As the early primary season continues to heat up I thought this Arkansan would share his views on what exactly is going on in this race.
Blanche Lincoln has turned this race into an all about me race as she tries to distinguish herself from Bill Halter. Unfortunately, before the race has really even gotten started she has started slinging mud and blaming Halter for doing so. This is both egregious and a flat out lie.
She has based all this on a national ad that has gone out that Bill Halter had nothing to do with and did not endorse. Some have said that it smacks of desperation. I look at it differently. She long ago sold her Democratic principles to the highest bidder and in an attempt to show herself as an "independent" she is using the Republican play book by playing dirty and blaming the opponent (baselessly) for the attacks.
As I believe I have noted before I used to be a Blanche Lincoln supporter. That ended a few years ago when I noticed that she was not voting on behalf of the people that had elected her but on behalf of the lobbies she was in most contact with.
As I said she is trying to claim to be an independent voice of Arkansas (which is an absolute slap in the face of Arkansas Democrats), she even has an ad on Crooks and Liars that has been running for about a week now. I realize that Crooks and Liars needs these ads to help them but I really wish they would refuse to accept the Lincoln ads, until she at least makes a pledge to stop running a negative campaign (I do not really expect this to happen however, she has been in Washington too long and this is par for the course when it comes to playing by the Republican playbook).
It is past time for all not only Arkansas Democrats but all Arkansans to stand up in one loud clear voice to Senator Lincoln to run her election clean and stop attacking Bill Halter and to certainly stop blaming him for her decision to run negatively.
This is not how Blanche Lincoln used to be. It has even surprised Bill Halter. In a recent press release he was quoted as saying:
I am disappointed in the path Senator Lincoln has chosen. This is not the Blanche Lincoln I used to know.
It is very unfortunate that Senator Lincoln has taken this path and there really is no true reason for her turn except that she has voted in the past few years against the wishes of Arkansas and rather trying to explain the way she has voted she has decided to attack Halter for daring to challenge her.
Now, suddenly, Senator Lincoln is claiming that she stood with President Obama on Healthcare. She claims that she:
stood with our president to pass healthcare reform ... Even though the Tea Party and insurance companies attacked Blanche Lincoln, she never abandoned our president, nor you.
Just to be clear this is an absolute lie. She voted against the public option (which Obama supported), she did vote to end the filibuster, after tremendous pressure was put on her, she voted with the Republican on several of their stall tactics, and she voted against the fix-it bill. How she somehow decides that is her standing WITH Obama and AGAINST the Tea Party is anyone's guess.
While looking through her campaign webpage I saw this on the frontpage"
A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes
You are certainly correct Senator Lincoln but unfortunately you are describing yourself. If you look through her press releases also on the front page the first three releases are all attacks on Bill Halter. She even pokes fun at him for something he said in his press release when he said that:
n 1999 I was pleased when Senator Lincoln introduced me for my Senate confirmation hearing as the Deputy Commissioner of Social Security. Then, Senator Lincoln seemed to have a very different opinion of me than what she is saying now. It’s unfortunate that Senator Lincoln has chosen this route. I never viewed this as a race against her, but rather an election for the people of Arkansas.
Her press release was nothing short of shameful.
Senator Lincoln for the better good of the people of Arkansas please stop the negative campaigning. There is no need for it. I know somewhere deep down the Senator Lincoln that Arkansas Democrats used to be proud of is still there. This election is for what's best for the state and people of Arkansas, not what's the best for you. Stop playing from the Republican playbook of attack, lie, and distort it is beneath you.
To my fellow Kossackers today is the last day to donate to Bill Halter. If you can give, donate what you can.