Ross: Arkansas GOP ‘taking us back to the past’

Just like a strong storm system can quickly change Arkansas' weather, former U.S. Rep. Mike Ross has gone from cold to hot in just a matter of weeks and officially announced his candidacy for governor today (April 17) at stops across the state.

During a brief stop in Fort Smith, Ross said he only recently decided to jump into the race, facing former Lt. Gov. Bill Halter for the Democratic nomination in 2014. Ross talked about his decision and the campaign during an exclusive interview with The City Wire prior to addressing the Fort Smith audience.

Asked whether his decision had to do with Democratic Attorney General Dustin McDaniel dropping out of the race following his admission of an extramarital affair, Ross chocked up his candidacy to a grassroots effort to have him join the race.

"No, it was not really. It was more than that. Three months ago, I would have told you I'm not (running), three months ago I didn't think I would be running for office ever again and I was OK with that," he said. "It's really been a grassroots movement from all across this state and people from all walks of life that have told me they want me to lead our state and I've been humbled by that and I've heard the call."

Ross said the actions of the Republican-controlled Arkansas General Assembly was one of the determining factors in his decision to run.

He said time and again, the actions of the General Assembly had placed Arkansas on questionable Constitutional grounds, something he hopes to stop if elected.

"They're taking us back to the past. They're debating the same divisive issues that were being debated in the 70s that are largely going to be decided by the courts and passing legislation that they know is not constitutional," Ross explained.

The actions of some Republicans, he claimed, are only to ensure their own re-elections in coming years.

"They're doing it to use in their campaigns for re-election and in doing so, they're costing the state literally millions of dollars in litigation costs and lawsuits and that's millions of dollars that could be spent on insuring our children receive an education that's second to none and insuring that we can have economic development in this state, create jobs. That's what my campaign is all about."

Following his official campaign announcement, the Republican Party of Arkansas released a statement attempting to tie Ross to the Affordable Care Act. In the press release, the RPA alleged that Ross had been a deciding vote in getting the bill out of committee.

"While Mike Ross is prancing around the state today proclaiming his status as a so-called Blue Dog Democrat, Arkansans from every corner of this state are recalling the fact that he was the deciding vote to let Obamacare pass through his committee," Doyle Webb, chairman of the Arkansas GOP, said in the statement.

Ross pushed back against the first attack on his candidacy.

"That's a lie. Obamacare was a Senate bill that never even went through the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which I served. They're referencing a bill that occurred eight months earlier that died in the Senate, it never became law."

He went on to say that while there were good parts of the Affordable Care Act, he voted against it and if given the chance, other Arkansas Democrats would have done the same, even though they are pushing for an expansion of Medicaid at the state level.

"Look, Gov. (Mike) Beebe said if he had been in Congress at the time, he would have voted against it. And yet he's pushed for this Medicaid expansion now known as a private option and I support the private option, as well. I always say there's good parts to the bill and making health care affordable for a quarter-million more Arkansans is a good thing to do."

Ross said his focus in the campaign would be on improving upon the work of Beebe, who is term-limited.

"My campaign is going to be one with a vision, it's going to be positive. It's going to upbeat and I'm going to be talking about our values and our future."

ROSS ONE-ON-ONE
Following are excerpts of the interview Ross granted to The City Wire prior to addressing the Fort Smith audience.

• Was the decision to run because Attorney General Dustin McDaniel dropped out of the race?
"No, it was not really. It was more than that. Three months ago I would have told you I'm not, three months ago I didn't think I would be running for office ever again and I was OK with that. It's really been a grassroots movement from all across this state and people from all walks of life that have told me they want me to lead our state and I've been humbled by that and I've heard the call. I love this state and my desire to serve has never been stronger. And so I've committed the next year and a half of my life to being your governor."

• On citing grassroots support for re-entering the race, Ross was asked about his grassroots support prior to initially deciding to not enter the race.
"I don't know how to gauge that or how to answer. I can tell you this that I've served on a quorum court in my home county, Nevada County, I've served in the state senate, I've served in the United States Congress, I used to drive Bill Clinton when I was 20 years old. I have never seen a grassroots movement this strong. People are genuinely worried, as am I, about what's going to happen to Arkansas after Gov. Beebe's term is up and people don't like what they're seeing in this new Republican-controlled state legislature. They're taking us back to the past. They're debating the same divisive issues that were being debated in the 70s that are largely going to be decided by the courts and passing legislation that they know is not constitutional. They're doing it to use in their campaigns for re-election and in doing so, they're costing the state literally millions of dollars in litigation costs and lawsuits and that's millions of dollars that could be spent on insuring our children receive an education that's second to none and insuring that we can have economic development in this state, create jobs. That's what my campaign is all about."

• In response to the Republican Party of Arkansas saying that Ross had a critical vote in moving ObamaCare forward in Congress.
"That's a lie. Obamacare was a Senate bill that never even went through the house energy and commerce committee, which I served. They're referencing a bill that occurred eight months earlier that died in the Senate, it never became law. Look, I ran for Congress saying we need health care reform. I still think we need health care reform. That's why I support the (private) option that the legislature passed this week, at least passed the house this week in a bi-partisan manner. I always said there were good parts and bad parts to the bill, but I did what a representative is supposed to do. I came home, I had 84 town hall meetings and I listened and I heard the voters in my district loud and clear. They were opposed to the legislation and that's why I voted against it. Look, Gov. Beebe said if had been in Congress at the time, he would have voted against it. And yet he's pushed for this medicaid expansion now known as a private option and I support the private option, as well. I always say there's good parts to the bill and making health care affordable for a quarter-million more Arkansans is a good thing to do. These are people, let me be clear, these are people who are trying to do the right thing and trying to stay off welfare, but they're working jobs with no benefits. Those who are on welfare are already receiving Medicaid and I think it speaks volumes to who we are as a people and as a state and that we need to be compassionate and we need to help make health care affordable for the working poor."

• Did Ross vote for Obama or Romney in the presidential election?
"I voted for President Obama. I'm a Democrat. Look, I'm going to spend the next year and a half being attacked by the Republican Governor's Association, by the Republican Party of Arkansas and by my opponents, whoever they ultimately may be. The filing deadline's not until what? Next March or April? And they're all attacking me because they know there's a grassroots movement from all walks of life and every point in this state to ask me to step up and lead this state and I'm humbled by that and I thought a lot about it before I got in this race. And I knew it was going to be costly. I knew I was going to raise a lot of money. People can go to MikeRoss.com and donate. And I knew that I would be just constantly and vigorously attacked but I love this state so much and my desire to serve is so strong, that that's OK. I'm willing to be attacked if I can stop this Republican-controlled legislature from taking us to the past, and if I can build on the foundation that Gov. Beebe's laid, especially in the areas of education and economic development, and move us forward. My campaign is going to be one with a vision, it's going to be positive. It's going to upbeat and I'm going to be talking about our values and our future."

• How much money will it take to run a campaign to November 2014?
"I have no idea. I can tell you this – that I've been on the phone for two weeks and we have raised more money in the last two weeks all from Arkansans than Asa Hutchinson and Bill Halter raised combined in the last three months."