PRESS RELEASE - Angela McGlowan's Anti-Incumbent Campaign Takes Off
Angela McGlowan Kicks Off Campaign for Congress
“Massachusetts was just the beginning, let the rebellion in the House of Representatives start right here in Mississippi”
Oxford, MS – Oxford native, author, and former Fox News Political Analyst, Angela McGlowan kicked off her campaign today in Mississippi’s first congressional district to take back the peoples’ seat in Congress and safeguard it against entrenched, incumbent career politicians. During her 5-city, 5-day tour of the district, McGlowan will visit with Mississippians in Oxford, Corinth, Tupelo, Columbus and Hernando.
McGlowan is the conservative pro-life, pro-gun, pro-small business Mississippi Republican who, at TEA Parties in Tupelo, Hernando and Memphis, has taken a high profile stand for working families against the liberal policies of President Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, that promote big government spending, record national debt and excessive levels of taxation.
“In Massachusetts, the people rose up and reclaimed their seat in the U.S. Senate in an election that’s been compared to “the shot heard around the world,” stated McGlowan. “But that was just the beginning, let the rebellion in the House of Representatives start right here in Mississippi.
“From Oxford to Columbus, Hernando to Tupelo, we will take back the peoples’ seat in Congress and safeguard it against entrenched, incumbent career politicians. Together, we will declare to Barack Obama, and liberal incumbent politicians throughout Washington, D.C.: no more taxpayer funded bailouts of irresponsible banks, insurance companies and automakers that have already added over a trillion dollars to our national debt, no more taxpayer funded ‘stimulus’ bills, chalk-full of wasteful government spending, no more job killing, multi-trillion dollar tax increases.
“Instead, I will fight to balance the budget, significantly cut our national debt, lower taxes on working families, enact policies that reward small businessmen and women for daring to be the economic engine, job creator and backbone of our local communities, and make sure children get the education they deserve because education and economic development go hand in hand.
“And, let me be clear, no one will defend and promote our conservative Mississippi values more vigorously. You can depend on me to protect the precious right to life of the unborn, preserve the sanctity of traditional marriage, defined as the union between one man and one women, defend law-abiding gun owners from of each and every attempt by liberals in government to infringe on their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and help make your families secure in the face of radical Islamic terrorists sworn to the destruction of our Judeo Christian values by any means necessary.”
Washington (CNN) - Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, one of several Republicans thought to be considering a White House bid in 2012, is making another trip to a key early voting state.
Barbour, the chairman of the Republican Governors Association, will visit South Carolina on March 15 to keynote the Spartanburg County GOP's annual President's Day dinner. Spartanburg County GOP Chairwoman LaDonna Ryggs told CNN that the event – which she described as "a very large fundraiser" – was re-scheduled from its original date in February.
Barbour has already made trips in recent months to the presidential proving grounds of Iowa and New Hampshire, but at the time he said those trips were part of his duties as RGA chairman. South Carolina will elect a new governor in November.
One of Barbour's political confidantes said it's understandable the governor's political travels will raise suspicions about a possible 2012 bid, but said Barbour is genuinely focused of winning governor's races this fall.
"It's natural that people will make some assumptions because South Carolina is an early primary state, but if it had been Alabama or Florida or some other state, he would have been just as eager to go," said the person close to Barbour, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about his thinking. "It is who is he is. He loves going to these things. He calls it political recreation."
A well-known favorite of the Tea Party movement is planning to announce a House bid Monday, setting up a challenge to an NRCC-favored candidate.
Fox News analyst Angela McGlowan will announce her bid against Rep. Travis Childers (D-MS) today in Oxford. She will face state Sen. Alan Nunnelee (R) and ex-Eupora Mayor Henry Ross (R) in the June 1 primary.
Before announcing her bid, McGlowan addressed the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville this weekend. She strongly hinted at her impending bid and won a quick endorsement from WorldNetDaily editor in chief Joseph Farah, who spoke after her.
McGlowan's candidacy will put the NRCC in an awkward spot. Nunnelee is a highly-touted recruit, and he's already been promoted to the "Contender" tier of the "Young Guns" program. Inclusion among the Young Guns does not denote an endorsement -- several members face each other in primaries -- but the NRCC has long been optimistic about Nunnelee.
"We welcome her to the race. Obviously, Sen. Nunnelee has been in there for a while and has turned out to be one of the best candidates for us this cycle," said NRCC spokesperson Andy Sere. "They'll have a primary, and Northern Mississippi voters will decide."
Privately, GOP sources question how serious McGlowan's candidacy will be. She has been a lobbyist for Steve Wynn's gambling empire -- something that won't be as acceptable to voters in the northern-based 1st district as it would be to voters in the state's gambling-friendly coast.
Plus, she's from the wrong part of the district. Childers represents an area stretching from the Memphis suburbs in the west to Tupelo in the east. McGlowan's base in Oxford is in a less populated area. And GOPers who favor Nunnelee already have opposition research featuring some of McGlowan's past interviews.
Over the weekend, Brad Morris- chief of staff for Rep. Childers- said this about former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee: “Why would he bring in a guy who lets murderers loose on the street?” During his time as governor, Huckabee granted clemency to an Arkansas inmate who is now accused of killing four Washington state police officers.
Huckabee still maintains a high profile in GOP circles, and will be hosting a fundraiser for Alan Nunnelee next week.
The National Republican Congressional Committee hit back saying this about Childers’ ties (and support) for Joey Langston:
Childers wrote a fawning leniency letter for ex-business partner Joey Langston, a criminal convicted of corruptly influencing a judge on behalf of disgraced trial lawyer Dickie Scruggs:
“Here are some of the comments from the nearly 340 letters to [U.S. District Chief Judge Michael P.] Mills, most asking for leniency for Langston, 51…Travis Childers, U.S. congressman, longtime friend…I only wish that every town and county in American had someone like Joey Langston. I ask you again for leniency to my friend, Joey Langston — a man who may have gotten sidetracked but has never lost his way and never will.” (Patsy Brumfield, “Langston Letters: What do some writers say?” Daily Journal, 12/13/08)
The case surrounding FBI agent Phillip Halbert “Hal” Neilson is shaping up to be a politically charged one, as allegations fly about a troubled relationship between Neilson and recently retired U.S. Attorney Jim Greenlee that had gone on for years in the Northern District of Mississippi.
Neilson pleaded not guilty Monday to a five-count indictment alleging that he concealed his ownership in the FBI building that he supervised and lied on financial disclosure documents he was required to fill out yearly. There wasn't an empty seat in the small courtroom on the second floor of the U.S. District Courthouse.
Days before the arraignment, a story in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal described e-mails Neilson sent to members of the Mississippi congressional delegation, saying he felt Greenlee was out to get him.
The Oxford Enterprise could not obtain the e-mails. U.S. District 1 Rep. Travis Childers’ press spokeswoman said, “Sorry, I can’t discuss the content of constituent mail.”
The Daily Journal article said the e-mails were not supplied by Neilson. The e-mails were reportedly sent to congressional members only months ago, after Neilson learned he was under investigation for his alleged secret ownership in the FBI building.
Neilson claims, according to The Daily Journal, that he came under attack after seeking whistle-blower protection from Greenlee. Neilson said he believed that Greenlee illegally targeted people with Muslim sounding names in the so-called Convenience Store Initiative, which began as an investigation into possible terrorist activities but became a major drug case instead.
Knowledgeable sources have told The Oxford Enterprise that there were some disagreements between Neilson and the U.S. Attorney’s office, but, when Neilson sought whistle-blower protection, they were “shocked” by his complaints. One veteran prosecutor said there was no merit to Neilson’s claims.
In Neilson’s e-mail to the delegation, he claims it was after he sought whistle-blower protection that he started to be excluded from cases — including the judicial bribery scandal surrounding Dickie Scruggs.
However, multiple people who worked on the Scruggs investigation told The Oxford Enterprise that they were worried Nielson was a leak to the media. They feared Scruggs would catch wind of the investigation before they had all the evidence they needed to get convictions.
At least one lawyer who worked for a Scruggs defendant claimed Neilson leaked information to The Clarion-Ledger about his client after the indictments against Scruggs were unsealed. This lawyer said he doesn’t buy Neilson’s argument that Greenlee is out to get him and that he is simply blowing smoke.
But another attorney who worked for a defendant in a case Neilson raised issues over said he thought there was a political aspect to his client’s prosecution and that Neilson may have been on to something.
All the people who spoke to The Oxford Enterprise asked to remain anonymous.
Sources also say that Neilson’s part ownership of the FBI building was discovered after a local contractor tipped off the U.S. Attorney’s office. U.S. Attorneys thought there was a possible ethical violation and reported the information to the U.S. Inspector General’s Office, which determined it was a criminal matter and assigned the case to the Baton Rouge prosecutors.
Yet Another Conservative Republican to Challenge Washington’s Choice for Mississippi’s Representative
Democrats responded to today’s announcement by conservative activist Angela McGlowan that she will join the growing field of candidates who are challenging Alan Nunnelee’s conservative credentials in a Republican primary for Congress in Mississippi. Recently, Representative Geoff Davis raised concerns that the National Republican Congressional Committee is mistaken in supporting Nunnelee instead of giving the “situation” time to develop. Last week, conservative former rural mayor Henry Ross also announced his campaign against Nunnelee.
“Given Alan Nunnelee’s record, it’s no surprise that conservative activists in Mississippi are stepping forward to challenge him,” said Jesse Ferguson, Southern Regional Press Secretary at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Whether you’re a Republican, an Independent or a Democrat, you don’t want to support someone who broke their word to the people of Mississippi. Nunnelee signed his word that he wouldn’t raise taxes and then worked to raise tobacco tax and hospital taxes. With a record like that, it’s no wonder more candidates aren’t getting into the race to make sure Nunnelee is accountable for his record.”
BACKGROUND
Senator Nunnelee has a decade long history of supporting tax increases, despite his later pledges to fight against them.
HOSPITALS: In 2009, Nunnelee broke from the rest of the State Senate to support Governor Barbour’s proposal for a $90 million hospital tax increase to pay for Medicaid. [Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 5/18/09]
In 2009, Nunnelee voted for a bill to levy a $60 million bed tax on hospitals for the first year and was to increase over the next three years to $90 million. Revenues from the hospital tax would pay for Medicaid. [Commercial Appeal, 6/30/09; Biloxi Sun Herald, 7/10/09; Clarion Ledger, 7/01/09] The bill passed the Senate, 50-0, and was approved by the Governor. [HB 71, 2009 Second Extraordinary Session, 6/30/09]
GAS SALES: In 1997, Nunnelee voted for a bill to allow the State Oil and Gas Board to levy a tax of up to 6 mils per thousand cubic feet of gas sold in Mississippi, from the previous cap of 4 mils per thousand cubic feet. The bill also allowed the State Oil and Gas Board to increase taxes on a barrel of oil produced in Mississippi from 35 mils to 60 mils, which translates into a 71% increase. [SB 2473, 1997 Mississippi Regular Session, 4/01/97; http://www.mscode.com/free/statutes/53/001/0073.htm]
TOBACCO: Nunnelee voted to increase the state cigarette tax by 50 cents, an increase of 277% and “one of the largest tax increases in the history of Mississippi”. [ATR Press Release, 5/12/09, HB 364]
Signed Pledge to Not Increase Taxes: In both 2008 and 2009, Nunnelee signed the Americans for Tax Reform’s “State Taxpayer Protection” Pledge. By signing the Pledge, Nunnelee swore to “oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.” In addition to signing the ATR pledge Nunnelee served as a ATR “Taxpayer Protection Caucus Chair” for Mississippi [atr.org 2009; atr.org 2008, accessed 2/05/10]; However, within months of signing that pledge he had already broken it by raising taxes-- on hospital beds used by sick people. [Commercial Appeal, 6/30/09; Biloxi Sun Herald, 7/10/09; Clarion Ledger, 7/01/09; HB 71, 2009 Second Extraordinary Session, 6/30/09]
Ross Enters Primary: Last Week, Former Eupora mayor Henry Ross became the second candidate to enter the Republican primary in Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District. [Associated Press, 2/03/10]
The Illinois Republican Party chose wisely when it selected Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour to speak at Wednesday's post-primary Illinois Republican Unity Breakfast. Not only was Barbour the chairman of the Republican National Committee in that great GOP year in 1994, but Barbour now leads the Republican Governors Association.
