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The Magnolia Political Report for April 17, 2002

Magnolia Report 20

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Magnolia Political Report
April 17, 2002
(Number 20) - Web Version
www.MagnoliaReport.com

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Pickering v Shows in the Third District
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FUNDRAISING: On April 8, Roll Call's "At The Races" reported on the Pickering-Shows race saying, "Three weeks after Senate Democrats scuttled Judge Charles Pickering's judicial nomination, the Bush administration has started mobilizing to help his son, Rep. Chip Pickering (R), raise money for a tough race against Rep. Ronnie Shows (D). Rep. Pickering drew a fundraising visit Friday from Vice President Cheney, who traveled to Jackson for a $1,000-a-head breakfast. Pickering is expecting a visit April 26 from Hector Barreto, director of the Small Business Administration, who will attend an event for Jackson business leaders." In addition to Cheney's visit, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert made a trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for two fundraisers, one to benefit the Mississippi Republican Party's Victory 2002 Campaign, another to directly benefit the Pickering campaign.

ON THE WEB: The committee "Friends for Ronnie Shows for Congress" has resurrected the RonnieShows.org web page largely inactive since the 2000 campaign. The site maintains pages for campaign news, issues and concerns, a biography, a map of the third-district, a volunteer section, a contribution section, and a contact page. Of course any map of the same district will look the same, but with the font and size and placement of all the county names exactly the same, it appears the Shows Campaign borrowed the map from the Pickering Campaign's web site at PickeringForCongress.com, except the Shows map does not have the precinct zoom feature.

THE ISSUES: The Mississippi Business Journal ran a series of articles on the Pickering-Shows Campaign. In the third article, they asked Pickering to describe the differences between himself and Shows. [From, Mississippi Business Journal: April 8, 2002] “Mississippi Business Journal: Both of you agree on hot-button issues - opposing abortion and gun control - and vote alike more often than not on other major issues. Business leaders in Mississippi have commended both of you for pro-business stances. What differentiates you from the other candidate? “

“Chip Pickering: First, our voting record shows that there are many issues that we disagree on. There are several major differences between my record and the record of my opponent. Since I was first elected to Congress in 1996, I have consistently received high marks from pro-business organizations. For my voting record on small business issues in the 2001 legislative session of Congress, I received a “Champion of Small Business Award” from the Small Business Survival Committee for my 100% pro-business voting record. Ronnie Shows only scored 60%. The National Federation of Independent Business gave me a 100% rating on their 2001 legislative scorecard that charts how members of Congress vote on issues to lower taxes and reduce regulations on small businesses. Ronnie Shows only scored 67%. Those ratings are just two examples of the difference between my record supporting business and the record of my opponent. The fundamental difference between us is that I have a consistent, proven record of fighting for Mississippi’s conservative values on both economic and social issues. I’ve consistently voted for tax relief, tort reform and less regulation on our businesses. My opponent has not. That’s a clear difference between the two of us. In addition, the election of Ronnie Shows could give the liberal Democrats control of the House, and I think we have all seen what the Democrats have done to the Senate. We cannot allow that to happen.”

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Politics as Usual
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The National Republican Congressional Committee released a statement on 4/15/2002 titled "Oops!...$hows Did It Again." It accuses Democratic Congressman Ronnie Shows of violating the Federal Criminal Code. The NRCC says, "...Shows is again in violation of the law. This time he's broken the Federal Criminal Code by illegally using the official Seal of the House of Representatives in a fundraising solicitation. An invitation, 'paid for and authorized by Friends of Ronnie Shows,' for a March 26, 2002, fundraiser sported the official seal of the United States House of Representatives front and center. Shows, who's in his second term, oughta know better." The NRCC follows the release with criticisms of Shows regarding "illegal fundraising" penalties, "political grandstanding" and "failing to defend Mississippi values" through his silence during much of Judge Charles Pickering's Senate confirmation fight.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post's Dana Milbank reports that Trent Lott and the Senate Republicans launched a new web site to "chronicle what the GOP views as the slow-as-molasses pace of the 'obstructionist' Democratic majority. The site, www.disappointed.senate.gov, was to play on Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle's (D-SD) aw-shucks penchant for saying how 'disappointed' he is by GOP partisanship. Then something truly disappointing happened. Democratic faithful pointed out that Senate rules prohibit the use of the Senate's dot-gov Web site for partisan activity. It says so on the Web site: 'The use of Senate Internet Services for personal, promotional, commercial, or partisan political/campaign purposes is prohibited.'" The site disappointed.senate.gov has been taken down.

