He's coming back
Until this morning, my plan for Tuesday's column was to say that Mike Beebe had made his first mistake. Some of his people back home had been blown away and he'd stayed in Washington for the National Governors Association conference and to attend a state dinner with George W. at the White House. Bad imagery. Bad reality. But now I'm given to understand he has cut short his NGA attendance by nearly two days and is, at this typing, on his way back to Little Rock, then, this afternoon, to Dumas by 2 p.m. I suppose it makes sense to get an assessment before barreling back, plus it may be that these NGA sessions are good for something, though I can't specify anything off hand. By the way, Beebe took the State Police plane, not yet quite grounded by FAA guidelines for routine required maintenance, to Washington. Beebe's people asserted during the transition that the State Police craft had always been intended for official gubernatorial use when logistical and cost issues justify. In this case, it might have well-served Beebe's official gubernatorial purpose to have his own craft in snowstormed Washington than to be dependent on commercial schedules. I'm still checking and pondering that.