Halter May Challenge Mark Pryor

[Adlai Stevenson]

Arkansas Lt. Gov. Bill Halter (D), who served as Social Security Administration director under President Clinton, is "staying quiet about a possible run for the" Senate and "has sidestepped questions about whether he will challenge Sen. Mark Pryor in the 2008 Democratic primary," reports the Fort Smith Times Record.

"Unlike other state constitutional officers," Halter did not sponsor or attend a Pryor fundraiser that was held on March 8.

Halter ran for governor in 2006 but dropped out of the race last Marc

http://politicalinsider.com/2007/03/halter_may_challenge_mark_pryo_1.html

Personally, I think this is lunacy.  Does Halter want to endanger what looked like a comfortable race for the Democrats in the South?  A serious Primary challenge would only help the Republicans.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

The whole idea is ridiculess!

[jokerman]

Very interesting.  I had a friend, who some times gets inside tips on information, tell me this very thing about a week ago.  I didn't believe him at the time.  Hopefully Halter will stay out of the race.  He is very ambitious though.

[RBH]

Halter running won't make the Arkansas Republican candidate any less doomed.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Pryor left himself quite vulnerable to a primary, with votes such as this one:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00075

Without knowing much about Halter, I'd support him. Even if he's as conservative as Senator Lincoln, that's still a lot better than Pryor.

[Adlai Stevenson]

Pryor left himself quite vulnerable to a primary, with votes such as this one:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00075

Without knowing much about Halter, I'd support him. Even if he's as conservative as Senator Lincoln, that's still a lot better than Pryor.

I do not think that vote is particularly unpopular in Arkansas - certainly most Americans would likely support revising United States policy in Iraq.  Pryor has voted for conservatively than Lincoln has. 

[Rob]

I'm supporting Halter if he runs.

Without knowing much about Halter, I'd support him.

He's pro-choice, unlike Pryor; that has to count for something. And one editorialist calls him a favorite of Arkansas liberals, for what that's worth.

[jokerman]

That's the chief thing that Halter would have: support among liberals.  He is solidly liberal for Arkansas.

His whole political history could be exposed as highly opportunistic, however.  I doubt he'll be able to gain the trust the average Arkansas voter.  Remember that Arkansas is an open primary, and a massive proportion of the electorate votes in the Democratic primary (as opposed to the GOP primary).  He could sweep "liberal" voters and still end up losing by a 2-1 margin.

[Democratic Hawk]

Personally, I think this is lunacy.  Does Halter want to endanger what looked like a comfortable race for the Democrats in the South?  A serious Primary challenge would only help the Republicans.

I couldn't agree more

Keeping the Arkansas Senate seat safely in Democratic hands is far more important than whether Pryor dissents from the party-line on Iraq or whether Halter is pro-choice

Senators are elected to represent their states and I'd say, overall, Mark Pryor fits Arkansas very well just as Joe Lieberman fits Connecticut. Lieberman is what he is, a moderate liberal who happens to be a defense/foreign policy hawk, while Pryor is of a more populist persuasion

As for the Joint Resolution on Iraq, which failed 48-50, even had all Democrats supported it, it still would have failed. It would be folly to challenge Pryor in the primary, in a move which can only help the Republicans

Democratic senators are thin on the ground in the South as it is

Dave

[they don't love you like i love you]

Senators are elected to represent their states and I'd say, overall, Mark Pryor fits Arkansas very well

True (even though I'd prefer Halter)

just as Joe Lieberman fits Connecticut.

No.

[Mr. Paleoconservative]

Pryor should trounce this guy, and then he will stroll intro a win in November. 

[DownWithTheLeft]

I'm supporting Halter if he runs.

Without knowing much about Halter, I'd support him.

He's pro-choice, unlike Pryor; that has to count for something. And one editorialist calls him a favorite of Arkansas liberals, for what that's worth.

Wow, I hope he wins considering social liberalism doesn't play well in Arkansas

[TheresNoMoney]

Pryor is a good enough Senator that he doesn't deserve a primary challenge (like Joe Lieberman).

[jokerman]

By the way, I think in another thread the charge was leveled that Pryor supported the abolition of the estate tax.  He, in fact, voted against a bill repealing the estate tax.

[Boris]

Although I generally don't like the Blue Dogs, I have no problem with Pryor; his vote on a meaningless resolution is of no concern to me. I fully support his re-election.

For what it's worth, he also voted against the Flag Burning Amendment as well as the repeal of the estate tax. He also voted against Alito, IIRC.

[Adlai Stevenson]

Pryor aopposed the Same Sex Marriage Ban, but voted both to Ban Partial Birth Abortion and against Roe vs. Wade. 

[Speed of Sound]

I have enough questions about Pryor to welcome this primary challenge. I wish them both good luck and may the best candidate-however it may be- good luck in the general!