Cotton says won’t turn his back on Arkansans
U.S. Senate candidate Tom Cotton, a Republican, told about 100 supporters Wednesday that he would never turn his back on them or Arkansas as a member of the Senate.
Cotton, currently serving in the U.S. House from the 4th Congressional District of Arkansas, is seeking to unseat Sen. Mark Pryor, a Democrat.
Other candidates for the seat include Libertarian Nathan LaFrance, Mark H.
GREETING SUPPORTERS:
Swaney, Green Party, and Scott Pfleegor as a write- in.
In his introduction of Cotton at Perkins Restaurant, state Rep. Bruce Westerman, who is running for the seat Cotton is vacating, said the country needs to make a change.
“It ’s time to make a change in this country and put it back on the right track. Tom’s been doing that in the U. S. House passing bills that are sitting on Harry Reid’s desk collecting dust. We need to get him in the Senate so those bills can be heard and put on President ( Barack) Obama’s desk and make him make tough decisions, force him to either veto a budget or approve a budget. We haven’t had a budget since he’s been in office,” Westerman said.
With the large number of supporters gathered in one area of the restaurant early Wednesday, Cotton noted that his back would be to some of them as he spoke, “but, you can trust me that I’ll never turn my back on you or Arkansas in the U. S. Senate,” he said.
Telling the group that he continues to need their help and support, Cotton said, “When we win this U. S. Senate seat next Tuesday, we start the conservative train that Arkansas and America needs in Washington, D.C.
“Arkansas, and our country, can do so much better than we’ve done for the last six years. We’re struggling because of Barack Obama’s failed policy and the president himself outlined the state of this election a cou- ple of weeks ago when he said his policies were on the ballot and for once I agree with him. His policies are on the ballot and in Arkansas those policies go by the name of Mark Pryor,” Cotton said.
Cotton said he has often stated that Pryor has voted with Obama 93 percent of the time but that should be corrected because figures for 2014 show he has voted with Obama 97 percent of the time.
“That is way too much for Arkansas, and you can see it in the struggles that so many Arkansans face,” he said.
“Wages are down in Arkansas over the last six years, and families are struggling to make ends meet because wages are falling, but prices for everything are in- creasing because of those failed Obama policies that Mark Pryor supports. We’ve added more than three times as many Arkansans to the food stamp rolls as we have the full- time employment rolls. I think that is a terrible tragedy and Arkansas can do better,” he said.
Cotton told the group that America can have an economy “that is healthy and growing,” and puts people back to work with better wages and jobs that provide good benefits.
He also said Washington, D.C. has “been imposing too many regulations on everything from health care providers to people who live off the land to trying to declare almost half the state as critical habitat for endangered species.
“I, for one, trust you and Arkansans to know what is best for you, and how to spend your money in ways that help you and your families, businesses and communities,” he said, noting that the federal government took in more tax revenue last year than it ever has in history.
“We don’t have a taxing problem, we have a spending problem and it’s bad for the economy. It means less money in the private economy. Worst of all, this immoral burden is being put on the next generation of Arkansans, passing along $ 50,000, on average, to every child before they even get out of school and get a job, if they can even get a job under the Obama economy. That’s wrong and I won’t stand for it as your next U. S. senator,” Cotton said.
He said it was time Arkansas had a senator that would hold the president accountable for his foreign policy failures, for eroding the United States’ position in the world, and for emboldening the country’s enemies and undermining the trust and respect that its allies have for it.
“There’s been a lot of harm caused by the Obama administration’s policy — to Arkansas, our country, and our position in the world. But, I’m going to roll up by sleeves and get to work as your next U. S. senator to stop those harms. We need to turn this country around, but I can’t do that alone. I need all of you to help me for six more days,” he said.