Incumbent Democrat Blanche Lincoln talks up earmarks in Arkansas Senate race

Lincoln turns re-election bid into earmark defense

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln is ignoring Republican complaints about wasteful federal spending and reminding Arkansas voters of the millions of dollars she’s delivered during her time in office.

Lincoln’s campaign and Senate office are trumpeting nearly every day the money that she’s helped secure for her home state. The projects include a new cruiser for the Hope Police Department and a multimillion dollar grant for the state to pay for broadband Internet.

Lincoln has turned her tough re-election fight into an argument for earmarks and calls them the “great equalizer” for smaller states. Her opponent, Republican Congressman John Boozman, has also brought millions of dollars in projects to his Arkansas district but has signed on to a moratorium on earmarks.