Democrat-Gazette Supports Holt Campaign!

....by endorsing Bill Halter.
Why is this man smiling?

I am going to blast the Demo-Zette's endorsement so hard that if I had typed it in North Korea the world would believe that they had tested another nuke. To read my nuclear de-construction of the Democrat-Gazette editotrial endorsement, click TUESDAY below and scroll down, or if sent straight here just scroll down.

District 87 (NASCAR) Race: A Brazen Deception

The NWA Times gives a pretty good article on the House District 87 race, where the two contenders share names with famous NASCAR drivers. State Rep. Mark Martin faces Independent Jimmie Johnson.

Johnson is a conservative who decided to enter the race when Martin voted for and supported Taxpayer Scholarships for Illegal aliens. In fact, in this radio interview from last year a hyper-emotional Martin claims that he received Divine Guidance to vote for the program, and defends it relentlessly.

Since that time, Martin has gotten plenty of heat for his stand. So much so that he has tried to revise history concerning the reasons for his vote. In today's NWA Times he says this about his vote:

"Martin explained that he took the position after being repulsed by the actions of some opponents, from their words to the security threats made against state Rep. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, who proposed the bill.

“ I can honestly say that I don’t support the legislation, but I can also honestly say that what happened in the state capitol from the opposition side was an embarrassment, and that’s what I voted against. ”

No. No he can't "honestly" say that he does not support the legislation. He is saying it, but not honestly. Not for the reasons he gives. Listen to the interview. Those are not the words and tone of a man who does not "honestly" support the legislation. They are instead the words and actions of a man who ardently supports the legislation. He feels that giving the taxpayer funded college scholarships to persons in this country illegally is the right thing to do. His new story, that he voted for legislation that he was against because the sponsor of the bill was threatened by someone, is about as stupid a reason to vote for bad legislation as I have ever heard.

It is one thing to be wrong, but it is another thing to be dishonest. It appears here that we have a case of someone who was wrong, and then is dishonest about it. Voters of district 87, please vote for the one person in that race you can trust: Jimmie Johnson Jr..

Halter & Arkansas Times Exemplify Psychological Projection

Halter Takes High Road; Holt Bloody Road, Arkansas Times Says
(See definition of psychological projection below)

"Throughout our meal, Halter sticks to the issues, refusing the opportunity to turn on Jim Holt even when I damn near force a knife into his hand. In a race in which his opponent [Holt] has been willing to go for the quick and bloody hit, Halter repeatedly takes the high road," reports the liberal Arkansas Times on their interviews with Halter and Holt, Oct 26, 06.

Following are just a few of the 30 similar nasty terms pulled out of Halter press releases. You can find all of the terms and more at the link at the end of this article. "Jim Holt Can't Be Trusted, King Of The Whoppers, Worst Legislator In Arkansas’s History, Taxpayers Have Wasted Their Money On Jim Holt, Caught Lying,Six Whoppers From Jim Holt, Manufactured And Distorted Sleaze, Desperate Campaign , Hypocritical Conviction, Right Wing Ideology, Puts Person Ideology Above Progress, Inflammatory Rhetoric, His Failed Used Car Salesman Experience, Jim Holt Sure Knows How To Flip-Flop, But For Most Of His Life He's Earned A Living From A Taxpayer-Funded Salary." (In this last one Halter is referring to Holt's 9 years in military service as NSA watch officer during the cold war under 3 Presidents.)

I am sure every mom or wife or family member of anyone serving in Iraq or who has been killed in service would really appreciate this strange concept of Halter's - that military service is sponging off the government.

Psychological projection (or projection bias) is a defense mechanism in which one attributes ("projects") to others, one’s own unacceptable or unwanted thoughts or/and emotions. Projection reduces anxiety by allowing the expression of the unwanted subconscious impulses/desires without letting the ego recognize them.

What Other Have Said About Holt
(Don't miss the last one by liberal John Brummett)

Laura Kellems with Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported on Senator Holt's military records after reporters had investigated them for hours just to prove Holt was honest. "The reporters did find, however, that on evaluations, supervisors said Holt "exhibits high morals" and is 'totally trustworthy and honest. ' They also reported he held a "top secret" clearance under three presidents. Article  September 12, 04. by  Kellams

"Sen. Paul Miller, D-Melbourne, who doesn’t count Holt as an extremist, said Holt votes his conscience.' You have to give him credit for that. Against all odds he will stick with what he believes in,' Miller said. Sen. Jimmy Jeffress, D-Crossett, called Holt “a good man and a well-principled man and a man of good morals.'"  Article on Holt in Democrat Gazette by Wickline July 2, 06 [Senator Miller and Jeffress are Democrats; Holt is Republican]

Jimmy Cunningham, superintendent and past president of the Arkansas Rural Education Association, said, …"He [Holt] never wavered and we never had to lobby him because we knew where he stood. Everyone who didn't know already, learned that if Senator Holt tells you something, you can count on him to keep his word." [Cunningham is a Democrat; Holt is a Republican]

Excerpts from liberal John Brummett article. "ME" is John Brummett)
Holt: You claim to want politicians to tell the truth. You have to admit, I tell the truth. You don't really think Halter is against gay foster parents, do you?
Me: I hope not, but I don't know. It's like I said about Beebe and Hutchinson the other day. With Halter, you get half a chance because he's taken both sides. With you, you have no chance because you've taken the wrong side.
Holt: So, you favor the guy who won't give you a straight answer?
Me: In the current Arkansas political climate, that's the best I can hope for.

For rest of article and documentation of facts above (the above are just excerpts) see this link

Gay Mafia Reaches to Lowell

We knew they were defacing Holt signs in Fayetteville, just as they did in 04, but now they are expanding their vandalism to Lowell. It is clear they don't care about decorum or the democratic process, only about imposing their will on the majority. Yet their demand for us is "tolerance", which they then change in meaning to "acceptance" or even "celebration".

CNN Poll: Government Doing Too Much

When even CNN is reporting that people believe that government is doing too much, then government is doing too much!

54 percent thought that government was doing too much and that some things government is trying to do would best be left up to individuals and businesses. Only 37% thought government should do more to solve the country's problems.

If Competition Produces Excellence..........

......then the political system we have in Arkansas produces mediocrity, or worse.

Arkansas is not really a two-party state. It is a one party state, with the identity of the party varying by region. In NWA that would be Republican, in most of the rest of the state it would be Democrat. In both cases it means that the election winners are usually decided in primaries. And that means that those who will serve their party best, not their constitiuents best, usually carry the day.

In the 100 member house, we have only 32 contested races this November. Even that may be largely a result of term limits- only 10 incumbents face a challeger. In the 35 member senate, 17 seats could have been contested this November. Three are.

After the election, we need to talk about where we go from here. We need to talk about what we can do to fix a flawed system that produces so little responsiveness to the people. Instead, the money-folks at the capitol get all the response because once elected, there is almost no chance a legislator will even be challenged before they are term-limited out, much less beaten.

We have to change that. Come back here after the election and let's talk about how.

Claiming the Name of Christ Ought to Mean Something

I notice that candidates from across the political spectrum are appropriating then name of Jesus Christ in order to get the voters of our Bible-belt state to feel comfortable with them. That includes the Lt. Governor's race where pro-abortion Democrat Bill Halter says that Jesus is his most admired person. In the Attorney General's race, pro-abortion and pro-homosexual civil union Democrat Dustin McDaniel also lists Christ as his most admired person. They didn't ask in the other two races.

What is shocking is that candidates who use The Name seem to feel no obligation whatsoever to align their position's on issues to what their self-described "most admired person" would Himself advocate. For instance, how do they square their position on abortion with Our Lord's statement "Let the little children come unto Me", and "It is better that one have a millstone hung around their neck and be cast into the depth of the sea than to cause one of these little one's who believe in me to stumble"? CLearly, Jesus loved little childern. My guess is that Jesus would give abortion advocates the same treatment the moneychangers in the Temple got from Him.

We live in a post-modern age where some believe that there is no truth, that one is free to construct a Jesus to their own whims. If they are wrong, have pity on their souls. What they are doing may work as far as winning an election, but death comes to us all. On the day when all of us, small and great, have to stand before the actual Christ it is not going to matter whether or not they won elections. It will only matter how honest they were in their faith.

