Federal Court Rules Obamacare Unconstitutional, Jim Hood had said "unlikely"

When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked if Obamacare was constitutional, she could not believe the reporter was serious. Her office went on the record as saying, "That is not a serious question."

When Attorney General Jim Hood was asked to file a lawsuit on behalf of Mississippi against Obamacare, he said back in April of this year it was unlikely a court would find Obamacare beyond the scope of the Commerce Clause:

Given the extremely broad scope of Congress's commerce power under existing case law from the last sixty years, it is unlikely the a court would find the Act with its regulated activity of healthcare and health insurance to be beyond that authority....After hours of research, the consultation with constitutional law scholars, and a review of actions of other states' Attorneys General on the health care reform legislation, we have found no authority to support a suit.

Now that unlikely federal court has ruled. The court ruled:

At its core, this dispute is not simply about regulating the business of insurance -- or crafting a scheme of universal health coverage -- it's about an individual's right to choose to participate....no specifically articulated constitutional authority exists to mandate the purchase of health insurance....an individual's personal decision to purchase - or decline to purchase - health insurance from a private provider is beyond the historical reach of the Commerce Clause...On care review, this Court must conclude that Section 1501 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - specifically the Minimum Essential Coverage Provision - exceeds the constitutional boundaries of congressional power.

Governor Haley Barbour said:

The decision of the federal court in Virginia is encouraging to all of us who consider the Obamacare law unconstitutional; however, we know the case will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Virginia Attorney General has asked the Supreme Court to rule on this directly rather than going first through an appeals court. If it goes to the Supreme Court, will Jim Hood finally get on board? In his letter to Governor Haley Barbour mentioned above, Hood said:

If some viable cause of action arises during the years of litigation, it would be much cheaper for the state of Mississippi to wait to join the suit when it gets to the U.S. Supreme Court.

It has been months not years, but maybe that won't discourage Hood.

Hood and BP Spill

We wonder if Attorney General Jim Hood made specific recommendations (and if they are on his campaign contribution list) or just generally suggested this practice.

Mr. Feinberg also will announce Monday that anyone who wants a lawyer to help them sort through the new options can have one for free. At the request of Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, Mr. Feinberg plans to hire a firm to offer the free legal services to claimants.

Republicans celebrate new PSC Commissioner, McComb Mayor

Republicans are having a good day. Majority in Mississippi posts that the GOP has two new officials elected this week (new mayor and selectman in McComb), plus a new Public Service Commissioner who is a former Democratic legislator and won his PSC in 2007 and will run next year as a Republican. PSC Commissioner Lynn Posey's switch is huge for the GOP.

Guy, Brock appeal fraud

Y'all Politics posts that Attorneys William Guy and Thomas Brock are appealing a federal jury's ruling that they committed fraud in litigation against Illinois Central Railroad. As you will recall, both are significant contributors to Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood.

Butch Brown and Cancer

We've had a good time poking fun at Butch Brown. But cancer is no laughing matter. We hope for him and his family his treatment is successful and are glad to see he is in good spirits about it.

Former Mayor and Mississippi Department of Transportation commissioner Larry “Butch” Brown recently discovered his prostate cancer has come back for the third time since 2008, but he said everything is business-as-usual at work and at home on his end.

“(Doctors) performed additional biopsies and found that I do have more — and a more powerful — reoccurrence of cancer in my prostate, so now we’re looking at surgical removal,” Brown said.

Despite his diagnosis, Brown said he feels perfectly normal.

“If doctor hadn’t told me I was sick I wouldn’t know I was sick — I feel just fine,” Brown said.

As far as his own health, Brown said he is living his life as usual.

“I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve always done — try to stay out of trouble, keep doing things for MDOT and the City of Natchez and playing with my grandchildren — that sort of thing,” Brown said.

“I’m gonna be here a long time — trust me. The people of Natchez and the people of Mississippi are going to have to put up with me for a long time.”

MDOT: We don't need no stinking traffic lights

This is an example of a city trying to take care of a problem before it happens, and a bureaucracy that won't take steps until after the problem occurs. Sandersville wants a traffic light because of expectations of more traffic once a new casino is open. But MDOT apparently can only react and not solve a problem before it happens.

Sandersville Mayor Walter “Buzz” Jack and other town and county officials met with Southern Transportation Commissioner Wayne H. Brown Wednesday to discuss the possibility of installing a traffic light at the intersection of Highway 11 and Main Street in the small Jones County community.

Brown and Pol said Mississippi Department of Transportation officials have determined that a traffic light is not warranted in the area. Brown said MDOT looked at such things as traffic, concentration, accident records, speed, proximity to the railroad and other factors in reaching its decision.

“Traffic signals do not necessarily reduce traffic,” explained Brown. “Neither do they promote safety.”

Now this is the best part.

He pointed out a section of highway in Gulfport were traffic signals were put up with the expectation of having a safer roadway. However Brown said more than 300 accidents occurred on the section of road that had traffic lights, while only about 45 occurred where there were no lights.

That's right. According to MDOT Commissioner Wayne Brown, traffic lights are dangerous. They increase accidents.

The commissioner told the group that the average cost of a traffic light is $500,000.

A traffic light costs half-a-million dollars. We're all in the wrong business. The good news is we can fix some of the state budget problems. According to Wayne Brown, traffic lights are expensive and dangerous. Why don't we just not install any more?

Still not convinced a traffic light wouldn’t be good for the area, Jack asked if a traffic light could be installed at the intersection if the town and Choctaws partnered to do it.

“No, we will not issue a permit for a traffic light unless it is warranted,” replied Brown. “We’ll look at it again if things change somewhere down the road.”

If something changes somewhere down the road...you mean like a casino opening down the road?

Strain advised those in attendance that the casino is scheduled to open Dec. 20. “We are looking at a daily average of about 500 to 600 cars,” said Strain. “That number may increase during the weekends.”

We suspect there are instances of MDOT putting up traffic lights in anticipation of events rather than just based on past traffic levels.

“We are concerned about safety, not so much for the people going to the casino, but for those who live here,” said Jack. “Once the casino opens, I’m sure we will begin to hear complaints from our people about not being able to get from one side of the road to the other.

“We wanted to avoid some of these things and were looking at a traffic light as a good way of doing it.”

Sandersville, this is really a local problem. It isn't like MDOT created it.

Jack said a traffic light once stood at the intersection, but was removed when the state did some work on Highway 11. He said the town was told that a traffic light or flashing yellow lights would be placed at the intersection, but so far the town hasn’t received anything.

Oh, well, look at it this way Sandersville, MDOT did you a favor by removing that dangerous traffic light. Although it would be interesting to know where that traffic light went. Did it go up somewhere else? Is it in storage? Was it sold? We have determined they are quite valuable. But then again, why anyone would want to buy such a dangerous thing?

One Brown Down

One of the Brown Boys has decided to throw in the towel.

Southern District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown said Friday he isn’t running for re-election. He said Friday his announcement was only confirming the obvious. “It’s the worst-kept secret,” Brown said with a laugh.

Mississippi’s three-member transportation commission is likely to look much different soon. In addition to Brown’s replacement, the northern district will also be represented by a first-termer. An election will be held Jan. 11 to replace Northern District Transportation Commissioner Bill Minor, who died in office Nov. 1.

Minor and Brown, both Democrats, often found themselves opposing Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall, a Republican, on major issues including the job performance of MDOT Executive Director Larry Lynn “Butch” Brown.

