News

JFP Election Party at Hal & Mal's Tonight 7 p.m.

The Democrats are at the Jackson Convention Complex, 105 E. Pascagoula St. Anyone know where the Republicans will be?

Watch the Obamas Vote

Here's some eye candy for all you Obama junkies:

Open Thread: Election Chatter - Presidential

What is it you need to say about the presidential election? Let 'er rip!

Open Thread: Election Chatter - Mississippi Elections (Senate, etc.)

What's on your mind about the Mississippi elections? Musgrove v. Wicker? Cochran v. Fleming? Congressional seats? What about Supreme Court seats? Here's your spot.

Wicker Reaching for Dem Coattails

You can tell Republicans have fallen on tough times when Roger Wicker tries to fool Hinds County voters into thinking he's a Democrat. The Musgrove campaign just sent out a link to this post from Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic.

Open Thread: McCain-Palin's Lies, Damn Lies and Distortions

The whole coal-gate controversy, pushed by McCain and especially Palin, has inspired me to start a list of the lies/distortions that duo has pushed in recent weeks. I need y'all to help beef it out.

Black Angst

Every supporter of Barack Obama seems to be elbow-deep in anxiety over whether this election will be stolen. But for black Americans, it may be worse, writes Jonathan Capeheart in The Washington Post:

Obama's Grandmother Has Died

The day before the election, may she rest in peace:

"It is with great sadness that we announce that our grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has died peacefully after a battle with cancer," Obama said in a joint statement with his sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng. "She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility."

Why Won't Palin Release Her Medical Records?

The fact that Gov. Sarah Palin is stonewalling on releasing her medical records in any form is raising eyebrows. CNN Political Ticker:

Obama: ‘Brothers Should Pull Up Their Pants'

In a substantive MTV interview (especially compared to most mainstream media), Barack Obama weighed in on the baggy-pants culture:

U. of Florida Student McCain Leader Now An 'Obamacan'

The Independent Florida Gator is reporting a last-minute conversion of the student leader of Gators for McCain:

Voter Coalition Debut Massive Voter Watch; Criticizes Hosemann

Mississippi's NAACP President Derrick Johnson today accused Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann of "fear-mongering" and of failing to give adequate instructions to help ensure a smooth vote as he announced Friday that at least 250 attorneys have volunteered to protect the vote in the state on Election Day. "We will have at least two attorneys in every county and a panel of legal experts to resolve legal questions that may arise as people go to the polls," Johnson said, criticizing the priorities of Hosemann. "Unfortunately we're at a time when our elected officials are fear-mongering and chasing discredited allegations of widespread election fraud instead of educating local election workers on how to carry out an effective election. Because of that gap in leadership we have to be there to help the voters.

10/31 Markets End Up for the Week

The Dow ended up again on Friday, the first time it's been up for two days in a row in the month of October. CNNMoney headlined their story Strong End to a Brutal Month, leading with: "Stocks rallied Friday, capping off a strong week at the end of one of the worst months in Wall Street history." The Dow began October at 10,831 and ended at 9325, according to CNN.

Reagan Chief of Staff Endorses Obama

The Obamacans keep coming. Per CNN:

Obama, Wicker Win Mississippi ‘Early Voting'

Sen. Barack Obama is the presidential choice of a majority53 percentof Mississippi public and private school students who voted in the 2008 Mock Election. "This year, 514 schools are signed up to participate in our Promote the Vote program," said Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann in a statement. "Of those 514 schools, 328 submitted their results for the Mock Election portion of Promote the Vote. This is a tremendous turnout for our students and a great way to get them started in the democratic process." Vote program.

Gallup Poll Not ‘Tightening' on National Vote

The assumption is that four days out from a Presidential election, the national polls would show continued tightening in the race between the two major party candidates. And, while these polls are only broad indicators of the candidates' chances (since it's the Electoral College that ultimately matters), it's interesting to see today that Gallups three models -- registered voters, traditional likely voters and expanded likely voters -- all showed increases for Obama in Friday's three-day rolling poll. One-third of the poll was conducted after the Obama infomercial and joint rally with Bill Clinton on Thursday.

Feds Allege Melton's Past 'Crimes,' Including Bribery

See U.S. v. Melton filings here.

Palin-McCain Camp Disses Penn State President

So much for reaching across the aisle, eh? The Chronicle of Higher Education reports:

Business Owners of Both Parties Supporting Obama

USA Today is reporting the surprising trend of Republican business owners supporting Barack Obama for president, ending with this quote from one: ""I would rather pay a little higher tax on a higher profit than a lower tax rate on lower profits." Here's some more:

ALERT: Young Voters, African Americans Getting Phony Calls

From the Mississippi Democratic Party/pass the word and let us know if you get any of these calls. Better yet, record them and send us the file:

Congressional Overview

Bennie Thompson (Democrat) Bennie Thompson has represented Mississippi's Second Congressional District since 1993. Thanks to the recent Democratic majority in the House, Thompson serves as chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Rob Hill

Framed pictures of friends, family and spiritual figures line the walls and desk of Rob Hill's dimly lit church office in Jackson. The 33-year-old pastor is enthusiastic yet soft-spoken as he speaks of his congregation at Broadmeadow United Methodist Church, marathon running and his love for preaching.

Thou Shalt Not Steal: Is Voter Suppression the Real Issue?

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has gone out of his way to excite the historically indifferent youth vote, but the biggest question with young voters may not be keeping their attention long enough to get them to the polls.

ON THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ISSUES

To help with your decision with whom to vote for, here is a quick listing of issues of your candidates' viewpoints.

Alaska Ethics Complaint Filed Against Palin for Kids' Travel

CBS News is reporting that Gov. Sarah Palin has more ethical problems back home:

Whiskey River Take Me Home

Lawyers for the U.S. Department of Justice are having no part of Mayor Frank Melton's attempt to defend his attack on a Ridgeway Street duplex by claiming that the building itself had a history of drug sales. It seems that the law still requires a warrant. There was no lawful basis for the destruction of the home at 1305 Ridgeway Street; a point which is essentially conceded by Melton in his public statements and in his public failure to make even a token effort to rebut the arguments in the government's Motion," the prosecution wrote in an Oct. 20, 2008, motion in U.S. District Court.

Gannett To Cut Another 10 Percent in December

On Tuesday, Gannett Company, the corporate parent of the Clarion-Ledger, announced sharply lower earnings and their intention to lay off another 10 percent of their Newspaper division workforce in early December. The layoffs come just months after another round of layoffs affected 3 percent of employees in August.

10/29 Ching, Ching, Ching…Market Rollercoaster Climbs High

The Dow and other indicators took an extraordinary leap up on Tuesday, with the Dow climbing nearly 10 percent to close up 889 points, the second highest point gain ever, representing a 10.9 percent gain. The NASDAQ gained 9.5 percent and the S&P 500 10.8 percent.

Wicker Leading Musgrove By 11 In New Poll

The latest Rasmussen poll doesn't look good for Ronnie Musgrove. Rasmussen has him trailing Roger Wicker by only two points, 47 to 49 percent, in early October. Now they're putting Wicker ahead 54 to 43, a week before the election. Most surprising is that Musgrove's support among African-Americans seems to have slipped this month, from 96% to 87%.

Problems with Voting/Registration in Jackson/Mississippi?

If so, please post below, and we can get you help. You can also call the JFP at 601.362.6121 ext. 5 through Election Day to alert a reporter. Also visit the new 601 voter blog at http://601vote.wordpress.com/ for all sorts of must-know voter information. Do not allow your vote to be suppressed or intimidated! It's your right.

Ellington