LITTLE ROCK—A case of mistaken identity by Bill Gwatney’s pastor provided former President Clinton and others the perfect opening to remember the slain Democratic Party chairman—with some barbed humor.
Clinton and Gov. Mike Beebe took advantage of the Rev. Vic Nixon’s mistaken reference to Arkansas’ governor as Mike Huckabee—Beebe’s Republican predecessor and a favorite foil of Gwatney’s.
“Thank you, monsignor,” Beebe responded to the Methodist pastor’s introduction at Gwatney’s funeral Monday, using a term applied only by Catholics to some of their clergymen.
“If you had introduced me as President Bush, I’d be convinced that Bill Gwatney wrote the script for your service,” Clinton later added.
Clinton and Beebe asked the more than 500 mourners who packed the Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church’s sanctuary to remember the times that Gwatney touched their lives. The mourners also included Clinton’s wife, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Another 350 people filled overflow rooms set up at the church to watch a video feed of the service.
“We have to understand we can only keep him alive if the love we felt for him and the love he felt for us is somehow manifest in our lives,” Clinton said, standing in front of more than two dozen current and former lawmakers who served with Gwatney in the state Senate. “Make a list of what you were grateful for in Bill Gwatney’s life.
“He was a better golfer than I was. I am not grateful for that,” Clinton said. “But he seemed to genuinely like it if I hit a good shot, which is a sign of grace.”
Beebe, who served with Gwatney in the state Senate, remembered Gwatney’s help during the governor’s successful 2006 race—part of a seven-race sweep of Arkansas’ seven statewide offices.
“He could have taken a lot of other roads, but he chose public service,” Beebe said during the service.
Gwatney, who would have turned 49 during next week’s Democratic National Convention, was fatally shot last Wednesday by Timothy Dale Johnson, 50, of Searcy. Police shot Johnson to death after a 30-mile car chase when Johnson raised his gun and pointed it at his pursuers.
Police do not know why Johnson shot Gwatney, who owned three General Motors car dealerships and was a state senator for 10 years before becoming the state’s Democratic chairman last year.
Flags at the state Capitol were at half-staff Monday in honor of Gwatney. Also, each of Gwatney’s car dealerships closed Monday.
The McEuen Funeral Home of Searcy said Johnson’s family asked that details of his burial be kept private. Mortuary manager J.T. DeWitt said last week a service for Johnson was not planned.
Gwatney was to have been a superdelegate at next month’s Democratic convention at Denver. He had supported Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential bid after Arkansas’ primary but switched his support to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. when Clinton left the race.
“I am more grateful than I can say for the support he gave to Hillary in this long last year,” the former president said.
Mourners who filled the sanctuary for Monday’s service included state legislators, members of the state’s congressional delegation and former Democratic presidential candidate and retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark.
Russell Gwatney, Gwatney’s brother, said his brother hated to be called “Mr. Gwatney” by his employees.
“My brother was a very passionate man,” he said.
Johnson owned at least 16 guns, had been prescribed an antidepressant and made out a will before killing Gwatney, police said. After losing his job at a Target store in Conway last Wednesday because of some graffiti he had written on a wall, he drove more than 30 miles to the state Democratic headquarters near the state Capitol.
Also at Johnson’s home, police found the name “Gwatney” and a telephone number written on a Post-It note.
Johnson’s family released a statement Friday and said the shooting was “beyond our understanding,” and offered sympathy for Gwatney’s loved ones.