The new commission may decide the fate of the other Brown.

The 2011 primaries are in August and the general election in November.

Brown's planned departure is a poorly kept political secret. Rumors have swirled for some time that he likely would not seek re-election.

Others already have been lining up for the post, most notably, Senate Highways and Transportation Committee Chairman Tom King, R-Petal. King said Friday that he is taking a hard look at the job and will make a formal announcement in early January.

In the Northern District, the qualifying deadline for candidates is 5 p.m. Friday. Holly Springs resident Ray Minor - Bill Minor's younger brother and business partner - already has turned in his signatures for qualification. Also having met the qualifying deadline are Tippah County District 4 Supervisor Dennis Grisham; Grenada business owner Larry Lee; MDOT employee Larry Lee; and DeSoto County schools transportation director John Caldwell. House Transportation Committee Chairman Warner McBride, D-Courtland, also has announced. Others are eyeing the post.

We hear those in the transportation community view both elections as a referendum on Butch Brown. And that it is not so much a partisan race. For example, it is expected that Ray Minor and Warner McBride, both Democrats, would support Butch Brown. But in the Southern District, the word is that the Republican Tom King would also support Butch Brown.

Wayne Brown has stood behind embattled MDOT Executive Director Butch Brown, who is of no relation.

Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall made a motion to dismiss Butch Brown following the MDOT chief's run-in with the law this summer at the Beau Rivage casino, a vote Hall lost by a 2-1 split.

He actually didn't lose the vote, his motion died for failure to get a second. Bill Minor and Wayne Brown would not even allow the motion to come to a vote.

Butch Brown was arrested in July on a public intoxication charge, which was eventually dropped in return for his agreeing to take anger management classes. Butch Brown was in hot water again in November after he railed on federal U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood during a meeting of national highway leaders.

Hall said he is planning to seek re-election next year. If he wins, he will be the senior member, but Hall said he's not concerned about training newcomers.

"I'm sure whoever wins will come in and we'll bring them up to speed right quick," he said. "We have a pretty senior staff. Added Hall: "It's no secret I plan to make a change at the top if I get the vote to do that."

We hope voters send Hall some backup so we can see a real change at MDOT.

Report on Jim Hood: 'egregious impropriety in hiring private attorneys'

Thanks to Y'all Politics for this news. A new report Beyond Reproach? Fostering Integrity and Public Trust in the Offices of State Attorneys General criticizes the Attorneys General of six states including, not surprisingly, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood. A press release on the report by the American Tort Reform Association describes the problem and offers some of a solution. The Mississippi section of the report is not pretty for Hood.

Mississippi has a long and troubling history of unseemly relationships between the office of the attorney general and plaintiffs’ attorneys. Attorney General Jim Hood was elected in 2003 and has funneled substantial work to his plaintiff lawyer campaign contributors ever since. His tenure as attorney general represents one of the most egregious examples of the impropriety that can be found in the process of states hiring private attorneys.

• Over a five year period following his election in 2003, Attorney General Hood retained at least 27 outside law firms to file at least 20 lawsuits on behalf of the State of Mississippi. These law firms and their attorneys contributed $543,000 to Hood’s campaigns.

• Since 2005 Attorney General Hood has received $149,056 in campaign contributions from Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann, and the State of Mississippi has contracted with this firm on five lawsuits. Between February 14 - 17 of 2006, Bernstein Litowitz attorneys contributed $25,000 to Hood’s campaign, and on February 21, 2006, Hood selected the firm to represent the Mississippi Public Employees Retirement Fund in a securities class action claim against Delphi Corp. The lawsuit settled for $333.4 million, paying $40.5 million in legal fees.

• The firm Wolf Popper contributed $15,000 to Hood’s campaign on February 22, 2006, and the state of Mississippi contracted with this firm on a lawsuit against Sonus on March 23, 2006. Sonus settled for $9.5 million, including legal fees estimated at $1.5 million.

Legislation similar to the Private Attorney Retention Act has been introduced in Mississippi but has not passed. Even after Dickie Scruggs, the state’s handpicked lawyer, went to jail for bribing a judge, Attorney General Hood has resisted such ethics reforms. Stronger state laws are needed to ensure that private attorneys hired to represent the state are selected through an open and competitive bidding process.

There is plenty more in the report on this problem and Mississippi.

We've been watching this here for a while. Our posts on his relationship with Bernstein Litowitz including a trip to Ireland and "pay to play" tactics, and cartoons on what this does to confidence in the legal system and Robin Hood, and the many, many, many, many calls for more ethics and sunshine in the Office of Attorney General.

More Jim Hood on BP Payments

BP settlement news:

The administrator of BP Plc's (BP.L) $20-billion fund for victims of the worst U.S. offshore oil spill on Wednesday encouraged claimants to file early for final settlements to get the most generous terms.

"I am determined to be more generous than the courts would be..." said Kenneth Feinberg of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility on a conference call as the program stopped taking emergency claims and started work on final settlements.

He warned that Gulf Coast people and businesses who decline to settle and refuse to give BP and its contractors a release from future risk of lawsuits might end up getting less money.

"There is no guarantee that, in the future, a lump sum final payment will be as generous as it will be currently," Feinberg said.

"Until we finish our negotiations with Mr. Feinberg, I advise claimants against signing a release or accepting a final payment without first sharing those payments and paying fees to consulting an attorney," Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood said in a statement.

Jim Hood on BP Oil Payments

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, a Democrat, criticized Feinberg’s draft of protocols for final payments requiring lawyers to forego their legal fees victims to waive their legal rights to sue BP and other companies tied to the spill.

Butch Brown Agrees to Anger Management; Charges Dropped

That was easy.

The attorney for state transportation director Larry "Butch" Brown says his client will enter anger management classes and, in return, the city of Biloxi will drop a public intoxication charge.

Brown, 67, of Natchez, is executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation. He was scheduled to stand trial in Biloxi on charges arising from an incident at Beau Rivage Casino in July.

Brown did not appear in court Thursday.

His attorney, Walter Brown of Natchez, no relation, said if the MDOT chief successfully completes the anger management course, the charges against him will be dropped and his record will be expunged.

Larry Buffington speaks on Judicial Performance and being called an SOB

Monday's debate between Judge Larry Buffington and challenger David Shoemake sponsored by MageeNews.com is available online for viewing.

It lasts about an hour, but here are our favorite parts:

1) Buffington discusses the Judicial Performance charge against him.

2) Buffington and Shoemake discuss the third candidate's (Douglas Magee) endorsement of Shoemake.

3) Buffington says Shoemake called him an SOB and Shoemake explains if he did it was over the case of 15-year-old honor student named Tiffany who didn't want to visit her neglectful parent for which Buffington had a deputy arrest her and take her to jail.

Here are the transcripts.

[43:01]

Question: The Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance found that you did not have the proper authority to issue subpoenas to two county supervisors to appear before you in a meeting on February 11, 2009. At the meeting you admitted you failed to comply with the law but said you didn't care. The Commission recommended to the Mississippi Supreme Court that you be reprimanded and fined. The Supreme Court has not yet issued its decision. Do you agree with the recommendation by the Commission on Judicial Performance?

