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Arkansas' Republican maverick Wednesday, Apr 2, 2008 By David Sanders Dave Bisbee is unique. The Republican state senator from Northwest Arkansas is term-limited and currently is taking part in what should be his final legislative session. During his career in both legislative houses, this self-proclaimed moderate Republican maverick has stood out by taking positions outside the mainstream of his party - mainly on taxes. This week is no exception as he has emerged as one of the more vocal proponents of Gov. Mike Beebe's plan to raise the severance tax. Throughout his career he has routinely picked fights, or at least has been argumentative, with those in his party who have disagreed with him. Most recently, when Dennis Milligan, the state Republican Party chairman, and state Rep. Johnny Key, the House minority leader, issued a joint statement against increasing the severance tax, Bisbee was the first Republican lawmaker to criticize both men for their anti-tax position. While there is a handful of Republicans supporting the tax increase, unlike Bisbee, they have avoided public spats with their fellow Republicans. But, it appears his uniqueness is catching up to him, and it's not the first time. For years it was tradition that the Arkansas state Senate's most senior member would ascend to the body's top post - that is until Bisbee came along. In 2005, when it was his "turn" to become the state Senate's pro tem for the next legislative session, he found himself in the untenable position of being opposite the Senate's governing majority, which ironically included many Republicans. After the secret-ballot vote was taken, Bisbee ended up on the short end of the stick as some of his Republican brethren voted against making him the first GOP member to lead the state Senate. His abrasive style had put him at odds with many of his fellow GOP senators and they weren't about to reward him. Now he is trying to get himself elected Benton County Judge and, like most high-profile races in the solidly Republican county, there is a primary. The moderate Republican now finds himself swimming in very conservative waters. It's no surprise that his penchant for supporting tax increases has become an issue in the GOP contest. Last month, after Bill Adams, one of Bisbee's opponents and a former Benton County justice of the peace, sent out an e-mail pointing out his opponent's comfort with the severance tax, Adams was on the receiving end of an unpleasant phone call. According to Adams, Bisbee berated him for nearly 30 minutes, promising to make their race deeply personal. Bisbee has said the call's tenor wasn't as Adams represented it, but the two men have been going at it since. Last week, while Bisbee and his fellow candidates talked issues at an area voter forum, some of his detractors placed flyers on cars parked outside the venue. The flyers, which appeared to be printed on a home printer, were emblazoned with the words "Dave Bisbee is a Tax and Spend Liberal" and provided details about the state senator's legislative record. According to those at the event, he was noticeably angry after his wife handed him a copy of the flyer. Apparently, he was so miffed that at a candidate forum on Friday, he used his allotted time to refute the flyer's claims. Stunningly, Bisbee read directly from the seven-page document he claimed misrepresented his record, which only drew further attention to what has become his Achilles heal. The next morning, news reports detailed his presentation and the claims printed on the flyer. His uniqueness is now manifesting itself in campaign strategy. Possessing daring attributes can be advantageous for a politician. Demonstrating a quiet sternness or unwavering principles while in the company of obsequious characters has a way of making one stand out, but Bisbee has shown there are other ways to draw attention to oneself. ------- David Sanders writes twice weekly for the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock and is a host of the Arkansas Education Television Network's "Unconventional Wisdom." His e-mail address is DavidJSanders@aol.com. |