Media Coverage Completely One-sided on College Bonds

I just read another article about how the bond issue has broad support. Just like every article on the issue since it was announced we would get a chance to "choose again" (voters rejected the same proposal in a special election last December) it was completely one sided. Every article is packed with quotes from people saying how wonderful more debt is going to be. I have yet to read a single line of print from anyone opposed to the bond issue from the establishment media.

It is no wonder people favor it, they are being herded like sheep to a pre-determined objective. The media is concealing the details that reveal how sorry this thing really is. To get the other side, you have to turn to articles like this one from our blog.

Don't be herded like sheep. Study BOTH sides and then make your own decision.

Spin is GOP too Right but Truth is GOP too Liberal

If you can't read the print, click on cartoon.

Probably the Most Effective Ad of the Season

Republican Attorney General candidate Gunner DeLay's team has developed what is likely to be the most effective political ad of the Arkansas politcal season. Of course, it helps that his opponent, State Representative Dustin McDaniel, opened his mouth and said he supports homosexual "civil unions". Seventy-five percent of the voters in 04 put in a Marriage Amendment that banned "civil unions" between homosexuals. It is "marriage in all but name". Many suspect that the rest of the state-wide Democratic ticket also supports such arrangements, but they are too smart to say so! All we can say for sure is that McDaniel gave the DeLay campaign a gift.

Of course, one must also have the skills needed to capitalize on your opponent's mistakes. Team DeLay does. The ad they produced was brilliant. The placement of the ad was optimal. Can we expect more of the same? You bet'cha!

To see the ad follow this link. Then come back and tell me if you agree that it will be the most effective ad of the year in terms of moving voters, or if you can suggest another that I have overlooked.

Real Threat vs. Shameful Fear Mongering

It has become crystal clear that the Democratic Party of Arkansas is building it's election campaign on the solid rock of ignorance and irrational fear. The Republicans are also hitting the alarm, but in their case the threat they are warning people about is real.

The Democrats are trying to terrorize old people over a non-existent threat to social security in, of all things, the Lt. Governor's race. The Republicans, especially in the Attorney General and Lt. Governor's races, are sounding a warning about homosexual "civil unions" and "foster parenting". The threat to "social security" is void of substance. It's shameful fear mongering. The threat to marriage and children is very real and is happening right in front of us. Just today, New Jersey Judges imposed homosexual civil unions that are identical to marriage in every respect but name on the citizens of that state. Since there is no residency requirement in New Jersey, "partners" there will be down here challenging our laws in no time.

Courts in this state have already overturned Department of Health and Human Services policy that formerly protected children from homosexual "couples" that wanted to acquire them through foster parenting or adoption.

Compare: The Democrats are trying to use the strictly federal issue of "social security" in the Lt. Governor's race. This is a bogyman created by lies and half-truths that the Halter campaign has thrown out concerning Jim Holt. The goal is to put fear and disgust in the minds of senior citizens over a non-issue. In 04, Jim Holt said he looked favorably on Bush's plan to privatize a portion of social security for those who wanted to do that. Nothing ever came of it. There was never even a vote on it. Even if it had passed, Social Security would not have been less solvent, but more solvent. And the portion of the contributions that had been privatized were the only part that would truly belong to you. For the rest of it, you have only the promise of your government to give you an unspecified amount of money at an unknown point in time.

The Democrats are running phony "issue advocacy" ads, which skirt the law on a political party's restrictions on donations to a campaign. They are really designed to beat the drums of irrational fear and demonization over a simple expression of support for Bush's long-defunct plan to privatize a portion of one's SS contributions in order to enhance the solvency of the system. This is something they know is a non-issue in any race on the ballot in 06, much less the Lt. Governor's race.

When the Republicans try to sound the alarm on an issue that is a real threat, the homosexual agenda, the establishment media in this state howls with protest. Yet they can't even work up a "tsk, tsk" for the Democrat's blatant demagougery. These are the same people in 04 who demanded to see Jim Holt's high school report cards, and printed in the newspaper what classes he made bad grades in! Bill Halter defends making money from distributing teen porn, and it passes without comment!

Rasmussen: Beebe 49-41: Gap Closes by 2

Rumour is that Rasmussen has a new poll out. Information about the margin of error is lacking. It shows the race 49-41 Beebe, a gap of 8 percentage points. The last time this poll was taken about two weeks ago it showed a gap of ten points, 50-40 Beebe. As far as we know, the two other candidates are not listed in this poll.

Once again, the election appears close, with Beebe having a slight edge going into the final stretch. If the Republican Voter Targeting and Turnout operation is what it has been cracked up to be, I expect a near photo-finish with the winner possibly getting under 50% of the vote.

"A Power Struggle, Not a Moral One"

Gov. Huckabee Disputes Beebe's Claims to Have Opposed Nick Wilson's Grabfest

Governor Mike Huckabee was on fire today in El Dorado. It was his bid to go out as he came in- a reformer come to clean up corruption in government. It brought back memories of the distant past when I was an ardent Huckabee supporter. It bears remembering how corrupt Arkansas government was when one party controlled it all.

To read the best press release of Mike Huckabee's final term as Governor, click TUESDAY below and scroll down, (or if sent straight here just scroll down).

Count Me Out On College Bonds

My objections are three-fold. One is the way about half the money is being used to allegedly "pay off" old debt, and the other is that many of the new projects will be used to expand capacity beyond what our economy is able to absorb. The third objection is that we have ample cash on hand to meet higher eds true qualitative improvement needs without new debt.

Only $150 million of the $250 million bond money would go into new projects. $100 million would be put in a fund and invested in the hopes that the investments make enough to pay off previous bonds as they come due. There are no guarantees our returns will be high enough to make that profitable. Why pay interest and fund management fees when we have a surplus? Why not just pay the bonds off as they come due, since you can't pay them off early anyway? Some fund manager is going to make a ton of state government money off of this. I’d rather the people kept their money.

The focus of the spending should be on increasing the quality of the university system rather than expanding its capacity. It’s a mistake to go into debt to over-expand your higher-ed capacity beyond the quality jobs available. You have to start with making the general business climate in the state more favorable. The key to that is to cut taxes, over-regulation, and public debt. Once the jobs are here, it will power the economy. Money to expand the education system capacity will follow. If you start by expanding the capacity of the University System beyond availability of the good jobs, all you are going to do is subsidize the economies of Dallas and Chicago. Our college graduates would have to go there to get good jobs. We in Arkansas would provide the training costs, and those other places would reap the benefits.

Lastly, we don't need to use debt. In December, the project they talked about the most was the E-corridor. They said we needed the bonds to build the E-corridor. A week after the people voted the bonds down the first time the U of A Fayetteville announced they had the money to do it anyway. They ‘found’ $6.4 million of the $10 million or so needed to wire the whole state system. I think the same thing will happen with many of these projects. Let’s say “no” to the bonds, get the higher ed system about half of that $150 million from using about 10% of the surplus and some of our General Improvement Fund money. Then the people will have no new debt, no fund management fees, and no new interest payments. The colleges can pick the projects they think are most important.

More Proof on "North American Union"

The Bush Administration appears to be going full speed ahead with the "North American Union". This appears to be an extra-constitutional effort to make us one economically, and therefore to a large extent governmentally, with Canada and Mexico. Some of the government document linked to in this World Net Daily report have references to making Candadian and Mexican companies eligible for FDA grants and eliminating some of the few restraints we have left on our borders.

The article and linked documents are very disturbing. I'm open to suggestions about what we can do about it (I don't consider voting Democrat an option, no one can tell me that they are not just as much in the pocket of international corporations as this administration.)

Greene County Lacks Ballots

Greene County, traditonally Democrat-leaning but now with a strong Republican trend, especially for Holt, did not get their paper ballots today. This was despite the fact that it was printed in the paper that they would. Something bad is going on here folks. If there is any questions about how the election goes, those ballots are essential for a paper trail. Provisonal ballots are also cast on paper.

The lady who reported this to us was upset. We could only suggest that she tell people to VOTE LAGRONE for Secretary of State.

Halter & Hastert's Responsibility on Porn compared

Halter and Hastert Compared in Letter to Editor
Bill Halter for Lt. Governor and Speaker of the US House, Dennis Hastert
 
Email sent out by Women's Action Group
 
This is the way letter came to us; very slightly different version was printed (see link below for version in the Democrat Gazette)
 
I think people in Arkansas need to analyze Bill Halter for Arkansas Lt. Governor's  connection to porn and the call for US House Speaker Dennis Hastert to step down.  Some people claim Hastert wasn't responsible in his oversight of  Republican Mark  Foley – a Republican Representative for 20 years who wrote scandalous sex messages to pages.
 
