BETH ANNE RANKIN RAISES MORE THAN HER OPPONENT

Once again, a big thank you to Jim Harris for providing this press release from Beth Anne Rankin to us.

MAGNOLIA – Beth Anne Rankin of Magnolia has raised more than twice the amount of campaign contributions than her opponent in the May 18 Republican primary election for the Fourth District seat in Congress, according to the latest campaign financial reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Rankin raised $80,093 as of the April 28 filing deadline. She has spent $36,610 and has cash on hand of $43,481. She has a campaign debt of $7,501.

Her Republican opponent has raised a total of $31,164 as of the deadline, according to the FED. He has spent $17,363 and has cash on hand of $13,800. He has a $1,372 campaign debt.

“The response to my campaign has been wonderful,” Rankin said. “The fourth District is not used to having a Republican congressional primary, and to have raised this much money in just a couple of months shows people are connecting to my ‘back to basics’ campaign.”

Rankin has been endorsed by former Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Fourth District Congresman Jay Dickey.

Rankin has is a 1989 Honor Graduate of Magnolia High School, attended Southern Arkansas University and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Ouachita Baptist University after being selected as the “Ouachitonian Outstanding Senior Woman.”

She served the state as Miss Arkansas 1994. Rankin performed in the fall, Christmas and New Year’s shows of America’s Piano Showman DINO in Branson, Missouri, before retuning to Arkansas to work for Gov. Huckabee.

While working in the governor’s office, Rankin served in several capacities including liaison and policy advisor to the National Governors’ Association, the Southern Governors’ Association, the Council of State Governments, Southern Growth Policies Board, Capitol Hill and the White House.

Under the direction of Gov. Huckabee, she coordinated the Governor’s Summit on Economic Development and launched and chaired the state-wide effort in selection of the winning design for the Arkansas quarter.

A small business owner, Rankin Anne founded Beth Anne Productions, Inc. in 1998.

Glenn Gallas: Getting Government Back On the Right Road

We have another guest writer today presenting some information about Glenn Gallas

Guest Writer: Caleb Kinley of Hot Springs is the Executive Director of
Pro Arkansans for Liberty (PAL) and the founder of Revolution Designs
(http://revolutiondesigns.us ), a small website design company located in
Hot Springs.  He is also the Bishop and General Overseer of the Apostolic
Council of Nazarene's.  He is blessed to be a father of two beautiful
children and a faithful husband to his wife Anita, who is a loving,
beautiful wife that is also his best friend. In March, Caleb and Anita
celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary.

There is no doubt in my mind that many politicians of our beloved nation
are traveling down the wrong road and have been doing so for many years at
great expense to taxpayers. At a time when our government needs to slow
down its own growth and reach, cut taxes, significantly reduce its
spending, they are instead, blatantly forging forward against the will of
the people in a way that could ultimately bring our once prosperous nation
down.  As is, the rugged course we are currently being forced to travel is
totally unsustainable and in the end, will probably fail unless we the
people can legally stop this most unfortunate monstrosity in 2010.  From
sea to shining sea, and as always when the government intervenes in the
private market, the American people will be the ones who get the short end
of the stick and suffer, just as we did with the bailouts and stimulus
plans that were supposed to "save" our economy.  When there's a fire, you
don't put it out by throwing gasoline on the flames, which is just what
bailouts and stimulus plans do.

In a nutshell, our nations frail, shaky, and failing economy is being
morphed into something far worse than it is now; a socialistic one, where
government consumes national industries in the pretense of taking care of
us from the organizations they deem to be "too big to fail."  Never mind
that socialism has never succeeded, not even once.  However, our
Constitutional Republic has been successful for two hundred years, at
least until the government started to really stray from our Country's
founding documents.  Our current representatives will not hear of our
economic warnings or listen to we the people when we warn them that they
are breaking the law and their oaths by violating the Constitution.
Therefore, to solve this pressing issue, we need someone to help bring our
nation back on the right road.  Enter Glenn Gallas.

