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Cooler
times at the Fair In an election year, candidates and campaign staff watch the fairgoers with envy as they keep up a grueling schedule in the Neshoba County heat. There are the sign and sticker wars, speeches to worry about, doors to be knocked on and thousands of hands to be shaken. This year, without a major election on the horizon, public officials and politicos actually had time to enjoy the Fair. The presidential race was a hot topic among Republicans. Democrats shied away from it except for State Insurance Commissioner George Dale. Dale, who ruffled feathers last month when he said the Mississippi Democratic Party needed a “white chairman,” made news by announcing his support for President George W. Bush instead of his party’s nominee, Senator John Kerry. Dale said his decision was based partly on VP nominee John Edwards’ treatment of Judge Charles Pickering, which Dale said was “a slap in the face of every American.” Senator Trent Lott, Governor Haley Barbour and State Treasurer Tate Reeves all delighted in slinging barbs at Kerry. Lott, who has served in the Senate with Kerry since his election in 1998, called Kerry a “French-speaking socialist.” Barbour jumped into the action too, zinging Kerry with the zeal of a former RNC Chairman. Said Barbour, “If you are for higher taxes, if you are for homosexual marriage, if you are pro-abortion, if you are for increased government spending with no accountability, if you are for letting the United Nations control America's efforts to protect ourselves and freedom in the world, you'll love John Kerry.” Reeves, who hasn’t been afraid to show his GOP colors, slammed Kerry and Edwards for everything from their “liberal” positions on taxes and spending to social and cultural values. Perhaps tweaking the Democrat statewide elected officials on their silence on the presidential race, Reeves said “I'm glad to be in a party where I can embrace our values - not have to hide from them when I'm home in Mississippi.” Two weeks before the Fair, Attorney General Jim Hood said he’d be happy to stump for the Democratic ticket of Kerry and Edwards. The State GOP pounced on his remarks with this press release and they didn’t let up at the Fair. During Hood’s speech, Republican activists help up signs tying Hood with Kerry and Edwards.
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Trent Lott is running for re-election.
State Republicans’ tongues had already been wagging about the treatment Rep. Randy Pierce has been getting in the state’s newspapers. Pierce is quoted far and away more than any rank-and-file legislator – especially any who are only in their second term as Pierce is. According to Google news, Pierce has had 94 mentions since March 21st. His counterpart, Senate Education Committee Chairman Mike Chaney has had less than a third of that amount. By comparison, statewide elected officials Tate Reeves and Phil Bryant have had 88 and 43 mentions respectively. Republicans say the newspaper references to Pierce are getting gratuitous and are downright glowing in their portrayal of Pierce. They point to this March 28th Clarion Ledger piece as typical of the press Pierce is getting that crosses the line from non-biased coverage to advocacy:
The Ledger’s labeling of HB 1696 as pro-education is probably a value judgment that should be reserved for the editorial page. The rest just seems a little overly-sappy.
Notable contributors to Supreme Court candidates: Carlson – Bobby Martin ($1,000), Irby State PAC ($2,000), Len-Pac ($5,000), IMPAC ($5,000) Graves – Edward Williamson ($500), Shane Langston ($5,000), Rebecca Langston ($5,000), Kimberly Sweet ($5,000), Dennis Sweet ($5,000), Richard Scruggs ($5,000), Diane Scruggs ($5,000), Herbert Lee ($5,000), Richard Freese ($5,000), Keith Ball ($1,000), Willie Abston ($3,334), Anthony Simon ($3,333), Sally Molpus ($1,000), Fred Banks ($1,000) Richardson – Dr. Michael Kanosky ($250), Bob Montgomery ($250), Waller and Waller ($250), American Federated Insurance Co. ($1,000), Lee Lampton ($1,000), Kevin Watson ($1,000), Baxter Burns ($1,000), Billy Powell ($1,000), Billy Mounger ($1,000), Mississippi Bankers Association ($5,000) Skinner – Irby State PAC ($2,000) Grindstaff – Loan from self ($3,617) Waller – Irby State PAC ($2,000), Improve MS PAC ($5,000), MS Association of Realtors PAC ($2,500) Ishee – Sherman Muths ($600) Lee – Begley Law Firm ($250), John Stevens ($660), James Grenfell ($660), William S. Guy ($1,000) Randolph – Irby State PAC ($5,000), MS Association of Realtors PAC ($2,500)
State Senator Bunky Huggins recently had his right thigh-bone replaced with a metal rod after he was diagnosed with cancer. He’ll return to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for chemotherapy treatment on a cancerous tumor found on one of his lungs.
