Primary Run-offs Approach

Runn-offs is not far away and voters will be asked to once again to return to their voting location and cast a vote for the future of Mississippi—-HA–sorry that was just too sarcastic, even for me.

There are some rule changes for the run-offs:

If you are an eligible voter and did not vote in the primary, you may vote in either of the political parties’ primary runoffs.

If you voted in the Democratic primary on May 5, you may only vote in the Democratic primary runoff. If you voted in the Republican primary, you may only vote in the Republican primary runoff.

Only voters who are blind, physically disabled or cannot read or write are eligible to receive voter assistance upon request.

Candidates whose names appear on the ballot cannot assist absentee voters.

By law, mailed absentee ballots must be received by the municipal clerk’s office by 5 p.m. on Monday. But those voting absentee in person at the clerk’s office have until noon on Saturday.

The signatures of the voter and attesting witness must be signed across the flap of the absentee ballot envelope. Failure to do so will result in rejection of the ballot.  Choose wisely and the state can prosper.

State “Biggies” Under The Gun On Donations

Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood accepted $75,000 in 2007 from a Texas attorney poised to earn a paycheck if the state is successful in its case against drug companies, according to a review of campaign finance records. Republican Gov. Haley Barbour took nearly the same amount in 2006 and 2007 from Hurricane Katrina contractors that have repeatedly won work from agencies he oversees.

Both insist that political considerations don’t factor into the selection process. And the contributions are perfectly legal in Mississippi, where there are reporting laws but few limits on donations.

Ethics watchdogs say the state needs tougher laws to prevent the appearances of conflict. But political analysts blame a privately funded campaign finance system that has become much more expensive.

Perfectly legal in Mississippi?  Well, yes that is true and it is the big lobbyist like Barbour that makes sure that such underhanded tactics stay legal.

Mississippians get the best politician that corporate money can buy!

All So Much White Noise

Recently the Coast, as well as the whole US, was in the throws of a “tax protest” known as the New Tea Party.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast was NO acception.  The crowd, which organizers estimated to be about 1,000, showed up for the local “Taxed Enough Already” party, which was in conjunction with hundreds of other rallies held around the country Wednesday.

Supporters of the movement say the event was in the same spirit of the Boston Tea Party in December 1773, when colonists protested the Tea Act passed by the British government with no input from the colonies by the British government with no input from the colonies by dumping tea from the ships into Boston Harbor.

One of the organizers of Gulfport’s rally, Charles Purchner, of Long Beach, said he disagreed with the position that many liberals are taking, that the TEA parties are actually being driven by rich Republicans.

You looked out over the crowd and it was all so white and McCain supporters……it was a protest that they lost in the last election.  I call it “White Noise” because that is what it is white middle age people using something like taxes to show their disapproval of a new president.

Check the facts for yourself….I do not mean by listening to absolute morons like Rush, Armey or Newt……your taxes will NOT go up…so what else you got?

Many people were surprised that there were still this many racists left out there.  But those people are not in the South, where racism is a way of life.

Ron White has it right when he says, “you cannot fix stupid”.

Elections Draw Near

The Sun-Herald did a special investigatioon into the city’s government and its representatives……here is a few of the findings:

These facts came to light after the Sun Herald checked the attendance records for council members, aldermen and mayors in the 11 cities in Harrison, Jackson and Hancock counties. Over the last month the newspaper asked clerks in each city to compile a tally of how many regular or special meetings were held in 2008 and how many the elected officials missed.

Their reports show officials do a good job of making the regularly scheduled meetings, but attendance at special meetings, often called on short notice, is spotty.

Those who missed at least 20 percent of the meetings are D’Iberville Councilman Glenn Ellis, Gulfport councilmen Brian Carriere and Neil Resh, Moss Point aldermen Charles Molden and Michael Middleton, Ocean Springs aldermen Jerry Dalgo and Curtis Lloyd, Bay St. Louis Mayor Eddie Favre and Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr.

The seven council members or mayors with perfect attendance are Biloxi councilmen Charles Harrison and George Lawrence, D’Iberville Councilman Henry Toncrey, Waveland aldermen LiLi Stahler and Rick Geoffrey, Gautier Mayor Donald “Pete” Pope and Pass Christian Mayor Chipper McDermott.

Those who missed a large number of meetings said insufficient notification of special meetings, along with illness and other job obligations, were factors.

Just incase you were looking for a reason to vote for or against your voice in the city government.  More info will come to light as we get closer to the election.

Voter ID Proposals

Mississippi legislators are preparing to dust the cobwebs off the same arguments they’ve used the past decade when debating — and killing — bills that would require voters to show identification at the polls.

Supporters of voter ID, including Republican Gov. Haley Barbour, say it would help reduce the chance of election fraud. Opponents say an ID requirement could be used to intimidate older black voters who were once subject to Jim Crow laws.

This year, some Republicans are putting greater emphasis on specifying that an ID should also include the person’s photo.

Several House Democrats are proposing a bill that would allow people to show any of several forms of ID. Some forms, such as a driver’s license, would have a photo. Others, such as a utility bill or a bank statement, would not.

