Working Women Demand Family and Economic Policy Focus
[Verbatim] As Governor Palin and Senator Biden prepare for the V.P. debate, much attention will be paid to the role of women voters and how they may decide the outcome of the elections. In the meantime, a growing working women's movement is advocating for policies that value families at work, such as paid sick days, equal pay and the flexibility to take time off to care for a sick child or attend a parent-teacher conference. Polling shows Americans, particularly women, support these issues. While many are asking how Sarah Palin manages work and family responsibilities, advocates argue the real issue is making it possible for all workers to meet their family responsibilities without risking their jobs or their paychecks.
SEIU: Stand Up for Main Street
[verbatim] WASHINGTON, DC – With Congress continuing to debate a bailout of Wall Street banks, Senators will hear from voters this week calling for action on the economic priorities of Main Street. The two million-member SEIU (Service Employees International Union) announced today it will make 150,000 calls this week to Senators running for reelection, criticizing them for failing to take action on a broader stimulus package to ease the economic pain of working families.
Walker's Drive-In Now Open Monday Nights
Walker's Drive-In in Fondren is open for business on Monday nights.
Hotel Owner Sentenced in Price Gouging Case
[Verbatim from Attorney General Jim Hood] Jackson, MS-A Jackson hotel owner has been sentenced in a price gouging case investigated and prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office, Division of Consumer Protection. Ibraham K. Khoder, age 60, (address 10713 Hill Tree) owner of the Select 10, 4639 I-55 North Jackson, MS, was cited for misdemeanor Price Gouging on September 1, 2008 during the State of Emergency Declared for Hurricane Gustav. Khoder entered a plea of no contest to the charge yesterday in Hinds County Justice Court. Judge Frank Sutton found him guilty and ordered him to pay a fine of $500, plus restitution to the consumer ($17) and court costs.
Barbour Proclaims October as Dine Out Mississippi Month
[Verbatim] Mississippi Hospitality & Restaurant Association is pleased to announce that Governor Haley Barbour has proclaimed the month of October as Dine Out Mississippi Month. Recognizing the importance of the restaurant industry to Mississippi's economy, Governor Barbour states, "Mississippi's restaurants are a cornerstone of our economy,"
Study Guide for Veep Debate
[Verbatim] WASHINGTON, DCThe Wonk Room has released a new study guide to educate those watching the vice-presidential debate about Gov. Sarah Palin's positions on domestic and foreign policy and the errors the McCain-Palin campaign commits in explaining their stance on the issues.
Will McCain's Health-Care Plan Raise Taxes?
The Center for American Progress is announcing a new report Wednesday that finds "McCain Health Plan Will Raise Taxes, Take Away Missouri Families' Health Care." Verbatim:
GOP: Watch the Racist Talking Points
Just hours after the Dow closed Monday down 777 points, a JFP reader posted the "reason" for the financial crisis on our Web site: "The subprime mortgage gateway was led by Democrats (Carter, then Clinton) insistent on the theory (while noble) that everyone should be able to buy a home. Not everyone can." This sounds innocent enough. But it is vital to read the fine print.
Wanted: Weather Observers in Mississippi
[Verbatim] The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, better known as CoCoRaHS, has recently expanded into Mississippi and is looking for volunteer weather observers across the Magnolia State! CoCoRaHS, which is being sponsored by the Office of the Mississippi State Climatologist and the National Weather Service, is a unique, non-profit, community based network of volunteer weather observers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and report precipitation amounts (rain, hail and snow). By using low-cost and self-provided measurement tools, the aim of CoCoRaHS is to provide the maximum amount of data for natural resource education as well as research applications, because, as we say "every drop counts."
