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The Magnolia Political Report for April 24, 2002

Magnolia Report 21

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Magnolia Political Report
April 24, 2002
(Number 21) - Web Version
www.MagnoliaReport.com

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Rumor Mill
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Like father like son? Some whisper that if no credible challenger to Governor Ronnie Musgrove emerges in the 2003 Democratic Primary, then Supreme Court Justice Bill Waller may resign his post and run for the nomination. A former Democrat (judges are nonpartisan), Waller is a conservative voice on the court and often at odds with the Mississippi Trial Lawyer Association, which backed Musgrove in 1999.

Following on this week's switch to the Republican Party by Lamar County Chancery Clerk Wayne Smith and Lamar County Tax Collector James Patterson, there is word from the Capitol that a Democratic legislator may be looking to turn to the GOP within the next few days.

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Pickering v Shows (3rd District)
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The Chip Pickering (R) versus Ronnie Shows (D) campaign for the Third Congressional District has debate, money and vote news this week.

Shows out raised Pickering in the FEC reporting period January to March with $233,685 to Pickering's $180,293. Pickering still leads with cash on hand of nearly $1.2 million to Shows' $481,831.

Pickering has challenged Shows to debate in each of the 28 counties in the new Third District. Shows' office responded by saying they would accept the challenge if Pickering agreed to limit his campaign spending to $800,000 in hard money. Pickering's campaign replied that it does not cost money to debate. According to Brookhaven's Daily Leader, both sides have agreed to a debate in Rankin County. (By the way, Shows has opened a campaign headquarters in Brandon, hoping to cut into the mega-Republican base of Rankin County.)

The Shows campaign wants civic clubs, organizations and the media - not the campaigns - to set up the debates. Pickering Campaign Manager Henry Barbour said the Pickering Campaign wants to debate in all 28 counties, not just those picked by the Shows Campaign, "Why doesn't he want to get involved in good, old fashioned political debates in each county? Chip Pickering is proud of his record in Congress and will gladly discuss the issues in each county."

Speaking of records, the Pickering Campaign released a critique of a recent vote pitting the two candidates on different sides of tax cuts. From the Pickering Campaign, "Chip Pickering voted to make tax relief permanent. Ronnie Shows voted to bring back higher taxes! Today, the U.S. House approved the 'Tax Relief Guarantee Act' (H.R. 586) to make sure all tax relief provisions approved by Congress and signed into law by President Bush last year are permanent...So, you want to know the difference between Chip Pickering and Ronnie Shows? Look at how the two Congressmen voted: Chip Pickering voted to make the tax relief permanent. Ronnie Shows doesn't want the tax relief to be permanent--he voted to bring back higher taxes!" They continue, "In fact, while Bill Clinton was president, Ronnie Shows opposed tax relief. Then he flip-flopped last summer to vote for President Bush's tax relief plan and sent out taxpayer-funded mail to his constituents saying it was 'a great vote I made for Mississippi families.' Last week he was back to Al Gore's philosophy that tax relief is a risky scheme when he voted to bring back higher income taxes and resurrect the death tax."

Pickering and Shows also face four other names on the Third District ballot in November: Independents Harvey Darden (Louisville) and Jim Giles (Pearl), Reform Party candidate Carroll Grantham (Hattiesburg) and Libertarian Party candidate Brad McDonald (Hattiesburg).

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Thompson meets Challenge (2nd District)
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Bennie Thompson (D-2) launched his campaign for a sixth term in Congress from the Mississippi Delta with rallies in Itta Bena and Jackson on April 20. Thompson faces a June 4 primary challenge from George Irvin, former Farmers Home Administration State Director, Colonel in the Mississippi National Guard and political ally of former Second District Congressman and Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Espy. Irvin plans an aggressive grassroots campaign, along with television buys, making him a credible challenge to Thompson.

The winner of that campaign will face Reform Party Candidate Lee Dilworth of Jackson and the winner of the Republican Primary between former journalist and legislative analyst Clinton LeSueur (Greenville) and 1997 GOP Jackson mayoral nominee Charlotte Reeves (Jackson).

The Delta District has increased by 200,000 people with Mississippi's loss of a district following the 2000 Census. The BVAP has dropped from 61% to 59%. Thompson goes into this race with nearly $400,000 cash-on-hand.