The House bill that includes voter ID also would authorize “no-excuses” early voting. Mississippians are now allowed to vote early for certain reasons, such as having plans to be out of town on election day. The bill awaits consideration in the House Apportionment and Elections Committee, and it’s expected to pass the committee because the committee chairman is among the bill’s sponsors.

Democrats predicting November win

Jackson Watch: Democrats predicting November win

This is pretty good prediction. McCain and his staff are running one of the strangest campaigns I can remember and I can remember many. The economy is crapping on many voters and McCain seems to focus on lame proposals and national security. I would guess that that is a losing combination at best.

Lott’s Seat Not Secure

Gov. Barbour had appointed one of his lackeys to finish out Sen. Lott’s term. But it does not look too promising for Wicker to retain the gig.

Two nonpartisan national political observers with solid track records as students of Mississippi politics say that the Mississippi special election to choose a permanent successor to former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott is now a legitimate horse race.

Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report and longtime columnist for Roll Call magazine, said on May 20 that the race could no longer be considered “safe for Republicans.”

Rothenberg’s call came after the release of a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee poll showed former Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove with a 48 percent to 40 percent lead over Republican interim U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker in the race.

“Musgrove benefits from higher name identification, and the race will be close, but the initial numbers are good for the Democrat,” Rothenberg said. The DSCC poll showed Musgrove with significantly higher name recognition than Wicker, but that Musgrove had over twice the “unfavorable” rating than did Wicker.

But the same poll showed that in the 1st Congressional District, which Wicker represented before taking the Senate appointment, Wicker leads Musgrove 48 percent to 43 percent. Democrat Travis Childers just defeated Republican Greg Davis in a special election to fill Wicker’s seat

“Like the 1st District race, party labels will not appear on the ballot beside Wicker and Musgrove’s name, because the November race is technically a special election to fill Republican Trent Lott’s seat,” Rothenberg wrote. “Even though he (Musgrove) has the lead today, the race is still a difficult one for Musgrove, since the state leans Republican in federal races. But it can no longer be considered safe for the Republicans.”

Mississippi Democrats still basking in the glow of Childers’ win over Davis believe Musgrove can continue the party’s reversal of fortunes in congressional politics. Many Democrats also believe that if Sen. Barack Obama is indeed the Democratic presidential nominee, Musgrove’s chances to defeat Wicker are greatly enhanced.

Republicans point to Obama’s recent blowout losses in Kentucky and West Virginia as evidence that Wicker can and will hold the seat.

How Will Mississippians Vote?

This is a finding that should not surprise any Mississippian.

• Fifty percent of Mississippians favor McCain to 44 percent for Obama.

• Fifty percent of Mississippians said it’s more important to get troops home from Iraq than to win; 45 percent say it is more important to win.

• If McCain wins, 53 percent said they believe it is somewhat likely the U.S. will win the war, to 26 percent who believe the same would be true with Obama.

• Ten percent more voters believe Obama is more likely to bring the troops home within a year, the poll found.

• President Bush took 59 percent of the Mississippi vote in 2004, the report said, but today only 42 percent of Mississippians believe he is doing a good or excellent job; 41 percent think he is performing poorly.

Democrats believe they will ride a wave of discontent over the war, the economy and President Bush’s job performance into the White House this fall, and that Obama could create record turnout among black voters here.

Members of the state GOP believe no matter whom Democrats nominate, they’ll be far to the left of mainstream Mississippi values. In 1976, Jimmy Carter became the last Democrat to carry Mississippi.

• Republican Sen. Thad Cochran is expected to roll to an easy victory over Democrat Erik Fleming, as he leads in the Rasmussen poll 58 to 35 percent.

• Mississippi is still “safely Republican,” according to Rasmussen’s balance-of-power calculator.

Miss. Democrat Wins Election–District 1

It’s becoming a disturbing trend for Republicans: losing traditional GOP strongholds to Democrats in some hard-fought congressional races.

It happened again Tuesday, as Travis Childers beat Greg Davis in a special election to replace Republican Roger Wicker, who served in the House since 1994 and was appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill the seat vacated by Trent Lott.

Childers’ win will give him the chance to over the next several months left in the seat’s two-year term to build a fundraising and publicity advantage as he heads into November’s general election. He will again face Davis, as well as two other opponents.

Childers’ win gave Democrats a 236-199 edge over Republicans in Congress.

Childers stressed his independence, emphasizing his support of gun rights and opposition to abortion. He said his values match those of most voters in the deeply conservative district.

Tom Cole, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said the Mississippi race showed that “Republicans must be prepared to campaign against Democrat challengers who are running as conservatives, even as they try to join a liberal Democrat majority.”

MS-01: To Pick a Wicker Clone Or Not?

SunHerald.com : Election will pick Wicker’s replacement

Voters in the !st District in North Mississippi will go to the polls and decide who will replace Wicker since his move to the Senate. Do tell! Will Mississippi send another Repub to Washington or will they try something different this time?