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Magnolia Political Report #73
September 19, 2006
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Qualifying deadline passed Friday, September 8th for four legislative special elections slated for November 7th. Two Senate seats are open due to the deaths earlier this year of Sen. Bunky Huggins (R-Greenwood) and Sen. Billy Harvey (D-Prentiss). One House seat was left vacant with the resignation of Rep. Leonard Bentz (R-Gulfport), who was appointed to fill the term of Southern District Public Service Commissioner Michael Callahan. Another was left open with the passing of Rep. May Whittington (D-Schlater).
Senate District 14
Six candidates qualified to succeed Bunky Huggins in Senate District 14, which covers parts of Attala, Carroll, Grenada, Leflore, Montgomery and Tallahatchie Counties. The contenders are Jim Arnold of Kosciusko, Lydia Graves Chassaniol of Winona, Hiram C. Eastland III of Greenwood, Jeffrey Ryan Hobgood of Holcomb, Jonathan McMillan of Kosciusko and Karl Oliver of Winona.
The district preferred Haley Barbour over Ronnie Musgrove in 2003 by 56 to 42 percent. George W. Bush carried it in 2004 by 59 to 40 percent.
Early scuttlebutt favors Lydia Chassaniol and Karl Oliver. Chassaniol is a former school teacher, parole board member and past chair of the Mississippi Arts Commission. She has been involved in Mississippi Republican politics for years. Oliver is a funeral home operator and county coroner from Winona.
Politicos may also recognize the Eastland name in the race. Hiram Eastland is a relative of legendary former Senator James Eastland. Earlier this summer, he moved to Greenwood from Jackson, where he worked for Attorney General Jim Hood. The State Board of Election Commissioners (Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General) must qualify candidates before the ballots are printed. Eastland will probably have residency issues since he hasn’t lived the district for the required two years.
Senate District 41
Seven hopefuls have lined up for Senate District 41, which was represented by Sen. Billy Harvey. The district, which covers parts of Covington, Forrest, Jefferson Davis, Lamar and Marion Counties, is a competitive one. Ronnie Musgrove won in it by four points in 1999 but Haley Barbour bested Musgrove in it by seven points in 2003. George W. Bush handily won it by nearly 20 points in 2004.
Candidates vying for the seat are: Chris Aycock of Collins, Deborah Delgado of Hattiesburg, Charley Dumas of Prentiss, Rep. Joey Fillingane of Sumrall, Speedy Smith of Carson, Vince Thornton of Collins and Steve Wade of Collins.
Mayor Charley Dumas of Prentiss is a conservative Democrat who could make a strong showing with the right financial support. His problems is that the state Democratic organization, the trial lawyer money and big chunks of the base seem to be more interested in Steve Wade and Deborah Delgado. Wade is the Democrat Party chair in Covington County. Delgado is the only African American candidate in the race. She will make a strong showing due to a 38 percent black voting age population in the district. All this spells good news for State Rep. Joey Fillingane, who represents parts of Lamar County, one of the most Republican areas of the state. About 5,000 Lamar County voters, many already represented by Fillingane, vote in the district.
House District 34
Three candidate have thrown their hats in the ring to replace Rep. May Whittington. The candidates are Marvin J. Cochran of Avon, James "Mookey" Vail of Schlater and Linda Whittington of Schlater.
The district leans heavily Democrat. Ronnie Musgrove got 55 percent of the vote there in 2003 and John Kerry won it 55 to 43 percent in 2004. It is one of the most gerrymandered seats in the legislature, stretching from Kilmichael in the hills of central Mississippi through the Delta where it nears the Mississippi River in Washington County. It covers portions of Carroll, Holmes, Humphries, Leflore, Montgomery and Washington Counties.
The two most prominent candidates are Whittington and Cochran. Linda Whittington is a cousin of the late Rep. May Whittington. Cochran is a farmer in Washington County and was recently appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour to the Rice Promotion Board.
House District 116
Only two candidates will be on the ballot to replace Leonard Bentz in House District 116. The Harrison County district leans heavily Republican. Barbour got almost 62 percent of the vote there in 2003 and George W. Bush received 72 percent of the vote in it in 2004. Though they don’t run under a partisan label, both candidates are Republicans.
Steven Palazzo is a CPA who owns his own firm in Biloxi. George Emile is a firefighter for the city of Biloxi. Our early bet is on Palazzo but we’ll withhold final judgment until a little later in the campaign.
