Arkansas Blog

1. Beebe straight LIED on Paron. It wasn't local, and Beebe wasn't honest.

Cannon is back on the pills again, looks like.

asa says - mental health problems=drug abuse problem

What's up with Beebe's hair? I have known him for several years and he doesn't look like the same guy with the slicked back hair.

Great to see Beebe's staff wearing their dirty hats to the debate. What ever happened to taking off your hat and combing your hair when you go to an event like a debate?

I, for one, find it odd that the liberals are figthing to proect the grocery tax, the most regressive tax in Arkansas.

"There's already a law against state employment of illegals;"

I couldn't friggin believe it. A$a accusing , indirectly, the Huckabee administration of NOT following the immigration related hiring laws. A$a admitted there were state laws regarding hiring immigrants but said they weren't being followed. Wonder if Huck is gonna sound off on that? One wingnut accuses the other! What a circus.

And I loved Beebe's lies about being religous. His deception there fit his tv-preacher slicked back greasy hair

Looked like a draw - Asa! (pronounced uh-SAH!) needed a knockout. I don't anticipate any change in the polls.

Beebe's Paron lie about them deciding to shut down locally will lose this race for him.

Local decision? No way.

And I loved Beebe's lies about being religous. His deception there fit his tv-preacher slicked back greasy hair

Patel have some more curry and please try a little harder. Do you offer any evidence for your accusation?
Without evidence or facts then you're the one lying.

Are you just one of the mad Republicans, angry about getting screwed by a Raging Elephant? Does it still hurt?
_

You're a racist Lwood.

Beebe's experience and analytical nature came through. A$a's proposals sound reckless; immediate elimination of the grocery tax and ignoring the looming Medicaid needs, state assumption of Federal responsibilities on immigration, watering down school standards just when we've turned a corner. Come on A$a, a few more votes aren't worth wrecking the state.

So, if Beebe's no longer for eliminating the grocery tax, will he edit his commercials?

Its obvious he ain't interested in eliminating the grocery tax anymore.

Uh-oh.....

Foley's IMs weren't pedophilia... They were between consenting adults... the guy he was talking to was 18.

The tolerant dems made all this fuss over an exchange between consenting adults!

Mr. Patel, you might want to watch MSNBC where they're discussing the story that Foley showed up drunk at some dorm room looking for LUV.

Keep spinning....you're augering into the ground quite nicely.

The CSPAN (Comcast 52 in Little Rock) schedule says the debate will be rebrodcast at 10 p.m. and 3:17 a.m. our time tonight and Friday morning.

What's going on Rocky? You're turning into a blooper reel tonight. Lwood wrote nothing racist whatsoever, the Foley scandal is worsening and you try to defend it (there's no getting around the 16=year old bit - I checked & rechecked that one), you've got no proof about Beebe's religious statement, and you cite no calrifying Paron evidence when you accuse Beebe of lying.
As a debater you are sorely lacking. If you can't run with the big dogs, you better crawl back under the porch and keep Anonymous company.

Dorm room = college kid= 18+

This is an issue of gays talking dirty, not pedophilia.

As much as I dislike homosexuality, this ain't illegal.

You dems have shot your wad on the issue and will have to back-pedal because of the gays whose votes you still want.

By the way, Beebe LIED on Paron. Period.

Speaking of shooting their wad on an issue, DC, that's what Foley literally did while voting on a war appropriations bill according to his e-mails.
How come many of the news articles I google list a 16-year old page? I think you're trying to cut a fine line with your argument and the public is not going to give a damn about your point when the issue itself is much blunter and nastier than that. Conservatives within the Republican party are calling for change, Bush says he's disgusted with the scandal, and many right-wing supporters are decrying the damage done by Foley's actions.
You had best let the little SOB drown and quit trying to save him. He aint worth it.

New Don Patel, I happen to like gays, wish I knew more and I think a gay man would tell you a 52 year old guy asking a 16 year old boy to measure his penis and send a picture is yucky. And when that guy is doing this while he's waiting to vote on funding the Bush War for Oil....it's double disgusting.

I doubt Foley will go to jail over email and IM's, but new stories are spilling out faster than maggots in a dead cow and by the time this is over we may all have our eyebrows singed off.