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From the Bench
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In a setback for the Mississippi Attorney General and Secretary of State offices, the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the US Chamber of Commerce does not have to disclose its spending or contributors related to the 2000 judicial campaign commercials. The commercials did not advocate the election of specific candidates, as understood by the definition set by the US Supreme Court.

"The result we reached in this case may be counter-intuitive to a common sense understanding of the message conveyed by the television political advertisements at issue," wrote the federal judges showing that the legal definition trumped the common sense perspective.

The Hattiesburg American called the decision "ludicrous" and "nonsensical." The Greenwood Commonwealth called it "narrow to the point of ridiculousness." The decision will likely be appealed to the US Supreme Court. Until then, the decision holds precedent over future Mississippi campaigns, as the courts call it, "the law."

An additional setback for the Secretary of State's office came from the US Supreme Court when it refused to review Mississippi’s appeal in the Columbus 16th Section Land case. The decision lets stand rulings by U.S. District Judge L.T. Senter, and on appeal by the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, that school land leases set at the 1821 prices in Columbus are valid.

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Campaign 2003 - On The Record
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"The governor’s pollsters are telling him that the only way to guarantee a victory in 2003 is to run against the Legislature. It would probably be more prudent for him to just choose a legislative district to run in and pay his $15 fee like he did in 1987." - Representative Erik Fleming, BlackMississippi.com: 4/8/2002

"If I ran against Ronnie Musgrove, I believe I would whip him. If I ran against Haley Barbour, I believe I would whip him. Who knows? But that's what I believe." - Attorney General Mike Moore on running for governor to the Meridian Star Editorial Board: 4/9/2002

"At the same instance I heard on PRM our illustrious state representative of 19 years, Steve Holland, start to sound like me, ranting and raving about not needing the Executive Branch of state government. Then I read some of Steve's quotes in the Daily Journal: "no chance of an income tax increase for education; Medicaid is the Lord's Work; Haley Barbour is too fat and too rich to be elected; Mike Moore will trounce Ronnie Musgrove in the primary; etc." I did not start this piece to debate Steve Holland, but I do think Mike Moore is too skinny and too rich and that the trial lawyers have too much money and influence for him not to be elected - if he decides to run - for what-ever-office - maybe even George W. Bush's. That's not to say I think he would be good at it." - Richard Warriner, Tupelo Daily Journal: 4/14/2002

"Sure, it's fun to speculate about the dreamy November matchup between two political titans: Republican Haley Barbour and Democrat Mike Moore. Those who underestimate the incumbent governor's brains and brawn, however, do so at their own peril." - Joey Bunch, Sun Herald: 4/14/2002

"Until recent days, it appeared that Attorney General Mike Moore, one of Mississippi's most charismatic and popular political leaders, was the odds-on favorite to oppose Musgrove. Moore, however, has declared his intention to offer for another term as attorney general with an eye on a U.S. Senate seat. Musgrove is not conceding the governor's office and insiders within the Democratic Party expect him to carry the party banner into the November 2003 General Election." - Bob Pittman, Times of South Mississippi: 4/15/2002

"This governor has been a master of cultivating editorial boards and going to TV stations. The governor is running for re-election, and it's not the first time governors have run against the Legislature. That may be what he's doing. I'm sure he's genuinely concerned, but he can't be any more concerned than we are. We've got to work together." - Representative Diane Peranich (D-Pass Christian), Clarion Ledger: 4/15/2002

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Hits to Magnolia Report Web Page
April 5 to April 16: 12,271
Since Launch (July 6): 292,869
E-mail Report Subscribers: 645
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Quick Notes
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Citizens Against Government Waste released the "2002 Pig Book" on federal pork spending in the states. It noted that Mississippi's slide from #3 in the country in 2001, to #6 in 2002 coincided with the departure of Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT) from the Republican Party and the shift of Senator Trent Lott to the position of Minority Leader. South Dakota moved from #9 in 2001 to #4 this year, as its Senator Tom Daschle replaced Lott as Majority Leader.

North of the border, former Ole Miss Sigma Nu and current Congressman Ed Bryant is in a primary battle with former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander for the seat of retiring US Senator Fred Thompson. This leaves open Bryant's District 7 Congressional seat that stretches from Germantown to the Nashville area and up to Clarksville. Laurel Mississippi native and former MSU Bulldog Marsha Blackburn, who currently serves as a Tennessee State Senator, has decided to run for this seat. Senator Blackburn has appointed Howie Morgan as her Campaign Manager. Morgan is former Chairman of the Ole Miss College Republicans and served as a Field Representative for the College Republican National Committee. He has also worked on races for Governor Kirk Fordice and Supreme Court Justice Kay Cobb.

