date - MAY 3rd. Proves that this is old, old, old and a matter everyone was already informed of. This is just you selfish way of trying to generate yourselves a bunch of unwarranted attention. Sorry guys, you suck.

ARK. BLOG Wait, you said we lied. You said there were no stories. There were. Now there's a new one. letter is new. No matter. The issue, as long as he denies us services that are given to others with tax dollars, is evergreen. If it wears you out, avert your eyes.

For all you good Folks that says the AT is digging up old news or crying in there hat. Should understand that any restriction of information to a news org. or the public can never ever be taken as old news until the situration is taken care of and cleared up. If Huckabee believe that one newspaper is not good enough to receive information what is he leaving out to the public that we should know about so let get behind the AT untill the gov. straighten up and fly right. Also try this the public I mean email huckabee and give him a pat on the shoulder he will or one of his reps. will answer you then email him and cut down something he has done and ask for a answer you will not get a reply. I have down this and know it's true the cut down was and before you answer and complain to this think of your elderly parents first emil huck and say it's is not right for the medical board to harass MD's for giving pain medication and he should investigate the problem he will ignore the email or reply that he has no control over the medical board now he appoints them to office but have no control get real what good is he in office and what are the people of ar. going to do when they drive all the pain medicine out of the state just remember don't get hurt and need some medicine. SO LET GET BEHIND THE AT WHO HAS THE RIGHT AND STRENGTH TO TELL HUCK WHEN HE IS WRONG

As I said, I find this all very entertaining. I thoroughly enjoy the give and take with you and your posters/readers.

Thank you for keeping track of the number of my posts. However, I think you're one off.

Hugh - good form! I am very glad you take in your news from more than one source. Most Americans only use one and that is a shame and undermines our democratic republic. I read five newspapers a day and visit countless websites to stay up on the latest happenings. And, I agree, most legitimate news sources do have an editorial board. However, they generally couch it in an "editorial section" which is what I think is missing here.

I think this page would be more appropriately called:

"Arkansas' editorial on politics and culture."

That way, at least we'd all know where everyone stands.

Finally, Hugh, there are a number of ways a private citizen can "redress the government for grievances" per our Constitution. I'm sorry you are outraged and I would encourage you to use your freedom of speech to get heard on this issue. I, too, (as I've said many times now - apparently only 8, though) do not fully agree with this policy. But, some of it, seems to be self-inflicted, is all I am saying.

ARK. BLOG and saying and saying.

Um - I think the work is being done - noone is saying Huck is right, we just don't want to hear about it until there is something NEW to hear. This is news that is three weeks old.

This is just a tired attempt by AT to get attention.

ARK. BLOG Same son, 10th verse or so from the Huckster's boiler room. Again, this is a NEW letter, just released, from national journalism organizations. You couldn't have known about it three weeks ago because it wasn't mailed until May 12 and likely not delivered to the governor until May 15. He was given a week to respond before it was released. It is true that the policy is old. But it is forever young as long as he continues to wage war with public money on this newspaper. We'd be getting NO attention if Huckabee hadn't come up with this stunt in the first place. Which is another reason why it wasn't exactly a good judgment call on his part

Randolph Pemberton AKA Max

If you are going to post something good or bad have the guts to use your Name not anonymous or are you brave to say what you want only when you can hide behind some silly little name or no name at all. GO AT get them and keep going until you win

"Why are you lying? I just ran a search for Huckabee at news.google.com and the only article posted on this letter is from ArkTimes. Call me crazy, but when wire services issue news, they generally appear on Google News.

Please, for the love of God, focus on something other than your self-righteous selves.

ARK. BLOG:

I'd call you the lying sack of crap, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and just say you are misinformed. Google News is not the be-all and end-all. Here's just one of several news accounts you'll find if you check Nexis:

Copyright 2006 Associated Press
All Rights Reserved
The Associated Press State & Local Wire

May 3, 2006 Wednesday 12:07 AM GMT"

The point of the orginal post was that the Ark Times is the ONLY news source to report on this NEW letter. So, using an article from May 3rd does not change the fact that the only news outet to report on the NEW letter (which is old news) is the Ark Times. Meaning that all the other news services don't think its news. That was the point which the Ark Times has tried to spin, with little success.

ARK. BLOG The letter was just released today. It's news, whether others use it or not, but I suspect some will. I'd suggest you wait an hour or three before declaring victory. And, as with Hogsnout, for somebody who's tired of this story, YOU SURE LIKE TO WRITE ABOUT IT. What, is this post #4 today?

