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Two Democrats buck party chief, to host fundraiser for Republican Wednesday, Jun 4, 2008 By Rob Moritz Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Two state Senate Democrats are listed among co-hosts of an upcoming fundraiser for a Republican colleague, ignoring their party chief's recent edict to cool such across-the-aisle support. Former Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the party's presidential nomination, also is to attend the event scheduled Thursday night in support of Sen. Gilbert Baker, R-Conway, a former GOP state chairman who has strong Democratic opposition in bid for re-election. "Friendship is more important than politics," Sen. Jerry Taylor, D-Pine Bluff, who is among the hosts of the fundraiser, said Tuesday. "I agreed a long time ago to help Gilbert in any way I could. I'm going to keep my word." State Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney, who recently admonished Democratic lawmakers that their nonpartisan attitudes toward legislation should not extend to the campaign trail, said Tuesday there was little he could do to keep Taylor and Sen. Bob Johnson, D-Bigelow, from supporting Baker. "I strongly discouraged this, but they are not answerable to me," Gwatney said. "They're grown men. They can do what they want." Gov. Mike Beebe, who has publicly endorsed Joe White, Baker's Democratic opponent, said Tuesday he thought it was "probably not healthy for the party" for Democrats to campaign for Republicans. "I understand they said they had an allegiance, personal ... to that senator from their workings in the Senate together," Beebe said. In an April 23 letter, Gwatney urged Democratic officeholders to stop supporting Republican candidates. The letter was prompted by two separate incidents of legislative Democrats raising campaign money for GOP colleagues. In one case, House Speaker-elect Robbie Wills, D-Conway, and 11 other Democratic legislators listed among the hosts of a fundraiser for Rep. Bryan King, R-Green Forest. In the other, Johnson and Senate President Pro Tem Jack Critcher, D-Batesville, hosted a fundraiser from Baker. Critcher is not listed as a co-host of Thursday's event. "Bob Johnson has already done it, so I'm not surprised," Gwatney said Tuesday. "Jerry Taylor, I don't know what Jerry's thoughts are." The Democratic chairman said his letter to Democrats was clear, adding, "We don't have any control past this point." Taylor said Tuesday he pledged his support for Baker after the Conway senator helped him in the 2007 legislative session to get close to $4 million in seed money for a water conservation district in Jefferson County that is trying to preserve the Sparta Aquifer, the region's major water supply. Taylor said he understood Gwatney's point and said he did not "want to alienate Bill Gwatney, but I'm telling you that Gilbert Baker is a good friend." Johnson did not return a telephone call Tuesday afternoon seeking comment. Several of the co-hosts of Thursday's fundraiser, to be held at the home of Dr. T. Michael and Denise Stanton in Conway, are Republican legislators, including Reps. Ed Garner of Maumelle, Johnny Key of Mountain Home, Michael Lamoureaux of Russellville and Roy Ragland of Marshall. Other co-hosts include GOP Sens. Sharon Trusty of Russellville and Bill Pritchard of Elkins, also with former state Sen. Stanley Russ of Conway, who served in the Legislature as a Democrat. |