The Associated Press reported some troubles for Trent Lott from the Gun Owners of America. They announced Lott committed "an almost unprecedented act of treason to the pro-gun cause," by lending his name to a fund raising event for Congressman John Sununu, who is challenging fellow Republican Senator Bob Smith the New Hampshire Senate seat. The organization distributed an "alert" in Mississippi urging its members to contact Lott's office. AP reports, "Sununu's office says the Sununu receives "A" ratings from the National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners of New Hampshire. But he drew the ire of the Gun Owners of America when he voted for legislation after 1999 school shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado that included provisions relating to trigger locks and a requirement for instant background checks on individuals buying firearms at gun shows. Smith worked to scuttle the bill. Lott's office declined comment on the action by the gun owners group. But the National Rifle Association leapt to his defense. Jim Baker, chief lobbyist for the group, said that throughout Lott's congressional career, the Republican 'has always been a leader in the protection and defense of the Second Amendment.' The same is true, Baker said, of Smith and Sununu."

The Mississippi Reform Party joined seven other state Reform parties in disaffiliating with their national organization and planning to form their own party. In addition, the Reform Party of Texas dissolved itself and will reorganize under a new name. The split was caused by disagreements over the national leadership and occurred at the recent National Committee Meeting.

The Libertarian Party of Mississippi has a new web page at www.concentric.net/~acausey/LP/lphome.htm managed by Alan Causey. The site contains contact information, commentary, links and more.

Teens from Tupelo to Petal gathered at the Laurel Ramada Inn to attend the 3rd Annual Mississippi TeenAge Republican State Conference. MSGOP Chairman Jim Herring was the keynote speaker to the group. Political workshops included "How to Get Involved" by Dr. James Moye and "Voter Registration and Process" by Gail Welch. The Jones County Republican Women and the Jones County Republican Executive Committee hosted the event. State Advisor Paula Fondren said, "These teens renew your faith in America. Their intelligence and interest in current events is astounding." Three teens, James Harris, George Henry, and Kristen Satcher are planning to attend the Teen Leadership Conference in Washington, DC this summer. Henry, a junior at Northwest Rankin High School, was elected State President of the TeenAge Republicans.

Meanwhile, older GOPers will be hosting their state convention on April 19-20 at the Clarion Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi. President George W. Bush will treat the Mississippi Federation of College Republicans to a special video address. Congressman Chip Pickering and Senator Thad Cochran, both up for reelection in November, will be the convention's keynote speakers. The CRs will elect their state leadership during Saturday's business session.

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Magnolia Report Notes
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Kessler Freedman, Inc named MagnoliaReport.com Political Site of the Day for April 9, 2002. Visit www.aboutpolitics.com to see other political sites of the day.

On April 11, Third District Congressman Chip Pickering spoke with Col. Billy Jones (USAF retired) who is the President of the Mississippi Retired Officers Association to discuss military and veterans’ issues. A picture of this meeting has been placed on the Magnolia Report "Images" Page.

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Movers and Shakers
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The most interesting rumor to come out of the close of the legislative session is that Representative Billy McCoy (D-Rienzi) might challenge Tim Ford (D-Tupelo) for Speaker of the House. McCoy is Chair of the Ways & Means committee and generally considered to be part of the Ford power alliance.

Jere Nash, president of Democratic Consulting Group, a Mississippi political consulting organization that counts the trial-lawyer ICE-PAC (Institute for Consumers and Environment PAC) among its clients, has been sentenced to two years probation and $25,000 in restitution by a US Federal District Judge in New York. Nash, who served as Teamsters President Ron Carey's 1996 reelection campaign manager, pleaded guilty in September 1997 to conspiring to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Carey campaign. The narrow Carey victory over James Hoffa Jr. was overturned. Nash faced up to three years in prison but was given a light sentence due to his cooperation as a witness against former Teamsters political director William Hamilton who was convicted in November 1999, and Carey who was acquitted in October. "I was willing to substitute my judgment for the collective judgment of the union members that voted, and that was wrong," Nash said in an apology to members of the Teamsters union at the court proceeding.

Gina Holland and George Shelton will be married on May 4. Shelton was communications director for Governor Ronnie Musgrove's 1999 campaign and later went on to work for the Democratic Governors Association and now is employed as a political consultant with the firm Strother-Duffy-Strother in Washington, DC. Holland is Mississippi's former Associated Press correspondent and currently serves as the AP's national writer covering the Supreme Court.

