      
   
   |
Barbour
brings out the big guns
“First brother,” Governor Jeb Bush of Florida, will visit Hattiesburg Wednesday to headline a fish fry for Barbour. Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer visited Jackson last week on behalf of Barbour where he was the main draw at a fundraiser at Hal and Mal’s for young Barbour supporters. A
visit from a popular president like Bush is a big boost for any campaign.
Last year, Bush made a huge impact on several Musgrove has kept national Democratic figures out of the spotlight in Mississippi, preferring to go it alone on the campaign trail. Considering the nation’s most high-profile Democrats are the Clintons, Howard Dean and Tom Daschle, it’s no wonder Musgrove is keeping them at arms length. Debates The first debate featured few fireworks. Both candidates, for the most part, stuck to the same campaign themes they have been developing all year. If anyone was keeping score, Barbour may have come out ahead on points, but Musgrove held his own. Interestingly, Musgrove’s former-wife sat in the front row of the theatre near Marsha Barbour, the wife of Haley Barbour. According to the Barbour campaign spokesman Quinton Dickerson, “She called and asked for a ticket and we gave her one.” Barbour
vs. Musgrove II Crime was the big topic of the night. Barbour had obviously done his homework which allowed him to trump Musgrove on the issue. Musgrove stuck to his usual NAFTA argument in which he blamed Barbour for the state's loss of jobs. Musgrove brought two Batesville residents who lost their jobs because of the Fruit of the Loom plant closings. The Barbour camp introduced Jill Williams, a teacher at West Lauderdale High School, that had her students review the platform of both candidates. She wrote in a letter to Barbour, "I would like to commend you for the educational value of your website www.haleysplan.com....Your website was very easy for them (the students) to use, and it was specific as far as plans for the next four years." Debates
at Delta State and on the Coast are also scheduled. Anderson
vs. Reeves Blackmon
vs. Tuck The race for lt. governor heated-up near the boiling point last week when Blackmon challenged Tuck to sign an affidavit swearing she never had an abortion. Tuck took great offense, though she did say she’d sign an affidavit. Tuck was repeatedly quoted as saying it was the sleaziest campaign tactic she had ever seen. Editorial pages around the state also took offense. At least seven wrote editorials denouncing Blackmon for her campaign tactics. The story first started breaking on Monday while Tuck was on a tour of the state touting her support of medical malpractice reform. By Friday, Blackmon was in full retreat on the issue. Voters
seemed repelled that Blackmon would interject such a highly-charged personal
issue into the campaign. What’s more, in a state that is strongly
right to life, the story served to highlight Tuck’s anti-abortion
position and Blackmon’s pro-abortion voting record.
Independent expenditure ads are already up in the races for governor and lt. governor. The ad in the governor’s race hits Ronnie Musgrove for the loss of jobs in Mississippi. The lt. governor spot slams Barbara Blackmon for supporting high taxes. The ads seek to strengthen weaknesses in the campaigns of Barbour and Tuck. To win in November, Ronnie Musgrove only needs to get a fraction of the white vote in the state. With 2000 points behind a spot hitting Barbour on NAFTA,.Musgrove is obviously targeting white men worried about their jobs. The independent expenditure ad hits back at Musgrove an issues he’s counting on to bring a much needed piece of a winning coalition. Judging by the independent expenditure ad in her race, Tuck, who switched parties last December, still needs to solidify her support among hardcore Republicans. The spot in her race, which focuses on the Republican bread and butter issue of taxes, smartly is targeted to drive up her opponents negatives among Republican voters. Endorsements The Mississippi Manufacturers Association endorsed Lieutenant Governor Amy Tuck on September 22nd. They had endorsed Haley Barbour earlier in the year. Both endorsements were firsts for the MMA, probably prompted by the importance the group places on the need for more tort reform in the state. Tuck and Barbour are both on record as supporting more civil justice reform. Musgrove and Blackmon are not. Tuck’s campaign was also boosted by an endorsement from the National Rifle Association. The group is immensely popular in Mississippi, where hunting dwarfs even football as a favorite pastime. The Mississippi AFL-CIO