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Hood Takes Gloves Off Over Barbour Ballot Scheme
[Verbatim from Attorney General Jim Hood] Jackson, MS-Gov. Haley Barbour's ill-conceived attempt to gain a partisan political advantage for his party and violate state law is an embarrassment for both his office and the state's voters, Attorney General Jim Hood said today. "If Gov. Barbour believes his legal acumen is greater than that of a legal staff with a combined 100 years of experience in election law -- including two attorneys considered the deans of election law in Mississippi -- then he is walking in a dream world," General Hood said in reference to the career attorneys in his office.
Barbour: 'Why I'll Veto the Tax Bill'
*verbatim via e-mail* There has been a lot of discussion over the past few days about Senate Bill 2310, which proposes to eliminate the sales tax on groceries and increase the tax on cigarettes. Despite the initial claims that this proposal is simple and revenue neutral, this bill in fact shortchanges our towns and cities which are already strapped in post-Katrina times and destroys our ability to increase needed funding for education in the future.
Lott to Chair Hearing on Amtrak's Future
[statement/verbatim] April 20, 2005–U.S. Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi, chairman of the U.S. Senate Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Subcommittee, will conduct a hearing Thursday morning on the future of America's National Railroad Passenger Corporation–Amtrak.
Returns: National Elections
OK, it's getting there. Polls will start closing soon. Please use this thread to discuss the returns as they come in.
[Just In] JPS Superintendent's Remarks on Full Funding
These are the remarks of Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Earl Watkins today at a press conference at the Department of Education calling for the governor and the hold-out members of the Senate to adequately fund public education.
Returns: Local & State Elections
Use this blog to discussion Mississippi and Jackson elections. Yes, non-Jacksonians are welcome. Here's to America and freedom.
Just In: Ashcroft Sending Poll Watchers to Mississippi
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES FEDERAL OBSERVERS TO MONITOR GENERAL ELECTION IN STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY (including) Jones, Kemper, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, and Winston Counties, Mississippi.
Sinclair Opts for 'Fair and Balanced' After All
New York Times reports: "After stirring up protest over its plans to broadcast a documentary critical of Senator John Kerry, the Sinclair Broadcast Group presented a program last night that gave short shrift to that film and offered instead a measured analysis of the debate over Mr. Kerry's Vietnam War record. The hourlong special program, produced by the news department at Sinclair, a major financial supporter of Republican candidates and which regularly features conservative commentary on its newscasts, included as many backers of Mr. Kerry as critics.
Barbour and his Deadbeat Mississippians
June 11, 2004–Today in The New York Times, columnist Bob Herbert nails Barbour's cuts to Medicaid recipients–the worst Medicaid cuts ever: "If you want to see 'compassionate' conservatism in action, take a look at Mississippi, a state that is solidly in the red category (strong for Bush) and committed to its long tradition of keeping the poor and the unfortunate in as ragged and miserable a condition as possible. How's this for compassion? Mississippi has approved the deepest cut in Medicaid eligibility for senior citizens and the disabled that has ever been approved anywhere in the U.S."
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.
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." [...]
Kerry, Dems to Campaign in Mississippi
I'm happy to see the national Democratic Party taking Mississippi seriously. It's so insulting when national media, politicos or anyone else assume that all of our minds are already made up, or that we all think and vote alike (Barbour won just 52 percent of the vote in November, after all, and in an election where many people thought the candidates were near just alike; imagine the possibilities if voters believe they have a real choice). And those assumptions are self-perpetuating. The Clarion-Ledger reports: "With Mississippi's primary over, Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's campaign is mobilizing in the state. The senator does not necessarily need the South to win, however. Nor is it likely he will see any of Mississippi's six electoral votes from a state that has not voted for a Democratic president since Jimmy Carter in 1976. But Democrats here say Kerry's campaign, if nothing else, will be an opportunity to strengthen their party in the state and promote their philosophies in the months leading to Election Day on Nov. 2."
Salter Bashes Holland on Medicaid
Sid Salter's column today bashes Rep. Steve Holland for originally supporting Haley Barbour's Medicaide bill, accusing him of "crawfishing": "Trouble is, the record shows that Holland was the chief House negotiator in the legislative conference committee that approved the Barbour-backed Medicaid reform bill which removed the PLAD category from Medicaid coverage in the first place. Holland signed off on the conference report, presented it to the House, and spoke passionately in favor of its passage. Holland sold his fellow House members on the wisdom of removing the category from Medicaid. Don't believe it? Ask them."
