News

Bush Flip-Flops on ‘Winning' Terror War

AP is reporting that President Bush is trying to take back his earlier statement that the war on terror cannot be won, a statement that is causing a firestorm just as he is getting ready to accept his party's nomination in Washington. "President Bush said Tuesday 'we will win' the war on terror, seeking to quell controversy and Democratic criticism over his earlier remark that victory may not be possible. In a speech to the national convention of the American Legion, Bush said, 'We meet today in a time of war for our country, a war we did not start yet one that we will win.' That statement differed from Bush's earlier comment, aired Monday in a pre-taped television interview, that 'I don't think you can win' the war on terror. That had Democrats running for the cameras to criticize Bush for being defeatist and flip-flopping from previous predictions of victory."

Bush Again a ‘Compassionate Conservative'

AP is reporting: "For months, President Bush has been courting his core conservative supporters. Now, in a New York minute, he's shifting his focus to moderates, independents and Democrats not entirely sold on John Kerry. He wants to be known as the 'compassionate conservative' again. That slogan from his first presidential race lost its meaning to many people shortly after Bush's bitterly contested victory four years ago, when he moved like a man with a mandate to install a right-leaning Cabinet with an agenda to match. Facing an electorate no less divided than in 2000, Bush hopes to reclaim a slice of the political center with a week-long convention script designed to highlight the moderate parts of his program while reminding swing voters why they once found him so likable."

Oral History Conference

at the community level.

Sept. 17-19; deadline for registration Aug. 30. Port Gibson. Mississippi Cultural Crossroads will co-sponsor a state-wide conference, "Telling the People's Story: From Tape and Transcript to

Longtime Division Director Named New Head of Department of Archives and History

H.T. Holmes has been selected to serve as the new director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). Holmes will succeed Elbert R. Hilliard, who is retiring on January 1, 2005, after thirty-one years at the position. The search for Hilliard's successor began last year with the formation of a special committee of the board of trustees of the Department of Archives and History. The committee conducted an extensive search process before making its recommendation.

Kathryn Rodenmeyer

Jackson native Kathryn Rodenmeyer, 37, was described to me as a filmmaker, so when I met her in her Fondren home, I first asked her about her work in film.

Women for Kerry - Jackson Event

Unita Blackwell, internationally known voting rights activist and the state's first black female mayor, will headline a women's voter registration rally at the State Capitol Thursday, August 26--the 84th anniversary of women's right to vote. The event, scheduled for 11:30 in the Rotunda of the State Capitol, highlights a nation-wide effort to honor women who sacrificed for the right to vote in the early twentieth century and in the 1960s.

The Myth of a Red South?

Alternet is discussing several polls and news articles that seem to indicate that Bush does not have the South all sewn up: "But as the election draws nearer, polling trends show that just isn't the case. The Raleigh News & Observer North Carolina came out with a poll this week showing George Bush ahead by a mere three points, well within the 4% margin of error. ... Witness Rassmussen's poll numbers for Arkansas, where Bush and Kerry are tied at 46%. There's also Virginia, where Bush leads Kerry by three points, 49% to 46%, with a five-point margin of error. Numbers like these rule out the notion that the South is 'Bush country.'" I just think the choice of "red" to indicate conservative states is hilarious. Who came up with that?!

Reach Out and Blog Someone

It's back to school, and chances are you and your friends won't be enrolled in the same college, much less the same city. You'll be making new friends, of course, but as the old saying goes, you'll want to keep the old. This task, once daunting and time consuming (thousands upon thousands of dollars spent on stationary, a long-distance bill that'll take you more time to pay off than your student loans) is made relatively painless by the Internet. There are innumerable, completely free Web services out there designed to help you keep in touch. From weblogs to mailing groups and profile networks, here's a rundown of the best of the best.

Mike Padilla

Mike Padilla, 20, a Millsaps College student—an actor, a director, a techie and an award-winning playwright—is involved in the theater at Millsaps on every possible level. Right now he's working backstage on "The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr: Abridged," which opens Aug. 25. Next up, he's directing Jean Anouilh's version of "Antigone." When I asked him when we could get together, he told me to "just stop by the theater any time, I'll be there pretty much all day." I finally caught up with him sitting at a makeup table in the dressing room at Millsaps, writing in his notebook. Surrounded by masks, wigs and witch hats, Padilla seemed entirely at home.

