A Younger Shade of Blue

UA Young Democrats Greet DNC Chairman Kaine

2009-11-12T22:44:00.003-06:00

Two UA Young Democrats, President Will Watson (far right) and member Andrew Roberts (second from left), met with Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine (second from right), the Governor of Virginia, today in Little Rock. Governor Kaine was in town for a DNC fundraiser in Little Rock to be co-hosted with Governor Mike Beebe and attended by a slate of other Democratic leaders from Arkansas.

UAYDs Hold Voter Registration on Campus

2009-10-01T11:23:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday, the UA Young Democrats registered voters and held an informational table in front of the Arkansas Union on a beautiful last day of September. The sun was shining and the (at times pesky) wind was blowing as we parceled out chocolate chip cookies and democracy. We registered about 20 voters, the majority of which were actually address changes for students who had recently moved. We also signed up over 25 new people for the UAYD membership list.

Democratic Storm Approaching Fayetteville

2009-09-22T23:11:00.003-05:00

At today's UAYD exec meeting, I came to the realization that I am hereby declaring next week Democrat Week for the University of Arkansas and the City of Fayetteville.

We have some amazing events on the calendar for next week, and expect a FULL week of activity that will showcase the diversity and pride of the Democratic Party in Northwest Arkansas.

Please view the following schedule, and feel free to post events if you find/know more!

Tuesday, September 29
University of Arkansas Young Democrats chapter meeting
5:00pm, Arkansas Union 513
Guest speaker still to be announced

Wednesday, September 30
UA Young Democrats voter registration drive
10:00am - 2:00pm
Arkansas Union Mall, weather permitting

Thursday, October 1
UA Law School Young Democrats chapter meeting
12:00pm, Law Building 339
Guest speaker: Steve Zega

Friday, October 2
Washington County Democratic Central Committee "Democrats Rock" Fundraiser
7:30pm - 12:00am, Home of Hershey & Denise Garner
Facebook event link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124058930956

Saturday, October 3
Young Democrats of Arkansas Fall Weekend
All day Saturday
Events still TBA
Facebook group link: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=132109427965

Speculation on 3rd District Race

2009-09-22T14:18:00.005-05:00

Max Brantley over at the Arkansas Times blog seems to think there's something more to Fayetteville Assistant City Attorney and Washington County Democratic Central Committee Chairman David Whitaker's (right) resignation this Friday from his post.

He writes in a blog post titled "A Race in the Third?":

Reading between the lines of The Iconoclast (dangerous business, I know), I read the linked item to indicate that David Whitaker, an Air Force veteran, Democrat and recently resigned assistant city attorney in Fayetteville, will soon announce a challenge to Republican U.S. Rep. John Boozman.

A Democrat faces a steep hill in this district, I know, even against a strong congressman. But is an automatic vote for the minority, obstructionist position all it takes to be re-elected in the Third? Benton County, yes. But the whole district?Certainly something worth thinking about.

Certainly something worth thinking about.

Pat O'Brien Holds Fayetteville Fundraiser

2009-09-21T14:55:00.003-05:00

The 2010 statewide election season has officially arrived in Fayetteville.

On Thursday, Pulaski County Clerk Pat O'Brien (right, at center) held a fundraiser at the Clinton House Museum in Fayetteville in support of his election bid for the Secretary of State's office.

O'Brien is challenging Arkansas Land Commissioner Mark Wilcox and Sebastian County Clerk Doris Tate for the right to succeed current Secretary Charlie Daniels, who is term-limited. A good summary of the race by the Arkansas Times blog can be found here.

The fundraiser at the Clinton House was very well-attended and was the first opportunity for UA Young Democrats to volunteer for a political candidate this year. I would estimate that about 100 people showed up for the event, and Mr. O'Brien spoke briefly during the meeting. One very encouraging part of his speech was about how getting involved with the Young Democrats was a turning point for him, and encouraged him early on to seek a life of public service. Seeing a former chapter president of the UAYDs talk about the opportunities that his involvement provided was definitely inspiring.

Several UAYDs volunteered for the O'Brien fundraiser; Andrew Roberts, Jody Bland, and Mary Grace Mullendore were all volunteers, and there were many others that dropped by to check out the event. I am looking forward to more opportunities to get UAYDs tapped into local and statewide elections, and to support Democratic candidates as they seek out our help.

Young Dems Hold Second Chapter Meeting

2009-09-17T13:35:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday, the UA Young Democrats held their second chapter meeting of the fall semester and welcomed special guests Chairman David Whitaker (pictured at left) and Treasurer Tim Freeman, of the Washington County Democratic Central Committee.

Chairman Whitaker stressed the importance of getting involved on the local level and the opportunities that come with attending county central committee meetings. He also emphasized the importance of students living in more significantly Democratic districts in changing their voter registration over to their new residences in Washington County. This is very important to helping us change the tide in Northwest Arkansas, and turn this part of the state blue.

Treasurer Freeman also informed students of the upcoming Democrats Rock fundraiser to be held at the home of Hershey and Denise Garner in Fayetteville. The fundraiser will be a fun opportunity to gather with fellow Democrats on Friday, October 2, from 7:30 to 11:00. Local bands, including The Smithsonians and Hot Shot Karate, are slated to perform. There will also be a silent auction. Proceeds will benefit the WCDCC. Tickets are $25 for the general public and $10 for students. For more info on tickets, email admin@wcdcc.org.

The next WCDCC meeting is Monday, September 21 at 6:30pm at the Homewood Suites hotel in Fayetteville.

Student Government Posts Elected & Appointed

2009-09-14T15:36:00.007-05:00

The Associated Student Government (ASG) announced its appointment of the Executive Cabinet later this afternoon, at the official announcement where it also made the results of last week's Senate elections known. We are anticipating several UAYDs in this year's Senate, and there are certainly a few in the Cabinet as well.

This year's Cabinet is the largest in recent years, certainly in the past four this writer has been around, and introduces the creation of several positions, the division of at least one, and the reintroduction of a previously eliminated one.

The Cabinet list in its entirety is:
Assistant to the Vice President for Special Projects - Georgeanne Carpenter
Assistant to the Vice President: University Committee Liaison - Mac Mathis
Assistant to the Treasurer - Bobby Bruning
Director of RSO Relations - Dylan Jones
Press Secretary - Daniel Ford
Director of FYE - Whitney Branham
Director of External Relations - Cody Kees
Director of Sustainability - Billy Fleming
Director of Internal Relations - Jake Fair
Director of Constituent Relations - Shayne Henry
Director of Legislative Affairs - Afshar Sanati
Director of Academic Affairs - Suzanne Area
Director of Athletic Relations - Chris Arnold
Director of Campus Safety - Michael Smoll
Director of Campus Life - Cristen Handley
Director of Parking and Transit - Chase Phillips
Director of Service Outreach - Laura Neumann
Director of Philanthropic Outreach - Becca Carlson
Director of Information Technology - Tony Cosgrove
Chair of the Readership Committee - Katie McGehee
Co-Chair of the Safe Ride Committee - Omar Brown
Liaison to the Faculty and Staff Senates - Kalyn Williams
Liaison to Graduate Students - Caleb Rose
Liaison to Residents' Interhall Congress - Cameron Mussar
Liaison to Greek Life - Zane Muzaffar
Historian - Grant Hodges

I would urge everyone concerned with an issue on campus to contact the Cabinet member responsible for advocacy for that issue. They are the direct link to the President of the student body, Mattie Bookhout, and have the connections and power to be a voice for students to the administration and various university committees and departments.

I can guarantee you that the Young Democrats will be in contact with the ASG Director of Legislative Affairs this semester.

Although the exact demographics were not available at the time of this post, it is clear from the roster that the Cabinet is about 80% white, 66% male, and 56% Greek-affiliated, stressing the need for increased publicity and awareness of student government elections to increase diversity.

On the Senate side of student government, 394 students voted in the election (roughly 2% of the student population), again stressing the need to increase student government visibility and awareness. The posts for each seat were filled as follows:

Bumpers College:
Kelly L. Brophey
Rachel Golden

School of Architecture:
Emily LaRocca
Kyle Rookstool

Fulbright College:
Brittany E. Box
Divesh Brahmbhatt
Kelsey Castleberry
Logan Gilmore
Adam Glasier
Holly Hilburn
Veronica Johannesen
Rebecca Martin
Gavin McCollum
Megan McLoud
Alex Moffe
Carl Monson
Jennifer Moss
Jacara Robinson
Will Watson

College of Education and Health Professions:
Kori Beams
Jillian Knox

College of Engineering:
Whitney Perkins

Walton College:
Sean Clarkson
Michael Dodd
Carlo Dominguez
Daniel Kleine
Alex Lanis
Colin O'Donnell
Robert Sharp
J. Bryan White

Graduate/Law Schools:
Thang Ho
Ryan O. Miller
Elizabeth Pryor
Jack Buckley
Sam Hall
Jordan M. Voor

By my tabulations, and with incomplete data, the Senate this year is about 90% white, 56% male, and 47% Greek, indicating slightly more gender equity and less racial diversity, but unlike the Cabinet, has a non-Greek majority.

Note: There are 19,849 students enrolled at the University of Arkansas this Fall, with a minority enrollment rate of about 14%. According to the Office of Greek Life, approximately 20% of students "go Greek."

Chapter Meeting Tomorrow

2009-09-14T13:16:00.003-05:00

Just a reminder that the UA Young Democrats' regular chapter meeting is tomorrow - Tuesday, September 15 at 5:00pm in Arkansas Union 513. This will be our second meeting for chapter business and we will welcome special guests Chairman David Whitaker and Treasurer Tim Freeman of the Washington County Democratic Central Committee, who will talk about ways to get politically involved on the local level. Tim, a former president of the UAYD chapter, will also talk about the upcoming "Democrats Rock" fundraiser for the WCDCC.

As an affiliate of the Arkansas Democratic Party and the Young Democrats of Arkansas, UAYD is the best way to get involved in politics - local, county, state, and national. Students from UAYD have gone on to intern and work at the U.S. Capitol, staff Presidential campaigns, and seek higher office across the state and country. The chapter is a great way to get involved on campus, and to connect with like-minded students that want to get active, volunteer, and work together towards progress. This year is an important year for the Democratic Party. Whether your concern is for health care, education, or the environment, President Obama and the Democratic caucus are going to be fighting hard battles to make a difference in Washington, and we have a lot of work to do to make sure that these goals are achieved.

So, join us tomorrow to meet some good Democrats, make connections across campus, get signed up for some great activities - and help us make a difference in our community and across the state.

Arkansans Support Public Option in Health Reform

2009-09-14T13:01:00.005-05:00

Turns out Arkansans supports a public option by 55% for it to 38% against it based on a DailyKos/Research 2000 poll of the state.

Favor Oppose Not Sure
All 55 38 7
Dem 81 14 5
Rep 22 71 7
Ind 56 34 10

"Over one in five Republicans support the public option, which is more 'bipartisanship' than you'll ever see in Congress. Meanwhile, the public option enjoys solid support among Democrats (obviously), and Independents. In addition, the public option is supported among all age groups (including 50-42 among those older than 60), and both among blacks (81-5) and whites (51-43).

Not all our polling has shown strong support for the public option. Kentucky had bare plurality support for the public option, and Nebraska was ugly for our side. So it's not a rigged question, from a rigged pollster. These are honest snapshots, and we publish them all, the good, the bad, the ugly."

Does this put pressure on the Democratic Senators of this state to get in line with their constituents on this issue?

Last Day to Early Vote in FHS Millage

2009-09-13T16:19:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is the last day of cast an early ballot in the millage election for the new Fayetteville High School. Several hundred ballots had been cast on the ballot measure when I went in on Wednesday to vote at the Washington County Courthouse. Election Day is Tuesday, but for those wishing to vote early, a ballot can be filled out at the courthouse tomorrow between 8:00am and 4:30pm. On Tuesday, voting will take place at your regular precinct, from 7:30am to 7:30pm.

A breakdown of what the millage revenues would be used for can be found on the Fayetteville Public Schools website.

The campaign for the new school is called "A Stronger Fayetteville" and was coordinated by the Markham consulting group in Little Rock.

Anyone wishing to volunteer for the millage campaign can contact ben@astrongerfayetteville.com or call 501-920-9587.

In Memoriam

2009-09-11T13:44:00.005-05:00

Eight years ago, our nation was attacked by terrorists acting on behalf of a rogue thread of radical Islamist thought, on a day of devastation unseen since the infamous day in 1941 that the Empire of Japan awoke a sleeping American giant.