Republican LeSueur demonstrated a stark contrast between himself and Thompson in a recent speech to the Belhaven College Republican Chapter in Jackson. He remarked, "Majority rules in congress, which is why it is so important we elect Chip Pickering." Meanwhile, Thompson continued his attack of Pickering's father, Judge Charles Pickering in an interview with the Mississippi Business Journal published on April 22, as follows:

"MBJ: You helped lead the charge against the nomination of Judge Pickering to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Some state Democrats have complained that the subsequent backlash of the image portrayed of the state in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings will hurt them in the next elections with independent voters. What is your opinion?"

"Thompson: Charles Pickering's record is that of a less-than-honorable judge. Pickering is a judge who, less than eight years ago, sought to reduce the sentence of a convicted cross-burner. If there are state Democrats concerned about how independent voters will respond to them, then maybe those Democrats should run as independents. Being a Democrat means advocating for those who historically were put out of the democratic process."

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Party Lines
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The Mississippi Federation of College Republicans held their State Convention April 19th and 20th at the Clarion Hotel in downtown Jackson. Special guest speakers included U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, former Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour, and Yvonne Brown, Mayor of Tchula. Republican businessman Dave Dennis, Senator Charlie Ross, and attorney Delbert Hosemann also attended - continuing speculation that they may be looking at 2003 races. The College Republicans elected new officers: Chairman Jack Byrne (Ole Miss), Vice Chairman Austin Stewart (JCJC), Treasurer Richard Bishop (Hinds), and Secretary Michele Yarbrough (USM). About 180 College Republicans attended the conference. Outgoing Ole Miss Chapter Chairman Lin Floyd received the Haley Barbour Award for Outstanding College Republican Work. Floyd may seek the anticipated open seat of Senator John White (D-Baldwyn).

The Green Party of Mississippi has officially registered as political party with the Secretary of State as of April 4, according to a release from the party. The GPM says it will affiliate with the Green Party of the United States and move toward nominating candidates on the state and local level who support the Green Party's 10 Key Values: ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy, nonviolence, decentralization, community economics, feminism, respect for diversity, personal and global responsibility and future focus. In the 2000 election for President, the Green Party's Nader-LaDuke ticket earned over 8000 votes in Mississippi. Access www.greenpartyms.org to visit the party online.

The National Federation of Republican Women web page features a Mississippi GOP leader. Rosemary Ramirez Barbour, head of the Mississippi Republican Hispanic Alliance and wife of Hinds County Supervisor Charles Barbour, is one of seven faces greeting visitors on the banner. Go to www.nfrw.org to see.

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Campaign 2003 - On The Record
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"Gov. Ronnie Musgrove is considered vulnerable for a number of reasons, although I suspect he's not going to be as easy to defeat as some may now think. But more intriguing - and perhaps more important - than speculating on the governor's race is contemplating what may happen in the contest for lieutenant governor. Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, once rumored to be eyeing the governor's office - and she still may be for all I know - could be more vulnerable than Musgrove if she runs for re-election which I suspect she'll do. One group with whom she has made no friends includes supporters of Democratic U.S. Rep. Ronnie Shows who blame her, more than anyone else, with legislative action - or inaction - that resulted in a federal court-ordered congressional district considered to be more favorable to Republican Chip Pickering than Shows in their November showdown. There even has been some speculation among at least a few of Shows' friends that he might run for lieutenant governor himself if he loses to Pickering this fall." - Charles Dunagin, Enterprise-Journal: April 17, 2002

"So why is Musgrove taking a strong stance on such a controversial issue this close to re-election time? Has he finally realized what many Mississippians have known for some time? His days in office are numbered. By supporting a view that according to him "is representative of the views held by most of the state," Musgrove appears to be trying to appease Mississippians one last time before he rides his horse off into the sunset. After running on a platform centered around education issues, he has authorized some of the most drastic cuts to K-12 as well as state higher education institutions. Aside from his performance in office, Musgrove also went through a much-publicized divorce from his wife Melanie (a public school teacher) this past summer. Many believe that the divorce alone damaged Musgrove's hopes for re-election." - Daily Mississippian Editorial: April 19, 2002

"'I just want y'all to know,' he said, 'it's just Mike up here.' Setting an informal tone, Moore began to work the room, perhaps like a man who might be Mississippi's next governor." - Donald Adderton, Sun Herald: April 20, 2002

"'We need a change. It's something I'm very serious about, but I don't intend to make a decision until the fall.'...Barbour said he wanted to hear from people who have helped him and other Republicans in the past - including former Gov. Kirk Fordice, U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Trent Lott and U.S. Reps. Roger Wicker and Chip Pickering. 'Candidly,' he said, 'so far I've been very encouraged.' Although many local Republicans believe Barbour is the party's best hope for governor, he said winning the nomination will require hard work. 'There are a lot of good people who can run for the Republican nomination,' Barbour said. 'I don't expect to get this on a silver platter. The Republican nomination is worth having, so I think there will be others and I think that's healthy, but people have been mighty positive here tonight.' -Meridian Star 4/23/2002

