WASHINGTON NEWS IN BRIEF

Trump successor list counts Cotton

FILE — U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is interviewed by reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 25, 2018.
FILE — U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is interviewed by reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 25, 2018.

With President Donald Trump facing an impeachment inquiry, The Washington Post on Friday published a list of the "10 Republicans with the best shot at the nomination if Trump gets removed."

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., came in fourth, behind Vice President Mike Pence, U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

While portraying Trump as the likely nominee, the ranking committee said "there's a chance, however outside, that the incumbent might no longer be a shoo-in."

Questions about Cotton's ambitions are raised whenever he visits Iowa, site of the nation's first presidential caucuses, but they also come up when he travels around the state.

During a visit Tuesday to Monticello High School, Cotton was asked whether he'd run for president someday.

The lawmaker from Dardanelle said he's concentrating on the job he already has.

"There's other ways to serve the nation. I wouldn't rule those ways out. But I'm focused on trying to do the work I can for the people of Arkansas and for our nation in this great blessing I've been given so far," Cotton told the students.

UA professor gives Silverman speech

The Supreme Court Historical Society invited University of Arkansas School of Law professor Mark Killenbeck to participate in its annual Leon Silverman Lecture Series.

The topic for this year's lectures: "Dissenting at the Supreme Court -- New Perspectives."

Killenbeck spoke Monday.

This is the second time Killenbeck has been selected for the honor.

He also delivered a Silverman lecture in 2012, which focused on the Constitution's Commerce Clause.

Asked what it's like to deliver one of the lectures, Killenbeck said: "It's a very, very, very, very great honor to do this."

Participants deliver their lectures in the U.S. Supreme Court chambers in Washington.

Typically, at least one Supreme Court justice is on hand to introduce the speaker.

"They take you back to their chambers for 10 or 15 minutes before the lecture and then you're in there with them [during the lecture]," he said.

"There's a reception afterwards that usually runs for an hour and a half or so. ... Sometimes the host justice comes to the reception, sometimes they don't. It all depends on the workload schedule," he said.

In the days leading up to the lecture, Killenbeck worked hard to polish his presentation.

This year, Justice Stephen Breyer was the one who introduced him.

Jennifer Lowe, director of programs and strategic planning for the historical society, said the organization was pleased to invite Killenbeck back.

"He's a natural fit," she said. "He's done a lot of thinking about how a concurrence can actually be used as a defense and ... he's a fun guy to have around. I always enjoy when Mark comes to speak," she said.

Westerman visits farmers in district

U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., focused on agriculture last week, visiting farmers in Arkansas' 4th Congressional District.

The lawmaker from Hot Springs spent time with farmers in Mulberry on Monday, later visiting a soybean and corn farm in Sebastian County. He also spoke with members of FFA (formerly known as Future Farmers of America) at Ozark High School.

Westerman was FFA state president in the 1980s. To this day, he can still recite much of the FFA Creed.

On Tuesday, Westerman visited a flood-ravaged farm near Paris. On Wednesday, he toured another farm in Jefferson County. Among other things, the day included meetings with the Jefferson County Farmers Working Group and cattle ranchers, as well as members of the Arkansas Farm Bureau.

"Farmers are the backbone of the American economy. Everything from the cereal you eat in the morning, the shirt you wear to work and the table you eat dinner on can be traced back to a resource produced from the land," Westerman said in a written statement. "I'd like to thank everyone who took time this week to share their concerns about levee damage, walk me through their beef cattle operations, show me their crop harvests and discuss practical solutions to issues facing American farmers. You are the reason our economy is able to thrive, and I'm honored to represent your interests in Congress."

Planning to visit the nation's capital? Know something happening in Washington, D.C.? Please contact Frank Lockwood at (202) 662-7690 or [email protected]. Want the latest from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Washington bureau? It's available on Twitter, @LockwoodFrank.

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Mark Killenbeck

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