Governor
In: Governor Haley Barbour looks like a sure thing to run for a second term.
Out: Wayne Dowdy told the Daily Journal that he is not running for governor. Last week at a gala Democratic fundraiser at Madidi in Clarksdale, Dowdy urged Mississippi born actor Morgan Freeman to follow in Arnold Schwarzenegger's footsteps and run for governor. When he took the podium, Freeman politely declined.
TBA: Ronnie Musgrove, John Arthur Eaves, Eric Clark, Mike Moore, Ray Mabus are all in the rumor mill. Some – Musgrove, Eaves and Clark – have all raised the possibility of running. Moore and Mabus may be more wishful thinking on the part of Dems rather than any desire of their own.
Lt. Governor
In: State Senator Charlie Ross (R-Brandon) has clearly announced his intentions to run. State Auditor Phil Bryant is obviously headed into the Republican primary as well. State Rep. Jamie Franks (D-Mooreville) tells supporters he’s running for sure since Mike Moore says he’s not.
Out: Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck is term limited out of the office and stated at the Neshoba County Fair this year that she won’t be on the ballot for anything in 2007.
TBA: Ronnie Musgrove, Barbara Blackmon, Eric Clark have all made noise about running.
Attorney General
In: AG Jim Hood appears ready to make a run for re-election.
Out: State Senator Charile Ross, who chairs the Senate Judiciary A Committee, was once rumored as a possible candidate. He’s in the race for lieutenant governor to stay.
TBA: Supreme Court Justice Mike Randolph, former State Rep. Randy Pierce, 2003 GOP nominee Scott Newton, former Supreme Court Justice Jim Roberts. GOP activists are talking up Randolph. Pierce’s name also pops up on the radar screen occasionally. Newton has mulled another run, believing he won’t have to run against Mike Moore and Jim Hood this time. Roberts has been on the ballot in ’99 and ’03. He could go for a trifecta.
Secretary of State
In: We’re betting Clark stays put. If not, expect a broad field.
Out: Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck was at the top of Republicans’ wish list. She took herself out of the running at the Neshoba County Fair. State Senator Stacey Pickering (R-Laurel) thought about it if Clark tried to move up to another office. He now seems committed to a run for State Auditor if Phil Bryant runs for lite guv as expected.
TBA: Mayor Rosemary Aultam (R-Clinton). State Rep. Mike Lott (R-Petal). State Senator Richard White (R-Terry). White talked about running several years ago but has been quiet lately. Lott has shown some interest. Republican activists have talked about drafting Aultman.
Treasurer
In: State Treasurer Tate Reeves just had a very successful fundraiser in Jackson. We’re guessing he’s not raising the money to go into the investing business.
Out: No one is counted out yet because no one has seriously talked about getting in.
TBA: 2003 Democrat nominee Gary Anderson, State Rep. Cecil Brown (D-Jackson), former State Senator Rob Smith (D-Florence). Quite possibly none of them will run. Reeves reportedly has raised a relatively large amount of money for a down ticket office and he showed impressive fundraising prowess in winning the job in 2003. Any serious candidate who is qualified to run for Treasurer would also be qualified to run for Auditor. The open Auditor seat would be much easier to win. However, Reeves has not been afraid to take a stand on issues like the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi and controlling state spending. Dems may take a shot in partisan anger.
Auditor
In: State Senator Stacey Pickering (R-Laurel) has said he’s running if Phil Bryant doesn’t.
Out: Phil Bryant is all but in the race for lieutenant governor.
TBA: State Rep. Cecil Brown (D-Jackson), Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin, Mayor Greg Davis (R-Southaven), former State Sen. Rob Smith (D-Florence). Brown is on many Dems wish list and has the background to run but may be content to remain House Education Committee Chairman. McMillin is rumored to be interested. Hinds County is becoming a tougher and tougher place for him to run so he may feel he has nothing to lose. Friends of Smith say he misses elective office, and he's been popping up at political events around the state. He also has an accounting background. Davis has a large war chest, statewide ambitions and a good base to run from in DeSoto County.
Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce
In: Commissioner Lester Spell has been making the rounds at Republican events since his switch to the GOP. We don’t think he’s going for the free meals.
Out: State Senator Perry Lee (R-Mendenhall). Lee, who has an extension service background, has been talked about as a potential candidate since he was elected to the Senate. He apparently will stay where he is.
