John Lewis Switches Support to Obama
The New York Times is reporting that the great civil rights leader John Lewis is saying he will cast his superdelegate vote for Barack Obama, rather than Hillary Rodham Clinton, whom he endorsed in October:
Sexist Media Depictions of Hillary Clinton?
We've had a side conversation going on this topic over on our Super Tuesday thread, and I don't want it to get lost. Would love to pick up that thread here, and hear what people have to say about it. Also see Maureen Dowd's "A Flawed Feminist Test."
Can You Get More Irrelevant Than This Guy?
Headline over at MSNBC: "Bush condemns noose displays President says displays 'have no place in America today.'" Thank you, Dubya Bush. Nice to see you go out on a limb there. Geez, Louise.
Obama & McCain Win Virginia, Maryland
This about says it all, I guess, from The New York Times:
Hood Renews Call for Campaign Finance Reform
[verbatim statement] JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood—as he has done since 2004—is again calling on state lawmakers to reform campaign finance laws.
Nebraska Suspends Executions
The New York Times is reporting that the electric chair is "cruel and unusual punishment," suspending executions there until the state can find a more humane way to kill prisoners:
Why the Republican Party Is Tanking
You have to read this Orwellian speech by Veep Dick Cheney this week in which he proclaims that his borrow-and-spend government does not torture, respects the Constitution and "treats tax dollars with respect and restraint." Better yet, read the hilarious annotated version on DailyKos, called "The Wonderful World of Cheney":
Prayers for Adam Lynch's Family
Folks, the JFP was saddened to learn that Adam Lynch's mother died this week after a long illness. Please send your prayers to Adam and his family.
Poll: Obama Would Beat McCain; Hillary Would Tie
A Time magazine poll finds that, thanks to the independent vote, Barack Obama would beat John McCain head-to-head; Hillary Clinton would tie him. Per Time:
UPDATED: Suspect Arrested in 1992 Murder of Toddler
Updated with new information
[verbatim from AG's office] Jackson, MS-Attorney General Jim Hood today confirmed that an arrest has been made in the 16-year-old murder of a 3-year-old girl in Noxubee County. Albert Johnson (age 51), of Brooksville, MS, was arrested on Monday, February 4, 2008, by investigators with the Attorney General's Office. He is charged with capital murder in the death of 3-year-old Christine Jackson in Noxubee County on May 3, 1992. The little girl was taken from her home in the middle of the night and was raped and murdered. Johnson made his initial appearance on February 5 before Noxubee County Justice Court Judge Dirk Dickson, and was denied bond. Johnson is being held in the Chickasaw County jail.
Ledger Needs Help Finding Positive Stories
Clarion-Ledger Perspectives Editor David Hampton ends his navel-gazing (and defensive) column this week about why his paper is so bad, and so negative, this way:
Feds Say Country Club Employed Undocumented Workers
The Clarion-Ledger is reporting that the feds are targeting the Country Club of Jackson for violating immigration law:
State Farm Suit Against AG Hood Dismissed
As Attorney General Jim Hood predicted yesterday, The Sun Herald is reporting that a State Farm lawsuit against him has been dismissed, allowing the civil investigation of State Farm's actions after Katrina to continue:
JSU Town Hall Meeting on HIV/AIDS Today
In honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Jackson State University is hosting a "Prevention is Power" town hall meeting today (Feb. 7) from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Jackson Medical Mall Community Room. Miss JSU Jasmin Searcy will moderate. Free rapid HIV testing will be provided by Crossroads Clinic, located on the third floor of the Jackson Medical Mall.
DailyKos: Obama Now the Front-runner
Kos is making the argument that Barack Obama won Super Tuesday and that now the Clinton campaign is "reeling" because she couldn't accomplish what she needed to in order to cement the nomination:
Surprise, Surprise: Supreme Court Backs Barbour
Gov. Haley Barbour told us all that the Mississippi Supreme Court would overturn the lower court decision requiring him to follow statute in scheduling the special election to replace Sen. Trent Lott, and he was ... drum roll ... right. His statement today:
Jackson High School Press Association Forming
Are you a Jackson-area high school journalism teacher or adviser (or want to be)? Are you a student leader at a high school publication? Are you trying to start a high school newspaper? The Jackson Free Press is joining forces with the Mass Communications Department at Jackson State University to form the Jackson Area High School Press Association (JAHSPA). All area high schools, public and private, are invited to participate in the effort, which will provide workshops, mentoring and other resources to student-run publications, in print and on the Web. Attend the first meeting Friday, Feb. 8, at 4 p.m. at JSU armed with your list of needs. Broad Street refreshments provided. RSVP to Dr. Sunny Smith at [e-mail missing] or JFP Editor Donna Ladd at [e-mail missing] for more information.