Historic Preservation Review Board Meets

The Mississippi Historic Preservation Professional Review Board will meet on Thursday, Sept. 16, at 1 p.m. in the boardroom on the third floor of the William F. Winter Archives and History Building in

Ron Reagan's ‘Honest Guy's Critique of George W. Bush'

Here's the text of Ron Reagan's piece in the September issue of Esquire—and he seems more willing to speak his mind than he was at the Democratic National Convention: "The far-right wing of the country—nearly one third of us by some estimates—continues to regard all who refuse to drink the Kool-Aid (liberals, rationalists, Europeans, et cetera) as agents of Satan. Bush could show up on video canoodling with Paris Hilton and still bank their vote. Right-wing talking heads continue painting anyone who fails to genuflect deeply enough as a 'hater,' and therefore a nut job, probably a crypto-Islamist car bomber. But these protestations have taken on a hysterical, almost comically desperate tone. It's one thing to get trashed by Michael Moore. But when Nobel laureates, a vast majority of the scientific community, and a host of current and former diplomats, intelligence operatives, and military officials line up against you, it becomes increasingly difficult to characterize the opposition as fringe wackos."

Spit McGee

I had only known Willie Morris through his books. It was his words, read in faraway places like Colorado and Manhattan and Nantucket, that helped me realize how southern I really was, that I wasn't the only Mississippian to be stung by northern condescension, that you can, and often should, go home again.

International Organization to Observe U.S. Election

CNN is reporting that, for the first time, the U.S. presidential election will have international observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The request for observation came after 13 Democratic members of Congress petitioned the State Department to request election monitors from the United Nations. According to the story, OSCE is the "largest regional security organization" in the world and it has sent monitors to 150 elections in 30 countries.

Slam Poets Organize Against Bush

[Verbatim] Coming off the heels of the their hugely successful Rhyme Night showcase series, Contrabandit.com has been recruited by Slam Bush PAC and the Indy Voter PAC to organize Slam Bush, a nationwide MC battle and poetry slam series created to empower the hip-hop generation to take a stand against President George W. Bush. Starting in August, Slam Bush events will be taking place in important battle ground states to set the stage for political organizers to register thousands of Hip-Hop fans for the November 2nd election.

Cheryl Lasseter

Cheryl Lasseter, the weekend morning anchor at WLBT-TV3, was Cheryl Frazel when she arrived in Jackson, a Baltimore native who grew up in a suburb. While earning her communication degree at Towson University in 1992, she deejayed at the college radio station. "I always had TV in the back of my mind, but I never thought I could do that; that was for really, really talented people," Lasseter said as we talked in the children's book section of Lemuria, while her 18-month-old son Sean played nearby.

Gov't Used Old Info for Monday's Terrorism Scare

NY Tmes reports: "Much of the information that led the authorities to raise the terror alert at several large financial institutions in the New York City and Washington areas was three or four years old, intelligence and law enforcement officials said on Monday. They reported that they had not yet found concrete evidence that a terrorist plot or preparatory surveillance operations were still under way. But the officials continued to regard the information as significant and troubling because the reconnaissance already conducted has provided Al Qaeda with the knowledge necessary to carry out attacks against the sites in Manhattan, Washington and Newark. They said Al Qaeda had often struck years after its operatives began surveillance of an intended target."

No Worry: The Feds Will Pay for Medicare (Maybe)

In a bizarre twist in ideology, Gov. Haley Barbour told Neshoba County Fair go-ers Thursday that the federal government should pick up the tab for the health-care costs of poor and disabled Mississippians. "Mississippi taxpayers shouldn't pay for health care coverage that the federal government will pay for," Barbour said, as reported by the Associated Press (and not by The Clarion-Ledger in its report today, which focuses more on Barbour's sophomoric bashing of John Kerry, calling him the "ideological twin" of Teddy Kennedy. Na na na na, boo boo.)

Federal Deficit to Top $450 Billion; Medicare in Trouble?

AP is reporting: "The White House's projection of a record federal deficit that could approach $450 billion this year will further fuel a campaign-season dispute over President Bush's handling of the economy. Bush's budget office planned to release its latest forecast Friday. Its magnitude, described by congressional aides speaking on condition of anonymity, will easily surpass last year's $375 billion, the largest ever in dollar terms. Republicans said the number would underscore the economy's upturn because it shows improvement over early this year, when expectations were for an even larger shortfall. [...] Some congressional aides said the report might also project an increase in spending by Medicare, the government's $300 billion health insurance program for the elderly and disabled. That could further heighten concerns about the program's solvency, already in jeopardy over the next two decades with the impending retirement of the huge baby-boom generation. Medicare's anticipated rapid growth in coming years is expected to be a major engine keeping the budget in the red. The report's release was coming two weeks after an often-ignored July 15 deadline, a delay White House officials attributed to a desire for accurate numbers." [emphasis added]

Full Text of John Kerry's Convention Speech

My name is John Kerry, and I am reporting for duty. We are here tonight because we love our country. We are proud of what America is and what it can become. My fellow Americans: we are here tonight united in one simple purpose: to make America stronger at home and respected in the world. A great American novelist wrote that you can't go home again. He could not have imagined this evening. Tonight, I am home. Home where my public life began and those who made it possible live. Home where our nation's history was written in blood, idealism, and hope. Home where my parents showed me the values of family, faith, and country. Thank you, all of you, for a welcome home I will never forget.