TBA: 2003 GOP nominee Max Phillips. Three time candidate Roger Crowder. Phillips is a popular figure among the Republican ag crowd. He could challenge Spell in a primary. Crowder has run as a Democrat, independent and most recently as a Republican. He’s made three races. Why not a fourth? Also look for a potential run from Jim Johnson of Laurel.
Insurance Commissioner
In: Commissioner George Dale has reportedly made up his mind to run for an unprecedented eighth term.
Out: State Senator Dean Kirby (R-Pearl) has supposedly said he won’t run against his friend George Dale though he’d have strong credentials as the chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee.
TBA: Bobby Moak (D-Bogue Chitto), Mark Formby (R-Picayune). Dale is a Democrat who is probably better liked by Republicans than members of his own party. Dems think he may be vulnerable because Dale has been on the hot seat since Hurricane Katrina. Moak is the name that most often pops up as a potential Democratic challenger. Formby chairs the House Insurance Commttee. If Dale has a primary challenge, Republicans would want to have somebody in the race just in case Dale doesn’t get the nomination.
Highway commissioners
In: Bill Minor (Northern), Dick Hall (Central), Wayne Brown (Southern) all appear to be running for re-election.
Out: Mayor Jeffrey Rupp (R-Columbus) was the GOP’s dream candidate for a race against Bill Minor, but he just accepted a job working for President Doc Foglesong at MSU. Southern District Commissioner Wayne Brown is undoubtedly the most vulnerable. State Senator Ed Morgan (R-Hattiesburg) was very serious about running against Brown but now says he’s running for re-election. Harrison County Supervisor Larry Benefield was also often mentioned but apparently he’s cooled to the idea as well.
TBA: 2003 Southern District GOP nominee Arlin Regan is apparently interested in making another run at Brown. Madison County Supervisor Tim Johnson has been rumored to be considering a primary run against Hall.
Public Service Commissioners
In: Southern District Commissioner Leonard Bentz plans to run. Nielsen Cochran also appears to be ready to step up for another term.
Out: No one has bowed out yet, but don’t be surprised if Northern District Commissioner Bo Robinson doesn’t run again. Robinson has faced two sexual harassments suits so he may be ready to retire.
TBA: The most interesting name surfacing for a potential run is that of Al Tuck, the brother of Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck. Tuck would run in the Northern District from his hometown of Maben.
Legislators were back in Jackson for a few days in August for a special session Governor Haley Barbour. Barbour had four items slated for legislators -- authorizing bonds for the River Bend project in DeSoto County, creating a $25 million grant program for cities and counties most affected by Katrina, a local and private authorization for the Magee hospital and a tax reduction on modular housing. All but the last were passed in what turned out to be a three day special session.
The marquee project for the session was the River Bend project, a planned development of houses, commercial and retail space as well as an MGM theme park.
Critical to the coast was a financially innovative $25 million grant program for municipalities and counties that lost at least 25 percent of their tax base due to Hurricane Katrina. The program, which won't cost taxpayers any general fund dollars and is primarily financed by interest earnings, is the brainchild of State Treasurer Tate Reeves.
Though it had to be authorized by the legislature, the Magee hospital local and private legislation doesn't obligate Mississippi taxpayers for anything. The original bill, which would have allowed the Magee hospital to issue self supporting revenue bonds, died in the regular session last year after House L&P Chairman Willie Perkins (D-Greenwood) refused to consider Senate authored local and privates. Perkins was upset that Senate L&P Chairman Ralph Doxey (R-Holly Springs) was attaching referendums to all local and privates requiring taxpayer support. Doxey reasoned that if a local and private (such as a new convention center) was to require a tax increase to pay its debt service, the issue should be put to local voters in a referendum (There are two kind of referendums for these things: a "direct referendum" requiring the issue to go on the ballot and an "indirect referendum" which requires the issue to be voted on if local citizens).
The flashpoint of Perkins' anger toward Doxey came when Doxey attached a direct referendum to a local and private bill authorizing Greenwood to issue debt to build a new convention center. Doxey stuck to his principles on local and private legislation and wouldn't budge when Perkins asked him to remove the provision. In retaliation, Perkins killed every local and private bill passed by the Senate. The Magee hospital was the most egregious casualty because it would have allowed Magee to add onto its hospital but didn't require taxpayer support. Appreciating the consequences of Perkins' actions in the regular session, Barbour added the Magee L&P to the special session.
The agenda item that Barbour lost out on in the special session was a measure that would have brought the modular housing tax rate in line with that of mobile homes. Currently, a stick built house in Mississippi is not subject to sales tax. Mobile homes are taxed at three percent while modular homes are taxed at the prevailing local sales tax rate.
