Category Archives: Bill Clinton

May 16-18, 1911 Confederate Veterans Reunion in Little Rock Pictures and story (Part 3)

May 17, 2011 – 10:28 pm

Civil war veteran soldier footage, captured between 1913 and 1938

Civil war veteran soldier footage, captured between 1913 and 1938. Our other greatest generation. God bless both sides of this war who both tested and saved our union.

_____________________________________________

I really enjoyed the article “REBEL GRAY’S GOLDEN DAYS: In 1911, LR filled to the brim with Confederate veterans,” by Jake Sandlin that ran in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on May 15, 2011. It took 81 years before more people to gather in Little Rock for another event (Bill Clinton’s election to president)  I will be sharing portions of it the next few days and here is the third part: 

Merchants directed advertisements of items and discounts specifically toward the Confederate veterans. M.M. Cohn department store advertised Confederate gray uniforms for $9-$15, plus the retailer would pay part of a customer’s railroad fare, depending on the amount of purchases made. The Optical Department at Albert Pfeifer and Brothers offered free eye exams for Confederate veterans and glasses made on-site “at reasonable prices.” Mercantile Bank touted “free ladies restrooms” newly installed for reunion visitors.

“The reunion that year was a very special time, being the 50th anniversary of the war’s start,” said Stephan McAteer, director of the

MacArthur Museum

of Arkansas Military History,

which also

features

a reunion

exhibit. “A lo t of these guys were getting up in years and would not be around much longer. There was a desire to show these veterans that their service was appreciated.”

The reunion committees prepared for months. Little Rock was decked out with Confederate flags and photos of Confederate generals, including on the outside of City Hall. Sixty white columns, 12 feet high and strung with lights, flags and red-and-white bunting, lined the way between the City Auditorium near City Hall to City Park where the veterans camped for free. A banner by the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans, displayed clasped hands to welcome the Confederate veterans.

Early arrivals signaled that the city would be pressed to meet everyone’s needs. The Arkansas Gazette reported daily train arrivals as counted by officials of three railroads. The companies supplied extra trains and fare discounts to accommodate reunion visitors.

___________________________________

Camp Shaver, erected in City Park (now MacArthur Park) in Little Rock (Pulaski County) during the United Confederate Veterans Reunion; May 1911.

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

May 16-18, 1911 Confederate Veterans Reunion in Little Rock Pictures and story (Part 2)

May 17, 2011 – 8:21 am

This is colour video of Albert Woolson, the last Union veteran of the US Civil War; he is also the last absolutely confirmed veteran of that conflict from either side.

This footage, as far as I know, is the very last footage taken of a US Civil War veteran at all. I believe at least one still photograph of Woolson was taken after this video, however. Woolson outlived the second-last Union veteran (James Albert Hard) by well over 3 years, and the last verified Confederate veteran (Pleasant Crump) by about 5 years. Hard was the last verified combat veteran of the US Civil War, known to have been at the battles of Antietam and Chancellorsville.

Woolson never saw combat, but his father Willard died of wounds taken at the battle of Shiloh. Young Albert came into contact with the army because of this, when his mother moved them down to be with his father when he was trying to recover. He signed up as a drummer boy. The 1st Minn. Heavy Artillery Regiment never saw action, and Woolson was officially discharged on 7 September, 1865.

I really enjoyed the article “REBEL GRAY’S GOLDEN DAYS: In 1911, LR filled to the brim with Confederate veterans,” by Jake Sandlin that ran in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on May 15, 2011. It took 81 years before more people to gather in Little Rock for another event (Bill Clinton’s election to president)  I will be sharing portions of it the next few days and here is the second part:

There were 48 committees formed to oversee all aspects of the reunion, from lodging, food and entertainment to greeting arrivals at train depots and directing them to their destinations and suggesting businesses to patronize. The morning Arkansas Gazette and the afternoon Arkansas Democrat newspapers published reunion commemorative editions. The Democrat’s totaled 98 pages, highlighting a “modern-day” Little Rock, but fudged a bit by claiming a population of 65,000.

Federal military tents were erected throughout City Park (now MacArthur Park) to house and feed the 11,000-12,000 veterans — double the expectation — who came. The U.S. Congress unanimously approved legislation to supply the tents for the Confederate veterans. The state Legislature, on the other hand, refused to appropriate any money to help with the city-hosted reunion.

City schools were closed that week to be used for overflow housing. About 9,000 cots were placed in schools, in churches and even local government offices to take care of visitors for $1 per night. Residents opened their homes to still more. A campaign for women and schoolchildren to sell “tribute” buttons for $1 each statewide helped to raise funds to cover expenses.

Businesses were pressured to contribute to the cause. Hotels and boardinghouses were ordered to freeze their prices to assure fair treatment of the tourists. Merchants who donated money to the reunion could display yellow placards with official reunion seals in their windows to advertise their support, and their names were printed in the newspapers as supporters. The names of those who didn’t contribute were also publicized, Gurley said.

“Clearly, the organizers wanted to make sure Little Rock didn’t come away with a bad reputation, that the honor of the city was at stake,” Gurley said.