Mark Foley  has resigned his position - as he should.  However, Bill Halter was on the board of Akamai, a company that pumped porn (touted as the "web's youngest teen girls" in sex acts)  and online gambling sites into a number of universities until the Boston Globe reported on these moral and possible illegal actions. 
 
Akamai operates  a global network of more than 12,000 servers and 1,100 networks in the US and 65 countries.   That's a lot of porn!  Then Halter sells Akamai stock to finance his campaign in Arkansas and is awarded the Democratic  nomination for Lt. Governor.   Liberals think US Speaker Dennis Hastert should step down for neglecting his responsibility, but the media  won't even talk about Halter's connection to porn, much less  his  responsibilities as a Board member of  Akamai.  
 
It was reported in December,  2002, that Akamai, on whose Board Bill Halter sat," is no longer seeking business from porn or gambling sites and is not renewing contracts with them as they expire."  Akamai PHASED out the porn rather than just stopping it.  
 If Halter  were a Republican, he would be history already - just like Mark Foley.
 
Kay Williams
Paragould, Arkansas
 
1. Hastert rebuffs calls to resign. Link
2. .  Akamai  delivers content for teen -pornography Web sties and offshore gambling sites whose legality is in question including one that advertises "the Webb's youngest teen girls" in sex acts. "Content Discontent College Shocked To Discover Akamai Servers on Campuses Help Speed Porn, Gaming Sites" in Boston Globe and written by Peter J. Howe  "Akamai delivers content for teen-porn web sites and offshore gambling sites whose legality is in question." College servers deliver porn, gambling site,  Dec 4, 2002. Also  found on this link: Link
3.  Akamai operates a global network of more than 12,000 servers and 1,100 networks in the US and 65 countries. See  Boston Globe article in #2 above.     
4.  Akamai phases out the porn rather than just stopping it."Akamai Pulls Sites Amid Dispute," Boston Globe, Dec., 07  Link
5. " But then Wooldridge said Halter's business dealings extended to profiting from Internet pornography via a company through which he financed much of his campaign by selling several hundred thousand dollars' worth of stock.  John Brummett  June 10, 05  Link
6.  Halter went on the Akamai Board in 2001. Dem Gaz by Wickline. Above articles were written in Dec. 2002.   Link
7. This is link to actual version in the ARkansas Democrat Gazette.

Beebe's AG Office on Gay Foster Parents: Don't Ask, Don't Tell

David Sanders did some good reseach on the claims and counter claims of Beebe and Hutchinson. Subject: why Beebe's AG office failed to protect children from judicially imposed homosexual foster parenting. This ruling was imposed despite the objections of state child welfare advocates.

Beebe's answer was that the state department of human services had its own lawyers, and it would be illegal for his team to jump in unless asked. Beebe said they never asked.

The real answer is that Beebe's assistant for child-welfare, Larry Crain, had already made it clear to them that he thought they were wrong and he had no interest in defending the department's desire to protect children from homosexual foster parenting.

(continued, click SUNDAY below and scroll down for rest of story, or if sent straight here just scroll down)

Back-Up Ballots Missing in Key Republican Areas

I have recently confirmed media reports in NW Arkansas that Benton County is lacking their paper ballots for early voting. They need 90,000 and they have zero. They stated that "hopefully" they will receive them in time for early voting, which begins tomorrow.

Yes, the state will be using touch-screen, but the paper is what provisional ballots will be cast on, as well as be used as backup for the Ivotronic's. That means that if there are problems with the Ivotronic's (not unliklely) then Republican-leaning Benton County votes may in fact be disenfranchised next week due to a lack of paper ballots. We also hear that Saline is in a similar position, although we have not yet been able to confirm. It was reported in the Secretary of State debate that Baxter county missed their internal deadline for military absentee printing. A representitave from the SOS office subsequently chewed out Baxter county election officials for "leaking" that information.

Here is another note: All paper ballots cast in this election will be considered provisional...meaning if the Ivotronic's go down in a critical polling location or precinct then ALL those ballots will be considered provisional and could affect the outcome for one, multiple, and potentially even state-wide candidates if the problem is severe enough.

We will have some close races on our hands in three weeks. It is disturbing that many Republican counties are reporting the same problems. Perhaps this is just a function of us having better connections to Republican counties, maybe the problem is state wide. Either way, the consequences for the state would be terrible if we have a repeat of the May primaires and the June run-off election (the results were not officially certified until August).

Keep that in mind when you cast your vote for Secretary of State this year.

Thumbs Down for "One Night With the King"

Should Christians support Christian art just because it is Christian? Trinity Broadcasting Network produced and is pushing a movie called, "One Night With the King", based on a book called "Hadesseh" which was based on a book of the Bible, the Book of Esther. The Book of Esther tells a wonderful story. Even if you are not a religious person I can highly reccommend opening a Bible and reading the book of Esther as art, as a tale well told. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the movie.

(continued- click SATURDAY below and scroll down for rest of article)

New Zogby Poll: Beebe 49 Hutchison 45, MOE +- 4.2

The poll was conducted for the Wall Street Journal from Oct. 10th to Oct. 16th. You may have to click on the "gubinatorial races" tab and find Arkansas for the results. This poll did include Lendall and Bryan. This poll is highly "gender gapped", with a 30 point Beebe lead among women and a 23 point Hutchinson lead among men.

Going into the home stretch it looks like Beebe has a slight edge but it could go either way. The difference is within the margin of error. I would like to know the balance of single women vs. married women polled. Oversampling single women would tilt it the dems way. Over sampling married women with children would do the opposite. Maybe they got it about right. All I know is that the GOP needs a top-notch swing voter targeting and base turnout operation to win this race. They think they have one. We will know after 3 weeks.

Mexicans on the Run

Earlier this month AW broke the story "Where is the Mexican Consulate?". We wondered because the address given was that of an abandoned Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream shop. Our lead watch-blogger hinted that maybe it was STILL in the taxpayer-funded facility headed by a state employee who also ran the race-based group LULAC.

Turns out he was right. Now James Jefferson reports that the consulate is enjoying the use of taxpayer-funded offices in exchange for the hefty rent of one United States Dollar. At least until the end of the month. Maybe the public outcry got to them. The article says they are then going to move to "another temporary home" that is not named in the article for another month. By then their ice-cream shop should be ready.

So why are they leaving to a new temporary facility for only 1 month before their permanent one is ready? And where are they moving to during this period? Once again the question is "where is the Mexican Consulate in Little Rock?".

Jackson reports that the Governor said, "The consulate will provide Arkansas businesses with access to Mexico and opportunities to expand their markets, and will help further ensure that immigrants from Mexico are legal and better able to secure legal documentation". By that, we can only guess that he means they will hand out wagon loads of the bogus Matricula ID cards.

Mexico has been abusing this diplomatic priviledge for years. It gives illegal aliens a facade of legitimacy to have one of these cards. It also serves as a form of ID for banks, so that the illegls can suck the state dry by sending all their extra income back to their home rather than spend it in the community where it is earned like an American would. How the Governor can claim with a straight face and clean conscience that this consulate will "bring jobs" to Arkansas rather than siphon money out is beyond me.

Cheating on Property Taxes? GOP Says Halter Should Come Clean

UPDATE: HOLT AUDIO ON HALTER'S PROPERTY TAX PROBLEMS....."Halter should do what I did and release records....if he's innocent" and "To get that exemption you must claim in writing that DC is your "permanent home"".

For Immediate Release:

Oct. 19, 2006

Contact: Clint Reed at 501 372-7301

Halter Took Senior Citizen’s Exemption on Property Tax

LITTLE ROCK— “Recently, Bill Halter accused Senator Jim Holt of cheating on his property taxes over an old van a friend gave him. Jim Holt provided complete access to all his records to the media, and proved he was innocent of the charge. Now, we have some property tax questions for Bill Halter,” said Clint Reed, the Executive Director of the Republican party of Arkansas.