Governor Barbour has stated that housing is the biggest issue the coast is grappling with post-Katrina. With 60,000 homes to replace, it will take homebuilders years to meet demand. Barbour believes modular housing is an important part of the solution. The so called Katrina cottages much safer than mobile homes and are athestically more appealing.
Many coast residents plan to move into the cottages while they rebuild stick homes and then use the cottages as guest houses. Barbour's plan would have taken away the disincentive the tax code creates against modular housing - at least as far as mobile homes are concerned. In short, it would mean more modular houses on the coast and less mobile homes.
Unfortunately, the House balked at Barbour's plan. Ways & Means Committee Chairman Percy Watson (D-Hattiesburg) said his committee wasn't given enough time to study the idea. Insiders suggest though that Speaker Billy McCoy (D-Rienzi) wanted the legislation killed because of politics. McCoy didn't want to give Barbour another talking point for his campaign - tax cuts - and he's also still smarting from Barbour's success in killing the cigarette tax increase/grocery tax cut last year.
Sources say Barbour hasn't given up on the idea yet. As a gambler might say, Barbour is "all in" when it comes to rebuilding the coast. He has a vision of what it can be, and safe, affordable, attractive temporary housing is part of that vision. The smart money is on Barbour calling the legislature back to town to reconsider the issue. As he has proven before, he's a master of getting what he wants through a special session - especially when he has the moral high ground of being right on the issue.
The Neshoba County Fair is, to say the least, a staple in the political diet of Mississippi. For a hundred seventeen years without interruption, Mississippians have been gathering in Philadelphia to eat pie, drink sweet tea, and listen to the stump speeches in Founder’s Square at Mississippi’s Giant House Party.
This year, fairgoers’ priorities leaned more towards sweet tea and friends and less towards politics. With the statewide elections in 2007, political speeches were, for the most part, a chance for officials to get up, go over a few policy objectives, and hope for a few laughs or cheers from the crowd.
Chip Pickering and Trent Lott are the only public officials with races, but both of these men’s positions in Washington are fairly secure, so even their contests did not cause much of a stir.
Treasurer Tate Reeves talked about the reduction in the state’s bond indebtedness and about how he has been a fiscal “watchdog” for the state.
Attorney General Jim Hood stood up for the “little man” and said he would do what he could to protect citizens from big businesses.
Erik Fleming, the man challenging Trent Lott for his Senate seat, showed up with his supporters. What they lacked in sheer numbers, they made up for with enthusiasm.
State Auditor Phil Bryant delivered an energetic and lively speech touting himself as a “hi-tech redneck” while promoting his new website, www.PhilBryant.com. He hinted in his speech that he may be running for Lieutenant Governor in ’07.
Secretary of State Eric Clark discussed the importance of education in Mississippi in the 21st Century.
Governor Haley Barbour commended Democratic legislators for their work in getting important Republican-drafted and supported legislation passed in both chambers. The Governor reiterated what has been his mantra regarding Hurricane Katrina - that Mississippians need to come together and rebuild the Coast better than it was before the storm. With former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove watching from the side of the pavilion, Barbour took some not so subtle jabs at Musgrove’s administration. The crowd roared it’s approval while Musgrove looked like he wished he was somewhere else.
Perhaps the most exciting news generated by this year’s speeches was Lt. Governor Amy Tuck’s announcement that she will not seek public office in 2007. Speculation around Jackson has her either ending up at MSU or with a federal appointment – though the speculation appears to be more conjecture than based on anything coming out of Tuck’s camp.
Statewide politics has been relatively quiet for the past few months but the city of Jackson has more than made up for it. The indictment of Mayor Frank Melton by Hinds County DA Faye Peterson (with an assist from AG Jim Hood) has been great political theater for those who can bear to watch Mississippi’s capitol city sink deeper into a morass. Folks around Jackson have strong opinions on the issue. Melton’s detractors believe he’s a rogue who is completely unsuited for the mayor’s office. His supporters think Peterson is more concerned about protecting drug dealers from the mayor than citizens from the criminals the drug dealers fuel. We tend to think it is just a plain mess. Melton has exhibited unusual behavior to say the least, and he hasn’t seemed to hesitate to use extra-legal tactics to get after any number of people on his long list of enemies. Except for the Melton investigation, competency, efficiency and effectiveness are the last words that come to mind when thinking about Peterson. She’s been about as effective at prosecuting criminals as State and Ole Miss have been at winning football games.