WSJ: ‘Completely Green' Sarah Palin Cramming for Debate
The Wall Street Journal is reporting on the struggle to get Gov. Sarah Palin ready for her vice presidential debate Thursday, and that Todd Palin is upset that his wife has been separated too much from her family:
Travis Childers: Why I Voted Against the Bailout
Congressman Travis Childers just released a statement on why he voted against the $700 billion bailout today. Verbatim:
House Rejects Bailout Plan; Dow Plummets
CNN is reporting the bailout plan went down in the U.S. House of Representatives by a 228-205 vote. Mississippi Rep. Chip Pickering voted for it; Reps. Bennie Thompson, Travis Childers and Gene Taylor voted against it. (View roll-call vote). CNN:
McCain's ‘Failed State' Gaffe
One of the surprises in Friday night's debate was Sen. John McCain blatant gaffe about Pakistan being a "failed state"ironically in a moment when he was trying to show that Obama is the "naive" one. From McClatchy News:
CBS Poll: Obama Won Undecided Voters in Debate
Per Mark Ambinder at The Atlantic:
Presidential Obama v. Angry White Man
He sure proved the point that John McCain has nothing on him on foreign policy. And McCain was just scaryimagine him and his anger trying to repair our place in the world.
Jackson, Miss., to KKK: Drop Dead
Time:
OK, maybe not dead exactly. But let it be said that the citizens of Jackson, Miss., do not give a flying bigot what these irrevelant creeps think of us. There it is.
Sen. Richardson on Why McCain Is Losing the Latino Vote
Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M., was standing in front of the Ford Center, where the debate will start in an hour and a half. I walked up and asked him if Republicans are going to be hurt by the Latino vote. I said the Republican Party did well four years ago with Hispanics and asked if it would be different this time.
Kerry: Still Dull After All These Years
I don't know what I was expecting from Sen. John Kerrymaybe he'd found his groove after all these yearsbut when I caught up with him near the Music Building just now, I didn't manage to pull anything shocking out of him. So, who's gonna win?
But, Sen. Graham, ‘The Damn Thing Tanked'
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican and a lead of the John McCain campaign, was standing next to Spin Row (the area where all the press is, according to a sign sticking on a tree). I asked him who he thinks will win the election. He says, "Well, I know who I want to win the election." I said, "Well, do you think you (guys) will win the election?"
Sen. John Kerry and His Ribs
I just saw John Kerry in the media tent eating barbecue ribs and baked beans. No word, yet, on whether he's washed away the bitter taste of losing to George W. Bush four years ago.
Anti-Immigrant Man v. Adam Lynch
Tony Young, of Savannah, Tenn., probably in his 60s, was carrying a big sign while marching in circles around the Grove: "Stop immigration." Not "Stop Illegal Immigration," but "Stop Immigration." I walked up and pointed out that we are both children of immigrants. What makes him different from the immigrants that he's rallying against?
Howard Dean on How Obama Improved on HIS Strategy
I ran into Howard Dean, chairman of Democratic Party, in the Grove, being yanked around by his handlers. I pointed out that there are similarities between the way he ran his campaign and the way Obama fashioned his own campaign. I asked him where the two campaigns diverged in their tactics.
‘Rednecks for Obama': Two of ‘Em, Anyway
OXFORDTony Biessman, from Rollo, Mo., 74, co-founded Rednecks for Obama with his beer-drinking buddy Les Spencer. They like Obama so much that they went to Denver to the Democratic Convention and are now parked in chairs on the Ole Miss campus waiting for the debate. Why are these two rednecks for Obamanot the most obvious choice of the Redneck Nation, after all?
Parker: Palin Should Step Down for the Country
In an important mea culpa, conservative Kathleen Parker is standing up and saying what many people, likely including conservatives, are thinking: Sarah Palin ought to step down. She's not qualified, and she's making a fool out of herself and McCain. Parker today:
To Live and Get Around in Oxford
OXFORDWalking from the Square to the university, I had heard that the James Meredith contingent was marching toward the Grove. I had hoped to find them so I could take pictures. I walked up University Avenue and stopped at the concrete baricades 200 yards in front of the Ford Center, where the debate will be. Police stopped me and told me the only way for me to enter would be from Sorority Row, which is across campus. Even my debate credentials couldn't get me through this barricade with about 30 Mississippi state troopers vehicles and a SWAT van lined up. Worried that I wasn't going to make it on time, I talked my way into a Memphis taxicab already hauling a pair of lost journalists. One was a writer from Politico; the other was from a Swedish daily newspaper. I knew my way around campus and talked the cab driver into taking us to the Union and showed him how to get there. I'm still looking for the Meredith group, though.
If You're in Jackson, Do We Have A Debate Party for You!