Although a Republican nominee for governor has yet to be determined--Bill Brady leads Kirk Dillard by 406 votes--that didn't stop Barbour from declaring, "The Republican Governors Association is committed to this race."
Barbour addressed Republican unity in the Land of Lincoln. "My own view is what the Democrats have done in Illinois in the last eight years," Barbour said, "is what unifies Republicans for this fall."
State senators on Friday took back nearly half the money they voted a day earlier to restore to education, and Gov. Haley Barbour then took some of the money schools are still getting by announcing $21 million in new spending cuts.
Barbour's new cuts include $1.1 million in education spending, mostly from the $2 billion Mississippi Adequate Education Program.
On Thursday, senators voted to restore $45 million Barbour had cut previously from the MAEP to pay for the state's top teachers. However, the Senate held the legislation on a parliamentary move that allowed the action to be reconsidered Friday.
I couldn't help but laugh at the reaction of House members when speaker Billy McCoy called up the controversial deer season bill for debate on Thursday.
Even on the Web cast I could clearly hear catcalls, whistles and even feet shuffling.
I could feel the anxiety over the Internet.
Nothing, not even balancing the budget, is more dreaded in the legislature than taking up hunting bills.
Only wildlife committee members ever want to talk about them, and not many want to publicly.
Few legislators understand the complexities of hunting and fishing issues, but they all know how passionate their constituents are about outdoor sports. And they know that no matter which way a vote goes, there are going to be unhappy voters back home.
A former Senator once told me that the hunting public would be scared to learn how few legislators "know squat" about outdoors.
Makes sense, and isn't meant as a jab at legislators.
In the general public, less than 15 percent hunt and less than 25 percent fish on a regular basis beyond dunking a few crickets or worms with a cane pole in a small pond. I figure the same percentages exist at the Capitol.
She will be speaking in Oxford on Monday, Corinth on Tuesday, Tupelo on Wednesday, Columbus on Thursday, and Hernando on Friday.
Last night at the National Tea Party Convention she said she could not make an official announcement on her plans to run for Congress, but will do so next week- starting on Monday.
There are lots of folks around the Capitol and throughout Jackson that are mourning the loss over the weekend of Maria Becker. Maria fought a courageous struggle against cancer and handled it with the poise and class that she did everything else in her life.
Maria was a Millsaps graduate. I certainly knew her at Millsaps as someone who always had a warm smile and a kind word. She got her start in Mississippi politics working on the Amy Tuck campaign years ago. Since then, she was a fixture in the Capitol and worked with Capitol Resources firm here in Jackson.
A trust fund for her 3 year old daughter Emma Claire has been established. Memorials, in lieu of flowers, should be directed to the Emma Claire Becker Trust Fund, c/o Miss. State Senate, P. O. Box 1018, The New Capitol, Jackson, MS. 39215.
JACKSON, Miss. -- Those traditional yellow school buses might soon be decorated with advertising, if some Mississippi lawmakers get their way.
Supporters say allowing commercial messages on buses is a way to help school districts increase their local revenues when budgets are tight, while opponents say young children shouldn't exposed to ads in a setting without parental supervision.
The House voted 94-21 last week to pass a bill that would let districts sell advertising space inside and outside school buses, starting July 1. There would be restrictions: No ads for alcohol, tobacco or junk food or for political or religious causes.
The bill is being sent to the other end of the Capitol for more debate, and one Senate Education Committee member said he has some concerns.
The influential Cook Political Report last week said the 8th District seat held by retiring U.S. Rep. John Tanner, D-Tenn., which includes northern parts of Shelby County, is a "toss up," and the First District seat held by retiring Marion Berry, D-Ark., which includes the counties just across the Mississippi River, is "leaning Republican" in November.
Political scientist Charlie Cook also sees the seat held by U.S. Rep. Travis Childers, D-Miss., which includes DeSoto and Marshall counties, a "toss- up."
Sere said the Memphis area is the only place in the country with three seats likely to turn from blue to red in the same media market.
In addition to those three Democrat seats possibly changing hands, Cook places Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District, now held by Democrat Vic Snyder, and Tennessee's 6th District, held by retiring Democrat Bart Gordon, also in the "leaning Republican" column.
As Mississippi's legislators continue to wrangle over how much money will be restored to K-12 public education, school district leaders have moved ahead with cost-saving plans.
And that's a good idea, according to the chairmen of the education committees in the House and Senate. It doesn't look as if any money is going to be quickly restored to the public education budget.
Four rounds of budget cuts ordered by Gov. Haley Barbour have reduced K-12 spending by about $205 million. The governor announced the latest round of reductions last week. Barbour said the state's lagging revenue collections have given him little choice in the matter.
Barbour said he "suspects" the state's revenue collections will be $500 million below estimates by the time the fiscal year ends June 30. He has reduced what started as a nearly $6 billion overall spending plan by $458 million.
A friend of YallPolitics recently started her own blog, Mississippi Maven, about culture in Oxford MS. She describes her site as: "AN EXAMINATION OF ALL THINGS STYLISH IN THE SPLENDID LITTLE TOWN OF OXFORD: THREADS, GRUB, BOOKS, BLING, TUNES, SOCIALISTAS AND FASHIONISTAS."
My 14yo's school sent me an e-mail yesterday, urging me to support passage of Mississippi House Bill 722, the "Social Host" bill as they call it:
Summary of the Bill - The “Social Host Bill is designed to prohibit adults from allowing a party to take place at a private residence/premises where alcohol is being consumed. This applies to any adult who knows or who should reasonably know that alcohol is being consumed. Violators of this act are punished with a misdemeanor and would receive criminal penalties in the form of a $1,000 fine and/or county jail imprisonment up to 90 days.”
I wrote back that I wasn't quite sure which of my son's friends' parents I would want to see jailed under such a law, but I appreciated learning the school's attitude towards the parents.
Call me an unreconstructed Democrat bleeding-heart, but I do not think that criminal penalties for parents are a particularly appropriate tactic here. And while there are doubtless crimes where one "reasonably should have known" this or that, the standard still makes me uneasy. My kid has a sleepover and they creep out of bed at 2 a.m. to sneak some bourbon out of the cabinet. Should I reasonably have known they would do that? Why didn't I have the cabinet locked? Why did I even have alcohol in my house? Do I want a jury to make these decisions?
At a meeting two weeks ago to discuss the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Guns” program, Rep. Geoff Davis offered what he said was a “minor observation” regarding how the committee should proceed in terms of involvement in Mississippi’s 1st district GOP primary.
“I simply cautioned that with a potential contested primary, with a new candidate coming in, we might want to give some time to see how the situation develops,” said Davis, who is helping in the NRCC’s recruiting efforts this cycle.
That new GOP candidate is Fox News political commentator Angela McGlowan, who met with Davis about a bid against Democratic incumbent Travis Childers and is now set to join the GOP field as soon as next week.
But Davis’ comment has irked some Mississippi and Capitol Hill GOP operatives, who believe the party has already found it’s best possible candidate in state Sen. Alan Nunnelee.
“When there’s such a prime opportunity to take out a Democratic incumbent, I don’t see the logic of Geoff Davis going out there and being supportive of anybody other than the guy who has already gone out there and outraised and outworked the incumbent,” said one source familiar with Mississippi politics.
It is no secret that the First District favorite in the GOP primary among the party leadership is State Sen. Alan Nunnelee (R-Tupelo). Nunnelee has received donations from the likes of Gov. Haley Barbour, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA). They certainly have not been going around campaigning for Nunnelee but their implied support is there.
The NRCC considered Nunnelee’s entrance into the race last summer a major win for the party’s recruitment efforts. However, we know today that Nunnelee will not exactly have smooth sailing into the general election against Rep. Travis Childers, and that is causing some in the NRCC to take a second look at how they handle this, and how involved they should be until the primary is over.
Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY) said that the NRCC should proceed with caution as FoxNews analyst Angela McGlowan enters the race. He said they should “give some time to see how the situation develops.” Davis is helping the NRCC’s recruiting efforts and met with McGlowan when she was recently making the rounds on Capitol Hill.
A couple of other GOP insiders, however, did not take kindly to Davis’ suggestion. One source said, “I don’t see the logic of Geoff Davis going out there and being supportive of anybody other than the guy who has already gone out there and outraised and outworked the incumbent.” Another source also said Davis’ comments could affect Nunnelee’s ability to raise money for the time being from certain sources.
Barbour said Thursday that he disagrees with a Supreme Court order declaring his cuts to the judiciary unconstitutional but will abide by it anyway.
"That's not the way I read the statute, but there's no use in appealing it to the Supreme Court, would be my view," Barbour told The Clarion-Ledger editorial board during an hour-long conversation.
In total, Barbour will have cut the budget by $458 million, and round four may not be the end of it. Barbour said he would revisit the numbers again at the end of February, and that he hopes to make the last cuts then, if more are necessary.
"I believe we owe it to the public that we don't end up having to make some huge slash in April, May or June," Barbour said.
One of the money-saving plans circulating in the Mississippi Senate would reduce the number of state lawmakers by 10 percent.
An amended bill introduced by Sen. Walter Michel, R-Jackson, would trim the size of the House from 122 members to 110 and streamline the Senate by eliminating five seats, reducing the total number of senators from 52 to 47.
Senate President Pro Tem Billy Hewes, R-Gulfport, invoked the bad economy as a reason for the downsizing. He said state revenues are falling about 10 percent below projections, so the Legislature should consider thinning its own ranks by a similar percentage.
The plaintiff bar is regaining the power, influence, and wealth it had before tort reform swept through in the early 21st century. Some contend it was that zeitgeist which helped the defendants in the lead paint public nuisance litigation to eventually triumph Download Statev.LeadIndustriesAssoc.,Inc.. Defense attorneys representing corporate America such as Jones Day's Mickey Pohl whose client was Sherman-Williams became rock stars. After all, they toiled in the trenches of law for the public good.
Now, it's the plaintiff attorneys who might be re-anointed as the front lines of laboring for the public good. We could have a return to the folk heroes like Dickie Scruggs, but with lessons learned about arrogance and corruption. [Good read is "Kings of Tort" by Alan Lange and Tom Dawson.]
House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson tells Fox News EXCLUSIVELY that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's absence at a hearing on the Christmas Day bomb plot held on the 27th of January was "a misunderstanding" and that there are no hard feelings.
Following a meeting with Napolitano and Democrats on the Homeland Security Committee, Thompson said the Secretary clarified what was a lingering issue "I think everyone left with their questions answered."
Even after a federal judge dismissed most of Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood's claims, Eli Lilly & Co. has decided to pay $18.5 million to settle the remaining part.
Hood announced the settlement Thursday at a news conference, according to the Clarion-Ledger of Jackson. The last remaining claim of his Zyprexa lawsuit had been stayed pending a decision in another matter.
"What we have always found is it is in the best interest of Lilly customers, employees and other important constituents to put these issues behind us the best and most appropriate way we can, so we can get back to business we're best at," Lilly spokesperson Marni Lemons said.
The settlement was filed Jan. 26 in state court. Mississippi was one of 12 states that did not participate in a previous 33-state, $62 million settlement.