Buffington: Absolutely. I messed up. Sixteen years you make some mistakes....I was frustrated; I'll be just as honest as I can be. I had asked the Simpson County Board of Supervisors to meet with me because there had been a controversy about an appointment that I made, a great appointment, a very qualified person, a needed appointment. Three of the supervisors agreed to meet with me. Unfortunately, one of the supervisors particularly said he wanted a subpoena or an order. The other supervisor I was told said the same thing. So out of frustration, because I have always met with the board. If they asked me to meet with them about any kind of situation and I've met with the board. And I thought that, not that they owed me anything, but they owed the office the respect, to meet with me. So I did. Before I thought, I issued the subpoena. The thing about the subpoena was I could have issued the subpoena if I had just set forth what it was. I did not set forth in the subpoena the reason. I made a mistake. I accepted that responsibility. The judicial performance committee has made a recommendation on it and I am in full agreement with it.

[49:31]

Question: Judge Buffington, Simpson County is the largest county in this district and Simpson County native Douglas Magee won a large share of our votes. What would you say to those who supported Mr. Magee to convince them to vote for you in the run-off election?

Buffington: Look at my last 16 years. Doug and I have never had any disagreements. He might have had a disagreement on certain things he wanted to achieve but we've never had any disagreements as far as in court and I would think if they look at me and what I've done they'd want to support me.

Shoemake: Well, Mr. Magee and his supporters are going to support me - [cheers and applause] - and there will be an ad coming out in the paper this week to that effect. But I would say to them, if you want to compare who to vote for, do just that. Go ask other lawyers who have had other lawyers with me, who have had other lawyers with him, ask the people who have had cases with me, ask the people who have had cases with him and inquire if they think justice has been done. When they got a ruling out of the court do they feel they've been treated fairly and has justice been done. When I do my job as a lawyer did I treat them with respect? Did I do what I pledged to do as a lawyer and represent them to the best of my ability? And did I do it and treat them fairly and honestly? People need to go and investigate the people they are voting for for judge.

[53:50]

Buffington: The fact that maybe I've run for other offices, trying to improve what I think is our court system. I'm not ashamed of that. I would do it again. The only lawyer who has ever called me an S.O.B. is standing right beside me right here. So I would ask you to ask the other lawyers in the district as far as how I treat people and how he has treated me at times. And he was a good friend. He is godparent of my youngest child. I have appointed him on cases to represent children where he has made close to a million dollars.

Shoemake: That is absolutely not true and I do want a chance to respond to all of this.

Buffington: And he has and those type things. And I have ruled against him. And he has told everybody I have ruled against him every time he comes in there and I don't. I rule based on the facts and based on what's before me. And I'm going to continue to do that in the future and I hate that it’s gotten down to this. I'm real disappointed it’s gotten down to this. But I'm not going to sit here and be slammed. And I do ask you to check. Check with your court personnel. Check with your local lawyers. Are there two or three that are mad at me? Absolutely. But check with them and see.

Moderator: OK. I'll give you one minute to respond.

Shoemake: Judge Buffington says I called him an S.O.B.

Buffington: Terrell Stubbs was present!

[Terrell Stubbs was standing at the back of the room, at this point he exited the debate hall.]

Shoemake: I don't know whether I did or not, but I know what happened immediately before that in Court. He put that young lady right there on the second row in jail. She was fifteen, a straight-A honor student at Seminary High School. She had not ever caused anybody a problem. She had three part time jobs. She did not want to go with her parent on a weekend visitation when that parent had basically neglected her for the first fourteen years of her life. After all of that. Judge Buffington ordered a deputy to come to the courthouse and take her to jail. Now, in the courtroom, my face never changed. I don't have a lot of personality and I take being a lawyer seriously. I carry a poker face in the courtroom. You never know my emotions in the courtroom. When I got back to his office, in his office with the door closed and with two or three other lawyers there I expressed my opinions on the way he ran his court. And I still have those opinions. And that's one of the things that has pushed me to run for the job I'm running for now. You can talk all you want to, it’s all about kids. But when you put a fifteen year old honor student like Tiffany in jail or threaten her with jail, something is bad wrong.

[Applause]

Debate between Judge Larry Buffington and David Shoemake for Chancery Judge seat, 13th District, MS from Deia Sanders on Vimeo.

Larry Buffington and using the law to silence the media

You remember Larry Buffington. He went nuts when someone "leaked" public information to the press. In his attempt to uncover the hideous crime of giving public information to the press, he issued subpoenas that he later acknowledged broke the law, but he didn't care. For that the Judicial Performance Commission recommended a public rebuke, a case still pending before the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Now, Larry Buffington, the law, and the media collide once again. As we have noted, it appears Larry Buffington may have violated state ethics rules regarding nepotism by ordering supervisors to hire his brother and ordering his brother's level of pay. Additionally, this would seem to violate the Code of Judicial Conduct that says clearly, "A judge shall avoid nepotism and favoritism."

So a citizen files a complaint. Then comes the story in the Clarion Ledger quoting the citizen and the head of the Judicial Performance Commission.

Charlene May of Silver City acknowledged to The Clarion-Ledger that she filed the complaint "because I think the public needs to know he is robbing taxpayers." But the head of the judicial watchdog group charged with investigating complaints and making punishment recommendations said state law dealing with nepotism is fuzzy. "It speaks to specific officers and clerks," said John Toney, executive director of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance.

Now comes the next story. Apparently Larry Buffington and his attorney are attempting once again to use the law to silence the media.

A Silver Creek woman says her judicial complaint against longtime Chancery Judge Larry Buffington has been dismissed because she talked to the media.

This is a woman who saw something wrong. She did the responsible thing and reported it to the authorities. When contacted by the press she didn't run and hide, she said what she did. At what point does any of this clear Larry Buffington of nepotism?

She filed her complaint late last month with the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance.

Buffington said Monday he hired his brother four years ago in Lawrence County only because the county prosecuting attorney had a scheduling conflict. He said county supervisors hired his brother in the other counties.

So Buffington can comment on this, but the person who made the allegation can not?

May said she received a call on her cell phone from the commission's Executive Director John Toney telling her that her complaint was voided because she breached the confidentiality clause after her story appeared in The Clarion-Ledger.

That was the same story in which John Toney appeared.

May said she disagrees with her complaint beingdismissed.

"That does not negate what he has done," May said of Buffington. "He committed nepotism."

Toney said he couldn't confirm or deny anything about the case because the commission's work is confidential until the recommendation.

Butch Brown Trial Thursday

Unless something has changed, Butch Brown faces trial tomorrow on a charge of public intoxication.

School Attorney says pink cleats kid "quit"

There is always two sides to every story but so far we've only heard one side. Here are the first comments by the attorney for the school in the silly pink cleats lawsuit.

The attorney for Mendenhall High School football player Coy Sheppard claims the school did not honor its agreement to let him back on the football team last Friday. But, the attorney for the Simpson County School Board says the coach told the high school senior he was back on the team, but he would not be playing in the playoff game. We’re told the coach allowed Sheppard to stand on the sidelines, but he was not in full uniform. "My understanding is that he quit he walked away. He said well I’m done with you and everything and he walks away and that’s it. At no time was he ever forced off the team,” recalls Daniel Jones, Simpson County’s attorney.

The Silliness Continues

The implied threat to the Coach is you better play this guy at Friday's game or else the lawsuit will happen. As we have warned, we are now litigating the decisions coaches make in football. Parents, forget screaming at the coach, just hire a lawyer instead.

Coy Sheppard says he just wants to kick the ball Friday and help his Mendenhall High School football team win.

And he's hoping his coach doesn't reverse field and keep him from dressing out.