The hot-air balloon Arizona grounded in Camp Shaver at City Park (now MacArthur Park) during the 1911 United Confederate Veterans’ Reunion held in Little Rock (Pulaski County).

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

May 16-18, 1911 Confederate Veterans Reunion in Little Rock Pictures and story (Part 1)

May 16, 2011 – 7:27 am

A montage of archival footage from the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.

I really enjoyed the article “REBEL GRAY’S GOLDEN DAYS: In 1911, LR filled to the brim with Confederate veterans,” by Jake Sandlin that ran in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on May 15, 2011. It took 81 years before more people to gather in Little Rock for another event (Bill Clinton’s election to president)  I will be sharing portions of it the next few days and here is the first part: 

Camp Shaver Little Rock, Ark., DURING CONFEDERATE VETERANS REUNION MAY, 1911

Camp Shaver Little Rock, Ark., DURING CONFEDERATE VETERANS REUNION MAY, 1911 

 At a time when the men who fought in the Civil War could still gather to be revered and celebrated, Little Rock laid out the red carpet for the 1911 United Confederate Veterans Reunion marking the war’s 50th anniversary.

Up to 140,000 visitors — mostly Confederate veterans, their wives, sons, daughters and widows — converged on Little Rock. Only about 50,000 had been expected. At the time, Little Rock’s population was 45,941.

Not until November 1992, when former Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton was elected president, were more people believed to have gathered in Little Rock at one time than during the May 16-18, 1911, Confederate reunion.

“Whatever city hosted the war’s golden anniversary reunion for the United Confederate Veterans was going to benefit significantly from the influx of tourism dollars,” said Bill Gurley, curator of the Arkansas Civil War exhibit “An Enduring Union” at the Old State House Museum in downtown Little Rock. “It was a big deal to see who could host that particular reunion. It also meant a significant financial outlay to make everything ready for the tourists coming into the city.

“I can’t think of anything that would come close to that now,” he added.

Riverfest, Little Rock’s annual Memorial Day weekend arts and music festival, typically draws more than 220,000 people each year, but that’s counting repeat visitors who buy three-day passes and volunteers who work at the event.___________

The United Confederate Veterans (UCV) National Reunion parade in Little Rock (Pulaski County), one of the largest gatherings of Confederate veterans in the United States in the twentieth century; May 1911. The national UCV Reunion returned to Little Rock a second time in 1928.

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

1927 Great Flood, Memphis Blues, Led Zeppelin, and 2011 Mississippi River Flood

May 9, 2011 – 1:56 pm

Many people think of former President Bill Clinton when they think of Arkansas, and they think of Elvis when they think of Memphis. However, the great Mississippi River separates both Arkansas and Tennessee. It’s history is worth looking into.

CNN’s David Mattingly describes how high and wide the Mississippi River is in Memphis, Tennessee.

Everybody is now educating themselves on the great flood of 1927. The 1927 Great Mississippi Flood was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States, causing over $400million in damages and killing 246 people in seven states and displaced 700,000 people.

My grandfather moved to Memphis in 1927 and he told me about this flood. There was a lady named Memphis Minnie and she wrote about this flood. I always heard that there was lots of great blues music that had come out of Memphis, but I always thought that was overstated and that the Blues was not a significant form of music. (Live and learn, the Blues music out of Memphis had a GREAT AFFECT ON MUSIC WORLDWIDE!!!)

However, at the same time I was listening to groups like Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, I had no idea that many of their songs were based on old Blues songs out of Memphis.

One of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs was “When the Levee breaks.” It was based on a song by Memphis Minnie.

Memphis Minnie and Joe Mccoys original.

Led Zeppelin

Whole lotta love in Memphis: Led Zeppelin frontman gets star in Orpheum Theater sidewalk

BY AP
TUESDAY, JULY 13, 2010 

Robert Plant gets star in Memphis music sidewalk

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant is being honored with a star in a music sidewalk in Memphis, Tenn.

Plant was presented Monday with a star that will be placed on the Orpheum Theater Sidewalk of Stars on Beale Street.

The Commercial Appeal reports that the award honors Plant for what are described as tireless efforts to preserve the blues.

During the presentation ceremony, Plant spoke of blues pioneers like Sonny Boy Williamson, Sleepy John Estes and W.C. Handy in acknowledging that a generation of British musicians owe a debt to early Southern blues artists.

Marooned: An aerial view of the town of Sledge, inundated to a depth of 17 feet, after Mississippi floods in 1927Marooned: An aerial view of the town of Sledge, inundated to a depth of 17 feet, after Mississippi floods in 1927
Floods: Experts have warned that the Mississippi could rise to levels not seen in the country since the devastation on The Great Flood of 1927Floods: Experts have warned that the Mississippi could rise to levels not seen in the country since the devastation on The Great Flood of 1927
_________________________

As the Mississippi River continues to rise to near-record cresting, residents in Memphis are paring for the worst. Randall Pinkston reports on the latest of the city’s flood alert.

