By David J. Sanders
With respect to Sen. Blanche Lincoln, who hasn’t enjoyed much — if any — good news lately, it’s time to give her some positive recognition.
After all, until now, her indecision — or nuanced position — related to how she’ll ultimatley vote on her party’s health-care legislation hasn’t helped anyone, save a few Republicans who are looking to challenge her next year and some of the television stations around the state running 30-second ads from national groups trying to pressure her to vote either for or against the bill.
That said, it appears that the senator’s hesitancy on health care will help several people come Saturday. She, of course, doesn’t deserve all the credit — there’s plenty to go around.
Some weeks ago, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann, the formerly witty ESPN sportscaster turned unfunny liberal cable news commentator, decided to make a political point by linking up with an organization called the National Association of Free Clinics, which as indicated by its name, is a nonprofit organization that travels the country setting up free health clinics to provide medical care for the uninsured.
His point, I guess, is that if Washington would pass a government-sponsored health care plan, then there would be no need for groups like NAFC, which has to rely on charitable contributions.
Those who watch him say Olbermann has trained his nightly barrage of contrived indignation on our senior senator. So to get the senator’s attention, Olbermann used his commentary to point out that Arkansans are in dire need of a national health-care solution. Then he issued a challenge : Help NAFC set up a free clinic in Mrs. Lincoln’s home state.
The challenge went unanswered, that is until Lt. Gov. Bill Halter decided help out. Halter, the state’s No. 2 Democrat, has demonstrated a particular penchant for getting things done. He is responsible for the initiative and the subsequent campaign that eventually led to the establishment of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.
Constitutionally speaking, being lieutenant governor is a part-time job and doesn’t require much, if any, entanglements of governing, unless, of course, the governor travels outside the state’s borders. So between his numerous speeches highlighting the benefits of the lottery, Halter directed his staff to help find a location for a free clinic.
Now it’d be malpractice if I didn’t mention the other political angle, which is glaringly obvious. Halter, like Lincoln, is up for re-election next year, and a few of us have speculated that instead of running for another term, he might decide to challenge Lincoln in a Democratic primary.
After all, the stacks of survey data show that more voters disapprove than approve of Lincoln. Not only does she not poll well with the general voting public, she hasn’t polled well with Democrats. She has drawn the ire of the state’s vocal contingent of liberals who readily complain that she always finds a way to sell out to the country’s powerful interests. Halter, no doubt, understands this. What better way to get those of us in this business to write about a noble project, thus drawing attention to his good name, than to highlight the political angle?
The clinic is scheduled for this Saturday at Little Rock’s State House Convention Center from noon to 7 p.m. According to Halter’s office, more than 1,000 health-care professionals have volunteered time and numerous hospitals and clinics have donated supplies. So far, hundreds of men, women, and children have pre-registered for the free medical care.
It just proves — at least in this case — that Lincoln’s indecisiveness, coupled with Olbermann’s assiduous blathering, and Halter’s ability to recognize a good opportunity when he sees one can result in good things happening.
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David J. Sanders writes twice weekly for the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock and is the host of Arkansas Education Television Network’s “Unconventional Wisdom.” His e-mail address is DavidJSanders@aol.com.
