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RNC chairman endorses Hutchinson Saturday, Apr 1, 2006 By Rob Moritz Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - The national Republican Party chairman rallied support for GOP gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson on Friday, asking black Republicans to back the former congressman in a state where most blacks vote for Democrats. RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman was in Arkansas to attend Republican fundraisers Friday night. He addressed about 75 members of the state Republican Black Caucus at a luncheon that Hutchinson also attended. "You have a great leader in this room," Mehlman said of Hutchinson. "He has a positive vision for the future." Hutchinson, a former 3rd District congressman and federal Department of Homeland Security undersecretary, is the only Republican candidate in the race for governor. Attorney General Mike Beebe is the only Democrat in the race. A general election race between the two would be close and "We need your help," Mehlman told membes of the caucus. He praised Hutchinson for his work in Congress, as head of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and at the Homeland Security agency. He said Hutchinson was instrumental in helping to win congressional approval of legislation requiring states to establish anti-profiling laws to qualify for certain federal transportation funds. President Bush signed the legislation into law in 2004. "There is tremendous national energy and enthusiasm behind Asa," Mehlman said. "There's a reason for that, they respect him, they like him, they know what a great leader he has been in the Congress and at the federal level and what a great governor they think he'll be." During his speech, Mehlman also said one of the planks of the original Republican Party opposed slavery. He noted it was Democratic Gov. Orval Faubus who blocked blacks from entering Little Rock Central High School in 1957, and that a Republican president, Dwight Eisenhower, sent federal troops to enforce a school desegregation order that allowed nine black students to integrate the school. Jason Willett, chairman of the state Democratic Party, said Mehlman's presentation was "ludicrous" and showed "how desperate Asa Hutchinson's campaign has become." "He must be in real bad shape if he is bringing in Republicans from Washington to campaign for him," Willett said. "That's the difference between lobbyist Asa Hutchinson and Arkansas Democrats. He's about Washington, we're about Arkansas." State GOP Executive Director Clint Reed said Friday evening fundraising events were expected to generate about $30,000 for the party. Mehlman said he would be back in the state later this year to campaign for Hutchinson and help raise funds for the party. |