The suits allege Lilly marketed Zyprexa for off-label purposes and that the drug caused weight gain-related side effects like diabetes and hypertension.
Eli Lilly has paid $1.4 billion to settle federal civil and criminal claims stemming from alleged off-label marketing.
The payment also benefited the Medicaid programs of more than 30 states that collectively received approximately $362 million.
Houston firm Bailey Perrin Bailey, which donated $75,000 to Hood, is also representing the states of Arkansas, Pennsylvania and Louisiana. None of those three states have finalized settlements, but Louisiana appears to have reached a tentative one. The other two cases are in state court and have not reached tentative settlements yet.
Bailey Perrin and a Mississippi firm will earn $3.7 million from the settlement.
A divided Mississippi Senate voted Thursday to restore $45 million to public schools, but the issue is far from being resolved.
The plan would take $50 million from the state health care trust fund, which has a balance of more than $200 million. After the $45 million goes to schools, Republican Gov. Haley Barbour could use $5 million to restore a small portion of the cuts he has made to other state programs.
The 32-15 vote was significant because some Republicans split from their own party leadership to side with Democrats who are trying to pump money back into elementary and secondary schools.
The Mississippi Senate has passed a bill that supporters say would strengthen the state's Open Meetings Act.
The bill passed Thursday. It says that if a public body is found in violation of the law, the state Ethics Commission or a chancery court could nullify any action that occurred during the illegally closed meeting.
The bill also would impose a fine of up to $1,000 on any person found in violation of the law.
The governor also said he would abide by a Supreme Court order that says he cannot reduce the judiciary's budget.
Barbour said he's likely to take another $21 million from the state budget on top of the $437 million he has cut thus far in three previous rounds of reductions.
"The problem is it's getting worse not better," Barbour said, speaking this morning to The Clarion-Ledger editorial board.
Barbour said the additional cut is based on one of the more positive numbers to arise from several different revenue estimating models.
Congressman Childers’ Statement on Final Passage of Statutory PAYGO
Congressman Childers’ Statement on Final Passage of Statutory PAYGO
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Travis Childers (MS-01) released the following statement on House passage of statutory pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) legislation:
“Today’s final passage of statutory PAYGO legislation represents an enormous step forward in restoring fiscal discipline and accountability to the federal government, giving PAYGO rules the force of law for the first time in more than ten years.
“Hard-working North Mississippians use a balanced budget on a daily basis in order to make ends meet, and the federal government should operate no differently. Every time we increase our deficit, we risk national security by increasing our need to borrow from foreign countries, and we pass on outstanding bills to future generations.
“Enacting statutory PAYGO has been a long-time goal of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, of which I’m a member. Today’s victory will help change the way Washington works, requiring Congress to make difficult but important decisions about spending just like they did a decade ago, and just like hard-working Americans have always done.
“While I voted today in favor of PAYGO on an up-or-down vote, I voted against the rule preceding its consideration because this rule included a self-executing increase in the national debt limit. Just as I could not vote to increase the debt limit in December in the face of today’s economic conditions, I could not vote to do so today.”
COCHRAN ADVOCATES “NO COST STIMULUS ACT” IN JOBS DEBATE
Lawmakers Press Obama to Support Greater Energy Production to Boost U.S. Economy
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) is among a group of Senate and House lawmakers who today asked President Obama to support their effort to enact the No Cost Stimulus Act to spur greater job creation in the private sector.
Cochran, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, signed a letter to the President advocating the No Cost Stimulus Act (S.570) as the basis for affordably creating more jobs and strengthening U.S. energy security. The letter, authored by Senator David Vitter (R-La.), was issued as the Senate turns its attention to legislation intended to improve the unemployment situation, which sits at more than 10 percent in Mississippi.
“There are a number of policy changes that could effectively result in more job creation. I cosponsored the No Cost Stimulus Act because it would remove some of the regulatory impediments that stifle American energy production and the hiring of workers,” Cochran said.
“As Congress begins consideration of legislation intended to encourage job growth and retention, I believe the provisions in S.570 should be given priority over other plans that would require increased federal spending,” he said.
S.570, like HR.1431—a House companion bill, would direct federal agencies to take actions to facilitate the development of energy resources from the Gulf of Mexico, the Outer Continental Shelf and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The legislation would encourage the development of oil shale, tar sands and other unconventional fuel sources, as well as the construction of new nuclear power plants. The proposal also addresses federal environmental restrictions that often impede or delay domestic energy production. It would create trust funds to advance renewable and alternative energy sources.
“The current regulatory regime being pushed by the Department of Interior, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency is antithetical to the creation of private sector jobs,” the lawmakers wrote Obama. “Limiting American’s access to domestic resources, whether it is cutting off water to farmers in California, limiting access to federal lands in Utah and Wyoming, or preventing access to energy in West Virginia and the Gulf of Mexico, is no more helpful than massive new regulatory expansion of government mandates on the private sector.”
“The No Cost Stimulus Act was designed to limit agency bureaucracy, to provide access for U.S. citizens to U.S. resources, and to prevent the continued backslide of our energy policy. The act will also streamline review processes that are preventing millions of new jobs from being created,” the lawmakers’ letter concluded.
The No Cost Stimulus Act has been endorsed by the Alliance for Worker Freedom, Americans for Tax Reform, National Association of Manufacturers, National Black Chamber of Commerce, National Taxpayers Union and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
NEW BILL THAT CALLS FOR MORE PERFORMANCE BASED BUDGETING PASSES THE SENATE
JACKSON – Mississippi's push to adopt a more efficient budgeting system cleared its first hurdle Thursday, passing the Senate with only 1 dissenting vote.
The bill would institute Smart Budget, a performance-based budgeting system where resources are allocated based on results.
Lt. Governor Phil Bryant and a panel of state leaders, known as the Commission for a New Mississippi, authored a report late last year that recommended Mississippi to adopt a performance-based budget. Bryant said he's excited at the prospect of a sleeker, more efficient government.
“I have said before that the biggest policy decision government ever makes is when it builds a budget,” Bryant said. “Making decisions on how to fund so many important functions of government is a demanding task that would benefit from a performance-based system.”
Mississippi has technically had performance-based budgeting on the books for years, but it was never used. The report by the Commission for a New Mississippi uses the Texas budget process as a model system bringing strategic planning and performance together in the state’s appropriations process. It further encourages state government to be mission driven and goal oriented.
The purpose of the performance budgeting process is to require budget decisions to be made based on whether state agencies are accomplishing expected results.
“Rather than keep budgeting the same way we’ve always done it, we need to look to the future, and that better way is performance based budgeting,” Bryant said. “The key is results. Departments are allocated money with specific goals in mind. Simply, this process is an effort to provide more accountability for the taxpayers’ money.”
This legislation, would further require the creation of a statewide and agency-level strategic plans to give clear and comprehensive direction for government to meet the needs of the citizens of the State. The plan focuses on the key roles of government, necessary services for our citizens, and the outcomes we expect when we expend scarce resources.
The new legislation gives the Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) Committee oversight in implementing and operating systematic and continuous improvement programs based on statewide strategic planning and performance budgeting. The PEER staff would also be charged with serving as a resource for state agencies in developing their strategic plans, and assuring that agency plans align with the statewide plan.
Blake Wilson, President of the Mississippi Economic Council said, “This is another step toward putting Mississippi in a place of greater opportunity. Companies look to states that follow a business like model. This is good not only for state government but for economic development as well.”
Senate Bill 2816 will now head to the Mississippi House of Representatives for consideration.
SB 2816 comes from a report issued by the Commission for a New Mississippi. Governor Haley Barbour requested for Lt. Governor Bryant to form that commission to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of state government. The commission consisted of 17 members and was chaired by the former Department of Finance and Administration director, J.K. Stringer, Jr. The commission reviewed reports that chronicled and analyzed how the state’s government operated for the past 80 years. The commission also investigated best practices in other states.
The report can be viewed at http://www.ltgovbryant.com/newms.
WASHINGTON, DC – The President released his Fiscal Year 2011 budget Monday which confirmed that his recent rhetoric of fiscal responsibility is – well – rhetoric. Describing the budget, White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said, “We have to return to some very common-sense principles that every day Americans live by. Every time they go to the grocery store, or want to go to the movies, or cash their paycheck, and that is you can't spend more than you have.”
I could not agree more.
As a member of the House Committee on the Budget, I began reviewing this budget within minutes of its release. Several of the proposals are discouraging, particularly as Americans continue to recover from a global economic slump.
By the President’s own estimates, spending will reach a record $3.8 trillion for FY 2011 and the debt will double in five years and triple in 10 from the time Obama began his presidency. This budget proposal retains a $1.6 trillion deficit for FY 2010. Despite all the talk of deficit reduction, the FY 2011 deficit projection is still $1.3 trillion. Let’s not forget the $2 trillion in proposed tax increases by 2020 and the negative impact that has on economic growth.
Since entering the White House, the President has increased non-defense discretionary spending by a staggering 84 percent. To compensate for this binge, President Obama has proposed a non-defense, non-homeland security, non-Veterans, non-international affairs, non-Pell Grant and non-emergency spending freeze. This move – according to his Administration – would save up to $250 billion over ten years. In short, this stunt would only apply to a whopping 13 percent of the United States budget.
Further, the President’s budget would require an additional increase to the debt limit prior to October 1, 2011 – despite this week’s increase of $1.9 trillion. Within the debt limit legislation is a budget enforcement mechanism known as pay-as-you-go (PAYGO), requiring all future legislation to be paid for. However, a compromise among Democratic leaders exempts changes to the alternative minimum tax and the reduction of estate taxes for two years from the PAYGO provisions. Adjustments to the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula will receive exemptions for five years. A permanent “doc fix” to the SGR will cost taxpayers $371 billion over ten years, which by itself exceeds the savings from the spending freeze by nearly $120 billion. Let me be clear. While I agree Congress needs to repair this Medicare reimbursement method, I believe the solution must be paid for.
While the President’s three-year freeze is a step in the right direction, it is a baby step. Congress must do more to reign in the runaway spending. I support a conservative jobs plan that will: eliminate job-killing federal tax increases until the unemployment rate drops below five percent; freeze domestic discretionary spending at FY 2008 levels; remove unnecessary barriers to domestic energy production; and offer assistance to small businesses and community banks struggling with the downturn in the commercial real estate market.
House Republicans continue to reach out to Democratic Members of Congress with solutions to boost our economy. These common-sense principles can be viewed online at solutions.gop.gov – and they don’t spend more than we have. These are practical steps towards advancing economic growth while creating jobs without expanding the scope of our federal government. My faith is in the American entrepreneur – not the federal government – to grow our economy.
The Federalist Society will be meeting on Tuesday February 9 at 7:30 a.m. at the Capitol Club in Jackson. The topic for discussion will involve the latest dispute between the MS Supreme Court and Governor Haley Barbour over the ability for the executive branch to execute its constitutionally mandated duty to balance the budget by cutting, in part, budgetary allocations to the judicial branch in proportion to other agencies.
Speaking to the group will be former MSSC Justice Ed Pittman (representing the Court's point of view) and well known author and former gubernatorial Chief of Staff Andy Taggart (representing the Executive Branch's point of view). It should be a very interested and spirited dialogue.
If you are interested in attending, contact Pepper Crutcher at pcructher@balch.com .
Jackson, MS-In the midst of Mississippi’s fiscal crisis, Attorney General Jim Hood announced today that he recovered $18.5 million from a settlement with Eli Lilly for alleged fraud involving the drug Zyprexa.
“We recovered every penny we spent on the drug by Medicaid and the State Insurance Plan, plus penalties,” said Attorney General Jim Hood. “Hopefully, the Legislature will use this money to prevent the shut down of our courts, prosecutors, law enforcement and other vital government services.”