ARK. BLOG

"It's news, whether others use it or not"

Wow - this sounds awfully like the Fox News mission statement. Are you really so absorbed with yourselves that you believe anything you write is news? Please. You guys should go hire Rush Limbaugh, he'd have plenty of "news" to contribute. In my mind you are now lower on the news spectrum than tabloid trash.

ARK. BLOG At least Hog Snout uses the same name for his multiple posts. Your repeats are getting tiresome. But, yes, we get it. You don't like us. News is in the eyes of the beholder. When our rights are violated, we think it's news. Others, as this letter indicates, agree with us. I'll take the AP Managing Editors' news judgement over yours, thanks.

Did anyone else see our Governor get dismissed on Meet The Press by Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA) for comments he made on the illegal immigrant issue?

Yes...and it was great!

It would almost be worth it to see Huck make the presidential cut and face nation-wide scrutiny for his numerous antics. His penchant for pardoning convicted rapists/thugs because they've either got a relative/close friend working in proximity of the gov or they've convinced some preacher bud of Huck's that they've been 'born again,' should provide some quality entertainment.

And, of course, his pettiness toward the Times will serve to underscore its role as a defender of FOI and other accountability/Free Speech issues while it pops his I-am-a-statesman crap.

It's silly and bias-revealing to argue that once a issue has been reported it's a non-news item. As long as a government official keeps on thumbing his/her nose at the law and/or the Constitution, it's newsworthy.

If Huck had learned anything from Rove, he should have set a record putting people to death (like in Texas) and publicly declared his respect for Max's rights as a journalist as he prepared the behind-the-scenes assassination.

To paraphrase, when you sit back and let someone else lose a liberty, a freedom, a right that you don't deem to be important, then you just might be the next person in line to lose a freedom, a liberty or right that you treasure.

Food for thought.

We are together in this enterprise called Democracy. We do not stand alone nor can we allow our fellow ctiizens to stand alone in their struggle.

To that end, we must stand with the Arkansas Times' in their struggle to affirm freedom of speech.

"Zelda" is Max

ARK. BLOG Why would I be? I post to my heart's content. I prefer to be identified. You, however, appear under many names on this thread.

"Zelda" is Max

Wishful thinking.

I'll take the AP Managing Editors' news judgement over yours, thanks."

I agree the AP Managing Editors are concerned about this issue, as am I, but they obviously don't think this letter is news. How do I know? Because the AP, more than anyone else, has the power to produce and distribute news - and they didn't write about it. When it is news they will write about it, and you can then do your little story.

Your problem is, you are an interested party. So why don't you recuse yourselves from the matter and just run wire stories - that way your crap won't be dismissed as smoke-blowing self promotion.

ARK. BLOG Re your 8th or 9th post of the day. Read the letter. The APME signed it. The issue is important whether it makes a headline in Paducah or Peoria. I'd be more inclined to call this self-promotion if we'd created the situation. We didn't. The Huckster did. You love him. You don't like us. But you can't make us go away. Fortunately, term limits will accomplish the other for us.

This is not intended to enter the debate about whether this issue is news or not (I am with the Times on this anyway). But I swear I saw this letter last week on the Blog. I remember noting to myself at the time that two of the signers were individuals and the remainder were organizations.

Did I halucinate this?

"Read the letter dumbass. The APME signed it."

They wrote it, they signed it, blah blah blah - THEY DID NOT PRINT OR PUBLISH IT. Because it is not news until Huck responds to it.

Dumbass? You guys really need to get a grip. I'm not cursing at you. Can't you have a reasonable argument without resorting to 2nd grade insults?

And, for the record, I thoroughly enjoy your paper. I am just sick to death of this issue.

ARK. BLOG Man, you are worked up about this issue. As if the mutliple posts didn't already prove it. But you're sitting there popping the reload button for response so quick you got it before we thought better of our use of the word dumbass (on ground of delicacy, not merit) and edited it out. However, I think 2nd-grade pretty well represents the nanny-nanny-boo-boo nature of your argument. A lot of people didn't initially follow the Wash. Post's Watergate disclosures. Was it not news? This is a bit of an exaggeration, of course. But we're fighting here for principle, not headline counts. You can judge it the way you want to judge it. We'll judge it our way. Public services denied on account of opinion is a bad policy. It's bad for everybody. We'll keep screaming until the policy is changed or the Huckster is gone, most likely the latter. You may find it tiresome or uncomfortable. But the minute the afflicted are comfortable, their opponents have lost the battle for sure. We'll keep fighting. Don't like it, don't read it. It must be as tiresome for you as it is for us to have your blood in an uproar responding to every one of our posts.

Finally, at least you managed to articulate your point without trying to justify with nonsense. Its fine to have a cause - but that makes you an activist group not a newspaper.