“However, we are not going to accuse him of being a tax cheat in the same fashion as Mr. Halter did Senator Holt. We just want Mr. Halter to be as open as Senator Holt has been in releasing all records to the media so we can find out the truth on why Mr. Halter has taken property tax credits that he was not entitled to, including a Senior Citizen’s Credit in 2003. It also appears that Mr. Halter took a homestead exemption to which he was not entitled from 2003-2005.”

This was on a home Mr. Halter owned in Washington D.C.

“Will Bill Halter stand up to the same high standards of honesty and transparency exemplified by Senator Holt by releasing his property tax audit documents to the media, including the amount of fines he was assessed for taking deductions to which he was not entitled?” asked Reed. “The people have a right to know these things of a man who says he can take care of the people’s business.”

Reed offered to show documentation that Halter had taken the exemptions, and that revisions had been made to his exemptions as the result of an audit and while contemplating a bid for Governor and/or Lt. Governor.

UPDATE: Republican Executive Director Clint Reed has issued a statement saying, ""We simply asked for Mr. Halter to provide clarification as to this property tax issue. I feel that Mr. Halter's campaign has provided an adequate explanation." Halter's response in "comments".

Hutchinson Skewers Beebe's Excuses on Gay Foster Parents

Hutchinson: Beebe Misstates Facts On Gay Foster Care Case

GOP Candidate Says Attorney General's Comments in Debate Are Inaccurate

Little Rock, Ark. – Asa Hutchinson, the 2006 Republican nominee for Arkansas Governor, said today that his opponent, Mike Beebe, is misrepresenting the facts in his attempts to explain why he failed to defend the state in a case that opens the door for foster children to be placed in homosexual households.

Hutchinson noted that, when the issue was raised in a debate in Little Rock Tuesday night between the two candidates, Beebe either misrepresented the facts or does not understand the law when he claimed that he could not get involved in the case as Attorney General.

"The purpose of debates is for candidates to clarify their positions so that voters can make informed decisions on Election Day, but my opponent dodged some of the most important questions raised last night," Hutchinson said. "Mike Beebe has made a pattern and practice of side-stepping questions about his record on the issues and, in this case, flat-out misrepresenting the facts on the gay foster care case."

In the debate, Hutchinson criticized Beebe for ducking a lawsuit filed by the ACLU challenging the constitutionality of the state's policy banning gay foster care.

Last night, Beebe claimed he did not enter into the case for three reasons: (1) The case was handled during the tenure of his predecessor, Attorney General Mark Pryor, not during his; and (2) because state law requires the Attorney General to be invited by the agency involved, and the Attorney General's Office was not invited to participate by the affected agencies (the Department of Human Services or the Child Welfare Board); (3) the agencies involved have their own lawyers.

Hutchinson said the first two assertions are simply incorrect, and the third is irrelevant.

The gay foster care case was still in litigation and had not even gone to the Supreme Court when Beebe took office as Attorney General. The case wasn't even settled until a few months ago, while Mike Beebe has been Attorney General for the last four years.

Hutchinson also said that Beebe is wrong in saying that the Attorney General's office must be recruited to participate in a challenge to the state's Constitution.

Arkansas Code Annotated 16-111-106 provides the Attorney General must be notified in all cases involving a constitutional challenge and be given the opportunity to be heard.

(continued - click WEDNESDAY below for rest of story)

More Getting In Your Pockets for Illegals

This Demo-zette report started out with a warm story about how a second grader learned how to behave in class with the help of government mental health professionals.

It ended with a push to get in your pockets to hire more of them, especially for "immigrants".

From the article : "Northwest Arkansas’ immigrant children are particularly at risk of developing emotional problems at a young age, he said.

“There are going to be a significant number of those kids who are going to have school adjustment problems just from the migration, the new setting, the new cultures,” Gershon said.

Part of the purpose of the conference was to draw public attention to the importance of early childhood intervention programs and the need for new funding."

I am sure it is upsetting for a child to be in the situation of sneaking through the border and living in a household that is always in fear of being caught. Parent should not do it to their children. Chasing that almighty buck by any means, legal or illegal, can cause mental health problems.

I am not sympathetic towards any group of illegals, but the ones who bring little kids here, and put them through that, really get me upset. You may argue that they would be poorer in Mexico. Yeah, but little kids don't know or care about that. That comes later. They need love, security, and stability when they are young. I have seen lot's of poor children that were happy.

I suppose my parents would have had more money if they had dealt drugs or robbed banks, but the environment produced of those choices would have been worse for me than having less money.

Illegals: Go back to your home country, for the children.

McDaniel Expresses Support for Homosexual Civil Unions

Little Rock, AR-Gunner DeLay, republican candidate for attorney general, today said his opponent’s public support of civil unions for homosexual couples comes as no surprise. DeLay pointed out that two weeks ago at a press conference in Fayetteville he contended the democratic ticket was not being honest with the voters about their support of the gay agenda. He asserted that McDaniel’s’ statements concerning civil unions only prove his point.

DeLay stated, “McDaniel finally showed us his true colors by being the only statewide candidate to openly support civil unions for homosexuals. It’s good to see him come out of the closet and reveal to the voters of Arkansas what he is all about. Although he says he supports the traditional definition of marriage, he clearly wants same sex unions to have the same legal status as a marriage between a man and a woman.”

DeLay said he knew McDaniel was hiding something when he refused to answer the Family Council candidate questionnaire. “Those questions are real easy to answer if you have traditional family values,” DeLay said. “The fact that he did not send in a response definitely sent up a red flag. It is obvious that he embraces the same philosophies as Howard Dean.”

DeLay cited Vermont’s Civil Union law that took effect in 2000, which Howard Dean signed into law as Governor of Vermont. The law gave same-sex couples in that state the ability to obtain a civil union license, allowing them to gain many of the same benefits, protections and responsibilities under Vermont law that are granted to spouses in a traditional marriage. Vermont's civil union legislation also provides child custody rights for gay and lesbian couples.

“It is obvious that Dustin is way out of step with the voters of Arkansas. I believe once he gets civil unions passed into law, the next step would be gay foster parents, and finally gay adoption. Arkansans need to wake up and see what is at stake in this election and send a message that they don’t want Howard Dean’s values in the attorney general’s office.”

Asa vs. Beebe Debate Thread

It looks like independent Rod Bryan lost his injunction to stop the debate. The debate will be held at the Clinton library at 7PM tonight and televised on KARK Ch. 4.

This thread is for live comments on the debate and wrap up afterwards. Some of you guys and gals are going to have to step up and provide commentary. I will be at dinner as a good friend is having a birthday and wife and I are going out with them.

Halter Slashes Ad Buys

We don't know what is going on yet, but it appears Bill Halter has slashed his ad buys. We are open to theories about what this means.

"UPDATE From East Coast Word Slinger Bud Jackson with the Halter Campaign: It means that we have already purchased plenty of television time to get our message out. If anyone doesn't believe us, all they need to do is turn on their television. If we feel like more television advertising is necessary, then maybe we'll buy more time -- or maybe not. I don't think we're going to show our cards while the hand is still being played.

Surely, there are better things to report on -- such as Jim Holt's predisposition to lie or his lack of any plans to make our schools excellent or to build and attract higher paying jobs to Arkansas."

I'm pretty sick of this beltway boy coming to town and calling Jim Holt a liar. Not even Holt's enemies in this state think he is a liar, they just think he is wrong. I tell you what, I hereby challenge Bud Jackson to a debate on any radio show or broadcast medium willing to air it. Topic to be "which statement is more correct, "Jim Holt is a liar" or "Bill Halter defended his company's participation in the porn business".

What about it beltway boy? As for the higher paying jobs and schools, Holt handed Halter his head at the debate on AETN last week over those very subjects. Go to AETN.org yourself and watch it if you don't believe me.

Holt:: Clear Now that Halter Defends Porn Operation

LITTLE ROCK--"Senator Jim Holt, the Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor, was giving Democratic opponent Bill Halter the benefit of a doubt concerning his position on the board of a company that made money by distributing pornography and online gambling. Now that Mr. Halter has defended his company's activities in his own words it is time to speak out" said Holt spokesman Dan Noble.

Holt stuck mostly to fiscal issues at a recent debate, along with questions about Halter’s 27 year absence from the state. Halter returned to Arkansas last year to run for Lt. Governor. Holt’s one brief mention of the pornography and gambling issue in that debate was in the context of dismissing Halter’s business resume.

