Your comments welcome. My final words:

* GRUESOME: KAIT reports that authorities believe a Tuckerman man was beaten to death with a baseball bat by his stepson in an outgrowth of a child custody dispute.

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* DO DEUTSCH: I was urged to issue a reminder of a free concert at 7:30 p.m. tonight at UALR’s Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall. UALR students and faculty will perform German music.

* PARTISANSHIP: Gov. Mike Beebe decries it. Lt. Gov. Mark Darr thinks it’s swell. Check this Darr quote, which makes perfect sense for a party that uses the filibuster and ultra-majority vote rules to beat the likes of expenditures for the School for the Deaf:

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The truth is that divided government can be good for democracy. It fosters debate on issues rather than allowing the whims of the majority to be imposed by default.

I admit feeling the majority choice of Mark Darr was a bit whimsical.

* THE RACE TO THE BOTTOM: Gallup has it Romney, 20; Cain, 18; Perry, 15, and the rest splintered. Draft Huckabee.

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* JEFFRESS RUNNING FOR 4TH DISTRICT: Sen. Gene Jeffress of Louann, who’d said in late August he’d likely seek retiring 4th District Congressman Mike Ross’ seat, apparently “officially” announced today. Or so says his brother Jimmy Jeffress’ Facebook page. I can’t find a trace of the announcement elsewhere.

* NEWT SAYS FAUBUS WAS RIGHT: Many have urged me to link this item about a recent Newt Gingrich speech in which he said a 9-0 U.S. Supreme Court ruling was wrong in ordering desegregation of Central High over the wishes of Gov. Faubus and the legislature. He was speaking to the so-called Values Voters Summit (religious right extremists) about the evils of “judiciary supremacy.” In other words, Newt doesn’t buy Marbury v. Madison. If states want to segregate, they can segregate.

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* LOTTERY REPORTS: For your late-night reading pleasure, the monthly Arkansas Lottery report, including a detailed response to actions on past audit exceptions, by-county sales totals and more.

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