Documentary about the Mississippi River Flood of 1927 and the flood control lakes built because of it. Produced by Katrina Kinder

U.S. Corps of Engineers reservation at Memphis on February 14, 1937. Downtown can be seen at upper left. (Courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District)

Photo by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Corps of Engineers reservation at Memphis on February 14, 1937. Downtown can be seen at upper left. (Courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District)

A levee wall at Memphis during the flooding of 1937. (Courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District)

Photo by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

A levee wall at Memphis during the flooding of 1937. (Courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District)

The view upstream from the Columbia Mutual Tower in Memphis on Feb. 9, 1937. The swollen Mississippi River rose to a record 48.7 feet in 1937. Before it was confined by levees, the Mississippi overflow from the runoff of 31 states regularly created a lake almost as large as Ireland. (Courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District)

The view upstream from the Columbia Mutual Tower in Memphis on Feb. 9, 1937. The swollen Mississippi River rose to a record 48.7 feet in 1937. Before it was confined by levees, the Mississippi overflow from the runoff of 31 states regularly created a lake almost as large as Ireland. (Courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District)

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

Obama’s re-election chances helped by Osama being brought to justice? Timing is everything!!!

May 2, 2011 – 9:47 am

George H.W.Bush’s Gulf War was very successful, nevertheless, it could not lead him to a re-election.

 

Bill Clinton’s success in 1992 election attempt was brought on in part to the public’s forgetfulness.

The chances of President Obama’s re-election have to improved since the events of yesterday. Last night people were singing in the streets. In fact, I just watched a video clip on the Tolbert Report website showing people shouting “USA,USA” outside the Whitehouse. However, it is my view that 18 months is too long for people to remember.   First lets take a look at the typical reaction of the press today which is almost crown him already the winner in 2012. This is especially true of bloggers today. Mike Dorning does a good job of giving a good overview of the latest events.

Mike Dorning in his article “Death of Bin Laden May Strengthen Obama’s Hand in Policy Debates,” Bloomberg, May 2, 2011 noted:

The long-awaited retribution against al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden for the Sept. 11 attacks likely will strengthen President Barack Obama’s hand in pursuing both his foreign policy and domestic goals.

Six days after the terrorist attacks in 2001, President George W. Bush declared bin Laden was “Wanted: Dead or Alive,” Nearly 10 years later, after the bearded terrorist eluded capture when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan and continued to taunt the nation with videotaped statements, Obama last night announced: “Justice has been done.”

Rivals and allies alike offered congratulations to the administration for the U.S. raid that killed bin Laden yesterday in Pakistan.

Bush, Obama’s Republican predecessor, called the mission “a momentous success” and “a victory for America.”

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, one of the Republicans who may run against him next year, included Obama among those deserving credit, offering “congratulations to our intelligence community, our military and the president.”

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, another Republican weighing a presidential bid, also congratulated Obama and the military for ’’a job well done.’’

The timing of bin Laden’s death strengthens Obama’s standing as he begins negotiations with congressional Republicans on a long-term deficit reduction package and on legislation to raise the national debt ceiling. He is scheduled to have a dinner with bipartisan congressional leaders at the White House tonight and Vice President Joe Biden opens budget negotiations on May 5.

Counterweight to Criticism

For Obama — who last week released his birth certificate to quiet critics who questioned his eligibility to be president and who, as a candidate, fended off false rumors that he was a Muslim — his role in ordering the operation and announcing its successful completion now provides a counterweight to criticism of his foreign policy, particularly his use of U.S. power.

Rick Nelson, director of the homeland security and counterterrorism program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said the death of bin Laden won’t immediately change the tactical battle against terrorism because, at the time of his death, the al-Qaeda leader wasn’t delivering operational orders to the group’s affiliates.

“Its ultimate significance will be on a strategic-symbolic level,” Nelson said. “It’s incumbent on the Obama administration to seize on this moment, especially amid the popular uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa.”

Something to Celebrate

The killing of the man who had come to embody the global terrorist threat now provides a victory to celebrate for a public soured by a slow economic recovery, high gasoline prices and dissatisfaction with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a CBS/New York Times poll completed April 20, 70 percent of Americans said the country is on the wrong track, the worst reading in more than two years. Perceptions about the country’s direction historically have been among the factors predicting an incumbent president’s re-election prospects.

As news of bin Laden’s death spread, crowds gathered outside the White House and at the “Ground Zero” site of the attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan to cheer, shout “USA” and wave American flags. Shortly before Obama addressed the nation, the crowd outside the White House began singing “The Star Spangled Banner,” the national anthem.

Matthew Murray, 24, of Arlington, Virginia, stood in front of the White House waving an American flag. Dressed in shorts, sneakers and a t-shirt, Murray said he ran five miles from his home to join the crowd.

‘Spontaneous Outpouring’

“It’s a struggle we’ve spent years working on, and it’s finally over,” Murray said. “I’ve never seen a spontaneous outpouring of joy like this.”

The mood extended to markets. U.S. stock-index futures and Asian shares jumped and crude oil dropped as Obama made the announcement.

Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures expiring in June climbed 0.6 percent to 1,367.6 at 6:11 a.m. in New York. The benchmark measure of U.S. shares closed last week at the highest level since June 2008. Oil for June delivery was down $2.25 at $111.38 a barrel after declining as much as $3.11 to $110.82 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Obama used his television address to shift the ground to themes of national unity and optimism that were pillars of his 2008 election campaign. He asked the country to “think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11.”