Times Columnist on the New Evangelicals
Regardless, this evangelical shift should be noticed ... and applauded, I would add.
In a way, it was great to see the New York Times' Nick Kristof write about the changes that have hit the evangelical movement in this country—specifically the move away from telling women what to do with their bodies and adults what to do in the bedroom toward issues that, well, seem to follow the teachings of Jesus a bit closer like alleviating poverty, protecting the earth ("creation care") and fighting the AIDS epidemic. But the remarkable part is that this column is written as if he just figured this out. (Guess he hasn't been listening to Speaking of Faith religiously every Sunday morning, eh?) And that says a whole lot about the New York media elite—they tend to be clueless about what is happening in the rest of the country, and they still make proclamations on behalf of the rest of us. (I recall that yuck David Brooks using a town just across Maryland in Pennsylvania a few years back as an example of crossing the meatloaf line into "red" America, for instance.)
MVP Eli Chooses Hybrid Escalade
Maybe, sort of, Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning set an example for others when he and fiancee Abby McGrew chose the new Escalade Hybrid as his reward for being named Super Bowl MVP. Some greenies, though, are accusing the SUV of being "greenwashed." But, hey, it could have been worse:
Folo Exposes Shocking Hinds County Case
The Folo folks are still doing a great job digging out documents related to Dickie Scruggs controversy, and most compelling and relevant to us here in Hinds County, cases related to former District Attorney Ed Peters, who still has his fingerprints all over more recent, shall we say, situations here in Jackson. This stuff today, on the Keith Shelton case, is being called "explosive" in some quarters. The first bullet points state:
Back from San Francisco
Todd and I are just back from several very busy days at two alternative newspaper conferences in San Francisco—one a Web conference and the other AAN West, which is the West Coast staff training for alternative newspapers such as ours. It was crazy busy—Todd gave a presentation at the Web conference (he's very popular there, being such a comedian and all), and I gave a diversity presentation at AAN West. Then we both led roundtable discussions at the Web conference. AND I attended a long AAN board meeting on Saturday. So when someone asked me this morning, "How was San Francisco," I can honestly answer, "I don't really know." We barely left our Japantown hotel (Kabuki; I don't recommend it; they are terrible with the basic details of stuff like replenishing coffee) except to have dinner.
Gannett's Cookie Cutter Web Sites
John Leek, at Cotton Mouth Blog, has linked to three Gannett sites—including The Clarion-Ledger—that all basically look just alike (although The Ledger's still manages to look the tackiest, somehow). At least Des Moines had the good sense to tweak the color scheme a bit.
Bloomberg Factchecks the Clintons
Al Hunt of Bloomberg News dissects what the Obama and Clinton campaigns have been saying about each other—and finds that the Clintons are severely distorting their comments about Obama:
Does Obama Fill America's ‘Unconsummated Desire'?
I'm no fan of the NYT's David Brooks, but this column analyzing the Kennedy embrace of Obama, and the larger implications, is breathtaking. Per Brooks:
Peters-DeLaughter Saga: 'Told You So' Time
This past weekend, I was going through 2007 issues of the JFP looking for entries for the AAN awards. I ran into this story that Adam and Brian did last year about Faye Peterson's concerns about Judge Bobby DeLaughter's handling of one of her cases: "Peterson Demands Equal Justice". It seems that JFP story is included in case filings, raising questions about DeLaughter. According to the Folo blog, the motion in Eaton Corp. v. Frisby says the following:
Playin' Hurt in Jacktown
Thank you, Jackson, for being you.