“I always assumed that he disapproved of his company signing contracts with pornographers and online gambling interests that Congress has since clamped down on. My point Thursday was that he can’t ride his business experience to office when something like this was going on right under his nose without his knowledge. It now appears that whether he knew about Akamai’s specific activities or not, he has no problem with making money distributing pornography.” Holt said.

Halter sits on the board of Akamai technologies. In 2002 the Boston Globe broke the story that Akami was using University and even public school servers to store and to distribute pornographic content, including material that boasted, “ ‘the Web’s youngest teen girls’in live sex acts”. After the story broke, Akamai executives decided to “phase out” their relationships with producers of pornography and online gambling.

Halter defended his company’s actions at a press conference after the AETN debate. He is quoted in an Andrew DeMillo article as saying "The fact is this company delivers content over the Internet in the same way that phone companies deliver content over phone lines," Halter said. "It's hard to imagine somebody saying that the manufacturers of video tapes or phone companies are pornographers because of what somebody else does with their product.”

“His analogy is flawed.” Holt retorted, “If someone goes to the store and buys a blank tape and puts teen porn on it, the tape company is not responsible because they can’t know what is going to be on the tape. But if a company signs a contract with someone making teen porn to distribute the tapes, then they are responsible. They know what is on the tapes. Akamai knew what the content was. So does Bill Halter, but he is using flawed analogies to defend his company’s role as cultural polluters.”

“Bill Halter does not reflect Arkansas values” said Noble. “We hold that profit from porn is indefensible and Mr. Halter owes a better explanation to the voters of Arkansas on why he continues to associate himself with this company.” Noble commented.

Holt-DeLay "Illegal Immigration Tour" Schedule

UPDATE: TOUR SCHEDULE ON MONDAY HAS BEEN SCALED BACK DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER: HARRISON AND MTN HOME STOPS CANCELED.

Tired of people telling us we have to accept 12 million illegal aliens? Well, Monday and Tuesday you will have a chance to show your support for the candidates who want to take a firm stand against illegal immigration at the state level. Senator Jim Holt and Gunner DeLay, the Republican candidates for Lt. Governor and Attorney General, will fly around the state Monday in an "Illegal Immigration Tour". Their schedule follows, to show your support, MAKE IT A PART OF YOUR SCHEDULE.

MONDAY OCT 16th...

Little Rock, 10 AM. Central Flying Service S. Ramo 1501 Bond Avenue.

Jonesboro, 1:30 PM. Jonesboro Municiple Airport, 3900 Lindberg Drive, Arkansas Air Center

(continued, click SATURDAY and scroll down for rest of article)

ASU Poll Goes Like This...

Arkansas State did a poll, probably students conducting it for credit, on many statewide races. They of course showed Republicans behind, and even showed the "undecided" vote higher than the Republican vote in some cases! I have decided to take you through the paces of how I think this poll was conducted:

ASU Student: Hi, we are conducting a poll. Are you a registered voter?

Me: Yes

Student: And do you tend to vote Democrat or Republican?

Me: Republican, when I can stand any of them.

Student: So your probably not going to vote this time so thank you for your time...

Me: I'm voting.

Student: Oh.

Pause

Me: Would you like to know how I'm voting?

Student: I was going to put you down as "undecided"

(continued- click SATURDAY below and scroll down for rest of article)

Tyson Sued for Depressing Wages By Hiring Illegals

I was wondering how long it would be before somebody thought of this. The story is in the Washington Times.

Tempting the Church: Bush Using Christians?

So says the man who helped run the un-bibical and unconstitutional office of so-called "Faith Based Initiatives". He said the White House basically pumped up the egos of Christian Conservatives when they stoped by to visit, then mocked them as nuts when they left. Read about it here.

And what about the program? What had to happen. What always happen when men advance unbiblical ideas in the name of God. It was twisted away from its original purpose.

Beebe Failed to Fight Homosexual Adoption When He Had the Chance

Hutchinson: Beebe Failed To Represent State's Interest in Gay Foster Care Case

Attorney General Ducked Responsibilities to Defend

State on Critical Issue

Little Rock – Asa Hutchinson, the 2006 Republican nominee for Arkansas Governor, said today that Attorney General Mike Beebe failed the people of Arkansas by not defending the state against a lawsuit that opened the door for foster children to be placed in homosexual households.

Under Arkansas law, the Attorney General has authority to maintain and defend all interests of the state before the Arkansas Supreme Court unless he has appointed an agent (Arkansas Code Annotated 25-16-704). The Attorney General could have become involved in the gay foster parenting case, but elected not to do so, Hutchinson said.

"The Attorney General has a responsibility to defend the state in constitutional matters, and he should have insisted upon representing the state in this case, but Mike Beebe was conspicuously absent," Hutchinson said. "As the state's chief legal counsel, Mike Beebe either dropped the ball or refused to carry the ball in defending the state in this key case.

"Beebe now wants to claim that he's opposed to gay foster care, but when he had a chance to do something about it, he stood on the sidelines," Hutchinson said. "Can Arkansans believe that he will be more vigilant in fighting for a legislative solution to this issue? His track record doesn't inspire confidence."

(continued- click FRIDAY below and scroll down for article)

Somebody Call an Ambulance: Holt Beats Down Halter

I defy anybody to the right of Hillary! to watch this debate, especially the second half, and tell me that Holt didn't win this thing hands down. Don't rely on any printed media reports about this event. If you have any doubt, click the link and see it with your own eyes. Hear it with your own ears. Don't let the newspapers tell you what happened. It took Holt a bit to really get warmed up. If you only have 30 minutes to spend, just watch the last half.

I grant you that Halter had a smoother opening statement, but what you can't tell from the video is that Halter, in violation of the signed rules agreement, brought his opening and prepared notes to the podium. We did not catch it until right before showtime. AETN staff removed Mr. Halter's notes, like a teacher taking a cheat-sheet from an errant student, once it was brought to their attention just before show time.

The longer the debate went on, the more Holt dominated. And he dominated on fiscal issues, as well as Halter's abscence from the state for the last 25 years.

Halter tried to make the case that to bring high-paying jobs to Arkansas you need to have quality pre-kindergarten for 3, 4 year olds. Holt said that to bring high-paying jobs to Arkansas you need a friendly business environment, and you can't do that by constantly increasing government spending as Halter has proposed. Holt argued that building up a higher-ed structure before the jobs were here would just result in Arkansans paying for the education of people who go elsewhere to find jobs and pay taxes- like Halter himself.

Secretary of State Debate

Squeeze Here!

Karl Rove Comes to Fayetteville

I was blessed to be able to attend the luncheon where Senior Presidential Advisor Karl Rove spoke.

Asa Hutchinson spoke as well. It was the first time I had heard him in person for a while. He is always going to be better at projecting dignity than warm fuzzies, but he keeps getting better on all accounts.

Rove started off the talk by praising Hutchinson effusively. Then he turned to policy. What was the first thing he started talking about? The need for getting tougher on illegal immigration! This is the man who reportedly told Congressman Tom Tancredo to "never darken the door of the White House again" because Tancredo wanted them to get serious about controlling illegal immigration.

This brings me to Moore's truism on this issue: Sixty days before the election, everybody in this business sounds like Jim Holt when they talk about illegal immigration, even the ones who will call him an extremist for it six months after the election.

The crowd sat in stunned silence after the first "get tough on illegals" applause line. After he kept doing it they realized that it was now OK to admit you want to get tough on illegals in front of Karl Rove and they applauded loudly. Eurasia was the enemy, Eurasia has always been the enemy.

Rove also waxed Holt-like on tax cuts and resulting growth they have helped produce in the economy. He did not mention spending!

Karl Rove did a great job of defending the Patriot Act. So much so that I had to do a little web research to help remind myself why I am opposed to many of its provisions.

(continued- click WEDNESDAY below and scroll down for rest of article, or if sent straight here just scroll down)

Attorney General Debate Is Online

Squeeze Here!

"Democrats for Holt" on Capitol Steps Tomorrow

Jim Holt for Lt. Gov. Campaign to hold press conference Wednesday


The Jim Holt for Lt. Governor Campaign will be hosting a press conference on the front steps of the State Capitol in Little Rock on Wednesday, October 11th, at 10:00a.m., to announce an organized movement among conservative Democrats across the state of Arkansas called, “Democrats for Holt.” The purpose of the organization is to elect Senator Holt the next Lt. Governor. Hear why several Democrats from around the State are breaking ranks in the Arkansas Lt. Governor race to support Republican Jim Holt. Democrat speakers from across the State will be present to share their concerns about their party's candidate for Lt. Governor. Senator Holt will be present.