I don't want some 87 year old guy Im'ing me about my penis and I doubt any college kid or YOUNGER is dying to play bob the apple with a 52 year old man either. Keep spinning...this is fun.....I'm feeling better than I have in 6 years! And Speaker Bastert is toast...off to Turkey you old turtle!

The story of the night is Beebe's making it abundantly clear that he places no real priority on removing the tax on groceries, despite a record surplus in Arkansas.

There is no tax that hurts the poor as much as the grocery tax, and yet tar paper shack boy is fighting to justify it.

We are one of only 5 states that still have this regressive tax, and despite what he tells ma and pa on tv, Beebe has no interest in getting rid of it.

What a dishonest man. And one that's forgotten his roots.

We need to get rid of the grocery tax now for the folks that are in tar paper shacks. But Beebe has forgotten them, he'd rather keep the revenue and divy it up in Little Rock.

He's a liar, he lies on those commercials where he says he wants to eliminate the tax. Liar, liar, liar.

The pages live in dorms, Patel. So do kids in prep schools. Hell, so do kids in reform schools and summer camps. "Dorm" does not equal "college" nor confirm an age of 18 or older.

What planet are you transmitting from?

What's you source, Rocky Patel, and Don Carlos, that the boy was 18?
There's news everywhere about Foley, with more and more former pages coming forward. You are perhaps confused.

I think you're a bit confused about the Paron issue. Here's the quote:

The Saline County school district was annexed by the Bryant School district in early 2004. Last month, the Bryant school board voted to close the school, which serves grades six through 12.

The State Board gave approval and took the action requested. It was a local school board (Bryant) which closed the school.

I am SO glad I left the Republican party. People who defend abuse of minors disgust me. If it were your son I doubt you'd be so flippant.

He's getting it from Drudge. Apparently, a temporary problem released the name of the one being IM'ed during the vote, and by that time he'd turned 18. There seems to have been communication on both sides of the b'day... I don't think that quite takes care of the problem, though...

Pitiful. A$a's blog nazis are so desperate they're defending homosexuals and mediocre schools. Next they'll be proposing we tax the wealthy to provide crucial services to the most needy. Think there's any chance they'll defend foriegn workers as essential to our industries? Like I said, A$a, are a few more votes really worth wrecking our state?

When will either candidate point out that they will only remove a portion of the sales tax? Local govt. still derives the majority of their revenue from sales tax.Also I would dispute that this tax is regressive when you take into account the services that are provided. For many people, this is the only tax they pay

Personally, I think Beebe's gradual plan makes more fiscal sense than an immediate cessation of grocery tax, which would cause an immediate funding crisis.

Start by eliminating the tax on essentials, like milk and bread, and work up (as long as the numbers keep working out) to brie and champagne. If the numbers don't balance yet, keep taxing the extras. The customers for extras can afford it.

"The story of the night is Beebe's making it abundantly clear that he places no real priority on removing the tax on groceries, despite a record surplus in Arkansas.

Hey Rocky, Litto, etc, did they throw the kool-aide party for you before or after the debate?

Welcome aboard to the reality side of things. We realize you are not accustomed to debating but we offer no handicapps nor does the blog-master delete your posts like they do on Am Family or NWA politics. So now you gotta go head-2-head (no Foley pun) and your getting thin as piss on a rock.

Since cannot either understand or recall (or both) what Beebe said let's repeat it. ARKANSAS DOES NOT ALLOW DEFICIT SPENDING, UNLIKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHICH EMPLOYED ASA WITH A MULTIBILLION DOLLAR BUDGET. There are UNFUNDED MANDATES, courtesy of Republican Congress, which states must fund in addition to other state functions, like schools, state police, Weights and measures, paying the Legislature, etc. Got it? Take you time on the last one, we realize it's difficult for you.
Now Mike Beebe says you don't eliminate revenue that MAY be needed for mandated and constitutional functions of state government. Take your time. Re read it if necessary.
State revenues fluxuate. In good times they increase, in slow times they decrease but like families certain spending requirements do not go away.
We realized as Big Government Republicans this idea of NO DEFICIT is very alien to you but try to understand it.
Good luck.
_

"We realize you are not accustomed to debating."

If only you knew.

I was at the debate. Big win for Beebe.

