CONWAY:Republican U.S. Sen. John Boozman said 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.