Sheppard is practicing with the team this week in preparation for Friday's game against the St. Stanislaus Rockachaws in the third round of the state playoffs. The winner advances to the state semifinals.

The Sheppards sued the school district earlier this month to protest his dismissal from the team. According to the lawsuit, Mendenhall coach Chris Peterson dismissed Sheppard after he wore pink cleats to the Oct. 8 football game and Oct. 11 practice.

Peterson told Sheppard he could not dress out for Friday's game because he had missed too many practices, Diaz said.

Quarterback Arlandas Johnson, who has also been kicking in Sheppard's absence, was injured last week, and it's unclear whether he will be able to play Friday.

Joanne Sheppard said her son just wants to be able to play before his senior year season ends.

Diaz said the original lawsuit had not been dismissed because they were waiting to see whether Coy Sheppard would be "fully reinstated" as the agreement said.

Coaching Through Litigation - or - the other shoe drops

It appears the Mendenhall football coach did not play the kid with the pink cleats after he was reinstated to the football team and dropped his lawsuit. Some people yell at a coach from the bleachers when they don't like what he does. Not anymore. Now its time to sue.

The kid's attorney, Oliver Diaz, said

"So not only is this coach making bad decisions, he is also costing the taxpayers of Simpson County a good amount in legal damages."

Two items to note. First, what is costing the taxpayers of Simpson County is the lawsuit will now include money for the kid and money for his attorney. Second, the team won suggesting the Coach may just not have needed the kid.

In addition to the initial request for punitive damages paid to the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Diaz said, he will be requesting punitive damages for Sheppard, plus attorney’s fees.

Mendenhall defeated Purvis 27-21 in the Class 4A playoffs.

If anyone is costing the taxpayers money, it is the lawyer. If you measure coaching decisions by a win or loss, then the coach did not make a bad decision.

Let's hope for the sake of football that we don't soon add on-field lawyers for players to consult when they disagree with their coaches.

A "silly" lawsuit dropped

It seems the silly lawsuit over a football player's pink shoes has come to an end.

Sheppard, who was kicked off the Mendenhall High School football team last month after wearing the brightly colored shoes for a game and practice, was reinstated Thursday during a meeting with school officials.

The 17-year-old kicker filed a lawsuit against the school district last week to protest his Oct. 11 dismissal from the team. The suit has been dropped as part of Thursday's agreement, his attorney, Oliver Diaz, said.

Sheppard said his goal was to raise awareness about breast cancer.

"As long as this raised awareness, then it's done some good," he said. "I'm just glad to be back on the team."

Attorneys for Sheppard and the district said coach Chris Peterson hugged Sheppard and welcomed him back to the team after the agreement was reached.

"He coaches the team real good," Sheppard said. "I'm glad to be back with him, playing for him."

At last, the Republic is safe once again.

A "silly" lawsuit

A kid wears pink cleats to football practice. His coach tells him not to wear them. The kid ignores the coach and wears them again. The coach says if you won't follow instructions, you're off the team. The kid sues. Former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz is his attorney.

Because students in the Simpson County School District earn academic credit for participating in sports, Diaz said the dismissal has put Sheppard's future at the school in question. "His graduation may be in jeopardy for something as silly as not being allowed to wear pink cleats," he said.

How silly for the kid to put his own graduation in jeopardy by not listening to his coach at practice. He must value his pink cleats more than football, even more than his education. Good for him. One day he can point to those pink cleats on the wall and tell his grandchildren that pink cleats are worth fighting for, even sacrificing your education for.

Another word for "silly" is of course "frivolous."

But wait. It appears pink cleats are not worth fighting for.

Diaz said Coy Sheppard has apologized and promised to leave the pink shoes at home, but so far school officials have not budged.

"All Coy wants to do is play football," JoAnne Sheppard said "If they told him he could play football this weekend, he would go play."

Kid doesn't listen to his coach. Kid gets kicked off the team. Kid still wants to play. Kid now says he will listen to his coach. I bet he will listen to his coach now and more than that the other team members will listen to their coach. That is important to a team.

Should the coach let the kid who learned his lesson to get back on the team? That's up to the coach, but while the kid still wants to play football, it isn't clear he learned his lesson.

Sheppard's suit, filed last week in Simpson County Chancery Court, asks the court to reinstate Sheppard to the football team and clear his disciplinary record. The suit also asks for any monetary damages to be awarded to the American Cancer Society.

So, the kid wants the judge to run football, not his coach. The kid wants a judge to erase the fact that he ignored his coach's instructions. And the kid wants to take money from his school and give it to a charity he supports. It appears the kid doesn't just want to play football, he wants to play football on his own terms, which is what started this whole mess to begin with.

We agree with his attorney. This is silly.

That's a big AASHTO to fill

Marshall Ramsey on Butch Brown's AASHTO comments.

Salter: Butch should go - Ledger: MDOT needs change

Sid Salter writes today that Butch Brown should retire from MDOT to focus on his own concerns.

Brown needs to step down from the leadership of MDOT and attend to his personal issues. Brown needs to be able to focus on his battle against cancer without the political turmoil that is certain to develop over his leadership of MDOT during the process of choosing a successor to the late Minor.

In all likelihood, the election to choose Minor's successor doesn't bode well for Brown continuing in that role regardless of his health.

The Clarion Ledger editorialized the "the activities, comments and actions of Executive Director Butch Brown continue to keep the Department of Transportation in an upheaval of political intrigue and controversy."

Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall has sought Brown's removal for some time and, again, has called on him to step down. Hall has been overruled by the other two commissioners, Wayne Brown (no relation to Butch Brown) in the Southern District and Minor, who died of a heart attack the morning of Brown's remarks about LaHood.

A new commission will change the political makeup, which could affect whether Brown remains executive director of MDOT.

Calling federal highway officials names won't help Mississippi build needed highways. Some new state leadership might.

Warner McBride Dodges on Butch Brown

There are many issues voters should consider in the upcoming special election for transportation commissioner in the Northern District. Just as the first important vote in Congress is for Speaker of the House and control of the whole Congress, so the first important vote at MDOT is for the executive director who with the support of two commissioners rules the entire agency and is more powerful than the third elected commissioner.

If a candidate denies Butch Brown is an issue then that is code that they will support Butch Brown.

McBride, who chairs the House Transportation Committee, said he plans on making a public announcement to run after the governor sets the election date.

He said his "thoughts and prayers go out to Butch and his family" as he deals with cancer.

"I think until he's back home and recovering and better it's inappropriate to discuss his leadership," McBride said. "The question is not about Butch Brown or other personnel, but it's how MDOT can best be run for the people of Mississippi, and that's going to be my focus."

Larry Buffington Does it Again

How can one rural judge provide so much entertainment? Here is the latest from Judge Larry Buffington.

Longtime Chancery Judge Larry Buffington, who is in a runoff in less than three weeks, is facing a new judicial complaint.

Buffington allegedly has filed orders in four counties dating to 2000 hiring his brother, Scott Buffington, as a Youth Court prosecutor, according to the complaint.

Charlene May of Silver City acknowledged to The Clarion-Ledger that she filed the complaint "because I think the public needs to know he is robbing taxpayers."

But the head of the judicial watchdog group charged with investigating complaints and making punishment recommendations said state law dealing with nepotism is fuzzy.

"It speaks to specific officers and clerks," said John Toney, executive director of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance.

This is the "fuzzy" law.

