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Mississippi GOP on McCain: ‘Heard Nothing'

The Daily Mississippian is reporting that all plans are moving ahead (except for people having to cancel already due the financial risk) for the debate Friday night. Even the Mississippi Republican Party had gotten nothing from the McCain campaign:

Fall-Out: ‘Women for Obama' Event Canned; Caterer Loses $7,000

Just in, verbatim:

Due to the uncertainty surrounding the Presidential Debate scheduled for Ole Miss, the Federation of Democratic Women reluctantly postpone the Women for Obama-Biden Forum.

What Will Barbour Say?

Gov. Haley Barbour is holding a press conference with Ole Miss Chancellor Robert Khayat at 11 a.m. today on campus. This press event was already scheduled, but took on a new urgency after John McCain announced that he was standing Oxford up for the presidential debate this Friday. One wonders how the governor will handle being stuck between a frantic Oxford and supporting a candidate he doesn't like much of his own party.

Oxford Residents Sharing Homes, Volunteering, Spending ... for Nothing?

This is about more than you.

To put John McCain's bailout on Mississippi in perspective, recall that Oxford homeowners have been bending over backward to both rent and share their homes with visiting journalists and others in town for the debates. You see, Sen. McCain, Oxford is a small town without a ton of hotel rooms. People have planned for months for this event. Many have volunteered for months. People have spent a lot of money. Ole Miss itself has spent $5.5 million; small businesses have stocked up in ways they cannot afford to lose.

Gov. Winter: McCain Takes ‘Red' Mississippi for Granted

Former Gov. William Winter, an Ole Miss graduate and the founder of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, had this to say about McCain trying to stand up Ole Miss:

What Are We Gonna Do With All This Stuff?

OXFORD—You're going to hear more from us tomorrow about the money Oxford stands to lose if the debate falls through. But it's also time to consider those purchases Ole Miss made that will quickly seem ridiculous without a presidential debate. We appreciate the hospitality, Ole Miss, but you might regret getting:

Letterman Ticked; Olbermann Takes McCain Spot

Per The New York Times Caucus Blog, McCain may be in Dave's doghouse:

Ole Miss Students Address 'Economics' of McCain Bailout

That's the best way to describe the attitude on here at the University of Mississippi. Months of planning. Millions of dollars. All down the drain because of one apparent maverick's desire to stay "above politics." For the candidates, the debate at Ole Miss is simply one obstacle in a series of hurdles that ends with a potential stint at the White House. For Ole Miss, the debate is everything, the final pat on the back that the university has been seeking ever since it started burying its Confederate past under Chancellor Robert Khayat's administration. And, for a moment at least, it seems ruined. John McCain stood them up, or is trying to, at least.

Ole Miss to ABC: ‘Devastating'

Andrew Mullins, special assistant to the Chancellor at Ole Miss, told ABC News that postponing the debate would be "devastating" and that the university has invested millions in the debate scheduled for Friday night.

James Meredith on the 5 Most Important People in the Obama Campaign

In James Meredith's JFP Interview this week, he details the five people he believes have (or had) the greatest effect on the Obama campaign, starting with Sean Hannity. His thoughts, verbatim:

McCain Wants Oxford on Call for a Maybe-Veep Debate

Sheer absurdity. It just gets worse, as McCain also tries to find a way to reschedule (or cancel) Palin's debate with Biden. CNN Political Ticker:

Doing It Our Way

My favorite James Meredith story involved the über contrarian sot Christopher Hitchens. Todd and I were asked to "entertain" Hitch during his visit to Millsaps College a few years back; after he arrived from the airport, we met him at Que Sera Sera and, essentially, watched him drink all afternoon and pontificate his passionate-but-weak reasons for supporting the Iraq War.

Top 13 Ways Oxford Can Replace the Debate

1. Pick-up Ultimate Frisbee between the Gay-Straight Alliance and the College Republicans.

Now that John McCain is cutting and running from the first debate, the town of Oxford is left bursting at the seams with people, reporters, and lots of extra food, booze and energy. So, the JFP staff decided to them out and come up with alternative activities for Friday evening.

Verbatim: James Meredith Policy On Interviews

I will grant an interview only to people who agree to the following five stipulations.

See what rules James Meredith makes all media—except the Jackson Free Press—agree to before granting an interview.

McCain Screwing Ole Miss?

Folo's got some good chat going over how McCain's stunt is going Ole Miss (and Mississippi). I mean, our economy can't handle getting ready for a huge political party that doesn't show. I like how olemissreb put it:

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