The drug was only approved for major psychotic disorders, but the state alleged that the drug company promoted the drug to doctors for many unapproved uses such as minor depression. The company’s studies showed the drug caused diabetes, but publication of the studies was suppressed.
The “Consent Judgment and Assurance of Voluntary Compliance” was filed January 26, 2010 in the Circuit Court of Lafayette County, Mississippi and settles Mississippi’s claims against Eli Lilly for alleged fraud against the State of Mississippi and violations of the Consumer Protection Act. By settling the claims, Eli Lilly admits to no wrongdoing.
The agreement with Eli Lilly ensures, among other things, that the company:
-will not make any written or oral claim that is false, misleading or deceptive regarding Zyprexa
-will not promote Zyprexa for off-label uses
-communications concerning off-label uses of Zyprexa shall not be false, misleading or deceptive
Any violation of the above, and the other settlement terms negotiated, will result in further penalties for Eli Lilly.
The State of Mississippi began pursuing its claims against Eli Lilly in July 2006 as a means to 1) recover funds expended by the State of Mississippi in purchasing the prescription drug known as Zyprexa for non-medically necessary uses, and 2) to recover funds expended by the State of Mississippi through its State Health Plan in purchasing Zyprexa for uses in which the efficacy of the medication was outweighed by the dangerous side effects associated with the drug.
More specific allegations against Eli Lilly were that:
-the company’s pre-clinical studies demonstrated that the drug causes weight gain and hyperglycemia, which is linked to diabetes. Additionally, Eil Lilly knew of Zyprexa’s propensity to cause diabetes nearly a year and a half before it first warned of the risk of diabetes in the United States, and the company consistently suppressed attempts within the company to make the association between drug induced weight gain and hyperglycemia public.
-the company misled doctors regarding the safety and efficacy of the drug.
-the company trained and instructed its primary care sales force to attempt to expand Zyprexa’s market by convincing primary care physicians to prescribe the drug for mood, thought and behavioral disturbances.
-the company established a sales message to primary care physicians based on patients’ symptoms and behaviors, rather than on their confirmed diagnoses.
-the company falsely represented that Zyprexa is safer or more effective than less expensive, generic forms of first generation antipsychotics.
-the State of Mississippi expended funds through its Division of Medicaid in reimbursing pharmacies for non-medically necessary uses of Zyprexa for eligible recipients.
Mississippi Fourth Congressional District Republican candidate Joe Tegerdine said on Tuesday night while campaigning in Picayune that he is trying to build in each county a grass-roots political organization throughout the Fourth District.
He said that if he can do that, he can beat Democrat incumbent U.S. Congressman Gene Taylor of Bay St. Louis in the 4th Congressional District election.
Tiffany A. Parrish, Tegerdine’s finance director who accompanied Tegerdine, said that the National Republican Party has placed Taylor on a list of Democrats whom they believe are “vulnerable” in this year’s congressional elections.
Tegerdine, a Petal businessman who spoke to supporters at the home of his Pearl River County campaign manager Angela Hill admitted he, so far, does not have the funds to mount an effective media campaign against Taylor.
He said that the campaign funds he needs will come. It was the third time Tegerdine has visited Pearl River County.
Attorney General Jim Hood says Mississippi will receive $18.5 million in a settlement with drug manufacturer Eli Lilly and Co.
Hood, speaking Thursday at a news conference in Jackson, says the settlement represents a recovery for funds spent on the anti-psychotic drug Zyprexa by Medicaid and the state insurance plan.
Zyprexa has been Lilly's top-selling drug for several years.
Mississippi Power Co wants to build a 582-megawatt integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) plant that will burn Mississippi lignite to expand its baseload generation as it contemplates shutting other aging coal plants.
Craig Roach of Boston Pacific Co, hired by the Mississippi Public Service Commission to evaluate the economics of the utility's coal proposal against purchases from natural gas-fired power plants, said the Kemper IGCC project could be the best option in the long term.
Over a 40-year period, the Kemper County plant would likely be more economical for rate payers than purchased power contracts, but only if the Kemper County IGCC plant can be built without serious cost overruns, Roach told regulators.
Over a 10- to 20-year time frame, purchased power contracts provide could lower costs for rate payers, depending on the direction of gas prices, Roach said.
WASHINGTON — A group of prominent Republicans is forming an organization to develop and market conservative ideas, copying a successful Democratic model and hoping to capitalize on the fund-raising and electioneering possibilities opened up by a recent Supreme Court ruling.
The organizers, including former Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota and Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the senior policy adviser to Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign, describe their emerging American Action Network as a center-right version of the Center for American Progress, the six-year-old group for progressive policies that was founded by John Podesta, former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton and an informal adviser to President Obama.
Republicans who are donors, board members or both include Haley Barbour, the governor of Mississippi; Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida; Ed Gillespie, like Mr. Barbour a former chairman of the Republican Party; Fred Malek, an investor and official in the Nixon and first Bush administrations; Robert K. Steele, a former executive of Wachovia and Goldman Sachs who was a Treasury official in the second Bush administration, and Kenneth G. Langone, a founder of Home Depot and a former director of the New York Stock Exchange.
A Web site will be unveiled next week. A news conference announcing the center is planned for Feb. 22, followed the next day by a forum on ideas for spurring job creation.
New York Times
2/3/10
A version of this article appeared in print on February 4, 2010, on page A18 of the New York edition.
Mississippi's and Oregon's laws are designed to prevent "smurfing," in which meth cookers and their cohorts visit numerous pharmacies to purchase more than the legal limit of pseudoephedrine.
Critics of the Mississippi bill said it unfairly punishes law-abiding cold and allergy sufferers. They added it would aggravate the state's Medicaid funding problems by requiring people to visit a doctor to get relief for clogged sinuses.
Almost daily news media reports about a new meth lab bust illustrate the pervasiveness of the meth problem. The law Barbour is expected to sign won't eliminate that problem, but it will make it harder to obtain the key ingredient to make meth.
That's worth the inconvenience and, anyway, a pharmacist should be able to recommend a suitable alternative.
JACKSON -- The state Senate rejected House-approved legislation Wednesday that would have capped at 5 percent how much Gov. Haley Barbour could cut from individual departments and agencies to balance the state budget.
The Senate vote sets the stage for a showdown in a conference committee of senators and House members.
Conference committee members will determine whether the governor can cut 10 percent from individual departments or agencies before triggering a legal provision requiring him to cut all agencies by that amount before trimming the state budget further.
Barbour wants the 10 percent figure to give him more leeway in making spending cuts necessary to have a balanced state budget.
JACKSON, Miss. -- Mississippi's county supervisors and other municipal leaders are asking legislators to rethink a 2005 law that gives a break to federally subsidized housing developments, saying schools and local governments are losing millions in tax dollars.
The law applies to so-called Section 42 developers who use federal tax credits to build rental complexes for people who qualify for work force housing. Under the law, the developers are assessed by the income generated from the rental units rather than the cost of the real property.
"If you go and raise taxes on people and they're not able to recoup that expense, you can't operate," Milstead said. "Our people are paying taxes. It's brought new revenue in the county because there were properties built that might not otherwise have been built."
Milstead said the assessors initially agreed with the law, "but now they want more money, and this is not the place to get it."
Milstead said his organization was meeting with municipal leaders in hopes of finding a solution to the lost revenue. Another hearing on the issue was scheduled for Thursday before the committee.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Percy Watson, D-Hattiesburg, said his committee would continue to investigate the issue. At least three bills have been filed to change the law.
"It's definitely something that should come before the full committee," Watson said. "They're using it as a means to get around paying local taxes."
Last week, Senate Appopriations Chair Alan Nunnelee officially threw his hat in the ring for the First Congressional Seat (MS-01). Nunnelee's speech starts at about the 6:00 mark and he speaks for about 17 minutes. He takes the obvious opportunity to further tie Travis Childers' vote for Nancy Pelosi and explain their support of each other. However, his "I have a vision" mantra toward the end was extremely well-delivered. Unfortunately, the lighting was not really good for the video. That could be sharpened up, but otherwise, I think it was well done. This is definitely worth watching for political junkies who want a glimpse as to what this race will be like. It's shaping up to be a battle royale.
His message is dead on. He looked comfortable in the delivery. He will be good on the stump, for sure. Ultimately, it's a message that can win. If he can raise enough money, surround himself with good campaign folks and not stumble, this is a very VERY tight race in November that he can win.
As stated previously, I have personally made a reportable financial contribution to a candidate in this particular race.
The House bill to sell the state plane met the purpose of thumbing the body’s nose at Gov. Haley Barbour’s “not business as usual” remarks on cutting spending. But in terms of public policy, it’s more of the same — spending non-recurring funds (net proceeds of the plane’s sale) for recurring expenses (the state car-tag fund). So what do we sell or hock next year?
As Congress begins picking through President Obama's vast election year budget, many Democratic incumbents and candidates seem to be finding something they love — to campaign against.
A Democratic Senate candidate in Missouri denounced the budget's sky-high deficit. A Florida Democrat whose district includes the Kennedy Space Center hit the roof over NASA budget cuts. And an endangered Senate Democrat denounced proposed cuts in farm subsidies.
A headline on the 2010 campaign website of Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), blares her opposition to Obama's farm budget: ``Blanche stands up for Arkansas farm families,'' it says.
Heading into an election season in which Republicans are trying to tie Democrats to Obama's unpopular policies, Obama's budget gives his fellow Democrats an unlikely campaign tool — a catalogue of ways to establish their distance from controversial aspects of his administration.
CONGRESSMAN MARK KIRK TO KICK-OFF GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN WITH FELLOW WASHINGTON INSIDER AND MEGA LOBBYIST HALEY BARBOUR
Kirk's First Move After Winning Primary Is To Stand Shoulder To Shoulder With Embodiment Of GOP Establishment And Special Interests
Republican "Unity" Event To Feature Same Players That Got Country Into Economic Mess In First Place
Today, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is on the offensive against Republican Senate nominee Mark Kirk for kicking off his general election campaign with fellow Washington insider and Mexico lobbyist Haley Barbour. The Republican "Unity" event comes less than 24 hours after Congressman Kirk won the Republican nomination. Now, instead of reaching out to voters he will need to win over in November, Kirk has decided to make a statement about his candidacy by instead, standing shoulder to shoulder with Barbour, who is the embodiment of the GOP establishment and of special interests, having served as Chairman of the RNC and a mega lobbyist in DC.
"Congressman Mark Kirk made a bold statement today about his general election campaign by holding his first post-primary event with a politician whose resume as a Washington insider rivals his own," said DSCC National Press Secretary Deirdre Murphy. "Instead of reaching out to independent voters, Kirk has decided to kick-off his campaign by standing shoulder to shoulder with fellow Washington insider and establishment Republican Haley Barbour. As if they needed a reminder, this event just shows that Illinois voters will face a stark contrast this November between a candidate who wants to take the state forward and one who wants to take the state backwards."
Two-faced Congressman Mark Kirk and mega lobbyist Haley Barbour are both entrenched Washington insiders who have consistently put Wall Street over Main Street. Barbour's insider resume includes a stint as the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Chairman of the Republican Governor's Association, Governor of Mississippi, and a big time, mega lobbyist in DC. Barbour and his lobbying firm have accepted millions of dollars from a diverse range of clients such as big tobacco, the health care industry, and energy companies. The disastrous policies advocated by Republican establishment figures such as Kirk and Barbour created our economic crisis in the first place. Now, instead of working to move the country forward, they both want to take the country back.