He also said that, while the task of securing the nation against terrorism isn’t finished, “we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to.”

_____________________________

In his article “The war that made Bill Clinton President:Remember when every major Democrat in America was scared to run against George H.W.Bush? “ Jan 23, 2011, Salon, Steve Kornacki writes:

The war that made Bill Clinton president

AP
George H.W. Bush prepares to give his Jan. 16, 1991, Oval Office speech announcing the beginning of military action in Iraq (left); and Bill Clinton on the campaign trail in 1992.

The Gulf War that began 20 years ago this past week ended with America’s political class in nearly universal agreement on one point: The Democrats were screwed in 1992.

In the months before the war, as he’d dispatched hundreds of thousands of troops to the Persian Gulf in response to Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, there had been widespread fear among Americans that President George H.W. Bush was leading them into another Vietnam. But as wars go, Operation Desert Storm proved surprisingly tidy: The verdict was quick and decisive and American casualties were low. It was everything Vietnam hadn’t been, and when Bush declared a cease-fire on Feb. 28, a months-long national celebration ensued, complete with parades, prime-time television specials — and, of course, soaring popularity for the commander in chief, whose leadership was hailed by even his harshest critics.

It was in this climate that Bush, his approval ratings edging over 90 percent in some polls, was branded a shoo-in for reelection in ’92. Sure, he’d gone back on his “no new taxes” pledge the year before, and yes, the economy was clearly in recession, but none of this mattered anymore: Even Harry Truman after the Japanese surrender hadn’t enjoyed Bush’s standing with his fellow countrymen, and it was simply inconceivable that they might turn around and give him the boot 20 months later — especially when almost every Democrat being mentioned as a potential candidate had been against the war. One poll matched Bush against the man widely considered the Democrats’ best bet for ’92, New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, in a trial heat: Bush came out on top … by 62 points.

“Large problems and small bedevil the Democrats,” the Washington Post’s Mary McGrory wrote in mid-March. “They are fairly resigned to the idea that the 1992 presidential election was decided during Operation Desert Storm, and they realize they may not get the sand out of their shoes until Thanksgiving, if then.”

There was one Democrat, though, who was interested in running for president for whom all of this was good news — very good news. Forty-five-year-old Bill Clinton had just been reelected the previous fall to his fifth term as Arkansas’ governor. But his barely concealed national ambitions — he’d walked to the starting line for the 1988 presidential race before backing out and citing family concerns — had been a liability in that campaign, and Clinton had responded by promising Arkansans not to seek the White House if they returned him to the statehouse. By the final days of the race, when it was clear he’d survive, Clinton was already looking for a way to wiggle out of that commitment, but it would be a process. He needed time.

The Gulf War gave him plenty of it. In the previous presidential campaign cycle, Michael Dukakis, Gary Hart, Jesse Jackson, Richard Gephardt, Joe Biden and Bruce Babbitt had all been essentially running full-fledged presidential campaigns by the spring of 1987. But in the spring of 1991, about the only thing to be heard on the Democratic side was crickets. The party’s brightest stars all made it clear that they either weren’t running in ’92, or were in no hurry to decide. They were all intimidated by Bush’s imposing poll numbers, and many of them also wondered if their opposition to what had turned into an immensely popular war would render them unelectable…

Thus, there was room for Clinton to ease his way into the national conversation — to slowly acclimate Arkansans to the idea that he’d go back on his pledge, the better to avoid an embarrassing home state backlash when he finally did jump in. The calculations that were keeping so many big-name Democrats away from the presidential race didn’t really apply to Clinton.

This enabled Clinton get the Democratic Nomination but one of the main reasons he beat President Bush was the Gulf War victory was too far in the past for people to remember.

 

By Everette Hatcher III | Also posted in Jason Tolbert, President Obama | Comments (0)

John Fund’s talk in Little Rock 4-27-11(Part 1):Carter, Clinton and Obama all governed from left when first elected (Royal Wedding Part 14)

April 27, 2011 – 4:24 pm

Today I got to attend the first ever “Conservative Lunch Series” presented by  KARN and Americans for Prosperity Foundation at the Little Rock Hilton on University Avenue. This monthly luncheon will be held the fourth Wednesday of every month. The speaker for today’s luncheon was John Fund.
John Fund writes the weekly “On the Trail” column for OpinionJournal.com. He is author of “Stealing Elections: How Voter Fraud Threatens Our Democracy” (Encounter, 2004).

He joined The Wall Street Journal as a deputy editorial features editor in 1984 and was a member of the editorial board from 1995 through 2001. The articles he has written have appeared in Esquire, Reader’s Digest, Reason, The New Republic, and National Review. He became an editorial page writer specializing in politics and government in October 1986 and was a member of the Journal’s editorial board from 1995 through 2001. Next month’s guest speaker will be Andrew Breitbart.