It shall be unlawful for any person elected, appointed or selected in any manner whatsoever to any state, county, district or municipal office, or for any board of trustees of any state institution, to appoint or employ, as an officer, clerk, stenographer, deputy or assistant who is to be paid out of the public funds, any person related by blood or marriage within the third degree, computed by the rule of the civil law, to the person or any member of the board of trustees having the authority to make such appointment or contract such employment as employer. § 25-1-53

And the law states (§ 25-4-103) a brother is a relative.

Toney would not discuss a specific case but said generally it's not a "slam dunk" that any rule or law has been broken.

"The only thing we would be looking at is whether he appointed someone who wasn't needed," Toney said.

There might be a few other things to consider as well also from the Code of Judicial Conduct

• A judge shall avoid nepotism and favoritism. (Canon 3-C-4)

• Judges shall not allow their family, social, or other relationships to influence the judges' judicial conduct or judgment. (Canon 2-B)

Back to the story.

May filed records with her complaint showing orders signed by Buffington appointing Scott Buffington as a Youth Court prosecutor in Jefferson Davis, Lawrence and Simpson counties. Scott Buffington also was appointed for Smith County, too, but not Covington, she said.

Besides nepotism, Buffington also may have violated §25-4-105 that prohibits a relative setting "the amount of pecuniary benefit" of a relative which the Mississippi Ethics Commission has looked down on numerous times (for example Opinion ID: 99-043-E and Opinion ID: 05-069-E).

We hope to hear more from Judge Larry Buffington on this one.

Wayne Brown: Butch's remarks rhymed with "AASHTO"

An update on this morning's post also coming from the Mississippi Business Journal (and Y'all Politics is posting, too.)

We did manage to reach Southern District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown (no relation to Butch) on his cell phone a few minutes ago.

Wayne Brown could not remember exactly what Butch Brown said that drew Mendez’ ire, but did say there was a profanity involved that “rhymes with AASHTO.”

“I think Victor was a little too sensitive. We have a right to express our opinion in these rural states about the direction transportation’s going in. Did Butch do it with the best taste in the world? No, he did not.”

Wayne Brown has been an ally of Butch Brown for many years, and he said this latest incident does nothing to change that. Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall has often clashed with both Browns. A spokesman for Hall said Friday morning that Hall did not attend the AASHTO Board of Directors dinner.

“Mendez had a right to say what he said in his letter; Butch had a right to say what he said,” said Wayne Brown. “Both of them could have done it with a little more sensitivity.”

Federal Highway Chief: Butch Brown's behavior "offensive" and "shameful"

Clay Chandler at the Mississippi Business Journal breaks this story:

Early this afternoon, Magnolia Marketplace obtained a letter Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez wrote to Brown and copied several others on. It’s only two sentences long, but it packs quite a punch.

The full text of the letter, which was dated Nov. 3 and addressed to Brown: “Your remarks as a public official were highly offensive, inappropriate and unprofessional. Your behavior was shameful and brings discredit to your department (the Mississippi Department of Transportation), the citizens of the great State of Mississippi and your peers at AASHTO.”

Wow.

Mendez was referring to Brown’s behavior during AASHTO’s Board of Directors dinner, which was listed on the letter’s subject line, on Nov. 1. According to the AASHTO meeting agenda, the dinner took place at the Imperial Palace, was invitation only and started at 6 p.m. Here’s the interesting thing about that: Northern District Transportation Commissioner Bill Minor died the morning of Nov. 1. He was attending the AASHTO meeting.

So whatever Brown did that night, hours after his friend and colleague’s sudden death, was deemed so “offensive, inappropriate and unprofessional” by Mendez, he fired off a letter and copied the other two members of the Transportation Commission (Dick Hall and Wayne Brown), AASHTO’s executive director, AASHTO’s incoming president, and the deputy director of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Conversation on the Coast

If Taylor wins, he still loses subcommittee leadership

Politico:

MS-4 - Mississippi's Gene Taylor is one of the most conservative Democrats in the House, but this year's reelection bid has pulled him even further to the right, and despite the work he's brought home to Northrop Grumman's naval shipyard in Pascagoula, he's very vulnerable to Republican Steven Palazzo. Even if Taylor survives today, he'll likely lose his chairmanship of the HASC's sea power subcommittee to Missouri's Todd Akin.

Former 4th District Nominee Urges Support for Palazzo

In 2008, John McCay won the Republican nomination to face Democrat Congressman Gene Taylor in the general election. Taylor won. Showing no signs of sour grapes and all signs of supporting his party, this year John McCay is urging voters to support Steven Palazzo.

The 4th Congressional District deserves a representative who understands our district and will vote responsibly.

We need a true conservative who will put Mississippi first, and that person is Steven Palazzo.

For too long the 4th District has not had a true conservative who will stand for what he believes and supports a conservative mission.

We need Steven Palazzo in Congress. I believe Steven to be a man of integrity, faith and love for his family and country. These are ideals we as Mississippians hold dear.

I strongly encourage you to support Steven Palazzo as he labors for the betterment of our state and our country.

Democrats Bankroll Gene Taylor

Lest anyone think Gene Taylor is independent from his National Democratic Party, check out how the Democrats bankrolled his campaign.

Stephen Colbert Calls Gene Taylor "Gutless"

Gene Taylor throwing Dems under the buss

Gene Taylor says he voted for John McCain and not Barack Obama. He says he voted for Pelosi to help with insurance reform and now he isn't going to vote for her again, so we guess insurance reform is off the table.

Gene Taylor can't work with Democrats, and he isn't a Republican, so what good is he?

Taylor complained that Republicans were trying to jump on the admission. “They’re trying to make it a sign of desperation,” he said.

It IS a sign of desperation. He is doing whatever it takes to get reelected and willing to throw anyone under the bus to make it happen.

Buffington Has Opponents

Remember Larry Buffington? Sid Salter said he put the "Buff in judicial buffoonery."

Judge Larry Buffington admitted:
• He violated the Mississippi Constitution
• He violated the Code of Judicial Conduct
• He brought disrepute on the Court with his willful misconduct
• He didn’t care when he broke the law
• He uses his position as Judge to appoint his friends to office

A case against him by the Mississippi Judicial Performance Committee is pending at the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Well, Larry Buffington has two opponents for reelection coming up on November 2.

Douglas Magee and David Shoemake

David Shoemake:


Douglas Magee

Gene Taylor so happy to vote for Nancy Pelosi

Clinton Reid - Clinton Childers

From the Bill Clinton campaign trail: these are the guys he wants back in Washington DC in two weeks.

Bill Clinton campaigning for Harry Reid


Two days later, Bill Clinton campaigning for Travis Childers

Will Morgan Freeman's name be on the ballot next to Luckett's?

Good one from Marshall Ramsey.

Gene Taylor hit by the surge

Today from Marshall Ramsey


Gene Taylor didn't build it high enough, according to the new Tarrance Group poll that has Steven Palazzo in the lead by two points.

NAACP Rallies Against "Racist" Tea Party

This is the face of the Tea Party in Mississippi: Bill Marcy


And the NACCP thinks the Tea Party is racist.

The NAACP held a rally at the state capitol on Wednesday speaking about the Tea Party Activism around the country and in Mississippi. The rally was in light of a national report released by the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights. In the report it discusses certain areas of the country where Tea Partiers have crossed the line and conducted in "racist" behavior. NAACP state chapter President, Derrick Johnson says they are concerned with these findings. "We cannot afford in the state of Mississippi to go backwards." Johnson continued, "It is bad across the country."