The Government of Mexico Hired Barbour's Firm to Work on NAFTA Implementation. According to documents filed in 2001 with the Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Haley Barbour's firm was contracted by the Embassy of Mexico. The documents indicate that the "political activities that Barbour Griffith & Rogers Inc. (Registrant) will engage in on behalf of the Government of Mexico (Foreign Principal) include seeking continued implementation of the NAFTA trade agreement." The release goes on to describe Haley Barbour's critical role on the Barbour Griffith and Rogers team. The firm's fee for their service was $35,000 a month - for at least three months. [DOJ Registration Statement, filed 10/02/01 ]
Since 1999, Barbour's Lobbying Firm Earned $6.8 Million For His Lobbying Work On Behalf Of The Health Care Industry. Between 1999 and 2003, Haley Barbour was listed as a lobbyist on behalf of several companies and trade organizations involved in the health care industry. For Barbour's work, his lobbying firm, Barbour Griffith & Rogers Inc., earned $6.8 million. According to the Senate Office of Public Records, Haley Barbour lobbied on behalf of Bristol Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Kindred Healthcare, UnitedHealth Group and other organizations. [Lobbyist Disclosure Database, Senate Office of Public Records, accessed 9/23/09]
Barbour Led GOP Governors "In A Coordinated Attack On Sen. Max Baucus' (D-Mont.) Healthcare Reform Legislation." "A group of Republican governors are working together in a coordinated attack on Sen. Max Baucus's (D-Mont.) healthcare reform legislation, according to GOP sources and documents obtained by The Hill. At least 14 of the nation's 22 Republican governors have sent, or will soon send, letters to their respective congressional delegations claiming the Democrats' healthcare bills would bankrupt their states...Barbour, chairman of the Republican Governors Association (RGA), was the first to pen a 'letter of concern' to lawmakers from his state. And it provided a template for others to follow...'The current proposals, both in the House and Senate, will expand the Medicaid program at additional costs paid not by the federal government, but passed down to the states,' Barbour wrote earlier this month...Though Barbour coordinated the letter-writing effort among the governors, it is part of a larger initiative launched by House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) earlier this year to increase the outreach among state heads and congressional leaders. Sources say Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is also playing a leading role on this issue." [The Hill, 9/28/09 ]
Since 1999, Barbour's Lobbying Firm Earned $2.36 Million For His Lobbying Work On Behalf Of The Tobacco Industry. Between 1999 and 2004, Haley Barbour was listed as a lobbyist on behalf of several tobacco companies. For Barbour's work, his lobbying firm, Barbour Griffith & Rogers Inc., earned $2.36 million. According to the Senate Office of Public Records, Haley Barbour lobbied on behalf of Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation, Lorillard Tobacco Company, Philip Morris Companies, RJR Nabisco and U.S. Tobacco. [Lobbyist Disclosure Database, Senate Office of Public Records, accessed 9/23/09]
Barbour Lobbied for Several Tobacco Interests. Bush Exploratory Committee member Haley Barbour and his DC-based lobbying firm, Barbour Griffith & Rogers, currently represent several tobacco interests. The tobacco interests currently represented by Barbour include: Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corp.; Lorillard Tobacco Co.; Phillip Morris Cos., Inc; RJR Nabisco Holdings Co.; and U.S. Tobacco. [Washington Representatives, 1999; http://www.georgewbush.com/committee/members.html]
Barbour Pushed GOP Congress to Include $50 Billion Tax Break for Big Tobacco, And the Tobacco Industry Gave the RNC $7.4 Million. While lobbying for several tobacco interests, Barbour pushed GOP leaders in Congress to include in legislation a $50 billion tax break for tobacco companies. In 1997, House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Majority Leader Trent Lott insisted on the inclusion of a provision in the massive balanced budget and tax-cut bill that would have given tobacco companies a $50 billion tax break -- in the form of credit against the sum they had pledged to settle anti-tobacco litigation. Former RNC Chair -- and now $50,000-a-month tobacco lobbyist -- Haley Barbour approached Gingrich and Lott about inserting the provision. Kenneth Kies - the Joint Committee on Taxation staff director -- confirmed that the tobacco industry actually wrote the provision. "The industry wrote it and submitted it, and we just used their language," he said. Republicans received over $2 million from the tobacco industry in 1997. After a public firestorm, Congress voted to repeal the provision. From 1993 ‑ 1996, tobacco companies gave at least $7,443,974 to Republican Party campaign committees. In the first half of 1997, tobacco interests gave the GOP $1.6 million. [LA Times, 5/24/97; AP, 8/9/96; Wall Street Journal, 7/30/97; Washington Post, 8/13/97; 8/17/97; 8/22/97; USA Today, 8/29/97; Time, 9/29/97; New York Times, 12/15/97]
Since 1999, Barbour's Lobbying Firm Earned $2.96 Million For His Lobbying Work On Behalf Of Energy Companies And Trade Groups. Between 1999 and 2003, Haley Barbour was listed as a lobbyist on behalf of several companies and trade organizations involved in the energy industry. For Barbour's work, his lobbying firm, Barbour Griffith & Rogers Inc., earned $2.96 million. According to the Senate Office of Public Records, Haley Barbour lobbied on behalf of the Edison Electric Institute, the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, the Oxygenated Fuels Association, and Southern Company Services, Inc. [Lobbyist Disclosure Database, Senate Office of Public Records, accessed 9/23/09]
Childers Urges Treasury to Crackdown on AIG Bonuses
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Travis Childers (MS-01) sent a letter to the U.S. Treasury expressing his extreme disappointment in American Insurance Group’s (AIG) disbursement of employee bonuses this quarter. AIG received taxpayer-funded bailout money under the Trouble Asset Relief Program (TARP), but while the company has since reduced its employee bonuses, it has not altogether ended them.
The complete letter is attached.
“Every day I personally hear the thoughts and concerns of the citizens of North Mississippi as many of them continue to struggle in this economic climate,” Congressman Childers wrote. “When they read in their local newspapers that executives at firms such as A.I.G are still receiving bonus payments, it strikes at their very core, and it is my responsibility to voice their concerns to the proper channels.”
Stories about AIG’s bonuses ran today in publications like the Wall Street Journal.
Congressman Childers, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, recently helped pass the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to address unfair pay practices and to help protect taxpayers from ever again bearing the burden of Wall Street’s irresponsible decision-making.
Despite a seemingly fractured Governor's ticket, the Illinois GOP sent a message to its troops Wednesday at the Republican Unity Breakfast.
"We're back, baby!"
Keynote speaker Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi asked the group at the Union League Club of Chicago if they had the ammunition for to turn a blue state red.
"You think what Illinois has done for the last eight years is enough to unite the Republicans in the fall," he asked, referring to this state's penchant for corrupt jailbird governors.
The Mississippi House Wednesday afternoon passed a measure to sell a $2.7 million state jet used regularly by Gov. Haley Barbour.
Money from the sale of the jet would go to offset cuts to the car-tag fund, which gives drivers a break on their annual vehicle registration costs. That fund was cut by $2.2 million in the latest round of budget reductions.
The measure passed the Democratic-controlled House 66-54 after little discussion and heads to the Senate. Efforts to sell the state’s Cessna Citation passed the House last year but failed to gain support in the upper chamber, which is largely controlled by Republicans.
Following the release of the January 30 campaign finance reports, we can look closer at who wants to be a major player in 2011- and who has some work to do.
Businessman Dave Dennis put up a nice showing, especially for someone not currently in politics, but Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant currently has about a 2-1 cash on hand advantage. Dennis and Bryant will both most likely be running for governor. Despite the advantage for Bryant, Dennis’ numbers are respectable and show he will be a serious competitor in the GOP primary.
On the Democratic side, Bill Luckett had a very nice showing but those figures were partially inflated by a very nice gift from his friend Morgan Freeman. Still, money is money- and Freeman has plenty of it.
American historian Theodore White once said, “The flow of money that gushes into politics today is a pollution of democracy.”
That observation, according to former Mississippi Insurance Commissioner George Dale, is more true than ever some quarter-century after White’s death.
“I don’t think our forefathers ever intended for office to be limited to those who have money or the access to money,” said Dale, who served a record 32 years as insurance commissioner before his defeat in the 2007 Democratic primary.
That campaign, according to Dale, demonstrated some of the excesses that exist today.
Dale was targeted for defeat by a third-party organization, Citizens for Fair Elections, which ran ads accusing him of siding with insurance companies in their disputes with Gulf Coast property owners following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Dale, 69, said Citizens for Fair Elections was bankrolled in large part by “some guy who now is somewhere else in Kentucky or somewhere,” a reference to former trial lawyer Richard Scruggs. Scruggs pleaded guilty in 2008 and again in 2009 to federal bribery charges unrelated to the 2007 elections. He is serving a seven-year sentence at a federal prison in Ashland, Ky.
Asked after his speech to comment further on Scruggs’ role in his political defeat, Dale declined.
Below is the full list of the 82nd Annual Oscar Nominations, which were announced Tuesday morning:
Best Picture
“Avatar”
“The Blind Side”
“District 9″
“An Education”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”
“Up in the Air”
Best Direction
“Avatar” — James Cameron
“The Hurt Locker” — Kathryn Bigelow
“Inglourious Basterds” — Quentin Tarantino
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” — Lee Daniels
“Up in the Air” — Jason Reitman
Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”
Actress in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”
Pickering was the keynote speaker for the Petal Chamber of Commerce Celebration of Business Banquet at the Petal Civic Center. He said positive sales tax and business growth over the past year means the city could be an economic leader in the Pine Belt.
"You're in the middle of a recession and y'all are growing?" he asked, emphatically. "You're poised to become a great economic engine."
Petal saw a 2.5 percent increase in sales tax revenue in 2009, according to Chamber President Deborah Reynolds. She also broke news about a new franchise coming to the city.
"We will be getting a Taco Bell," she said. "It's official, the papers and the deal is done."
WASHINGTON — Rep. Travis Childers raised nearly twice as much last year as Republican opponent Alan Nunnelee, but the state senator outpaced the Democrat in campaign contributions at the end of the election cycle.
Nunnelee had a "solid fundraising" period, said David Wasserman of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. "The question is whether Alan Nunnelee can fend off the Republican primary field."
National Republicans are already touting Nunnelee's fourth-quarter collections.
"It's exceedingly rare that a challenger significantly out raises a Washington incumbent, but that's what Sen. Nunnelee managed to do," said Andy Sere, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
National Republicans are hoping to recapture the seat once held by Roger Wicker, now a Mississippi senator.
Meanwhile, Democrats are stepping up efforts to help Childers hold onto the seat.
Childers has done a good job of "branding himself as looking out for his rural Mississippi" district, said Jon Vogel, executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
WASHINGTON — President Obama’s proposed $3.8 trillion budget was received warily by Mississippi’s Republican senators, who said they would closely examine how the cuts in NASA’s Challenger man-to-moon project would affect the Stennis Space Center in Hancock County.
U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, the powerful ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said, “the president’s proposals will be closely examined as the FY2011 budget and appropriations process gets under way. I expect that many of President Obama’s spending priorities and tax-increase recommendations will be viewed critically in Congress, which will have different priorities in some areas.”
“Meeting the nation’s security and domestic needs while restraining spending will be difficult,” Cochran said.
MBJ - Expect more campaign ads this years after new Supreme Court ruling allowing more corporate $'s
JACKSON, MS -- On Jan. 21, the U.S. Supreme Court essentially removed the handcuffs from corporations, unions and special interest groups when it comes to political advertising.
In a 5-4 decision, the Court ruled that campaign finance laws that prohibited corporations from using their own money on political advertisements and prohibited special interest groups from spending money on political ads within 60 days of an election violated the first amendment.
President Barack Obama said in a statement that the decision was a “major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans.”
It could potentially be a major victory for television stations whose markets are home to hotly contested midterm elections this fall.
The 1st Congressional District race would fall under that category. Incumbent Travis Childers, D-Booneville, will face at least one Republican, state Sen. Alan Nunnelee from Tupelo, with the possibility that one or two more Republicans could join the fray. The name most often mentioned to do so is FoxNews contributor and Oxford native Angela McGlowan.