We feel confident in saying that there a few headaches in the Jackson area today after hundreds of people packed into the Mississippi Museum of Art for the JFP's Sixth Annual Best of Jackson party. Local restaurants brought so much food that we had to scramble for extra tables. The beer and the wine from Kat's kept flowing. DJ Phingaprint worked the crowd into a frenzy as usual. Fedoras, pinstripes and flapper dresses were in abundance. The highlight of the night came around 7 p.m. when the JSU Sonic Boom drum line marched from outside straight into the packed museum and to the dance floor to perform. And perform they did. (Rumor has it that members of The Weeks tried to join the drum line later, and June Hardwick later reported that she heard them in her house blocks away.) Oh, yes, Josh Hailey outdid his gold lame jumpsuit from last year. Let's just say that, save for a sombrero and big black moustache and some itty-bitty speedos, he would have been buck naked. What's next year for Josh? We tremble to think.
Caroline Kennedy: Obama Like My Father
The daughter of John F. Kennedy endorsed Barack Obama this weekend on the op-ed page of The New York Times. In a statement that cannot make the Clintons happy, she said that Obama is the first potential president who has inspired her as other people say her father inspired them. Take a read:
A Beautiful Day for a Party ...
... and to celebrate Jackson's impending boom! See you at the art museum tonight. Dress anyway you want, up or down; opens to the public at 8 p.m. The first two hours, from 6 to 8 p.m., will be an invitation-only reception, and then the party opens to the public with a cash bar after 8 p.m. We will give awards at 8:15 p.m. DJ Phingaprint will provide the dance music. Free admission.
Get Excited About Downtown - TODAY
Ben Allen and other Jackson mover-shakers are hosting a shindig today at 5:15 p.m. to expose what is going on downtown. In Allen's words, he hopes to see the "JFP Nation" there in droves. The JFP's Todd Stauffer will unveil plans for Boom Jackson, a new glossy magazine about the city's progress. The Downtown Jackson Partners Economic Development Briefing is tonight, Jan. 24, at the MS TelCom Center from 5:15-7:30 pm. Cash bar; free hors d'eourves. Click here for more information.
Best of Jackson 2008
Best Bartender: Trevor Palmer, Club Fire - Club Fire's got to be a hectic place for a bartender. Hundreds of sweating, dance-crazed bodies are thirsty for a drink on Thursday's ladies night, and you know every fan at Fire's live-music weekends has to have a drink in hand to fully enjoy the show. Some people thrive in that environment, and Trevor Palmer is one of those people. Serving as both manager and bartender at Fire, Palmer puts us lethargic folk to shame. But ladies, you do know all those free drinks you're getting weren't Palmer's way of saying he likes you; women drink free on Thursdays.
Attorney General Unveils Legislative Agenda
From a verbatim statement:
Jackson, MS-Attorney General Jim Hood and the Division Directors of the Attorney General's Office revealed the agency's 2008 legislative agenda this morning before Senate Judiciary, Division B, chaired by Senator Gray Tollison.
Study: 935 ‘Orchestrated' Lies Led Up to Iraqi War
The Associated Press is reporting on a new study that finds that the Bush administration lied repeatedly about the threats in Iraq leading up to the war:
Reuters: Fred Thompson Out of Prez Race
Reuters is reporting that the presidential race is short one actor today: "Republican Fred Thompson said on Tuesday he has dropped out as a presidential candidate, following a dismal showing so far in the campaign."
Lou Dobbs' False Immigrant ‘Facts' Exposed ... Again
CNN's Lou Dobbs continues to dig himself into the xenophobic ground, and challenge FOX's Bill O'Reilly as the most unreliable personality on television. According to a FAIR media analysis, he claimed as "fact" a baseless assertion that half of the Culinary Workers Union "are illegal aliens"; CNN's media personality Candy Crowley did not challenge him:
Watch for Fraudulent E-mails
Folks, the trolls are up to it again. There is a round of e-mails going around to people who post here made to look like they come from people at the JFP. They don't. (Funny how this happens everytime I write a column about race.) Forward them to us if you want, and we can send them on to the authorities who we've reported this fraud to in the past and who have asked us to report them. Thanks, all, and sorry for the inconvenience.
MIT Prof Takes on Real Iraqi War Death Toll
Is it a "right-wing conspiracy"? John Tirman, executive director of MIT's Center for International Studies, thinks so. Get his take on Alternet.