NRCC: Travis Childers, Just The Facts

The National Republican Congressional Committee has a greatest hits web page up called ChildersFacts.com with video and various items including the following.

•The Daily Journal (Tupelo, MS) said Travis Childers’ campaign made “a serious misjudgment” in one of its attack ads. The premise of Childers’ ad is “simply not true,” and the campaign “should pull the…ad” because it “lowers the quality of debate.” Further, the Commercial Dispatch (Columbus, MS) called claims made in the same ad “unfair,” “lame,” and “misleading.” (Additional Information)

•Travis Childers voted for Barack Obama’s $787 billion dollar stimulus plan that has left the nation deeper in debt while Mississippi unemployment hit a 23-year high. Even worse, his vote helped give tax breaks to foreign companies creating jobs in China. (Additional Information)

•Travis Childers wrote a letter to a judge asking for leniency in the sentencing of disgraced lawyer Joey Langston, who pleaded guilty to trying to bribe a judge on behalf of his client Dickie Scruggs. Less than one month after Childers wrote the leniency letter for Joey Langston, Childers took a twenty-three hundred dollar campaign check from Langston’s lawyer, the maximum allowable contribution. (Additional Information)

•Travis Childers has supported higher taxes. He voted for a permanent extension of the current death tax rate, which the Wall Street Journal calls “the largest increase in the death tax in U.S. history,” and he voted for an increase in carried interest and enterprise value taxes. But Travis Childers has been delinquent in paying his property taxes six times since getting elected to Congress, and late a total of 221 times since 1999 – even as he served as a county official in charge of collecting other people’s property taxes. (You may find additional information here. You may find additional information about his tax delinquency here and here.)

Newt seeks contributions for Palazzo

From Newt Gingrich's contribution appeal for Steven Palazzo and four other candidates.

We are just two weeks away from some of the most important mid-term elections in our nation's history, and members of American Solutions PAC have already made a big difference.

Together we have raised a total of over $100,000 for ten candidates running in races that are absolutely critical in our efforts to take back the House.

But Republicans need to win 39 seats to take back the House from Speaker Nancy Pelosi. So this week we are featuring another five candidates.

These candidates are running in the most competitive Congressional races in the entire nation, and they need your support.

It is absolutely critical that you contribute to these candidates, and your donation will go directly to their campaigns:

Steven Palazzo is running against 10-term career Democrat politician Gene Taylor. One of the most conservative House districts in the country to be occupied by a Democrat, it is time for a true voice for the people of Mississippi. Donate to Steven here.
The outcome of their races could determine who controls Congress, and the very future of our nation is at stake.

In related news, Dick Morris also sees this as a competitive race.

Democratic House seats that no one would have imagined are vulnerable, and races thought to be blowouts for Democrats are now neck and neck, he says.

“That really is an advantage to Republicans -- first because the undecided almost always go against the incumbent, and second because Republicans are so much more enthusiastic about voting this year that I think their turnout will be much higher.”

Morris cites several incumbent Democrats earlier considered prohibitive favorites who are likely headed for defeat: Reps. John Dingell of Michigan, Corrine Brown of Florida, John Hall of New York, Mike Ross of Arkansas and Gene Taylor of Mississippi.

Bennie Thompson's Supports Obama, but hoarding money

Bennie Thompson is still supporting Barack Obama as he says in this video in which he criticizes President Bush for the veto of two farm bills he says were necessary for the Delta.


However, Democrats are criticizing Thompson and his colleagues for hoarding cash.

Cash-strapped House Democrats are beginning to feel Scrooged by politically safe elder statesmen who won't part with stockpiles of campaign money.

Allyson Schwartz of Pennsylvania has $3.5 million in the bank. Ed Markey and Richie Neal of Massachusetts have a combined $5.9 million — at a time when Republican Scott Brown's special-election Senate victory has Democrats worried that they'll lose the open 10th District based on Cape Cod. Brad Sherman of California has $2.9 million, Lloyd Doggett of Texas has $2.8 million, Jerry Costello of Illinois has $2.4 million, and Bennie Thompson of Mississippi has $2 million.

"I would use the word shameful. Embarrassing and shameful. There are people on this list who are chairmen. There are people on this list who want to be chairman. And then obviously No. 6 ," said the chief of staff to another Democrat in a top-tier race. "It's incredibly short-sighted. If they ever want to run for something, someone's going to slam them on the fact that they just sat on [millions]."

DCCC Calls Taylor a Nazi?

Did the DCCC call Gene Taylor a Nazi? Not quite, but almost. We don't believe Gene Taylor deserves that attack, but then we aren't the DCCC.

National Democrats have charged that a House candidate endorsed by a controversial anti-immigration group has “Nazi ties” — but six other congressional Democrats also have the group’s endorsement.

The group, Americans for Legal Immigration, or ALIPAC, supports candidates and incumbents who oppose creating a path to citizenship for the thousands of undocumented immigrants in the United States. The Anti-Defamation League has criticized ALIPAC for what it says is support from white supremacist and racist groups.

“Another [National Republican Congressional Committee] Young Gun candidate, another Nazi tie — it should come as no surprise,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Andy Stone said in a statement Monday. He said the group was “on the racist fringe” and that it was “backed by anti-Semites and white supremacists.”

The DCCC statement was aimed at Arizona congressional candidate Jesse Kelly, the Republican who is challenging Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in the state’s 8th District.

But six Democrats: Reps. Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Gene Taylor of Mississippi, Pete DeFazio of Oregon, Mike McIntyre of North Carolina and Jim Marshall and John Barrow of Georgia, all have the group’s endorsement.

But at least one, McIntyre, has touted the group’s endorsement. POLITICO calls and e-mails to the other five Democrats were not immediately returned.

ALIPAC adamantly denies any voluntary association with white supremacist or neo-Nazi groups.

The ADL has carefully documented white supremacist groups that have encouraged their members to attend ALIPAC events or have posted ALIPAC information on their own websites. They have also pointed out white supremacist groups that have encouraged their members to attend rallies or lobby members of Congress in support of ALIPAC goals.

Just so we're clear here, we do not think Gene Taylor is a Nazi. We don't know if he has embraced this endorsement. And honestly, we don't even know anything about ALIPAC. What we do know is the DCCC is pretty quick to use the "Nazi" tag and get dirty, and this time some of that mud has blown back on one of their own candidates.

Newt Gingrich Endorses Steven Palazzo

Y'all Politics has a press release from Steven Palazzo's campaign touting the endorsement Newt Gingrich for Palazzo. As far as we can tell, Palazzo is the only candidate in any Mississippi race endorsed by Gingrich and American Solutions.

Alexandria, Virginia – Speaker Newt Gingrich and American Solutions has officially announced its endorsement of conservative Republican Steven Palazzo (MS-04).

“Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District is one of the most conservative districts in the country, but has been represented by a Democrat who votes with Nancy Pelosi's agenda nearly 80 percent of the time. Steven Palazzo is a true representative of the values of his conservative district and will fight to create jobs in South Mississippi through less spending and less taxing,” said Speaker Newt Gingrich.

“I am honored to be endorsed by American Solutions. Speaker Gingrich is the leader on conservative issues and solutions. When elected, I will carry the conservative banner in Congress and get American families back to work,” said Palazzo.

Gingrich says, “Any time an incumbent is at only 44 percent, the challenger is in an ideal position for victory. Palazzo is within two points of Gene Taylor and has a real chance to take back a conservative seat.”

