All Arkansas Democrats in Congress Vote For Obamacare!

Oh not directly. But yesterday their "Yea" votes on House Resolution 1190 are, without a doubt, votes for Obamacare. And votes against the will of their constituents in Arkansas!

HR 1190 was a Republican attempt to block Democrats' "Slaughter Solution" (aka "Deem & Pass") that is being considered by Democrats as an end run around the Constitution's Article I, Section 5 requirement for an up or down vote on the Senate's version of Obamacare. Our Democrat Congressmen are so rash, narcissistic, and condescending they believe this unconstitutional tactic to avoid a direct vote on the bill will fool their constituents in Arkansas.

Pelosi and her Democrat allies (all the other 221 Democrats who voted for this resolution) think their constituents are stupid enough to believe yesterday's vote isn't a vote for Obamacare. But voting to avoid a direct vote and consider a bill passed without voting on it can't be considered anything but a "Yea" vote for the bill being avoided. (If that sentence seems a little confusing, it's because we want you to get the idea just how this Democrat play is designed to confound and confuse voters.)

In the last two days calls to Marion Berry's (AR-01)office yielded assurances that he will read the entire bill before voting on it, and no final bill was even out yet. Mike Ross (AR-04) outright lied when he declared his opposition to Obamacare. And Vic Snyder (AR-02) never made any bones about his disdain for his constituents' will. Now this.

Even President Obama admitted yesterday's vote IS a vote for the unpopular Obamacare in his contentious interview with Brett Baier on Wednesday. When asked by Baier if he supported the use of the "Slaughter Rule" he responded,

"What I can tell you is that the vote that's taken in the House will be a vote for health care reform. And if people vote yes, whatever form that takes, that is going to be a vote for health care reform. And I don't think we should pretend otherwise."

*emphasis added

This kind of Democrat shenanigan is exactly the reason we must send a conservative Republican to Congress from the 1st District in November. Doing so will guarantee a vote against Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House and put an end to this chicanery.

Rick Crawford, one of two GOP candidates for Berry's seat spoke out against this unconstitutional tactic in his blog post, "Crawford Speaks Out Against 'Deem and Pass'."

On a day where a Fox News poll shows only 35% of Americans favor the health care reform bill, Pelosi is attempting to use a tactic dubbed “deem and pass” to push through the Senate’s health care reform bill, without having members of Congress actually vote on the bill. FoxNews.com reports this plan is being considered because, “…many House Democrats don’t want to cast a vote in favor of the unaltered Senate bill, which they oppose for numerous reasons.”

Republican central Arkansas businessman Scott Wallace, running for Vic Snyder's 2nd District seat says it's time to "unequivocally say NO to government run health care" and put this issue to rest for good. Wallace's primary opponent Tim Griffin, a US Army reservist and former US attorney, called the vote against this "common sense resolution" a vote for Nancy Pelosi, and against the people of Arkansas. From Griffin's press release:

“It is clear Arkansans must elect a new conservative majority to Congress in 2010. More importantly, we need to elect conservative leaders who will represent our values, not Speaker Pelosi’s, and work for the people of Arkansas, not against them."

Garland County Tea Party President and GOP candidate for Mike Ross' seat in the 4th District, Glenn Gallas slammed all three Arkansas Democrat congressmen in his press release. Gallas says,

" [Ross] allowed the bill to go forward to the detriment of his constituents to please Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. When the Republicans moved to stop the “Slaughter Rule”, Mike Ross, Vic Snyder, and Marion Berry, voted along their party line as they often do, shooting down the chance of stopping the Slaughter rule, thereby permitting the Obama Health Care bill to move forward..."

These Arkansas turncoats can't hide behind the dishonest Democrats' devious tactics.

They voted for the bill, they voted for Obamacare, and they voted against the will of their constituents in Arkansas!

Help us remove Nancy Pelosi's gavel as Speaker of the House by electing conservative Republicans this fall!

1st District Candidates' Q & A with LCRC

On Monday, both GOP candidates for Arkansas' 1st Congressional District seat addressed members of the Lonoke County Republican Committee. Princella Smith and Rick Crawford were each allotted 15 minutes to address members and answer questions. Because Smith's address took 10 minutes, and Crawford's only 3, the time spent answering questions from members and guests differs. To meet YouTube's maximum video length of 10 minutes, Crawford's Q & A was split into two parts.

