The Arkansas Project

Sanders: Pryor Squishy on Union Vote?

By David Kinkade - December 3, 2008 6:25 am

Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln: Key votes on union bill

Arkansas News Bureau columnist David Sanders notes that Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor’s support for the “Employee Free Choice Act,” the union-backed “card check” bill that may be a Dem priority in the coming Congress, seems to be moderating a bit:

The usually soft-spoken junior senator angered many in the Arkansas business community last spring when he forcefully claimed that those in the state Chamber of Commerce, as well as other business leaders who lobbied him against card check, were simply doing the bidding of their leadership in Washington.

But when I interviewed Sen. Pryor last week on my television program, gone was the vitriol, which had angered so many. Instead, Pryor mollified his position. When asked if he would again line up as a co-sponsor of the legislation, he indicated he wouldn’t.

In fact, he attempted to alleviate concerns that the bill would be on the fast track that union leaders had hoped for in the new Congress. He predicted that a President Obama wouldn’t push the measure in the first six months of his administration and that he might wait until 2010 to bring it up.

And this one’s a couple of days old, but Sanders’ colleague John Brummett suggested in a Monday column that President Barack Obama would do well to hold off on pushing for the controversial labor bill for now. Brummett suggests the bill may be “too polarizing” for immediate action.

More from the Fort Smith City Wire’s Michael Tilley, who offers a more in-depth examination of what the bill would do to ease unionization efforts.

Where Will Lincoln Go On Union Ballot Vote?

By David Kinkade - November 25, 2008 7:57 am

Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln

Washington D.C. pub Politico notes that Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas will be one Democrat to watch in the coming debate on the absurdly monikered “Employee Free Choice Act,” a labor-backed bill to make union organizing easier by eliminating the secret ballot. Lincoln’s not been clear on where she stands on the issue.

That fact that has not gone unnoticed by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette editorial board, which has no use for the mealy-mouthed hedging on the issue coming from Lincoln and fellow Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor:

If and when our two U. S. senators make up their mind on this issue—perhaps they have and just don’t dare tell the rest of us—it would be nice to get a straight answer out of them.

Should they decide that Americans should be denied a secret ballot at their workplace, their votes would not be without irony.

Having just participated in the Democratic caucus in the Senate, which allows senators to cast their ballots in secret for their leaders, they would have tried to deny the same right to American workers.

The Arkansas Project has touched on this issue in recent days, along with other members of the Arkansas blogging posse Jason Tolbert at The Tolbert Report and Tim Griffin at The Griffin Room.

Beebe On Labor Unions

By David Kinkade - October 24, 2008 1:23 pm

Beebe takes Manhattan

In New York to pitch Arkansas as a great place to do business, Gov. Mike Beebe lands an interview with CNBC, where the interviewer asks him about labor unions, among other things.

Specifically, the reporter notes Barack Obama’s “pro-union” stance versus Arkansas-based Wal-Mart’s general “anti-union” stance, and asks Beebe how he squares “your loyalties to Wal-Mart and your loyalties to your party.” Beebe responds:

I’m a Democrat and I have a lot of friends and a lot of supporters that have been in the union, that were extraordinarily good to me.

However, having said that, in today’s business climate, in today’s world, with what’s going on right now, we don’t need to inhibit our business opportunities to be successful. We need to make sure that they have the jobs and they create the jobs and that they give the jobs for our workers to be able to have.

So right now is not the time, I think,  to do those things that inhibit further business activity.

Hmm. That sounds loosely “anti-union” to me. Is that how it sounds to you? If so, good for Gov. Beebe.

But does this mean that Beebe will lobby Arkansas’ five Congressional Democrats to vote against the union-backed “card check” legislation that will be a priority in the coming Democratic Congress? And which will be poised to become law if Obama ascends to the White House, as appears likely? Just asking.

Arkansas News Bureau columnist David Sanders dealt with Sen. Mark Pryor’s “ideological straddling” on the so-called “Employee Free Choice Act” a few months back. Hey, did I mention I’ll be on Sanders’ AETN “Unconventional Wisdom” show tonight at 6:30 p.m.? I can’t remember if I mentioned that.

(Hat tip to Roby Brock’s BizBlog. Roby also interpreted Beebe’s remarks as a warning “against unionization efforts.”)

Pryor Prepping for Democratic ‘Tidal Wave’ in D.C.

By David Kinkade - October 21, 2008 6:33 am

Speaking to students at the University of Arkansas, U.S. Senator Mark Pryor says that many in his party in Washington D.C. are preparing for a Democratic “tidal wave” in the nation’s capital.