Danny
Cupit Illinois Senate candidate Barack Obama was scheduled to attend an August 5th fundraiser Jackson attorney Isaac Byrd had organized for him in Jackson. Obama, who was one of the stars of the Democratic National Convention, cancelled the event at the last minute. Neither Obama’s campaign or Byrd are commenting on the cancellation. About 100 people attended an August 6th fundraiser at the home of Oxford businessman Mike Overstreet for Rep. Roger Wicker. Dr. Ford Dye, son of former Lt. Gov. Brad Dye was one of the hosts for the event. The Leflore County Republican Party held their first annual Reagan Day dinner on Tuesday, August 10th. State Treasurer Tate Reeves and GOP Second District nominee Clinton LeSueur. Political consultant Dick Morris will headline a Rankin County Republican Party fundraiser on August 14th. Morris’ one-time client, Senator Trent Lott, is being honored at the event. Joining Morris and Lott at the fundraiser will be one of Lott’s former staffers, Congressman Chip Pickering. State GOP Chairman Jim Herring is holding an August 16th fundraiser for Second District Congressional hopeful Clinton LeSueur. Governor Haley Barbour is scheduled to attend. Rumors of a run for lt. governor by Rep. Jamie Franks are being fueled by a fundraiser he is holding on August 17th at the University Club in Jackson. Former Governor William Winter, State Party Chairman Wayne Dowdy and Attorney General Jim Hood will rally John Kerry supporters in North Mississippi during an August 21st rally in Corinth. Democrats are gathering in Magnolia on August 24th to help Attorney General Jim Hood retire some of his $400,000+ campaign debt. The event will be hosted by the mayors of Magnolia, McComb and Summit. An e-mail from Democratic Party employee Keelan Sanders notes Democrats are grateful for Hood’s “commitment to the Democratic Party.” It notes, “Jim was the only statewide elected Democrat to serve as part of our national delegation to Boston, and he has spoken out strongly in favor of the Kerry-Edwards ticket.”
Double-trouble
Haley Barbour Press Secretary Pete Smith and his wife Rosiland are the proud parents of Chloe McKenna Smith. The newest Smith made her debut and July 8th, weighing in at 5 pounds, 11 ounces. Keith Williams has joined Senator Thad Cochran’s staff as his press secretary. He previously served as the Senator’s Agriculture Committee communications director and has 14 years of experience as a press secretary on the Hill. Williams replaces longtime press secretary Beth Day, who left Cochran’s office to spend more time with her family. Justin Karas returned to Mississippi to manage the campaign of Supreme Court hopeful Samac Richardson. Karas, who graduated from Mississippi College in 2002, was the Students for Bush chairman in 2000 and the statewide College Republican chairman in Mississippi 2000 to 2001. Over the past two years he has spent much of his time speaking in public high schools and civic groups on leadership, values and politics. President George W. Bush has appointed Jackson oilman Billy Mounger to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Advisory Committee on the Arts. Mounger is well-known in political circles for his staunch support of GOP candidates. Others know him as one of the leading patrons of the arts in Mississippi. Mounger serves as Honorary Chairman of the International Cultural Exchange for Mississippi and as the Honorary Chairman of the International Ballet Competition USA. His dedication to cultural life in Mississippi has earned him a Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. Mounger
is one of the most prolific fundraisers in the state, raising money for
causes near and dear to him– Republican candidates, the arts, and
the US Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated in 1948. Martin challenged Rep. Jamie Franks last November. People paying close attention to legislative elections were surprised by closeness of the final tally. Rumors have circulated for months that Franks was pushing Hood to make an example of Martin. Hood has been a strong proponent of campaign finance reform. He faced a barrage of independent expenditure ads criticizing him for his record as a District Attorney. Like Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck in her 1999 campaign, Hood took out a $500,000 loan in the final days of the election to defend himself from the charges. Campaign finance laws in Mississippi never have had real teeth. Many incumbent legislators fail to properly fill out their finance reports. A cursory glance at reports shows other questionable activities. Democratic
Treasurer nominee Gary Anderson’s October 28th
disbursements still aren’t on the Secretary of State’s web
site. Democrat Senate hopeful DeWayne Thomas still hasn’t
itemized how he spent the $45,950 he reported raising in his special election
campaign against Senator Richard White.
