RBG holds court before 13,000 in North Little Rock

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, left, speaks with National Public Radio correspondent Nina Totenberg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

An 86-year-old woman sat down for an hour-long interview in North Little Rock’s Verizon Arena Tuesday, and one out of 100 Arkansans either were there or tried to be there.

The woman was Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second female appointed to the court.

The event gave away 15,000 free tickets. About 13,000 attended, and there were another 15,000-16,000 people on a waiting list. That’s about 30,000 in a state with about 3 million people, or about one out of 100.

Ginsburg was interviewed by National Public Radio correspondent Nina Totenberg as part of the Clinton School of Public Service’s Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series. Former President Bill Clinton, who nominated Ginsburg to the court, introduced them.

Eleven days earlier, Ginsburg had received the last of three weeks of pancreatic cancer radiation treatments after undergoing a lung cancer operation late last year. Asked why she was appearing so soon, she said she had promised she would come, which drew a standing ovation.

She said she was “feeling very good tonight.” And she looked and sounded good. We should all be so sharp at 86. Continue reading →

Arkansas, don’t be like Great Britain

By Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

In a democracy, any discussion of “Should we do something?” should also answer “How will we do it?” Otherwise, we start looking like Great Britain does now.

That country didn’t answer both questions regarding “Brexit,” and now it’s a mess.

On June 23, 2016, British voters were asked simply, “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” Fifty-two percent said “Leave.”

Several factors played into the result. Voters wanted to maintain British sovereignty and identity in a country that never adopted the euro. Many opposed the EU’s open borders and immigration policies. The older the voters were, the more likely they were to support Brexit.

You might say they wanted to make Britain great again. Continue reading →

Key right person to lead schools, but has tiger by the tail

Johnny Key speaks after Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces him as his choice as education commissioner in 2015.

By Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Johnny Key is the right person to serve as education secretary for Arkansas’ 263 school districts including charters, but with one of them, he has a tiger by the tail.

Key was appointed education commissioner by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in 2015, a move that met with some disgruntlement in the education community. That disgruntlement was caused by Key not having a background in education, other than owning a day care.

Instead, Key had been a Republican representative and then senator based in Mountain Home who had chaired the Senate Education Committee. He had a party label, but he sought consensus and got along well with others.

His political background meant he could build bridges between educators accustomed to working with Democrats, and the Republicans who now control the Legislature – and will control it for a long time. He understands education politics as well as anyone. What he may not know about education technicalities – he can hire educators for that. Continue reading →

Cotton picks Greenland

Tom CottonBy Steve Brawner , © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Sen. Tom Cotton is serious about the United States buying Greenland, so let’s take the idea seriously and examine it from both sides.

President Trump’s interest in purchasing Greenland from Denmark was first reported Aug. 15 by the Wall Street Journal. When Denmark’s prime minister rejected what she called an “absurd” offer, Trump cancelled a planned visit to that country.

He shouldn’t have cancelled the trip.

Offering to buy Greenland? Well, he is big into real estate, and Greenland covers 836,000 square miles. It’s the world’s biggest island, although 80% of it is covered by ice. In fact, the ice sheet is three times the size of Texas. About 58,000 people live there, mostly along the western coast. The island has its own parliament and prime minister but is part of the Danish Kingdom. The United States has an air base there.

During an interview with Roby Brock in Little Rock August 21, Cotton said he had suggested Trump make an offer for Greenland and personally had proposed the idea to the Danish ambassador. Continue reading →

Mike Beebe: From shack to Governor’s Mansion to new film

By Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

First, Mike Beebe overcame an impoverished early childhood. Then, he overcame a Republican tide to be re-elected governor and win all 75 counties in 2010.

How he did both are subjects of a new hour-long documentary, “Men and Women of Distinction: Mike Beebe.”

The documentary was screened Wednesday at the Arkansas Cinema Society’s annual Filmland festival. AETN, which funded the $46,000 project, will begin broadcasting it Aug. 29. It also will be available for viewing at AETN’s website, aetn.org.

The work of first-time director Kathryn Tucker is an interesting look at one of Arkansas’ most important political leaders of the past half century. It’s well produced and worth an hour of your time – unless you can’t stand Beebe. That’s because it paints a very positive portrait of him, though everyone in the film seems to agree he had a cocky streak, including his wife, Ginger.

The film tells how Beebe was born in a tar paper shack in Amagon to a single mom waitress. They moved around during his early years. He never knew his biological father and had several stepfathers. Continue reading →