Video: Rep. John Boozman Announces He Will Run for U.S. Senate
This morning, Rep. John Boozman announced to a crowd of supporters at the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock that he will join the crowded Republican field for U.S. Senate. Boozman becomes the eleventh Republican to announce although three candidates – Stanley Reed (who is now Boozman’s campaign chairman,) Tom Cox and today Buddy Rogers – have since ended their campaigns.
“Today as I travel through Arkansas listening to people, their main concerns are keeping their jobs, keeping their homes, their savings, and their retirement accounts,” said Boozman. “They are also concerned about leaving the country to their children and grandchildren that offers the some opportunities and freedoms that our parents created for us. President Obama, Ms. Pelosi, and Sen. Reid have the philosophy that we can grow government, borrow, spend and tax our way to prosperity.”
Boozman went on to highlight what he considers to be several “job killers” that are being pushed by Washington Democrats including $2 trillion in tax hikes in the latest proposed budgets, the recently passed stimulus package, and the card check, the cap and trade, and the health care proposals.
I later asked Boozman what he would do to create jobs. “I would like to see us cut the corporate income tax,” replied Boozman. He also said he liked the idea proposed by President Bush of a payroll tax holiday as well as lowering the capital gains taxes. “Anything we can do to get money into people’s pocket and create investment.”
Boozman also answering criticisms he has received from fellow Republican for his vote for TARP. “I think what they are trying to do is paint me as a person who is not a conservative in that regard,” said Boozman. “I didn’t believe the conservative thing to do was to let us financially melt down. All of our investment banks were failing all over the world. The thing that I agreed to was that the banks received money and much of that money has been repaid now and we have made about $80 million worth of interest. As they came back and tried to do TARP 2, I voted against that because President Obama had turned the thing into a slush fund, and we had worked really hard to try and make sure that the money coming back in would be used to pay down the deficit and not be used for stuff they feel they can slush around with.”
As for why he is getting in the Senate race now, Boozman said he felt that it was not really that late pointing to the recent announcements from Gov. Mike Beebe and Rep. Mike Ross of their re-election plans. “For the past couple months, I have been in a situation where I really felt like I should reconsider it. I have made a lot of calls in the state to friends and people I have a lot of respect for, and they encouraged me to step forward. I think I am uniquely qualified in the sense that I a sitting Congressman. I have been in Washington for nine years and we worked really hard for the people in the Third District of Arkansas…. I have worked very hard to represent the people of the Third District and the conservative values that the people of Arkansas want, that the people of Arkansas are looking at and knowing they are not getting.”
His dismissed criticism that he was encouraged to run by Washington Republicans saying that he did not heard from them until after the news of his possible candidacy broke last week.
Boozman’s entry completely changes the dynamics of the race. First, he is the most senior elected Republican official in the state and is the only Republican elected to Federal office. This carries with it a large degree of name recognition and creditability.
Second, he becomes the second Republican that will be branded an establishment Republican. Up to this point, State Sen. Gilbert Baker has been running as the front runner, raising the most money and enjoying the support from most of the Republican state legislators. The other candidates have been running against Baker to some degree. With Boozman’s entry, the two of them are at least co-front runners and will compete for the support of Republican party insiders.
UPDATE - Stefani Buhajla reports from the announcement event in Lowell that a big crowd of supporters showed up included former candidates Stanley Reed and Buddy Rogers who now support Boozman for Senate.
Tags: 2010 Candidates
February 6th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
So if we somehow get stuck with him, who’s to say he won’t continue taking us for granted and listen to other people who don’t even live in his district just because “they know better” than us, HIS CONSTITUENTS! How come it’s ok to keep receiving PAC money to slip Earmarks into legislation just so he can bring more money into his crooked hands? He works for US and should treat us all the same insteaad of favoring those who buy him off!
Slipping politically tainted money into his pocket should be a no-no, we pay him too much as it is to represent us. How do we know he won’t be doing this as our Senator, should we even want to risk the outcome of his history of bad decisions? Sure he makes himself look good right now come election time but has anyone really looked at his past years he’s served as 3rd District Congressman? He votes the way the Gov’t tells him to, not because he wants to hear our pleas. When he voted on the TARP Bill, 90% of his constituents said vote “NO” but he got his advice from friends in other states as what to do. The list goes on and on but for now he’s trying to make himself look like a role model to our families to live by. He’s no more genuine than a two headed coin! Sure, he co-sponsored several bills and I applaud him for that(well for most of them anyway) but the only true benefit his term in office has done is name three US Post Offices after prominent people here in Arkansas; what does that tell you about the man? You be the judge of that…his background as our Congressman and the choices he made should make you sit back and think twice about considering if this is a mistake or not!
February 6th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
I like him but dont understand the advantage of giving up a rep controled fed seat to run for sen in a race represented by such other compentent canidates like Col.Conrad and Coleman and especialy after the exit of Cox. In a year that the tide is against insiders is such a jump wise? With the announcment so close to the recent visit by Steele of the RNC did he have a hand in this and if so why?