Joecephus Martin

Joecephus Martin, 24, is comfortable in his own skin. As I watch the time, he sits back in a black leather chair, and says, "I'm from the South, I don't rush." He is a teacher, a rapper, a student, a voter, a listener, a talker and a realistic dreamer.

AP: Bush's Record Has Him in Tough Spot

AP is reporting: "Bad news for President Bush: Americans are anxious about the economy and unhappy about the Iraq war. The number of soldiers killed will probably hit the psychologically important 1,000 mark before the November election. And in the political horse race, he is tied or worse with Democratic rival John Kerry. There's a strong market for change at the White House, lifting Democrats' hopes.

Dean Warns about Draft at ‘Rock the Vote' Party

CBS News reports: "As people wondered if former President Bill Clinton was here yet, and college-age guys scanned the chatting celebrities in the VIP area for actress Natalie Portman, the packed club of young Democrats cheered wildly. Former Gov. Howard Dean was on stage, chopping his arm, yelling passionately. The 2,000-person crowd roars. Dean avows: 'If you want a draft, vote for George Bush!'"

Blogging the Convention

List of and links to credentialed bloggers:

Forget boring corporate news accounts of the Dems' big party in Boston. The most entertaining way to follow the action is through the blogging coming out of Beantown. Following are a sampling of blogs that delegates are posting directly from inside. We'll post more as we find them. Enjoy.

Judge Blocks New Mississippi Anti-Abortion Law

Clarion-Ledger is reporting: "Mississippi's new abortion law infringes on a woman's 14th Amendment right to have an abortion early in the second trimester, a federal judge has ruled. In a ruling made public today, U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee kept in place a preminary injunction he issued July 2 that prevented the law from going into affect. The law would have limited abortions after the 13th week of pregnancy to hospitals and ambulatory surgical clinics."

Bush Tries to Lure Black Voters

The New York Times is reporting: "President Bush tried on Friday to sow doubts about Democrats' commitment to black Americans and told black voters 'there is an alternative this year' -- him. At the same time, Bush acknowledged, "Listen, the Republican Party has got a lot of work to do. I understand that.'''

Fahrenheit 9/11 Worrying GOP

AP is reporting: "Republicans initially dismissed 'Fahrenheit 9/11' as a cinematic screed that would play mostly to inveterate Bush bashers. Four weeks and $94 million later, the film is still pulling in moviegoers at 2,000 theaters around the country, making Republicans nervous as it settles into the American mainstream. 'I'm not sure if it moves voters,' GOP consultant Scott Reed said, 'but if it moves 3 or 4 percent it's been a success.'"

Wayne Dowdy Will Worry State GOP

Clarion-Ledger columnist Sid Salter writes that new Mississippi Democratic Party head Wayne Dowdy will worry the state Republicans: "Dowdy is a formidable opponent in every sense of the term. He's smart. He's tough. Dowdy has the demonstrated skills to repair some of the fundamental weaknesses of the Democratic Party in Mississippi — money and organization. But Dowdy's greatest weapon is the Medicaid debacle — Haley Barbour's size 13EEE political Achilles heel — and he'll use it."

Minor: Miss. GOP Lying About ‘Highest-Taxed State'

Columnist Bill Minor writes this week: "Bad enough that the chief propagandist for the Mississippi Republican Party is a turncoat Democrat, but worse that he lies to make taxpayers believe they can't afford health care for 65,000 of the state's neediest. State GOP chairman Jim Herring on Mississippi Public Broadcasting's 'Statewide Live' the other night kept repeating the fallacious party line that Mississippi is 'the highest taxed state in the nation.' Absolute hogwash. The facts are that Mississippians are among the nation's most lightly taxed.

Poll: Dems Lead on Most Issues; Kerry and Bush Tied

AP is reporting: "John Kerry is heading to his party's national convention with Democrats faring better with the public on both domestic and international issues, according to a poll released Wednesday. But Kerry remains locked in a tie in the presidential race. When people are asked which party would do a better job of handling a given issue, Democrats are now 12 points up on handling the economy and have an even larger lead on issues from education to health care and the environment, according to the poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

Shop Local: Liz Henry, Fondren Traders

We just heard about two great retail sales—one at Liz Henry and another at Fondren Traders, both in Fondren. Both are discounting their very stuff up to 40 percent to make room for fall merchandise. Head on over there and tell 'em the JFP sent you.

Ellington