endorsed Ronnie Musgrove and Barbara Blackmon, citing their support for organized labor in the state. Blackmon has advocated a Department of Labor in the state. Equality Mississippi, a “gay, lesbian and transgender” rights group, endorsed Ronnie Musgrove in the primary and “unendorsed” him in the general election because he advocated bringing the Ten Commandments display from Alabama to Mississippi. Haley Barbour picked-up two endorsements from law enforcement groups based on his commitment to increase funding for law enforcement. The Deputy Sheriffs Association and the Police Benevolent Association both gave Barbour their stamps of approval. The Rev. Don Wildmon traveled to Jackson to endorse Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck. Tuck worked with Wildmon to privately raise funds to purchase framed “In God We Trust” posters for each public school classroom in the state. Wildmon has a large following through his work with the American Family Association and his American Family Radio Network. More Justice Circuit
Judge Clarence Morgan, Chairman of the State Commission on Judicial Performance,
ruled that Justices George Carlson and William Waller, Jr. must provide
depositions that will allow McRae to respond to the allegations. College Drinking
Problems State
Senator Tommy Robertson received a DUI in Oxford after the Ole Miss –
Texas Tech football game. Robertson who pled guilty to a DUI violation
several years ago is contesting this charge. Who
is the best political columnist in Mississippi? If
the election were held today, who would win the Ag Commissioner race? Do
you agree with the GOP's decision to dismiss the petition against DA David
Clark?
Just
Plane Troubles “I'm not accusing anyone of anything,” State Senator Barbara Blackmon on asking Lt. Governor Amy Tuck to sign an affidavit swearing she has never had an abortion. “When asked about Al Gore's ‘tendency to stretch the truth’ Dawkins gave the following response: ‘Well, I think he (Al Gore) has a character flaw that is typical of politicians, and I might have to sink to that level myself sometimes.’” – State Senator Debbie Dawkins quote from a November, 2000 Sun Herald article as quoted on www.donothingdeb.com. Movers
and Shakers |
|
President
George W. Bush made a campaign stop in Jackson last month for Haley Barbour
that netted over $2 million for the GOP gubernatorial candidate’s
campaign coffers. Bush is rumored to be planning a visit again for Barbour
in late October. Reportedly, he’ll be campaigning on the Coast or
in Desoto County – and this time he’ll be trolling for votes
instead of campaign contributions. 
competitive
races for governor and the U.S. Senate. Early stops like the one Bush
made last month can raise mountains of cash for a campaign in a few hours.
Late visits energize the respective base and can even help persuade undecided
voters. If the race for governor comes down to the wire, having Bush in
the state to help turnout the GOP faithful could be decisive for Barbour.
The
first of four Ronnie Musgrove and Haley Barbour debates was in Jackson
last Monday. Musgrove and Barbour are debating again tonight in Starkville.
Both
candidates were thrown off-stride when asked to say two good things about
the other. Musgrove described Barbour as being smart and financially successful
while Barbour countered with intelligent and hard working. Neither candidate
was able to avoid criticizing the other, though Barbour was much less
negative
in his response. 
Lt.
Gov. Amy Tuck has been up for about two weeks. Tuck’s first spot,
which featured a 1952 Ford pick-up, focuses on the need for more civil
justice reform. Her second ad touts her leadership on protecting the Pledge
of Allegiance in Mississippi schools and her legislation placing our national
motto on the walls of every classroom in the state.
Republican National Committee’s platform. Tuck has taken a leadership
role in passing several pieces of legislation important to the right to
life cause. Tuck’s opponent, State Senator Barbara Blackmon, is
the first pro-abortion major party nominee for a statewide office in recent
memory.
www.northeastmsnews.com
Perhaps
the most interesting news to come out of the first Musgrove-Barbour debate
was Jordan Musgrove’s brush with the law. The Magnolia Report was
on the scene to
see the whole thing. Apparently, Musgrove and a few friends put a Ronnie
Musgrove bumper sticker over a Haley Barbour sticker that was on longtime
GOP activist Pete Perry’s
car. Perry, who had seen the teens doing something to his car, asked the
Jackson police to stop them until he would be able to find out what they
had done.
