Here's what Republican state Rep. Justin Harris of West Fork had to say on Twitter and Facebook about fellow Republicans after the House last week approved funding to continue the private option health insurance program for low-income Arkansans.
"We might have lost today for all the people of AR, it's not over! If you're a Republican, in the House, and you clapped for the passage of the biggest medicaid expansion in history, SHAME ON YOU!"
These Republicans from Benton and Washington counties voted to fund the private option: Les "Skip" Carnine, Dan Douglas, Charlie Collins, Micah Neal, Sue Scott, Duncan Baird and Mary Lou Slinkard.
I'm not sure if any of them clapped, but if they did, Harris would heap shame upon them.
Last week, he and I engaged in a little back-and-forth on Twitter in which he insisted his shame was reserved for the clappers, not the ones who voted for the private option. I still don't understand why he'd so strongly condemn someone for clapping but not ones who actually cast their ballots for the measure, but the distinction was important to Harris.
Harris was joined by Debra Hobbs, Jim Dotson, Randy Alexander and Jonathan Barnett in opposition to the private option in their continued insistence that the private option is the same as Obamacare rather than Arkansas' best-effort alternative to the president's Medicaid expansion.
Harris offered a "shame on u" to Sen. Mark Pryor via Twitter as well last week, so maybe he was just in a shame-casting mood.
Conservatives need to develop a politically viable alternative to Obamacare and the leadership Americans will support in elections for president and Congress. But in the current climate, the private option was the solution that did the most good and least harm for Arkansans.
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Northwest Arkansas Community College had a forum about guns on campus, a precursor to what will be an annual decision of whether to allow people with concealed carry permits to carry their handguns on campus. Trustees of every higher education institution in the state must annually vote on the matter thanks to legislation introduced by Fayetteville's state Rep. Charlie Collins.
The community college's forum had all the markings of a sincere effort to understand how students and staff feel about the issue. Several spoke about their concerns that law enforcement cannot be everywhere at once, and how much carnage can happen in the minutes between the first 911 call and officers arriving.
News coverage of the event showed at least two camps -- those who say they want the ability to be individually prepared for the worse-case scenario, and those believe the college's security and local law enforcement is adequate protection.
I was intrigued by one professor's comment that there hasn't been one incident documented where a civilian stopped a shooter. Since in many mass shooting scenarios, the assailants targeted places where guns of any kind are banned, that makes perfect sense. Any concealed carry permittee would be breaking the law to have a gun with them at Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Columbine, a "secure" Navy yard or other federal facility, etc.
The people who have their guns with them in those situations are the law-brakers, not the people who do their best to abide by the law.
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In the 2nd congressional district, a candidate has lived his entire life by the legal name Conrad Earl Reynolds, but recently went through the legal process to change his name to Colonel Conrad Earl Reynolds.
Last week, Reynolds explained himself to fend off the "confusion, conjecture and supposition" about his reasoning for the name change.
"Since I left active duty in the Army and returned home to Arkansas, after nearly three decades of service, including combat tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia, most people in my community know me simply as Colonel," Reynolds said in a statement. "Most people don't even know my first name."
Reynolds is shocked and appalled that some might imply he did it because state law will not allow him to place his military title on the ballot. Only incumbent elected officials are permitted to include their titles, which is one piece of clear evidence of how incumbents are just fine passing laws to increase their ability to get re-elected.
So, it's legally Colonel Conrad Earl Reynolds. His press release ended with his name as "Col. Conrad Earl Reynolds." I guess he's just adopted the practice of abbreviating his name, too. Just call me Gr. Harton.
I'm still somewhat amazed anyone wants to take on the title "congressman."
Commentary on 03/10/2014