Quarreling candidates means lots of advertising, especially now that corporations and unions can spend at will.
Rep. Alex Monsour (R-Vicksburg) has introduced HCR 17, a Constitutional amendment which is meant to be a direct shot at the pending federal healthcare legislation. Under HCR 17, it would be unlawful to require any person, employers, or healthcare provider to participate in any healthcare system.
(WTVA) - Former Eupora Mayor Henry Ross will become the second candidate to enter the GOP primary for the U.S. House in Mississippi's First Congressional District.
Ross has scheduled stops in Corinth, Tupelo and Columbus on Tuesday to announce his candidacy.
He will join state Sen. Alan Nunnelee of Tupelo, who announced his bid for the party's nomination last week.
A third candidate could enter the race this month.
Fox News analyst Angela McGlowan of Oxford has said she would announce her intentions this month on whether she will run.
Whoever wins the June 1 primary will face Democratic Congressman Travis Childers in the November 2 general election.
RIDGELAND, Miss., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ — A federal arbitration panel ruled today in favor of the Bay-St. Louis-Waveland Mississippi School District in a historic case involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency and damages caused by Hurricane Katrina. The ruling by a three-judge panel of the United States Civilian Board of Contract Appeals found that FEMA must allow the school district to repair damaged roofs, windows, and siding at three campuses. The estimated value of the repairs is $6.9 million. The District plans to use the panel's award to restore the school facilities at Bay High, Bay-Waveland Middle School, and Waveland Elementary, to their "predisaster condition."
The District was successfully represented by Ridgeland-based Butler, Snow, O'Mara, Stevens and Cannada, PLLC with Ronald J. Artigues Jr. and Mark W. Garriga serving as lead counsel.
"This decision is a milestone for continued rebuilding efforts along the Gulf Coast," Garriga said. "There was no dispute that the scope of devastation visited on the Bay-Waveland School District by the eye of Hurricane Katrina was massive in scale."
Several bills South Mississippi lawmakers submit annually in response to insurance issues discovered after Hurricane Katrina are poised to die Tuesday without debate in legislative committees.
Each year, Coast lawmakers submit various versions of the “policyholders bill of rights” designed to protect homeowners in the event they file an insurance claim and also measures removing the “anti-concurrent causation” clause, which insurance companies used to deny payment of wind damage claims in cases where they said water also played a role. Court cases and insurance law experts have said the clauses don’t apply to hurricanes because the two weather events cause different kinds of damages.
Lawmakers said late last week they would be working to get the bills out of committee before the deadline. Though he isn’t a member of the Senate Insurance Committee, Sen. David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis, who has filed several insurance reform bills in each of his three years as a lawmaker, said South Mississippians have reason to be upset that the bills usually die in committee without even a discussion. If they don’t clear committees Tuesday, they will be considered dead again this year because of a legislative deadline.
A bill to restore about one-fourth of the money Gov. Haley Barbour has cut from Mississippi's budget has stalled in the Senate after lawmakers voted to spend more time negotiating it.
The Senate voted Monday to send the bill to conference with House members. Under the bill, lawmakers could use $50 million from the state's rainy day fund and $50 million from the health care trust fund to restore money to several programs and agencies.
Only five of the 15 Gaming Committee members attended the meeting where the bill was discussed. They decided to contact their absent colleagues to seek their opinions before taking any action.
The bill will die unless it passes the Gaming Committee before a Tuesday deadline.
The bill says government entities would be required to use the lowest-paid qualified employee to search for records requested by citizens. Some agencies have been using attorneys or other high-paid employees, driving up the cost of obtaining documents.
The bill also says 50 cents per page would be considered a reasonable cost for copying records.
Even before the President finished these remarks (which had been released to the media and to the Congress only a few minutes prior to his speech and after the justices had already arrived) hundreds of Democratic members of Congress, who were seated immediately behind and alongside the justices, stood and wildly cheered the President’s remarks, while the members of the High court sat quietly and endured the remarkable public display of abuse heaped upon them.
Randy E. Barnett, a constitutional law professor at the Georgetown Law Center, in his January 28, 2010, Wall Street Journal article (“Obama Owes the High Court an Apology”), accurately described the scene: “The President fully expected that his hundreds of supporters in the legislative branch would stand and cheer, while the justices remained seated and silent, unable to respond even afterward . . . . In short, the head of the executive branch ambushed six members of the judiciary, and called upon the legislative branch to deride them publicly.”
Not only was this presidential and legislative behavior disrespectful, but it was cowardly as well, because President Obama knew that members of the Supreme Court could not publicly defend themselves on that occasion and they can only comment on their decisions through their writings and in other judicial settings
Source: Napolitano skipped Xmas plot hearing for think-tank meeting
So... where was Janet Napolitano last Wednesday when she decided to skip a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on the Christmas bombing plot?
At the moment the homeland security secretary might have been testifying about the biggest security breach on her watch -- before the major House committee tasked with investigating the matter, she was in her office consulting with members of an unspecified think-tank, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Dems on the committee are still seething over what they view as a snub.
Napolitano had originally told Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) that she needed to miss the hearing because of a trip to Europe to discuss aviation security. In fact, the secretary returned home Monday, and was reportedly still tired two days later -- if not quite cancel-all-my-appointments-tired.
The secretary did speak with Thompson late Monday or early Tuesday, sources said, but neither Thompson nor Napolitano apparently told any of the Democrats on the committee that she was in the country -- but wasn't coming.
“No wonder the chairman of the Republican Governors Association (RGA), Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, has been declaring that the GOP's comeback starts with the governors,” he added. “More Republican governors = more GOP congressional districts = more obstructionism = disaster in the making.”
McAuliffe also warned DGA supporters that following Republican Scott Brown’s win in the Massachusetts Senate special election, the GOP has “never been more confident that they can defeat us.”
“Without a doubt, this year's governors' elections are pivotal to the long-term direction our country takes — which is why the GOP is launching an all-out battle to win as many races as possible,” he wrote. “Barbour's RGA already has more money in the bank than it spent in all of 2006 when there were 36 governors' races.”
The House's fourth-quarter fundraising reports were due Sunday, and there was plenty of movement in the last three months of 2009 .
Here are the early winners and losers now that all the numbers have rolled in:
Losers
• Rep. Travis Childers (D-Miss.) — This was one of the worst fundraising performances for an incumbent. He was outraised $201,000 to $110,000 by state Sen. Alan Nunnelee (R).
Fundraising reports for Congressional candidates were due last night, and I've been poring through the House numbers to glean some early trends:
1) Wounded incumbents. It's a warning sign for members of Congress if they have trouble raising more money than their challenger at this early stage in the election. With all the perks of office, this is the time when building a financial advantage against an opponent should be easiest. But if members are losing public support back home, it’s often revealed in their financial figures.
One of the most disappointing fundraising performances came from freshman Rep. Travis Childers (D-Miss.), who only raised $110,000 – one of the worst totals for a targeted Democrat. State senator Alan Nunnelee, his likely Republican opponent, nearly doubled that amount, raising $201,000.
With the races for those seats and an election to replace former Circuit Judge Bobby DeLaughter, Hinds County could see some of the most contested judicial campaigns in recent history.
Senior Circuit Judge Swan Yerger and longtime County Court Judge William Barnett are not seeking re-election.
Two candidates have qualified for Barnett's seat: Melvin Priester, a special circuit judge, and Trent Walker, a former part-time special judge in the county.
JACKSON – A bill to reduce the size of the Mississippi Legislature is expected to be considered by the full Senate in the coming weeks.
The legislation was passed last week out of the Senate Elections Committee.
“At least we are discussing it as we talk about mergers, as we talk about efficiency of services, as we talk about making government operate outside the usual mode of operations,” said Senate Elections Committee Chair Terry Burton, R-Newton. “I don’t even know if it will get out of the Senate.”
Because of the current unprecedented downturn in state revenue collections, state officials have been discussing the possibilities of school district consolidation, university mergers and the closing of mental health hospitals. All areas of government are expected to face cutbacks.
Republican Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi agreed with President Obama's point to the Republican caucus Friday that members of both parties ought to work through their disagreements with civility, yet he was quick to blame Mr. Obama and his administration for being the first to shed civility.
Barbour was referring to the Democratic President's visit to the Republican Winter retreat Friday, where he said, "We have to be careful about what we say about each other sometimes because it boxes us in in ways that makes it difficult for us to work together, because our constituents start believing us. They don't know sometimes this is just politics with you guys, you know, or folks on my side do sometimes. So just a tone of civility instead of slash-and-burn would be helpful."
"It is often the president who is the person that says the people on the other side are bad, anybody who is not for what I'm for, they've got bad motives, they're representing bad people," Barbour said on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday. "The truth is, this is about policy, and the American people and the Republicans think most of the [policies] that the Obama administration, the Democrat majority, have pushed are way too far to the left and are bad policy for the country."
Both Barbour and Democratic Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania agreed with the president on civilizing the tone of political rhetoric. But Rendell stated that it was more than just tone, arguing that President Bush's domestic initiatives such as tax cuts and No Child Left behind garnered "significant Democratic support in Congress," whereas the new administration has seen "stonewalling by the Republicans."
Happy Sunday from The Oval. Less than a week after outlining his hopes in the State of the Union, President Obama will put specific numbers to his plans with Monday's release of a proposed budget.
A key goal of that budget: Jobs.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, appearing on CNN's State of the Union, said that stepped-up stimulus spending will help the administration achieve its goal of more jobs -- that and more cooperation between Democrats and Republicans.
There can be no better message, Gibbs said, than having the parties "put aside their differences and work together to pass a tax credit for small businesses, to increase lending for small businesses, to increase our investment in infrastructure and create more jobs."
The proposed $3.8 trillion budget is expected to recommend spending freezes for most domestic programs, though with proposed increases for education, research programs, and aid to states.
"I welcome anyone who comes to the table in good faith to help get our economy moving again and fulfill this country's promise," Obama said in his Saturday radio address. "That's why we were elected in the first place."
Gov. Haley Barbour, R-Miss., appearing on CBS' Face The Nation, said Republicans do want to be cooperative, but they object to Obama's big-spending ways. The plans that "the Democrat (congressional) majorities have pushed are way too far to the left and are bad policy for the country," Barbour said.
A Mississippi lawmaker says she wants the state to create a state lottery to help pay for college scholarships.
A bill sponsored by Democratic Rep. Alyce Clarke of Jackson would let voters decide this November whether to create a statewide game of chance.
The lottery bill is scheduled for debate Monday in the House Gaming Committee. It's unclear how much support the idea has in the committee or in the full House and Senate.
Even if it passes both chambers, the bill is unlikely to become law because Republican Gov. Haley Barbour says he opposes creating a state lottery. Barbour says the lottery is like a tax on the poor.
Monday evening, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker will hold a telephone town hall meeting with residents of Pearl River and Hancock counties.
Members of the public are invited to participate and may submit questions to Sen. Wicker on a range of subjects, including health care, the economy, government spending and national security.
“It is a priority of mine to listen to and receive feedback from people across Mississippi,” said Wicker. “As part of that effort, I often host telephone town hall meetings.”
He added, “This technology gives Mississippians the opportunity to talk with me from the comfort of their own homes. On Monday night, I hope residents of Pearl River and Hancock counties will take advantage of this opportunity to tell me what they think and to hear my views.”
JACKSON, Miss. -- Mississippi Treasurer Tate Reeves has the biggest campaign fund of any current statewide elected official, but he said he hasn't decided what office he'll seek in 2011.
Finance records filed Friday in the secretary of state's office show that Reeves, a Republican, ended 2009 with nearly $1.2 million campaign cash on hand.
Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, who's expected to run for governor, reported $619,092 cash on hand.