These terrorists struck at symbols of American power - economic and political. Their attacks hurt the heart of American enterprise, New York City, and plunged into a source of strategy for the greatest military on the face of the earth, the Pentagon. It would be much later before we would learn that the terrorists had failed in their attempt to destroy the American spirit; even amid fear and ultimate death, a group on board a fourth hijacked airliner would sacrifice themselves in a lonely Pennsylvania field, before the plane could be crashed into the United States Capitol.

Today, on this gorgeous afternoon, I took a long bike ride home from class, and circled the Fayetteville National Cemetery. The rows and rows of white markers that cover that field serve as a reminder of the cost that our country has incurred as the price of freedom. Even more striking are the markers and mausoleum crypts that read "- 2001" or "-2008" or somewhere in between. Those simple markers carry the names of an American soldier or sailor or Marine or airman, and sometimes "Persian Gulf" or "Operation Enduring Freedom." They are reminders of this cost.

It's very easy to grow cynical, particularly as a member of the Left, of nationalism and national pride. It's funny to laugh at the people who say our country's name as 'mer'ca' and things like "These colors don't run." We grow cynical because we recognize the things that we know our country can do better, and the ideals for which we know America can strive.

But eight years ago, a group of terrorists said, "We don't like the things you stand for, and we will kill ourselves and thousands of your civilians to make that known." That day, things changed.

That day, it became important to let the world know that even as liberals or conservatives, Republicans or Democrats, white or black, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or secular, we do buy into an American exceptionalism, and we would stand together to protect our country and the ideals that are enshrined in our collective national identity and our moral imperative to protect the weak and provide for the common defense of freedom.

That is why we mourn on September 11. That is why we mourn for the cost we have accrued over the past eight years in Afghanistan. That is why we wave our American flags with pride. That is why we stand together when the United States faces threats, foreign and domestic.

And that is why we remain the greatest country on the face of this earth.

God bless the United States of America.

Fayetteville Alderman Petty Discusses Youth, Campaigning, and Politics

2009-09-10T11:13:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Fayetteville Alderman Matthew Petty joined the UA Young Democrats for a small forum on his campaign for Fayetteville City Council and his thoughts on youth participation in politics, and emerging campaign tactics for the 21st century.

A handful of Young Dems showed up for the discussion, where Alderman Petty laid out his campaign strategy and how he managed to put together a "green" platform of economy and ecology. He also talked about tailoring his strategy and platform to his specific constituency, and his use of new media techniques versus traditional methods like canvassing and phone banking.

The President Wins Public Support For Health Insurance Reform in Speech to a Joint Session of Congress

2009-09-09T23:19:00.012-05:00

President Obama spoke tonight to a Joint Session of Congress where the House and Senate members joined together to hear the President's message to Congress and the nation. Here is the full speech:

He starts to speak around 5:30 into the video.

The response to the speech was overwhelmingly positive according to a CNN poll which showed that 72% of those who watched the speech thought he clearly stated his health care goals. Most significantly, support for his plan before his speech was at at 53% and opposition was at 36%. However, after the speech there was a 21 point swing in public opinion. The poll showed that 67% now support the plan and only 29% are against it.

Reminder: ASG Senate Elections Today

2009-09-09T11:57:00.003-05:00

Just a quick reminder that Associated Student Government Senate elections commence today, and run through 4:00pm on Friday. Each college has seats represented in ASG, so every student is eligible to vote for their representation. A summary and biographical information sheet on each candidate is available here on the ASG website.

Despite ASG's prominence on campus as the premiere student government organization, this was a very "down" year for Senate applications, and only one college actually has competitive elections. Fulbright College, the most competitive college in most years, was only able to field 15 candidates for 16 seats. The Fay Jones School of Architecture on the other hand, has a competitive race. Regardless of college, turnout legitimizes the elections, and lets our administration know that students care about shared governance, so please take the time to visit http://vote.uark.edu to cast your vote in the elections.

Early Voting Commences on Millage Increase

2009-09-09T00:01:00.005-05:00

Early voting began Tuesday for the school millage election proposed by Fayetteville Public Schools to generate revenue to renovate and construct a new high school on the grounds of the current facilities. Any voter registered in the Fayetteville school district can take part.

The campaign to pass the millage is called "A+ Stronger Fayetteville" and claims that "after years of public input about the future of our high school, we have the opportunity to vote FOR a new Fayetteville High School. For a small investment, we can make a commitment to Fayetteville’s kids, community, and future."

There have been some opponents to the millage, mostly from anti-tax groups and tea-baggers. The election will most likely be very close though, given the economic climate and the general public's hostility to tax increases right now.

The Washington County courthouse is located at the end of Dickson Street at:
280 N. College Avenue
Fayetteville, AR 72701

Early voting continues through election day, next Tuesday, September 15.

Amid GOP Protests, President Tells Kids to Work Hard in School

2009-09-08T11:33:00.007-05:00

(Photo credit: Wall Street Journal)

In today's national address to schoolchildren across the country, President Barack Obama urged responsibility, hard work, and commitment to education.

No wonder Republicans were against it.

The speech highlighted the President's own struggle with a difficult background, and encouraged children facing similar situations to perservere and make their best effort to stay in school and work hard.

For your reading pleasure, full text of the President's prepared remarks from today (emphasis added):

The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.
I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.
Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."
So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.
I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.
I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.
I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.
And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.
Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.
And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.
Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.
So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.
That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.
I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall.
And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.
That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.
I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.
No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.
And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.
It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?
Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.
White House Press Release here
Wall Street Journal story here

Happy Labor Day

2009-09-07T14:02:00.003-05:00

There are people in this country who work hard every day.
Not for fame or fortune do they strive.
But the fruits of their labor are worth more than their pay.
-Alabama, Forty Hour Week (For a Livin')

As Americans enjoy much-appreciated time off from work and school, it is important to remember that Labor Day is about the hard working members of our civil society that fuel the economy and make up the backbone of our culture.

Most of us come from families that can appreciate the value of hard work, and the struggle that our parents and grandparents went through to put our families where they are today. My grandfather marched with Patton's Army during World War II, came back and put blood, sweat, and tears into his farm so that my mom could go to college and become a school teacher; she is the G/T coordinator for my hometown school district. My other grandfather worked three decades on the Little Rock Fire Department, and my dad followed in his footsteps and today is a Captain for the LRFD. Their hard work put my family where we are today.

In our government, the Department of Labor protects job site safety, wages, and employment benefits. It also helps the unemployed find work, and those who have been laid off become re-employed. Labor unions around the country help protect these same workers' rights, and keep jobs and production here in America. In 1970, Labor Secretary George P. Schultz helped diversify labor unions as an extension of the American civil rights movement.

The labor movement and the hard-working Americans that toil every day to make our country better deserve recognition and the respect of a grateful country. But more importantly, they deserve our support in their efforts to protect the rights of workers across America, and to continue to make the American workforce the best in the world.

Happy Labor Day.

In solidarity,
Will

What's on the Blue Horizon

2009-09-06T16:33:00.003-05:00

As the school year gets under way, your schedule inevitably gets more and more hectic, and it's often hard to remember all the dates for meetings, events, and functions for organizations. So I thought a post dedicated to the upcoming events for our Young Democrats chapter would be in order.

Please email democrat@uark.edu if you have other events you would like to add to the UAYD calendar.

Wednesday, September 9

4:00pm, Old Main 417

"Fresh Ideas and Politics: Getting Elected as a Young Person"

Fayetteville Alderman Matthew Petty will lead a UAYD forum on getting involved in politics as a young person, and tapping into new technologies and social movements to mobilize voters.

Facebook event: link here

Alderman Petty's website: here

Saturday, September 12

8:00am - 12:oopm, Fayetteville Town Square

Health Care Declaration Drive, Fayetteville Farmers' Market

Join the UAYDs on Saturday at the weekly Farmers' Market for a morning of fun and fellowship as we collect signatures for the Organizing for America health care declaration drive, to support President Barack Obama's reform initiative to provide access to health care for ALL Americans.

My.BarackObama event link: here

Tuesday, September 15

5:00pm, Arkansas Union 513

Join the UAYDs for their second chapter meeting of the semester as they welcome special guests Chairman David Whitaker and Treasurer Tim Freeman of the Washington County Democratic Central Committee, who will talk about opportunities to get involved locally, as well as their upcoming FUNdraiser, the second annual Democrats Rock concert/awesomeness.

Facebook event: link here

There's a lot, lot more coming up, but this is a good forecast of what's to come for our chapter this month. This is a great time to get involved with Young Democrats, so make sure to check out one of our events, or get in contact with us for ways to get involved!

First UAYD Special Event - "Fresh Ideas and Politics"

2009-09-03T02:59:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday, September 9, UAYD is sponsoring a lecture and discussion called "Fresh Ideas and Politics: Getting Elected as a Young Person," featuring Fayetteville Alderman Matthew Petty, the youngest member of the Fayetteville City Council - elected at age 24.

Matt is the founder of SocialSustenance.Org and the NWA Sustainability Center, co-chair of the Omni Center's Carbon Caps Task Force, was a global warming delegate to Citizens' First Congress in Little Rock, and designed an environmental leadership program for Fayetteville public schools. He also organized the 2007 Step It Up rally for climate change and designed a teacher development program on sustainability literacy for the U of A. He is also a spokesperson for America In Bloom in Fayetteville.

In November 2008, Matt was elected after campaigning on an "Economy and Ecology" platform, and partially credits his close win to social media.
His focuses on the city council include working to create a green job training center with a local community college; guiding real estate developers towards business models that include urban agriculture; and helping school district design 21st century high schools.

Party, Politics, and Pryor

2009-09-01T22:08:00.006-05:00

Today we had the first chapter meeting of the new year, and it was jam-packed with Democratic activity, guests, and new members. About 60 were in attendence at the first meeting, drawn by the free food, socializing, and attraction of our guest speaker.

I was proud to introduce an Arkansas legend as our first speaker of the year, Senator David Pryor (right), who kicked off the year in grand fashion with remarks that would get any Young Democrat's heart pumping. Sen. Pryor stressed the importance of participation, volunteerism, and maintaining an active role in government. He mentioned his recent submission to Politico and his suggestions on the difficult battle that President Obama faces in reforming health care. Sen. Pryor's remarks reinforced what the UA Young Democrats already knew - we have hard battle ahead, and a lot of work to do to back up the election of our President.

We had a couple other guests make announcements after Sen. Pryor's remarks, including Jim Gallagher of the Fayetteville Planning Commission, who spoke in opposition of plans to develop a quarry on the outskirts of Fayetteville, and urged students to attend tonight's Quorum Court meeting; Tim Hudson and Dr. Tim Crain of the Fayetteville Public Schools came and spoke of the A Stronger Fayetteville campaign and millage initiative to fund a new Fayetteville High School; and Will Whiting informed the UAYDs about an upcoming fundraiser for Secretary of State candidate, Pulaski County Clerk Pat O'Brien.

After the meeting, UAYD Treasurer Ty Hicks collected membership dues from about a dozen new members, and we opened up associate membership to include community members and young professionals in the Fayetteville area. Our first two associate members added to the roll were candidates for the Democratic nomination for Arkansas House District 92, Greg Leding and former state Representative Bill Ramsey (pictured below).

The meeting was a great start to a new year, and I am looking forward to our next meeting, September 15th at 5pm in the same place (Arkansas Union 513) featuring Washington County Democratic Central Committee Chairman David Whitaker.

Today's the Day!

2009-09-01T00:50:00.001-05:00

Date: September 1st, 2009
Time: 5:00pm CDT
Location: Arkansas Union, Room 513

Join us later today for the first 2009-2010 meeting of the University of Arkansas Young Democrats, the most involved political organization on campus. Join us at 5pm in Arkansas Union Room 513 for our inaugural meeting of the semester, featuring our very special guest, Senator David Pryor.

Sen. Pryor is a former United States Congressman and Senator from Arkansas, as well as having served as the Governor of our state. Having served as the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Arkansas for a short period, he was recently appointed a Trustee of the University of Arkansas.

As an affiliate of the Arkansas Democratic Party and the Young Democrats of America, UAYD is the best way to get involved in politics - local, county, state, and national.

Students from UAYD have gone on to intern and work at the U.S. Capitol, staff Presidential campaigns, and seek higher office across the state and country. UAYD is a great way to get involved on campus, and to connect with like-minded students that want to get active, volunteer, and work together towards progress.

This year is an important year for the Democratic Party. Whether your concern is for health care, education, or the environment, President Obama and the Democratic caucus are going to be fighting hard battles to make a difference in Washington, and we have a lot of work to do to make sure that these goals are achieved.

So, join us on September 1st to meet some good Democrats, make connections across campus, get signed up for some great activities - and help us make a difference in our community and across the state.

Refreshments will be served. See you there.

RAZORBAAAASH!