First, we got to hear from Dave Elswick of KARN   who came up with the idea of this luncheon, and then from Teresa Crossland of Americans for Prosperity. After listening to their inspiring short talks I had determined in my heart that I was going to get the word out about these luncheons to all my conservative friends who want to know what is going on politically in Washington and in our beloved Arkansas.

John Fund touched on several subjects but the one that caught my interest the most is the observation that he made about the behavior of three Democrat Presidents: Jimmy Carter (elected in 1976), Bill Clinton (elected 1992) and Barack Obama (elected 2008).

Fund mentioned a meeting that Ronald Reagan had with his former campaign advisors shortly after Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976. In that speech Reagan told them that Democrats can’t get their way unless a couple of things happen. First, Republicans forsake their values and join them. Unfortunately, Richard Nixon had done that just a few years earlier. Second, liberals have to be smart enough to run a candidate that will appear to govern from the middle. However, Reagan told his campaign workers that sure enough the only problem for that Democrat that gets elected President is that he will be required by the liberals in Congress to govern from the left and that is a prescription for disaster every time. Whenever and wherever liberalism has been tried, it has always failed.

Fund said sure enough 3 years later President Carter had brought on the USA 21% interest rates, 12% inflation and 10% unemployment and Reagan’s slogan was:

“Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his.”

Fund went down the events surrounding Presidents Carter, Clinton and Obama and drew comparisons. It was amazing to listen to the insights that Reagan had in 1976 and how these events happened over and over.

Not only did Jimmy Carter scare the public with his liberal policies, but the first thing Bill Clinton did when he was elected was scare the public with his “Hillarycare” healthcare bill and the result was the landslide victory for Republicans in 1994. The same could be said for President Obama in 2010!!!!

Fund noted that the Republicans have a refreshing group of candidates  that will be running in the Republican Primary this time around. He did call Donald Trump an entertainer that will drop out and not run. He also said that Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Mitch Daniels (Tolbert says Daniels will decide shortly if he will run) and several other candidates had a good chance to win. I was wondering if he would give more names and possibly comment on former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, but he didn”t.

Today Jason Tolbert reported:

Someone a lot more in the know than me floats another theory. According to the scuttlebutt, Barbour’s exit yesterday has begun to tip the scales in favor of Huckabee pulling the trigger on jumping into the race but it has also changed his way of thinking.

Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times thinks Huckabee will run while Steve Brawner in his most article thinks Huckabee will not run. 

Fund noted that this year will be different than the past because we will have fresh blood in the race. Fund observed, “Republicans have had a Bush, Nixon, or Dole on the ticket every election since 1948 except one (1964).”

How do the Republicans and Democrats go about picking their presidential candidates. Fund asserted,“The republicans have a shallow gene pool, but the democrats are like kids on blind dates that keep falling in love. They fell in love with Carter, Kerry, Dukakis, and now Obama.”

Last month Fund spoke to the Texas Tea Party Patriots Pac and there he also talked about how the Democrats and Republicans choose their candidates. The website “Texas for 56” reported:

The Democrats use a “Blind date” method of selecting the Presidential candidate.   Who is popular?  Who has the charisma?   They look at everyone, find someone interesting, and decide to “try them out”.  After they are elected, everyone gets to know  who they are and what they stand for as a President.  There were a lot of chuckles when this theory was disclosed.  Mr. Fund went on to prove his point by a brief review of some candidates in the last century.  There did seem to be a preponderance of evidence to prove the point.

What about the Republicans?   Who is next in line? There is a definite pattern of behavior from 1948 through 2008.  They tend to nominate whoever has been around a while. 

Mr Fund did take time to sign copies of his book and I briefly got to visit with him when I was getting a copy signed. I told him that I blogged about him this week (yesterday and the day before ) and he asked my site. Instead of telling him to type in www.HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com , I told him to google “Milton Friedman Arkansas” and my website would come up a lot since I have a lot of Friedman video clips and quotes on my blog.

Next month’s guest is Andrew Breitbart and the luncheon will be held on Wednesday May 25th. This is the first in a series of posts that I will be making over the next few days on the things that I learned at today’s luncheon. I want to encourage everyone to check out next month’s luncheon.

Andrew Breitbart

Andrew Breitbart is publisher of the news portals Breitbart.com and Breitbart.tv, and BigHollywood.com. Andrew co-wrote the best-selling attack on celebrity culture, Hollywood, Interrupted and was the primary developer for The Huffington Post.

John Fund

John Fund is a columnist for The Wall Street Journal and its OpinionJournal.com and an on-air contributor to 24-hour cable news networks CNBC and MSNBC. He is the author of several best selling books.

David Boaz of CATO joins John to discuss the massive impact of Milton Friedman on America and the world.