Pryor points to Barack Obama’s strong nationwide polling and several unexpectedly competitive Senate races as evidence, the Northwest Arkansas Times’ Trish Hollenbeck reports.

Pryor also points to what he calls “the best political advertisement I’ve ever seen” from Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Ronnie Musgrove in Mississippi. I’m presuming he means this one, for you Arkansas project readers who are students of the art of political ads:

Pryor Gets Esquire Seal of Approval

By David Kinkade - October 15, 2008 11:45 am

We're still waiting for the "sexiest lawmakers" list.

U.S. Senator Mark Pryor (D) of Arkansas is named one of the “10 best lawmakers in Congress” according to Esquire Magazine. It’s a strong endorsement for the first-term senator from a magazine that hasn’t been at all relevant for about 30 years.

You can read the full list, thoughtfully provided by reporter Aaron Sadler of the Stephens Media Washington Bureau, over at the Politics in Arkansas blog. Bonus: Yep, they’ve got the “10 worst” list, too.

In November 2007, Esquire named actress Charlize Theron the “Sexiest Woman Alive,” and I thought you’d prefer that cover to yet another photo of Pryor’s smiling mug.

Maher to CNN: ‘We lied’ to ‘Religulous’ Targets

By David Kinkade - October 14, 2008 9:55 am

Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas and others who were targeted in comedian Bill Maher’s recent documentary “Religulous,” a tendentious critique of organized religion, aren’t taking it lying down.

They tell CNN that they were deceived as to the purpose of the interviews with Maher, and Maher admits on camera that “We lied” to get his foot in the door.

The video was a little hinky, so I’ve pulled it, but here’s the CNN link since I can’t get it to work. (Hat tip: Hot Air)

Earlier: Watch Pryor’s interview with Maher.

Moneybags Pryor Nixes Campaign Cash

By David Kinkade - October 8, 2008 12:13 pm

Pryor campaign manager Randy Massanelli at campaign HQ. (Photo: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor doesn’t need your dirty money.

Specifically, Pryor has told his fundraisers not to bother raising any more cash for his re-election campaign, because he ain’t gonna need it, according to ace reporter Seth Blomeley at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Arkansas Republicans, in all our glorious lameness, were unable to field a challenger to Pryor.

What’s Pryor going to do with the rest of his campaign nut? Based on the photo in today’s paper, he’s not spending it on rent, since the picture shows campaign manager Randy Massanelli sitting at a folding table in the Pryor campaign headquarters, in what looks to be a room without heat, running water or a roof. It looks like the room a serial killer would hold you in while he develops some ingenious plan for your demise.

Anyway, I presume what’s left of Pryor’s campaign cash will be squandered on a gambling jag across the border in the Mississippi casinos.

Forgoing fundraising is a bold move for Pryor, who still faces a challenge from Rebekah Kennedy of the Green Party. He’s raised $5.4 million; she’s raised $12,000. I sure hope he knows what he’s doing.

Pryor: Maher ‘Religulous’ Interview a Mistake

By David Kinkade - October 3, 2008 6:59 am

Sen. Mark Pryor tells Aaron Sadler of the Stephens Media Washington Bureau that he thinks it was a mistake to sit down with comedian Bill Maher to be interviewed about his religious beliefs for Maher’s movie “Religulous.” Let’s go to the now famous “talking snake” clip:

A piqued Pryor tells Sadler: “I think he’s trying to make me out to be a joke, and really what he’s doing is attacking people of faith. That’s unfortunate. I don’t like that. I wish I’d not been a part of it now that I know how it’s been used.”

The movie opens today in theaters nationwide, but not in Arkansas, based on my five seconds of online research, so add that to the list of the reasons you’re glad you live here: You won’t have to suffer through two hours of Maher’s oppressive smugness in a darkened theater, at least for a few more weeks.

As for me, I’m not really all that religious, but that’s only because I suffered a crisis of faith after I prayed for 10 years that a meteor would strike Bill Maher down where he stands, and nothing happened. My God, why hast thou forsaken me?!

Update: So it turns out that I was incorrect above, and “Religulous” is playing in Little Rock at the Market Street Cinema. I learned this by looking at a “News-Paper.” Have you seen these things? They’re really something else.

Arkansas Blogging Family on the Grow

By David Kinkade - October 2, 2008 12:58 pm

Comedian Bill Maher and friend, illustrating Kinkade's uncanny ability to find images that are only tangentially related to his blog's content.

I just learned that the boys over at the Arkansas News Bureau, with an assist from the Stephens Media Washington D.C. team, have started up a snappy new Politics in Arkansas blog.

