Celebrate a Hog win with visions of even better in 2010. Schedule announced today. Tenn. Tech., Louisiana-Monroe and U Texas El Paso are what the late Kim Brazzel called the "chitlins" of the schedule. Monroe and LSU in Little Rock.

^{ABOVE: Cancer patient with an abscessed tooth and no health insurance.}

^{MORE FROM CLINIC: The Times' Leslie Newell Peacock captured this video.}

^{PATIENT TO POLITICIANS: 'Stand in these lines. Talk to these people.'}

A doctor friend, who served a stint in today's clinic, writes:

What type of event in downtown LR do you carry your folding camp chair to in November?

Free concert
Fireworks
A free clinic.

Lincoln mostly re-read the speech in a conference call with reporters. She sounded a touch combative in saying her position was influenced by what she thought best for Arkansans, not special interests of any persuasion or her political party.

Gilbert Baker appeared to be the first Republican out of the box with a critical news release blasting Lincoln's vote for cloture as a vote for government run health care. (Not true, it should go without saying, but must be repeated because of the misrepresentation, a talking point from the National Republican Senatorial Committee as well.) Republican candidate Conrad Reynolds won the metaphor battle: "She has pushed the rock over the cliff which will lead to an avalanche of government intervention in our lives." Reynolds, by the way, spent 30 years on a federal government payroll and enjoys a government health care plan for that service. Curtis Coleman says Lincoln is "disrespectful of her constituents" in voting to allow the Senate to consider health care legislation. Really. He said that. At least a half-million uninsured Arkansans and untold thousands of underinsured, undercovered and overbilled Arkies, would disagree.

Lobby of Convention Center. Photo by Brian Chilson.

Just a half hour after the noon opening of the C.A.R.E. free clinic at the Statehouse Convention Center, 200 patients have signed in and more are lined up outside the door. Entering patients are being greeted with loud cheers and applause from a sea of red-shirted volunteers; these folks, sign-in people, escorts, technicians, nurses, doctors, are making things go smoothly. At the sign in tables: Lt. Gov. Bill Halter and his wife, Shanti. Video and photographs momentarily.

Matthew Carey of Grapevine has his blood pressure taken.

It might be that, sometime during the clinic, Sen. Blanche Lincoln will cast a deciding vote on whether to let the Senate debate health reform legislation. She's been quoted as saying that the free clinic in Little Rock is a nice thing, but no solution to the country's health care problems. Indeed. But it's better than doing nothing. Remember that your friends at the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce have vigorously advocated the do-nothing course in pressing Lincoln to filibuster even the motion to open debate.

Here's a fact sheet on today's clinic that might be of interest.

Also, Brummett writes about the Halter-Lincoln political overtones of today's event. What's wrong with being a political opportunist if the result is medical attention for 1,500 people in sore need?

As a reader noted last night, however, former President Clinton will be avoiding the clinic because it has been too politicized by Keith Olbermann. Of course, Clinton has reason not to associate with Olbermann causes, on account of Keith's trashing of Hillary in 2008.

ALSO: Brummett predicts Blanche votes yes, following the Mark Pryor and Ben Nelson templates. Safe bet. I think she added to her own woes by not saying what Pryor said days ago. She created more drama for herself. Her own statement earlier hinted at a "yes" vote by its reference to debate being only a starting point.

UPDATE: She'll announce her decision in a conference call with reporters at 2:30 p.m.

A doctor who'll be providing services today provides a photo of the convention center setup and a comment for the doctors' wives who berated U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder for voting to expand health care for U.S. citizens: "Is this where YOU want to receive YOUR health care? Is this where you want you children or your parents to receive THEIR care?"

I wonder if that teabagger who attended the Children's Hospital forum, another doctor's wife who objected to health legislation, has turned her heart surgeon husband out as a volunteer today. She had told us he provided tons of free care. Perhaps she thinks she can take back America by letting these sick eat cake.

I went to a party for former Bill Clinton staffers tonight. Saw, among many blog readers, Charles Eddie Smith.