2009-08-26T14:20:00.004-05:00

It's the third day of school, and one of the mainstays of Welcome Week is Razorbash, the campus-wide showcase of organizations and student groups, which join together with businesses and associations from the Fayetteville community to present students with an opportunity to become better acquainted with the UA campus and Fayetteville.

Free pizza, grilled food and as many t-shirts as you can imagine were the theme for the day, along with music and commotion filling the air. UAYD had a table at the center of the action, and signed up over 70 new people for our chapter. Stephen Duke, Alia Biller (both above) Jody Bland, Ty Hicks (both below), Elizabeth Roberts, and several others all worked the table during the day, and Razorbash was a great success for meeting new students and recruiting new members for spreading the progressive message across campus.

The first meeting is September 1st at 5pm in ARKU 513, so we'll soon see if this translates into new membership attendance. Come ready for fun!

First Day of School

2009-08-24T13:58:00.004-05:00

Today is the first day of classes at the University of Arkansas, and it is an exciting time to be a Democrat. As usual for the first day of class, the UA Associated Student Government (ASG) has a Welcome Week Cook-out going on in the Union Mall, and they're serving up food and fun, adn passing out info about how to get involved on campus.

Campus is teeming with new students, and new energy, and we will need every voice this semester. We've never seen challenges like the ones we will face this semester in working towards true progress in health care, education, labor rights, the environment, and countless other issues on President Barack Obama's agenda.

On Wednesday, we will have a Razorbash table by the fountain in the Union Mall, so drop by and see us and pick up a meeting schedule for the rest of the semester.

The first Young Democrats meeting for the semester will be on September 1st at 5:00pm in Arkansas Union Room 513. We are extremely proud to announce that Senator David Pryor will be speaking to the group and helping us kick off another year.

Some links:
Facebook event for first meeting
UAYD Facebook group

PS - 5oth blog post! :-)

OFA Listening Tour Makes Fayetteville Stop

2009-08-20T14:47:00.002-05:00

Yesterday the Organizing for America health care "Listening Tour" made a stop in Fayetteville, organized by OFA State Director Kyle Simon. The event was an open-ended forum for discussion and dissemination of information about the President's health care agenda, and the reform legislation currently in committee in both houses of Congress. U.S. Pizza on Dickson Street was kind of enough to donate the space for the event, and it drew a handful of protesters on the sidewalk.

At the meeting, Mr. Simon reiterated the President's commitment to three goals of health care reform:

Reduce costs — Rising health care costs are crushing the budgets of governments, businesses, individuals, and families, and they must be brought under control
Guarantee choice — Every American must have the freedom to choose their plan and doctor – including the choice of a public insurance option
Ensure quality care for all — All Americans must have quality and affordable health care

Arkansas is of particular importance in the health care debate because of the crucial role that Congressman Mike Ross has crafted in ongoing negotiations between House leadership and the more conservative Blue Dog Coalition; and because of Senator Blanche Lincoln's position on the relatively conservative Senate Finance Committee. Contact information for Rep. Ross and Sen. Lincoln can be found below:

Sen. Blanche Lincoln Phone: 202-224-4843 912 West 4th St
Little Rock, AR 72201 Sen. Mike Ross
Phone: 800-223-2220 300 Exchange St, Suite A
Hot Springs, AR 71901

If you have questions about the President's health care reform agenda, please visit the Health Care Action Center set up by OFA.

Office Space

2009-08-19T12:32:00.003-05:00

Well, the new school year is less than a week away and things are coming together for the Young Democrats. The first meeting is set, the speaker list is under development, and the various projects that will be undertaken during the year are being flushed out.

Physical proof that the Young Democrats exist on campus is visible on the 6th floor of the Arkansas Union, where the new Young Democrats office is located (left).

Contact information for the UA Young Democrats:
Phone: (479) 595-VOTE
Email: democrat@uark.edu
Mail: PO Box 2023, ARKU, Fayetteville, AR 72701

New Logo for a New Year

2009-08-11T15:24:00.002-05:00

The UA Young Democrats have a new logo.

The new graphic features a flag that looks suspiciously like the Arkansas flag, but with the colors inverted. The typeface is Trajan, the new font used in the official University of Arkansas logo.

I can't think of anything about the great State of Arkansas that we, as a chapter of the Young Democrats of Arkansas, would want to flip from red to blue...Can you? :-)

Dedication to our State.
Dedication to our University.
Dedication to our Party.
That's what we're about at UAYD.

Special thanks are in order for the generous donation of personal time that Greg Leding put into developing this logo.

No More Band-Aids (UPDATED)

2009-07-30T13:49:00.005-05:00

A new campaign for health care reform was brought to my attention today by YDA President Chris Burks. “No More Band-Aids” is a group that is pressuring the Arkansas congressional delegation to stand up for progressive comprehensive health care reform. The group is trying to put a more personal focus on the health care debate, and shift the attention from what doctors, insurers, and hospitals think about the issue, towards what individuals who actually have to seek medical care experience and need reformed.

It seems like this would be a good effort to get involved with, since the ongoing health care debate seems to be more about how to cut costs for the government and how to make this easier on insurance providers and hospitals, rather than the most important aspect of the whole scheme: the American taxpayer, who will both shoulder the burden of the cost and be the ones seeking the help of the new system.

Also, I like the Band-Aid imagery because it suggests that we don’t need a quick-fix or temporary solution, but a massive overhaul of the health care we have now.

The website for the group lists their goals as “getting the media to talk about health care reform in terms of people instead of hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, legislators, etc.” and accomplishing this by having voters “write personal messages to decision makers,” thereby “humanizing the debate.” Essentially, they will be “providing people a vehicle and a way they can participate in the debate and feel that they are part of a visible campaign that is having impact.” They also provide a form letter/email to spread the word.

The local organization collecting submissions for “No More Band-Aids” is the Interfaith Alliance. Anyone wishing to make a submission (like the one seen at right) can submit it to:

Interfaith Alliance
Box 2241
Little Rock, AR 72203

If you would like any more information about the “No More Band-Aids” Campaign, shoot an email to info@nomorebandaids.org.

PS. Just for future reference, and for this campaign if anyone is interested, our legislators' contact information:

Senator Blanche Lincoln
912 West 4th St
Little Rock, AR 72201

Senator Mark Pryor
500 Clinton Ave. Suite 401
Little Rock, AR 72201

Congressman Vic Snyder
1501 North University, Suite 150
Little Rock, AR 72207

Congressman Boozman
4943 Old Greenwood Road, Suite 1
Fort Smith, AR 72903

Congressman Mike Ross
300 Exchange St, Suite A
Hot Springs, AR 71901

Congressman Marion Berry
108 E. Huntington
Jonesboro, AR 72401

UPDATE://

Timing is of the essence in contacting your legislators over crucial health care reform legislation. Today, the Arkansas GOP, dedicated to bringing a halt to true reform and bowing to the pressures of their bankrollers - big insurance companies and health care providers - launched a "health care action center" to help conservatives pressure Congressmen Ross and Berry to vote against health care reform.

As we know, Congressman Ross has spent the better part of two weeks helping shape the priorities of health care legislation. Call or write our delegation NOW and tell them you appreciate their commitment to health care reform and urge them to support this legislation.

We must match the opponents of progress letter-for-letter, phone call-for-phone call.

UAYDs Make the Cut for Senator Lincoln's Page

2009-07-28T22:00:00.006-05:00

Despite the ongoing struggle within the Democratic Party over labor issues and health care that has put many in Arkansas at odds with Senator Blanche Lincoln, I still found it noteworthy that a couple of our members (full disclosure: one of them is me) made it onto the good Senator's website on the splash page and a section called "Supporters Like You." UAYD member Alex Williams (who transferred to UALR for the past academic term and is returning to the UA this year, bottom right above) and myself (top right above) attended Sen. Lincoln's re-election announcement and fundraiser in March that featured Vice President Joe Biden in Little Rock.

At the event, each of us filmed a short video (Alex's video is here, and mine is here) explaining why we supported Sen. Lincoln:

Regardless of where you stand on the issues, the event was a great opportunity, and I'm glad that we both got offered the chance to see the Vice President and meet many influential Democratic officials from around the state.

The Bluest Evening in Arkansas

2009-07-25T10:51:00.016-05:00

Last night's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner and the JJ After Dark event that followed were an overwhelming success for the Democratic Party of Arkansas and the Young Democrats of Arkansas. The house was packed with over 1,300 Democrats from around the state, and the keynote speaker - Paul Begala - rocked the stage with humor and insight that kept the audience laughing and clapping throughout his speech. Hearing from one of the all-time Democratic all-stars on the importance of the work that we are doing, and where we need to go from here was incredible, and something I will carry with me for a very long time.

But we also had our own share of Arkansas all-stars that took the stage as well. To kick the show off, Chairman Todd Turner introduced the five consitutional officers that serve below Governor Mike Beebe: Auditor Jim Wood, Treasurer Martha Schoffner, Secretary of State Charlie Daniels, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, and Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter - each of whom gave a brief speech.

After Lt. Governor Halter finished speaking (and extolling the merits of the scholarship lottery) he passed the microphone on to Senator Mark Pryor, who gave a brief speech and stressed the importance of keeping Democrats in office, and the election that would have the most significance to him - the re-election of Senator Blanche Lincoln, who he introduced and surrendered the mic to. Sen. Lincoln spoke for a few minutes on the crucial time in which we find ourselves, and referred to a quote her father gave her - something to the effect of "great challenges provide great opportunities," - and said that we cannot squander the opportunities that we have with a Democratic President and Congress. She also took head-on the Republican platform as the "party of 'NO'" by asking, "What would you like us to give up?" - health care, education reform, ending responsibly the war in Iraq, pulling our economy out of the ditch, etc.

After Sen. Lincoln finished up, Gov. Beebe took the stage and gave an inspiring speech about the potential that Arkansas Democats have to make our state a better place. He stressed the relatively good position in which Arkansas finds itself as a result of our balanced-budget provision in the Arkansas constitution, and panned other states that may make fun of Arkansas's backwards reputation, but when it comes to finances, are actually quite envious. He finished by saying that we have to work harder to put Arkansas on the forefront of the nation's consciousness, and do a better job of making Arkansas a place where people want to live.

Begala took the stage after Beebe, and gave a rousing speech in which he mocked Republicans, admitted to being from Texas (apologetically), and spoke on the future of the Democratic Party and the struggles we face. He was lively and entertaining, and it was with regret that I had to leave the room before he finished to go help set up for JJ After Dark, where I sold tickets for the first 30 minutes or so. I am told that Congressman Vic Snyder showed up after we left, on a surprise hop from Washington, D.C.

The After Dark event was quite a success for YDA. The room was packed and the air was full of conversation and friendship as younger and older Democrats joined in a shared sense of pride at the J-J dinner and the work we have accomplished in the past year. The main sponsors of After Dark, Gov. Beebe and Attorney General McDaniel, gave brief speeches at the event, with the Attorney General speaking on behalf of co-sponsor Congressman Marion Berry, who could not be at the event because of ongoing negotiations on the health care reform package.

There was an overabundance of young people and former/current UAYDs at both events, so you'll have to excuse me if I missed anyone, but I definitely caught sight of: YDA President Chris Burks, Secretary/Treasurer Eric Bell, Haley Heath, David Mitchell, Jody Bland, Seth Jewell, Chelsea Rose, Nate Looney, George Ngundue, UAYD Treasurer Ty Hicks, Alex Williams, WCDCC Chairman David and Lisa Whitaker, WCDCC Treasurer Tim Freeman, and many, many more. Altogether it was a wonderful event, and I was proud to be in attendance and in the company of so many hard-working Democrats.

Special thanks to Forest Boles and Amanda Richardson for providing me with a ticket to get into the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner.

//Note: That is not Forest and Amanda on the right, despite the placement of the photo. That's me and the AG. Just for clarification. :-)

//Edit: Bell's officer title corrected.

If Heaven Ain't a Lot Like Politics and Barbecue...

2009-07-24T14:08:00.006-05:00

Just got back from grabbing lunch at the Whole Hog Cafe with a big group of Senior Democrats from across the state, who were having their pre-JJ statewide meeting. Lunch was, of course, delicious and Whole Hog is quickly becoming my favorite BBQ joint in central Arkansas. Aside from riding over there with Nate Looney, I also ran into Chris Burks and College Democrats of Arkansas President John Sanson.

Here are some pictures from the event:

The crowd gathered for some good food before the Senior Democrats of Arkansas meeting gets started

Pulaski County Clerk Pat O'Brien, candidate for Secretary of State, enjoys some conversation before things get under way

Rep. Monty Davenport, candidate for State Land Commissioner, speaks with former UAYD Nate Looney

DPA Chairman Todd Turner addresses the healthcare fight

Update: We had to leave pretty soon after Senior Democrats President Jimmie Lou Fisher kicked off the speakers, but now I'm told that right after Nate and I slipped out, Gov. Mike Beebe and Sen. Mark Pryor showed up to address the crowd.