February 7th, 2010 at 9:29 am
Congressman Boozman sided with Obama, Lincoln, and Pryor when he voted for TARP. He can not defend this vote.
February 7th, 2010 at 10:55 am
Which PAC’s money has John slipped into his pocket?
That’s illegal, last I checked.
Go back to your little Holtist compound and drink your kool-aid.
February 7th, 2010 at 10:57 am
You should ask Conrad, census.
Didn’t he crash the Steele event like he tried to pull an Arianna Huffington at the Boozman event yesterday?
Conrad and Arianna – who knew they used the same playbook?
February 7th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
PACs
Congressman John Boozman 2009 – 2010
Campaign Finance Cycle:
20102008200620042002Career
Total PAC Money for 2010: $108,500
Number of Contributions: 75
Sectors, 2009-2010
Agribusiness $7,000
Communications/Electronics $10,500
Construction $12,000
Defense $1,000
Energy & Natural Resources $4,000
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate $13,500
Health $7,000
Lawyers & Lobbyists $2,000
Transportation $35,000
Misc Business $11,000
Ideological/Single-Issue $5,000
Other $500
Based on Federal Election Commission data available electronically on Sunday, January 31, 2010.
2009 – 2010 Cycle PAC Contribution Breakdown
Business $103,000 (95%)
Labor $0 (0%)
Ideological/Single Issue $5,000 (5%)
February 7th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
PACs
Congressman John Boozman 2007 – 2008
Campaign Finance Cycle:
20102008200620042002Career
Total PAC Money for 2008: $257,906
Number of Contributions: 192
Sectors, 2007-2008
Agribusiness $18,150
Communications/Electronics $16,500
Construction $43,256
Energy & Natural Resources $27,000
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate $18,500
Health $23,000
Lawyers & Lobbyists $5,500
Transportation $63,000
Misc Business $33,000
Labor $5,500
Ideological/Single-Issue $4,500
February 7th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
People shouldn’t pay him to do them special favors, he represents us and should do equal to all instead of helping special interest groups….but how else will they get their recognition for helping the !@#$%^ stay in office!
February 7th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
http://www.themiddleclass.org/legislator/john-boozman-35
John Boozman(R-AR)
Boozman’s Middle-Class Grades
2009 Final grade to be released 03.2010
2008 D
2007 F
2006 F
2005 F
2004 F
2003 D
2009 Year to Date Score~Voted on 25 of 25 bills considered.
24% Favorability
His actions speak louder than words!
February 7th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Hank – what did “the Colonel” attempt yesterday? Familial obligations prevented me from attending the Congressman’s announcement. Thank you.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Hank Ventura~ Go back to your little Boozman compound and drink your kool-aid. He’s got most of you idiots fooled! Why, when he was running for Congress this last time he refused to have any Town Hall Meetings with Brigadier General Bernie Skoch even though he was invited SEVERAL times? Why has he turned down the Senators candidate Town Hall Meeting at The Pontiac Coffee House in Springdale this Thursday night? He’s scared of competition and publicly embarrassing himself! Now that three of them have stepped down(and now Buddy Rogers is backing him) I’d rather vote for Lincoln. Her approval ratings are 3 times higher than his. His past voting rcords and benefit he’s been to us is a joke!
February 7th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
James, He cannot defend that vote and he knows it. He has since admitted it was the wrong way to go and wishes he could get it back. Don’t misunderstand me, this is still an issue, I just wanted to make sure we gave him a fair shake as he is not trying to defend that vote.
February 7th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
I knew this would happen because we dont know whats good for us but the nationals do,well all I can say if he loses to Blanche and he could lets dont be decieved,it will be then time to reform our own state party.
February 8th, 2010 at 12:51 am
Nick, I don’t think that I could support Boozman in the primary because of his TARP vote.
I have not heard him say that his vote in favor of tarp was a mistake.
If Boozman has said that his vote for tarp was wrong and he sincerely apologizes I may rethink my opposition to his candidacy.
Boozman could arn my support if he sincerely expresses remorse for voting for TARP.
February 8th, 2010 at 11:58 am
I thought smoking crack was verboten in the Holtist camp.
February 8th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Nick C,
Instead of making sure we give Boozman a fair shake, make sure you information is factual first.
He did defend his TARP vote and He is continuing to do so as late as Saturday, February 6, 2010. Pretty recent and relevant, don’t you think.
John not only is a Big Government Establishment Republican.
But even worse, he votes that way even though his Arkansas Employers(the voters) tell him to do otherwise. He is easily swayed by the President and House Leadership.
Here is the Quote below with the link:
Boozman defended his Wall Street Banker(ed. Hank Paulson & Tim Geitner’s Crony Fleecing of the Treasury & Taxpayer Act) bailout vote, saying action was necessary to prevent an economic meltdown. Other GOP contenders are trying to use the vote to question his conservatism, Boozman said, “I didn’t believe the conservative thing to do was to let us financially melt down,” he said, adding that much of the money has been repaid to the federal government.
http://arkansasnews.com/2010/02/06/boozman-announces-for-u-s-senate/
February 9th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Thanks Robert, I was going off of comments made by Elswick. I may have misunderstood.