I mean it. At his appearance at the Arkansas Farm Bureau today Governor Beebe continued lying to the people of Arkansas.
Beebe continued his tired and unsupported complaint that an influx of billions in new health spending in poor Arkansas could somehow be damaging to the state when the new state costs (a mere 10 percent of the federal outlay) kick in TEN YEARS FROM NOW.
I get that the Governor doesn’t want this issue intruding in on his campaign as he really doesn’t have anything to do with it. He would have that luxury if he had an opponent who A) actually knew something about the U.S. Constitution and B) wasn’t a shameless, desperate demagogue begging for the votes of the fringe right, much less attention. Unfortuneatly for the Governor, he doesn’t have that opponent. He has Jim Keet. Still, a lie is a lie, and I refuse to believe for a second that, with the resources at the Governor’s office disposal, he can’t do a simple fact check on something so important and is simply misinformed.
I support Governor Beebe in his reelection campaign. I will vote for him for a second term, especially considering how ridiculous his opposition is. But he should still be held accountable. The health care reform passed by Congress and signed by President Obama will help Arkansans in need. That’s healthy Arkansans who will be able to contribute more to the state’s economy, who the state of Arkansas won’t have to worry about providing for. And while I could be wrong about this, if memory serves Governor Beebe promised in 2006 to insure every child in Arkansas, a promise he hasn’t kept, and considering the budget crunch the economy has us in he shouldn’t be expected to be able to keep. For that reason alone, he should be openly thankful and supportive of the health care bill.
