I caught the tail end of a KATV interview with Asa Hutchinson in which the Republican gubernatorial candidate was throwing down on Attorney General Eric Holder. I missed the setup. It’s a massive bit of Asa CYA for  endorsing President Obama’s man for the office in 2008.

His Republican opponent is throwing down on Hutchinson for doing something so dastardly. And Demoratic gubernatorial opponent Mike Ross has the golden opportunity to say, “There Asa goes again. Saying one thing in Washington and another thing back home.”

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Here’s the back and forth from KATV:

Republican gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson endorsed Attorney General Eric Holder in 2008. In an interview with Channel 7 News on Wednesday, Hutchinson said the endorsement was “one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made.”

In the letter of endorsement, Hutchinson said Holder “puts the law first and political considerations second.”

“Let me tell you, it’s one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made in terms of evaluating a public figure. And whenever I looked at Eric Holder, I knew he was a United States Attorney and that was important to me to have someone in the Department of Justice that understood front line prosecutors but as I look back and I look at the record he established I have no hesitation in saying, one that was a mistake, but secondly Eric Holder should resign as Attorney General of the United States,” Hutchinson said.

Lots more throwdown on Holder follows, though after the magic word Obama and a photograph of Holder, Asa is good with the typical Republican voter.

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Republican opponent Curtis Coleman dives in:

“I am shocked that a Republican gubernatorial candidate would write a glowing endorsement of Obama’s Attorney General who tells states attorneys general not to enforce their own state laws, who demands acceptance of gay marriage, who wants to outlaw homeschools, has sanctioned the killing of American citizens using drones and supports gun control.

These are not Arkansas values. This news is a devastating blow to the Republican Party. Most Arkansans are going to struggle with Asa’s judgment and intentions.” 

Democrat Mike Ross bats cleanup:

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“This is just the latest example of bureaucrat-turned-lobbyist Asa Hutchinson doing one thing in Washington, and saying the exact opposite here in Arkansas. The fact that he worked so aggressively to bring Eric Holder to power – one of the NRA’s biggest adversaries – has to cause many Arkansans to question Congressman Hutchinson’s judgment,” spokesperson Brad Howard said.

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