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Kerry to Address Black America Thursday Night

BET News is reporting: "Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry will take his case directly to Black America tonight, hoping to convince African Americans that he is more suited to be president than his predecessor. The 30-minute interview, to air at 8 p.m. tonight on BET, comes on the heels of Tuesday's heated debate between vice presidential rivals Dick Cheney and Sen. John Edwards and on the eve of a second debate between Kerry and President Bush.

Bush & Kerry's 'Southern Strategy': Ignore South

AP reports:

Chip Pickering Votes to Protect Pledge, Tax Cuts

[Verbatim statement, Sept. 23, 2004]

Pickering on votes: 'protects the values and finances of Mississippians'

The War in Iraq

October 7, 2004 It appears that the single most important issue of this campaign is the war in Iraq. Even as other domestic and security issues are part of the debate, it seems that the American electorate will demand that the president they elect be able to bring a successful and relatively swift conclusion to end of the war in Iraq—somehow. Perhaps for that reason, it's the most difficult issue to pin the candidates down on. To say that President Bush's approach is "steady as she goes" and Kerry's is "to change the direction" is an oversimplification that would seem to utterly ignore the actual issues and problems on the ground in Iraq. Both candidates have positions that are more nuanced, and both appear to be less than candid on how their approach will solve the problem.

2004 PoliticsBlog Live!

Thanks to the hard work of reporter Ayana Taylor, our 2004 PoliticsBlog is live now. We are featuring information on candidates, as well as the issues discussions that are running in the paper between now and the election. We welcome your comments and links to further information you think would benefit voters—either under the candidate's blog or under the Issues links. We're still working out a few design kinks, so bear with us on those. But let us know any technical kinds that indicate that something isn't working right. Write: [e-mail missing] to report problems. Cheers, again, to Ayana.

YOU Can Help Protect 2004 Election Integrity

Election Protection Volunteer Training Schedule

The Mississippi Center for Justice announces the following training sessions for folks interesting in helping to protect this year's elections. Note that Jackson's program is THURSDAY, Oct. 7, so hurry!

Factcheck.org: Cheney & Edwards Mangle Facts

A few factcheck.org report just in: "Getting it wrong about combat pay, Halliburton, and FactCheck.org Cheney wrongly implied that FactCheck had defended his tenure as CEO of Halliburton Co., and the vice president even got our name wrong. He overstated matters when he said Edwards voted "for the war" and "to commit the troops, to send them to war." He exaggerated the number of times Kerry has voted to raise taxes, and puffed up the number of small business owners who would see a tax increase under Kerry's proposals.

Bush Grounded for Skipping Exam

MSNBC Reports:

More than a week after a court-imposed deadline to turn over all records of President George W. Bush's military service, the Texas Air National Guard belatedly produced two documents Tuesday that include Bush's orders for his last day of active duty in 1973.

Republican Women Defecting to Kerry

Leigh Flayton writes in Salon about Republican women planning to vote for John Kerry this year due to George W. Bush's extremism: "Judith Allen, longtime Arizonan and lifelong Republican, says her choice is clear. She is voting for John Kerry on Nov. 2 and says there's plenty more where she came from. Allen is not a lone voice, crying in the wilderness. She currently serves as a volunteer coordinator for the group, Republicans for Kerry, which believes in 'putting aside partisan politics to do what is right for America.' In spite of recent polls to the contrary, Allen says her fellow Republicans, turned off by the Bush administration's sharp turn to the right, are defecting in droves to the other side. If what these Arizonans want is any indication, Bush may well be in trouble. Since Arizona earned statehood in 1912, no Republican has been elected president without carrying the state." [...]

Wife Says Edgar Ray Killen Not Attending Fair

Associated Press is reporting: "A reputed Ku Klux Klansman under investigation for the 1964 slayings of three civil rights workers in Mississippi has no intention of joining a white supremacist group at next week's state fair, his wife said Friday. Betty Jo Killen, in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from her home in Union, said her 79-year-old husband never told Nationalist Movement leader Richard Barrett that he would attend the fair. 'He has nothing to do with the booth,' she told The AP. 'That is Richard Barrett's doing. Richard Barrett wanted publicity and he got plenty.'"

Did Kerry Win the Debate?

A New York Times editorial today called Bush's performance "downright petulant": "George W. Bush is famous for fierce discipline when it comes to sticking to a carefully honed, simple message. Last night he reiterated this campaign message once again - that "the world is safer without Saddam Hussein" and that things are, on the whole, going well in Iraq. [...] But last night Mr. Bush sounded less convincing when he had to make his case in the face of Mr. Kerry's withering criticism, particularly his repeated insistence that the invasion had diverted attention from the true center of the war on terror in Afghanistan."