Jackson oilman Billy Mounger has been center stage for some of the most important events in Mississippi political history during much of his 80 years. Mounger was a key player in the 1976 GOP convention fight that gave then President Gerald Ford the Republican nomination over Ronald Reagan. He raised loads of money for Trent Lott, Thad Cochran, Ronald Reagan and the state and national GOP. In the 1983 race for governor, Mounger was instrumental in a group of businessmen who leveled charges that Democrat nominee Bill Allain frequented transvestite prostitutes.
For those who’ve never had the opportunity to hear Mounger tell tales of his life in politics, Mounger has penned an autobiography that is on sale at bookstores around the state. It even includes new stories and plenty of unabashed opinions for readers who thought they knew everything there is to know about Mississippi politics and one of its key players. Mounger pulls no punches. Stay tuned for more in the Magnolia Report #74.
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State Superintendent of Education Hank Bounds is raising suspicion among Republicans for his tour around the state to push “full funding” of education. Bounds has teamed up with Mississippi Economic Council Director Blake Wilson and State Rep. Cecil Brown (D-Jackson) for what many Republicans contend is an attempt to deliver the education high ground to Mississippi Democrats in advance of next year’s elections. Bounds, Wilson and Brown, who chairs the House Education Committee and is one of Speaker McCoy’s most valued lieutenants, are holding court in mostly Republican districts in an attempt to convince voters that their education funding proposals are the only viable “pro-education” alternatives.
Many pundits believe Democrat hopes of regaining control of the U.S. Senate rest on the shoulders of Rep. Harold Ford (D-Memphis). Ford is the underdog to former Mayor Bob Corker (R-Chattanooga) in the race to succeed Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee, but that didn’t stop former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove from holding a fundraiser for Ford last month at his home in Madison. No word on how much money was raised. We’ll update you on Ford’s Mississippi contributors when federal campaign finance reports are released.
 Former FEMA Chief Michael Brown bore the brunt of the federal government’s share of the criticism following his performance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Now, Brown is baring all in an interview with Playboy Magazine.
In addition to describing himself as a “scapegoat” and warning that the federal government is less prepared for this hurricane season than they were for the last one, Brown leaves nothing to the imagination about his opinions of a host of government officials. No airbrushing here. Judge for yourself who looks best in this issue.
 On Gene Taylor saying that he did not comprehend the devastation, Brown said, “For that little twerp to claim I didn't understand death and suffering -- he can just bite me, for all I care."
On President Bush’s saying the levee breaches were unexpected: "He doesn't have an incredible command of the English language."
 On DHS boss Michael Chertoff ordering him out of the field: "I am so mad at myself for not saying 'screw you.'"
 On George Bush calling him "Brownie": "It's typical of the president. He's a cheerleader ... How many people in the world do you think have ever called me Brownie? When he used that nickname, a lot of people in the media went, ‘Is he an insider?’"
On his frequently ridiculed prior job with the International Arabian Horse Association: "Dealing with horses' asses taught me how to deal with the federal government."
Upon hearing about the interview, Representative Gene Taylor put in his two cents. "Michael Brown should consider himself a lucky man. Had I known before the hearing that he was up in Baton Rouge ordering steaks on his government credit card at the same time the people of south Mississippi were resorting to police-sanctioned looting to feed themselves, I would have done more than just verbally kick his butt.”
"Brown is an incompetent fool,” Taylor concluded, “and everyone in south Mississippi knows it."
 Super-liberal California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer’s PAC for a Change is aimed at electing more U.S. Senators and Representatives who share her left-coast philosophy. Her latest ploy to fill Congress with Democrats is a poll on PAC for a Change’s website in which citizens from across the country vote on which Democrat challenging a Republican incumbent is to receive a $30,000 campaign contribution from the PAC.
 Votes for the House contribution went to Leonard Boswell of Iowa and Francine Busby in California. Erik Fleming, the man trying to unseat Senator Trent Lott, received a substantial number of votes for the Senate contribution. Of the 16 Democrats whose names are on the list of promising Democratic challengers, Fleming received 5% of the total votes- which put him tied for sixth place with Jim Webb of Virginia.
When the polls closed on July 21, Fleming was a far cry behind the 20% of the votes garnered by Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, to whom the $30,000 went. However, the fact that he did so well when the votes were tallied proves that, at least in Barbara Boxer’s political circles, some believe that Erik Fleming has a shot at retiring Senator Lott. We would have liked to have seen the money spent in Mississippi though we’re not sure all the money in Washington could get Erik Flemming past Senator Lott.
