Ex-Bush White House Official Won’t Challenge Lincoln
Little Rock attorney Tim Griffin, a former special assistant in the Bush White House who was seen as one of the top Republicans contemplating challenging Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) in 2010, told the Associated Press over the Memorial Day weekend that a Senate bid will not be in his future.“I certainly will watch the race with interest and keep an eye on Sen. Lincoln and her votes. But for now, my focus has to be elsewhere,— said Griffin, who briefly served as U.S. attorney in Arkansas.Griffin’s decision adds more uncertainty to the Republican field even as GOP officials continue to insist that Lincoln is vulnerable next year. Last week, state Sen. Kim Hendren (R), who recently announced his plans to challenge Lincoln, said he was rethinking his bid in the wake of unflattering headlines after he publicly referred to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) as “that Jew.—Meanwhile, Safe Foods CEO Curtis Coleman (R) has formed an exploratory committee for the Senate race and state Sen. Gilbert Baker (R) recently said he was open to a possible run.