UPDATE: For more info on the race, y'all should stop by Blue Arkansas, the statewide progressive blog for Arkansas.
As y'all know, I don't typically comment on the Senate races in other states, but the brewing Democratic primary in Arkansas has the potential to be shake up the Democratic Caucus in the Senate, and embolden the Senate Democrats to start listening to their base, and not their campaign contributors on issues like re-regulating the financial system, health care reform, a carbon tax, student loan reform, and on and on.
Arkansas has two Senators - Bill Pryor and Blance Lincoln. Both are self-described moderates in the mold of Senator Landrieu - "I'll do what's best for Louisiana, not my party" even when polls show that most Louisianans want the Senator to do the opposite of what she's doing. While Senator Landrieu is able to get re-elected, mainly since progressive/liberal Democrats here in Louisiana generally don't have a viable candidate to challenge her in a primary, Senator Lincoln doesn't have that luxury.
You need someone to kill EFCA? Call Lincoln, eager to do Wal-Mart's bidding. You need someone to protect Big Oil from regulations that could limit greenhouses? Call Lincoln, who was happy to join Republicans like James Inofe to gut the EPA's ability to protect not just the environment, but the world. You need someone to carry water for the health insurance industry? Call Lincoln, who threatened several times to join filibusters of the public option, and has suddenly become distraught at the notion of using reconciliation to pass health care reform -- after she was one of just 12 Democrats to vote for the 2001 Bush tax cuts. Using reconciliation.
Your appetite whetted enough? Then let's meet Bill Halter:
So if y'all are tired of "moderate" Blue Dog Democrats that do the bidding of the fat cats on Wall Street, or the bidding of the fiscal bottom line loving crowd at the Chamber of Commerce, then donate to Bill.
Donate, even if it's a mere $5. Because Lord knows it's time for the Democrats up there in Washington to realize that the people are watching, and we're sick and tired of having our votes taken for granted, and they better start voting for what we want ... not what their campaign contributors want.