Ceola James

" />Former Ninth District Chancery Judge, Ceola James , is seeking a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court, District One, Position 2. This seat was left vacant by the retirement of Justice Fred Banks from the bench in 2001. Ceola previously qualified to run in the special election that was set for November 5, 2002. James E. Graves, Jr. was appointed as an interim Justice in 2001 until a special election could be held, but the one year appointment was extended to three years when the special election that was set for November 5, 2002 was retroactively cancelled by the Mississippi Legislature. The general election will take place on November 2, 2004. She is happy to be back on the ballot! The general election has drawn two new candidates, Samac S. Richardson and William L. "Bill" Skinner. All candidates are non partisan. No party primaries were necessary. Please consider Ceola James. She needs your vote.

Bill Skinner

"/> William Louis "Bill" Skinner, II, a Mississippi native, was born into a family of Mississippi Law Enforcement, and has continued that legacy to this day. Bill, the oldest son of Minette Skinner and the late Louis Skinner, was born February 9, 1959, at the Holmes County Community Hospital in Lexington, Mississippi. After the birth of Bill's younger brother, Michael, in September of 1961, the Skinner's moved to Jackson, Mississippi where Bill's father was a member of the Jackson Police Department. Louis Skinner joined the Jackson Police Department as a raw recruit in October of 1960. In September of 1962, Bill's youngest brother, Chris, was born, and for the next nine years, the Skinner household was very busy. The Skinner boys, as they were known in the neighborhood, enjoyed the all American childhood with parents that made sure they were involved in church activities as well as sports. By 1971, Bill's father, Louis, had progressed to the rank of Detective Lieutenant with the Jackson Police Department, and began to head a new FBI Intelligence Unit in Jackson. On August 18, 1971, seventeen Jackson Police Officers joined seventeen FBI agents in a joint effort to apprehend a Republic of New Africa (RNA) fugitive wanted by the Detroit Police on a murder warrant. As a result of the confrontation, a gun battle erupted lasting about twenty minutes. In that twenty minutes, Bill's father was shot by one of the RNA members and never regained consciousness. Twenty-one hours later on August 19, 1971, Louis died. After Louis' death, the police-training academy in Jackson was named "William Louis Skinner Police Training Academy" in his honor. After Bill's father's death, his mother, Minette, furthered her education while raising 3 young boys (Bill was twelve, Mike was eleven, and Chris was eight). She enrolled in Hinds Junior College, Raymond, and graduated as a special honor student. She then entered Mississippi College, Clinton, and graduated with distinction having earned her Bachelor of Science degree in education. In the fall of 1981 she became a full-time teacher at Robert E. Lee Elementary School in Jackson and spent the next eighteen years there. In August of 1998, she retired, and afterwards was inducted into Alpha Delta Kappa national teacher honorary. Minette now divides her time between her grandchildren and spends many weekends in Lexington helping to take care of Bill's grandmother, Ruth Moore. Bill's younger brothers Mike and Chris, are career law enforcement officers. Mike is a Lieutenant for the Hinds County Sheriff's office. He is married to Nicole Berryhill Skinner and they have one son, Michael Louis Skinner. Bill's youngest brother, Chris, worked for 19 years as a Lieutenant for the Hinds County Sheriff's office, but is presently employed as a Captain of Security at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He is married to Judy Newton Skinner and they have two sons, Christopher Wesley Skinner and Brett Lawrence Skinner. Bill attended Marshall Elementary School, Peeples Junior High, and Wingfield High School, all in Jackson. In 1980, Bill, following in his father's footsteps, graduated from the William Louis Skinner Jackson Police Department Training Academy as a Certified Law Enforcement Officer. He patrolled Precinct One for three years and Precinct Three for seven years. Bill became a Jackson Police Department Training Instructor for four years and a member of the Pistol Team for two years. In 1982, Skinner joined the Jackson Police Department's Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and was their primary door entry person for thirteen years with nine years as a trainer. Bill has trained SWAT teams all over Mississippi. As a Jackson Police Officer, Bill received two Distinguished Service Stars and a