Democratic Weekend is Here

2009-07-24T10:42:00.004-05:00

Tonight is the biggest fundraiser and social event of the year for the Democratic Party of Arkansas - the annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, sponsored by the party and hosted at Verizon Arena (formerly Alltel Arena). The featured speaker tonight is Clinton confidante Paul Begala, and tickets run $100 a seat.

After the event is over, the Young Democrats of Arkansas are hosting the J-J After Dark party, a huge social event that attracts students, young professionals, and politicians from around the state to gather and mingle after the formal dinner is over. This year's event is presented by Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, Congressman Marion Berry, and will feature Governor Mike Beebe. Tickets are $35 at the door and it's going to be a night to remember.

I'll be in attendance at both, and will post some pictures and an update tomorrow. As a bonus, I'm also attending the Senior Democrats of Arkansas's lunch today at Whole Hog Cafe here in Little Rock.

It's Democratic weekend, Arkansas. Game on.

Full House for WCDCC July Meeting

2009-07-21T10:39:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was the July business meeting of the Washington County Democratic Central Committee (WCDCC) and even though it was a small agenda, the house was packed and Young Democrats from across the county were well-represented. Some of the YD's in attendance were former UAYD President John Davis, current YD Andrew Roberts, and an associate of the chapter, Mervin Jeberaj. This month's meeting was held at the Homewood Suites Hilton hotel off of Wedington in Fayetteville.

Both candidates for Arkansas House of Representatives in Fayetteville's District 92 race - Bill Ramsey (pictured above) and Greg Leding - were present at the meeting, and each got a few minutes to introduce themselves and say a few words to the folks at the meeting. (Their websites are here and here, respectively.)

We spent some time towards the end of the meeting discussing outreach efforts that the WCDCC can do in the fall, and talked about setting up weekly booths at the Fayetteville Farmers' Market in order to do voter registration, spread the word about the committee, and just have a general and consistent presence in the community. It looks like I may end up trying to coordinate the logistics when I get back into town in the middle of August.

The next meeting of the WCDCC is August 17.

595-VOTE

2009-07-18T11:22:00.007-05:00

Today I received an invitation to Google Voice, the new service that Google is offering to connect landlines, mobile phones, and voicemail accounts into a streamlined, internet-accesible site for all your telephonic needs. Since I really only use a cell phone, I decided to maximize the potential of this service offering by adding a phone number for our Young Democrats chapter.

The new phone number at which you can reach the UA Young Democrats is (479) 595-VOTE (8683).

This will be a nice feature, and one more communication tool that we can have to provide maximum outreach to the UA students and those seeking more information about our chapter, events, and initiatives.

Rep. Harrelson in YDA Hotline

2009-07-17T20:58:00.003-05:00

Today, we received the following "hotline" from the Young Democrats of Arkansas, with a special piece by state Representative and House Majority Leader Steve Harrelson. I thought it would be particularly relevant to our crowd, so please enjoy:

Transitioning from YD to elected office
by Rep. Steve Harrelson

Being a Young Democrat is much more than being an ambitious civic-minded volunteer wanting to help elect accordant and encouraging candidates to office. It's more than helping shape policy from the ground up. By this time, you've likely already been initiated into the act of late night campaigning and stuffing envelopes for candidates seeking both local and national office. You've attended meetings and debated local and national issues. If you're like I was, much of that time was spent just waiting to bust onto the scene yourself and become engaged and involved in bringing change to the landscape of Arkansas politics and government. Sure, it's fun promoting other candidates who've cut taxes, improved education, and brokered legislation that puts more Arkansas children in college. On the other hand, you know that you've played a behind-the-scenes role in seeing all of those issues become implemented, and you know you're capable of doing that and more on your own.

Several things have taken place over the last several years that can put Young Democrats in a favorable position to do just that. Term limits have decreased the average age of the Arkansas legislator by a decade and a half. At 35, I'm still (technically) a Young Democrat but am forbidden from the Arkansas Constitution from ever seeking membership in the House again. When I was elected to the Arkansas House in 2004, there were only three members younger than me. Two short terms later, there are almost a dozen younger than me. When recruiting replacements for term-limited positions, it's only natural to look to a slate of aspiring potential candidates such as yourself. Even if a mayor, county judge or quorum court member fills the legislative position, that's one more elected office that has opened up for consideration.

Still largely remaining is a void from the great leaders of the Clinton, Pryor and Bumpers generation, and our state always needs bright leaders to shape policy and to lead our state from the bottom of several important rankings. What is keeping you from filling that void? Yes, we have our "A" team of Arkansas Democrats, and we've prepared a pretty deep bench of people who are ready to step out from small, obscure offices and into the primetime. Regardless, we need more true statesmen who are willing to step forward with new and fresh ideas. It's what serving the public is all about - it's what being a Young Democrat is all about. Most importantly, the future of our party depends on it.

There is only one thing more valuable in a political campaign than having the resources to get your message to the voters, and that's timing. Take a look at all the elected positions out there. Talk to incumbents who may be looking to pass the reins to some bright and ambitious person such as yourself. Visit with others who've served in the position to get an idea of whether it's a good fit. Prepare both a short and long term goal to become involved in the public arena. Once you find a position and election cycle to your liking, get out there in front of the other candidates and run.

Arkansas is counting on you.

Just some things to think about for the weekend.

Fund-racing

2009-07-16T10:47:00.003-05:00

The second quarterly reports for political candidates were due to the Arkansas Secretary of State's office yesterday, providing ample entertainment for the political blogosphere in the state. The finance reports give some indication of the early viability of candidates, and also provide amusement for those of us interested in seeing where all the money comes from.

The finance reports are made readily available online, via a search engine provided by Secretary of State Charlie Daniels' office. The results trickled in during the course of the day, with about 20 readily available for review by midday on Wednesday.

Two good accounts of the results yesterday were provided by the Tolbert Report and Under the Dome (Rep. Steve Harrelson's blog). Although, to be fair, Tolbert gave just a little bit too much credit to Rep. Dan Greenberg (R-Bryant), who contributed $100,000 of his own money to his campaign war chest for Senate District 22. Tolbert focused an entire blog entry on the District 27 race (for full disclosure, that is this author's hometown district) and made sure to point out that Greenberg's likely opponent, Rep. Dawn Creekmore (D-Bauxite) had received $4,000 from her family businesses, while patting Greenberg on the back for his lofty fundraising accomplishments. My question is, who is Greenberg trying to scare away? His likely Republican primary opponent, former state Rep. Jeremy Hutchinson, doesn't have anything to be worried about in the finances area.

Just my District 22 thoughts.

Other noteworthy reports:

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel raised over $500,000 to put towards his primary and general election campaign.
The Democratic Party of Arkansas out-raised its GOP counterpart by about $80,000 this quarter.
Pulaski County Clerk Pat O'Brien grabbed early headlines when he turned his report in two days in advance and reported raising over $117,000 in his race for Secretary of State.
Jay Barth, the Hendrix professor seeking the Little Rock state Senate seat in District 34, raised over $90,000 - around $80,000 more than his opponent in the Democratic primary, Rep. Linda Chesterfield.
Oh, and over the first two quarters of 2009, U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln has raised $2,993,149 for her re-election bid.

Seriously, go to the Sec'y of State's website and check out some of theses reports. It's really interesting to see where the money comes from for these campaigns, and almost as amusing to see what they're spending it on.

Hundreds Rally in Little Rock for EFCA

2009-07-11T19:47:00.008-05:00

Today I marched with an estimated 1500 labor supporters who rallied in the state's capital today in support of the national Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), in anticipation of a meeting that the rally's organizers - heavy hitters from organized labor - had with U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln. Earlier in the day, supporters had rallied then traveled by bus from Texarkana, Fort Smith, and Pine Bluff to gather in Little Rock for the march.

The crowd was rallied at the historic Little Rock Central High School, site of the 1957 integration crisis that saw the Arkansas National Guard federalized by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Organizers of the rally drew comparisons between civil rights crusaders' fight for justice, and the current struggle for freedom of choice in the workplace. The crowd responded heartily to adddresses by AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rich Trumka, Judge Wendell Griffin, state Senator Joyce Elliott, and other labor representatives.

Judge Griffin speaks to the group rallied at Central High School in downtown Little Rock

From Central High School, the rally participants marched to Daisy Bates Avenue, down to Martin Luther King Drive, and on to the steps of the Arkansas Capitol, where they were rallied again by a mix of labor leaders from across the country, local labor officials, and interfaith leaders in the community.

Hundreds rally at the Arkansas Capitol building in support of the EFCA

The event drew labor participants from across the country and region, and officers high in the hierarchy of the the rally's sponsors, the AFL-CIO and United Steel Workers. Trumka, the incoming president of the organization, addressed the crowd at Central High and on the steps of the Capitol. Arkansas AFL-CIO President Alan Hughes and Steelworkers International President Leo Gerard also addressed the crowd.

Following the rally, the USW hosted a catfish fry at the AEA headquarters near the Capitol. It was delicious.

Among those present from Northwest Arkansas were UAYD member Fernando Garcia, who also works at the Workers' Justice Center in Springdale with Ana Aguayo, of the UA chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Chris Burks, President of the Young Democrats of Arkansas, was also at the rally. I also got a chance to meet President David Hardt, of the Young Democrats of America.

The Arkansas Times has good coverage of the rally here, and if you look in the lower left, you can see me with my baseball cap backwards, as always. :)

Also, Rep. Steve Harrelson participated in the Texarkana end of things, and has a writeup here.

jj afterdark Hits Facebook

2009-07-09T14:48:00.003-05:00

The jj afterdark 2009 event has been posted online to Facebook by Young Democrats of Arkansas President Chris Burks. This year's jj afterdark is presented by Congressman Marion Berry and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, with special guest Governor Mike Beebe. The event follows the annual Jefferson-Jackson banquet hosted by the Democratic Party of Arkansas, and featuring Paul Begala.

Tickets to this event are $25 if purchased in advance and $35 at the door. The event will feature guests from all across the state and young Arkansas Democratic leaders. The ticket price includes a dessert bar, wine, and beer.

Former or current UAYD members and friends of the chapter on the host committee include: Greg Leding, Nate Looney, Seth Jewell, Eric Bell, Haley Heath, George Ngundue, and Burks.

To reserve tickets to jj afterdark 2009, email Burks at chris@ydarkansas.org.

A Few Thoughts on Independence Day

2009-07-04T22:58:00.006-05:00

Just a few quick words that I wrote today about the significance of Independence Day, and how we should apply the meanings of the American Revolution to a modern standard of service and dedication to country:
Two-hundred and thirty-three years ago, a group of rabble-rousers and thinkers got together and decided that a colony separated from the King of England by a vast expanse of ocean and ideology should not be subject to a crown or an economic system of exploitation and tyranny. To that end, these men pledged their lives and their honor to the cause of freedom and their names have gone down in history for what they accomplished.
But the fact that they achieved their end, the independence of the colonies and the formation of a united confederation of states in a new world called "America" is often the only kernel of knowledge retained by schoolchildren and adults alike. It has become a sort of logical chain that John Hancock signed a piece of paper, George Washington crossed the Delaware, and the British tucked tail and scampered off across the Atlantic. But what is often forgotten is the high cost that was paid by these rebels, these "patriots" that dared defy the most powerful nation on the face of the earth, and assembled a rag-tag militia across a vast and rural expanse of 13 very distinct, very opinionated colonies.
They were scholars like Samuel Adams, who failed as a businessman and tax collector but flourished in the written word and a passion for a cooperative spirit among the colonies, ultimately realized in the creation something called a "continental congress."
They were drunks and geniuses like Benjamin Franklin, whose ingenuity in both word and design informed a country's sense of innovation for centuries to come.
They were craftsmen like Paul Revere who sacrificed their financial prosperity and social position for the sake of a cause greater than themselves.
They were slaves and freedmen like Crispus Attucks who protested the violation of their homes and their livelihoods, and were slain just the same as men afforded full rights by society.
They were women like Abigail Adams, who argued that the patriots "passion for Liberty" must extend to the evils of slavery, and criticized those who did not see the Declaration of Independence as an endorsement of abolition.
But most imporantly, they were men and women who fought tirelessly for the ideals of liberty, offering up their very lives for the freedoms that we enjoy today. They undertook an unprecedented task, based on the concept that all men were created equal, and that all men, American, British, or otherwise, deserved the chance to pursue fulfillment in their own lives. They were men and women who should be remembered, and their deeds put forth as examples by which to live.
But, we have been told throughout the course of United States history that we should "remember" the most significant events contemporary to America's development. And time and again, we forget.
"Remember the Alamo," they shouted in Texas, a cry that echoed to the hills of Tennessee, where the word "volunteers" came to mean a lot more than a football team.
"Remember the Maine," they cried in Cuba, when Teddy Roosevelt and a band of Rough Riders galluped up San Juan Hill on a little island that troubles us to this day.
"Remember Pearl Harbor," they emblazoned on their P-51 Mustangs, flying over the Pacific as they tangled with Zeros and other flying menaces, in order to put a final end to fascism and imperialism in their time.
"Never forget," we whispered as we watched two towers fall from sight on the New York skyline, as America came together for one day and held one another despite our differences.
Throughout our history, America has been built on memory and established on a foundation that we honor our forefathers and the founders of this nation by holding to their examples of sacrifice, dedication to a cause greater than ourselves, and the belief that we can provide a better future for those who will come after us.
This Independence Day, let's honor the sacrifice of our veterans, the pride and greatness of our nation, and the courage of our founding fathers, who 233 years ago today laid out a national path of freedom and prosperity. Let's do this by giving just a fraction of what they gave in dedication to our country and to the principles that they put forth - ones of service and sacrifice.
Let us pledge ourselves to the betterment of our country and of our communities with the same commitment they did to their Declaration of Independence: "with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."
Happy birthday, America. God bless you.