Beebe got several good reactions, while Asa only managed one after a snarky remark where he called Beebe a liar about the grocery tax. Beebe hit him right back. At times, the debate looked like a step dad (Beebe) explaining complicated issues to a boy that just doesn't get it. (Asa)

Beebe's quote regarding his faith and his delivery of the JFK quote was great. It may not have translated to TV, but it wowed the crowd. Asa looked like a deer in the headlights when Beebe spoke about his faith. Classic.

My favorite quote:

Cannon: "Will you continue Governor Huckabee's health initiatives?"

Beebe:"I certainly believe one of the problems we have today is the lack of excerise in our young people. But I don't intend to lose a hundred pounds if that's what you're asking"

P.S. I'm no a small government conservative. I think Government can be used as a tool to help people as opposed to a burden on the taxpayers.

But did anyone else notice that every one of Asa's answers involved creating a new department, committee, or position? What ever happened to small government?

We realize you are not accustomed to debating."

>>If only you knew.<<

SHOW US YOUR BEST STUFF. IM UP ALL NITE WITH A DIFFICULT ASSIGNMENT. You would be a nice relief.

Foley's IMs weren't pedophilia... They were between consenting adults... the guy he was talking to was 18.

The tolerant dems made all this fuss over an exchange between consenting adults!

Good gosh...what is wrong with you Kool-Aid drinkers? Every Republican with an iota of decency has been side by side with the rest of us on this one: Foley's behavior toward the young boys in his care was unacceptable and worthy of at least an ass kicking from the parents. And then there's the rest of ya rationalizing the inexcusable because...who knows, nuts I'd guess.

Whether the young man was 18 or not while the 'relationship' occurred is significant...and we'll see exactly what went down 'cause the rats are jumping and the pages are talking. But defending Foley's crap (and the Republican cover-up) because of partisan zealotry is unbelievably wrong.

Parents do not send their children to Washington to be subjected to geezer lust by their mentors or to be used as pawns in Congressional power plays. It's UNACCEPTABLE to treat our children thusly...and it doesn't take an year-long investigation to understand that reality.

I'm told since he suddenly has many new opening in his schedule that Speaker Dennis Bastert will be coming to Arkansas to stump for Asa!

It's too bad the 2 school shooters died or they could come help raise funds of the Asa too. 18 points and falling!

It is almost 1a.m. and I've just made it back from Fayetteville, where I watched the partial debate.

There were so many things wrong. Both repeatedly said that we need 21st century jobs, but never indicated what those jobs would be.

It may not be one of those gee-whiz sci-fi futuristic jobs, but one that could significantly improve Arkansas. How about this - We can increase the number of nurses educated in Arkansas by closing inefficient nursing schools (administrative consolidation). We then use the money saved to raise the salaries for instructors at the remaining schools (attracting more instructors) and thus increase the number of qualified students who can enter and graduate from the programs.

The nurses can be used in home health care - reducing the hospitalization costs -, in public schools, improve the staffing ratios in nursing homes, and to address the needs of people with mental illness. Unlike the profits of shareholders of, say, an automobile plant, the nurses' salaries would be more likely spent in Arkansas.

As someone else above said, Asa wanted Arkansas to add more layers of bureaucracy (surgeon-general, Arkansas INS, additional level of highway management administration). No wonder former Republicans are seeking alternative candidates.

Asa wants some political method for determining where highway construction is done. Wasn't the Mack-Blackwell amendment passed to remedy those same political highway shenanigans of the past? Asa needs a crash course in Arkansas history - he's spent too much time elsewhere.

Using the state police to do the job of the federal INS? Don't the state police have enough on their plate - for instance, teaching local police to think before shooting unarmed citizens? Are we now ASKING for unfunded mandates?

Neither candidate seemed to be aware of the impact the Iraq War has on Arkansas. A disproportionate number of Arkansas first-responders (fire, law enforcement, health care) are are being drawn out of Arkansas by the Iraq War. Many of the people Arkansas needs most in a crisis are not here. As an aside, at a cost of $2 billion a week for the war, many resources that could protect us at home are unavailable or greatly reduced.