In case of inclement weather, the conference will be held in the Capitol Rotunda.

Contact: Brandon M. Chandler (870) 378-2294 (cell)

Why We Blog II

Media Won't Tell You What They Know About Halter

Halter's team had come out swinging at Senator Jim Holt in the race for Lt. Governor. In a bizzare twist, they have challenged Holt's qualifications for office. Holt is a sitting state senator and the job's main duty is to preside over the Senate. Halter has never been elected to any public office.

We told you some of what we knew about Halter's resume padding here. But it turns out we did not report the whole story, we only reported more than what the establishment media is telling you about Halter's puffing. Now we admit that is not much. The media seems determined to tell you nothing on this topic; there appears to be a media blackout in place about several aspects of Halter's past. They lament that he is an unknown, but don't print what they do know because they are afraid it will drive a broad swath of voters to Holt, conservative, moderate and even liberal. That's why we blog.

In response to Halter's attacks and boasting, we get this: Dan Noble, spokesman for the Holt Campaign, said today that, “Bill Halter touts his appointment as Acting Commissioner of Social Security to the Social Security Administration as a qualification for serving the people of Arkansas. What Halter failed to mention is that as Acting Commissioner of Social Security under George W. Bush, he only held the job for a whopping 67 days before Bush replaced him.

Noble continued, “Guess what else Halter doesn’t talk about? The Deputy Commissioner position that Halter held with the Social Security Administration for fourteen months is so unnecessary that no one has held Halter’s former position since last April – vacant for the past six months. It is obvious that Halter is padding his resume and wants everyone in the state to look at his accomplishments with wonder and praise; but I think if Arkansans knew that currently an empty chair in Washington, DC is doing the same work that Halter did while being Deputy Commissioner they would not be very impressed. You have to wonder what kind of skills Halter thinks he has when literally his job as Deputy Commissioner is not important enough to need a replacement.” Noble stated.

Why We Blog

News Blackout on Secretary of State Daniels Capitol Dome Misdeeds Perfect Example of Why We Must Blog On.



The establishment media has reported on many, but by no means all, of the election problems that we have had under the Charlie Daniels administration. They could hardly do otherwise. When there is an election, and they are in charge of reporting the results, and no results are forthcoming, they are highly motivated to point out to the public that it is not their fault. Rather, it is the result of the poor decision making and work performance of the Secretary of State.

On the other hand, the Capitol Dome project has received no such scrutiny. Just the opposite, every media report I have read simply raves on about how the Capitol Dome looks great. They don't report that the contract to spruce up the dome was given out on a no-bid basis to a relative of Charlie Daniel's assistant Peggy Gram. Nor do they mention that the project was a half-million dollars over budget. For crying out loud, can someone tell me how you can go over budget when you don't even have to submit a bid?

This was the one thing I was ready to give Mr. Daniels credit for, because I was ignorant on the subject. That is to say, my only information source on it until recently was the establishment media- which unfortunately has become just another way to say I was ignorant on the subject. That's why we blog.

Congress Cuts off ACLU's Access to Taxpayer Funds

The Congress did something great last week. It finally cut off the ACLU-lawyer gravy train by passing HR 2679.

Brummett grouses about this in his column, which is not absolute proof that it really is good news, but I'd call it mighty strong evidence for that.

You see there is a law that says when someone sues anyone in the government for a violation of civil rights, the government pays the fees when they win. This has been a cash-cow for litiginous ACLU lawyers, who have fanned out across the country for any wiff of someone being offended by the least reference to the Christian faith in a public place. This allows them to file a lawsuit, and -with the help of judges who are also determined to suppress religion under the guise of the establishment clause- get the taxpayers to foot the bill. Since the Christian faith is such a large part of our heritage, they found no shortage of targets. The taxpayers were stuck paying the bills for their own city hall and for the ACLU.

Now establishment cases will be excluded from the re-imbursement program. That does not mean that the ACLU can't sue in such cases. They can, but it will be on their own dime now, not yours and mine. The no longer have a financial interest in taking offense at the least display of religion in the public square. Now they can concentrate on cases where there is a real threat to our religious liberties, like the so-called faith-based initiatives. They won't get paid for that either, but maybe they can solict donations like all the folks trying to defend religious liberty have had to do over the years.

Will Bush "Pocket Veto" the Fence?

*****UPDATE: Sources now indicate that Congress has held off formal submission of the bill so that President Bush can sign it at a time of maximum election impact - say the last week of October. There has been no formal word from the White House, but every confidential source is saying that Bush will sign the bill.***************

Higher Ed System Out of Control

The Presidents of Arkansas' various state colleges and universities seem to think of themselves as kingdoms of their own, unaccountable to the state or the taxpayers from which they draw their sustenanace. UPDATE: ARKFAM REPORTS EVEN FEDERAL LAW IS BEING VIOLATED BY UCA's Lu Hardin.

We have already documented on this blog how UCA President Lu Hardin has bragged about giving in-state tuition breaks to persons in this country illegally, in spite of the fact that the legislature just voted AGAINST authorizing them to do so. And the UALR President went further, saying that certain taxpayer funded grants will be distributed without regard to legal status.

Now even two year colleges show they can thumb their nose at the state government and the taxpayers. WestArk has decided, on its own accord, that is wants to become a four year college. State Senator Dave Bisbee points out that this is unconstitutional, but apparently these college Presidents feel there is "no controlling legal authority" for them.

Such arrogance is unseemly from a group of men who are asking us for more funds, including a 250 million dollar bond issue on the ballot this November. I ask you to remember that when you go to the ballot box.

Protecting Young People From the Gospel

Marsha West of NewsWithViews.com writes, "Enough is enough. NBC is censoring Veggie Tales star, Bob the Tomato. All our plump little friend wants to say is, "God made you special and He loves you very much," but the censors at NBC are worried that Bob’s love for God might offend some viewers. Let’s see now, showing Madonna’s special in November, where she’s hoisted up on a cross for the sole purpose of mocking the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is not deemed offensive to anyone, yet a tubby tomato that mentions the God of the Bible must be censored?"

That is right. NBC picked up "Veggie Tales", but they are editing out explicitly Christian content! At first they said they were shortening it to allow time for commercials, but the creator says the one he gave them had already been shortened.

The movie "Facing the Giants", which opened at number 12 despite being on only 441 screens, was given a PG rating even though it is clearly G material. The reason? The raters thought parents should be warned that the movie has "explicitly religious content".

So now we have Hollywood, with some of the worst culltural polluters on Earth, trying to protect us from "christian content".

Why Down Ballot Races Could Still Be In Play

Some of you who have been following the Attorney General and Secretary of State races may have been led to believe that the races are all but over. I would caution you that for those two races it is too early to give up. Poll bias in only a small part of the reason.

I have well-documented the polling bias on other threads. I think the numbers will be 10-15 points more Republican than polls like Opinion Research indicate. For the Governor's and Lt. Governor's race, that makes them winable for the GOP candidates. The other races have a bigger gap, but for those races even that is not an unbridgable gap.

Here is why.......

(continued, click SATURDAY below and scroll down for rest of article)

Huckabee's Blind Spot Puts Hutchinson/Holt in Tough Spot

“I was the candidate who said we need to have Arkansas State Police trained in immigration enforcement,” Hutchinson said. “What was his answer ? ‘They’re too busy.’ I said we ought to make sure the state and its contractors do not hire illegal aliens. What was his response ? ‘Well, there’s already a law against it.’ Well, thanks a lot. I think we should have plans to enforce the law. There happens to be a law against burglary. But we still have a few committed from time to time.”

Most Arkansans are cheered by Hutchinson's desire to make cleaning up this type of crime a priority. But Attorney General Mike Beebe has an answer, “Is he saying that the Huckabee administration is ignoring the law ? I think the current adminisration is enforcing the law. If he’s got evidence that they are not, they need to tell me about it.”

Hutchinson is not saying it, but I am. Governor Mike Huckabee has a blind spot on illegal immigration. I'll give you some "evidence" right now, though none is needed for citizens who have been paying attention. Do you remember when that Petitt Jean poultry plant got busted last year with whole shifts of illegal aliens working for them? Do you know why the company can rightfully escape accountablity for cheating legal citizens out of those jobs and taking advantage of wages pushed to below honest-free market rates? That is because they got most of their illegal alien employees through the State Employment Security Division! That is right, your tax dollars are being used to help big employers get a supply of illegal workers.

