Blanche Lincoln - Traitor!!!! Wanna know why?

[Avalux]

She's speaking on CSPAN right now in FAVOR of the estate tax repeal. Could it be because she's received huge amounts of campaign money from the groups who have pushed for it? Yes - namely the Club for Growth - a group made up of the 18 most super-wealthy families in the country, including the Walton (Wal-Mart) family.

She's #3 on their donor list, right behind Tom DeLay and Elizabeth Dole. This woman is NOT a Democrat, and is in favor of repealing a progressive tax for the super-rich because they bought her out. She is beholden to them. Right now, she's lying through her teeth in a very heartfelt way and betraying all of us, betraying this country.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Another person who has to be brought DOWN.

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. You have plenty of time to plan for that

She is up for reelection in four years (2010).

[Norquist Nemesis]

2. Could it be that Wal-Mart has her ear?

Nah. Couldn't be that! :sarcasm:

[LSK]

3. whoa, I didnt even know she was a Democrat

1st time I even heard of her. She must be a great Senator. :sarcasm:

[Avalux]

6. She almost made me cry! These poor families need relief -

why can't we have a compromise for them? x(

[LSK]

9. or heres an idea - lets discuss some family business exemption

But no, lets just drop the whole fucking tax instead of possibly fixing it if theres a problem.

[Avalux]

10. Why do the super-rich hate America?

I mean really - we are in a time of war for god's sake, and they want more money? Don't they have enough all ready while the rest of us struggle to buy gasoline? (That's how I'm talking to people about this).

[bahrbearian]

4. 18 most super-wealthy families

That will benefit in excess of 6 billion dollars

[Placebo]

5. I've never seen this woman before today.

What a poor example of a democratic politician she is.

[Amy6627]

7. DLC Dems Need to be Kicked out just like in the 60's with the Dixie Crats

when they didn't want to support Civil Rights. DLC dems are Corporateers, plan and simple. They are Eisenhauer repukes they need to move to the Repukes!

[Avalux]

8. I want this woman gone.

She is a bought and paid for shill, and our enemy. I didn't know much about her until I started digging.

[SPKrazy]

24. Hey, I'm From Arkansas, And I Want Her And Pryor Gone

they are both DINO's

of course, unfortunately they may be the only kind of Dem who can get elected in this state.

I live in Arkansas, and it is a strange, old style, southern state in a lot of ways.

The northwest part of the state is largely Republican and big money
The southeastern part of the state is largely Democrat and no money

Wal Mart corporate is located in the far northwest of the state

Little Rock is where the business for the state all gets done, and historically, Little Rock got most of the pie, and the rest of the state got the shaft.

With the population growing like crazy in northwest Arkansas, largely because of not just Wal-Mart, but JB Hunt trucking, and Wal Mart vendors. In fact some folks call Bentonville (home of Wal Mart) Vendorville now.

So there is a lot of wealth, and population concentration going on in Northwest Arkansas, and the demographic is changing.

The southeast is largely poor, and is where the highest concentration of African Americans live in Arkansas.

The northwest, well it was originally populated, with the University of Arkansas, to be away from the African Americans back in the "old South" days.

I'd say that the old South still lives, it is just changing.

Democrats from Arkansas have been more liberal in the past, Dale Bumpers is a fine example of a good staunch Democrat. David Pryor was a little more conservative. His son Mark is even more conservative.

Anyway, my point is I'd like to see both of them gone, but it is truly an uphill battle when the state has so much conservative big money, and an increasingly corporate oriented population, along with a religiously conservative voting base.

[Freddie Stubbs]

16. 83% of AR Democratic primary voters seem to like her

U.S. Senator Blanche L. Lincoln - Democrat 231,037 83.09%

Lisa Burks - Democrat 47,010 16.91%

Over votes 144

Under votes 11,602

http://www.arelections.org/results/44/elec44_election-all.html

[SPKrazy]

25. Of Course, Who The Hell Is Lisa Burks?

I live in Arkansas and I don't remember seeing a single ad for her in the 04 primary cycle.

Lincoln built her machine when she was in congress.

she was Blanche Lambert then. Congresswoman from the poorest part of the state, southeast Arkansas.

she married a physician, and now she is Blanche Lincoln, US Senator, DINO, from the state of Arkansas.

She won pretty handily statewide as well as I recall

[Freddie Stubbs]

27. Is she wasn't a 'real' Democrat, why didn't a stronger 'real' Democrat

run against her. Perhaps what most AR Democrats perceive as being a 'real' Democrat differs from what you perceive it to be.

[SPKrazy]

26. Okay Say We Kick Them Out

then they have their own party and I doubt that there would be much difference in the numbers of them in congress now, maybe more!

