Okay, first off, it looks like Lincoln has received a helping hand from her Senate colleagues in her reelection campaign. Lincoln is now chair of the Agriculture Committee, the first Arkansan and the first woman to ever serve in that capacity. It’s a roll that will give her leverage not only in farming matters but also in a number of areas from food programs to the pour to forrestry issues. Not a bad way to strengthen your reelection hand. She certainly won’t be the first politician to use experience and seniority to her advantage in a campaign, and while it doesn’t always work it’s still pretty potent.
While we’re on the subject of Senator Lincoln, Laura sent me a great video of Lincoln getting mealy-mouthed when pressed on the public option. This is the kind of pressure Lincoln is going to have to receive if we’re ever going to move her. I am, admittedly, a little nicer to Lincoln than I am Mike Ross or Mark Pryor, in large part because I recognize that she’s a woman trying to survive in a boy’s club. But she still needs to be held accountable, and if she won’t vote for us, I say we don’t vote for her. Sound fair?
This was only done because of the threat Trevor Drown (I) is posing as he gather more support across the state as well as the entry into the race of a Green Party Member John Gray. MEanwhile it looks like we have 9 Republicans that seem to think they are running for City Council of a small town.
There is finally a primary challenge to Blanche Lincoln, coming from the left.
Drew Pritt, a political activist and small business owner, has decided to provide a “progressive” primary challenge to incumbent U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.
“The fact remains we are at a historic moment in our country’s history. So it’s very upsetting, when we see a Democratic U.S. Senator who doesn’t support a public option for health care reform. It’s very upsetting when we see a Democratic U.S. Senator who doesn’t support the Employee Free Choice Act. It’s very upsetting when we see a Democratic U.S. Senator who waivers and waffles on basic civil rights. And the only explanation that is given is, she is a Senator from the deep South,” says Pritt. “Well I am a Bible Belt Liberal from Arkansas and I am proud to support EFCA, to support a Public Option for Health Care Reform, and it’s time for the GLBT Community to have someone in the Deep South voting for the Matthew Shephard Act. We need to end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell….NOW!”
Pritt, who ran an abortive bid for Lt. Governor of Arkansas in 2006, understands the burden that lays before him. He is starting a campaign with very little funding and facing an incumbent who has millions of dollars in her campaign war chest. However, Pritt, who once marched with Doris Haddock for Campaign Finance Reform says money should not be the single determining factor in who is elected U.S. Senator.
“I am concerned when I see a dirth of conservatives running to oppose Senator Lincoln and the only Democrat to have made an effort to challenge her in the primary is a conservative Democrat. I have waited on a good progressive like Ret. General Wesley Clark, U.S. Congressman Vic Snyder, former State Supreme Court Justice Wendell Griffen, or State Senator Joyce Elliott to step forward. I even waited on Lt. Governor Bill Halter to step up to the plate. The fact is, none of these true blue Democrats are running or willing to step up to the plate. Someone has to be the gadfly and thats a badge I wear with honor,” says Pritt.
Pritt says his bid may not be successful, but he says it might, and says that recent political trends suggest that there is an opportunity.
“The Tea Party’s suggest the Democrats are not the only party where people in the party are unhappy with compromise. In upper state New York, a “Conservative” is poised to upset a Republican who veered too far away from the party’s base. Lets not forget in Connecticut, a true blue Democrat defeated Joe Lieberman in the primary. The simple fact is this….if you run as a Democrat in Arkansas, you should vote as a Democrat in Washington, D.C., pure and simple,” says Pritt.
Pritt is an avid sportsman; enjoying hunting and fishing. He also loves Arkansas Razorback sports, American League baseball, is a gourmet cook, and reading. He is a member of the CHI PHI Fraternity, the oldest social fraternity in the country. He currently resides in Little Rock where he is an active member of Epsicopal Diocese of Arkansas. He is a member of the Lions Club, the Arkansas Democratic Party, Stonewall Democrats, the Arkansas Black Democratic Caucus, the Arkansas Hispanic Democratic Caucus, the National Cathedral Association, the National Rifle Association, and Diamond State Rodeo Association."
Ok, if you're going to quote a news article, please post a link and site the source.
ARDem, I am Drew Pritt. I wish you'd give me a chance. I notice where you sort of gave a none too positive statement about me back in June, and I doubt you know the real me. We should have coffee sometime and we can discuss this.
As far as the news article cited above, I know that it was in ROLL CALL, Channel 4 KARK, MSNBC, The Hill, etc.
Again, as a matter of policy, if someone is going to copy and paste anything from an outside source around here I would like it to be linked directly to the source it came from. This is not Fox News-we show our work here.
That aside Drew, I'd be happy to get to know you at any time possible. That aside, I am going to be perfectly frank with you-you have a lot to prove. Politicians don't get a chance from me, they earn my vote, and part of that, besides offering ideas and building a progressive record that improves people's lives is demonstrating viability, something I will post more on the main page about in a moment. It's the difference between voting for Barack Obama and Dennis Kucinich for me-I want to be sure that the person I cast my vote for has a chance of winning, and after the Lt. Gov campaign and the aborted senate race against Mark Pryor you have some work to do to convince us all that you can be a viable candidate. If you can demonstrate that your campaign is viable then yes, I along with a lot of other people will be taking a second look at you, but the ball is in your court, not ours.
And while I'm thinking about it, where is this comment from June you mentioned? Can't find it anywhere on this blog. Please link to it if you would.
It was on another blog.
Look, State Senator Kim Hendren (D) and Mayor John Gray (Green) at least have agreed to debate me in a series of debates, starting November 30th starting at 7:00 p.m. at UALR. The other candidates have been invited.
I agree I have a lot to prove. But the press and others have a lot to prove also. Theres a lot of griping about wanting an alternative….then when that alternative comes along, you make them try to pass some archaic litmus test. This is going to be a team effort, not just me proving myself to you, but you having to rally behind someone who is willing to stand up and speak out.
I am going at this like gangbusters. But you as well as I know the campaigns have to start by producing their own media. This also extends to blogs and groups who want a change.
Had another progressive Democrat stepped up, I wouldn't have run, but I am tired of the Hamlet routine by progressive Democrats. Our Lt. Governor had a chance to run….to run against Sen. Pryor as well.
I backed off and tried to help a progressive, or one who was saying he was a progressive in the Lt. Governor primary in 2006 (Hathorn). I backed off and waited on Halter or Snyder to run against Pryor in 2008.
This time, I am not backing off. We need EFCA, ENDA, and Universal Health Care. I am not talking, but running, and working hard to earn the vote of a majority of Arkansas voters.
Again, I'd like to see a link to that comment.
Viability is not an "archaic litmus test". If you can't raise the money, put the organization together, and get people behind you then you're not going to make it-sorry, that's just a statement of fact.
Let me put this as nicely as I can-none of us our obligated to support you. You have to win my support and that of everyone else here. If you can get your campaign moving then great-I wish you luck in the debate and I hope it works out in your favor-but after your previous races you've got to prove to us that you're campaign isn't a lost cause to get behind, especially when we're basically trying to make progressives a relevent force in Arkansas rather than a miniscule voice on the fringe.
Again, I wish you luck on your campaign, but it will be your actions and their results in the feild that change my mind and not anything you can say on a blog.