Monthly Archives: February 2022

Senators Joe Manchin and Lisa Murkowski crossed party lines to endorse each other's campaigns during a joint appearance Sunday morning on CNN's State of the Union.

Manchin, who is a West Virginia Democrat, and Murkowski, who is an Alaska Republican, are among their parties most centrist members and have crossed party lines on votes before. In an increasingly polarized country, their endorsements offer a rare moment of bipartisanship.

"Alaska could only be so lucky to have her continue to serve them," Manchin said. "It's hypocritical to basically work with a person day-in and day-out, and then when they're in cycle, you're supposed to be against them because they have an R or D by their name."

Murkowski said that senators crossing party lines to endorse their colleagues used to be more common than it is now, adding that she would endorse Manchin if he chooses to run again in 2024.

Despite their bipartisan credentials, both could face a challenging path to reelection.

Murkowski is up for reelection this year. A rare critic of former President Donald Trump among the GOP who voted to impeach him, she has faced criticism from Trump-aligned Republicans in her home state.

The Alaskan senator will run in the nonpartisan primary, where the four candidates who receive the most amount of votes will advance and run in the general election, which uses ranked-choice voting.

Trump endorsed her primary challenger, Kelly Tshibaka, and called Murkowski "bad for Alaska." The former president praised Tshibaka as a "fighter who stands for Alaska values and America First. She is MAGA all the way, pro-energy, strong on the Border, tough on Crime and totally supports our Military and our great Vets. Kelly is a powerful supporter of the Second Amendment and JOBS!"

Polling on the race has been mixed. An August poll from Alaska Survey Research found Murkowski with a 9-point lead in the general election. But a poll from Change Research in June found Tshibaka leading Murkowski by about 20 points, with Democrat Al Gross winning 25 percent of the vote.

Manchin, on the other hand, will be up for reelection in 2024 after narrowly winning in 2018. West Virginia's strong GOP lean and high turnout in a presidential election year could complicate his path to victorythough he has sought to separate himself from the party's more liberal wing.

He could also face a primary opponent, as progressive Democrats including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren indicated potential support for primary challengers.

Some on Twitter also pointed out that CNN mistakenly labeled Manchin a Republican during Sunday's interview.

Newsweek reached out to both senators' offices for comment Sunday afternoon, but did not hear back by publication. This story will be updated with any response.

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Manchin and Murkowski Cross Party Lines to Endorse Each Other - Newsweek

The latest wave of campaign announcements for the Arkansas Legislature sets up Republican primaries across the state and includes a GOP challenge to a Little Rock incumbent.

All 100 House districts and 35 Senate districts were redrawn during the state's redistricting process last year, and all seats are up for reelection in November.

The filing period begins Feb. 22 and ends March 1. The primary election is May 24, and the general election is set for Nov. 8.

LITTLE ROCK

In Little Rock, Republican Jon Wickliffe on Jan. 31 announced a challenge to Democratic Rep. Andrew Collins.

The seat, House District 73, stretches from the Riverdale neighborhood to west Little Rock.

Wickliffe, who is responsible for business development in Arkansas for a health plan company, said in his announcement that his bid for the seat isn't about partisan politics, but about effectively representing all residents of the district.

"We need an advocate for the entire district, someone who is willing to listen and put in the work to ensure that each and every voice is heard," he said.

Collins, who has served in the House since 2019, has announced that he will seek reelection.

"I want to continue to fight for Arkansas families and help build a Legislature worthy of our people," he said in a Facebook post in August.

Democrat Grant Smith has announced a bid for House District 77, which covers parts of west central and southwest Little Rock.

The incumbent, Rep. Fred Allen, D-Little Rock, has said he is considering a run for state Senate. Reached by phone Friday, Allen said he would announce what his plans are next week.

On his website, Smith said he is running "to amplify the voices of our beautifully diverse district."

Smith said he supports Medicare for all, improving educational opportunities, decriminalizing marijuana, raising the minimum wage, making it easier for people to vote and LGBTQ+ rights.

Another Democrat, Little Rock NAACP branch President Dianne Curry, said she is considering running in House District 77. Curry unsuccessfully challenged Republican U.S. Rep. French Hill for Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District seat in 2016.

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

At least two Republicans are planning to run in the district covering the northeast corner of the state, a seat that will be vacated by Rep. Joe Jett, R-Success.

Jett, who has served in the House since 2013, announced last month that he would not seek reelection in House District 1 this year.

The district includes Clay County and parts of Randolph and Greene counties.

Jeremy Wooldridge, the CEO of Crowley's Ridge Development Council and a member of the Greene County Quorum Court, said in a Jan. 27 news release that he is running for the seat on a conservative platform that includes fiscal responsibility, opposing abortion, defending small businesses, protecting the Second Amendment and supporting workforce and economic development for northeast Arkansas.

"It is imperative that we continue to protect our constitutional rights, support our school systems, and make wise financial decisions for our state," Wooldridge said.

Steve Dixon, the mayor of Marmaduke in Greene County, said in a statement Wednesday that he intends to run for House District 1 because he has a desire to serve the citizens of the district in a larger capacity than just the city.

