Ellington

JACKAL SMOKED OUT … Like the rest of the world, Jacksonians of all political persuasions were all aglow in the days leading up to Christmas over the capture of long-time dictatorial butcher Saddam Hussein. We were surprised, though, to see how quickly some locals tried to make political hay out of the capture. Within two hours of the announcement, one loquacious blogger posted on the JFP site, "Game, set, and match. 4 more years. Yeeeeeeeehawwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!" About the same time, a local businessman sent around a photo of the bearded Saddam to his e-mail list, saying simply, "Recent photo of potential candidate that can out do even Howard Dean in demonizing 'W.'" It was forwarded to us by an artist with the subject header, "It didn't take long." We prefer a simple non-partisan "good riddance" to the Butcher of Baghdad. …

CHENEY COMES COLLECTIN': Back on the home front, the presidential fund-raising machines are kicking into overdrive, with the two front-runners employing vastly different strategies to fill the campaign coffers. Dem Howard Dean (blogforamerica.com) is busy bringing out the online bat to raise individual donations, small and large, to beat down the increasing attacks from the Bush (and Lieberman) camps. Meantime, Veep Dick Cheney traveled to Jackson on Dec. 12 to gather thousands of dollars at a private fund-raiser. Public Citizen, a watchdog group started by Ralph Nader (who, hopefully, will stay far from the presidency) reported that, as of that day, the Bush campaign had raised $111 million, mostly from corporate leaders and lobbyists "who bundle together individual contributions," warned the group's Dennis Jaffe in an e-mail. "Those who raise $200,000 and $100,000 are dubbed Rangers or Pioneers, respectively, by the Bush campaign." Public Citizen tracks Bush's money efforts at http://www.whitehouseforsale.org ... DADDY LOBBY-BUCKS: To watch the victorious Haley Barbour crowd plan his inaugural bash, you'd think the state was just rollin' in dough. His "Mississippi's Moment" seems an affair worthy of Bush royalty, rather than a humble man from Yazoo City. The six-day extravaganza, Jan. 8-13, includes a ball, "A Capitol Affair: A Tea Honoring Mrs. Marsha Barbour," a parade on Capitol Street (2 p.m. on Jan. 13), a musical gala at the Mississippi Coliseum, a woo-the-press party, worship events at First Baptist and First Presbyterian, and a reception at Beau Rivage casino in Biloxi. (Specifics at http://www.mississippismoment.com) "The goals of the Inauguration are to celebrate Mississippi and set the tone for the new administration," Barbour said in a statement. That tone seems to be one of financial excess, though; the inauguration will cost up to $1.5 million from private donors. It's their money, but we might suggest that in the state with the highest poverty—one in four Mississippi children live in poverty—the money could be put to better use. Call us pragmatists, but the moolah sure would buy a lot of pencils, or even a bit of tutoring to help with federal tests. ... REPUBLICARD: Sounds like the Barbour administration should lay in a stock of the just-released RepubliCard, a "credit card" issued by Dean supporters in honor of the nouveau GOP idea that the U.S. should "spend like there's no tomorrow." You can print your own at http://www.northbaydean.org … JACKED AT WORK!!!: City Councilman Ben Allen, who represents Northeast Jackson's Ward 1 and is a loud critic of the city on crime and the "wild tigers" he says commits them, should have taken Sunday, Dec. 21, as a day of rest. He was relieved of his black 2000 Cadillac Deville outside his business, Scholastic Products and Awards at 381 Commerce Park Drive, near N. Mill Street, about 5 p.m., police reported. He left his car running as he got out to lock the gate, and a man appeared and pointed a gun at his head, then took his car, his cell phone and his keys. Allen is angry, telling The Clarion-Ledger afterward that he is moving his business. "I've had it. This is freakin' broad daylight," he said. JACKER CAUGHT?: As soon as we typed the Allen Buzz, we heard that police had spotted what they believed to be Allen's Caddy on Bailey Avenue and arrested Calvin "The Rattler" O'Banner for possession of crack and suspicion of the carjacking. They also recovered the Caddy. No word, yet, on whether Allen is planning to give props to the P.D. for nabbing the suspect within eight hours of the crime. ... COLONEL SNOOP REPORTING FOR DUTY, SIR: Maybe Snoop Dogg (formerly Snoop Doggy Dogg in a former, less mature life) saw the rendition of himself as Colonel Reb in the last JFP "Buzz" or in its rounds on the Internet and decided to come on down to Mississippi, where he has family, and claim his rightful place as Ole Miss' new mascot. Whatever his reasoning, the controversial rapper is coming to Hal & Mal's on Jan. 5, and is sure to upset faithful followers of Brother Ben Allen. We suggest Snoop is coming because he's figured out that Mississippi is suddenly the hottest scene in hip-hop, thanks to fellow rapper David Banner, and he wants to reclaim his roots. Kudos to Malcolm White for making it happen. Call BeBop fast for tickets. ... TEACH AN ADULT TO READ: There is nothing, nothing, nothing more satisfying than listening to a 60-year-old read to his or her child for the first time. You can help make this happen: The Duling Adult Education Center is currently taking applications for volunteers to teach adults to read. Volunteers with a positive attitude and a dedicated outlook (and a big, fat old heart) are needed two evenings a week. No experience required. Attend an open house Wednesday, Jan 7, 2004 at 6 p.m., and learn more. Call Linda Letherwood at 987-3695 for more details. ... TAKE THAT, WAL-MART: While you're in the making-a-difference mood, remember to shoot a few arrows toward the retail monolith that is singlehandedly derailing so much small-town character and economic prowess (not to mention taste). Whether or not you're in a union—and chances are you're not—you can join a massive protest against the corporate giant on Jan. 14, 2003, the Wal-Mart Day of Action. Americans are gathering at state capitols throughout the country to protest the company's mistreatment of workers (two-thirds of the company's workers cannot afford its own health insurance). Go to http://www.ufcw.org for details, or just Google on "Wal-Mart" and "workers" to learn more than you want to know. ... SMOKING WARS RAGE: As we go to press, the anti-smoking forces are pushing hard for a city ordinance against smoking in public spaces (bars and restaurants have been exempt). Whatever happens at the Dec. 23 City Council meeting, we suspect this issue isn't going anywhere; the evidence of the harm of secondhand smoke is simply too strong to ignore. The Clarion-Ledger has called for the Legislature to enact a statewide ban on smoking in public places, including bars and restaurants. That makes a lot of sense, and would mean that a Jacksonian who wants to puff between courses would have to drive to Louisiana or Alabama rather than simply hightail it up to Ridgeland. ... SHIRLEY'S VISION: Jackson State's School of Public Health has been renamed the Dr. Aaron Shirley Public Health Complex in honor of the longtime advocate for community health services. The school is located at the Jackson Medical Mall, which, although it is named after Sen. Thad Cochran (who helped get tax money to fund it) was Shirley's visionary idea: one place that provides medical, health, and social services to anyone who needs them. Probably the only one of its kind in the country, the community health center serves thousands, and provides jobs for an estimated 1,600 employees. ... HEAVENLY PEACE: Tougaloo's first black president, George Owens, died Sunday, Dec. 21, at age 84 from Parkinson's Disease. Owens first became president of the HBCU in 1964 and was, ironically, the first black to serve in that position. Rest his soul.