I still think you should not be discussing it as news, but who am I to tell you what to print.

Speaking of Censorship, 1st Amendment, etc. I think you should re-insert your comment calling me a "Dumbass". If you want to retract it later, you should do what real news organizations do and put up a retraction (and apology, if you believe appropriate)

ARK. BLOG Bub, that's your 17th comment on this string. You're done.

The Arkansas Times is censoring me and removed their comment calling me a "Dumbass" Posted by: ArkTimes = Self Centered

This is a BLOG, Dumbass. It's not the newspaper. They can do whatever they want, say whatever they want. Edit as they see fit. It's their blog.

Apparently, Dumbass doesn't understand we live in the 21st Century. Of course printed newspapers print retractions. What else can they do? Completely different technology from a computer blog.

What are they censoring?

ARK. BLOG As we've said before, we will impose limits on people who hijack strings. As we said, 17 repetitive posts from a single poster happened to reach our maximum today He'll be banned until he has something new to say..

"ArkTimes = Self Centered" sounds like Alice Stewart, Huckabee's press secretary (emphasis on the secretary part, because all she does is regurgitate her boss's insecurities and prejudices).

Alice is about as clueless as recently departed White House spokesmoron Scott McClellan or Ron Ziegler, who was Tricky Dick Nixon's press flack back in the day and was infamous for taking on the press and looking like an ass. Alice is Ron Ziegler in drag (because she's too emaciated to pull off ultra-pudgy Scott McClellan).

well, if y'all are gonna cut someone off, you shouldn't have a conversation with him. By my count the boys at AT posted about 17 times as well. He only continued posting to address AT's comments. Seems like a bit of a double standard to me.

"Just as you are questioning some posters, we also have the privilege to question the AT's motivations; the tone taken by certain posters; etc."

Hummm. Perhaps Max and company, to say nothing of the rest of us Arkansans, can make a very similar argument in re the governor and the office he occupies.

Wow. For "non-news", this thread has been very busy all day while I was at work.

To whoever wrote above that a "non-response" is not news, I say that it certainly is. As long as the Governor continues his illegal policy and thumbs his nose at those whose rights he is trampling, you're damned right it's news. It will only cease being news the day after he responds to the objections and drops the policy, when it can be put down in history as a sorry example.

(From Hog Snout)

... there are a number of ways a private citizen can "redress the government for grievances" per our Constitution. I'm sorry you are outraged and I would encourage you to use your freedom of speech to get heard on this issue.

Shouldn't have to, (mister pompous-ass-five-newspapers-and-countless-websites-a-day). You sound pretty important to me.

Boys and girls, it's going to be a long 6 months. As the Republicans unravel at all ends and bleed from all orifices they're going to bite and snap like an animal with a leg caught in a trap.

My advice to them is go ahead and gnaw off that Asa leg, the Huck for President leg and the entire Bush administration leg....and get some relief. The above mentioned are dead....dead....dead. But beware of their teeth....they're still snapping.

I don't blame Max and Co., for throwing a never ending hissy fit. I hope they pull out the lawyers before too long and let Huckster have it. I'm married to a journalist and at least for those over 40, they got a lot of hard and fast rules drummed into them in J school that they can't ignore. The kind of rules that have allowed us to have a free press up to now. The kind of rules you can't let the likes of Huck and Bush trample all over.

There once was a paper of iron rules in Little Rock. It had been there since 1819, the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi. They day it died it left a sickening void that has been filled by the Arkansas Times. I think enough of it to pay 18 bucks a year to have to shipped to my door over here in Fort Stephens. AT will be here when Huck is selling snake oil in Utah. I believe when the Democrats take over next year the Arkansas Times will take them to the woodshed when they need it. I would expect no less.

So let the crumbling party of Bush, Cheney, Huck and Asa rave on, I predict the AT will have the last laugh. And I'll be here in Fort Baptist laughing right along.

Can Max address a rumor I heard?
I don't know if it is true or not, but reportedly Max and the Times crew is well aware of why the Governor is pissed.
Supposedly, the rumor goes that the Times was providing assistance to an out-of-state reporter for a large and revealing piece on the Huckster. Dumond, the prison blood scandal, the whole list of things that people in Arkansas know about, but not anywhere else in the world.
Rumor of this article got around and caused at least one big money, potential donor to back out of a large, planned campaign contribution.
Word got back to the Huckster on what the Times was doing and cutting them out of the loop was the result.

ARK. BLOG Fascinating rumor. Not true as to us. As to the Huck, who can say?

DBI ... did you use to hang out at a bar in FS called Angelo's?
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