Dixon described himself as a moderate conservative and said he believes in local control for city governments. He said he wants to see jobs continue to come to Arkansas, continuous highway improvements in the area, improvements to the area's ability to hire and quality teachers in public schools. He added that he opposes abortion and supports the Second Amendment.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

In Northwest Arkansas, Bentonville City Council Member Aubrey Patterson has announced that she will seek the Republican nomination in the newly created District 13.

The district includes neighborhoods in south Bentonville and west Rogers.

Patterson said she wants to be a "voice for the people of Northwest Arkansas to help ensure the family values and conservative principles of our community are represented in Little Rock."

Two other Bentonville Republicans have also declared their candidacy for the seat: attorney Greg Payne and Scott Richardson, director of technology for CEI Engineering Associates.

A second Republican has announced a bid for House District 25, which runs through rural areas of eastern Washington and Crawford counties and a portion of Franklin County, where the incumbent is not seeking reelection.

Rep. Bruce Coleman, R-Mountainburg, confirmed to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Jan. 24 that he would not seek reelection in the district.

Special-education teacher Chad Puryear announced Wednesday that he would run for the open seat. In a news release, he said he is a sixth-generation Arkansas farmer with conservative values and a desire to be a voice for the district.

"My life has deep roots in rural Arkansas, and I am passionate about the way of life our small communities offer. I believe that we can support rural development in Arkansas while preserving the quality of life these communities provide," Puryear said.

Businesswoman Jody Harris is also seeking the GOP's nomination for the seat.

In Fort Smith, attorney Kelly Procter Pierce announced Wednesday that she would run as a Republican in Senate District 27.

Rep. Justin Boyd, R-Fort Smith, is also running for the seat. The incumbent, Sen. Mat Pitsch, R-Fort Smith, is running for state treasurer.

In her announcement, Pierce said she wants to be "a voice for parents against out-of-control school boards, stand up against government overreach whether it's mask or vaccine mandates and protect our traditional values of life and liberty."

Pierce narrowly lost the Republican primary for a state House seat in Fort Smith in 2018.

See the legislative maps:

https://www.arkansasonline.com/1219arkmaps/

Note: Information for this article was drawn from news releases, news tips, local news sources and social media. Some candidates may not have come to the attention of this newspaper as of Friday. Previous lists of candidates were published in earlier editions. Announcing for statewide, congressional or legislative office? Email capitol@arkansasononline.com.

Information for this article was contributed by the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazett

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As Arkansas filing period nears, legislative candidates across the state air intentions to run - Arkansas Online

Ray Waddle| Special to Nashville Tennessean, USA TODAY NETWORK newsrooms in Tennessee

The closest Ive come to hearing a booming celebrity voice from the Bible was on the phone with Charlton Heston. He famously played Moses in the 1956 Ten Commandments movie. Some years before he died in 2008, he was in Nashville, and I interviewed him. We started with Second Amendment politics but ended on faith and films. As a bonus to me he recited some dialogue from Planet of the Apes (1969). He signed off that day with a nice bit of non-denominational wisdom: Do your best, and keep your promises.

Its a strange marvel how the Bible plays out in the imagination of modern entertainment media and how public tastes and technologies change. Ten Commandments was a 1950s blockbuster (using 14,000 extras and 15,000 animals). Then big-screen biblical epics fell flat in the 1960s. American spirituality was fragmenting. Religious attendance entered a decline. The cinematic sweep of the Exodus story gave way to narrower themes, notably apocalyptic speculations better suited to books like The Late Great Planet Earth. The last big Bible movie was Mel Gibsons The Passion of the Christ nearly 20 years ago.

Its tempting to regard a box office smash, or the absence of one, as an ethical index of biblical influence, or its eclipse. But this is elusive stuff. Bible interest today is dispersed, entrepreneurial, harder to gauge than ever, especially amid the traumatic disruptions of a pandemic.

Polls and surveys keep trying. Last year the American Bible Society reported increases in Bible reading during the COVIDcrisis. Fifty percent of Americans were Bible users meaningthey read it at least three or four times a year outside of congregational settings, according to the State of the Bible: USA 2021 study. That percentage has been steady for a decade. Last year, though, one in six adults reads scripture most days during the week, a 12% increase over 2020.

The survey identified sources of comfort during COVID. Family members topped the list, followed by prayer/meditation, food and exercise. Bible reading was ranked seventh, ahead of alcohol. Among Black Americans, Bible reading was in the top three.

The study warned that Gen Z youngsters inhabit a very different informational world from their elders, and new models of discipleship are needed to engage teens questions about the sacred. Surely this is always the case. Adults have worried about the Bibles cultural decline ever since the first generation of Mayflower Puritans, who fretted about their children going morally slack.

Unpredictable times dont change a daily truth: Even in group study or congregations, the Bible is pondered one reader at a time, usually under the radar, undetected. Scriptures social mandates and political consequences are real, but the words are first encountered by the individual open to its meanings, whether through crisis, gratitude, or a vision of public reform.

The Bible carries a secret, poet Richard Howard once said: It is addressed not to everyone but to each one. In every line, the Bible hints at something that it does not reveal but that tempts us, arrests us, fascinates us all the more, he said in a 1996 lecture.

When I read from Ecclesiastes or Jeremiah or the Gospels late at night, while the pandemic burns I think I see what he means. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. (First Corinthians 13:12)

Columnist Ray Waddle is a former Tennessean reporter.

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Bible importance just can't be measured by surveys or box office - Tennessean