Here they are Lonoke County, your GOP candidates for Congress answering questions at this month's LCRC regular meeting.

1st District Candidates Address LCRC

On Monday, 3-8-2010, both GOP candidates for Arkansas' 1st Congressional District seat addressed the Lonoke County Republican Committee's regular monthly meeting. Each was allowed a total of 15 minutes for their speech followed by a question and answer period. A detailed written report on the content of their interaction will follow tomorrow in another post, along with video of each candidates' Q & A with the crowd. The following videos are the candidates' speeches.

Both 1st District GOP candidates to speak Monday in Cabot

On Monday, March 8, the Lonoke County Republican Committee will hold its regular monthly meeting. However, this may well prove to be an exciting and extraordinary event because both Republican candidates for Arkansas' 1st Congressional district will attend and address the committee at Grandpa's BBQ in Cabot.

The meeting will begin at 7:00 pm, but those who plan to eat should arrive by 6:30.

Rick Crawford has addressed the committee in the past, but in the early stages of his campaign. Crawford began campaigning in April of last year, long before retiring Democrat Congressman Marion Berry was considered vulnerable. The US Army veteran from Jonesboro has trekked the 1st District for nearly a year building a base of grassroots supporters. He embraced the Tea Party movement and counts many of these grassroots activists among his most ardent supporters. He runs a small business that serves the agriculture industry and therefore has deep ties with a key constituency in the 1st District.

Crawford has received endorsements from several groups and key Arkansas Republicans including former Governor Mike Huckabee, former Congressman Ed Bethune, and former Under Secretary of Homeland Security Asa Hutchinson.

The 1st District race recently drew a challenger to Crawford in the form of a 26-year-old congressional staffer of Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao from Louisiana. Princella Smith is originally from Wynne, Ar and has also worked as a spokesperson for Newt Gingrich's organization, American Solutions. In 2006, she worked for current Chairman of the Republican National Convention Michael Steele. Smith attracted national attention after winning MTV's "Stand Up and Holla" contest, which led to her inclusion as a speaker at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

Though Smith waited until after Democrat incumbent Marion Berry announced he would not seek re-election this year, she hit the campaign trail running. Gingrich has endorsed her, along with local KARN radio host Dave Elswick. She came out swinging against Crawford in an interview with The American Spectator where she insinuated Huckabee and others may retract their endorsements of Crawford now that she has entered the race.

Both Crawford and Smith support the conservative positions of the GOP platform, but with several Democrats running for the seat being vacated by Berry Republicans need to nominate a candidate who appeals to a majority of voters in the 1st District. Conservative Arkansans cannot risk making an uninformed or ill-informed decision that could result in sending another Congressman to DC who will cast his/her first vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House.

Electing a Republican to represent the 1st District will guarantee a vote against Pelosi, and will be the first step in taking our country back.

So, please, come meet Crawford and Smith on Monday, hear them speak, ask them questions, and decide for yourself who will best represent the 1st District in DC.

Crawford for Congress Announces Campaign Headquarters Grand Opening

Headquarters will be located in easily accessible location for public

JONESBORO - First District Congressional candidate, United States Army veteran, and agri-business owner Rick Crawford will be holding the grand opening of the Crawford for Congress Campaign Headquarters this Saturday, February 13th, from 10am until Noon.

The headquarters, which is located at 1920 S. Church Street in Jonesboro, signifies another step forward in the Crawford for Congress Campaign. "I am excited about formally opening our campaign headquarters to the people of the First Congressional District," said Crawford. "I want to extend an open invitation to anyone who is interested in learning more about my campaign to come by and visit with me at anytime."

Crawford, who will also be holding a press conference to discuss the progress his campaign has made since the retirement of Marion Berry, will be on hand to visit with those in attendance and discuss his campaign in detail.

"I would like to invite everyone to come out this Saturday and enjoy some light refreshments as we outline our campaign against Nancy Pelosi and what I want to do for the First District through cutting taxes, smaller government, and a free-market healthcare system," said Crawford.

Parking will be available both immediately in front of the campaign headquarters as well as the adjacent parking lot by Wells-Fargo Mortgage and Gracy's Cafe. Additional parking may be found across Church Street in the Walgreens parking lot.

For more information or directions please call 870-203-0540.