Franken Declared Victor by MN Supreme Court

2009-06-30T15:14:00.005-05:00

Breaking news from CNN and other news sources declares Al Franken (D-MN) the winner in the long-disputed Senate race. The contest had been challenged by incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, who narrowly lost his bid to the former SNL comedian Franken. CNN reports:

Former Sen. Norm Coleman gave up his challenge to the November election results Tuesday, clearing the way for satirist Al Franken to take the state’s remaining U.S. Senate seat.

From Wikipedia, a handy chart that details the 58 Democratic Senators now serving in Congress, along with the two independents, who caucus with the Democratic Party, giving the Party a *60* vote membership in Congress:

Alaska	Mark Begich
Arkansas	Blanche Lincoln
Arkansas	Mark Pryor
California	Barbara Boxer
California	Dianne Feinstein
Colorado	Michael Bennet
Colorado	Mark Udall
Connecticut	Christopher Dodd
Delaware	Thomas Carper
Delaware	Edward Kaufman
Florida	Bill Nelson
Hawaii	Daniel Akaka
Hawaii	Daniel Inouye
Illinois	Roland Burris
Illinois	Richard Durbin
Indiana	Evan Bayh
Iowa	Tom Harkin
Louisiana	Mary Landrieu
Maryland	Benjamin Cardin
Maryland	Barbara Mikulski
Massachusetts	Edward Kennedy
Massachusetts	John Kerry
Michigan	Carl Levin
Michigan	Debbie Stabenow
Missouri	Claire McCaskill
Montana	Max Baucus
Montana	Jon Tester
Nebraska	Ben Nelson
Nevada	Harry Reid
New Hampshire	Jeanne Shaheen
New Jersey	Frank Lautenberg
New Jersey	Robert Menendez
New Mexico	Jeff Bingaman
New Mexico	Tom Udall
New York	Kirsten Gillibrand
New York	Charles Schumer
North Carolina	Kay Hagan
North Dakota	Kent Conrad
North Dakota	Byron Dorgan
Ohio	Sherrod Brown
Oregon	Jeff Merkley
Oregon	Ron Wyden
Pennsylvania	Robert Casey, Jr.
Pennsylvania	Arlen Specter
Rhode Island	Jack Reed
Rhode Island	Sheldon Whitehouse
South Dakota	Tim Johnson
Vermont	Patrick Leahy
Virginia	Mark Warner
Virginia	Jim Webb
Washington	Maria Cantwell
Washington	Patty Murray
West Virginia	Robert Byrd
West Virginia	John Rockefeller IV
Wisconsin	Russell Feingold
Wisconsin	Herb Kohl
Minnesota	Amy Klobuchar
Minnesota	Al Franken

Connecticut	Joe Lieberman
Vermont	Bernard Sanders

YDA State Committee Meeting

2009-06-21T14:58:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was the first full statewide committee meeting of the Young Democrats of Arkansas, held at the Democratic Party of Arkansas Headquarters on Capital Avenue in Little Rock. YDA President Chris Burks, a 2L at the University of Arkansas School of Law, presided over the meeting, which covered a wide range of topics and initiatives that will be realized over the coming months. The other YDA officers include: Amanda Richardson (Vice President), Eric Bell (Secretary-Treasurer), Jonathan Spinks (National Committeeman), and Jamie Oliver (National Committeewoman). Bell and Chief of Staff David Mitchell are also students at UA Law.

Topics at the meeting ranged from upcoming work with allied organizations to building infrastructure within the statewide YD organization and chapter structure and reconstructing the YDA website. The two most substantive issues covered at the meeting were the upcoming Young Democrats of America convention to be held in Chicago from August 5-9. Any UAYD members interested in attending the YDA National Convention should email democrat@uark.edu or leave a comment on this post. The statewide YDA committee hopes to be able to cover costs outside of registration, but that will be dependent on the second major topic, the J-J After Dark fundraiser that follows the annual Jefferson-Jackson Banquet at Alltel Arena.

The J-J After Dark fundraiser will be held in July to raise money for attending the national convention, and to pay for as much of the transportation and room costs as possible. YDA is currently searching for young professionals and other Young Democrats to serve as members of the host committee, which requires a $100 donation, and earns a listing in the program and two tickets to the event (a $50 value). Anyone interested in becoming a member of the host committee can also email democrat@uark.edu.

There are a lot of exciting things coming down the road for UAYD and YDA, and I'm excited to be involved with both organizations right now. Over the coming weeks, hopefully we will see more in the development of the new YDA webpage, the introduction of "Chapter Challenge" fundraising opportunities, and greater inter-chapter collaboration and chapter-building.

As always, it's a great time to be a Young Democrat.

PS. I got to mention our plans for a September 19th tailgate at the first Razorback football game against Georgia, and make a mention of A Younger Shade of Blue and the UAYD Twitter.

UAYD Hits Twitter

2009-06-20T11:14:00.005-05:00

For just over two weeks now, the UA Young Democrats have had a presence on Twitter, the social networking website that allows users to post messages up to 140 characters and follow their friends' updates in real-time. The page for the UAYD Twitter feed is here.

Twitter is just one more communication tool that will allow the UAYD chapter to connect with UA students and chapter members, and let people know what's going on around campus. Stories posted on twitter will include chapter news and activities, political updates, and sometimes miscellaneous stories from around campus, or since it seems to be unavoidable for me, updates on the various Razorback sports teams.

Oh, and we're at 13 'followers' and counting, so help us out and join us on Twitter!

PS. Headed to a Statewide Young Democrats of Arkansas committee meeting at the DPA. Update tomorrow on happenings there.

Democrats in the Outfield!

2009-06-19T23:10:00.003-05:00

Tonight, the Young Democrats of Arkansas hosted a "Democrats in the Outfield" evening at Dickey-Stevens Park in North Little Rock to watch the hometown Arkansas Travelers take on the Tulsa Drillers. It was a social event, with YDA subsidizing the ticket price so I paid a mere $3 to get into the game (and the peanuts and beverage were on them, too). I don't really follow the Travelers any more now that we have the NWA Naturals in Rogers, but it was a spirited game and was 1-0 with Tulsa in the lead when I left in the 9th. UAYD Chris Burks, YDA President, organized the event and was there, along with fellow YDA officer Eric Bell, and about 30 other Young Democrats.

This event was held on the eve of the first Statewide YDA Committee meeting to be held tomorrow at 12:30 at the Democratic Party of Arkansas headquarters, where we will be discussing the Jefferson-Jackson dinner and J-J Afterdark banquet/fundraiser, along with plans for the upcoming year and attendance at the upcoming Young Democrats of America national convention in Chicago in August.

The sun setting over Dickey-Stevens Park as the Travs battled the Tulsa Drillers

Hogs Pick Up 2nd CWS Win (Updated)

2009-06-17T23:46:00.004-05:00

The Arkansas Razorbacks (right, graphic from ESPN.com) just wrapped up a stunning come-from-behind win to eliminate the Virginia Caveliers from the College World Series. After losing 9-1 to LSU on Monday, Razorbacks rallied on the potential knock-out pitch of the game to beat UVA 4-3 in a 12-inning marathon. Behind the clutch hitting of Brett Eibner and Andrew Darr and the relief talents of Dallas Keuchel, the Razorbacks eliminated the Cavs despite being behind 3-1 in the bottom of the 9th. Eibner hit a home run to tie it with two outs in the 9th, and Darr blasted a double down the third-base line to score the go-ahead run. This is the third time the Razorbacks have won multiple games at the CWS, and gives Coach Dave Van Horn his second CWS win. The Razorbacks will face a rematch against LSU on Friday, and must defeat the Tigers twice to advance.

Edit//

The Diamond Hogs were eliminated on Friday by LSU, losing 11-5 in a game determined primarily by a lack of pitching options for the Razorbacks. The 2-win, third-place tie in the CWS is the second-best finish for the UA in school history.

Leding Declares for District 92 House Seat

2009-06-13T11:56:00.002-05:00

At 10:00 this morning, Fayetteville resident Greg Leding (left) held a public announcement of his candidacy for the Arkansas House of Representatives to replace term-limited Rep. Lindsley Smith in District 92. Leding was introduced by Smith's husband and former State Representative and Clinton congressional campaign manager, Dr. Steve Smith, the faculty sponsor for the UA Young Democrats.

Leding introduced himself to the crowd as a progressive candidate for a progressive district, and stated that he intended to work hard to bring the issues of District 92, centered on Fayetteville, to the forefront of Arkansas legislative progress:

Arkansas must move forward, and I know we can work together in District 92 to help drive that change.

In his kick-off address, Leding addressed his primary concerns for Northwest Arkansas, and said that his three main focuses for the legislature would be education, the environment, and equality. He cited the great quality of education in Northwest Arkansas and said we need to continue to exceed expectations and be the leaders on education for the 21st century. He also cited protecting the environment and promoting civil equality for all people as issues that were important to him, specifically mentioning his support of state passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, an issue that was kicked to the curb in this last legislative session, and the DREAM Act and Initiated Act 1 as isues he would take a stance on for equality.

Leding cited his desire to be a representative delegate to the legislature, not just one voice speaking for thousands, but someone who listens to the concerns and hopes of his constuents and carries those forward to the legislature, as Rep. Smith has done these past six years. Leding said:

It will take all of us. We are all equal, and we all have a stake in the future of Arkansas.

This week, Leding and campaign advisor Mervin Jebaraj launched the official campaign website, as well as linking to Leding's presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace. The official release for the campaign lists Jebaraj as the media contact at mervin@gregleding.com or via phone at 479-790-2809.

PS. I got a picture with the newly-announced candidate after the speech was over (above).

WCDCC to host DPA Chairman Turner

2009-06-09T13:30:00.004-05:00

The Washington County Democratic Central Committee (WCDCC) will host Democratic Party of Arkansas Chairman Todd Turner of Arkadelphia at their monthly meeting on June 15. For this meeting, the WCDCC will meet at the new Homewood Suites at 1305 North Palak Drive in Fayetteville at 6:30pm, with social time beginning 30 minutes prior to the meeting. Democrats from all over Northwest Arkansas are invited, as attendance is not restricted to WCDCC members. WCDCC Chairman David Whitaker invites everyone to come, have some refreshments, enjoy social hour, and hear Chairman Turner speak. Any questions about the meeting can be directed to djwhitaker@swbell.net.

Capitol Flags Honor Fallen Soldier

2009-06-08T15:40:00.010-05:00

Taking my lunch break from the campaign office today, I noticed that the flags are lowered at the Capitol today in honor of Pvt. William Long, the soldier killed in an attack on the Army-Navy recruiting center here in Little Rock on June 1st. Pvt. Quinton I. Ezeagwula was also wounded in the shooting, committed by Abdulhakim Muhammad.

Pvt. Long's death is a terrible tragedy and a reminder that not all sacrifice by our soldiers happens overseas. He will be lain to rest at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery located in North Little Rock. At his funeral, his father read a letter that he was going to send with his son on his first deployment to South Korea. As reported by the AP, one excerpt read:

"Your day only ends when you've done your duty."

Just another reminder of how much we owe to our men and women in uniform. Thank you again for all you do. You continue to be an inspiration for us all.

Razorbacks Bound for OMAHA!

2009-06-06T15:54:00.003-05:00

You'll have to excuse another post unrelated to politics. The excitement is too much.

