Boozman, Keet attack Democrats and government growth

GOP Senate nominee Rep. John Boozman of Rogers spoke to about 650 convention delegates in west Little Rock on Saturday, telling the crowd that "the time is here to act."

"I’m tired of hearing people apologize for our country. I’m tired of people apologizing for our prosperity," said Boozman.

Roby Brock with TalkBusiness.net, a content partner with The City Wire, attended and reported on the GOP meeting.

Citing a litany of concerns about new federal regulations — such as financial reform, the stimulus, and health care — Boozman said the country is at a "crossroads," which he described as bordering on socialism over free market principles.

He stressed that private sector jobs and finding ways to protect savings would be the foundation of his campaign efforts.

"I challenge all of you to help our campaign and all of these campaigns," Boozman said.

Jim Keet, the Republican nominee for Governor, had a higher energy level than Boozman. Keet also stressed that "the time is now" for the GOP to make gains from the statehouse to Congress.

"I got re-engaged in the political process because of what I saw happening nationally," said Keet, discussing the topics of health care, the stimulus, card check, and cap-and-trade legislation.

Keet coined a new phrase at today’s convention that is likely to turn up in his future campaign rhetoric: "O-Beebe-besity."

"What is O-Beebe-besity? It’s taking a $940 million surplus and turning it into zero," he said.

Claiming that state government employment had grown by more than 4,000 workers during Gov. Mike Beebe’s term, Keet reiterated that he would take a 20% cut in pay and reduce the Governor’s office budget by 20% on Day One if elected.  He vowed to root out waste and fraud in state government through a blue ribbon panel.

He also advocated job creation policies and improving literacy as a way to boost education. Keet chastised Beebe’s claim that the state budget was balanced.  He cited a $390 million debt owed to the federal government from borrowed funds for state unemployment claims.



Keet closed with another theme he’ll integrate into his campaign rhetoric: planes, games and automobiles. He criticized Beebe’s support for the 2007 purchase of a new multi-million dollar state airplane used for gubernatorial travel. He called for ethics reforms as an excuse to stop "games" being played by state elected officials. And, he said he would make an issue of the unfolding scandal involving constitutional officers’ and state employees’ use of taxpayer-financed automobiles.

"Beebe said that was the ‘tradition and practice.’ That was the ‘tradition and practice’ of the good ole boy network," said Keet. "Folks, I’m going to bring that to an end. … It is time to send the chairman of the board of the good ole boy network home," Keet concluded.

Link here for Brock’s original convention report.