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E-Bytes
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"There is a small group in the House of Representatives that are in charge, one of whom is Diane Peranich from the Coast. She is one of the ringleaders. For whatever reason, she chose to allow the leadership to shortchange South Mississippi in this process. But it was all primarily looking at preserving political parties and racial interests." - MSGOP Chairman Jim Herring on Redistricting, Sun Herald: April 5, 2002

"We are headed toward being a state with a lot of wealthy plaintiffs' attorneys, but few physicians. Reform is much needed, but the key politicians - the governor, speaker of the house, lieutenant governor - are addicted to big campaign contributions from the attorneys. There is a small band of plaintiffs' attorneys which is getting rich by abusing our judicial system. The more money they make, the more they plow into political contributions to stifle any reforms. All the key committees of the Legislature are controlled by wealthy plaintiffs' attorneys. They kill any attempts at reform, in a brazen display of conflict of interest. The fact that they can get away with it shows how corrupt our civil justice system has become. It is no longer about fairness. Our civil justice system has become a crass money-making machine." -Wyatt Emmerich, Greenwood Commonwealth: April 7, 2002

"In my opinion, gays and lesbians should be put in some type of a mental institution instead of having a law like this passed for them." - George County Justice Court Judge Connie Wilkerson in a Letter to the Editor to the George County Times: 3/28/2002

"Judge Wilkerson's letter shows that the era of bias and prejudice by Mississippi judges is not yet over, particularly for gays and lesbians. The state is not served when its officials express bias against any group of people, and Judge Wilkerson needs to catch up with the times." - Jody Renaldo, executive director of Equality Mississippi in a release: 4/9/2002

"Many say there should never have been a flag referendum. That it was divisive. That it was pointless. That it accomplished nothing. Many are just sick of the whole topic of race relations. They groaned and turned the page when they first saw the word "flag" in this column. But in this rests the larger lesson. The state's leadership and the state's press got all fired up and stayed fired up for years before the measure was finally brought to a vote. But the people showed they were largely content just to let things work out on their own. As it happens, part of that working out has been a gradual fading of the state flag, official or not, from positions of prominence, and a continued balancing in economic, social workplace terms of black Mississippians and white." - Charlie Mitchell, Greenwood Commonwealth: 4/9/2002

"Representative Traficant [D-OH] should resign from the U.S. House of Representatives. If he doesn't, I will vote for his expulsion." - Congressman Gene Taylor: April 12, 2002

"Mississippi's legislative leadership - especially in the Senate - demonstrated an abysmal failure of leadership Friday. The result will be a protracted Medicaid crisis, and at the very least the expense of a special session to straighten things out. At worst, there could be very real human suffering. All of this seems lost on a handful of legislators who so despise Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and whose desire for political vindication so drives their actions that they insist on thwarting a reasonable resolution." - Tupelo Daily Journal, Editorial: 4/13/2002

"Ironically, Republicans and other fiscal conservatives dropped the ball. Instead of working together and forcing a do-nothing Legislature to actually make tough decisions, these people voted to override Musgrove's veto and pass into law a budget that will only temporarily sustain Medicaid, knowing full well that down the road they'll be dealing with another shortfall, most likely casting a vote for deficit appropriations." -Sam Hall, Natchez Democrat: 4/13/2002

"Our political leadership, mainly Ronnie Musgrove, Amy Tuck and Tim Ford, have avoided dealing with the problem because so much of their campaign contributions come from plaintiffs' attorneys. Now the crows are coming home to roost. For years, a strong stock market delayed the day of reckoning. No longer. A full-fledged medical crisis has arrived. It will spread to other sectors of our economy if nothing is done to correct it. Governor Musgrove has stated he will call a special legislative session to deal with tort reform, but only if Ford and Tuck agree to let the bills out of the judiciary committees, which are controlled by plaintiffs' attorneys. Tuck and Ford can no longer dodge behind their committee chairmen. There is a crisis of leadership. All the fingers are pointing at them." - Wyatt Emmerich, Greenwood Commonwealth: 4/14/2002

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Judicial Campaigns
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SUPREME COURT CENTRAL AND NORTHERN DISTRICT - Pending final approval by the US Justice Department, Governor Ronnie Musgrove appointees James Graves (Jackson) and George Carlson (Batesville), will not have to run campaigns this November after all. Musgrove signed SB2289 into law allowing Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals judges to serve out the remainder of the appointed terms if half or less of the term remains. Formerly under state law, all judges appointed to fill unexpired terms had to run in a special election to keep the seat. Both Graves and Carlson were appointed by Musgrove and sworn in Nov. 1 for terms that end in January 2005. Only Graves had drawn a formally qualified opponent, District 9 Chancery Court Judge Ceola James (Vicksburg).