Conservative Republican Glenn Gallas, one of two Republican candidates
vying for the seat currently held by the "Multi-TRILLION" dollar man,
incumbent Democrat Mike Ross (4th district), is [Gallas] the real deal and
brings much needed courage and conviction to the table. Unlike the
supposed 'blue dog' Mike Ross, Gallas is tough as nails and his personal
convictions will not permit him to bow down before Nancy Pelosi or Harry
Reid.  The courage of Glenn to stand against legislation that would be
harmful to Arkansans, and Americans in general, is unprecedented and
needed to help pull our nation back from the brink of economic implosion,
unlike the voting record of current Congressman Mike Ross. In fact, here
are a few of the voting records that tell the true tale of the
"Multi-TRILLION" dollar Congressman, Mike Ross.

*Cast deciding "YES" vote to let original Obamacare bill come out of
Committee
*Voted "YES" to $1.9 TRILLION INCREASE to limit on National Debt
*Voted "YES" to $192 BILLION additional Stimulus Spending
*Voted "YES" to $825 BILLION American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1)
*Voted "YES" to $60 BILLION Stimulus Package (H.R. 7110)

And as our luck would have it, the Heritage Foundation
(http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/03/Top-10-Disasters-of-Obamacare)
just debunked the CBO's price tag on Obama Care by revealing that the
true, actual cost will be at least $2.5 TRILLION as opposed to the $940
BILLION initially expressed, which is almost three times the cost put
forth by the CBO. As you can clearly see in the "YES" vote sample, a very
small sample at that, there is nothing fiscally conservative or 'blue dog'
about Ross when you add up the fiscally irresponsible "YES" votes he has
accumulated.  Mike Ross is on the hook for over $5.4 TRILLION, just on the
few votes listed in the sample. Because of the votes of Ross, your
children and grandchildren are now straddled with and strangled by an
inextinguishable debt, meaning...a debt they can never repay or ever pay
off. Mike Ross simply does not understand that as government grows, its
growth deprives the private sector of its very life line and stunts its
growth, which is jobs. He also has failed to learn that as government
grows, the overall standard of living that we the people depend on is
lowered, and causes families to suffer needlessly. No, Mike Ross is not
part of the solution.  He's part of the problem. After all his years as a
U.S. Congressman, Ross has not yet learned that the bigger the government
becomes, the more of a burden it becomes upon individuals, especially his
constituents. Through massive taxation via bailouts, stimulus plans,
unconstitutional laws, the recently passed Health Care law, inflation
(coming soon-a hidden tax), new money (read tax) sucking programs, and not
reading the bills first, we the people are fed up with the status quo and
are fighting back in the droves against the entrenched establishment
destroying our country. And that's why he needs to go (Toss Ross!) and is
why we the people of Arkansas need to support and vote for Glenn Gallas.

Glenn will work hard to get our nation back on the right road.  He's a
proven leader, successful business owner, a fourteen year Army veteran who
faithfully served our country, he's a loving husband and caring father, a
community leader, a devout Christian and Sunday School teacher, the
founder of the Garland County TEA Party, a very strong supporter of our
second amendment rights, and a strong protector of our inalienable rights.
Glenn wants to work with we the people to bring our straying government
back to its constitutional roots. I can't think of a better person to hire
to serve we the people of Arkansas than Glenn Gallas. I truly believe that
Glenn will faithfully serve we the people of Arkansas with great respect,
strong courage, conviction, and with honor.

To learn more about Glenn, please visit his campaign site at
http://www.gallasforcongress.com

Follow Glenn on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Gallas4Congress
Glenn on FaceBook-
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Glenn-Gallas-For-Congress/336916513481?ref=ts
Glenn on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Gallas4Congress
Glenn on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/gallas4congress

Beth Anne Rankin's 'Back to Basics' Campaign

Being in the same room as Beth Anne Rankin is a little like being in the room with a celebrity. She is, in most Arkansan’s view, a celebrity. That celebrity status goes back to the days of reigning as Miss. Arkansas and touring the state in that capacity. It extends beyond the reign of a beauty queen and leaps into politics. It’s not just any politics, it’s Arkansas politics and with one of Arkansas’ favorite Republican sons, Mike Huckabee. She served on Mike’s staff during his time as Governor of Arkansas. In that position, she met and interacted with governors from all states. She coordinated meetings in and out of Arkansas around the nation. Often she was at the forefront of the delegation to extend an Arkansas greeting to anyone visiting the state on official business. In Arkansas, unless you’re in the movies, Beth Anne pretty much lived the celebrity status.