___________________________________________

He was interviewed by Alice, a ten year old cancer patient
Kate Middleton visits the Youth Action Northern Ireland center in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on March 8, 2011.
_______________________________________________
Kate Middleton arrives with fiance Prince William (not pictured) at the official opening of Darwen Aldridge Community Academy on April 11, 2011, in Darwen, northwest England.
KATE MIDDLETON The Girl Who Would Be Paparazzi Queen

Out: Barack and Michelle Obama

The queen sent gold-embossed invitations to 40 heads of state, but not to President Obama or first lady Michelle. The Obamas will get an official state visit in May, however, the first of its kind since 2003. It was suggested that the state visit is compensation for the missing wedding invitation—all because of the extra security costs involved with protecting the president.
By Everette Hatcher III | Also posted in Healthcare, Hillary Clinton, Milton Friedman, President Obama, Ronald Reagan, Taxes | Comments Off on John Fund’s talk in Little Rock 4-27-11(Part 1):Carter, Clinton and Obama all governed from left when first elected (Royal Wedding Part 14)

33rd ANNUAL MARCH FOR LIFE:Little Rock Sun 2pm begins at Capital and Louisiana Streets

January 18, 2011 – 10:37 pm

HALT:HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com

President Obama on abortion

Adrian Rogers (former President of Southern Baptist Convention): “I am not as afraid of the Communist, the Russians, the Chinese, as much as I am afraid of God.  If God be for us, who can be against us?  If God be against us, then who can be for us?  It is God I am afraid of.”

I personally started walking in these marches in 1983. There have been some years when the weather was really bad and I missed. I took my four kids to many of them. It is always an emotional time.

I remember especially 1993’s March since I felt that for the first time since Roe v Wade that Arkansas could have a major impact. I knew that Bill Clinton had resided in our city for many years and was a Southern Baptist as I was. In fact, I learned a few days later that my former pastor Adrian Rogers had a chance with several other pastors to meet with the incoming President a few days earlier in Little Rock.

My friend, the Rev Sherwood Haisty Jr., and I had a chance to eat lunch with Dr. Rogers the next Thursday and he told us what President Clinton had to say on the issue of abortion. Before the meeting with the pastors began he outlined his position on abortion which was basically pro-choice. In others words, President Clinton was opening the floor for other subjects but that issue was already settled.

Looking back to the 8 years of Bill Clinton, he did everything he could to further the pro-abortion agenda. Some day his wife may be president and I have no reason to believe that she will not try to do the same.

Arkansas Right to Life press release below:

On Sunday, January 23, 2011 thousands of Arkansans will take to the streets of Little Rock at 2:00 p.m. in a peaceful and prayerful witness to the sanctity of human life for the 33 rd Annual March for Life. Sponsored by Arkansas Right to Life, the march begins at Capitol and Louisiana Streets, proceeds down Capitol Avenue approximately 13 blocks and concludes at the steps of the State Capitol for a brief program.

Wayne Mays, president of Arkansas Right to Life, will lead the march along with invited dignitaries and other special guests. The march will proceed as planned regardless of weather conditions.

Princella Smith, of Wynne, will be our keynote speaker. Interested in politics very early in her life, Ms. Smith became a prime time speaker at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City addressing the nation on the same night as First Lady Laura Bush and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Just last year , Princella vied to become America’s youngest Member of Congress as a candidate for the First District of Arkansas at age 26. Smith is a regular political contributor and has been featured and/or written for several national media outlets including: FOX News, CNN, CBS, MSNBC, BET, Bloomberg News, PBS, NPR, USA Today, among other local, national and international media outlets.

Among are special invited guests are: U.S. Senator John Boozman, Congressmen Rick Crawford, Tim Griffin and Steve Womack, Arkansas Lt. Governor Mark Darr, Secretary of State Mark Martin and pro-life members of the Arkansas General Assembly.

Also participating in the brief program will be Bishop Anthony Taylor, Bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock and Cathie Dorsch, Associate Minister at Agape Church in Little Rock. Song selections will be performed by the Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar Family of Springdale, Arkansas.

“The pro-life movement is energized with the newly elected, more conservative Congress and Arkansas General Assembly and ready to enact legislation that will reject the pro-abortion policies and health care mandates of the Obama administration that seek to federally subsidize abortion on demand and ration the healthcare treatments of the disabled, chronically ill and aged,” said Rose Mimms, Executive Director of Arkansas Right to Life.

The state’s leading voice of the voiceless Arkansas Right to Life is dedicated to protecting all human beings threatened by abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia.

Arkansas Right to Life, the state’s oldest and largest pro-life organization,
is an affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee.

Dr. John Piper’s response to President Obama’s statement on abortion

__________________________________________________

Today I have a profile from Ballotpedia on St lawmaker Jonathan Barnett.

Jonathan Barnett

From Ballotpedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Jonathan Barnett
Arkansas House of Representatives District 97
Incumbent
Assumed office
2009
Current term ends
2010
Political party Republican
Profession General Contractor
Website House site

Jonathan Barnett is a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives. He has represented the 97th District since 2009 and currently serves as Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore.

Issue positions

Barnett did not provide answers to the Arkansas State Legislative Election 2008 Political Courage Test. The test provides voters with how a candidate would vote on the issues if elected.[1]

Committee assignments

Sponsored legislation

Barnett’s sponsored legislation includes:

  • HB 1612 – “TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL LAW IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR RECEIPT OF FEDERAL HIGHWAY FUNDS.”
  • HB 2209 – “TO EXEMPT EARTH MISSION, INC. FROM THE SALES AND USE TAX.”
  • HB 2210 – “TO EXEMPT THE MASONIC LODGE OF ARKANSAS FROM THE PROPERTY TAX.”

