By Rob Moritz
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — Sen. Blanche Lincoln and other congressional Democrats in Arkansas will have difficulty getting re-elected next year because they will have a hard time separating themselves from the national Democratic agenda, political strategist Dick Morris said today.
Morris, a former political adviser to both Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican Mike Huckabee, said the agenda of the leaders of Congress’ Democratic majority on key issues from health care reform to amnesty for illegal immigrants could push moderate Democrats in Arkansas into the Republican fold next year.
“Until now, voters could fool themselves and tell themselves that (they can vote) for Democrats locally and Republicans nationally,” Morris told the Arkansas News Bureau. “Now people are learning that if you’re a Democrat it’s an automatic vote for a certain position and you can’t ever change that, and I think that’s creating a sense that is really imperiling to the so- called moderate Democrat.”
Spokeswomen for Lincoln and the state Democratic Party dismissed Morris’ comments.
Morris, a political analyst for Fox News Channel, was interviewed following his appearance at a rally at the state Capitol against health care reform.
During his speech to more than 200 people, Morris took jabs at Lincoln for what he described as her liberal votes and ties to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Obama, whose mention drew boos from the crowd.
Morris told the crowd Lincoln is in political trouble over the health care issue, citing a recent poll showing the two-term Democratic incumbent barely leading lesser-known would-be Republican challenger Gilbert Baker, a state senator and one of seven announced GOP U.S. Senate candidates.
He also mentioned a second poll that showed Lincoln would fall behind Baker if she votes for the Senate health care reform bill.
“I think Lincoln is in very serious trouble,” he said later in an interview, adding that the senator’s vote for health care reform “really could be her death knell.”
Lincoln campaign spokeswoman Katie Laning Niebaum said the senator is not paying attention to polls.
“Sen. Lincoln is focused on her work on behalf of Arkansans,” she said.
Morris suggested Republicans, which now hold just one of the state’s six congressional seats, could sweep Arkansas congressional elections in 2010. Only U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., is not up for re-election next year.
“Show the congressmen and senators that come from Arkansas that (you) don’t want this bill,” he told the crowd, warning the measure would lead to rationed health care.
Mariah Hatta, spokeswoman for the Democratic Party of Arkansas, said she expected Morris to “say outrageous, extremist things” about the health care plan before Congress.
“He’s trying to earn a living as a speaker-for-hire so he can pay down his $1.5 million tax lien,” she said, referring to a 2003 IRS tax lien against Morris because of $450,000 in back taxes and penalties he owes the state of Connecticut. “Big shots like him think they can get away without paying their taxes unlike the rest of us, but he got caught. Now, he’ll say anything he’s paid to.”
Morris was headliner of an anti-health care reform bus tour in the state sponsored by Patients First, a project of the Washington, D.C.-based Americans for Prosperity organization.
The tour was scheduled to make stops later Thursday in Conway and Hot Springs Village, and on Friday in Heber Springs, Batesville, Mountain View and Harrison.
