Former President Bill Clinton stars in a new radio ad for Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), who is in a heated Democratic primary runoff against Lt. Gov. Bill Halter in Clinton’s native state of Arkansas.
“We’ve never had a Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee before, and we shouldn’t give it up now,” says Clinton. “In Washington everybody was betting Wall Street would beat her efforts to clean up trading practices that led our country to the brink of economic collapse, but they were wrong, she won that fight. And, when President Obama needed her help on health care reform she stood with him to secure health coverage and better and more affordable care. She took a lot of heat for that vote, but you and I know she did the right thing.”
Clinton noting Lincoln’s role in passing the health care bill, a message tailored for the Democratic faithful in a primary, also touches on a major issue that has caused organized labor to work against her in this campaign. She opposed the inclusion of a public option in the bill, and indicated during Congressional debates that she would vote to filibuster a bill that included the public option. But it should also be clear that she did vote for the final health care bill, which did not include a public option and was signed into law by President Obama.
The TPM Poll Average currently shows Halter ahead by 47.3%-44.7%.
