The Tolbert Report

Aaron Blake with The Hill has an interesting story today on the Democratic candidate’s lack of interesting in discussing health care. He notes particularly State Sen. Joyce Elliot and House Speaker Robbie Wills who are squaring off in the Second Congressional Disctrict.

The only candidate to say unequivocally that he would support the Senate bill, which could be voted on in the House next week, is a primary-care physician running to face Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.).

Dr. Manan Trivedi said it’s important to get the ball rolling on reconciliation.  “The answer is yes,” he said flatly.

That was about as direct as the answers got — though another Democratic candidate, Arkansas state Sen. Joyce Elliott, said she was “inclined” to support the bill.

The campaigns of Trivedi’s and Elliott’s primary opponents — businessman Doug Pike and Arkansas state Rep. Robbie Wills, respectively — did not respond to multiple requests for comment over the course of the week.

“I most definitely think that we need to just bite the bullet and get with this process to get some kind of healthcare legislation in place,” said Elliott, who is running for the seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.).

Elliott and others cited the unsettled nature of the bill for their deferred judgment.

Elliott had also told me in a previous interview that she would vote for the bill. “I prefer a single payer option but I am not tied to that,” Elliott said. “I recognize politics is an art and I can’t just do it by science.”

Wills previously said that he would not support the House version on the health care bill due to concerns over the cost to the state of Arkansas. I have not heard him change this position with the latest version being debated but he did tell me that he would not repeal the bill if it did pass. “Should the current house health care bill become law, I would not vote for repeal,” said Wills.

Earlier this week, Chad Causey called for a debate in the Fist Congressional District.  Now the debate fever has spread the central Arkansas.  Democratic candidate David Boling has thrown down the challenge to his primary opponents for a series of debates.

“The people of the Second District will be electing a new congressman in November and they deserve to know where each candidate stands on issues important to them. A series of debates will be a great chance for citizens to know which candidate has the ideas, experience and judgment to best represent them in Congress,” Boling said.

In other words, It’s on! Full release on the jump.

UPDATE -  John Adams says bring it on in cyberspace…

“I gladly accept the call for debates and encourage the other candidates to do so as well,” said Adams on his website. ”I welcome the opportunity to share my ideas on issues important to Central Arkansans like healthcare and tax reform. People want to hear practical solutions for real-life problems. I want all citizens to have an opportunity to talk to me and ask their questions, so I strongly encourage having an open forum where citizens submit questions in person and via twitter, facebook and youtube. I look forward to debating these important issues.”

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Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter is taking his campaign for U.S. Senate to the people in a series of town halls that he will be conducting. The first one is tonight at the University of Pine Bluff at 6:00. He will take questions from the audience and discuss “how to fight special interests that are not on the side of Arkansas’s working families.”

He has pledged to hold a town hall in all 75 counties in Arkansas each year if elected to the Senate. Interesting, idea, although it is not new. Republican Curtis Coleman proposed the exact same thing back in August. Perhaps, Halter and Coleman could save some money by car pooling to these events, provided they both have the proper shots and a visa.

Watch the two videos below.  Can you tell which one was made by the Lincoln for Senate Campaign and which one was from Arkansas Business?

In the days following Rep. Marion Berry’s announcement that he would not seek re-election, the Washington insider publication CQPolitics moved their rating for the First Congressional District to Toss-up. At the time, I said this was pre-mature and today it seems they agreed moving the rating again back to the leans Democrat field.

There explanation is that “state Sen. Davy Carter” did not get in the race. News flash – Carter is a state representative and although he did consider it, I don’t think his consideration ever reached the point to warrant a ratings change on the race. They also point to state Sen. Johnny Key who did consider getting in a bit more seriously than Carter.

I am not trying to beat up on CQPolitics rating here. They do as best they can while sitting 900 miles away from the district. But it would be nice to have a local ratings group with more of a feel for the situation on the ground than could be found in D.C.

Last Thursday Little Rock businessman D.C. Morrison surprised everyone by filing for U.S. Senate as a Democrat to join Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter in the Democratic Primary. I caught up with Morrison today at the state capital and found out a little bit more about this unknown candidate.

Morrison described himself as a conservative Democrat and “a citizen who is very dissatisfied with the direction of our country.”

“I think we need more people who are just everyday ordinary citizens to stand up for what they believe in and what are country was founded on which is freedom and individual responsibility,” said Morrison. He pointed to the bailouts as an example of one of the things he was dissatisfied with that lead him to make the decision to run.

“I am conservative. I don’t believe that we should leave trillions and trillions of dollars in debt for our children to pay off,” explained Morrison. “May 18 I am asking conservatives to come out and vote for me and stop two big government liberals in one day.”

“I have never held public office in my life,” emphasized Morrison. “Most conservatives want to take care of their family, take care of their job, go to church, and mind their own business. And as long as we do that and we leave it to the political class and the liberals to run the country that is exactly what we are going to get – a country that is not working for everyday working Americans. So that is why I am running for office to give them a voice.”