Neither candidate seemed to have a coherent and equitable tax revision policy. Neither appeared to be aware that the super-majority vote for tax changes they proposed is 3/4 plus one (e.g., 76) which is what it currently is for the income tax, not 2/3 plus one (67), which is still a high hurdle. Both 3/4 and 2/3 would allow a minority of legislators to hold state government hostage. A 60% vote for any tax is achievable, but higher than the current 51% for sales tax increase votes. Also, their solutions, except for the removal of the food tax (which I have repeatedly sponsored) involve giving yet more tax breaks to corporations whose share of state taxes have dropped precipitously over the last 20 years.

There were many other problems with the "debate," but I've gone on longer than I intended. Energy conservation, the drying-up Arkansas water resources, urban sprawl, prisons, the failures of the drug war were not discussed. The voters just heard more of the same nothings.
Jim Lendall
Green Party Candidate for Governor

Jim,

You seemed nice enough tonight at the debate. But I can't support a candidate for Governor who smells of patchouli.

If I were Denny Hastert and I wanted every curious person in the country to know I was being honest, I'd agree to take a lie detector test and make the results public.

Let's not put too far aside the FACT that if the dickster were to shoot dubya to death, then turn the shotgun on himself (which is no mean feat!) "Coach" Hastert would be President of the You Ess.

When I see Denny Hastert, I think, "integrity".

"If only you knew."

I ws not sure how to take that line and it has puzzled me that your additional comments to this topic have been as regular submissions rather than as ARKBLOG boxes.

It must be hard to be a microcosmic god over the world of people who participate on this blog, to basically know who's behind the masks used on our microcosmic world and to watch over our discourse.

"If only you knew." So many different meanings for such a short sentence. Almost a cosmic truth in that statement.

If only....

ARK. BLOG That wasn't me. It was Arturdo. Sometimes, it's easier for me to add a comment in the comment box. When I do, I sign it maxb and include my e-mail.

"Uh-oh.....Foley's IMs weren't pedophilia... They were between consenting adults... the guy he was talking to was 18. The tolerant dems made all this fuss over an exchange between consenting adults!"

Monica was an of-age consenting adult. Asa took Clinton to trail over that.

Shame on Arturo Fuentes. I'm glad you clarified that. I hope such activity can be stopped. If Fuentes doesn't have the cojones to sign in as himself, then joins Foley in abusive e-mails.
Max, despite normal human frailties, you make a damn good microcosmic god and I'm happy to exist in your world

Just don't tell me whther it's Intelligent Design or not. It could disrupt my disbelief system.

Keep up the good work and I'll sacrifice a juicy hamburger steak and baked potato on the family altar tonight for you.

FreedomCounty, that's good. Patchouli. Do you ingest, squirt or smoke it?

Bye bye, A$a, bye bye.

That debate was your last chance. Now you have NO chance.

Go back to D.C., make a few more million, and take your despicable family with you.

Hugh Mann...You missed one person in between Cheney and Hastert and that is the Senate Pro Tem....Senator Ted Stevens from Alaska. Hastert is 4th in line.

From infoplease.com

Order of Presidential Succession

According to the Presidential Succession Act of 1792, the Senate president pro tempore1 was next in line after the vice president to succeed to the presidency, followed by the Speaker of the House.

In 1886, however, Congress changed the order of presidential succession, replacing the president pro tempore and the Speaker with the cabinet officers. Proponents of this change argued that the congressional leaders lacked executive experience, and none had served as president, while six former secretaries of state had later been elected to that office.

The Presidential Succession Act of 1947, signed by President Harry Truman, changed the order again to what it is today. The cabinet members are ordered in the line of succession according to the date their offices were established.

Prior to the ratification of the 25th Amendment in 1967, there was no provision for filling a vacancy in the vice presidency. When a president died in office, the vice president succeeded him, and the vice presidency then remained vacant. The first vice president to take office under the new procedure was Gerald Ford, who was nominated by Nixon on Oct. 12, 1973, and confirmed by Congress the following Dec. 6.

The Vice President Richard Cheney
Speaker of the House John Dennis Hastert
President pro tempore of the Senate1 Ted Stevens
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns
Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez2
Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao3
Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson
Secretary of Transportation Vacant
Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson
Secretary of Homeland Security4 Michael Chertoff

Unlike certain presidents I can admit a mistake. I'm either confused or have been mistakenly guided. Please forgive me.