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Quick Notes
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Two FoxNews personalities are coming to Mississippi talk radio stations. Bill O'Reilly, the number one PrimeTime news program on cable TV is coming to radio in 42 Mississippi counties. O'Reilly joins the SuperTalk Team. Starting Wednesday May 8th, drive home with The Radio Factor from 4pm to 6pm on SuperTalk Mississippi: WFMN-FM 97.3 Jackson; WFMM-FM 97.3 Hattiesburg; WTCD-FM 96.9 The Delta; WTNM-FM 105.5 Oxford, Batesville, Water Valley. Meanwhile, Sean Hannity, cohost of FoxNews' Hannity and Colmes, brings his radio show to Jackson's WJNT NewsTalk beginning Monday April 22. In the Jackson area, catch Hannity on weeknights from6pm to 9pm on 1180AM or 103.9FM.

The Mississippi Leadership Forum meets on Friday, April 26th from 11:30am 1:00pm at the Madison Meeting Hall at the Jackson Hilton. Lunch is $20, RSVP to Pam Bass at goldie1957@aol.com today. The speaker is Mike Hotra from the American Tort Reform Association. Hotra has been involved with civil justice reform at the state and federal level since 1996, first at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative association of state legislators, and since 1998 at the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA). ATRA is a membership association of approximately 300 large and small businesses, trade and professional associations and physician groups dedicated to civil justice reform at the state and federal levels.

US Secretary of Education Rod Paige made another trip to Mississippi recently to attend the ceremony for the Sports Hall of Fame in Vicksburg. This is his second trip in recent weeks, appearing earlier with Congressman Chip Pickering.

Right to Life of Jackson has forms and checks for 141 Choose Life tags, approved in the 2002 Session and signed recently by Governor Musgrove. They need 200 before they can take their artwork to the MS Tax Commission and get the process started. Those planning to get a Choose Life tag should contact Pat Cartrette at the RTLJ Office at 601-956-8636.

Congressman Roger Wicker (R-MS1) has his new official web site operational. Located at www.house.gov/wicker the new site has more features and a more user-friendly interface.

Bob Rohrlack, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority, recently fired two MDA directors saying the positions had been eliminated. Rohrlack terminated Deputy Director Jay C. Moon and Director of Administration Mike Larsen. Rohrlack's predecessor, J.C. Burns claims Governor Ronnie Musgrove fired him in October for refusing to fire Moon. Musgrove denied this allegation both then and now. Moon has been widely credited as a key mover in Madison's Nissan Plant deal and served in the Musgrove, Fordice and Mabus administration, as had Larsen.

Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree (D) is getting a jump-start on his 2005 reelection plans with a fundraiser at the Lake Terrace Convention Center seeking contributions of "$250, $500, $1,000 or other amounts." DuPree's campaign finance reports showed that he spent $82,500 in his 2001 upset of incumbent Ed Morgan who raised and spent $221,500.

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Movers and Shakers
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Lucille Mayfield has been appointed Ward 2 Councilwoman for Rosedale and will be officially sworn in at the next city council meeting on May 7. Her appointment fills the unexpired term of the late Lavearn Laurence whose death left a vacancy. Mayfield is the sister of former city council member Ruth Dotson. Mayfield has served as a kindergarten teacher in Shaw for the past four years.

Republican First District Congressman Roger Wicker will serve on an investigative subcommittee appointed by the House Ethics Committee to look into the case of Congressman James Traficant (D-OH), recently convicted of corruption charges. The subcommittee will investigate whether Traficant "violated the Code of Official Conduct, or any law, rule regulation, or other standard of conduct." Congressman Doc Hastings (R-WA) will chair the subcommittee. Others on the committee are Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and John Lewis (D-GA).

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Magnolia Report Images

Merle Flowers, aid to Congressman Roger Wicker, was mentioned in the last report as a potential candidate for the new DeSoto County Senate District (#19). While he is seriously considering this run, he notes it would be premature to make a decision until the districts are made official by the Department of Justice. Until then, enjoy a picture of Flowers with President George W. Bush on the Magnolia Report Images Page.