He said he was not concerned about the amount of money his two Democratic primary opponents have raised as he thinks they will spend most of that beating each up with it and make his job easy. He has put some of his personal funds into his campaign although he declined to say how much.

When I asked if he had always been a Democrat, he said he supported Republican Ron Paul in the last Presidential election and that President Ronald Reagan was a hero of his. As for state politics, he voted for Republican Asa Hutchinson for Governor but thinks Gov. Mike Beebe is “doing an excellent job.”

I don’t usually report on county races but this one is interesting. Former Chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas Dennis Milligan surprised some people this morning by filling for Saline County Circuit Clerk. The office is currently held by former Democratic State Representative Doug Kidd who has held this office since 2001.

Kidd has come under fire for his hiring of former Saline County Prosecutor Dan Harmon, who was served eight years in prison for racketeering and drug-related offenses prior to Kidd hiring him to do part time work for his office. Harmon was arrested again last month for selling drug near a school in Sheridan.

“I’d say they need to get their Bible out and read about redemption, and I’d also tell them they need to realize what a bargain the county is getting for $9 an hour,”  (CORRECTION - The above quote was from Harmon not Kidd.)  “He’s doing a good job and we’re very fortunate that someone with his legal knowledge is there to help us. I almost feel a little guilty and that I’m taking advantage of someone with his knowledge and experience,” Kidd told the Benton Courier last year in defending his hiring of Harmon.

“I decided to run because the incumbent has become so arrogant that he has hired a man who betrayed a public trust and went to federal prison for it,” Milligan said in a press release. “I could not let such a slap in the face to Saline County voters go unchallenged.”

“There are so many people unemployed in Saline County right now because of the Recession. It is an outrage that our circuit clerk hired the epitome of a crooked politician to work in that office when so many good people need work,” Milligan added. “I want to return integrity to that office.”

Full Press Release on the jump.

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Only four hours to go on Monday morning before the filing closes and several questions remain. Look out for several surprises both in who files and who doesn’t file. 

In the race for the U.S. Senate, only four of the eight announced Republican candidates have filed. State Sen. Gilbert Baker, Retired Col. Conrad E. Reynolds, Tea party leader Randy Alexander, and former State Sen. Jim Holt have all confirmed they will file in the morning. One time rumored candidate attorney Chris Bequette confirmed Sunday that he will not be filing for office.

Also remaining is Republican Scott Wallace in the Second Congressional District who confirmed Sunday that he will file in the morning. In addition, another candidate is expected to file in the Republican race for the Third District and the Democrat race for the First.

Numerous rumors floated this weekend about various other constitutional offices that may pick up some additional candidates so we will be watching those to see if any of them pan out.

Here is a list so far from the Secretary of State of those who filed.

And here is what I know about who is filing when. If you see your favorite candidate on the list, come on down to cheer them on. If you are a candidate (any party) and want on the list, let me know and I will add you.

Monday, March 8 - 8:30 - State Representative - District 48 – Rep. Davy Carter (GOP)

Monday, March 8 - 9:00 – U.S. Senate – Randy Alexander (GOP)

Monday, March 8 - 10:00 – U.S. Senate – Sen. Gilbert Baker (GOP)

Monday, March 8 - 10:30 – U.S. Representative – District 2 – Scott Wallace (GOP) – U.S. Representative – District 3 - Doug Matayo (GOP)

Monday, March 8 - 11:00 – U.S. Senate – Conrad Reynolds (GOP) – Jim Holt (GOP)

And yes there will be more….

A few days ago Sen. Lincoln launched an ad with children playing in classroom. Now Halter is hitting back with an ad featuring him helping a little old lady with her groceries get into her car.

The grocery tie-in – he bagged groceries and high school, got a scholarship to go to college, and learned from that experience that every Arkansas high school student should get a scholarship. Result – the Scholarship Lottery.

The older lady tie in – Halter served as the Deputy Commissioner of Social Security under former President and currently a Blanche Lincoln supporter Bill Clinton. In February 2006, while considering running for governor against Mike Beebe in a Democratic Primary, Halter spoke against then President Bush’s plan to privatize social security. Hence, he stood up for the little old ladies.

(Noted – I apologize in advance to the actress in the commercial for referring to her as a little old lady.)

Rep. Marion Berry was one of the last Democrats to sign on for voting for the Health Care Reform Bill last time around but this week he signaled he might not be able to vote in favor of the Senate version if it comes up in its current form.

“Unless the Senate Bill includes the Stupak language or something similar I will vote ‘no’ on the current bill,” Berry tells the Tolbert Report when asked today.

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) lead a group of pro-life Democrats last time around to force adding language that would prohibit abortion coverage for any health care plans benefiting from the federal health care legislation.  All four Arkansas Congressman voted for the Stupak Amendment, while only Reps. Berry and Snyder voted for the final bill.