Drove past teabaggers (40 or so?) with candles outside Blanche Lincoln's office. As a Democratic employee of a.g. McDaniel noted about the day, you've got Republicans fighting like crazy to stop the expansion of heatlh care for Americans and you have Democrats providing free healthcare clinic for needy in LR tomorrow. Which is better?

Over to you.

Here's Gaines brief resignation letter. He had called me to say it would be coming and that he would have no further comment, on advice of his attorney, Chuck Banks.

Gaines was elected to a four-year term in 2006. The Council can fill the remainder of his four year term by appointment or special election.

On the very same day that Blanche Lambert Lincoln will finally vote on whether to allow healthcare reform to reach the Senate floor, thousands of the dithering Arkansas Democrat's uninsured constituents will be lining up to see doctors at a free medical clinic in Little Rock. Anticipating this remarkable coincidence, Lincoln may even realize that conservative ideologues and insurance lobbyists are not the only voices that should command her attention during this debate.

Then, recalling Clinton's speech:

Clinton asked his audience, which included hundreds of Democratic donors and activists, to imagine a scenario in which he could somehow run for a third term as president (which drew enthusiastic applause). Then he asked them to consider what would happen if he offered the following campaign promise:

 "If you elect me again, the first thing I'm going to do is put a $900 billion tax on you ... I'm going to have the government print the money, and put it on elevated flatbeds, and display it along the national mall. And we're going to broadcast this ceremony on national television. And then I'm going to motor myself from one end of that $900 billion to the other, sprinkling Kerosene on it, and then I'm going to set it afire and watch it burn.

"How many people do you think would vote for me?" he demanded. "If you don't want to reform healthcare, that is your position. That is what you are advocating."

Lincoln wasn't there, but she could have heard the roaring laughter all the way back in Washington.

Says here that FBI is taking a look at a cop's Tasering of an Ozark girl, 10, who refused to take a shower.

Jordan Johnson tweets and twitpics that students at the Clinton School of Public Service (above) are getting some words of wisdom from a sure-enough public servant.

How's this for an intriguing candidate for that appointment -- Bill Bowen, retired lawyer, banker, gubernatorial chief of staff, UALR law school namesake? He's a spry 86.

The governor's office isn't saying, of course. But his name is going around.

All the anti-reform 'no gub-mint' in health care Docs had ALL of their salary during their residency paid for by the Feds. If they hate the govenment so much, how 'bout they repay all that, with interest? 
 
FYI, for this year, interns, i.e. first year after graduation, is about $45,000.
 
If it were up to me, I would make med school tuition free and strictly merit based. As it is now, folks graduate w/ $100k in student loan debt, and it is patients who re-pay that plus huge interest. You could cut physician salaries right off the bat.

Pryor has already indicated he'd allow debate. Lincoln has been holding out, but Sen. Ben Nelson provides the template for an aye vote to open debate:

This weekend, I will vote for the motion to proceed to bring that debate onto the Senate floor," Nelson says. "The Senate should start trying to fix a health care system that costs too much and delivers too little for Nebraskans."

"In my first reading," Nelson said, "I support parts of the bill and oppose others I will work to fix. If that's not possible, I will oppose the second cloture motion--needing 60 votes--to end debate, and oppose the final bill."

On the jump is the chamber's e-mail to its people (you can use the same instructions to send a different message to the senators):

The basics as told to me: Information was developed that led to issuance of a search warrant related to a weapon taken from one of the two nearby homes in which five people were found slain in rural Pearcy on Nov. 12.

Shooting broke out at a Hot Springs motel when officers tried to enter Thursday night. Deputy Jason Lawrence suffered wounds to the head and is in serious but stable condition today at UAMS. Another deputy suffered minor injuries. One suspect was killed. Two suspects fled. Authorities later arrested them without violent incident in traffic stops early this morning in Hot Springs.

Drugs will be involved in the unraveling of this tale, my source says, though Hot Springs authorities have been tight with details so far.

The sheriff's office has identified Marvin Stringer, 22, as the suspect killed by officers Thursday night. In custody are Samuel Conway and Jeremy Tickney, both 23. They are expected to be accused of stealing items from those slain at Pearcy along with capital murder charges.

Fox 16 has photos of the dead suspect and the two in custody.