"I will admit I'm receiving a lot of encouragement to run for governor, to run for other offices," Reeves said in a telephone interview Friday night.
Republican Gov. Haley Barbour, who can't run again in 2011, reported $77,081 cash on hand in his political action committee, called Haley's PAC.
Barbour reported donations to Democratic candidates who ran for mayor in two Mississippi cities in 2009. The PAC gave $15,000 to state Sen. John Horhn, who ran unsuccessfully in Jackson; and $1,000 to Clarksdale Mayor Henry Espy, who was re-elected. The governor's PAC also gave to Republican mayoral candidates in 2009, including $1,000 each to Cheri Barry of Meridian, Jack Reed Jr. of Tupelo, and George Schloegel of Gulfport, who won races in their cities.
Other cash-on-hand totals reported by campaigns:
-- Senate President Pro Tempore Billy Hewes, a Republican who has publicly said he's running for lieutenant governor, $670,230. "The broad base of folks from across Mississippi stepping forward to support my candidacy for lieutenant governor is proof that Mississippians want to keep experienced conservative leadership in place at their Capitol," Hewes said in a news release Friday.
-- Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, a Republican who has not announced his 2011 intentions, $315,822.
-- State Auditor Stacey Pickering, a Republican has said he's considering a run for lieutenant governor, $62,186.
-- Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney, a Republican who has said he's seeking re-election, $54,907.
-- Agriculture Commissioner Lester Spell, a Republican who has not announced his 2011 intentions, $1,289.
Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran says she’s using her own money to pay for damage to a vehicle she rear-ended in Ridgeland on Wednesday night in her city-owned car.
Ridgeland Police Lt. John Neal said the 9:55 p.m. crash at a traffic light on the Old Agency Bridge was investigated as a hit-and-run accident because Moran was not at the scene when officers arrived.
Moran was in Ridgeland attending the Mississippi Municipal League Conference and staying at Hyatt Place hotel, where she was headed at the time of the accident. When police got there, Neal said Burton’s 2004 Toyota Camry was still in the road. Neal said police got a description of Moran’s 2009 Chevy Malibu and the plate numbers and found it at the hotel.
The vehicle was registered to the Ocean Springs Police Department, but police reached there had no idea who would’ve been driving it and told Ridgeland police to impound it. A Ridgeland police officer, Neal said, later the same night went to Moran’s hotel room, knocked on the door and asked her for her driver’s license.
Moran, Neal said, shut the door and went to get her license but claimed that when she returned, the police officer wasn’t there.
“This is where we have a discrepancy,” he said, though he didn’t elaborate.
IN HIS response to President Obama's State of the Union address, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker offered some civility and bipartisanship, but he didn't ignore the elephant in the nation's living room.
Sen. Wicker, a Republican from Tupelo, praised the president's plans to help small businesses survive the recession.
Small businesses provide most of the nation's jobs. Federal programs that help small businesses obtain loans and expand will reduce unemployment and help the economy get back on track.
President Obama remains determined to push a health care overhaul through Congress, despite weak public support for the plan and rising public concern about the deficit.
He'd be wiser to adopt the "step-by-step approach" the junior senator from Mississippi touched on in his statement on the State of the Union. Such an approach would be more likely to win favor with Americans leery of government-managed health care.
More important, it would be far less likely to bankrupt the country.
In an unprecedented move, the Republican National Committeeon Friday unanimously called onits chairman,Michael S. Steele, to "carefully screen" candidates for their adherence to conservative values before granting them RNC financial help.
The resolution specifically calls on the national chairman to take into account thevotingrecords and statements of all GOP candidatesfor evidence that they supportthe "core principles and positions" ofthe party's nationalplatform, widely regarded as a highlyconservative document.
"The brilliant part of the resolution is that it is tied to the party platform ... that has been thought out, debated and passed unanimously at our national convention," North Dakota GOP Chairman Gary Emineth told The Washington Times after he and his fellow RNC members passed the resolution.
Opponents of the resolution disputed its importance and uniqueness. "This is not historic, nor is it binding," said Mississippi RNC member Henry Barbour, the nephew of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former RNC chairman who is revered by most Republicans.
"I also think it is important to note that this resolution was not amended. This resolution urges the GOP to be careful not to fund anymore [Dee Dee Scozzafavas], but that was an exception," said Mr. Barbour. "The resolution still gives the funding discretion to the RNC Chairman and state party leaders where it belongs."
At least half a dozen leaders of the Republican Party have joined forces to create a new political group with the goal of organizing grass-roots support and raising funds ahead of the 2010 midterm elections, according to people familiar with the effort.
The organizational details of the group, expected to be called the American Action Network, are still being worked out, but it is expected to contain both a 501(c)3 and a 501(c)4 component. In simpler terms, a 501(c)3 can advocate on policy matters while a 501(c)4 is an election arm.
Republican leaders expected to be affiliated with the group include former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, former Bush adviser Karl Rove, Republican strategist Ed Gillespie, and Republican donor Fred Malek.
A House leadership aide told Washington Wire today that Rob Collins, a political operative and senior aide to House Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia, is leaving Capitol Hill to be the executive director of the 501(c)4.
Finance records filed Friday in the secretary of state’s office show that Reeves, a Republican, ended 2009 with nearly $1.2 million campaign cash on hand.
Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, who’s expected to run for governor, reported $619,092 cash on hand.
“I will admit I’m receiving a lot of encouragement to run for governor, to run for other offices,” Reeves said in a telephone interview Friday night.
He said he’ll sit down with his family in about the next six months to decide what to do next year. Some Republicans are also mentioning Reeves as a possible candidate for lieutenant governor.
“My first job, my boss taught me the best way for you to keep your current job or to get a promotion is one and the same — and that’s to do your current job well,” said Reeves, who’s in his second term as treasurer.
The Obama administration is considering several steps that would review the legality of the controversial Bowl Championship Series, the Justice Department said in a letter Friday to a senator who had asked for an antitrust review.
In the letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch, obtained by The Associated Press, Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich wrote that the Justice Department is reviewing Hatch's request and other materials to determine whether to open an investigation into whether the BCS violates antitrust laws.
"Importantly, and in addition, the administration also is exploring other options that might be available to address concerns with the college football postseason," Weich wrote, including asking the Federal Trade Commission to review the legality of the BCS under consumer protection laws.
Several lawmakers and many critics want the BCS to switch to a playoff system, rather than the ratings system it uses to determine the teams that play in the championship game.
"The administration shares your belief that the current lack of a college football national championship playoff with respect to the highest division of college football ... raises important questions affecting millions of fans, colleges and universities, players and other interested parties," Weich wrote.
ABC's "This Week" - Sen.-elect Scott Brown, R-Mass.
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CBS' "Face the Nation" - Govs. Haley Barbour, R-Miss., Ed Rendell, D-Pa., and Jennifer Granholm, D-Mich.; Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.
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NBC's "Meet the Press" - White House senior adviser David Axelrod; House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.
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CNN's "State of the Union" - White House press secretary Robert Gibbs; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Granholm; AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka.
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"Fox News Sunday" - Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Evan Bayh, D-Ind.; Reps. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.
Barbour - Expected revenue for Jan. falls short - more cuts possible
“The State Tax Commission reported today that revenue collections for the month of January fell substantially below expectations. Previous budget cuts were based on an 8.2 percent shortfall for the first half of the fiscal year, but preliminary reports show January’s tax collections missing the mark by 12.2 percent, or $43.4 million. It is the worst showing of the current fiscal year. It is also the 17th consecutive month revenue has fallen short of estimates, and the 14th consecutive month where less money was collected than the previous year.
“I soon will be forced to look at whether additional cuts will be necessary in the current fiscal year beyond the $437 million in cuts already made. The law requires a balanced budget and I will uphold the law.”
Billy Hewes for Lt. Governor campaign releases finance report today
As campaign finance reports reflecting activity from January 1 through December 31, 2009 are being made available today by the Mississippi Secretary of States Office, the Billy Hewes for Lt. Governor campaign announced the following campaign finance activity:
Cash-on-hand: $670,229.59
Amount raised from January 1 through December 31, 2009: $641,651.79
President Pro-Tempore Billy Hewes stated, The broad base of folks from across Mississippi stepping forward to support my candidacy for Lt. Governor is proof that Mississippians want to keep experienced conservative leadership in place at their Capitol. The number of contributions we received in just a few months of actual fundraising is very encouraging and gives our team great momentum going into 2010.
Mark Garriga, attorney, longtime Republican Party supporter and former Chief of Staff to Governor Kirk Fordice stated, The fact that Billy Hewes has been able to raise more than a half-million dollars this early speaks volumes - not only about his campaign, but also the depth of his support. Hewes is clearly the candidate to watch in this race.
Statement on 2009 Fundraising Activities for Progress for Mississippi
Clarksdale, MS – Today marks the reporting deadline for all candidate committees and political action committees in Mississippi. Democrat Bill Luckett issued the following statement in anticipation of the Secretary of State’s release of the Progress for Mississippi’s annual report:
“I have been sitting down and listening to Mississippians for over a year, and they are quick to share with me their thoughts and their hopes for Mississippi. Just as importantly, they share with me their deep concerns about the way things are going in our state. There has been an overwhelming response from fellow Mississippians who have joined me at Progress for Mississippi.”
“At this point, 80% of the $407,289.02 raised has come from folks who call Mississippi home. Our supporters are from all walks of life in our state. They are business owners, young professionals, farmers, and retirees who are happy to see a fresh perspective being offered. I am also proud to point out that the vast majority of our contributors are individuals, and not corporations. Those individuals represent their families and their communities, and only want a government that will serve them fairly and honestly. They are not looking for political favors or special treatment. The fact that more than half of the donations to Progress for Mississippi were from donors who sent in small donations of $200 or less is further proof of that fact.”
“We’re excited about our efforts so far. And we’re excited to know that our supporters are people from the northern most reaches of this state, all the way to the Gulf Coast. Just as important, what we have done so far is just a beginning. I am looking forward to hearing from more Mississippians in the coming year. “
JACKSON, Miss. (Legal Newsline) - Attorneys for the state of Mississippi who engineered a $40 million settlement with Microsoft are seeking $8.3 million in fees.
Two out-of-state firms and four Jackson attorneys would split the amount, the Mississippi Litigation Review recently reported. The lawsuit was settled in June and alleged the company monopolized the computer market in the state.
The report adds that attorneys said they spent more than $1.7 million litigating the case.
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood hired Houston firm Susman Godfrey and New York firm Boies Schiller. Also hired were Jackson attorneys Brent Hazzard, Precious Martin, John Gadow and Richard Schwartz.
The settlement, announced Thursday, provides $60 million in vouchers to consumers, businesses, governments and public schools for use in buying Microsoft products. The $40 million for the State is the most paid to a state government in any of Microsoft's 22 similar antitrust settlements with other states.
In June, state Auditor Stacey Pickering said the attorneys fees need to be doled out through the Legislature, not court order.
"The attorneys deserve compensation for their work on this case, but those funds, according to State law, must be appropriated by the Legislature," said Pickering, already embroiled in a dispute over the issue.
The State of Mississippi agreed to a $100 million settlement over back taxes allegedly owed by Worldcom in 2005 and was represented by admitted felons Joey Langston and Timothy Balducci, both of whom later pleaded guilty to attempting to bribe a judge.
Pickering said the attorneys in the Worldcom case were paid about $2,000 per hour, based on the information he could gather. Pickering said Hood did not comply with a request for a complete listing of hours and work performed.
Hood refused to defend the Auditor's office in the dispute with Langston and Balducci. Langston was a major campaign contributor of his.
In a release this week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) says Nunnelee, in 1996, “sponsored a bill to increase income tax rates and optional standard deductions according to changes in the U.S. inflation rate.”
