Arkansas Politics News

North Little Rock Alderman Cary Gaines, who represents Ward 3, has resigned from the City Council. He confirmed to me last week that he faced federal investigation related to the indictment of an accused Cabot bookmaker and drug dealer who was also accused of trying to influence Gaines to steer city business to an unnamed contractor to generate kickbacks to repay debts owed the Cabot man by Gaines and the contractor.

Here's Gaines brief resignation letter. He had called me to say it would be coming and that he would have no further comment, on advice of his attorney, Chuck Banks.

Columnist Joe Conason, in Little Rock this week to follow Bill Clinton for a coming book, dipped into senatorial politics and found an incumbent U.S. Senator, Blanche Lincoln, looking weak rather than thoughtful. He found pressure from Lt. Gov. Bill Halter and a free health clinic and a not-thinly-veiled bit of advice from Clinton, whose political sense is pretty good.

On the very same day that Blanche Lambert Lincoln will finally vote on whether to allow healthcare reform to reach the Senate floor, thousands of the dithering Arkansas Democrat's uninsured constituents will be lining up to see doctors at a free medical clinic in Little Rock.

Not all doctors are on the Republican bandwagon. One writes to me:

All the anti-reform 'no gub-mint' in health care Docs had ALL of their salary during their residency paid for by the Feds. If they hate the govenment do much, how 'bout they repay all that, with interest? 
 
FYI, for this year, interns, i.e. first year after graduation, is about $45,000.
 
If it were up to me, I would make med school tuition free and strictly merit based. As it is now, folks graduate w/ $100k in student loan debt, and it is patients who re-pay that plus huge interest. You could cut physician salaries right off the bat.