Bill Halter Still Has Yet To Identify a Progressive Agenda
Progressives from Arkansas, and from all around the USA, have been quite enthusiastic about supporting Bill Halter‘s Democratic primary challenge to Senator Blanche Lincoln. There’s some good reason for that enthusiasm, in that Lincoln has been a consistently anti-progressive force in the U.S. Senate.
Do progressives have much solid reason to support Halter himself, though, rather than simply opposing Lincoln? There have been some hints that Halter might be more progressive than Blanche Lincoln. There’s Halter record of having resisted anti-gay discrimination in Arkansas, for example.
However, the Halter for Senate campaign has yet to release a comprehensive policy agenda. Halter’s press releases so far have mostly focused on the kind of advertising the campaign is purchasing. The campaign speaks in generalities about how Halter would stand up for Arkansas, be a different kind of voice, and that sort of thing. The specifics of what kind of ideas Halter would support as Senator, however, are lacking.
What would Halter’s foreign policy priorities be? What’s his position on laws like the Patriot Act and FISA Amendments Act? Would Halter support legislation to fight climate change, or would he provide support to coal and oil drilling instead. Halter has had the time to explain his positions. It’s beginning to look as if Halter’s campaign strategy is to avoid being associated with any policy for as long as possible.
Too many times, progressives have been told that candidates would support their agenda after election, only to see Democratic victors vote with the Republicans. Progressives would be wise to withhold support from Halter’s senate campaign until they see clear evidence that a Senator Halter would be more than just another disappointment.