Vouchers, They Are A'Comin'
AP is reporting that national Republicans are about to make a push for vouchers: "Republican Senate leaders plan to force a vote this week on the nation's first federally funded school voucher experiment, tucking the program into broader spending legislation that would be politically difficult for Democrats to block.
Barbour supporting NAFTA, on tape
The Governor issued the following statement
Musgrove revealed old TV footage yesterday showing that Haley Barbour, indeed, supported NAFTA (as if this is in doubt, but Barbour denies it). The statement: "In Mississippi, Barbour tries to cover up his efforts to pass NAFTA, but tape from Barbour,s years in Washington tells a different story Musgrove asks Congress to pass legislation to keep Mississippi jobs from going to China. ... (Jackson, MS) Governor Ronnie Musgrove held a press conference this afternoon to talk about Haley Barbour's involvement in the passage of NAFTA. The Musgrove campaign showed a Haley Barbour on C-SPAN talking about working to pass NAFTA and flatly saying "we supported [Clinton] on NAFTA." After NAFTA passed, Barbour held a press conference. During that press conference, when he was asked about trade issues, Barbour launched into a discussion of the passage of NAFTA. He said, "we did what we said we were going to do" What he was referring to was, of course, supplying to votes necessary to pass NAFTA — which he was absolutely successful in doing. Barbour was so proud of this success that he called it a "real, bright light" of that year. Recently, Barbour has tried to cover up his efforts to pass NAFTA, calling the suggestion that he was involved "silly." But tens of thousands of Mississippi jobs moving to other countries is not "silly." Neither are Barbour's efforts to pass NAFTA. Because Mississippi jobs, especially in the furniture industry in Northeast Mississippi, are being threatened by China, Governor Musgrove has expressed his support for S. 1586. This bill, which is co-sponsored by Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), would authorize tariffs of 27.5% on goods imported, directly or indirectly, from China into the United States. Senator Dole said: "Many of North Carolina's economic woes related to manufacturing can be summed up in one word. One word. And I know you know what it is: China." (News Observer, Dole blames China for NC trade woes, October 14, 2003). Haley Barbour hasn,t proposed any solution to the China problem - he only wants to investigate the issue. The time has come to do more than investigate. It,s time to take action to save Mississippi jobs.
Animal House Politics
Good Lord: Do we have a bunch of children running these campaigns? The state Republican Party has launched this silly anti-Musgrove Web site, registered to the state College Republicans at 415 Yazoo Street. (The site doesn't contain any links; only quotes lifted from longer media stories.) If these boys aren't careful, they're going to convince me to vote for Musgrove, yet, even in the wake of that "10 Commandments" mess.
2007 Friendship Ball Honorees Announced
Jackson 2000, a racial reconcilation organization, has announced that the 2007 Friendship Ball honors are Harvey Johnson Jr. and Cora Norman. The Friendship Ball will be March 3 at Hal & Mal's. More details soon.
Join the JFP for Southern Fried Karaoke Saturday
Join Donna and Todd for the third annual holiday edition of Southern Fried Karaoke this Saturday, Dec. 9, starting at 9 p.m. in the Hal & Mal's restaurant. Good singers *more* than welcome. Bring your hats and other appropriate props; seasonal sparkles and sequins always welcome.
Local Blues Musician Loses Everything in Fire
Virgil Brawley (of the Juvenators) and his wife lost everything in a fire this morning that destroyed their Belhaven Heights home and its contents, including a very large collection of vintage guitars. The local music community is in the process of setting up a fund at Mississippi Music to replace some of his music gear. However, they need some stuff in the short run. Charly Abraham has volunteered Hal & Mal's as a collection point for needed items and money. Please drop by tonight (Thursday) and donate a few bucks or some clothes or a toothbrush. Lisa Palmer and the Knight Bruce Group are playing. Todd and I will be going there after the Pix Capri benefit. Best, Donna
Merry Christmas & Happy Kwanzaa from the JFP Staff
Todd, Donna, Stephen, Renee, Jakob, Darren, Brian, Natalie, Adam, JoAnne, Herman, Ronni, Casey, Pat, Korey and the other JFP contributors wish you all a safe and thoughtful Christmas and Kwanzaa week. May you all experience peace and prosperity in the new year.