The Arkansas Project

Arkansas Greens Considering Lincoln Challenge?

By David Kinkade - May 11, 2009 7:23 pm

Lincoln (top) vs. Green Party's Kennedy? Maybe.

The Talking Points Memo blog talks to Arkansas Green Party candidate Rebekah Kennedy, who was on the ballot against Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor in 2008 and tells TPM that the Greens are considering a challenge to Sen. Blanche Lincoln in 2010. TPM reports:

I spoke with Kennedy by phone earlier today, and she says she’s on the fence. “I’m interested in running against Lincoln in this campaign, but I’m not ready to commit yet,” she said. But, crucially, she added, “I do think the Green Party will run somebody against Lincoln, I’m just not sure it will be me.”

Kennedy goes on to suggest that there may be interest in backing a leftward challenge to Lincoln from labor unions and other progressive groups. TPM reports:

“I’ve talked to a couple of groups,” Kennedy said. “We’ve been contacted by people interested in labor issues and other progressive issues about this situation.”

She wasn’t willing to say which groups those were, or at least not yet. But the labor source says there’s growing interest in turning up the heat. “I know there are a number of people who, if she decided to run, would try to make sure she had the resources to be heard in the election,” the senior official said. “She’s wrong on a number of issues, the conversation is not just going on among union people.”

The blogger and his commenters greatly overrate the strength of progressive politics in Arkansas, but the whole thing is worth a read for a consideration of how deeply pissed off labor types are by Lincoln’s defection on union-backed card check legislation.

Incidentally, columnist David Sanders pondered Lincoln’s card check problem in his Sunday column, suggesting that it’s not one that will necessarily go away soon, as Lincoln had hoped.

Related Posts

• February 22, 2010 -- Maybe We Should Start Doing This Again
• January 26, 2010 -- Blanche Lincoln Is Just A Damn Money Machine
• January 20, 2010 -- TBQ Poll: Dear Heavens, Does It Ever Suck to Be Blanche Lincoln
• January 8, 2010 -- Here Are Some Things That Are Going On
• December 3, 2009 -- Grim Poll Numbers Continue for Lincoln
• October 24, 2009 -- Now Drew Pritt Is Running for U.S. Senate, Too