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*LCRC does not endorse any candidate until after the primary election. This post is for informational purposes only and in no way constitutes an endorsement by the LCRC. LCRC will post press releases from any Republican candidate who submits them to email:webmaster@lonokegop.com .

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Marion Berry: "We've got to elect Barack Obama"

Does Marion Berry really represent Arkansas' 1st Congressional District? He calls himself a Blue Dog (supposedly conservative) Democrat, but votes with ultra-liberal San Francisco House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi 90% of the time. He voted with Barack Obama to bailout Wall Street fat cats and with Obama on his budget-busting, $787 billion "porkulus" package and with the President on his proposed government-run health care! That doesn't really sound much like a conservative Democrat who represents Arkansas' 1st District. After all, 61% of voters in the 1st District didn't want Barack Hussein Obama's "Hope and Change." Even so, last year Berry told Arkansas' delegation to the Democratic National Convention "We must elect Barack Obama!

Even though the 1st District disagreed, Berry helped get Obama elected. And now we see the results of electing a community organizer with no executive experience, and a history of mingling with far left extremists.

Berry and his President have given us 10% unemployment, a $1.4 trillion deficit, and a national debt that hit $12 trillion and continues to climb. Congress is right now considering raising the debt ceiling to $14 trillion! That's $14 trillion to enslave your children and grandchildren for years to come.

2010 is the year to vote Berry out and get someone who will represent the 1st District.

If you agree, join the Boot Berry Roll Call and help spread the truth about Marion Berry to Arkansas' 1st District voters!

Where is Marion Berry?

from Boot Berry!

And why is his office not taking calls from concerned constituents today?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has scheduled a vote for 6:00 pm EST today! Not just any vote, but a vote on her 1,990 page "Government Takeover of the US Health Care System" bill, HR 3962. That's right. The bill that...

• Permits federal taxpayer funding of abortion services, above and beyond the status quo of current law.
• Provides for a "health care czar" called the Health Choices Commissioner, who could forcibly enroll individuals in government-run insurance and whose tasks include requiring random compliance audits on Americans' health benefits plans.
• Allows for "community organizations" like ACORN and Planned Parenthood to assist the Health Choices Commissioner in enrolling individuals in the Health Insurance Exchange.
• Encourages identity fraud for illegal immigrants seeking to gain taxpayer-subsidized health benefits through inadequate citizenship and legal status verification standards. Page 255, Section 345 of H.R. 3962 includes language requiring verification of income for individuals wishing to receive federal health care subsidies, and while the bill currently does include a requirement for applicants to verify their citizenship, it does not include a similar requirement to verify that person's identity, a key component of effective verification.
• Provides for 13 new and different tax increases, including an employer mandate excise tax.
• "Grandfathers" out of existence individual health insurance coverage.
• Retains the "death panels" by providing for bureaucrats working for a new comparative effectiveness institute funded by a tax on health benefits. The institute could publish the protocols needed to deny patients access to life-saving treatments on cost grounds.
• Contains NO ban on federal promotion of assisted suicide and/or health care rationing of treatments.
• Facilitates leftist, social engineering policies such as rewriting current tax law to allow domestic partners to be treated as "spouses."
• Retains both the individual and employer mandates to purchase health insurance or else face a financial penalty, and compliance to this mandate will be enforced by the IRS.
• Imposes a 2.5% tax on an individual's modified adjusted gross income if they fail to purchase "acceptable" health care coverage.
• Imposes a surtax, starting in 2011, on "high"-income people - that is, couples with adjusted gross income over $1 million and individuals over $500,000.
• Fails to hold Members of Congress to the same health care system requirements that Americans will have to live by under the public health insurance option.
• Prohibits states from using tort reform to reduce health care costs.
• Mandates that all health insurance companies accept all applicants, that they cannot deny anyone for pre-existing conditions, and that they cannot increase the monthly premiums for less healthy, more costly consumers.
• Accommodates "whistleblower" provisions for trial lawyers to bring suit against employers.
• Slashes Medicare payments to providers by more than $400 billion.
• Creates dozens of new bureaucracies (111 to be exact) including the Health Benefits Advisory Committee and the Health Choices Administration.
• Encourages people to drop their insurance in favor of the public option as it provides for underpaying medical providers, who will in turn jack up their rates for those patients who have private insurance, driving more people to the cheaper, government plan.
• Authorizes Medicare to pay doctors for providing advice to patients on end-of-life care.
• Grants the authority to negotiate drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
• Considers individuals to be treated as "children" up to the age of 26 for the purpose of remaining on their parents' insurance plan.
• Imposes an excise tax on medical devices.
• Cuts $170 billion from the Medicare Advantage program.
• Institutes $729.5 billion in job-killing tax increases on all Americans, fines those who can't afford to purchase government-forced insurance, and cripples businesses by taxing health benefits.