I must admit when I first heard that she was running for the U.S. Senate, I was not overly enthusiastic. Most of the popular press portrayed her as simply a “former Miss. Arkansas who worked for Mike Huckabee’s office”. To me she sounded like the “meet and greet” person for Arkansas. I could only imagine her walking up to people and saying “Hi! I’m Beth Anne Rankin. I’m from Arkansas and it’s a great state! Welcome!” I figured that one line just about summed up Beth Anne Rankin, or at least it did in my mind.

The first time I heard Beth Anne she followed on the heels of an opponent and was left little time to speak. She was straightforward, up-front, and as I anticipated she kind of sounded like I had envisioned she would in my mind. I figured that I would have at least another opportunity to hear her speak, so I dismissed the first meeting.

The Haaks held a small gathering for Beth Anne at their home this evening. I had the honor of attending and there heard several people voice positive things about Beth Anne. Then she took the microphone, to my surprise she said, “Hi! I’m Beth Anne Rankin! I’m from Arkansas…” I almost rolled my eyes and thought to myself, “okay here it comes.” What came next surprised me. Beth Anne, an honor graduate, has a plan. She has a plan that includes, in her own words, getting back to the basics. She wants our government to focus on the Constitution for a change, focus on people for a change, listen to people for a change, and put money back into people’s pockets for a change. She had my attention, and looking around the room she also had the attention of everyone there. There were some nodding in agreement, some saying, “Yes,” and one person even roaming around the room and nodding his approval. The more I listened, the more I realized that I had severely misjudged Beth Anne Rankin. There had been a recent article of praise posted here on Texarkana GOP, but a supporter and writer had submitted that. I had chalked that to the positive attributes of the well-written article to the writer and the supporter. I had been wrong.

As the gathering started to slowly wind down, I had an opportunity to have Beth Anne’s ear for a few moments. We talked and discussed politics and she listened to what I sometimes call my “Vader Moment”. If you have ever seen Star Wars, then you know there is that moment when Darth Vader leaves the dark side and becomes a Jedi again. That moment for me was when I left the Democratic Party and joined the Republican Party. That was my “Vader Moment”. Now I’m going to share a secret that will ruin my “Vader Moment” from here on out. I tell it as a test. It’s all true, but I tell it and watch the person’s eyes. Sorry, Beth Anne, but remember when I took my glasses off? That was the moment I watched to see your reaction and your sincerity when you listened to me. I figure if someone will listen to me tell about my “Vader Moment," then they have an ear to listen to any constitutes concerns. Beth Anne not only listened, but she commented and absorbed what I was saying. Now, believe me, I’ve told the story to many politicians and some of them walk away with a haze over their eyes. It generally indicates that they were not listening and in fact were more concerned about shaking the next potential voter’s hand. This was not the case with Beth Anne Rankin. At the end of our little chat, she commented positively about this website, and expressed how glad she was that I had become a Republican. We talked a moment more before she moved on to talk with others and I blended into the crowd to do that thing that all writers do, observe the scene.

At the end, I thanked the Haaks and spoke with them for a few moments. I think Debbie Haak summed up Beth Anne Rankin best when she said that Beth Ann is from Southwest Arkansas and that she will go to Washington, represent us, and come home. She will do all this while never forgetting the people of Southwest Arkansas and the people of the United States. Mrs. Haak was right, Beth Anne Rankin is something rare in politics these days. Beth Anne Rankin is a committed, concerned, and honest politician ready to fight for all of us in a battle that may well decide the future for not only Arkansas, but for the entire United States.

Beth Anne Rankin for Congress

What The Polls Say & Health Care Reform

The fact is as Americans we are always going to have differences. We will always have some people thinking things should be one way and others thinking it should be another. That is what makes the political system go around. It causes the debates, the discussions, the compromises, the deals, and ultimately it causes us to come to an agreement on something. If we cannot come to an agreement, then the side having the most support wins. Those areas where we cannot agree have usually been decided by polls, if not votes. We are not talking about random polls where you ask only Democrats or only Republicans what they want. We are talking about real polls that go out and get the general population to participate and make a decision.

