Ellington

Republican State Auditor Phil Bryant and Democratic Rep. Jamie Franks sparred before a modest crowd of about 200 at Biloxi's Saenger Theater last Wednesday. The event was more a locked-down forum than a debate, with no chance for rebuttal. With only eight harmless questions, the candidates avoided touchy topics like commitment to the governor or the $55 million beef plant fiasco.

Bryant revealed himself as a showman at the debate, stepping out from behind his podium and swinging his microphone like a stage performer while regurgitating Republican talking points about trial lawyers.

"Most businesses were just one lawsuit away from closing their doors. We had runaway justice in the state of Mississippi. Those trial lawyers were going out and preying on small businesses," Bryant said.

Franks, in contrast, stood solidly behind his own dais, keeping his expressions to himself, while recounting a poor upbringing so loaded down with ruralism and hard labor that his diet surely consisted of a daily bucket of motor oil and cornhusks.

Bryant's and Franks' positions are remarkably similar. Both are anti-abortion. Both also approved legislative efforts to cap litigation damage awards.

Bryant attempted to paint the Mooreville attorney as an enemy of tort reform, though Franks had signed on to a bill for insurance malpractice reform and general liability tort reform in 2002, and again voted for the Tort Reform Act of 2004. Franks one-upped Bryant as the consumer's friend in that attempt, adding that he had attached language in the Tort Reform Act of 2004 that would have capped insurance rate increases at their July 1, 2004, levels. The Senate, under Barbour, hastily removed that language.

Bryant accused Franks of jumping on board with tort reform legislation after it became apparent it had majority support.

"What we do in the Legislature is we go behind closed doors: We try to kill it in a two-man sub-committee and then, when we see the light go green and everybody's voting for it we say, 'Me, too. Can you put my name on that bill that just passed?'" Bryant said. "… Let's don't be fooled. They were trying their very best to kill it."

Both denied they would attempt to change the current tort reform laws.

Franks and Bryant clearly differed on issues pertaining to Gov. Haley Barbour.

Bryant was quick to jump on Barbour's coattails with an early concession to the governor. Bryant's primary race against Republican Sen. Charlie Ross amounted to a competition to see who was best suited to marry the Senate to the governor's office.

"Haley Barbour has done a marvelous job as governor. I've said it wherever I go, and I'm going to keep saying it," Bryant said, explaining that he would continue to follow Barbour's plan for improving the state.

Franks, in contrast, was not as adoring. He publicly sneers at the proposed marriage between the Senate and Barbour's office. "Don't get me wrong. Haley Barbour is a good man, but sometimes he's right, and sometimes he's wrong, and we need a lieutenant governor who's going to be an independent."

Franks complained that under Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, the Senate repeatedly followed Barbour's lead in short-funding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, and ridiculed Barbour's "no new taxes" meme.

"When the politicians in Jackson fail to fund the Adequate Education Program, your local ad valorem taxes will go up. So when a politician stands before you who did not support fully funding MAEP, and says he didn't raise your taxes, he's a bald-faced liar, because they did."

Bryant said that he and the governor had "talked about" taxes, and affirmed that he will follow the governor's lead in not approving any state tax increases. While he offered no reaction to Franks' argument of the subsequent explosion in local ad valorem taxes such a policy caused, he did say he preferred the idea of overhauling the state's tax code.

"I want to look at that antiquated tax code from top to bottom. … If we're going to reduce taxes … I'd reduce the income tax," Bryant said, implying that he defended the regressive grocery tax because it was more universal. "Everybody pays sales tax," he said, "even illegal immigrants."

The issue of insurance reform still stings in the coastal neighborhood surrounding the Saenger theater, with many residents denied claims for "hurricane coverage" after Hurricane Katrina, due to disputes over wind versus water damage to homes.

Bryant was keen on making small legislative changes, though he was wary of getting pushy with the insurance industry.

"Now we've got to be careful. What the insurance companies will do is say, 'We're leaving. We'll just pick up and go away,'" Bryant warned. "We'll work very closely with the insurance commissioner before we make a decision. (Suggestions) might sound popular here tonight, may sound really good, but it may hurt us in the long run."

Franks was more combative.

"There's a man near here named Kevin Butler. Mr. Butler lost his home. All he had was a slab, and he got $1,000 (from his insurance company). We got tort reform. ... I don't see reversing that, but now we have got to pass consumer protection legislation to make sure we hold insurance companies accountable in this state," Franks said, promising to pass legislation to "make sure the burden of proof is on the insurance company to prove whether it was wind or water that caused the loss."

Franks said he would also appoint a chairman over the Senate Insurance Committee who was not "in the pocket" of the insurance industry.

Sadly, this meager forum may prove to be the first and last public appearance by both candidates on the same stage prior to the November election. Following the primary, Bryant has refused to engage in debates with Franks, citing scheduling conflicts. Bryant ducked out of an Oct. 11 debate hosted by the Coalition for Children and Public Education in Clinton, and will not commit to personal debate challenges from the combative Franks.

Two more coalition debates are scheduled this month, one in Philadelphia on Oct. 16, and another in Byhalia on the 23rd. Franks has committed to both. Bryant has committed to neither.

"He's a coward, when it comes down to it," Franks told the Jackson Free Press. "His handlers in the state party have told him to stay low and stay away from me, so he won't hurt himself or something, I guess."

Bryant's campaign denies the accusation, saying the Saenger forum is proof enough that Bryant is willing to meet onstage with the Democrat.

Read the JFP Interview with Franks, Working Man. Bryant has not consented to an interview.