In an inconsistent tradition for these occasions of returning from long holiday weekends, I hereby present the ever-fickle arrows of conventional wisdom.
President Barack Obama-The nation is distressed by Benghazi, and the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of conservative groups. But it sees Benghazi as a tragedy, not a presidential scandal, and it doesn’t yet see any reason to believe Obama ordered a Nixonian tax-harassment plot against enemies.
The discovery of some heads-up email dated in 2010 or 2011 from the IRS to the Treasury Department that was forwarded to the White House would take that matter to the higher level, presumably a special counsel.
Hillary Clinton-Likewise, the Republican zeal to smear her over Benghazi thus far has failed.
At present, she will be the next president of the United States if she wants, about which I am uncertain.
Gov. Mike Beebe-His governorship enters a kind of anti-climax, except that we need his Human Services Department experts to get this private-option health-insurance expansion up and running before Asa Hutchinson brings in new people in 2015.
Asa Hutchinson-Yes, at the moment, he is the favorite for governor.
That will change soon only if Mike Ross reports a dazzling big number in fundraising. Suddenly the political dynamic would change.
State government-When Beebe leaves, we’ll see a parade of veteran top-level bureaucrats of integrity and competence who will retire from state government.
Just one prime example: Richard Weiss, the director of finance and administration who served under governors named Clinton, White, Tucker,Huckabee and Beebe, is likely to take a deserved trip to the house.
A term-limited Legislature served by bureaucratic novices will present … let’s call them challenges.
Those young Republican legislative architects of the Medicaid private option deserve great credit. But they could not have fashioned the innovation without superior bureaucratic expertise from John Selig, Human Services director, and Andy Allison, Medicaid director.
U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor-Yes, arrow up.
The gun vote will fade in liberal memories. For now he has no primary opponent to inconvenience him leftward. And it appears he likely is to get for a general-election challenger the thoroughly odd and extreme Tom Cotton.
Tom Cotton-His opposition to disaster relief, his allegiance to Club for Growth extremists and now his nutty new proposal to criminalize even relatives of persons violating sanctions against Iran and thus deemed to be human-rights violators … they all serve to pose the question of whether Arkansas has moved so far to the right that it outflanks even Ron and Rand Paul.
Arkansas Attorney General-The job, I mean. The office itself, that is.
Once this was the magical stepping stone to the governorship. But time and again lately I’ve heard from young political talents that they can’t afford to pursue the job and take a salary of under $70,000 for eight years, effectively overseeing the state’s largest law firm, while they wait for the governor’s office to get vacated.
Dustin McDaniel-The fact is that doing his attorney general’s job in the Mayflower oil spill has rehabilitated him-somewhat-from the sex thing.
In politics, there are second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and ensuing acts. Just ask Asa Hutchinson, Mike Ross and Bill Halter.
Central Arkansas water-Exxon Mobil indicates that it is impractical to relocate that crude-oil pipeline out of the Lake Maumelle watershed.
But the company promises to keep a close watch. And it assures us that shutting off the pipeline in 16 minutes after discovery of an oil-spew toward a water reservoir, as was the case with Mayflower and Lake Conway, is actually a good and timely response.
Cue that old song by the Doobie Brothers: “Old black water, keep on rollin’.” Bret Bielema-Nice guy, funny, genuine, casual, currently undefeated as Razorback football coach.But he has substandard personnel with which to attack the nation’s toughest schedule.
I’m going to predict 4-8 and promise never again to pretend to have any sports expertise if, as I hope, the Hogs do appreciably better than that.
But if it turns out to be 4-8, be advised that I’m going to brag.
Me-I just designed a way to win either way with the football Hogs. -
John Brummett’s column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Email him at [email protected]. Read his blog at brummett.arkansasonline.com, or his @johnbrummett Twitter feed.
Editorial, Pages 11 on 05/28/2013