Leading off right now is a nice post from reporter Aaron Sadler detailing how Sen. Mark Pryor ended up doing that ill-advised interview about his religious beliefs with “comedian” Bill Maher, and the laughs that the exchange is getting from audiences. The interview is featured in Maher’s new documentary film, “Religulous.” (The Arkansas Project touched on this a few weeks ago, but it’s worth a new look as “Religulous” will be in theaters tomorrow.)

So there’s another one for you to add to your daily blog reading list.

Arkansas Lawmakers Bailing on Bail-out?

By David Kinkade - September 25, 2008 6:03 am

Aaron Sadler with the Stephens Media Washington Bureau talks with members of the Arkansas Congressional delegation who are resisting the $700 billion financial sector bail-out plan proposed by the Bush White House.

Also, here’s Sen. Mark Pryor in a USA Today story, saying that he wishes Barack Obama and John McCain would suspend their campaigns and get back to Washington to help hammer out a bipartisan deal—in a Tuesday interview BEFORE McCain’s goofy “I’m gonna suspend my campaign and go to D.C.” move:

For all the political wrangling over whether the candidates should be involved in the bailout talks, there were some on both sides who said they belong at the table. In an interview Tuesday night, Sen. Mark Pryor, a centrist Democrat who has worked with McCain and Obama on other bipartisan deals, expressed what he thought was only a wistful hope that they might return.

”We need leadership right now,” Pryor had said. “It would be good … for them to suspend their campaigns and come back here and really work with us on this, come up with something we can all do together.”

But, he said, ”they wouldn’t do this; they’ve got a debate Friday.”

Incidentally, Lance Turner’s blog over in the Arkansas Business neighborhood is a great resource for information on the bail-out debate and recent economic matters—lots of links to news stories, analysis and primary sources. Check it out.

Pryor Transfers $300K to Dem Senate Campaigns

By David Kinkade - September 23, 2008 7:03 am

Sen. Mark Pryor: Moneybags

If you’re fascinated by the fundraising race between the two major party committees that oversee Senate races—and who isn’t?—you should go read this Congressional Quarterly breakdown of recent financial activity by the campaign committees.

I only point it out as there’s an Arkansas angle: Sen. Mark Pryor, who faces no GOP challenge in his first reelection campaign this year, transferred $300,000 from his campaign bankroll to help out the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. The move should serve to make Pryor a more powerful player in the Senate.

Last week, The Arkansas Project examined where some of Pryor’s fat campaign bankroll comes from, with a look at giving to Arkansas officials by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and AIG.

Pryor, Lincoln Score Fannie, Freddie Dollars

By David Kinkade - September 19, 2008 9:45 am

With all the focus on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac this last week, The Arkansas Project thought it would be fun to have a glance at which of our state’s lawmakers have benefited from the two mortgage buying companies’ largesse.

Democratic Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln have pulled in $11,650 and $10,000, respectively, from Freddie/Fannie PACs and employees. Democratic Reps. Marion Berry and Mike Ross received $1,000 and $5,550, respectively, in PAC money.

Full list is available over at the Center for Responsive Politics’ Open Secrets site. It tallies Fannie and Freddie giving since 1989; current members of Congress have received a total of $4.8 million with about 57 percent of the total going to Democrats.

At the presidential level, since you’re wondering: Mr. Hope’n'Change himself Barack Obama is the number two recipient with over $126,000, primarily employee giving (in just four years? Damn).  John McCain is on down the list with $21,500, all from Fannie and Freddie employees, not PACs.

Reps. Vic Snyder, Mike Ross and John Boozman (Arkansas’ sole Republican in Congress) aren’t listed, so apparently they got nothing. Losers.

Update: This link from the same site will tell you which Arkansas politicos have received contributions from AIG, another of this week’s federal bail-out beneficiaries.

Update: A reader points out that I misread the table and that Rep. Mike Ross actually received over $5,500 in Fannie/Freddie PAC money. She is correct, and I’ve emended the item above to reflect that.

Pryor on Energy

By David Kinkade - September 11, 2008 9:00 am

Pryor: Low Energy

OK, let’s try something different today: Let’s see if we can go a full day without posting anything about the presidential race, and focus instead on issues related to Arkansas politics and such. Oooh, this should be exciting!

Hm, let’s see. Here’s an AP story about how U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor and a doughty band of fellow senators are going to work together, by golly, to put all this fussin’ and feudin’ behind us and come up with a jimcracky of a bipartisan energy plan with a balanced focus on renewable fuels and oil drilling.

“The Democrats aren’t going to solve it and the Republicans aren’t going to solve it,” Pryor said. “We’re going to have to work togetheghvmnbbbbbbbbbfvmn,,,,nv

What? Oh, I’m sorry, I got so bored I fell asleep and my head hit the keyboard. Man, this is going to be tougher than I thought. What’s Sarah Palin up to?