After a game-winning, two-RBI double in the bottom of the 9th, the Arkansas Razorback baseball team is bound for Omaha, NE for the College World Series. The late-inning heroics from Andrew Darr are only the latest in a series of clutch performances by the Razorbacks, who beat Washington State and Oklahoma (twice) to advance to the Tallahassee, FL super-regional, where they played in a best-of-three series with home team Florida State. Yesterday, they went from being down in a 2-1 battle to transform the game into a 5-2 statement. Today, they struggled from behind 5-1 to build a 5-run inning and add an insurance run for a 7-5 lead going into the 9th. But the Seminoles would strike back with three runs to head into the bottom of the inning. With two men on and two outs, Andrew Darr must have fed off of the collective energy of all those rally caps, swatting the pitch all the way to the fence and scoring both runners to end the game.

This is the sixth time the Hogs will have been to the College World Series, and the first time since 2004. Gameplay in Omaha starts a week from today.

You can read the UA Athletic Department story here.
//ESPN recap here.

UAYD on the Road - Part IV

2009-06-05T13:43:00.003-05:00

Made a stop during my lunch break from the Lt. Governor's campaign office today over at the annual Boys State visit to the Arkansas Capitol. Got a chance to catch up with former UA Associated Student Government President Carter Ford, who is a counselor at the camp this year. Seems like the experience has been a great one for him and for the hundreds of Arkansas high school juniors attending this year. He passed along the news that Governor Mike Beebe got them all fired up at his speech last night, and they called the Hogs at the end (who are consequently engaged in a tough NCAA super-regional battle with Florida State in Tallahassee as we speak). Altogether, it sounds like Boys State is proving to be a good experience all around, and will continue to be a source for future leaders of Arkansas.

Unrelated, found out that Greg Leding, the speaker from our end-of-year banquet and a candidate for Lindsley Smith's Arkansas House seat, will be having his kick-off event a week from tomorrow (June 13) at 10am on the Fayetteville Square at the farmers' market.

UAYD on the Road - Part III

2009-05-29T15:32:00.003-05:00

As predicted, starting an internship at the Lieutenant Governor's campaign office has cut into my ability to track state and local politics, but it doesn't mean I can't keep up with the Little Rock political scene. Ty Hicks (UAYD Secretary/Treasurer) and I took off after work yesterday and decided to check out District 34 Senate candidate Jay Barth's fundraiser. It was held at Vino's Brew Pub and pizzeria in downtown Little Rock, and was very well-attended. We were packed into the back room, which is used as the music venue for the restaurant with dozens of supporters, so even a year and a half away, there is excitement for upcoming 2010 races here in the Rock.

Sotomayor Nominated to Fill Souter Seat

2009-05-26T11:49:00.005-05:00

Known for quite some time to be on President Obama's short list for the Supreme Court, Second Circuit Appellate Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor was nominated this morning to fill the pending vacancy caused by Justice David Souter's retirement. Souter will bring a lifetime of achievement and a broad judicial background on the bench to the court, and will be the first Hispanic and only the third woman nominated to the high court. President Obama described Judge Sotomayor as “an inspiring woman who I am confident will make a great justice.” He went on to say that she would bring more judicial experience to her nomination process than any nominee/Justice currently on the Supreme Court had when nominated. (Huffington Post goes into greater detail on the nomination announcement.)

Despite her humble beginnings in a poor Puerto Rican family living in the South Bronx, Judge Sotomayor rose up to attend Princeton University and Yale Law School. She was gracious in her acceptance of the nomination, passing on credit to her family and mother, in particular. According to the New York Times:

“I stand on the shoulders of countless people,” she said. But towering above all, she said, is her mother, who raised her alone after her father died. “I am all I am because of her,” Judge Sotomayor said, “and I am only half the woman she is.”

Despite Democrats holding nearly 60 seats in the Senate, an almost unbeatable confirmation number, it is expected that a strong partisan fight will be put up by Senate Republicans against Judge Sotomayor's nomination. It does however, as the Washington Post reports, indicate that President Obama is willing to spend some political capital, and believes that he is in a strong position to make a bold nomination, that would be a liberal voice on the Court for years to come.

Note: For those of you wishing to read/see through the smokescreen and spin that are going to come in the next few days/weeks/months of nomination proceedings, please know that the main line of attack on Judge Sotomayor is going to be of the "activist judge" variety, due to a statement she made in 2005 in which she said "the court of appeals is where policy is made." It is of the utmost importance that the context of the quote be recognized, since she wasn't uttering an opinion that got picked up on some secret microphone and she wasn't issuing a statement of her judicial outlook. The words that immediately followed that sentence were: "And I know this is on tape and I should never say that because we don't make law. I know. Okay, I know. I'm not promoting it. I'm not advocating it. I know." Her statement was simply a fact, something that she doesn't agree with or advocate, but something that, when it comes down to it, it is simply accepted that judicial discretion often directs policy as a matter of precedent. End of story.

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T12:39:00.004-05:00

On this Memorial Day, "A Younger Shade of Blue" would like to simply thank the veterans and families that have paid the ultimate sacrifice to preserve America's freedom. Across generations of Americans, millions have answered their nation's call and donned the uniforms of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard to protect her borders and defend her liberty. There is no amount of gratitude that can be expressed that would convey sufficiently our deep appreciation for the service and dedication of America's veterans.

But President Obama reminded us this weekend that we have a solemn duty to care for and protect the lives of our veterans when they return to us:

"We have a responsibility to serve all of them as well as they serve all of us," Obama said. "And yet, all too often in recent years and decades, we, as a nation, have failed to live up to that responsibility. We have failed to give them the support they need or pay them the respect they deserve. That is a betrayal of the sacred trust that America has with all who wear and all who have worn the proud uniform of our country."

It is on all of us, as citizens and beneficiaries of the protection that American soldiers have provided, with their own blood, to honor their sacrifice and serve them as well as they have served us.

To America's fighting men and women, and those who have fallen to protect this great country, thank you, and we will never forget you.

UAYD on the Road - Part II (Updated)

2009-05-23T15:19:00.007-05:00

"A Younger Shade of Blue" made a stop at the opening night of Riverfest 2009 in Little Rock last night. For the first time, the Clinton Presidential Center was one of the venues for the cross-river festival that spans both Little Rock and North Little Rock. The Bud Light Stage is located in and around the parking lot for the presidential library, and was the site of the main opening concert, featuring Willie Nelson. The Clinton Center site will feature the focus concerts of the festival, garnering not only Willie Nelson, but also Heart (today) and Three Doors Down (Sunday).

Despite the heat, the location was packed with thousands of Riverfesters out to enjoy the cool breeze off the river and dozens of old outlaw favorites, from "Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain" to "On the Road Again" and "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground." As part of the celebration, the Clinton Library is offering half-price admission today and tomorrow. Hinder, Heart, James Otto, and Jason Aldean are some of the artists on tap for today, and we may see about a stop at the Presidential Library.

Update://

With luck, I was able to park right on Markham for today's festivities, which were slightly marred by rainshowers that started at about 8:30. That didn't keep James Otto off the Miller Lite Stage though, and he performed several numbers that got the crowd on its feet, including Bob Seger's "Night Moves," "You Should've Seen it in Color," a song he co-wrote with Jamey Johnson, and his own #1 hit, "Just Got Started Lovin' You." The amphitheater on the Little Rock side was jumping up and down during his whole performance.

With the rain and the crowd, though, I bailed out before Jason Aldean went on. I did, however get to see a pretty amazing nighttime view of the Capitol from Markham on my way out of town:

UAYD on the Road - Part I

2009-05-21T20:24:00.005-05:00

Well, "A Younger Shade of Blue" has begun its summer tour of central Arkansas, something that will probably prove to be prohibitive of covering Northwest Arkansas politics for a short time. Today, I went to my first Saline County Democrats meeting, which, like the Washington County committee, meets every month. Today, interestingly enough, they were having the folks from the AFL-CIO come talk about the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) and it was none other than Ayketa Iverson doing the presentation. Ayketa presented at the UAYD meeting in April about EFCA, and we worked with her to collect signatures in support of the legislation. Tonight, she reported that they had stepped up their pressure on Senator Blanche Lincoln and that they were still meeting pretty resolute resistance from her office.

UAYD Treasurer Ty Hicks was also present at the meeting, and we had the opportunity to meet State Representative Barbara Nix and Saline County Sheriff Bruce Pennington. As a personal note, the Chairman of the Saline County Central Committee is Carl Frank, one of my professors from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences & the Arts, my high school alma mater.

The Natural State's American Idol

2009-05-20T21:25:00.003-05:00

It's official!

In a red state - blue state showdown, Arkansan Kris Allen was named the newest American Idol, beating Adam Lambert, of San Diego, California. The Conway, AR native was chosen in a contest that saw almost 100,000,000 votes cast, with over 38,000,000 calls to American Idol lines being made from the state of Arkansas, as Little Rock affiliate FOX 16 reported in its 9:00pm broadcast. Allen was known throughout the season for his modest, humble demeanor and soulful vocals and frequent self-accompaniment on the acoustic guitar and piano.

Every Third Monday

2009-05-18T20:56:00.002-05:00

Tonight I attended the Washington County Democratic Central Committee (WCDCC) meeting, the monthly business meeing for the Democratic Party in our county. It's always a pleasure to visit with folks at this meeting, because they're good, down-home people working hard to keep Democratic politics alive in Northwest Arkansas. Folks like Larry DeLashmit, who fought in Vietnam and spent the past legislative session battling for Arkansas passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), to no avail. As I've heard Larry argue numerous times, if women can put on their country's uniform and go into harm's way for this country, then their Constitution should explicitly protect them.

Tonight was a pretty brief meeting, but it got a little heated when we started talking about the emergence of various candidates for the 2010 elections. It seems like there are many more members of the WCDCC closer to elections, and the folks in the county would like to see them more often, BEFORE they come asking for campaign funds. Tonight, the committee passed a motion to restrict campaign funds to active members of the WCDCC, which has a wide range of representation from each precinct in Washington County.

It's very heartening as a young person to go to these meetings and hear different voices echoing our concern for the way politics have turned recently, with many members of our own party diverging from the core values of the Party and representing a new hybrid of Southern "Democrat in Name Only." To hear some of the most senior members of the county party call for a new sense of progressivism and energy in the way we run our government is thrilling, and I hope we can capitalize on this sentiment to send true progressives to Little Rock to represent this part of our state.

Also, it's great to see young/Young Democrats at the meeting, as we're always well-represented in this county. Tonight, I saw Chris Burks, Tim Freeman, Casey Willits, Mervin Jebaraj, and Greg Leding from the usual circle of UA-associated Young Dems.

Arkansas GOP Epidemic: Foot in Mouth Disease

2009-05-17T00:43:00.003-05:00

The story over the past two weeks seems to be how out of touch Arkansas Republicans are with mainstream Arkansas values and contemporary social progress in this country. A couple of major stumbles have highlighted the GOP's unwillingness to catch up with the American people, and granted solid empirical evidence for the FDR quote, "a conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned to walk forward."

Speaking at his first major venue as a candidate for U.S. Senate, State Sen. Kim Hendren (R-Springdale, above and right) got waylaid by the Pulaski County Republicans on a wide range of issues, mostly centering on taxes. The cigarette tax, the no tax pledge, and Hendren's stance on immigration reform all seemed to be problematic for the crowd, which tweeted and blogged away at the fledgling Senate candidate's expense. The Tolbert Report has a pretty good account of what went down with the Pulaski GOP meeting, but his frustration really hit the fan when he referred to U.S. Senator Charles Schumer as "that Jew" when referencing one of Schumer's statements on the federal government. The fallout hit the national press, including the Huff Post, Politico and many other national news sources, resulting in an apology and a very waffled apology.

Later, this week, the state chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas, Doyle Webb (above and left) warned GOP groups that "an openly gay woman" could lead the state Budget Committee if Democrats have their way, a reference to vice-chair of the committee, Rep. Kathy Webb (D-Little Rock), the first openly homosexual member of the Arkansas legislature. Chairman Webb continued his fearmongering by insinuating that in her position she could affect many parts of state government, even overturning Initiated Act 1 from the 2008 election cycle, banning unmarried couples from adopting.

In a country that has fought a civil war, endured a lengthy and ugly civil rights movement, and walked the long road of integration and reform, we still have folks like Hendren and Webb around who think that the American people can be so easily divided by hateful terms and language. Well, we've had enough of the division and the bitterness. We're fed up with and fired up by these things, and we'll continue to hand the GOP 2008-style losses for the future of electoral politics if these two jokers are the best they can come up with.

Same old prejudice, same old story.