 Mississippi recently lost its third legislator this year to cancer. State Representative May Whittington passed away at her home in Schlater at 63 years of age. Early this year, Senators Bunky Huggins and Billy Harvey succumbed to cancer.
Whittington had already fought cancer once. It went into remission, came back, and she continued fighting until the end.
Based on remarks made by some of her colleagues, Representative Whittington was admired, well respected, and will be missed.
State Representative Rufus Straughter of Belzoni described Whittington as “a person of great integrity.” He went on to say that, “helping others, particularly children, was her passion. It will be a tall order to fill her position.”
Speaker Billy McCoy said that “She was honest, she was hard-working, she cared for her people, she cared deeply about every man, woman and child in Mississippi. May showed us how to deal with the most adverse conditions in life."
Governor Haley Barbour noted that “Her tenure was marked by a genuine concern for Mississippi's at-risk citizens, and we will miss her."
Representative Whittington is survived by her husband, Aven; sons Josh Glazer and Aven Whittington III; and one grandson.
Terri Hudson, former deputy director and chief financial officer of the Mississippi Development Authority, will be one of two
public finance bankers in Stephens Inc.'s new public finance office in Jackson. Stephens Inc. is a Little Rock based investment banking firm that was founded in 1933. The firm has offices in
Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbia, Dallas, Jackson, Nashville, New Haven, New York, Richmond, St. Petersburg and London, as well as throughout Arkansas.
Nick Ardillo, Glenn McCollough and Andy Taggart have joined forces to create AMT, a business development and government relations firm. Ardillo is a former Wing Commander at Columbus Air Force Base and was a close advisor to Governor Kirk Fordice. Taggart served as Fordice's Chief of Staff and is currently a Madison County Supervisor. As a successful lawyer and lobbyist, he's been a fixture on Mississippi's political scene for years. McCullough is a former Tupelo mayor, ARC Director and Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Both Taggart and McCullough are often mentioned as future statewide candidates.
Nicholas Thompson, a former Barbour for Governor staffer, has
taken a position at National Republican Congressional Committee, where he is directing the polling, direct mail and phones for their Independent Expenditure campaigns.
Irene Miller is serving as an intern for the Mississippi Democratic Party This summer. Miller graduated in 2004 from Tupelo High School and currently attends the Mississippi University for Women where she is studying political science.
Last year, Sam Hall left his job as editor of the Scott County Times to become Communications Director of the Mississippi Democratic Party. Hall recently accepted a job as a newspaper editor in Alabama. His replacement? Hattiesburg American reporter Terry Cassreino.
“I have had some private conversations with people. There are some serious candidates considering that race. There will be a serious Democratic candidate for governor.”-- Mississippi Democratic Party Chariman, Wayne Dowdy, on the 2007
gubernatorial
race
"If Republicans in California can do it, Democrats in Mississippi can do it," Wayne Dowdy said. "Let me introduce the Democratic governor of Mississippi, Morgan Freeman."
“[I am concerned] that there will be no serious Democrat to espouse the party’s views. That is the reason I am considering running. A lot of people have talked to me and expressed concern.”-- Democrat John
Arthur Eaves Jr., on the 2007
gubernatorial
race
"We can't afford to take a step backward by electing a tax-and-spend liberal whose priorities are too much like the lawyers who advertise on the back of the phone book."-- Treasurer Tate Reeves at the Neshoba County Fair, referring to
Rep. Jamie Franks, D-Mooreville, who has his eye on the Lieutenant Governor's seat
"How is a marriage endangered? Apparently, people happily married in Indiana, Nebraska, Kansas and Mississippi read that we have had same-sex marriage quite successfully in Massachusetts, and they look in the mirror and they say, 'Wow, I could have married a guy.'"--
Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., speaking on the floor during debate on the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
"They don't have to tinker; they have to disavow it. I'm opposed to gun control, opposed to abortion on demand."-- State Representative Dirk Dedeaux on the United States Republican Party's stance on hot-button issues.
"It would be our fondest dream to have Dean be the nominee. Or Hillary Clinton."-- Mississippi Republican Party Chair Jim Herring on Democratic presidential hopefuls
"It would be nice if the national party would acknowledge that we actually have a campaign going on down here,"-- Erik Fleming upon winning the Democratic Senate primary
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