Back in January, the Magnolia Report received a media advisory from Broadwater encouraging local media to cover a film crew from Kazakhstan covering Broadwater as he campaigned around Jackson. Good thing for him none of the local media showed up. Borat quizzed Broadwater on several of his policy stances, offended a female voter by denigrating women, alternately bribed and threatened another voter and invited himself to use another resident’s facilities.
1.
Alan Nunnelee - 24.37%
Quotable
Quotes “John Kerry is a French-speaking Socialist from Massachusetts, who is more liberal than Ted Kennedy.” Senator Trent Lott at the Neshoba County Fair. During the same speech, Lott also referred to the Kerry-Edwards ticket as “Waffles and Grits.” "They
don't bother me. They're just out in the parking lot, Sanderson said.
"They hop on peoples cars and poop on them." Haley
Barbour is a “big, fat rich Republican.” – State Rep.
Steve Holland |
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Neshoba
County Fairgoers were treated to cooler than usual weather this year.
It was warm, but by Fair standards it was downright pleasant. Like the
temperature outside, the politics at the Fair was milder too.
Justice
Mike Randolph was appointed to the State Supreme Court
by Governor Haley Barbour when Chief Justice Ed Pittman
stepped down in April. Randolph started working on the court on April
23rd. His investiture last Tuesday, August 2nd, in Hattiesburg. During
the investiture, Randolph noted the Supreme Court has had a 400 percent
increase in the number of opinions it has produced since he and Chief
Justice Jim Smith were sworn in.
A
new feature in the Magnolia Report highlights people involved in Mississippi
politics at all levels. Well known figures such as Phil Bryant,
Rickey Cole and Bill Hawks and people
behind the scenes like political gadfly Steve Guyton
and Governor Barbour’s Aide-de-Camp Joe Cloyd answer
“Five Questions” for our readers. Look for a new profile every
week (or so!). This week we feature two Mississippians who have been working
in New York for the Republican National Convention for the past six months.
If you have a suggestion for a possible "Five Questions" with
The Magnolia Report, send your ideas to 
Two
Jackson County senators were in Lafayette County Justice Court on Monday,
August 9th for two unrelated incidents. Senate Finance Committee Chairman
Tommy Robertson was found guilty of a drunken driving
charge stemming from an incident after the Ole Miss – Texas Tech
game last year. Robertson was ordered to pay $623 and attend an alcohol
safety education program. He plans to appeal the conviction. 
The
Emmy nominated “Da Ali G Show” on HBO has become a hit by
poking fun at serious subjects. The show’s favorite victims are
politicians – ranging from James Baker and Ed Meese to Ralph Nader
and Boutros Boutros-Ghali. In a recent episode, Ali G’s character
Borat, a “Kazakhstan journalist,” ventured to Mississippi
to spend a day with Second Congressional District Republican Primary candidate
James Broadwater.