Kris Allen (AR) Makes it to American Idol Final

2009-05-14T19:58:00.003-05:00

An aside from politics, if you'll permit me, but last night on American Idol, Arkansan Kris Allen of Conway advanced to the final elimination stage of the show, going head to head with Adam Lambert of San Diego, California next week on the show's season finale. A graduate of the University of Central Arkansas, Kris is married to UA graduate Katy (O'Connell) Allen, a former homecoming queen here in Fayetteville. CNN's calling his appearance"shock and awww"...

Regardless, I hope everyone will tune in and help support our fellow Arkansan!

ADH Confirms AR Swine Flue Cases

2009-05-08T15:14:00.003-05:00

The Arkansas Department of Health confirmed today that there are at least five known cases of H1N1 influenza, more commonly known as "swine flu" in the state. In a press release, the agency identified four cases of the illness in Pulaski County (all from active duty, out of state service members at Camp Robinson) and one case in a schoolchild in Lawrence County in northeast Arkansas. The release also noted the inevitability of confirmed cases in the state, stressing that H1N1 seems to be " relatively mild and treatable with antiviral medications, such as Tamiflu and Relenza."

The ADH also gives some tips from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) specifically for students and those in an educational environment (given, it is almost summer break for most students and teachers):

Students, faculty or staff with influenza-like illness (fever with a cough or sore throat) should stay home and not attend school or go into the community except to seek medical care for at least 7 days even if symptoms resolve sooner.
Students, faculty and staff who are still sick 7 days after they become ill should continue to stay home from school until symptom-free for at least 24 hours.
Students, faculty and staff who appear to have an influenza-like illness at arrival or become ill during the school day should be isolated promptly in a room separate from other students and sent home.
Parents and guardians should monitor their school-aged children, and faculty and staff should self-monitor every morning for symptoms of influenza-like illness.
Ill students should not attend alternative child care or congregate in other settings.
School administrators should communicate regularly with local public health officials to obtain guidance about reporting of influenza-like illnesses in the school.
Schools can help serve as a focus for educational activities aimed at promoting ways to reduce the spread of influenza, including hand hygiene and cough etiquette.
Students, faculty and staff should stringently follow sanitary measures to reduce the spread of influenza, including covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or coughing or sneezing into their sleeve if a tissue isn’t available), frequently washing hands with soap and water, or using hand sanitizer if hand washing with soap and water is not possible.

Just a heads up.

Leding Sets Sights on AR House Seat

2009-05-06T22:00:00.019-05:00

Last week he spoke at our banquet and today I sat down for an interview with Greg Leding, candidate for AR House District 92:

FAYETTEVILLE - With just under a year and a half until the 2010 mid-term elections, the race is already on in some Arkansas legislative districts. And Democrat Greg Leding is right in the middle of the action.

One of the seats up for grabs in 2010 is the District 92 seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives, a district situated almost exclusively on downtown Fayetteville, making the race to fill the seat of term-limited Rep. Lindsley Smith (D) all the more exciting.

Leding, 31, of Fayetteville, declared his candidacy for Smith's seat on Saturday, becoming the first candidate to officially do so. A longtime resident of Northwest Arkansas, Leding grew up in Springdale and attended the University of Arkansas, graduating in 2001 with a degree in marketing.

He currently works as an independent contractor for the Fayetteville Public Schools system, specializing in web design and online marketing. Leding is involved in outreach for "Project 21c" for the school system, which works on implementing curriculum changes and modernizing communication for the school district. His emphasis there has been communicating the message of bringing Fayetteville schools technologically up-to-date.

"It's very important to reach out and find new ways to communicate with students, faculty, and staff," said Leding, referring to his role as a contractor for the school district.

Leding has a history of involvement in state and local politics, volunteering in Bentonville with the Democratic Victory 2006 campaign during the previous election cycle, and serving as the campaign manager for Walt Eilers's run for Fayetteville mayor in 2008. Before being promoted to campaign manager, he had served as Eilers's communications director.

Looking toward the 2010 election cycle, he began seeking out progressive candidates to support for office, and was eventually approached by a friend about running for the House.

"I was searching for candidates to support in the 2010 elections, when someone asked me if I had given any thought to running, and here I am," Leding said with a smile during an interview.

Leding had been involved with Democratic politics before being approached to run, in addition to his involvement with the Victory 2006 campaign. He frequently attends meetings of the Washington County Democratic Central Committee, and has contributed to the development of the WCDCC website.

In an exclusive interview with A Younger Shade of Blue, Leding put the economy, ecology, and education at the forefront of the issues he will take up if elected.

Under the current economic outlook, Leding considers the Fayetteville economy one of his most important concerns. He also said that a major consideration during his term in the House will be how to pursue economic growth.

During the interview, Leding remarked "Although Northwest Arkansas has been largely insulated from the economic crisis, we have not gone unscathed. We have to try to balance, to preserve our sense of community while expanding our economic growth."

Leding also brought up education in the interview, citing an increase in dropouts and falling test scores and grades in Northwest Arkansas as concerns that he has for improving education within the district.

"We are fortunate to have the educational system that we do and to have some of the best schools, but we have to find new ways to engage the students," Leding said.

He also stated the need to look at resources for parents home-schooling their children, and to investigate the implementation of merit pay for public school teachers. "Education is probably the most important thing to me. I'm better off because of the education I've received," said Leding.

He also cited Smith's efforts to adopt the Equal Rights Amendment on a statewide level, saying that equal rights were a big concern of his. Leding also mentioned the consideration of Senator Joyce Elliott's "DREAM Act" legislation during the recently-ended legislative term.

"I don't know why people would have any problem with someone who graduated from an Arkansas High school going to college," he said, referencing Elliott's effort to obtain in-state tuition rates for undocumented students.

District 92 contains the entirety of the core University of Arkansas campus, making this race of particular interest to UA students and college-age voters. When asked about the influence of young voters on the 2008 campaign, Leding expressed optimism about the energy that the election of President Barack Obama brought to the electoral process.

Commenting on the effect of youth on the election, he said, "President Obama not only brought [young people] out to vote, but he got them engaged in the process. Although this is a midterm election, I have hope that the momentum will continue."

Although Leding thinks he will appeal to a wide range of voters, he sees promise in the political outlook of the younger generation, particularly with regard to their importance on education and equal rights. He said, "Young voters don't have the same hang-ups that the older generation do. I think we're getting close to a tipping point there."

For more information on Greg Leding, voters can find him on Facebook and Twitter or visit GregLeding.com, currently under development.

Talk Business Releases "Top 10 Legislators" List

2009-05-06T18:24:00.006-05:00

Talk Business Quarterly, which runs the Political Buzz legislative and political blog, just released their "Top 10 Legislators" list of Arkansas representatives and senators. On the list this year are State Representatives Dawn Creekmore, Rick Green, Steve Harrelson, Bruce Maloch, Rick Saunders, and Robbie Wills; and State Senators Gil Baker, Shane Broadway, Joyce Elliott, and Bob Johnson. Reps. Harrelson and Maloch have found mention in this blog before (here and here, respectively) and Sen. Elliott drew attention at the University of Arkansas for trying to pass legislation to guarantee undocumented students in-state tuition rates (which prompted the creation of the Arkansas Youth Thinking Ahead group, led by former UA ASG President Nate Looney).

A great article, certainly worth the read.

Panama Elects UA Graduate Martinelli as President

2009-05-04T23:15:00.005-05:00

Ricardo Martinelli (far right) campaigns in Panama for President

Just saw this news item over on PoliticalBuzz, relaying the results of the Panamanian election held yesterday, which put Robert Martinelli as the victor. Martinelli attended the University of Arkansas, graduating with a business degree. He gained fame in Panama as a talented businessman and is the chairman of the Súper 99 supermarket chain, the largest in the country. Running as the candidate for the Democratic Change party, he is predicted to have gotten over 60% of the vote. For Spanish speakers out there, Martinelli's campaign site is located here.

'08-'09 Slideshow

2009-05-03T20:53:00.004-05:00

Here's the slideshow that I meant to play at the end-of-year banquet, but didn't have finalized in time, nor did Jose's have the equipment to display it. The pictures start back in the Democratic primary months of January/February and proceed all the way through the past few weeks. Looking back on a long, great year makes me a little-teary eyed, but it was a succesful journey, and I'm glad we took it together!

-Will

UAYD Banquet Puts District 92 in the Spotlight

2009-05-02T02:50:00.015-05:00

We held the annual end-of-year banquet for Young Democrats Thursday night at Jose’s Tex-Mex restaurant on Dickson last night. We had about 35-40 YD attendees and our guest speakers, Rep. Lindsley Smith (left, closest) from our hometown House District 92, and Greg Leding, candidate to replace her when she is term-limited out in 2010.

Rep. Smith spoke to the challenges of serving in office, and the changes that the legislature has undergone since her husband, Dr. Steve Smith (left, seated), also a professor at the University, served in the same body. She also brought up the challenges that were faced in the recently-ended legislative session, and the adversity that is still ahead, in particular with passing the Equal Rights Amendment in the Arkansas legislature, an issue she took up with Senator Sue Madison during this session.

Greg Leding, an unofficial candidate for House District 92 in 2010, spoke about growing up in Northwest Arkansas and the main points that he wants to address as an Arkansas legislator, among those education and the environment. With another unofficial candidacy from veteran politician Bill Ramsey, former President of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and member of the Arkansas House from Prairie Grove, our little bundle of liberalism that is Fayetteville proper is certainly in for an interesting race in 2010.

I ad-libbed a little based on what our speakers said, but here's the text of the closing remarks that I made:

Thank you again to everyone for being here and helping us close out this amazing year.

Let's thank our speakers one more time for being with us this evening.

And it has been a good year, hasn't it? Looking back, we've had some amazing successes during the course of not only the election cycle, but also on a personal and chapter level as well. This year we saw unprecedented involvement in the Young Democrats, grew our membership, and continued the tradition of being the best college chapter of Young Democrats in the state. We also registered hundreds of voters, knocked on tons of doors, made more phone calls than we care to remember, and even pushed our neighbors to the north a little closer to the blue side. Along the way, though, we also worked our butts off in student government, got into law schools, were already in law school, started master's programs, worked for the future President of the United States, and ran our daily lives as students and members of our community. As you can tell from some of our missing former officers from last semester, some of us even studied abroad during the year. And then again, some of us didn't study much at all.

But when it's all said and done, there is no doubt in my mind that we have left this campus a greater place than when we started in the fall. By bringing a true progressive voice to the U of A, we showed through our work and our effort that there are always pockets of hope, no matter how red the state. It speaks volumes that our chapter, in collaboration with the dedicated students from the Students for Barack Obama chapter, contributed three staff members to the national campaign, and even more that our chapter was tapped to invade Missouri and give them a run for their money that lasted weeks after the final vote was cast on November 4^th. I could go on and on about our accomplishments, but I'll suffice it to say that I have never met a group of people more dedicated and committed to brining progressive values to state with such adversity.

It is my hope as President that we can carry this spirit forward and harness the energy of our victories in November to continue the proud tradition of Young Democrats, even into this off-year. We are going to have exciting events, useful programming, and engaging speakers to keep our student body mobilized, but I know that we can't do this without the commitment of people like you. For those of you that are leaving, thank you for your work, and know that I will never forget it. But for those of you that will be here next year, know this: we are going to work just as hard during the coming year as we did during the election year to let the folks on the other side of the aisle know that we don't just get loud when there's a November about to roll around. We are going to challenge them every week, because we are going to be the party on campus that impacts the community the greatest, affects positive change in our local, state, and national politics, and has the most fun doing it.
Now, I don't know in what form College Republicans exists on our campus, nor do I care to expound on the many differences that we have in our approach. The fact of the matter is, as many of you know, I'm only two election cycles separated from the other side. I will never be able to claim the mantra of being a life-long Democrat, or being born with a donkey-shaped birth mark or anything like that. But the fact of the matter is that I am proud of what we stand for as Democrats, and proud of what we are doing in our community. I guess what I'm saying is, take away the politics, and we are still going to be doing the most good for our university, for our city, for our state and for our country. As President Obama said in his inauguration speech, “It took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.” I hope you will join me, wherever you may be next year, in doing our part to honor that blood, sweat, and tears by continuing our service and our dedication as Young Democrats.

Justice Souter to Retire from Supreme Court

2009-05-01T10:31:00.007-05:00

CNN and other news sources are reporting that Justice David Souter of the United States Supreme Court, is stepping down from his position. CNN's Bill Mears writes:

In reality, Souter was in many ways a typical, old-fashioned Yankee Republican -- a moderate with an independent, even quirky streak.

Barely in the shadow of his first 100 days in office, President Obama will now be faced with the enormous burden and tremendous responsibility of filling a seat on the highest court in the land.

