Here’s a photo of the news we supplied earlier that Gov. Mike Beebe’s big appointment today would be Cliff Hoofman, the former senator from North Little Rock, to the state Highway Commission, succeeding Prissy Hickerson (behind Beebe). The place was packed with legislators and a vanload of homeys from NLR.

Hoofman took a few questions and danced around all the big topics — future highway tax aims, truckers’ contribution to road repair needs — with the nimbleness you’d expect from a long-time politician. Beebe clearly enjoyed the performance by his old friend and campaigner.

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The mood generally was jolly. I can’t tell you 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. Perhaps that explains a bit the small turnout for his recent fund-raising gala.

Oh, and there was another Beebe appointment announced today. The governor named Jamie Cox of Greenwood to fill a circuit judge vacancy that will be created by the Feb. 1 retirement of Norman Wilkinson.

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