Did Huckabee express shock and anger that his administration was a conduit for black market labor? Nope. He only expressed shock and outrage that INS would dare to enforce immigration laws without giving local authorities a "heads up". The INS hinted that raids where they gave the locals a "heads up" often did not net any illegals.

Mike Huckabee has a blind spot on this issue that is so pervasive that it compels him to lash out at anyone who calls him on it. Recall how he referred to Senator Jim Holt as a demogouge and a race-baiter who drinks a "different kind of Jesus juice" from him for blocking the bill that would have made illegal aliens eligible for taxpayer funded college scholarships.

Both Hutchinson and Holt's opponents are using Mike Huckabee's blind spot to hit them over the head with. They may disagree with the Governor on illegal immigration, but that does not make them "extremist". The people of this state are in broad agreement that we need to be tougher on illegal immigration. On this one, Mike Huckabee is the extremist, along with Beebe and Halter.

Where is the Mexican Consulate in Little Rock?

If you call information for Little Rock they will tell you that the Mexican Consulate is at 3500 South Universty Avenue. Above is a picture of that address sent by a poster. It seems the Mexican Consulate looks a lot like an abandoned Baskin-Robbins. Perhaps the Consulate is still using space provided by the taxpayers of Arkansas at no cost. Perhaps it is still in the Arkansas Rehabilitation Services Building, run by a former director of LULAC. LULAC is the pro-illegal group that was one of the sponsors of the "March for Illegals" last May Day, the communist holiday.

But the plot thickens! Another poster said that Whitepages.com gave the "Bank of America" at that address. The Bank of America is where Governor Huckabee first tried to get the Mexicans rent-free space. The Mexican Government said they did not want to take rent-free space from a private company, but they wouldn't mind taking it out of your pockets by moving into a state facility!

The Bank of America is at the other end of University Avenue, so I think whitepages.com has something wrong. But the Baskin Robbins IS near the entrance to UALR, which this FOX news article says is going to be the site of the new Mexican Consulate when they get done freeloading (they are going to pay us back for any phone charges).

Mexican Consulates are infamous for abusing Martricula IDs. These are ID badges which an embassy or consulate is supposed to use to indicate a foreign national is a part of their embassy staff and so should not be deported. The Mexican government issues them by the boatload to Mexican nationals illegally in this country.

Halter and Holt : Qualifications Compared

Bill Halter spokesman "Bud" Jackson has challenged Senator Jim Holt to "prove that he has any professional work experience or record of success that he can point to as qualifications to be lieutenant governor."

I thought that was pretty brazen. Halter is the one with no resume to fit the job. And I know people pad their resume's all the time, but Halter has padded his to the point of absurdity. For example, he keeps talking about how he was "Deputy Director of Social Security" where he "fought privatization". He held the job for all of 66 days. President Bush did not even propose privatization until after Halter was long gone. But it gets better (worse?).....

(continued- click FRIDAY below for rest of article)

You Will Never See the Money with Beebe/Halter

There is over $700 million of our money sitting in the state treasury unspent. One of the biggest issues in this race is who is going to get that money. Not just that money. Our taxes are so high that they take in more than they are spending, but not more than they would LIKE to spend.

There are lots of groups lined up with their hands out asking for our money. All four men, Hutchinson, Holt, Beebe and Halter, say they are for eliminating the retail sales tax on groceries. That would be a great way to make sure we get a healthy chunk of that money back. But wait, two of those four, Beebe and Halter, say they want to "phase in" the elimination of the grocery tax, "if funding permits it". Folks, if you vote for those men I want to tell you right now you will never see your money again. Let's looks at the facts.

Halter has no record in the legislature, but he has been promising lots of new programs to lots of people. The Holt team has calculated Halter's proposed new spending will add one billion dollars to every budget. For perspective, a three percent sales tax increase would draw about that amount in a year. Halter says he can give all teachers a $5,000 a year increase in salary, provide quality pre-school to every three and four year old whose parents want it, and provide scholarship money for every person who wants to go to college. But don't worry, he is going to "phase in" your tax cut "when conditions permit".

Mike Beebe has been more subtle about promising huge new programs, but unlike Halter the man has a record. It is one of tax increases rather than tax cuts. He owes favors to some of the people in that line with their hand out.

Holt and Hutchinson, by contrast, have a legislative record of voting against spending and for tax cuts. Holt in particular has made a lot of the people in that line mad by trying to swat their hands away as they reach for your wallet.

My conclusion is that if you elect Beebe/Halter there will be a special interest feeding frenzy. At the end your $700 million will be gone and you won't see a dime of it. The only way we will have a chance to see any of that money again is with Hutchinson/Holt.

DeLay: McDaniel Bought and Paid for By Utilities

Even the Arkansas Times blog is taking Gunner DeLay's side on this one. Maybe because it is the truth? The Attorney General is charged with regulating utilities. Ours have made some decisions that have hurt Arkansas consumers but kept Entergy in the money. The foxes are funding the campaign of one of the candidates to guard the hen house. If you are tired of sky-rocketing utility bills, I suggest you not vote for the candidate who gets his campaign contributions from the utility companies.

(click THURSDAY below to read the DeLay Campaign's press release and the non-response from the McDaniel campaign.)

Holt/Halter Dueling Faxes

Holt says Halter's promises will cost us $1,000,000,000 every budget. Halter says Holt has no plan and is not qualified for Lt. Governor. Holt spokesman says Halter fired from only leadership job he ever had in Arkansas, and made his money at a company sleazy enough to deal in teenage porn! Would Amakai make Foley blush with shame?

(continued- click THURSDAY below for dueling faxes.)

Don't Take it Personally (Bogus Polls Again)

Roby Brock paid to have a poll conducted. The results seemed bogus to me, and I said so. It is nothing personal. I did not say that Mr. Brock himself was bogus. He just paid to have some work done, and I questioned the quality of the work they did for him. I did not mean it as an insult, it happens to all of us. It is like telling an associate whose car was worked on but not fixed that he "ought to get his money back". I did not expect Mr. Brock to jump to the defense of the poll so strongly. He put an article on his site aimed right at me, which Max Brantley quickly put on the Arktimes site, though he mislabeled me as a "Republican".

Roby did not allow any comments on the thread he aimed right at me, and you have to register at Arktimes so they can delete your comments when you start winning the debate with them, so I guess I will just have to respond right here.

The issue is the credibility of his most recent poll. It showed Hutchinson ahead 60-20 in the third congressional district last month. This month it showed him behind 46-45. In a Republican stronghold that sent him to Congress for years! Did anything happen to justify a 41 point swing in the space of a month? No. I think the pollsters have messed up somewhere.

But Mr. Brock choose not to focus on that, rather he took issue with my complaint that the growing third CD is under-polled.

(continued- to see Brock's case of why I am wrong and my rebuttal, click WEDNESDAY below and scroll down)

Hutchinson-Beebe Live Debate Thread

Asa and Mike Beebe take the stage in Fayetteville at the University of Arkansas Division of Continuing Education Auditorium tonight starting at 6 p.m. It will be on the radio, 107.9 FM, and will be simulcast at KHOG's website "for those outside the Fayetteville Market". The debate is NOT open to the public, or for that matter two of the candidates!

Post comments on the debate here......

Back on Polls: Closing the Gap

The Oakleaf "Opinion Research" poll came out for the Lt. Governor's race. It of course showed the Republican to be far, far, behind. I have explained in previous articles why the poll is inaccurate, and is of more value as a propaganda instrument for the left than a measurement of who is actually ahead in the race. Still, while I don't trust the poll's final numbers, they can be used to detect trends. In other words, a poll that is deeply biased in favor of Democrats can still show whether the Republican is gaining, losing, or staying even relative to the Democrat.

The Oakleaf poll shows that both Hutchinson and Holt are gaining. The Oakleaf polls have terrible final numbers for them, but those numbers are bogus. Don't look at the flawed numbers, look at what this poll can still tell us: the trends. In terms of trends, both polls have Hutchinson and Holt closing the gap. Hutchinson closed the gap by three and Holt by an astonishing seven points. It is amazing that one can close the gap by seven points without spending any money and absent any single big news item. That draws a lot of comment in the Doug Thompson article on the results.