Also on the Images Page this week is a picture of Congressman Chip Pickering meeting with Sammy Blossom of Madison, Executive Vice-President of the Mississippi Cattlemen's Association, and Dr. Jim Anderson of Brandon, President of the Mississippi Cattlemen's Association. The picture was taken in the Washington, D.C. office of Congressman Pickering where the group discussed the pending Farm Bill and other issues important to Mississippi's cattle industry.
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E-Bytes
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"A group seeking tort reform in Mississippi released an economic study Tuesday showing consumers pay almost $80 million more for goods and services because of the state's legal system. The Perryman Group, an economic research and analysis group based in Waco, Texas, performed the study commissioned by Mississippians for Economic Progress. It shows Mississippi is losing more than 9,000 jobs a year because of a civil judicial system that is 'out of balance.' A spokesman for the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association dismissed the findings as having no credibility." -Associated Press: April 17, 2002

"Two challengers have emerged so far to challenge McRae: Tony Mozingo of Hattiesburg and Jess Dickinson of Gulfport. Mozingo was narrowly defeated twice for district attorney and currently serves as a city judge in Lumberton. Dickinson, a Gulfport attorney, has secured support for his campaign from leaders in the business community and is a well known Coast social conservative. With negatives as high as his positives, one would think McRae would be a slam-dunk defeat. But McRae is a lifetime member of the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association and has served both as Governor and President of that organization. His filing for reelection certainly comes with a commitment from the trial-lawyer community for campaign cash." - Brian Perry, Madison County Journal: April 18, 2002

"I have heard the governor's request for more 'flexibility' in spending the Medicaid budget, but I think the governor is seeking a 'blank check' to run the program. I do not feel that is the answer to the problem. I am more interested in fiscal responsibility for the state than I am in flexibility for the governor. I am more interested in the legal eligibility of applicants than in flexibility. I am more interested in accountability of tax dollars than in flexibility. I don't write blank checks to anyone from my personal checkbook. And I'm sure not going to give anyone a potential $120 million blank check from the taxpayer's checkbook." - Lieutenant Amy Tuck, Greenwood Commonwealth: 4/23/2002

"The United States has no surplus in its budget. That is what Congressman Gene Taylor wanted to let the public know about during last night's town meeting held at the Criminal Justice Center. Taylor likened the situation to the Enron scandal. 'They are cookin' the books,' Taylor said. 'There is no surplus and there never was.'...Taylor said it would take three things to ruin the United States economy. If a worldwide currency is developed, if one of these countries, either Japan or Germany, ever elects a conservative national leader and if the U.S. debt is called in." - Picayune Item 4/23/2002

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Judicial Campaigns
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CHANCERY COURT DISTRICT 8 PLACE 2 - Jim Persons, a lawyer from Gulfport, has filed for this post that he was appointed to in March while incumbent Judge Wes Teel is on temporary suspension. Persons also served on this post in 1991 at the death of Judge John Morris. Incumbent Teel has filed for reelection

CIRCUIT COURT DISTRICT 14 - Incumbents Keith Starrett and Mike Smith have both qualified for reelection to this two-post district, but have a challenge from McComb City Judge Jack Price.

COAHOMA COUNTY COURT JUDGE - So far, four candidates have qualified for this post being vacated by the retiring Judge Joe Webster: William H. Gresham, Lawrence M. Magdovitz, Philip Sherman and Tommy Allen.

HERD ELECTIONS - Many circuit and chancery court posts in the state have candidates running in a herd. In a two-post district, voters can choose two candidates from the field and vote for both of them, but by choosing one their vote effectively counts more. The top two vote getters would win providing that they both have at least 25% + 1 votes. Otherwise, there would be a run-off for second.

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 May 19. [Note, last week's report contained a typo noting the qualifying deadline as May 1, it is May 10.]

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Final Scary Word
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"It's worse than scare tactics. What the governor has done to the old people of our state, it's terrible and I'm sorry." - House Appropriations Chairman Charlie Capps, Enterprise Journal: 4/23/2002

"Threats to force people out of nursing homes are a scare tactic and not a responsible way to solve the problem. Some political leaders in our state have been spreading fear about the condition of the state Medicaid budget." Lieutenant Governor Amy Tuck, Greenwood Commonwealth: 4/23/2002

"You've heard a lot of talk that nursing homes, prescriptions and dialysis might be eliminated. The truth is that all of these programs could be eliminated. There is a law on the books that says when Medicaid has a shortfall, the governor shall cut services. It doesn't give him an option. It's not a false cry or a scare tactic by the governor, and I don't mean to come in here and scare you. I think that we will wake up as a legislative body and come to our senses before people get turned away from nursing homes or lose their prescriptions." - Senator Willie Simmons, Bolivar Commercial: 4/23/2002

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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