Oh yeah.....if Topher had been right...I would have slept so much better tonight knowing that Ted Stevens would come one more ahead of Speaker Bastert......another heart attack vs cancer moment. I say we whack them off down to Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson. His brother Pat always made me laugh.

Talk about debating material. Halter knocks Holt for voting against his pay increase three times and for sponging off the government by serving his country. Wow!!! That should get him some votes. Thought this guy was a Rhodes scholar and smart and sharp and all that good stuff. And I am sure it will really win him some votes by the families who have sons, husbands, etc. serving in Iraq at this time.

This should incense every patriotic cititizen for Halter to make the accusation that a person serving his country is sponging off the government when their salaries are so low many of them qualify for food stamps. I just think everyone should see Halter's press release as an example of his brilliance. Just can't understand why Max didn't post this one immediately like he has in the others in the past. He refused to touch the real issue in Holt's press release which was the $1 billion increase that his programs would cost in a two year cycle. This guy refuses to talk about the issues.

Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2006 5:15 PM
Subject: Halter

HALTER FOR ARKANSAS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: BUD JACKSON
October 4, 2006
ARKANSANS DERSERVE A LOOK UNDER JIM HOLT'S HOOD

Halter Campaign Questions Qualifications
and Hypocritical Conviction

(Little Rock) - Bill Halter's campaign for Lieutenant Governor today lambasted Jim Holt for his hypocritical conviction and challenged him to prove that he has any professional work experience or record of success that he can point to as qualifications to be lieutenant governor.

"Jim Holt needs to get real and tell Arkansans that he has no past successful private sector work experience at all," said Halter campaign spokesman Bud Jackson. "What experience will Jim Holt draw upon to build and attract higher-paying jobs to Arkansas, his failed used car salesman experience?"

"Jim Holt spends a great deal of time criticizing the government's spending," continued Jackson. "But for most of his life he's earned a living from a taxpayer-funded salary. And for the past six years, taxpayers have wasted their money on Jim Holt, who has been recognized as one of Arkansas' worst state legislators of all time."

Conviction Lost: Holt Takes the Pay-raise

Holt, the frequent critic of wasteful government spending and leaders without conviction, on more than one occasion railed against legislative pay-raises while he was in office, but turned around and pocketed the cash, anyway.

Legislative Pay Raise Votes - Holt Voted Against them all, but took the cash anyway:

HB 1156, 2001 Legislative Session
HB 1050, 2003 Legislative Session
HB 1050, 2006 Legislative Session

"It's funny how fast Jim Holt's conviction flies out the window when it impacts his own wallet," concluded Jackson.


A Record of Failure and Rhetoric

"No private sector experience and a record of failure as a public official are hardly qualifications to be lieutenant governor," continued Jackson. "After those qualifications, what is Jim Holt left with? Nothing but rhetoric. And that's what Jim Holt's entire campaign has been about - heated rhetoric and no plans to move Arkansas forward."

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette named Holt to their "Top Ten Worst Legislators" list every time he was eligible. [AR Democrat-Gazette, 5/6/01 5/25/03, 5/15/05]

After a spirited and closely scrutinized Democratic primary election, Arkansans know in great detail Bill Halter's professional experience and public service. But voters know very little about Jim Holt.

Holt yesterday sent out a press release attacking Halter's plan to make our schools excellent despite having no plan of his own. Halter's plan has been available for months and requires no additional taxes to fund. In fact, Bill Halter proposes phasing out the sales tax on groceries.

You guys that are lambasting Foley and wanting Hastert to resign becasue he didn't oversee a Congressman for writing email notes to a page and yet don't want to discuss the connection Halter had with porn when he was on the Akamai board, are flat out hypocrites. Halter was on the board for more than a year while the porn sites were being piped into universities and touted as " web's youngest teen girl" in sex acts, and only PHASSED out the porn after they were outed by the Boston Globe. Yet Halter can simply say he didn't know about it and he gets total protection while you not only want Foley's hide but the hide of the US Speaker Dennis Hastert who you claim should have known what was going on and done something about it. Of course, Halter is not accountable for any such reponsibility for all that porn that reached thousands and thousands. No one in Arkansas wants that investigated.

Chris,

Moonlighting pro bono for Jesus Jim?

Tell me, how does he provide shelter, food and clothing for 10 mouths or is it 9? on what $500 bucks a week? I'd like to know this secret.