There is a variety of these polls completed everyday. In my review of the recent Health Care Reform, I studied many of those polls. Fortunately I found a great site, Pollster.com that helps compile what all the poles are saying, show each one individually and then pull all the information together into one nice big poll that shows what’s going on. Pollster also shows you the changes in the polls as the months progress.

So, the big question is simple. What does Pollster.com say about the Health Care Reform? It is a simple question that does not have a simple answer, but basically, people thought it was a pretty good idea in the beginning. After all, most everyone thinks something needs to be done, but then the Democrats started modifying, tweaking and fixing their bill. The months went by and that poll took a swing in the opposite direction. In fact, according to Pollster 51.3 % oppose the current health Care Reform. Only 42.3% support it. Folks, if those were election results, guess who would have won? The ones who oppose would have won.

Well, since we are Americans and our government listens to us, then we all know what the results of Health Care Reform in it’s current state will be, right? You are absolutely right, Health Care Reform, based on Pollster.com will fail because the majority of the Americans do not want it. Problem solved and we go back to the drawing board and try to come up with something everyone likes or at least the majority likes. But wait! Something went monumentally wrong with the vote. Despite the majority of American’s not wanting the current Health Care Reform, the majority of the government “for the people and by the people” did not listen to Americans.

Simply put, the Democrats refused to listen to the people they were elected to represent. Republicans on the other hand listened. Although there are a few differences on the websites, The Los Angeles Times link reported that no Republicans voted for the Heath Care Bill. It further noted that thirty-three Democrats crossed Obama’s lines to join with their Republican counterparts and voted “no”.

America has 178 Republican and 33 Democrat heroes who stood up, listened to the American people who elected them and did the right thing. 220 Democrats decided to ignore the American public and vote how Obama told them to vote. I expect Republicans to defend American viewpoints because it goes back to the early days of the party for the people. I appreciate those Republicans. To those Democrats joining the fight to save our nation, I thank you on behalf of the American public. We should note, since this is the TexarkanaGOP that Arkansas Representatives Mike Ross and Marion Berry voted against the bill. Texas Representative Chet Edwards also stood with his Republican counterparts against the bill.Link to List

I would like to add just a final little reminder. I work in the real world. I work a job where my boss assigns me a task and often tells me how it is to be done. I listen to that boss and perform my assigned task to the best of my ability. It’s called a job and that is the structure I work in daily. Representatives are elected and we, the American people, are their bosses. If we tell them to do something, they should do it. If I failed to follow my directives from my boss, what do you think would happen? I would likely be fired. During the 2010 and 2012 elections, America needs to think about firing some employees and it sounds like there are right at 221 (counting Obama) people that need to be fired for not listening to their bosses.

Beth Anne Rankin: Candidate 4th Congressional District

Jim Harris of Bryant is president and CEO of Harris Oil & Timber Company. He covered Arkansas politics for almost 20 years for newspapers including the Texarkana Gazette. He has been the press secretary of former U.S. Rep. Ray Thornton, U.S. Rep. Jay Dickey and Gov. Mike Huckabee. He was the Director of External Communications for the Huckabee for President Campaign and a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 2008. His column appears on Tuesdays in the Benton Courier. Jim was kind enough to contact me and share his article and the picture of Beth Anne filing in Little Rock with TexarkanaGOP. The article below comes to you from Jim and was previously published in the Benton Courier. Thanks Jim for your input!

- July 15, 1996 was a day or great turmoil in Arkansas. Gov. Jim Guy Tucker had been convicted of federal felony charges in connection with the Whitewater investigation.

Tucker resigned and Lt. Gov. Mike Huckabee became the third Republican governor since Reconstruction. Tucker, understandably a little bitter about having to leave office, had his staff take away or destroy everything. The computers were wiped clean so not even a word program was left on hard drives.

As the director of press operations for the new governor I found myself working with others on staff to get the governor’s office up and running with many staff people I had never met.

One of those I was introduced to was Beth Anne Rankin of Magnolia. The first thing I learned about her was that she was Miss Arkansas 1994 and after her reign ended, she was part of Dino Kartsonakis' Christmas Extravaganza in Branson, Missouri.