Heck of a job Taylor

"That guy has to run against me,'' Taylor said. "And I've got a heck of a record."

Right, heck of a job Taylor. We've heard that one before. And if you think FEMA was slow, what has Gene Taylor done over the past twenty years in congress?



Actually, we don't want to be totally dismissive. He has fought to rename a bunch of Post Offices, and for that we say, heck of a job Taylor.

Veterans of Foreign Wars: Gene Taylor "can't ride that wagon anymore"

The Hattiesburg American has news on Democrat Gene Taylor's run against combat veteran Steven Palazzo. Basically, they are looking to rescind Taylor's endorsement and Taylor "can't ride that wagon anymore."

National Veterans of Foreign Wars officials want the organization's political action committee to rescind its congressional endorsements in the November elections, including one for Congressman Gene Taylor.

Bill Perkins, senior vice commander for VFW Post 3063 in Hattiesburg, said he understood that the national office had received thousands of calls and e-mails on the endorsements. The VFW has 2.1 million members.

Taylor's campaign has aired commercials about the VFW-PAC endorsement and included it on his campaign website, www.congressmangenetaylor.com.

Perkins said the VFW's demand that the PAC rescind its endorsements means that Taylor "can't ride that wagon anymore."

Dems turning on each other, attack Thompson for hording money

Erica Payne at the Huffington Post attacked Bennie Thompson and other Democrats for not sharing their wealth with their colleagues.

Like a chubby kid stockpiling his Dunk-a-roos at snack-time, many Democratic politicians in safe seats are hoarding their goodies while embattled colleagues go hungry this campaign season. The bottom line is: vulnerable Democrats are begging donors for cash -- $2,400 at a time, while their colleagues are sitting on millions of dollars they could unleash with a pen stroke. So what is it? Senate aspirations? Bag lady syndrome? Who knows? And, frankly, who cares? It's time we taught our little hoarders to share.

Pelosi gives Childers permission to run against her

Just like on the ObamaCare vote, Travis Childers has to wait until Democratic House Leadership - Nancy Pelosi - gives him permission to do the conservative thing. Now Travis Childers is running against Pelosi, but according to the New York Times, he apparently has "her blessing" to do so.

Biting the hand that feeds you is not always a successful strategy, but it underscores the stakes in the Nov. 2 elections. Many Democrats are doing whatever it takes to try to keep their majority.

And they apparently have Ms. Pelosi’s blessing.

“I just want them to win,” Ms. Pelosi said in a recent interview on “NewsHour” on PBS when asked about the defectors.

The number of defecting Democrats is hard to quantify since some, like Mr. Bright in Alabama and Representative Gene Taylor of Mississippi, have said flat out that they would not vote for Ms. Pelosi while others have only signaled that they might not.

Representative Travis W. Childers of Mississippi said he would “like to see someone more moderate” as speaker.

These Democrats are trying to run as quasi-Republicans, he said, but voters will not support them when real Republicans are on the ballot.

Many Democrats are now boasting about how often they vote with the Republicans. When his Republican challenger said that Mr. Taylor “chooses Nancy Pelosi over Mississippi,” Mr. Taylor said that of the 1,466 votes he had cast since January 2009, “Nancy Pelosi agreed with my vote 34 times,” or 2 percent of the time.

Nunnelee & Palazzo Outraise Dems in 3rd Quarter

Republicans Alan Nunnelee and Steven Palazzo both outraised their opponents in the 3rd Quarter according to FEC reports. While Democrats Travis Childers and Gene Taylor still lead in cash on hand, the momentum is clearly with the GOP as Dem donors appear tapped out.

DC's Hotline called Palazzo a winner in the money race

Once thought to be longshots, Republicans Bobby Schilling, who's taking on Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL), and Steven Palazzo, who's challenging Rep. Gene Taylor (D-MS), both managed to haul in more than the incumbents. The showing by both validates their status as real upset picks on Nov. 2.

and said elsewhere

The list goes on and on: Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) wasn't even in the fundraising ballpark of his Republican challenger Jackie Walorski, who outraised the congressman, $546K to $323K. Rep. Gene Taylor (D-MS), a popular conservative Democratic facing his first serious race in many years, got badly outraised by Republican Steven Palazzo. We're still tabulating all the numbers, but if the trends hold up, we could see a record number of Democratic incumbents getting outraised in the last three months by their Republican challengers - another empirical bit of evidence that 2010 is shaping up to be a Republican rout.

Here are the numbers.

Travis Childers
3rd Quarter
Raised: $307,027.67
Spent: $711,949.08

Year To Date
Raised: $1,635,331.93
Spent: $1,141,534.45

Cash On Hand: $494,848.04
Debt: $100,000

Alan Nunnelee

3rd Quarter
Raised: $475,526
Spent: $403,928.79

Year To Date
Raised: $1,358,126.78
Spent: $1,060,039.95

Cash On Hand: $322,988.99

Gene Taylor

3rd Quarter
Raised: $159,535
Spent: $175,147.80

Year To Date
Raised: $623,844.98
Spent: $532,797.37

Cash On Hand: $331,071.71

Steven Palazzo

3rd Quarter
Raised: $311,534.50
Spent: $134,083.72

Year To Date
Raised: $501,593.50
Spent: $330,011.69

Cash On Hand: $203,581.81
Debt: $32,000

Gene Taylor Double Talk on Pelosi

Why did Gene Taylor vote for Nancy Pelosi?

Was it because he didn't like Republican John Boehner?

Taylor has said that he voted for Pelosi mainly because he disagreed strongly with her opponent, Rep. John Boehner. He has said he would not vote for her again.

If so, why didn't he not vote for Pelosi but vote for someone else like he did many years ago?

Was it because she promised him her help on insurance reform?

Asked why he voted for Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker, he said, "I will tell you exactly why." "She came down to South Mississippi and heard the horror stories of people who had been cheated by the insurance companies. She listened, stood in a town hall meeting in Bay St. Louis and said, If you will let me be speaker, we will pass some insurance reform through the U.S. Congress, let you get your wind and water policy, all one policy, so that the next time, and there will be a next time, when we have a hurricane, people won't get screwed by the insurance companies; it doesn't matter if the wind, water did it or a barge goes through your house, you get paid," he said.

If so, consider this. Nancy Pelosi promised Gene Taylor she would help him with insurance reform. So he says he voted for her. Now he says he will not vote for her (“She failed to support it this year, so I will not be voting for her again.”) so does that mean Gene Taylor has given up on insurance reform?

No, it means he wants to get reelected, that is his top priority. He will worry about insurance reform, worry about the Coast, later. His brilliant plan to get someone else to keep his promise failed, now he has no plan. That's the problem of being both ineffective and alienated from your party.

Bennie Thompson: Performance Measures to Secure Homeland Security Money...like $22 million for Tougaloo

So President Barack Obama signed a law to reduce waste and increase accountability in Homeland Security funds. Bennie Thompson said about the new law:

“Without reliable performance measures, we risk allotting scarce homeland security grant dollars to activities that do not boost our nation’s preparedness,” said Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

We agree. Afterall, if we waste Homeland Security money, we won't have any to spend on those critical needs to keep our country safe and "boost our nation's preparedness." Things like...a $23 million earmark for Tougaloo for a program that apparently didn't exist.

