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John Boozman Says It’s Fair to Highlight Conner Eldridge’s Obama Ties

2 min read

CONWAY – Republican U.S. Sen. John Boozman said Monday it’s fair to highlight his Democratic rival and former federal prosecutor Conner Eldridge’s ties to President Barack Obama, who remains deeply unpopular in Arkansas.

Boozman echoed Republicans’ criticism of Eldridge, who announced last week he was seeking the Democratic nomination to unseat the incumbent first-term senator, as an Obama appointee.

“Certainly if you’re appointed by the president, voted for him twice, you supported the policies that have come out of Washington,” Boozman said after speaking to the Conway Chamber of Commerce. “Those are what the people of Arkansas want to know about, so I think it is fair game.”

The state Republican Party and the National Republican Senatorial Committee have criticized Eldridge over his appointment by Obama, continuing a strategy that’s allowed the GOP to make huge gains in Arkansas over the past three elections.

Eldridge, who was named U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas in 2010 and stepped down from the post last month, said he was pleased with his work in the post.

“I’m proud to have been appointed and confirmed as U.S. attorney with bipartisan support in a bipartisan process. When I worked in that job, I worked for the people of the western district of Arkansas. That’s who I answered to,” Eldridge said. “I’d also add to that my job was focused on prosecuting violent, drug traffickers and people who abused kids. That doesn’t have anything to do with politics.”

Eldridge has sought to distance himself from Obama and national Democrats on several key issues, including opposing the Iran nuclear deal backed by the White House.

Boozman said he believed Eldridge would have a difficult time balancing those positions with national Democrats.

“When you take those kinds of stances, you’re going to be put in a position to support the leadership of the country that has exactly the opposite positions,” Boozman said. “Those positions don’t square at all with the president of the United States, his old boss, and his other boss, Attorney General (Eric) Holder.”

During his talk in Conway, Boozman said he wanted to “use every tool in the toolbox” to cut off federal funding for Planned Parenthood. But he later said he wanted to avoid a government shutdown over the issue.

Boozman was first elected to the Senate in 2010 and announced last year he was seeking re-election. Eldridge is the only Democrat who has announced a bid to challenge him.

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, broadcast or distributed.)
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