Barbour's ‘State of the State' Monday 6 p.m.
Gov. Haley Barbour's "State of the State" address will be tonight at 6 p.m., broadcast live on MPB. Read his verbatim prepared address on StateDesk.com.
We Have a Dream ... Still
Today, the official Martin Luther King Jr. day, is a great day to watch and hear Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Enjoy.
The Choice: Clinton and Obama Running for Different Reasons?
George Packer has a http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/01/28/080128fa_fact_packer ]compelling essay in The New Yorker this week about the motivations behind Obama and Clinton's run for the White House. It ends:
U.S. Abortions at Lowest Rate Since 1974
The Associated Press is reporting on a new study that shows that abortions in the U.S. are way down:
The number of abortions in the United States dropped to 1.2 million in 2005, the lowest level since 1974 and down 25 percent from the all-time high of 1.6 million in 1990, according to report issued Thursday.
Ledger: DeLaughter E-mailed Proposed Order to Peters
Just in from Jerry Mitchell at The Clarion-Ledger; unclear who "Mills" is supposed to be, though:
No Mention of Peters in Ledger Editorial?
OK, this is weird. The Clarion-Ledger's Jerry Mitchell reports that Ed Peters may have taken a million-dollar bribe from the Scruggs clan to get Judge Bobby DeLaughter to rule in their favor. Then, today, the Ledger writes a predictable deer-in-the-headlights editorial about how all this mess means that "the state's system begs reform." (Not mentioning had badly our "watchdog" press needs to reform.) The editorial re-states the basic facts so far, starting with an incoherent lead section:
Haley Barbour's 2008 Inaugural Address
Read the verbatim full text of the governor's prepared remarks over on StateDesk.
Just In: Delaughter Voids Barbour's Election Date
Late today, Hinds County Circuit Judge Bobby Delaughter ruled in favor of Attorney General Jim Hood's argument that Gov. Barbour was acting unconstitutionally by trying to force Mississippi voters to wait almost a year after Sen. Trent Lott's resignation to vote for his replacement. Details, and Barbour's response (hint: it has something to do with his well-founded confidence in the Mississippi Supreme Court ruling his direction) is over on StateDesk.
Former Hinds D.A. Ed Peters Accused of $1M Bribe
The Scruggs scandal is hitting closer and closer to Hinds County. In a story about Booneville attorney Joey Langston pleading guilty to corruption charges, The Clarion-Ledger buried explosive accusations, made in court documents, that Ed Peters—who has worked closely with Tim Balducci—is accused of taking a million-dollar bribe to influence his former assistant district attorney, now-Hinds County Circuit Judge Bobby Delaughter:
Clutter: Bad for Your Health?
The New York Times has a piece that links health issues, including weight problems, to disorganization and clutter:
Crying All the Way Back to the Megillah?
I really dig Maureen Dowd's column about Hillary Clinton's notorious tears leading up to New Hampshire. And isn't it ironic that the first viable female president cried on purpose in order to seem sensitive enough. And note the part where the Clintons ignore the media; ah, that's the Senate candidate I observed in New York. Dowd says in part:
StateDesk Live with Breaking News and Commentary
Visit StateDesk.com, the JFP's statewide news blog, for daily news on the state Legislature, commentary and other pertinent state news. Right now, you can read and comment on a PDF of Phil Bryant's new Senate committee appointments, read about a man exonerated by DNA of committing a rape 15 years ago and talk about the prospect of flamboyant legislatator Steve Holland running for Wicker's congressional seat. You don't have to be registered to comment over there, so head on over and get comfortable.
Todd Stauffer and Kamikaze on Radio Jan. 11
... And they're talking about ... wait for it ... karaoke. We can only assume this will not fill the entire show. Show is on WLEZ-FM 103.7 until 1 p.m. Streams live at http://www.wlezfm.com every Friday noon until 1 p.m.
Melton At Home; McLemore Still Acting Mayor
[Verbatim from city] Mayor Frank E. Melton will hold a 10:00 a.m. press conference at City Hall on Monday, January 14, 2008 to discuss his recent surgical procedure. In the interim, the Mayor again extends his appreciation to the public for their outpouring of concern and interest on his behalf.