And calls to Marion Berry's DC office [(202) 225-4076] are routed to a full voice mail box! His Jonesboro phone [(870) 972-4600]is answered by a machine that not only explains they're closed, but that they're gone for a 3 day weekend to celebrate Columbus Day! The number [(501) 843-3043] for his Cabot office is also off for a 3 day weekend! The message on his Mountain Home office phone [(870) 425-3510] informs callers it will be closed from November 9 until November 18.

Not one person is available to hear from you, me, us, or any one of his constituents concerned with his position on a bill that will not only affect us all, but our descendants for generations as well. And he's not available. His taxpayer funded staff is off for a 3 day weekend!

Is he there? Will he vote yea, nay, or present? Who knows?

You can still email him, but who knows if he'll listen. We get nothing more than a canned response to every question we've asked over the past several months.

Is this what you expect of your Representative? If not, if you expect your Representative to make himself available and to be more responsive to constituent concerns, then help us Boot Berry next year!

In the meantime, let him know how you feel when he and his staff decide to pick up the phones.

Washington, DC Office--(202) 225-4076

Jonesboro, AR Office--(870) 972-4600

Cabot, AR Office--(501) 843-3043

Mountain Home, AR Office--(870) 425-3510

Was Marion Berry even awake during the August recess?

Originally posted on Boot Berry!

Apparently he wasn't awake enough to hear the tremendous uproar that emanated from virtually every town hall meeting across the nation, including those held in Arkansas.

Of course, he never held any town halls to listen to 1st District constituents. Not one time throughout the entire month of August was he present at one of the numerous events held across the state to give voice to concerned Arkansans who wanted to be heard. When we contacted his office to ask when the Congressman would give his constituents their say, we were told he had no town halls scheduled.

On August 22, Recess Rallies were held outside Berry's Jonesboro, Mountain Home, and Cabot offices in an effort to get across just how outraged his constituents are at the prospect of turning over our health care system to the federal government. The Congressman was invited to attend the Cabot rally, but declined. Hundreds of Arkansans gave up a beautiful Saturday to make their unresponsive, almost reclusive Representative understand just how deep the roots of their opposition to Obamacare run.

Other Arkansas elected officials began the month with no intention of listening to their constituents, but were convinced to change their tune by the rising level of opposition to socialized medicine in America. Representatives Vic Snyder and Mike Ross, along with Senator Blanche Lincoln changed their tunes to stand before some of their constituents at the very least. Though some of their town halls were tightly controlled, Berry's legislative branch colleagues did hear their constituents' concerns.

No one really knows where Blanche Lincoln stands at the moment (one day she said she wouldn't vote for a plan that included a government option, then the next day recanted), but Mike Ross admitted his constituents had convinced him they were overwhelmingly opposed to a government takeover and he unequivocally stated he would vote against any plan that contained such an option. Even Vic Snyder, who represents what is arguably the most liberal district in the state, was forced to concede that a public option wasn't essential to the bill. From the Arkansas News, "Snyder said he would not vote against a plan simply because it contained a public option, but he differs with those who see a public option as a necessity."

Berry's unwillingness to listen to his constituents apparently shielded him from the smelling salts that opened the eyes of his colleagues. According to Rick Crawford, the only announced Republican candidate for Berry's seat in 2010, "Just this last week, Congressman Berry said publicly that he is supportive of a public option on health care and it is not a deal breaker for him."

In response to President Obama's lie-laden address to Congress last week, Berry sent out a press release that demonstrates his inability to understand the concerns of his constituency. He attacks the free market system now in place. You know, the one that draws citizens of countries that have government-run systems when their nanny-state systems fail them. He fails to comprehend that Americans don't trust Congress to "fix" the system when he states, "We must have health insurance reform but we must work to find a fiscally responsible solution that preserves what works, fixes what doesn’t, and makes health care better and more affordable for all Americans."

When's the last time government interference made anything more affordable? When's the last time government intervention fixed anything? Government can take a good situation and make it bad, and it can take a bad situation and make it worse. The net cost of any government program always outweighs its benefits, and 1st District Arkansans understand this.

But Berry obviously has no plans to listen to those of us he supposedly works for, a strong majority of whom don't want Obama's government-run system determining our fate.

Rick Crawford Announces Official Bid for Congress; Outlines Legislative Priorities

*Note: The Lonoke County Republican Committee does not endorse any candidate until after the primary election.*

Last Thursday, Rick Crawford formally announced his candidacy for a 2010 run for Arkansas’ First District as United States House of Representatives. At present, he will be running against the Democrat incumbent Congressman Marion Berry. Crawford's announcement was made at a public event held at the farm of David Hodges in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Crawford was literally born in the service of his country on a military base while his father served. After graduating from high school, Rick enlisted in the United States Army where he served as a bomb disposal technician. He served four years and advanced to the rank of Sergeant and earned numerous medals for service in the U.S. and Southwest Asia. He also had the privilege of serving on numerous U.S. Secret Service security details supporting presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush among other U.S. and foreign dignitaries. He understands his "oath" to preserve and to protect the United States of America and the need to support our military.

After serving in the Army, Rick attended Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and earned a B.A. in Agriculture Business and Economics. Since graduating, Rick’s career has been primarily focused on agriculture in both agri-communications and general agri-business. He has been a news anchor and agri-reporter on KAIT-TV in Jonesboro, Farm Director on KFIN-FM in Jonesboro and producer/anchor of the syndicated Delta Farm Roundup TV show airing in Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Greenville, Mississippi. Rick has also been a featured agri-columnist in the Northeast Arkansas Business Today publication. He now owns and operates the AgWatch Network – a farm news network heard on 39 radio stations in Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky as well as TV stations in Little Rock and Jonesboro.

In 2006, Rick also helped shape agriculture and agriculture policy for former Republican Congressman and Undersecretary of Homeland Security Asa Hutchison in his bid to be Arkansas Governor. Rick is a broadcast council member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Rick is also a member of the 4-H Foundation Board of Arkansas. Rick currently serves as first vice-chairman of the Craighead County GOP Committee. Rick and his wife Stacy - also an ASU Alumnus - live in Jonesboro. They have two children – four-year-old Will and 22-month-old Delaney.

Crawford outlined his legislative priorities for the many in attendance.

“Today marks a new day in the First District”, Crawford said. “I am a small businessman, I own an agri-business and understand the challenges farmers face, and I am a military veteran who is better qualified to represent the First District of Arkansas than the incumbent”. Crawford went on to outline his priorities for Congress; “We need to grow the economy, create jobs, and rein in federal spending.”

Crawford emphasized his conservative philosophy on the role of the federal government. “It is time we take conservative principles, Arkansas values, and tested leadership back to Washington and get our nation back on track”.

Crawford also outlined key initiatives that will benefit the lives of the everyday Arkansans:

The Economy

• Cut taxes across the board for every taxpayer
• More incentives for businesses to mitigate risks and create jobs

Federal Spending & The National Debt

• Cut wasteful spending and start paying off our national debt
• Reduce the size of our government so businesses can grow again and prosperity can be realized by every American

Healthcare Reform

• No government run health care
• No public option
• No government funded abortions, end of life counseling programs, or euthanasia initiatives
• Free market principles to help bring costs down and increase access to quality care

Agriculture

• Create programs where farmers can mitigate risk through tax credits and tax cuts so farmers are not leveraged every year
• Allow farmers to have group insurance coverage like other businesses

“Today starts a new day in which the voices of everyday Arkansans will be heard in Washington”, Crawford said. “As your next Representative, you can be assured I will stand for your values in Congress.”

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ARRA News Service

Report: Cabot Recess Rally

From Boot Berry

Approximately 100 people who our Democratic elected officials would call right-wing extremist un-American members of an angry mob gathered today outside Congressman Marion Berry's office in Cabot, AR yesterday. The exercise of their 1st Amendment right to peaceably assemble and voice their grievances with government by these concerned citizens earns them such monikers from President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and even their own Arkansas delegation in DC.

The Good Lord blessed rallygoers with outstanding weather for the Cabot, AR Recess Rally. After several weeks of 90+ temperatures, high humidity, and rain, they had sunshine, low humidity, and a high in the mid 80's.

Speakers at the rally included Jacque Martin, Buddy Rogers, Dr. James McNair, and organizers John Allison and Belinda Whitley.

Martin organized the Heber Springs Tea Parties and serves as a coordinator for the organization, Secure Arkansas. She passionately explained to the crowd that Obama's government-run health care plan is less about providing quality care than it is about controlling the American people. Rogers and Dr. McNair are both exploring the possibility of seeking the GOP nomination for the 2010 Senate race against Democratic incumbent Blanche Lincoln.

Dr. McNair is a practicing opthamologist in Heber Springs and Rogers is currently working as a financial adviser in Rogers, AR. Rogers is an Army veteran who served 21 years as a medical officer in health care administration. For almost a quarter of that time he worked as a professor in a Baylor University-US Army master’s degree program in health care administration, teaching, advising graduate students, and conducting research. Rogers and Dr. McNair proposed alternative solutions to the Obama plan for health care reform, which proved Obama and congressional Democrats are lying through their teeth when they state Republicans have no alternatives to offer. The alternatives proposed at the rally did not include a government-run or single-payer system.

Whitley, a Registered Nurse, read several quotes from one of Obama's top health care advisers, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, which make clear the doctor's vision for our health care system will deprive the elderly and the very young of quality care, in order to preserve those "productive" citizens who contribute to the US Treasury.

Allison kicked off the rally by debunking the myth propagated by Democrats that rallies such as this are "astroturf" campaigns, implying special interest backing from lobbyists and other DC political interests. He explained that he spent his entire life in Arkansas with the exception of four years he served in the US Marine Corps. Allison told the crowd prior to taking on his current career as a high school math teacher at Vilonia High School, he and his wife owned and operated a chicken farm in north central Arkansas. He stated, "Folks, it doesn't get much more grassroots than chicken farming."

Allison and Whitley said they'd hoped for a larger crowd, but this was a start. Compared with other rallies held across the country, the turnout was pretty good on a per capita basis. Cabot, AR has a population of less than 24,000 compared to almost twice that in Salina, KS. According to one internet article, the rally in Salina also had approximately 100 in attendance. It was estimated about 2,000 showed up for rallies in Chicago which has a population of almost 2.5 million. So, for a small town like Cabot, the turn out was good and organizers consider the rally a success.

Only time will tell if Berry will listen to his constituents. Rallies held in Jonesboro and Mountain Home outside Berry's other Arkansas offices coincided with today's event in Cabot. He was invited to address the crowd in Cabot but refused.

Anti-Government Run Health Care Rally in Cabot--Aug 22

*This event is not sponsored by the Lonoke County Republican Committee

from Boot Berry


Just a quick update on the upcoming Recess Rally in Cabot to protest President Obama's attempt to force a government takeover of the health care system on August 22.

The rally will be held in the parking lot next to City Hall at 110 S. 2nd St. in downtown Cabot. Detailed maps and directions will be included in a post later this week.

Curtis Coleman's campaign had to cancel. His campaign called us the other day and explained they'd double-booked him that day. But we have some good news too!

Buddy Rogers, who's also considering a run for US Senate against Blanche Lincoln, will be speaking at this event. Rogers' speech will invalidate the administration's claims that there are no alternatives to his government takeover of our health care system. He plans to offer just such alternative reforms based on his experience working in the system. Rogers spent more than 20 years in the US Army serving as a health care administrator. He's authored a paper on switching the military health care system to a market based system and served as a professor in a US Army-Baylor University master's degree program in health care administration. Subscribers to the Arkansas Democrat can also check out another of his recently published article on health care reform: Reject Public Option.

Yesterday, we visited Marion Berry's office in Cabot and extended the Representative an invitation to speak and/or take questions at the rally. You may have read that Berry has scheduled no events to hear from or address his constituents during the August recess, but we thought the polite thing to do was make certain he's invited to our event. Once he responds, we'll let you know whether or not we can expect him next Saturday.

Be sure to invite your friends and family and bring signs. Next week, we'll post an update including directions, maps, and parking instructions. Be sure to invite your friends and family so we can make Berry and our other elected officials understand how real our movement is.

We're still looking for those interested in speaking or helping out. If you're interested, or even if you're planning to attend and would like email updates, please RSVP using this form.