Arkansas Blog

>how many people remarked on how they felt a cloud had been lifted by the change of administration. Apparently there were quite a few people not left with a wellspring of affection for Mike Huckabee.<

Think of how good the entire nation is gonna feel come Jan 20, '09. The whole world too!
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Surpised but pleased by the Hoofman appointment. Expected Beebe to use Hoofman as a key legislative liaison, but confident Hoofman's experience and integrity will serve the 2nd District well.

I don't guess anyone asked him if he has any interest in completing the US 67 four-lane to the Missouri line, thereby opening up floods of St. Louis money flowing into Arkansas (and, of course, making it easier for me to get to Little Rock).

ARKBLOG: Nope

Hot diggity dog. A spanish speaking highway commish...

Ohmagod! Hurray for Jamie Cox! This wonderful news! Jamie's a great guy! I'm tickled pink!

Back in 1982 I was chasing this fine looking newspaper reporter that was about 3 notches above my station in life and while she was nice enough, she was a little like holding mercury in your hand. I had so far managed to pull off being 120% smarter, cleverer, cooler and more well spoken than I really was.

I was scared to death this girl was going to come to her senses and figure out I was pretty much a big zero. Out of the blue, her cool slightly older friends, Jamie and Patty, decided to go on a trip and needed someone to house-sit their beautiful new grownup house in the woods south of Fort Smith.

My brand new girlfriend (that's kinda stretching it) volunteered and then asked me if I would join her in house-sitting for safety's sake, making it fairly clear that we would sleep on different floors of the house and that I was expected to act like a gentleman. I accepted!

So the first day, I threw my belongings into a new brown paper Safeway sack and drove south to what turned out to be paradise! Jamie must have been selling drugs or stolen Nazi artworks to have afforded such a fantastic house in the woods at such a young age....it was way beyond anything my friends lived in at the time.

My new girlfriend and I proceeded to become the Lord and Lady of the Manor and invited many of her friends and co-workers to drive south and eat a fancy dinner on the deck...just like we were grown up, haired-over people. I strained every cell in my body to look good, act cool, and be super pleasing and helpful. And by Thursday night SHE was mine!

Despite the sometimes gloomy things I write about the tedious moments of being married for a quarter of a century, that week spent in Jamie Cox's house was the luckiest week of my life, and I'll always be grateful.

Of course none of that guarantees Jamie will be a great circuit judge. But I can tell you after knowing him for 25 years Beebe can sleep well at night with this appointment.

Jamie's a good man and a good Democrat of the non-fire breathing variety with a great sense of humor and outlook on life. He'll be a fair and compassionate judge. Yay!

Spirit, wasn't Highway 67 supposed to be coordinated with 62 East-West corridor? 62 is completed from Springdale to just the other side of Harrison. Was supposed to connect northern portion to Little Rock/memphis.

Think ol' Cliff will carry the water for Bruce Burrow's Bass Pro Development. As I recall, that project needs some serious highway money ($20m) to make it work. Let's hope that Cliff shops at Fort Thompson's.

ARK. BLOG: All I can tell you is that a happy Mayor Pat Hays was in the crowd cheering the appointment and the Bass Pro freeway work occurred to me, too. If a lawsuit doesn't stop it.

Great! Just what western Arkansas needs. Another commissioner from Central Arkansas. We will probably stay in our misery for a couple of more decades. Central Arkansas has been belted, four laned, looped and by-passed and over here we might get a little paint thrown on the roads and an occasional chip and seal job. Hoorah for political influence!

Wasn't Hoofman the state senator who got busted for drunk driving a few years back? He should make the highways a lot safer.

James O. Cox will be a great Judge. Smart, thoughtful, knows the law, and will keep the courthouse entertained with stories.

Cliff Hoofman! he no hablo ingles.

NLR City Hall brought over a busload of folks for the great announcement. Cliff is ready to revive the Mid Town Expressway Bridge proposal so the folks who work in Riverdale/Alltel-Land can live in the new Lisa Ferrell planned community on the north side. Sooner than you think.