Stereotyping people rarely works, but I remember thinking, “Why did the governor need this empty-headed beauty queen on his staff? Don’t all beauty queens have big egos?” As it turned out, Beth Anne was far from empty headed. She graduated from Ouachita Baptist University magna cum laude.

She became the governor’s liaison and policy advisor to the National Governors’ Association, the Southern Governors’ Association, the Council of State Governments, Southern Regional Education Board, Congress and the White House.

The Capitol offices are small. Our offices were near each other and sound travels within those marble walls. Often times Beth Anne would be on conference calls with others who worked for those organizations or for other governors. I heard her dealing the people I knew who had MBAs from Harvard or Yale. She never had trouble keeping up with them. Occasionally, I would think they were having trouble keeping up with her.

I also learned she did not have the big ego I expected from a beauty queen.

As a 1989 honor graduate of Magnolia High School, Beth Anne was making motivational speeches to youth groups when she wasn’t putting in long hours in the governor’s office.

Somehow, she managed to find the time to serve on the governing boards of the Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, Arkansas Teen Challenge and the Daisy Gatson Bates Holiday Planning Committee.

Youth mentoring was her platform in the Miss Arkansas contest. It was soon apparent that she not only talked the talk, she also walked the walk.

Beth Anne joined the Arkansas Big Brothers Big Sisters program. At age 13, Keshia Tillmon of Little Rock became Beth Anne’s Little Sister. On many occasions, Beth Anne and Keshia would be in our offices.

Together they set two goals of Keshia. The first was that she would graduate from high school with honors and the other was that she would break the pattern of early pregnancy that was part of her family history.

To accomplish that first part, Beth Anne would pay her Little Sister a small amount of money for every A she earned on her report card. She would spend half of that money then and the other half went into a fund to help Keshia pay for college.

The values Beth Anne instilled in Keshia worked. Keshia graduated with honors and moved to Dallas where she went to college. She later got married.

Beth Anne’s trade mark is her flaming-red long hair. One day she walked into the office with it cut short. She is a member of Locks of Love. She had had her hair cut and given to that organization to make a wig for some girl with cancer or alopecia.

She said somewhere there was a girl that lost her red hair who needed a wig made of real hair that color. Beth Anne made the sacrifice because she didn’t want that girl to have to wear a brown or blonde wig.

After leaving the governor’s office, Beth Anne self produced several CDs of music that she wrote and performed. She went on to start Beth Anne Productions in Magnolia. This business woman found time to serve on the Magnolia Arts Council and the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce.

Beth Anne recently filed as a candidate for Congress in the Fourth District of Arkansas. She has a Republican opponent in the primary. Glenn Gallas of Hot Springs is a leader of the Garland County Tea Party. He is a nice enough guy, but would have been token opposition to the incumbent.

The winner of that primary will go on to face Congressman Mike Ross in the November General Election. Ross was elected to Congress in 2000 when he defeated Congressman Jay Dickey.

Dickey had voted for the impeachment of Bill Clinton and Clinton wanted revenge. When Ross filed to run, Clinton sent James Lee Witt and Rodney Slater to campaign for Ross. It was as if Dickey was running against three opponents instead of one.

Then President Clinton made a last-minute campaign stop for Ross two days before the election and Ross won by a handful of votes. Since then, Ross has had only token opposition.

Ross’s campaign style in 2000 was attack, attack, attack. That won’t work against Beth Anne. Voters would take a dim view of him verbally beating up a Miss Arkansas. Beth Anne has said publicly she won’t be running a negative campaign, but will talk about the positive alternative of sending her to Washington.

Running on his lackluster voting record in Congress isn’t a good option either in this year when voters are in the mood to clean house.

Beth Anne is a much better public speaker than Ross. If she challenges him to a debate, Ross should avoid it at all costs.

Like Ross, Beth Anne is a member of the National Rifle Association. She learned to shoot growing up on the family farm with her brothers. If she challenges Ross to a shooting contest, he should avoid that too. She would likely out gun him.

Ross will likely try to stereotype Beth Anne as an empty-headed beauty queen. That sounds like an exit strategy from Congress for him.