nominee for the Billy Hickman award and was nominated numerous times for Officer of the Month and Officer of the Year. He served on the Board of Directors of the State SWAT Association and was second Vice-President of the Jackson Police Officers Association. While employed for Jackson Police Department, Bill attended Hinds Community College and in 1990, Bill received his Associate of Science Degree. He then enrolled in Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi (MC), to pursue his Bachelor's Degree. After receiving his Bachelor of Science Degree, Bill entered MC's Graduate School to receive his Masters Degree. On August 31, 1992, as a Jackson Police Officer, Bill was injured in the line of duty. Due to the extensiveness of the injuries, Bill was no longer physically able to be a police officer and was forced to take a medical retirement from the Jackson Police Department in May of 1994. To date Bill has undergone eleven shoulder surgery's, as a result of his in the line of duty injury. In 1998, Bill graduated from Mississippi College School of Law. In January of 2000, Bill opened his own law practice, Skinner & Associates, LLC, in Raymond, Mississippi. Bill's primary practice was Family Law and Involuntary Drug and Alcohol Committals. Bill is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association and the Hinds County Bar. He is a certified mediator through Southern Arbitration and Mediation. On November 22, 2000, Bill was elected Hinds County Justice Court Judge for District Four, receiving almost 72% of the vote in a special election. As a Justice Court Judge, Bill was the first judge in Hinds County Justice Court to use alternative sentencing for convicted criminals, which required defendants to attend and successfully complete such classes as, drug and alcohol counseling, anger management, domestic violence counseling and perform community service. Bill was also instrumental in developing a Bond Probation program, which allowed defendants to be released on bond and have them report to a probation officer. This reduces the likelihood that they will commit another offense while they are awaiting trial. He assisted in the draft handbook for the Crime Victim Compensation Program for the State of Mississippi and also assisted the Mississippi's Coalition Against Domestic Violence in drafting legislation to amend a law that would revise the domestic violence provisions of the warrantless arrest statute. Bill is currently enrolled at Jackson State University, where he has completed the classroom requirements for the Public Policy and Administration Ph. D. Program, and is presently working on his dissertation, which, will address the current Domestic Violence statutes and their effect on reducing the cycle of domestic violence. On August 15, 1995, at Sugarland Wedding Chapel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Bill married Angela "Angel" Darlene Terry Skinner. She is the daughter of Charles and Betty Terry of Clinton, Mississippi. Angel was born at Hinds General Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi. She has two older brothers: Mitch Terry and Glenn Terry. Angel attended Baker Elementary School, Peeples Junior High, and Wingfield High School. She graduated from Hinds Community College with an Associate of Arts Degree. In 1992, she and Bill attended Mississippi College where Angel received her Bachelors and Masters Degree in Communications with an emphasis on Public Relations. During her graduate studies, Angel was employed at the Clinic for Women of Central Mississippi, in Jackson. She continued her employment after graduation and worked as their billing and insurance specialist until 1999. Angel has remained in the medical field but since moved to Medical Practice Solutions, a billing and management company, to become the Business Office Manager and consultant for MAE Physicians Surgery Center, LLC, an ambulatory surgery center in Jackson. Angel also serves as the Hinds County Republican Party's Secretary and member of its Executive Committee. Today Bill and Angel have three children: Tiffany Rena' Skinner (20), William "Trey" Louis Skinner, III (7), and Angela Nicole "Nikki" Skinner (1). Tiffany is a student at Hinds Community College, Trey is at Gary Road Elementary School, and Nikki attends Christian Love Preschool in Jackson. Bill and his family live in Raymond, Mississippi, and actively attend Wynndale Baptist Church in Terry, Mississippi. During Bill's leisure time he enjoys walking, martial arts, riding his Harley Davidson Motorcycle, riding dirt bikes with his son, coaching little league baseball, scouting with his son, and traveling each summer with his family. Bio and picture taken from the official Bill Skinner campaign website

