TAMPA, Fla. — Members of the Arkansas congressional delegation got a pep talk Thursday morning from U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, founder of the Congressional Prayer Caucus and a self-described “recovering attorney.”
A member of the Armed Services Committee, Forbes represents a southern Virginia congressional district that is a stone’s throw from Virginia Beach, Va., and includes several military installations.
He denounced President Barack Obama for supporting sweeping cuts in military spending, warning that downsizing the U.S. Air Force’s 188th Fighter Wing would be devastating to Fort Smith.
The Republican Party of Arkansas estimates that there are 150 people in the Arkansas contingent, including delegates, alternates, guests and spouses.
But a handful of Democrats with Arkansas roots also made the journey.
Chelsea Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s daughter, helped moderate a forum titled “Conversations With the Next Generation” sponsored by the National Journal, The Atlantic and Microsoft.
Greg Hale, a political consultant with Little Rock’s Markham Group and a staunch Clintonite, was also in Tampa.
A 2008 Hillary Clinton for president campaign staff member, Hale helped organize a Wednesday fundraiser for a nonprofit charity that featured country music star Sara Evans.
Next week, Hale will be in Charlotte for the Democratic National Convention to assist with another charitable concert with best-selling rapper Flo Rida.
A Little Rock native served as a senior adviser and key communications strategist for the 2012 Republican National Convention. Jim Dyke, 43, a political consultant and former Republican National Committee communications director, has been quoted in recent days by the New York Times and the Boston Globe.
Dyke’s past clients have included former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, onetime Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.
Wednesday night, with the convention in full swing, the University of Arkansas alumnus expressed satisfaction with his current assignment.
“It’s an honor to work with such a talented team on such a historic event,” Dyke said in an e-mail.
If you saw buses at the Republican National Convention with Arkansas license plates, there’s a good chance they belonged to Little Rock Tours and Travel.
“We have two buses in Tampa and we have three buses doing hurricane evacuation [on the Gulf Coast], so it’s been a wild week,” said companypresident Cary Martin.
Little Rock Tours and Travels took about 30 Arkansas Republicans to Florida, and the company’s also transporting delegates, alternates and guests from their hotels to the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Who needs Zagat’s restaurant reviews? When Rudy Giuliani is sitting beside you in an Italian restaurant, you can assume that the food is pretty darn authentic. Arkansas Republicans were enjoying a late afternoon at Bernini - a trendy Tampa eatery two blocks from their hotel - when Hizzoner walked right through the front door.
The ex-New York mayor and the 2008 presidential candidate, wearing dark sunglasses, made a discreet entrance and grabbed a table toward the back.
But the shades “didn’t fool me - a celebrity can’t get by me,” said delegate Alex Reed of Little Rock, who spotted the politician and followed him inside.
While waiting for calamari and pizzas to arrive, Giuliani shook hands with a handful of Arkansans, including the state’s Republican National Committeeman, Jonathan Barnett of Siloam Springs, and delegate Ann Clemmer of Benton.
Tropical Storm Isaac caused the cancellation of the first day of the 2012 Republican National Convention and Hurricane Gustav derailed the opening day of the GOP’s 2008 conclave.
But the shortened schedules and abridged agendas didn’t disappoint Arkansas’ U.S. Sen. John Boozman.
“I think three days is really plenty,” the Republican said Thursday.
Four Arkansas youths were selected to serve as pages at the Republican National Convention. According to party officials, they are Lyon College student Alysson Humphrey of Russellville, Arkansas Baptist High School student Louis Rockefeller of Little Rock, University of Arkansas student Anna Catherine Harris of Springdale and Central High School student Sarah Grove of Little Rock.
Mountain Home blogger Bill Smith, who calls himself OzarkGuru, attended his second straight Republican National Convention and posted his reports at arranewsservice.com. With official media credentials, he was able to get past the security barriers and see events up close.
In Tampa, Smith has seen a few celebrities, including 1950s singer/actor/heartthrob Pat Boone. And he also spent time with South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Guam Gov. Eddie Baza Calvo and former United Nations Commissioner on Human Rights Ken Blackwell.
Like many observers, Smith was struck by the thousands of law enforcement personnel, which included large numbers of Secret Service agents and a host of Florida National Guardsmen, clad in uniforms and carrying M4 assault rifles.
Front Section, Pages 9 on 08/31/2012