In an earmark request for 2010 appropriations, Thompson’s Web site indicates that he is seeking $23 million for the “National Institute for Education and Training” at Tougaloo College for “an Operational Test and Evaluation Activity (OTEA) in Vicksburg, Mississippi…”

The money would be “an addition to existing programs” at the institutions, [Thompson's Chief of Staff Lanier] Avant said. Tougaloo “has one of the most renowned engineering programs of all the [historically black colleges and universities] in the country. … It’s not like Tougaloo is some kind of new kid on the block,” he said.

But Tougaloo does not offer an engineering major. The school’s course catalog indicates that there is not a single engineering class being taught at Tougaloo this semester. The school does have a joint program with the Georgia Institute of Technology that allows students to transfer there to get their engineering degree after finishing their liberal arts coursework at Tougaloo.

George Armstrong, a chemistry professor who serves as the interim director of Tougaloo’s National Institute for Education and Training in Transportation Security, said he had heard about the earmark but had no details about it.

“That is something just coming out,” Armstrong said. “I wouldn’t have known about it except I just happened to be in a meeting” where the project was mentioned, he said last week. “It hasn’t been fully defined … [though] I know our name is associated with that.”

UM Cartoon: Bill Clinton and Panty Thief

Josh Clark at The Daily Mississippian and Marshall Ramsey at The Clarion Ledger with their takes on the Bill Clinton-Travis Childers campaign event at the University of Mississippi today.

Sun Herald Endorsement for Congress: My Grandfather

Last week the Sun Herald endorsed Star Trek's Khan for Congress. This week, they endorsed my grandfather. Let's go through it.

The Sun Herald is basically begging people to support Gene Taylor. Here are some excerpts and the translation.

Those employees have no stronger advocate than Taylor.

Taylor is an advocate.

And since he ranks fourth in seniority among the 60 members of the House Armed Services Committee, Taylor is in an especially advantageous position to be an advocate for the Coast.

Taylor has seniority.

He also serves as chairman of the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee, which has an annual budget of approximately $60 billion to spend on Navy and Marine Corps programs.

Taylor is a subcommittee chairman.

This is experience and stature that South Mississippians can take to the bank, and influence which could not be replaced anytime soon by any of Taylor’s opponents.

Taylor has influence.

He’ll hop on a plane and go to the other side of the world if he thinks he can make life a little safer for Americans serving in harm’s way. His concern for and care for our troops is an important reason that he has long been so popular among South Mississippians.

Taylor cares about the troops.

He lost everything but life to Katrina and he’s determined to make such disasters less ruinous for others. He is one of the most knowledgeable members of Congress on the insurance issue so important to Americans living near a shoreline — and that’s more than half of all Americans.

Taylor is determined and knowledgeable.

So why would the sensible constituents of the 4th Congressional District gamble on another candidate?

It is obvious. Gene Taylor is a determined and knowledgeable senior advocate with influence who chairs a subcommittee and cares about the troops.

Other than him not being a subcommittee chairman, the Sun Herald basically endorsed my grandfather to be congressman.

(And with Gene Taylor saying he won't vote for Nancy Pelosi, even if the Democrats retain the House, he won't be a subcommittee chairman next time.)

My grandfather and Gene Taylor have something else in common. Both have accomplished nothing for the Fourth Congressional District over the past twenty years.

That is the real reason thousands of sensible constituents of the 4th Congressional District will take a sure thing on another candidate.

Clinton's Schedule - Tuesday: Harry Reid; Thursday: Travis Childers

Former President Bill Clinton is trying to keep the liberal Democrats in control of Congress for two more years.

Tuesday he was in Nevada to help Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:

Joking that he was "preaching to the saved," former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday night urged a largely Democratic crowd to help return U.S. Sen. Harry Reid to Washington.

At a rally inside Valley High School's gym, Clinton said that "in a normal time" Reid would be winning his re-election bid by 25 points and his GOP challenger Sharron Angle wouldn't be a electoral threat to the incumbent.

The crowd, which got invitations through the Democratic Party and from other Reid-friendly groups, stood and applauded when the senator and later Clinton took the stage.



Holding Reid signs, people applauded warmly several times when Clinton or Reid made a point -- and booed whenever Angle's name was mentioned. But people began to politely stream out of the gym as Clinton went on about the economy and the hour-long event was wrapping up just after 10 p.m.

"I assume you all are going to vote," Clinton said, knowing Democratic turnout must be high for Reid to win. "You've got to vote for Harry Reid."

Clinton most recently campaigned for Reid's son Rory, who is running far behind Republican Brian Sandoval in the gubernatorial race. The Reids have not campaigned together, both fearing they'll hurt one another's chances of election.

Clinton's visit comes more than a week before President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit Las Vegas on a rescue mission to save Reid's re-election chances and to raise money for the Democrats.

In Las Vegas, Obama plans to attend a rally sponsored by the Democratic National Committee and a fundraiser for Reid in coordination with the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.

The Obama rally will be a public event, aimed at boosting voter turnout and shoring up support for Reid and Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., locked in tight race with GOP challenger Joe Heck.

Having left the Harry Reid event in Nevada, Bill Clinton now comes to Oxford, Mississippi to help Travis Childers.

We think Clinton digs the Mustache

Bill Clinton will be in Oxford tomorrow to endorse Travis Childers. The message?

"Travis, 1972 called, it wants its mustache back."

Party with Childers, Hood, Presley, Mims

Y'all Politics shares the details about a Monday night party featuring Democratic Congressman Travis Childers, Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood, Democratic Transportation Commissioner Bill Minor, Democratic Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley, and nonpartisan judicial candidate Kelly Mims (who has a picture of Haley Barbour in his campaign commercials). No word if Jamie Franks or Bob Marley were there.

Investigative Reporting Blog on Bennie Thompson, Hinds Homeland Security funds

The Center for Investigative Reporting says the press missed a "politically intriguing" story about Hinds County, Homeland Security funds, and Congressman Bennie Thompson.

The Center for Investigative Reporting has offered up numerous stories by now of communities running into trouble with federal grants awarded to them by Washington for anti-terrorism and preparedness purposes. But one of the most politically intriguing so far surfaced in early October.

That’s when the Department of Homeland Security told local authorities in Hinds County, Miss., that they needed to return public-safety equipment purchased with the funds that went unused. The list of questioned gear apparently accumulating dust included tanks for oxygen masks, four-wheelers, search-and-rescue tools and even “heavy-duty trucks,” according to one local news account.

What did that news account neglect to mention? Hinds County is represented by Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson, chair of the powerful House Homeland Security Committee. Thompson doesn’t just back the $33 billion Congress has handed out in readiness grants to states and local communities since 2002. He’s chided FEMA for trying to implement a policy that would have required grantees to use their own money for maintaining equipment they’d already bought.

Obama: What, Me Worry?

Unemployment Up

Economy Down

War in Foreign Lands

His Democratic Party headed for electoral defeat

Obama hits links for 52nd golf day

Gene Taylor All Smiles For Nancy Pelosi

The Mississippi Republican Party (hattip Majority) has posted a CSPAN clip showing how happy Gene Taylor was to vote for Nancy Pelosi. It speaks for itself. NotMyRep.com

Tea Party Goes Digital on Childers, Thompson

The Mississippi Tea Party now has digital billboards up. One with Travis Childers and Nancy Pelosi asks, "Do They speak for YOU?" we hear are up in Corinth, Columbus, and Tupelo.



Another features Bennie Thompson and Bill Marcy. This one in Greenville says "15 million out of work! VOTE Nov.2, You might be next." Next to Thompson it says "We're doing alright" and next to Marcy "We deserve better."