U.S. Chamber Endorses Pryor

By David Kinkade - August 27, 2008 9:20 am

OK, I’m not going to lie to you—it’s so far looking like a slow news day out there, with the state’s ruling class having a grand old time in Denver, but we’ll see what we can dig up for you.

Sen. Mark Pryor

Hey, here’s something: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will endorse Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas for re-election, says the National Journal.

Not exactly an act of courage, given that Pryor faces only a Green Party candidate, who seems like a nice person but whose name I couldn’t remember and had to Google (It’s Rebekah Kennedy). And given the fact that Pryor supports the union-backed card check bill that the Chamber declares—in the same story—they are seeking to defeat. But, whatever, I’m kinda scraping for material over here.

Sanders: Look for the Union Label

By David Kinkade - August 14, 2008 10:20 am

I’d meant to note this yesterday, but columnist David Sanders had a nice column looking at Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor’s support for the union-backed “Employee Free Choice Act.” It’s worth checking out.

Sanders notes that the bill is a top goal for union activists and is strongly opposed by the business community, including Arkansas-based Wal-Mart and the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce. All the Democratic members of the Arkansas Congressional delegation support the bill.

Sanders writes:

The so-called “Employee Free Choice Act” is the Democrats’ response to the country’s decreasing union rolls. Union leaders have had a hard time demonstrating their worth to American workers, especially in the face of more manufacturing jobs moving out of the unionized industrialized Midwest, along with the influx of jobs into regions of the country where union membership isn’t mandatory.

The “card check” measure is designed to stop declining union roles by making it easier for Labor leaders to add to their numbers - not just in manufacturing, but retail and other service-based sectors….

Unfortunately, Pryor either doesn’t care or realize the effect the “card check” could have both on U.S. workers or on the broader economy. Earlier this year when the Arkansas state Chamber of Commerce began lobbying Pryor against the supporting measure, he pooh-poohed its opposition and belittled its leaders by claiming the state chamber was “taking its marching orders from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce” and “exaggerating” the potential effects the measure could have on future job growth.

As for me, I was surprised to learn that labor unions were still around. I had been under the impression that they were one of those last-century things that had kind of faded away and didn’t really serve any useful purpose in today’s world. You know, like horse collars and Oliver Stone.

An Evening with Senators Pryor and Lincoln

By David Kinkade - August 13, 2008 7:44 am

Sen. Mark Pryor: What, me partisan?

In Sebastian County, they held this event on Monday billed as “An Evening with the Senators.” It was hosted by the Sebastian County Democratic Party, with tickets running $100 for dinner, $125 for dinner with reception, and $1,000 or $1,250 per table.

“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” crowed Sebastian County Democratic Party Central Committee chair Lee Webb in “Entertainment Fort Smith,” a local mag that was kindly provided to me by an Arkansas Project reader.

You can read more about the event in this story from the Southwest Times Record’s Rusty Garrett, which notes that 425 “party faithful” attended to hear Sen. Mark Pryor declare, among other things, that Sen. Barack Obama could win Arkansas.

Pryor argued that “Republicans can’t win if they talk about the issues, which is why they “’have to get personal’ in the race, spreading rumors and dishonest statements about the Democratic candidate.” (This is amusing given the rumors that Hillary Clinton’s acolytes spread about Obama during the primary).

Sen. Blanche Lincoln

Sen. Blanche Lincoln joined in the fun:

Lincoln also pointed out a number of Senate races in other states will be close, giving the Democrats the possibility of gaining enough of a majority to allow the party to “get some things done” in improving the lives of hard-working American people.

The punchline? This event was billed, according to the aforementioned Fort Smith magazine and an area Republican legislator who received an invitation to attend, as “a bipartisan event open to everyone.”

Goodness, I’d sure hate to see how they act at the partisan functions. I presume those events would include burning effigies of Dick Cheney and sacrificing virgins on an altar in tribute to Lyndon Johnson.

Pryor vs. Maher: The Great Debate

By David Kinkade - August 11, 2008 7:15 pm

This is making the Internet rounds today: It’s a clip of U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor chatting with tiresome and boorish talk show host Bill Maher about religion for Maher’s new comic documentary, “Religulous.” Granted, it’s only short clip, but check out the depth of thought as the two great theologians hash out the fundamental spiritual questions (video updated 10/2):

Memo to Pryor: Fire every member of your staff who was involved with green-lighting this interview.

Credit where due update: Max Brantley at the Arkansas Times blog rightly points out that he had at least part of this a few weeks ago (Pryor’s included in the “Religulous” trailer, which Max posted here).  The above video represents a longer clip from the interview.