OFF TO FILE: Sen. Lincoln greets supporter before march to Capitol. Gerard Matthews photo.

Springsteen’s “No Surrender” is blaring from loudspeakers and catfish is served as Sen. Blanche Lincoln opens her re-election campaign at the Train Station. Rep. Keith Ingram — he of the underhanded budget swipe at Lt. Gov. Bill Halter — is naturally on hand, Gerard Matthews reports.

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She won’t take media questions until after she and supporters march to the Capitol.

She did turn out a black speaker for her candidacy, Sen. Tracy Steele. Be interested to hear his take on the lack of blacks in federal appointments in Arkansas. Sen. Mark Pryor is also on hand. Also, 2nd District candidate and House Speaker Robbie Wills.

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Pryor touts Lincoln as loyal to Arkansas, not the Democratic Party. Ah, but what part of Arkansas is she loyal to? The biscuit cookers? Or the plantation crowd?

Lincoln’s money quote:  “I know that I am not only fighting for you, I am fighting for what is fair and right.”

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For who — credit card companies? Polluters? Health insurance companies? Wall Street tycoons?

Another money quote: She’s the rope in a “tug of war” between outside special interests.

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Special interests: Working men and women of Arkansas. Sick people in Arkansas. People who want to breathe clean Arkansas air. People who favor sustainable agriculture. Those kinds of special interests are indeed tugging, against the Chamber of Commerce and tycoons of Arkansas on the other end. And losing with Lincoln.

Check her top campaign contributors and figure out who she represents.

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If you haven’t figured it out already, Lincoln’s chosen talking point for the campaign has just about ticked me off. What, exactly, are the straw men “extremes” against which she is fighting?

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Teabaggers hooted Lincoln when she arrived at the Capitol to file. Lincoln didn’t have much to say about Halter’s announcement, only that she didn’t know enough about the Lt. Gov.’s specific positions to comment. In the above video, Lincoln talks about her vote against cap and trade and repeats the GOP talking point about taking a step-by-step approach to health care reform. Watch Lincoln’s campaign announcement here.  

ALSO: President Obama has endorsed Lincoln. She’s not bragging about it. (And I don’t think Halter is complaining.)

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