You can take a look at the entire 72-page presentation here (PDF).

The presentation was delivered on February 18 at a $2,500-a-head retreat in Boca Grande, Florida. The presentation includes imagery that compares President Obama to The Joker; Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to Cruella DeVille; and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to Scooby-Doo.

"What can you sell when you do not have the White House, the House, or the Senate?" the presentation asks. The answer: "Save the country from trending toward socialism!"

The RNC presentation goes on to discuss "visceral" giving—contributions from those who give out of fear—and "calculated' giving—contributions made by wealthier, "ego-driven" individuals.

This is what Democrats face this year: aggressive, fear-stoking tactics from a party with little to lose; a party currently demanding compromise and bipartisanship.

Remember to vote Tuesday, May 18.

Having never gone through the experience before, I can tell you it was something to see. More than 150 candidates filed the first day, including Rep. John Boozman (R-AR), Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), and David Whitaker, Democratic candidate for the Third District. Candidates, their families, and their supporters filled the Capitol. The event made for some fantastic people-watching.

Secretary of State Charlie Daniels' office is tweeting each candidate’s filing. You can follow the action at twitter.com/arsecofstate.

The filing window closes Monday, March 8, at which point the field will be set. The primary is set for Tuesday, May 18—just seventy-seven days from today.

Once again, we couldn’t have made it this far without our supporters. Thank you. We now need you more than ever. Learn more about how you can help our campaign. With your help, we can win on May 18, and together we can make Arkansas stronger.

Sincere thanks to everyone for making the event success, and special thanks to photographer Stephen Ironside (www.ironsidephotography.com) for the terrific photos of the event.

Remember: If you’re ever at an event, and you take a picture you’d like to share, you can always submit it through our Tumblr. We’ll make sure to credit you if we post your photo.

Make sure your friends and family know they, too, can contribute online at gregleding.com/contribute. You can use the Share link at the bottom of this post to share this message online.

Thank you for your continuing support. Together we can make Arkansas stronger.

I first sat in on a joint meeting between the Senate Youth Services Committee and the House Committee on Child, Youth and Aging, Legislative and Military Affairs. I later had the fortune of receiving the great hospitality of a few local legislators over lunch where I met a lot of good people—and got pulled into a conversation about lignite and strip mining with Rep. Allen Maxwell (D-AR10).

When Speaker Robbie Wills (D-AR46) called the House into session at 1:30, I watched the proceedings from the gallery above. House members passed a number of bills in what would be their last afternoon in the House chamber. When the House adjourned, I sat in on the Joint Energy Committee meeting where Rep. Maxwell made his lignite pitch to fellow legislators. Also debated by the Joint Energy Committee that afternoon: the merits of biodiesel.

In all, I had a fantastic day.

Last night was truly humbling. Thanks to all of those who joined us. Having the support of so many wonderful people is incredible. Thank you. Last night marked a great leap for our campaign—but with the election now just twelve weeks from today, we’ve a lot of work ahead of us.

It’s not going to be easy, but as I said last night, we can do it with your support. If you can volunteer, please let us know. If you can, please contribute. With your help, we can win on Tuesday, May 18, and we can set to work making Arkansas stronger. Thank you.

In 2009, Sen. Joyce Elliot (D-AR33) sponsored SB799, the Arkansas DREAM Act. The measure unfortunately failed.

I support the DREAM Act, and, if elected, I’ll work to make the DREAM Act a reality for Arkansas. (I wrote a short piece in support of SB799 for the Fayetteville Flyer last April.)

If you support the DREAM Act, I ask that you consider joining supporters this Thursday evening at 5:30 at the Union on the University of Arkansas campus for the Natural Dreamers Vigil. If you’re on Facebook, join the event.

Thank you. Together we can make Arkansas stronger.

If you can’t join us for the event this Monday, join us Sunday, March 14, at the home of Dr. Stephen and Rep. Lindsley Smith for a casual fundraiser and reception. Once again, if you’re on Facebook, please RSVP.

Thanks again for taking time to visit our site.

Remember: If you don’t have time to volunteer, contributing is fast and simple—and each contribution makes a big difference.

The current economic climate is challenging, and, as I said a few days ago, tough times call for tough decisions; however, I believe we must work to strengthen education in our state even in the face of a poor economy. Better education today means a stronger Arkansas tomorrow.

You can help. If you’re a parent or a concerned resident, please attend PTA, PTO, and school board meetings, as well as other events at your school. Know the decisions being made, and know the people making them. Let them hear your concerns and ideas. A concerned parent yesterday urged others to do just that through a comment she posted to our Facebook page. The parent cited a concern that she feels her schools unnecessarily waste food.