For a full listing of sponsored bills, see the House site.

Elections

2010

See also: Arkansas House of Representatives elections, 2010

Barnett won re-election to the 97th district seat in 2010. He faced no opposition.[2]

2008

On November 4, 2008, Barnett won election to the 97th District Seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives, running unopposed in the general election.[3]

By Everette Hatcher III | Also posted in Adrian Rogers, President Obama, Prolife | Comments (1)

April 2010 Bill Clinton interview leads some to believe the Rightwing Rhetoric encouraging Violence.

January 11, 2011 – 1:58 pm

HALT:HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com

New Series Part 1    Is Rightwing Rhetoric encouraging Violence

Former President Bill Clinton points out that “by and large these (threats to politicians) have systematically been coming out of the far right.”  (3 min)

On Saturday I got to go to our first Saturday Worship Service at Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock. This was so I could help my son and his family move in to Bryant at 11:30 am on Sunday.

On Sunday morning I checked out the Arkansas Times Blog. Max Brantley  linked to a video of Democrat Sheriff Dupnik of Arizona and his comments concerning political environment that he feels contributed to this senseless act in Arizona.

“I think the vitriolic rhetoric that we hear day in and day out from people in the radio business and some people in the TV business and what (we) see on TV and how our youngsters are being raised, that this has not become the nice United States of America that most of us grew up in. And I think it’s time that we do the soul-searching,” the sheriff said.

On Sunday, Dupnik didn’t back down.

“I think we’re the tombstone of the United States of America,” Dupnik said of The Granite State, which a day earlier he called the “Mecca” of hatred and bigotry. “To try to inflame the public on a daily basis 24 hours a day, seven days a week has impact on people, especially who are unbalanced personalities to begin with.”

Then at 9:30 in the morning I watched “Face the Nation” and saw Rep Steny Hoyer, Democrat from Maryland assert, “I think the sheriff was right.  Bob, when you and I grew up, we grew up listening to essentially three major news outlets: NBC, ABC, and of course, CBS. We listened to people like Walter Cronkite and Eric Sevareid, and Huntley-Brinkley, and they saw their job as to inform us of the facts and we would make a conclusion,” Hoyer said. “Far too many broadcasts now and so many outlets have the intent of inciting, and inciting people to opposition, to anger, to thinking the other side is less than moral. And I think that is a context in which somebody who is mentally unbalanced can somehow feel justified in taking this kind of action. And I think we need to all take cognizance of that and be aware that what we say can, in fact, have consequences.”

Dupnik wants us to believe that this shooter was an avid listener of Rush Limbaugh, but nothing could be further from the truth. We are now told that he did not like political news at all. It is my view that if this gunman in Arizona is an admirer of the Communist Manifesto as press reports indicate then all these allegations towards the right fall to the ground. This guy was a mental case. It appears at this point that he was a left wing mental case. Of course, there are plenty of right wing mental cases walking around too.

Glenn Beck on Bill Clinton’s comments on comparison on Okla Bombing atmosphere
to now and Tea Party and then Beck looks at radical left groups.

____________________________________________

I am profiling St lawmaker Duncan Baird today. This interview was the Morning News in 2009.

Duncan Baird

Wed, Jan 7, 2009

Legislators, Representative

duncan-bairdR-Lowell
House District 95
Freshman
Committees: Judiciary; State Agencies.
Special connections: National Rifle Association member; University of Arkansas Alumni Association; worked on many Republican campaigns before running for office.
How to reach him: Has a Web site with contact information: duncanbaird.com. E-mail: rep.baird@gmail.com. Home telephone, which forwards to his cell phone when he’s not there: 479-439-1717.
What you should know: Drew the highest seniority number of any freshman in the House. If he serves three terms, he will become the most senior member. This will help him get the committee assignments he wants.
His priority: “I really want to focus on the budget: a grocery tax decrease, helping the economy. There’s going to be a lot of pressure on the budget.”
His firmest prediction: The budget overall “is going to be the biggest issue in the session.”


By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

Bill Clinton: Brady Bill’s waiting period saves lives

January 7, 2011 – 12:49 pm

HALT:HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com

Series on Gun Control: Part 4

John Stossel on Gun Control (2003 clip)


Bill Clinton asserted, “The Brady Bill [is] a commonsense law that establishes a five-day waiting period and a background check that has already kept handguns out of the hands of some 60,000 felons, fugitives, and other criminals.”
However, what do the studies have to say about this assertion of President Clinton?
This is the fourth in a series on Gun Control. During this series on gun control, I will be quoting from an article “Gun Control:Myths and Realities” by David Lampo of the Cato Institute.
5. Waiting periods lower crime rates.

False. Numerous studies have been conducted on the effects of waiting periods, both before and after the federal Brady bill was passed in 1993. Those studies consistently show that there is no correlation between waiting periods and murder or robbery rates. Florida State University professor Gary Kleck analyzed data from every U.S. city with a population over 100,000 and found that waiting periods had no statistically significant effect. Even University of Maryland anti-gun researcher David McDowell found that “waiting periods have no influence on either gun homicides or gun suicides.”