Or we learn to live with them, make compromise, big tent and all, and push them on the big issues, and let other issues slide (politics)

I know in Arkansas, a liberal Dem would have a hard time in a statewide election.

That's why it always cracked me up to hear people call Bill Clinton a "liberal", he never governed as much of a liberal here.(except to those on the right of John Birch)

I'm a liberal Democrat in Arkansas, and we have Vic Snyder, (not my rep even) who is a liberal Democrat congressman, the rest are DINO's, and a Republican congressman.

[LynneSin]

11. Have you considered she lives in Arkansas which IS Wal-mart

hell, half the state probably is either employeed by Wal-Mart or married to someone who is. ANd I'm not talking about the crap-ass minimum wage jobs either - their HQ is based there and probably brings in a ton of decent paying jobs for folks in Arkansas. And even though most of those people with decent salaries working for Wal-Mart WON'T benefit from the estate tax repeal, they probably get voter recommendations from the people who run the company which could have influence on how they vote.

Perhaps we need to remember that Blanche is there as a representative of Arkansas - not the United States. There are strange little oddities like that including Mary Landrieu support of the Oil Industry (major industry in Louisiana) and yes, my guys in Delaware where our number #1 industry is the credit card company. When your state is built around one main industry or corporation, the people in DC tend to do what it takes to support that industry in order to keep the jobs intact.

And yes, this will piss people off here at DU, but it's also the truth.

[Avalux]

12. Yes I have considered that.

And repeal of this tax affects all Americans, not just Arkansans. Maybe Blanche needs to think of that, and the D after her name. I am sick and tired of just about every politician, regardless of party, being beholden to corporations instead of the people.

[LynneSin]

15. I stand by what I say - America did NOT elect Blance Lincoln

People from Arkansas did.

I know it truly sucks and I agree with the original poster. But the only person she needs to appeal to are the people in Arkansas who vote for her. And since Wal-Mart has such a stranglehold on the state it does make for strange bedfellows. Heck even Hillary Clinton had an assocatioon with Wal-mart.

Remember the corporations are more than the CEOs raking in the big bucks. They employee millions of people who are able to enjoy a decent quality of life from said corporations. Hell I'm one of them (I work for a bank in DE - shocked?).

[Avalux]

18. Not shocked, I make money off pharma cos., lol.

Repealing this tax has nothing to do with people keeping Wal-Mart jobs; and I wouldn't say they have a decent quality of life anyway. This money is about families with tons of money keeping more of it. Sorry, I'm just really pissed off these people's greed is so damn important, and all I'm hearing from the pro side are lies. Blatant lies.

[LynneSin]

19. And you're absolutely right there

But those people who own the company have some influence over the people who work for them. You think the Waltons would not fight back if Lincoln were to vote against them? They have the resources to use their employees as a tool against her in order to help get her out of office. And in a state like Arkansas, the replacement could possibly be much worse than her!!

[SPKrazy]

23. I Don't Know What Her Reasoning Is

Yes Wal Mart is a big factor in the state, especially Northwest Arkansas

but it isn't the only factor.

Maybe she gets a lot of her money from them and that's why.

This state and Wal Mart have a mutually beneficial relationship to a point, but they don't own the state, and there is more than Wal Mart that drives the state's engine.

Lincoln is a conservative Democrat, a DLC'er who has been showcased on their web site (as has Mark Pryor)

Neither one votes with Dems as often as they seem to vote with repubs.

[gatorboy]

13. It's true. In Arkansas, you appease to Wal-Mart.

If you didn't, you wouldn't stay in office very long...

[jsamuel]

17. I live in Arkansas, the estate tax has ZERO to do with keeping jobs in AR

It is all about keeping the rich families rich. Has nothing to do with jobs or pay. Arkansas doesn't need to keep Wal-Mart happy. Wal-Mart is happy with Arkansas.

[sinkingfeeling]

20. Her aide in DC just told me that Sen. Lincoln no longer needs the

support of Arkansana. I asked him how much the Walton family's $3.2 million dollar donation to eliminate the estate tax has gone in to her campaign fund. He said the Walton's could afford lawyers and could 'avoid' paying estate taxes. I asked him why then would they be funding this GOP drive to eliminate it. "Helping the little family businesses out". I asked why Sen. Lincoln couldn't concern herself with the negative impact another $1 trillion in debt would have on my little Arkansas family. He told me, if I didn't like the way she voted, to vote her out. Told him I'll be working on getting real Democrats elected in her place.

I'm still shaking in anger.

[jsamuel]

21. I'm on your side.

[SPKrazy]

22. "No Longer Needs The Support Of Arkansans"?

WTF?

Lincoln is a DLC star, does she think she is moving on to bigger and better things now?

Maybe she has been told that she is.