As an active member of the FFEAC Public Education team, I met with other members Wednesday morning to discuss how the group can better engage parents and stakeholders throughout the community. We want people to get involved, because our schools here in Fayetteville and across the state need our support more than ever.

Thank you for reading. Together we can make Arkansas stronger.

The 2010 Arkansas Preferential Primary is set for Tuesday, May 18—thirteen weeks from today. If you prefer to avoid the crowd that day, visit the Washington County Courthouse at the southeast corner of College Avenue and Dickson Street beginning Monday, May 3, to vote early.

Voting early is fast, easy, and a great way to make sure your voice is heard.

If you’re not sure whether you’re registered to vote; whether your registration is current; or where your polling place is located, visit Voter Tools page for help.

I spent today traveling across Arkansas' Third District with Democratic candidate David Whitaker. Our caravan left Fayetteville just before sunrise to make it down to Fort Smith where David told those gathered at the Sebastian County Democratic Committee offices that he’s officially running to represent the Third District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

While it’s not necessarily news—David first publicly stated his intentions during last October’s Third Annual Democrats Rock event—the announcement did make official David’s intentions. More importantly: the announcement demonstrated that his campaign marks a decidedly new direction. Knowing he needs the full support of each of the twelve counties in the district, David took his announcement on the road to visit the four corners of the district: Fort Smith, Russellville, Harrison, and Bentonville. The trip—which concluded with a massive party in Fayetteville—made for a very long day, but it sent a strong message.

To say it will be difficult is to understate the challenge, but it can be done. We can do it. You can learn more about David Whitaker on his official campaign Web site at whitakerforcongress.com. You can also join David on Facebook and Twitter.

Democrats face tough fights in 2010. The race to represent Arkansas' Third District stands among the most difficult, but we can do it if we commit ourselves and work together.

Also: Have you seen the photos we added to the Meet Greg page? You can find more photos on our Flickr page.

The American Psychiatric Association (www.psych.org) this week announced that in its latest diagnostic guide of mental disorders—the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual, or DSM—Asperger's syndrome is no longer listed as a separate diagnosis, but rather falls along the autism spectrum. (You can find a draft of the DSM 5 here). The move is intended to make diagnosis of autism clearer, but it has upset a number of people who have been diagnosed with Asperger's, many of whom reject being labeled as autistic.

Having attended a meeting of the Arkansas Legislative Task Force on Autism in November 2009, I know there are parents and health care professionals in Arkansas frustrated by the lack of available resources and support for those living with autism and those working to diagnose and treat the disorder. There are nearly 2,500 children under the age of 10 in our state who have been diagnosed with a form of autism, care and treatment for which will cost an estimated $7.8 billion over the course of their lives. Many families can’t afford treatment.

There are nearly 2,500 children under the age of 10 in our state who have been diagnosed with a form of autism, care and treatment for which will cost an estimated $7.8 billion over the course of their lives.

In 2009, the Arkansas Senate passed SB 913, a bill sponsored by Sen. Mary Anne Salmon (D-AR31) that requires health benefit plans to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. The bill also prohibits insurers from terminating or refusing coverage solely because a person is diagnosed with an autism disorder. The House did not vote on the bill, which met significant opposition from insurance companies and the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce.

Senate Bill 913 is meant to improve the lives of those living with autism in our state. I believe it is important that it pass.

I believe it is important, too, that the work of the task force, led by Sen. Salmon and Rep. Uvalde Lindsey (D-AR88), continue so as to improve the lives of those living with autism and to better equip those working to diagnose and treat the disorder.

Thanks for reading.

We plan to open comments in the near future. Until then, if you have a comment you’d like to share in regards to this particular post, please feel free to submit it through our contact form. If appropriate, we’ll post an update to share your comments with our readers.

Got five minutes? Want to help our campaign? There are five things you can do in the span of a commercial break.

First, if you can, we ask that you please consider contributing to our campaign. Each contribution makes a big difference. Take advantage of an available tax credit, and get back up to $50 of your contribution next year. Those filing jointly can get back up to $100 of their contribution.

Interested in volunteering? Let us know. We’ll contact you with volunteer opportunities. And if you have an idea as to how you can help, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

It’s tough to beat positive word of mouth from a trusted source. If you support Greg, tell your family, friends, and colleagues. Let them know. Encourage them to visit our Web site or to find Greg on Facebook.

If you’re on Facebook, become a fan. You can also follow Greg on Twitter.

Committed to voting for Greg? Pledge to vote. Let us know we can count on you. We’ll make sure to remind you when early voting begins, and we’ll remind you to vote on May 18.

Helping is simple, and it takes only minutes. Thank you for taking time to make a difference. Together we can make Arkansas stronger.