Do we all need a drink after this week, or what!?! Come to the Red Room at Hal & Mal's tonight for a big ole progressive debate-watch party, sponsored by the Jackson Free Press, Lawyers for Obama and the Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee. (We endorsed Obama months ago, so don't whine about us being biased. We're honest.) Starting out, we'll have a serious discussion about voters' rights by a panel (I'm on it with folks from the ACLU, Democratic committee and others), and then it'll devolve into one big ole party as the debate gets going. So join us (even if you're for McCain). (And CNN may be in the house, but we don't know for sure, so don't hold it against us if they're not.) Free admission.
No Chicken Noises, but Barack Obama Is In Oxford
OXFORDForty-six years to the day since the last time James Meredith was barred entry to Ole Miss, presidential candidate Barack Obama is now on the Ole Miss campus. Local Alexis Henderson told Adam Lynch that it's about time the candidates, including the wish-washy Republican John McCain, show up. "Obama is not the type of man to follow after McCain slapping his elbows and making noises like a chicken, but for a while I thought somebody would have to do that," Henderson said.
Adam Lynch Is On the Ground in Oxford; Guard the Buffets!
That's supposed to make me feel better.
JFP reporter and curmudgeon Adam Lynch just called in from Oxford; he was standing next to the Fox News. I was worried that he was waiting for Sean Hannity (he had mentioned in passing earlier in the week that he'd like to punch him.) I asked if that was what he was up to, reminding him that he cannot violate the law while representing the JFP. No, he's not going to punch him, he assured me. "You kind of talked me out off it; chances are, he's not here anyhow," Adam said.
UPDATE: McCain Flip-Flops, Headed To Oxford
Update: CNN is reporting that Sen. John McCain has announced he will be attending tonight's presidential debate in Oxford, despite his earlier refusal to participate if an agreement had not yet been met to resolve the looming economic crisis.
Democrats Charge GOP with Trying to ‘Rescue' McCain
The Washington Post is reporting that Republicans backed out of a deal on the bailout this afternoon, with Democrats charging that some Republicans are trying to give McCain cover for backing out of the date:
Mississippi Churches to Register Voters Sunday, Sept. 28
[Verbatim] (JACKSON, Miss.) – On the cusp of what will be historic election, the Jackson (MS) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated announces its "Voter Registration Countdown" through Oct. 3. As a statewide effort targeted to register some of the 400,000 Mississippians who are not registered to vote in the upcoming November election, the local chapter has harnessed its energies on three fundamental components including high schools, churches and communities.
Mississippi Black Caucus Endorses Obama
Granted, no surprise here, but the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus just released a statement endorsing Barack Obama, and perhaps more important pledging a massive get-out-the-vote effort for November. Verbatim:
LWV: ‘Make Good' on Debate Pledge
Even as John McCain is still resisting the debate, the League of Women Voters released this statement, verbatim:
Sarah Silverman on Why Jews Gotta Vote for Obama
Sarah Silverman has a hilarious video out to bring home the point to young Jews that they need to shlep their butts to Florida and get their grandparents to vote for Obama. Caution: Not PC.
Barbour: ‘I Expect There to Be a Debate'
At a press conference that just concluded at the University of Mississippi, Gov. Haley Barbour said that the debate is happening Friday night, as far as he is concerned: "It's going to be a great debate tomorrow night ... we're excited about it and that the state gets to host it."
Ole Miss Student Paper Poll: ‘It's a Cop-Out'
The Daily Mississippian is running an online poll that currently shows that 69 percent of respondents think that McCain's bailout on the debate is a "cop-out."
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:
Letterman Ticked; Olbermann Takes McCain Spot
Per The New York Times Caucus Blog, McCain may be in Dave's doghouse:
My Favorite Palin Moment, Yet
This is a truly stupendous moment. Just look at Katie Couric's face as she presses Palin for those examples of McCain's attempts at regulation and then Palin's response:
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.
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:
Survey USA Instant Poll: Show Must Go On
Survey USA wasted no time taking America's pulse on McCain's latest bombshellAmerica's First Reaction: Friday's McCain-Obama Debate Should Still Be Held On Friday, But Perhaps with New Focus: Immediately after John McCain's announcement 3 pm ET today, Wednesday 09/24/08, that he was suspending his campaign and seeking to postpone Friday's schedule presidential debate, SurveyUSA interviewed 1,000 adults nationwide. Key findings: