I had planned last week to write a diary about an Arkansas State Senator from a neighboring district who has ties to a racist former member of the Council Of Conservative Citizens (CCC), but the story got even more juicy tonight when the former CCC member was profiled in a fairly flattering light on a local 5 p.m. newscast.
Obvious nutjob and Arkansas State Senator Jim Holt (R-35, Complete Prick), who "limited" Blanche Lincoln to 56 percent of the vote in her recent reelection and has announced he is running for Lieutenant Governor in 2006, apparently has a little secret. He has endorsed a proven racist to head "Project Arkansas Now", a group formed in order to support the passage of an anti-immigrant bill he introduced in the most recent state legislative session.
For those who don't know, the CCC is merely a modern-day spinoff of the "White Citizens' Councils" who stood hand-in-hand with the KKK to prevent intergation in the South 40 years ago. But that's not the only skeleton in the closet of Project Arkansas Now leader Joe McCutchen.
But it quickly came to light that McCutchen had written many letters to his hometown Southwest Times Record of Fort Smith alleging a vast Jewish conspiracy. In June 2003, he asserted that "the central government, banking, media (radio/TV) and entertainment are controlled by Jews." Jews also "own the world monetary system" McCutchen declared.
When asked about these letters by the Report, McCutchen said he stood by everything he wrote. "Hell," he said, "those are facts."
Well, tonight's 5 p.m. newscast on CBS affiliate KFSM (Channel 5) in Ft. Smith, did a profile on the recent "trip" Joe and his wife took to Arizona to help a "group", apparently the anti-immigrant "Minutemen" (whom they didn't mention by name), "watch the border". The report mentioned that "some" don't agree with McCutchen's stance. But in fact, the reporter fumbled comments regarding ACLU opposition, which made that organization sound even less coherent than its critics already believe it is. She immediately went on to say that the "president" has referred to the group Joe supports as "vigilantes", but it was difficult to ascertain that she was probably talking about President Bush as opposed to the president of the ACLU (or some other organization). Typical editorial content from our local scared-shitless-of-Wal-Mart-and-the-local-churches media. Of course, the worst part is that one doesn't have to go to the ACLU to find those who deem Joe McCutchen reprehensible. Anyone to the left of a fascist (and I think that speaks for most locals here) ought to know what kind of people make up such vigilante groups. No matter what kind of face is put on this in person, we're talking about a truly despicable human being. The fact that he cannot find any better way to spend his free time with all the problems this world and country faces speaks volumes.
Arkansas actually has quite a bit to be proud of politically. We sent J. William Fulbright and Dale Bumpers (two of the greatest senators of the 20th century in my mind) to Washington. We gave this country the only Democrat in the past 60 years to be elected to two terms as President. And other than the fact that the GOP has carried this state in the U.S. Presidental election six of the past nine times, this state looks nothing like the rest of the South. We have two Democrats in the U.S. Senate, three of our four U.S. Representatives are Democrats, our State Legislature has never shifted to the Dark Side (OK, so it's full of DINOs), and beyond our governor--who leaves office after next year's election and would have a hell of a time unseating either U.S. Senator--the GOP has a weak, weak, bench here. But then we have my part of the state: racist, fundie, GOP, beholden to Wal-Mart, and growing rapidly in size and influence. And a local media that refuses to point out the truth, despite the fact that the biggest city other than Ft. Smith is the area's oasis--a fairly liberal city that hosts the state's largest university.
Looks like I'd better get back to work in doing my part to pester the local media. Anyone who can help expose nutjobs like Jim Holt and Joe McCutchen to the harsh light of reality would be a pleasure to watch in action.