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Title correction

NWA Political Animals Bring State Legislators

2009-04-30T11:32:00.009-05:00

This morning I attended the Northwest Arkansas Political Animals club's monthly meeting at the Clarion Inn in Fayetteville. The NWAPAC is the brainchild of UA Vice Chancellor for Government and Community Relations, Richard Hudson. The guest speakers were state Senator Gilbert Baker (R-Conway) and Representative Bruce Maloch (D-Magnolia), co-chairs of the Joint Budget Committee. They addressed many of the budgetary issues that the legislature faced in the session that comes to a close tomorrow, and the position in which Arkansas finds itself during the current economic climate. The meeting was a great experience, and one that I highly recommend for anyone interested in Arkansas politics. The next meeting of the NWA Political Animals will take place on Tuesday, May 26th at 7:00pm, again at the Clarion. The featured speaker for the May meeting will be Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter, who will address the implementation of the scholarship lottery.

Rally 'round the Union Cut Short, but Successful

2009-04-29T15:00:00.007-05:00

We held the "Rally 'round the Union" table outside of the Arkansas Union today despite the clouds overhead and the rumble of thunder in the distance threatening to open up on us. A lot of people stopped by to ask about the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) and sign our petition, and by about 1:30, when we had to pack up because of rain, we had over 70 new signatures on the petition. Not bad for a couple hours of canvassing on an ugly day. We will be adding signatures during the course of the next week, but right now, everything but finals gets put off for a few days.

Here's a couple pics from the day:

UAYD members working the EFCA table; from left: Tori Adams, Melissa Tuttle, Stephen Duke, Chris Burks, Ty Hicks and John Davis

UAYD members John Samuelson, Jeremiah Wax, Stephen Duke look on as Jody Bland signs the EFCA petition, calling on Senators Lincoln and Pryor to support the legislation.

UAYD Well-Represented at ASG Banquet

2009-04-28T21:59:00.008-05:00

Our chapter was definitely out in force tonight at the end-of-year banquet for Associated Student Government, the final event for the premier student governing body on campus and a night to recognize the contributions of student leaders that have impacted our university during the course of the year.

I wrangled up the members that I could find for a picture after the banquet, seen at left.

From left: former ASG President Nate Looney, ASG Secretary Emily Burrow, ASG Senator and UAYD President Will Watson, ASG Senator and former UAYD VP of Diversity Melissa Tuttle, ASG Liaison to Legislative Affairs and former UAYD President Tori Adams, and ASG Vice President Jong Shin.

ASG is a great way to get involved on campus, and the only organization that represents students from every college in the shared goverance process. It is crucial that we get progressive-thinking, active Democrats in student government, so if you're interested in getting involved with the organization, please visit the ASG website or email us at democrat@uark.edu to get more information about opportunities in ASG.

Breaking News : Arlen Specter Switches to Democratic Party!

2009-04-28T11:43:00.006-05:00

CNN and the Huffington Post have confirmed that Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) is switching to the Democratic Party, despite having served almost 30 years as a Republican and having the 5th-most seniority among Republicans in the Senate. This could give us a 60-vote, fillibuster-proof majority in the Senate on many procedural votes, and is an electrifying move that only reaffirms the bipartisan power of the President and Congressional leadership's agenda. Senator Specter has been well-respected as a moderate voice on the Republican side of the aisle, and a strong bipartisan actor in the legislature, and will bring three decades of Senate experience representing the proud, BLUE state of Pennsylvania.

Welcome to the blue side of life, Senator Specter (D-PA)!

In the Spirit of Blogging

2009-04-28T11:31:00.008-05:00

Our blog has been live now for one week, and it's gone through some changes during the course of its short life, but hopefully we've reached at least a semi-final design. Check out the links on the right side of the page for some pretty sweet Arkansas politics blogs and other links to Democratic Party and State of Arkansas resources. Although there's a handful of blogs dealing exclusively with Arkansas politics, one stands out in particular.

Screen shot from UnderTheDome.com

I've followed Arkansas House Majority Leader Steve Harrelson's (D-Texarkana) blog Under the Dome for some time, and there is simply no parallel for coverage of what goes on during the legislative session. Updated constantly during the day, UnderTheDome provides the results of votes, stories about the introduction of new legislation, and a generally well-detailed accounting of the business of the State on a daily basis. For anyone considering a life in politics, Rep. Harrelson also provides an amazing insight into what the life of a politician is like, detailing not only his daily schedule when related to the legislature, but also the meetings and conferences that he travels the country for, not to mention his preferred form of recreation, running marathons.

Oh, and by the way, after I told Rep. Harrelson about our blog, he added it to his “Arkansas Blogroll,” much to our appreciation. :-)

Blogging has changed the landscape of information and journalism in this country, as evidenced by the growing prevalence of sites like FiveThirtyEight and The Huffington Post. Now, anyone with an internet uplink can be an on-the-scene reporter or editorial writer, to say nothing of publications like ours, which has informing and promoting as its main purpose.

We hope you'll check back often to see what the UAYDs are up to.

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Don't forget to join us outside the Arkansas Union, rain or shine, tomorrow for our “Rally 'round the Union” event in support of the Employee Free Choice Act from 11am to 2pm. We will be collecting signatures for the AFL-CIO urging the Arkansas delegation to get on board with EFCA and passing out information related to the President's 2010 budget.

Office Space and Education

2009-04-26T15:23:00.014-05:00

Good news on the RSO front: Young Dems was allocated office space in the Arkansas Union for the next academic year! This means that we will have a workspace to use to organize our Democratic takeover of the campus next year. The office will be on the sixth floor of the Union and will be past the Center for Leadership and Campus Engagement.

In political news, President Obama made remarks on Friday that reinforced the message I delivered at the chapter meeting on Tuesday about the upcoming national budget, and its importance on higher education. A transcript of the remarks can be found on the Washington Post's website, but the important thing is that the President is making college affordability a priority, even in these dire economic straits:

"We're going to eliminate waste, reduce inefficiency, and cut what we don't need to pay for what we do, and that includes reforming our student loan system so that it better serves the people it's supposed to serve: our students."

The President's budget would make bold and drastic changes to higher education and college affordablity in five ways:

Enacting direct student loans by eliminating the private lending subsidies under the Federal Family Education Loan Program
Reforming the Pell Grant and its funding through redirecting money saved from lender subsidies to expand the coverage of Pell Grants by over $800 and make the loan a mandatory spending program that increases with the Consumer Price Index (+ 1%)
Modernizing the Perkins Loan system to standardize campus access
Make the $2500 American Opportunity Tax Credit permanent, keeping up to 40% of college tuition refundable to taxpayers
Institute an Access and Completion Incentive Fund to research and implement measures to keep high-risk students in school

Altogether, the President has presented a comprehensive plan to begin bolstering educational access in America, and the Young Democrats at this chapter are looking forward to working hard to make sure it's included in the 2010-2011 budget.

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How cool is our President?

New Officers and Rally 'round the Union

2009-04-24T14:54:00.011-05:00

Here's a copy of the press release I'm sending to The Arkansas Traveler campus newspaper today:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Young Democrats Elect New Officers, Begin Planning for 2009-2010

FAYETTEVILLE, APRIL 23, 2009 — The University of Arkansas chapter of the Young Democrats held their final chapter business meeting on Tuesday, April 21 with over 30 students in attendance. This was the first meeting led by newly-elected UAYD President Will Watson, a senior majoring in International Relations and Political Science. Watson was elected, along with the other YD officers, during the March 24^th chapter meeting and officially assumed the duties of the office on April 22.

“I am excited to be a part of this organization, and even more excited to expand our outreach and efforts on campus to reach more students,” Watson said. “We have assembled a great team of leaders to carry Young Democrats into the coming year, and I know we are all ready to help promote progressive activism on this campus,” he continued.

The other Young Democrat officers for the 2009-2010 academic term are: Ty Hicks, Secretary/Treasurer; Stephen Duke, Vice President for Special Events; Gavin McCollum, Vice President for Communication; Alia Biller, Vice President for Membership and Outreach; and Michelle Murphy, Vice President for Community Service.

During their April 21^st meeting, the registered student organization (RSO) hosted a speaker from the AFL-CIO, organizer Ayketa Iverson, who addressed the pending Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), a piece of national legislation that would enable workers to more easily unionize by simply presenting union membership cards from a majority of workplace employees.

UA Young Democrat member Fernando Garcia, an advocate at the Northwest Arkansas Workers' Justice Center, said: “The best protection that workers in the right-to-work South have is to form a labor union and have a contract. The Employee Free Choice Act will allow workers to better protect their rights by letting the workers, not the employers, decide if there will be a union.”

In response to the requests of the organized labor community and the pending vote on the EFCA, the UA Young Democrats will be hosting a “Rally 'round the Union” table outside of the Arkansas Union on Wednesday, April 29^th from 11am to 2pm. UAYD will be passing out literature and information related to EFCA and labor relations, and collecting signatures for a petition to send to Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln, asking for their support for the legislation.

Any questions concerning UAYD or the EFCA “Rally 'round the Union” table can be directed to democrat@uark.edu.

In other news, the EFCA event is up and running on Facebook, and over 20 people are signed up to come help out already. It should be a fun event with a good turnout. I'm praying that the weather holds up, as there are some scattered t-storms coming in around Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. Altogether though, we expect to collect a few hundred signatures and do our part to get Senators Lincoln and Pryor on board with the EFCA.

Bold and Blue Beginnings...

2009-04-21T23:49:00.003-05:00

Friends and countrymen,

Welcome to the first post for the University of Arkansas Young Democrats chapter blog!

I am hoping that this blog will serve as a communication tool so that you can track the happenings of the UA Young Dems, we can proudly boast our chapters' accomplishments, and we can have a record of the initiatives, programs, and various undertakings that we get done during the 2009-2010 term.

The past week has been a busy one for the chapter, so I'll mostly be making the first post a photo update for recent history of the chapter.

On Friday, scores of Young Democrats from across the state convened at the Legacy Hotel near the capital building in Little Rock for the annual Young Democrats of Arkansas state convention. Three members of the UA-Fayetteville community were running for statewide office. Chris Burks and Robbie Jones, of the UA School of Law were running head-to-head for President, while UA-Law student Eric Bell was challenging the office of Secretary/Treasurer. After a tough campaign, and some intense wrangling in the Credentials Committee, both Chris Burks and Eric Bell were elected to serve as officers for YDA, so Fayetteville has two distinguished representatives on the statewide executive board.

Dreary weather clouded the sky for the election on Saturday, April 18 for the YDA elections

Congressman Vic Snyder (D-AR2) speaks to the crowd at the YDA cookout before elections

Also, amidst a blaze of classes and preparation for the chapter meeting, I blitzed over to the new Marriot by the Olive Garden in Fayetteville to attend the monthly business meeting of the Washington County Democratic Central Committee (henceforth in all blog posts WCDCC), chaired by David Whitaker. They were having a presentation by Alan Hughes, leader of the Arkansas AFL-CIO and passed a resolution endorsing the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) and calling on Arkansas's legislators to get on board with it. I was recognized by Chairman Whitaker as the new UAYD President, so I'm glad I showed up.

Arkansas AFL-CIO President Alan Hughes presents at the WCDCC meeting, with many UAYDs in attendance

This week marked the first official meeting for me as the President of our chapter, so I got to work with Secretary/Treasurer Ty Hicks and chapter member Melissa Tuttle on Monday night to chalk the sidewalks around the Arkansas Union to publicize our meeting, which seemed to be successful since I saw a few faces in the crowd at our meeting that I didn't recognize.

My artistic skills lacking, I drew the donkey nonetheless

Speaking of the chapter meeting, it was a great success, with over 30 students showing up to hear our guest speakers, Ayketa and Fred, organizers from the AFL-CIO who came to talk about the importance of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) on Arkansas's congressional delegation, and the crucial role that Arkansas plays in its passage. We are organizing a table outside of the Arkansas Union for next Wednesday, April 29th from 11am to 2pm if anyone is interested in helping out. We're riding nine deep at one point in the day for volunteers, so it should be a fun, social outreach effort on behalf of organized labor and workers' rights.

Ayketa from AFL-CIO speaks about the EFCA with the UAYDs

Newly-elected YDA President Chris Burks addresses UAYDs

Ayketa from AFL-CIO speaks with YD Casey Willits

UAYD members Jacob Holloway and Fernando Garcia discuss EFCA with Fred from AFL-CIO

At the meeting, I also quickly synopsized the President's budget with regard to higher education, something I will be going over in greater detail in future blog posts, as well as giving a brief outline of my platform for next year's chapter organization, which I'll cover in greater detail at some point as well.

This has been a busy week, so I'll sign off here, but I'm pumped and ready to help paint this campus blue! I hope you'll join us.

-Will Watson, President, UA Young Democrats