Ok, Mark, you blog-buffoon, what about the Roby Brock Biz Talk polls? They show both races much closer than the Oakleaf poll, but did not show the same trend as the Oakleaf poll. If the trend is real, why didn't the Brock poll show it?

The reason they did not show the trend is because something went wrong with their polling in the third congressional district- Republican land - in their lastest poll. In their previous poll, Hutchinson was up 60-20 and Holt was up 70-22 in this district. One month later the new Brock polls tells us that Hutchinson is LOSING in the third district, 46-45, and that Holt's lead has shrunk to single digits. This is clearly wrong. Something went wrong in their polling of the third district.

In the other three districts, the Brock poll DOES record the closing trend. Let's take the Lt. Governor's race, since that is the larger of the two trends and easier to spot. Brock's poll says that in the 1st CD Holt went from being down 35-51 last month to down 39-52 this month, a gain of three for Holt. In the second district, Holt went from being down 28-62 to being UP by two at 46-44. That is a 36 point swing in one month that sounds impossible, but remember that the alleged swing down for Holt in the 3rd CD was even bigger. In the fourth, Holt went from being down 27-64 to being down 38-50. That is a twenty-five point swing Holt's way.

Asa Hutchinson did not close in the first CD, but closed by 30 in the 2nd and twenty in the forth. As with Holt, these massive gains were masked by an even larger alleged drop in the 3rd CD that showed him losing to Beebe in that district.

Do you believe those numbers? Me neither. That is what I have been shouting from the mountain tops for two months. Don't worry about these polls. Holt is likely winning, Hutchinson is in reach, and it is not out of the question that LaGrone or DeLay will pull out a win if they get a gift from their opponents. Brock's team has something wrong, but I suspect they know it too and will straighten it out before the next poll is taken. I expect the next poll to show dramatically better numbers for the GOP.

Fear Not, and Keep Fighting

Opinion Research has released another poll. It also shows the Republicans way behind. It also is bogus.

Some of you will say to me, "C'mon Mark, all these polls are saying the Republicans are way behind. All these polls can't be wrong."

Yes they can be. That is what I am trying to tell you. If you conduct two polls with flawed methodologies, they are going to be wrong. If you conduct ten with flawed methodologies they will still be wrong.

Don't lose your nerve, if you are an Asa/Holt supporter. Don't let them pysche you. Ten bogus polls are just as bogus as two. Ten polls based on the assumption that the 4th district will have just as many voters as the third are wrong ten times in a row. They are wrong because they are based on assumptions that are wrong.

Zogby won't reveal his methodology in detail, but his poll shows the Governor's race to be a three point race for the last two polls. I wish they had polled the Lt. Govs race because that one would show Holt leading.

Look, in 04 Holt was at 32% in the polls against Senator Blanche Lincoln days before the election when he got 44%. She spent 6.7 million dollars in that race. You think Holt is really at 41% against some guy from California named Halter? You really think Asa is losing the third CD this month (as the Roby Brock poll said) when the same poll last month showed him 35 points ahead in the 3rd? The polls are bogus. Fear not.

Remember that not only has the Zogby poll consistently showed it to be close, Asa's own poll showed it close, and we know that Bill Halter has spent $34,000 on polling and he is NOT releasing the results and he is campaigning like he is 10 points behind (with outrageous negative attacks). Halter has no name ID in half the state, and he is STILL mentioning Holt's name more than his own in press releases. That is a bone-head strategy unless you think your opponent is on track for over 50% of the vote and you feel that you have to take votes from him to win. Halter knows he is behind, you should know it too.

Asa may be behind, but not much. The more reputable polls still show the race within the margin of error and have Beebe under 50%. He may not get over it- there is a fair chance that the winner on election day will have less than 50% because there are four candidates on the ballot.

Fear not, and keep fighting.

Beyond Left and Right

Americans across the left-right spectrum are being sold a bill of goods. While we are locked in fierce debate over left-right issues, the greatest threat to our freedom is being implemented with hardly a word of protest. This is the increasing trend of politicians across the political left-right spectrum to adopt statist solutions to all problems confronting society. To preserve our freedom, we need to move beyond left-right evaluations of political leaders and parties and also consider where they are on the limited government-statism spectrum.

The ultimate goal of the political left is “tolerance”. To them that is the ultimate good and all other moral imperatives must yield to that aim. For the right, the goal is “morality”. Tolerance on most counts may be a part of that picture, but for those on the right there are some things that are evil (besides being “intolerant”) and the aim of government should be to restrain evil.

But there is more than a left-right component to one’s political outlook. There is also an up-down component. A leftist who believes that the job of government is to encourage tolerance has two ways to do that- a limited government way and a statist way. The limited government way is called libertarianism and the statist way is called socialism.

(continued- click MONDAY below and scroll down for rest of article, or if sent straight here just scroll down)

New Roby Brock Poll Up

Roby Brock, host of "Business Talk" has a new poll up. It is not good news for Republicans. Is the poll accurate? Thoughts on that in a bit. First the Results...

Governor:

Beebe 51%
Hutchinson 40%
Lendall 2%
Bryan 2%
UND 5%

Lt. Governor:

Halter 45%
Holt 41%
UND 14%

Attorney General

McDaniel 53%
DeLay 32%

(Continued- Click MONDAY below and scroll down )

Double Standard for Sleaze

OK, I do have an opinion on the Mark Foley scandal. These are my opinions and represent an Un-PC view of the universe. If that offends, stop reading here.

First of all, the people of Florida should have known better than to elect a homosexual to represent them. Secondly, House Speaker Denny Hastert knew about some e-mails that should have made him suspect, but he did not have the IM messages, which should have made him vomit. To the Republicans credit, they found out about the impropriety on Friday and by Saturday Foley was gone. That is the same way it was when Rep. Bob Livingstone was caught in an impropriety. And Gingrich. In fact, the Republicans do hold their own accountable when they disgrace the government with their actions. The Democrats don't. The Democrats circle the wagons are brazenly defy calls to step down.

We all know what Clinton did. If a middle school teacher had a college student under them who was student-teaching and did in their workplace what Clinton did, they would have been canned in an instant and rightly so. Too bad we have higher standards in this country for middle school teachers than Presidents- when they are Democrats.

Barney Frank, the Congressman from MA, had an aide who ran a prostitution ring from the Conressman's office. The aide says Frank knew about it. Did Frank resign? No. What about Gary Studds, another Congressman from MA? He had SEX with an underage page, not just sent e-mails. Did he resign? No, and when Congress censured him, he turned his back as the censure was read to him. Every Democrat I can think of except McGreevey, brazenly put themselves first and the honor of the government second.

But you say that "children" were not involved with Frank, Clinton, et al. OK, then let's go to Arkansas' own Lt. Governor's race. The Democrats have assailed the House leadership for sitting on the emails. But the Democrat's candidate for Lt. Governor sat on the board of a company that distributed porn- porn that advertised the "youngest teenage girls on the net". They even used college servers to store it. Once the Boston Globe broke that story, the board, including Halter, voted to "phase out" the relationship by not renewing the contracts. But it was not a secret that Akamai was in the porn business. They were sending out press releases about their coverage of what amounts to the "porn grammys".

What if the House Leadership just decided to "phase out" Foley by saying "well we won't support him for election after this next time"? People would be up in arms and rightly so. So why is it OK for the Democrat's choice for Lt. Governor of Arkansas to "phase out" teenage porn? And shouldn't Halter have known what his company was doing? Halter's team has said that porn was less than 1 percent of Akamai's revenues, but you know what, Foley was less than 1 percent of Hastert's congressmen! And Foley was being sly about his misdeeds, Halter's company was sending out press releases about theirs! If the GOP House leadership should have known about Foley, then how much more should Halter have known about the activities of a company where he sat on the board of directors.

In conclusion, all of you Arkansas Democrats who are in a hurry to condemn the Republican House leadership for not acting against Foley sooner, but still support Bill Halter for Lt. Governor of Arkansas- you are hypocrites. If you aren't, maybe you can explain why in the comments section below. I am sick of Democrats getting a pass on this stuff. They act all outraged about Republican sleaze, even after the Republicans hold their own accountable, but they rally the wagons around their own sleaze. The don't hold their own accountable.