Bill Clinton Rallies Democratic Faithful At ASU

The 42nd President of the United States paid a visit to Northeast Arkansas Monday afternoon to campaign for Democrats and motivate the base with a month to go before a pivotal general election.

Former President Bill Clinton spoke to the crowd in front of the Reng Student Union at Arkansas State University.

Clinton, a former Arkansas governor, spoke on behalf of Sen. Mark Pryor, who is facing Rep. Tom Cotton; former Congressman Mike Ross, who is facing former Congressman Asa Hutchinson, for the governor’s office; and Democrat Jackie McPherson, who is challenging Rep. Rick Crawford.

“I am glad to be back here,” Clinton said.

Clinton railed against “out of state” groups that he said were trying to manipulate this year’s elections.

“I get steamed about these out of state folks. They don’t know where Jonesboro and Paragould are; and they could not find Hope on a map if their life depended on it,” Clinton said.

Clinton, with a trip to Conway earlier in the day, has been trying to rally college students to vote Democratic in the fall. Monday was the deadline to register to vote in order to mark ballots Nov. 4.

“We badly need for you to show up,” Clinton said.

There were other Democratic speakers at the event Monday.

Ross spoke Monday on themes, brought up Saturday during an interview with Talk Business & Politics. He said Hutchinson has fought “for Wall Street, millionaires and billionaires” while he would work to expand pre-kindergarten and work on a plan to reduce domestic violence in the state.

“I also have a plan to create jobs and I am proud to have Gov. Beebe’s endorsement,” Ross said, noting he also supports a plan to provide equal pay for equal work.

Late Monday, Hutchinson said Ross has provided few specifics on policy issues.

“The facts are Mike Ross voted for the Wall Street bailout and has bragged about raising $1 million to put Nancy Pelosi in power. He refuses to say how he’ll pay for his more than a half-a-billion dollars in campaign promises and he won’t give a timeline for implementation. Arkansas voters know an empty promise when they see one,” Hutchinson said.

Pryor said this year’s election provides key differences between him and Cotton on the issues.

“I believe everyone in Arkansas should make $8.50 as the minimum wage,” Pryor said. “I believe in equal pay for equal work and you should not have to wait until you are 70 before getting Medicare or Social Security. He is against all of these. So there are sharp differences between me and my opponent.”

Cotton spokesman David Ray responded late Monday to the comments made by Pryor on the campaign trail.

“We’re not bothered by President Clinton’s support of Senator Pryor. What bothers us, and should bother all Arkansans, is Senator Pryor’s lock-step support of President Obama’s agenda, which he has supported 93% of the time – including on Obamacare, the failed stimulus bill, the Wall Street bailout, judicial nominees – you name it,” he said. “We must elect Tom Cotton in November to put checks and balances on the Obama agenda in Washington that has been so harmful to Arkansas and rural America.”

During his remarks, McPherson criticized Crawford for a vote earlier this year against a reform bill for the VA.

“420 members of the House voted for the bill,” McPherson said. “Every member in the Arkansas delegation voted for it except Rep. Crawford. Did he think about the 65,000 veterans in the First District?,” McPherson said, noting many of the veterans he has spoken to need help.

Earlier this year, Crawford said the problems that beset the federal agency must be addressed completely.

On Monday, Crawford reiterated his statement.

“It is plain silly to say that I oppose veterans when I served in the Afghanistan Theater, chair the Congressional EOD armed services caucus and have a father and brothers who are veterans,” Crawford said. “I simply felt there was a better way to fix the VA than throwing billions of dollars at a failing agency without requiring more accountability. I feel we can improve VA care faster and better if we require more accountability, not less. My fellow veterans deserve better.”

BEEBE CHIMES IN
The crowd also heard from Gov. Mike Beebe, who is term-limited and leaves office in January.

Beebe said Northeast Arkansas could be the deciding factor in November.

“It could be decided in places like Jonesboro, Paragould, Harrisburg, Trumann, Marked Tree or Newport,” Beebe said.

Beebe also said he has no plans whatsoever to run for higher office and that visits to Jonesboro and ASU give him an opportunity to give back.

“You belong to me and I belong to you. This is my school,” Beebe said.