Blanche ads draw prime time fire on MSNBC

Arkansas's senior Senator Blanche Lincoln played a leading role in tonight's Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC.

At issue: the seeming disconnect between Lincoln's ads running on black radio stations claiming she "stood with our president to pass healthcare reform" and an earlier TV spot in which she took credit for fighting against the public option healthcare plan.

The network's prime time liberal host, who has openly encouraged and supported Bill Halter's challenge to Lincoln, named our Democratic senator tonight's "Worst Person in the World!!!"

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Halter, Keet file

Bill Halter officially filed for U.S. Senate today. He'll challenge incumbent Democrat Blanche Lincoln from the left.

Also filing today was Jim Keet, the Republican who'll take on the insanely popular Gov. Mike Beebe. The Arkansas Times blog reports that Keet carried along a copy of Barack Obama's book The Audacity of Hope. Huh?

As for Halter, reporters had lots of questions for the Lt. Governor after he filled out his paperwork at the capitol. John Brummett writes extensively about the exchange on his blog, then concludes:

This is the most thoroughly nationalized race in Arkansas political history. This is a national war between the Democratic left and the Democratic center, and there is no other Senate Democratic centrist up for re-election this time for punishing by the left. Well, Arlen Specter, maybe. So Halter has been seduced into the race by out-of-state liberal groups wanting to punish Lincoln for opposing the public option, card check and cap and trade. So he is trying to intimate his support for those (except card check itself, which is off the table) without saying so outright for fear of galvanizing business and farm opposition in conservative Arkansas.

Meanwhile, Halter has released his first TV ad of the campaign. Is anyone else troubled by the prominent role NLR High School plays in the spot? One wonders how much money changed hands to make that happen.

Lincoln, Boozman file, Halter on deck

The first day of the 2010 political filing period at the capitol, the big news was made by the man who wasn't there: Bill Halter.

The Lt. Governor announced via email and YouTube video at 6:00 a.m. that he would be running against fellow Democrat Blanche Lincoln in the party's May 18th primary for U.S. Senate. Halter officially files tomorrow, but his decision overshadowed other events in the capitol rotunda. You can check out my story on the filing period opening here. Oaklawn's Terry Wallace was on hand to open the period with his signature "and they're off!" race call.

Some observations: Halter or his press people were smart in their timing of his announcement. By releasing his decision via email Monday morning, they effectively trumped the plans of Sen. Lincoln and Rep. Boozman, both of whom were asked repeatedly about Halter's move as they filed at the capitol. Then, Halter gets a second round of coverage when he emerges from hiding tomorrow to officially file.

The liberal media are mighty excited about Halter's decision, MoveOn.org called it "huge news." The Ed Show on MSNBC led with the news, and featured an interview with Arkansas Times editor Max Brantley (good job Max), who said Arkansas libs are upset with Lincoln, but then rightly pointed out that there aren't that many of them. Daily Kos has begun raising money for Halter's campaign. Halter is to appear on MSNBC's Ed Show tomorrow and on Rachel Maddow on Wednesday.

I notice that in her speech to supporters today, Lincoln said "We're not givin' up to extremism." At the capitol, asked about the prospect of facing Halter, she said "I don't associate with the extremes." I asked if that meant she considers Halter extreme, but she said she didn't know enough about his positions to say. Pressed by the AP's Andrew DeMillo, Lincoln would not even characterize MoveOn.org or other groups supporting Halter as extreme. Very smart politics... she gets to brand her opponent as extreme without actually coming right out and saying it.

Should be an interesting week. (Filing period closes @ noon Monday, March 8th.

Halter takes the plunge

Lt. Governor Bill Halter, who shook up the Arkansas political world in 2006 by challenging Mike Beebe for governor before moving to the Lite Gov race, is doing it again.

Halter announced this morning on his website that he will be a candidate for U.S. Senate, challenging incumbent Blanche Lincoln in the Democratic primary.



I'm heading out now to cover the filing period opening at noon today at the state capitol. Lincoln is expected to be there, giving us our first reaction to the Halter news. He is filing on Tuesday.