____________________________________

I am profiling State lawmaker John Burris today.

John Burris
By Arkansas Business Staff
11/9/2009
 
Change font size

John Burris, 24

State Representative

Harrison

Most politicians establish their careers and then run for office. John Burris has done it backward.

Burris, who grew up at Dirkman and earned a degree in history and political science at Arkansas Tech University, has put his career plans on hold in the year since he became the youngest person currently serving in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

“I was in a spot where I could do it, and that’s one of the reasons I decided to do it when I was young. I knew I wanted to do it, but I wasn’t sure I could win.The same November 2008 election added an even-year legislative session to the state’s Constitution, and that means “it’s very difficult to do anything full time and full faith while being gone four or five months a year.”

Burris, who described himself as “a loyal Republican,” has worked in real estate and as a substitute teacher. “First and foremost, I want to serve my district well. … As a legislator, you can’t change the world, but you can help people one at a time.”

Issues he wants to address during his tenure in the Legislature include education, protecting the rural way of life and “a little finer focus of our tax structure.”

“We’re not competing with Washington. We’re competing with Tennessee and Louisiana,” he said.

By Everette Hatcher III | Also posted in Cato Institute, Gun Control | Comments (0)

Bill Clinton: Gun Show Loophole must be closed

January 6, 2011 – 1:33 pm

HALT:HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com


Series on Gun Control: Part 2

Glenn Beck’s guest mentions Mike Ross and 65 other Democrats upset at Gun Control bills sent up by White House


“I would close the gun show loophole…” President Clinton on NBC’s Tom Brokaw discusses gun control with the president, April 12, 2000)

This is the second in a series on Gun Control. During this series on gun control, I will be quoting from an article “Gun Control:Myths and Realities” by David Lampo of the Cato Institute.

2. Gun shows are responsible for a large number of firearms falling into the hands of criminals.

False. Contrary to President Clinton’s claims, there is no “gun show loophole.” All commercial arms dealers at gun shows must run background checks, and the only people exempt from them are the small number of non-commercial sellers. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, at most 2 percent of guns used by criminals are purchased at gun shows, and most of those were purchased legally by people who passed background checks.

________________________________________________

Today I am profiling State lawmaker Dennis Altes.

Get to know Denny Altes

southside graduationRaised in Fort Smith, Arkansas, I grew up in a modest home. What we lacked in material things, we made up for with discipline and hard work. My parents, Bob and Lucy Altes, worked hard to start and maintain a local refuse hauling service from one old flatbed truck. That business, called Altes Sanitation, has grown strong and is now run by my son and mother.

Education & Military Service
denny altesI was a part of the very first class and the very first person to graduate from Southside High School here in Fort Smith and am a graduate of Arkansas Tech where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. While I was attending Arkansas Tech in 1969, I was drafted into the Army and served in Korea as an MP Security Guard until I received an honorable discharge in 1971. Following my experiences from the Army, I am proud to be a member of the American Legion, the Disabled American Veterans and was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Small Business Owner
Denny’s mother and father started in the waste hauling business with just one truck. Denny founded Altes Waste Management in 1974. This successful trash hauling company began modestly with one truck and grew into a leading enterprise serving nine counties with two class I landfills, 17 trucks and over 150 employees. The company was sold in 1989 to what is now Waste Management of Western Arkansas.

In 1982, Altes started another new business called Resourect Recycling and began recycling over 1,000 tons per month. In 1991 the company became Fibresource and steadily expanded, buying a competing wastepaper business in Springdale and adding a new recycling facility in Johnson, Arkansas. In 1995 a new plant was started in Oklahoma City and the business grew to 12 truckloads (18 wheelers) per day and recycled 4000 tons per month. Altes expanded again in 2003 buying another recycling company in North Little Rock.

familyRedirecting his focus to serving the people of Arkansas, Altes sold Fibresource in 2007 to Orange County Container Group.

Family Man
My wife, of over 40 years, Susan and I have been blessed with two beautiful children; Bobby who is currently running the family business here in Fort Smith and Ana who lives and teaches school in Plano, Texas and two grandchildren, Cole and Caroline.

Political Background

political backgroundHaving served one term in the House as State Representative for District 63 prior to being elected to the Senate, I have valuable experience in the Legislature. If elected as your State Representative, I would bring continuity of leadership and institutional memory to the floor; this is a unique situation in the current house as the term limits are such now that current state representatives are short lived and hold little “on the floor” political experience.

I consider myself to be a humble servant meeting the people’s needs and sponsoring bills that I believe positively affect our community. I thank the Lord for where I am in my life today and pray that I may continue to serve Him by serving you as your State Representative.

senate bio
Click here to read the
official State Senate
Biography of Denny Altes.
[PDF]

I am proud to currently serve on the these committees:

  • Joint Performance Review
  • Arkansas Legislative Council
  • Joint Budget Committee
  • Joint Revenue & Tax
  • Senate Rules Committee
  • Senate Transportation & Technology Committee
  • Insurance & Commerce Committees
By Everette Hatcher III | Also posted in Cato Institute, Gun Control | Comments (0)