SUPREME COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT - The race is on now that incumbent Justice Chuck McRae (Pascagoula) has filed for reelection. He will face challengers Jess Dickinson (Gulfport) and Tony Mozingo (Hattiesburg).

CHANCERY COURT DISTRICT 1 - Running in a herd, incumbent Judges Jacquelin Estes Mask (Tupelo), John Ross (Corinth) and Charles Thomas (Pontotoc) have drawn a challenge from Bill Griffin Jr (Booneville).

CHANCERY COURT DISTRICT 9 - [PLACE 1] - Incumbent Judge Ceola James had filed to challenge Central District Supreme Court Judge James Graves, but that race seems now not to happen (see above). Dean Belk (Indianola), Walter Swain (Greenville) and Marie Wilson (Greenville) have all filed for this post. Ceola James may yet file for reelection.

CHANCERY COURT DISTRICT 11 - [PLACE 1] - Incumbent Judge Gail Shaw-Pierson (Lexington) has drawn a challenge from John Donaldson (Yazoo City).

CHANCERY COURT DISTRICT 14 - [PLACE 1] - Kenneth Burns (Okolona), George Mitchell (Eupora), Rex Sanderson and former state Representative Cecil Simmons (Maben) have filed for this seat.

CIRCUIT COURT DISTRICT 7 - [PLACE 1] - Greg Johnson (Jackson) has filed to run against incumbent Swan Yerger (Jackson).

CIRCUIT COURT DISTRICT 8 - [PLACE 1] - Ken Turner (Philadelphia) has filed to run against incumbent Marcus Gordon (Union).

CIRCUIT COURT DISTRICT 12 - Judge Dicky McKenzie (Hattiesburg) will campaign to defend his seat against challenger Bob Helfrich (Hattiesburg).

CIRCUIT COURT DISTRICT 19 - [PLACE 1] Edwin Hardin (Leakesville), Tim Jones (Pascagoula) and Bob Krebs (Pascagoula) are running for this post.

HINDS COUNTY COURT JUDGE - Clinton lawyer John Breland has announced his campaign for the Hinds County Judge post being vacated by Bobby DeLaughter. Breland has practiced law in Hinds County for 10 years and serves as temporary municipal judge for the city of Clinton when the regular judge is unavailable. Clinton Municipal Judge Mike Parker and George T. Holmes have so far qualified for this position.

LEFLORE COUNTY COURT JUDGE - James Dale, long time Leflore County Youth Court prosecutor, has filed as a candidate for election as Leflore County Court Judge. Dale has practiced law in Greenwood since 1971 and is a partner in the firm of Whittington, Brock, Swayze and Dale. The current incumbent, Solomon Osborne, was appointed to the post by Governor Ronnie Musgrove in August to succeed Richard Smith. Smith was appointed in June to fill the unexpired term of Circuit Judge Gray Evans, who retired. Last summer, Osborne was publicly reprimanded by the Mississippi Supreme Court for misuse of client funds and for providing incorrect information to a federal bankruptcy court. The IRS filed the 11th in a series of tax liens against Osborne in March, raising the claims total to $192,090. The first 10 liens were filed between December 11, 1990, and September 16, 1998. As of last week, Osborne had not yet filed for election.

DEADLINE - For judicial races, the qualifying deadline is May 10 and the election is November 5, with any necessary run-offs two weeks later on 19.

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Deserving a Final Word on Medicaid
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"I have made it very clear that quality health care is a priority for Mississippi, but House Bill 1794 does not treat it as such. The people of this state deserve better." - Veto Release from Governor Ronnie Musgrove: 4/9/2002

"Governor Musgrove should immediately cease his unacceptable use of scare tactics and operate the Medicaid program in compliance with the requirements of state law. The people of Mississippi deserve it!" - Letter to the Editor from Lt Gov Amy Tuck and Speaker Tim Ford, Hattiesburg American: 4/11/2002

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Magnolia Political Report, 2002
Brian Perry, Editor
www.magnoliareport.com
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© Magnolia Political Report 2002 • PO Box 24233 Jackson, Mississippi 39225
FAX 601.355.7885 • scoop@magnoliareport.com
Brian Perry, Editor