Jim Giles

"/> Jimmy Darrell Giles was born in Baptist Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi in 1959, son of James Stanton Giles (tow boat diesel mechanic on the Mississippi River, born in Waynesboro, Mississippi in Wayne County, graduate of Byram High School, killed in automobile accident in 1970) and Margaret Rose Hutchins (successful small business owner, frame shop, born in Carthage, Mississippi in Leake County, graduate of Central High School, retired). Giles' father was an avid fisherman especially at Mississippi's Oxbow Lakes where many a bream and white perch were caught with cane poles. Giles is certain that when he gets all of Mississippi's third congressional district fishermen to the polls, he wins. Period. Giles' mother lived off what is now Old Highway 49 South between Highway 80 and Highway 49 in Rankin County where her family frequently had to seek shelter at the Salvation Army because of flood waters, where she attended Richland schools and where she had occasion to walk through water to get to the school bus. Giles' people are like the overwhelming majority of people in Mississippi, rooted in poverty. The power and money in Mississippi are held by greedy people who belong in country clubs, not politics! Giles advocates, government by the people, not by the rich. He also advocates money for working families, not taxes! Giles graduated from Clinton High School in 1977. Giles then went on to Mississippi State University on a football scholarship where he earned B.S. and M.B.A. degrees in 1981 and 1982. Giles did not have much talent as a football player and left the team after playing two years on the "Scout Team" (Third Team). After completing college Giles attended the Sorbonne University in Paris, France where he received two degrees in French, where he lived with a French family in the Latin Quarter and where he saw massive student protests against socialist president Francois Mitterand. While living in Paris, Giles attended church at the American Church in Paris on the Seine River where the children of America's elite congregated more as a social event than a spiritual exercise. Giles learned first hand the basic contempt held by rich Democrats and Republicans for his home state as if Mississippi held a monopoly on all evil and ignorance. A quiet and shy kid growing up, Giles began speaking up in defense of Mississippi and has been defending her ever since. Giles evolved politically from Republican to libertarian to independent. Giles believes the Republican and Democrat parties to be two wings of the same entity, and that ultimately, it's okay to put your own people first. Jews and Negroes do. In 1983 Giles was hired by International Business Machines Corporation in New York City where he worked on Madison Avenue as a systems engineer and marketing representative next door to trump Tower. Giles was hired more specifically by an Irishman, Robert J. Riordan, with whom he later had a falling out over criticism of Mississippi. Time and time again, the more profitable path, the political path would have been to stay quiet when others put down Mississippi but not Giles. In 1988 Giles departed IBM for a job in Europe, promoting an amusement game to military facilities for Converse Germany where he saw the Berlin Wall come down and Eastern Europe go free. Landing back in Atlanta, Georgia in 1992 Giles sold window cleaning services until 1994 when he became a political activist and founded Southern Initiative to promote pride in Southern heritage and advocate limited government in the eleven ex-Confederate states. Southern Initiative has since been dissolved and Giles is now engaged in a perpetual Independent political campaign. Only 35% of the eligible voters show up on Election Day. Giles' local campaign is aimed at those who don't vote and those who hold their nose when they do. Giles says, "No more phony elections!" His campaign is serious about pro-life and pro-family. Are you? He will fight to stop taxing and killing children. Immigration is the largest threat facing America today and Giles says, "Defend American borders now! Support immigration? Then you pay for them!" Giles, 45, single, who lives in rural Rankin County once an avid runner completing the New York City Marathon in 1987 with a time of 4:15:41, owns and operates a web hosting company, Rebel Army dot Net. Giles stands 6' 4" and weighs in at 230 pounds, a deeply flawed individual with a ferocious temper but his heart is in the right place! Biographies, especially political biographies are primarily aimed at exaggerating the candidate's virtues. Giles will be the first to admit that he is dumb as a fence post but that his determination to represent the PEOPLE is without peer. Unlike Chip Pickering, Jim Giles will never pretend to be somebody that he is not. Bio and picture taken from the official Jim Giles campaign website

Chip Pickering

/> Congressman Chip Pickering hails from a longtime Republican family from Laurel, Mississippi. Currently serving his fourth term representing Mississippi's Third District, he was first elected to Congress in 1996, at the age of 33. Chip serves as Vice Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee and also serves on the Agriculture Committee. He is also an assistant majority whip in the House of Representatives. Before coming to Congress, Chip pioneered the first full-time presence by a Southern Baptist missionary behind the Iron Curtain in Budapest, the capital of then communist Hungary. President George H. W. Bush appointed Chip to the United States Department of Agriculture to bring economic and democratic reform to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Later, as a member of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott's staff, and as a professional staff member on the Senate Commerce Committee, Chip helped shape the landmark Telecommunications Act of 1996. He continues to be a leader on telecommunications and technology issues reflecting the growing importance of these industries to Mississippi's economic future. Chip served as George W. Bush's Co-Chairman of Mississippi for Bush 2000 and has been chosen again this year as President Bush's Co-Chairman of Mississippi for Bush 2004. Chip's growing record of achievement has earned him a reputation as an effective voice for Mississippi's interests, a rising star in the Congress, and a champion for the changes that are transforming America's economy in this century and beyond. Chip holds a bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi and a masters degree in business administration from Baylor University. Chip is married to the former Leisha Jane Prather of Memphis, Tennessee. Leisha is an accomplished pastry chef with some of her creations featured on the Food Network. She also operates an event planning business. She has coordinated events for the Presidential Inauguration, planned the 9-11 Widows' Baby Shower in New York, worked with the First Lady's Luncheon, and catered dinners for some of the most prominent names in Washington, DC including Karl Rove, President George W. Bush's chief advisor. After graduating from the University of Mississippi where she was a cheerleader, Leisha worked with high school students while serving on the staff at a church in Dallas, Texas. She has also served in missions work in China, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Palmer Home for Children, leads the Congressional Members and Families Committee, and works with organizations including the Republican Spouses, Congressional Club, and the International Club. Chip and Leisha have five sons: Will, Ross, Jackson, Asher, and Harper. The Pickering family resides on a small farm in rural Madison County. Bio and picture taken from the official Chip Pickering campaign website

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