What that bill cited actually did, though, was increase tax brackets according to inflation. That translates to a tax cut, rather than an increase. The bill at the time was being pushed by GOP Gov. Kirk Fordice, in order to reduce state income tax rates.
...
DCCC spokesman Jesse Ferguson said Friday that the mistake in the committee's release was a minor error in an otherwise iron-clad case against Nunnelee’s record.
From Ipse Blogit and NMC, it looks like there may be a constitutional showdown in the works. The MSSC is none to happy about budget cuts and has put forth an order saying that Barbour can't cut the judiciary into financial oblivion.
The appellate, chancery and circuit courts of the state and their support offices including the Administrative Office of Courts shall remain open, performing the constitutionally-mandated responsibilities of the Judicial Branch of government.
Section 27-104-13 is not applicable to the legislative appropriation to the Judicial Branch, and the State Fiscal Officer shall not impose those reductions announced on January 22, 2010 to the judicial appropriations.
A few days ago, the DCCC came out and tried to paint MS Senator Alan Nunnelee as a tax raiser.
They asserted
INCOME: Nunnelee sponsored a bill that would have increased income taxes by 35% since 1997. In 1996, Nunnelee sponsored a bill to increase income tax rates and optional standard deductions according to changes in the US inflation rate. [SB 2731, 1996 Mississippi Regular Session]
It's my experience that people or groups that want to mischaracterize something intentionally don't give you all the data. It kinds screws 'em up. They just tell you what they want you to believe that it said. In true YallPolitics style, here's the bill. A read of the bill shows that the bill seeks to eliminate the marraige penalty and index Mississippi's tax code to inflation. That's about it.
The DCCC bears watching. They have a history of swooping in every couple of years and dropping bombs with wreckless disregard for Mississippians or the mess they leave behind. Just wait, they'll be out there spending millions again (as will the NRCC, I'm sure). Hopefully both sides will take a cue from us here and put the first source data behind their attacks as much as possible.
Nowhere is the Chamber's campaign to defeat anti-business candidates better exemplified than in the state of Mississippi. Its strategy -- take down plaintiff attorneys who fund Democratic campaigns with tobacco litigation settlement awards.
In Mississippi, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce led this war against Judge Oliver Diaz and attorney Paul Minor.
Caught in the Crossfire
Republican Judge Oliver Diaz had his first dealings with the U.S. Chamber in 2000 shortly after Democrat Governor Ronnie Musgrove appointed him to fill an unexpired term on the Mississippi Supreme Court. Upon completion of the term, Diaz was eligible for election for the seat. The vacancy occurred in March so immediately after his appointment, Diaz began running for the November election. Diaz says in late October 2000, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce began running vicious television ads against him saying he favored "drug dealers and baby killers" and that he should not be elected to the position. Diaz recalls his team had to scramble to combat the campaign.
The “drafts file” is overflowing (again) and time is short (again) – nothing to do but pull a handful of things I think worth a mention and go for what Sop has called a “round-up” post.
First up is an update on Young v Scruggs – brief because the case is stuck on proper service of the summons issued to Dick Scruggs, a discussion I passed on recenty when reporting Defendant’s Rebuttal. What’s happened since the, however, is more interesting. First, the defendants fied a Motion to Strike Purported Summons that basically restarted the argument Scruggs was not lawfully served and there was a pending motion to dismiss on that basis. Next, plaintiffs pop up and file Notice the summons has been reissued – and on that same day, according to the docket, defendants filed anAmended Motion to Strike that cites and attaches a recent Mississippi Supreme Court ruling on the subject that’s worth a look.
Wicker Statement on Opposition to Bernanke Nomination
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today issued the following
statement after voting against cloture on the nomination of Ben Bernanke to
serve a second term as the chairman of the Federal Reserve:
"My vote against a new term for Mr. Bernanke is intended to be a strong
statement in protest of the Federal Reserve's policies during his
stewardship - against the lack of transparency in his decision-making,
against special bailouts such as the government's acquiring ownership of
AIG, and against the excessive expenditures by the Federal Reserve, which
were not explicitly authorized by statute."
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., issued the following statement
today after voting against raising the limit on the national debt by $1.9
trillion to a record $14.3 trillion:
"The American people are demanding that the federal government
stop the spending spree. Passing this resolution - which raises the limit
on the nation's credit card to a record $14.3 trillion - shows that too many
of us are still not listening.
"Last year's deficit was a record-setting $1.4 trillion, which
is three times more than any single year deficit in our nation's history.
The outlook for this year is not expected to be much better. In fact, the
budget passed last year sets the path for trillion-dollar annual deficits
every year for the next decade. At that rate, debt limit increases would
become common practice and our public debt could soar to $24.5 trillion by
2019.
"It is past time for Congress to start showing the American
people that we are serious about getting our fiscal house in order. Today's
vote was a step in the wrong direction."
While I might be known as a political/web geek, those closest to me know me as having an outdoors habit of the highest order.
For a long time, I have been advocating privately to change Mississippi's deer season in order to give Mississippi landowners, hunting clubs and the MDWFP more tools in their arsenals to manage Mississippi's growing deer herd. Rep. Bo Eaton (D) has written the exact same bill that I would have written to increase primitive weapons and total gun days of the Mississippi deer season. Having three extra weeks of primitive weapons season, and more importantly three extra weeks where kids can hunt with rifles means more family time in the woods and more deer on the ground (both great things from my point of view).
The bill (HB 1282) seems to have some momentum. The season would basically look like this:
Oct 1 - Oct 31 - archery only
Nov 1 - Sat before Thanksgiving - archery and primitive weapons
SBT - Dec 1 - gun. primitive weapons and archery
Dec 2 - Dec 15 - archery and primitive weapons
Dec 15 - Jan 31 - gun, archery and primitive weapons
Archers may complain, but they still get FOUR WHOLE MONTHS of the season to harvest deer. Their exclusive in the woods gets trimmed back 3 weeks. However, the vast majority of Mississippi hunters hunt with guns/primitive weapons and our deer harvest numbers are down. With the rut starting in North MS in early to mid November, many hunters delay doe harvest recommendations or even worse, they never get the job done. This is vital to keep a healthy herd.
Call your senator and urge them to pass HB 1282. With the support of MDWFP, it should get the Governor's signature.
Mississippians who commit acts of cruelty against dogs or cats could go to prison for up to five years and pay a $10,000 fine, based on a state Senate committee's action Tuesday.
Members of Judiciary B voted to send to the Senate a bill that would make it a felony on first offense to "torture, mutilate, maim, burn or maliciously starve, disfigure or kill any domesticated dog or cat."
"It's a great day, a huge day for animals and people," said Tiffany Frautschi of Meridian, president of MS-FACT, an organization that backed a first-offense felony measure. "But this is just one hurdle."
Sen. Billy Hewes, R-Gulfport, who authored the measure, said there is "pretty broad support for it."
"We have had input from everybody from the Humane Society to the Mississippi Farm Bureau (Federation) to the National Rifle Association."
Champions of tougher animal-cruelty laws have been urging legislators to take action for several years, Hewes said.
A recent spate of high-profile animal-cruelty cases galvanized supporters of Hewes' bill, which imposes a minimum penalty of one year in prison and a $1,500 fine.
One of those cases involved a Canton animal control officer fired after he was accused of improperly killing more than 100 animals.
As a mother in the late 1950s, her newborn baby fell ill and none of the doctors could figure out what was wrong. Finally, one specialist agreed to see them. But only after he finished with the white patients first. Bridgeforth says the doctor asked her to enter his office through a separate door and take a seat on the floor in the hall until he was ready to see her child.
Just a few hours before the speech, Travis Childers reminded Bridgeforth that she no longer had to suffer those indignities. “Tonight you’re not going to sit in the hall. You’re going to sit there with the First Lady of the United States,” Childers said of her of her special ticket, just feet away from Mrs. Obama. “And now I can go in any door I want to,” Bridgeforth said.
Bridgeforth did more than just sit near the First Lady during the speech. Afterwards, she met the first couple and got her picture taken with them. She also invited Mrs. Obama to visit Mississippi. And she said it was a thrill to meet the president. “I hugged him and I told him I loved him,” Bridgeforth said. “It was the dream of a lifetime.”
Not just a dream. In this case, seeing is believing.
- Chad Pergram covers Congress for FOX News. He’s won an Edward R. Murrow Award and the Joan Barone Award for his reporting on Capitol Hill.
- The Speaker’s Lobby refers to a long, ornate hallway that runs behind the dais in the House chamber. Lawmakers, journalists and aides often confer there during votes.
Hackers infiltrated the websites of dozens of House members overnight, replacing their usual pages with attacks on President Barack Obama.
According to a spokesman for the cybersecurity office for the House, 49 sites were affected, and all are served by a third-party vendor outside the "firewall" provided by the Capitol's own services.
On each of the hacked sites, the usual material was replaced by a white screen and the words: "F— OBAMA!! Red Eye CREW !!!!! O RESTO E HACKER !!! by HADES; m4V3RiCk; T4ph0d4 — FROM BRASIL."
The website for Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was hit, as were the home pages of Reps. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), David Roe (R-Tenn.), Charlie Wilson (D-Ohio), John Tierney (D-Mass.), Charles Gonzales (D-Texas), Brian Baird (D-Wash.), John Barrow (D-Ga.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), John Boccieri (D-Ohio), John Olver (D-Mass.), Bobby Bright (D-Ohio), Mike Coffman (R-Colo.), Travis Childers (D-Miss.), Andre Carson (D-Ind.), John Campbell (R-Calif.), Suzanne Kosmas (D-Fla.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and other members.
In the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, a candidate for Georgia's attorney general will go to court Thursday morning.
Hodges is being sued for alleged abuse of power in a case involving a powerful South Georgia hospital system and two men who dared to criticize it.
Hodges was the Dougherty County district attorney whose investigation led to criminal charges against the two men, charges that were dismissed by a judge on three separate occasions.
Now, Hodges, one of the two Democrats running for attorney general, is being sued in federal court for violating the civil rights of one of the men he tried to convict.
And, in a final twist, Hodges is being represented in court by the man he hopes to replace. Because Hodges was acting as a state prosecutor, his defense in this case is being handled by the office of Attorney General Thurbert Baker, who is running for the Democratic nomination for governor.
The hearing Thursday morning is on Hodges' motion to dismiss the case, and it comes just six months before the July primaries, in which he'll face state Rep. Rob Teilhet of Smyrna in the Democratic contest. Two Republicans -- Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens and former U.S. Attorney Max Wood -- also have filed to run for attorney general.
U.S. District Court Judge Louis Sands originally denied Hodges' motion to dismiss in March.
Suit accuses Hodges of false prosecution
The case, and the overarching story, reads like a legal thriller: threats of violence, powerful interests fighting against private individuals, and potential impact on statewide politics.
While Hodges and the attorney general's office would not comment for this story, Hodges in the past has maintained that he did nothing improper.Charles Rehberg's suit essentially accuses him and another prosecutor of filing criminal charges that they knew to be based on fabricated information.
Hodges provided the information gathered through the subpoenas to Phoebe Putney, which the hospital system used to file a civil suit against Rehberg and Bagnato -- a suit that was ultimately dropped. Rehberg then countersued Phoebe Putney, and that case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
Rehberg and Bagnato took their information to Mississippi litigator Richard Scruggs, who used it as a catalyst for a series of lawsuits filed against hospital systems across the country.
Before the first criminal indictment was filed in late 2005, Hodges recused himself after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote about the case. Baker replaced him with Kelly Burke, the prosecutor in Houston County. Burke brought the case to a grand jury three times, and he, along with Dougherty County investigator James Paulk, are all defendants in Rehberg's lawsuit.
AJC
1/27/10
Posted January 28, 2010 - 11:32 am
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Monday, February 8, 2010
