Blanche Lincoln: Black Farmer Emergency Funding Bypasses Pay Go

The U.S. Agriculture Department finalized an agreement to pay $1.25 billion to black farmers by the end of March, for discrimination by USDA offices. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) wants emergency "status" to get the money paid without being subject to Obama's "Pay-Go," which stipulates Congress must know where the monies are coming from before they can be paid.

Blanche Lincoln

Senator Blanche Lincoln is asking for emergency funding, which will allow Obama's "Pay-Go" to be bypassed. Source: The Hill

Just another day in the neighborhood of No Responsibility, Capitol Hill. Here is some background on the Black Farmers Reparations.

Bill Halter Blanche Lincoln Faces Primary Challenge: Bill Halter Challenges Blanche Lincoln for Senate

Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark) will face a May 18th primary challenge from Arkansas Lt. Governor Bill Halter. See a video below.

The big question this morning: has the White House encouraged Halter? Daily Kos and MoveOn say they have his back and are already fundraising this morning.

[Daily Kos] Blanche Lincoln is one of the worst corporate Democrats in Washington. She took millions from corporate interests and then joined Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson in attempting to kill the public health insurance option last year. 

From Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic:

Halter is running as an outsider, but he has extensive Washington experience, serving as a top economic adviser to Bill Clinton and as deputy head of the Social Security Administration during the Clinton years. Before that, he was a senior economist working for Congress. He is a Rhodes scholar, and has two children.

Halter has hinted about a bid for months, particularly after Lincoln had to bargain to secure her vote in favor of health care reform. Halter helped to organize a free health care clinic in Little Rock, earning him national television coverage.

Bill Halter Announces Primary Challenge to Blanche Lincoln