Nothing is more important to Harry Reid than healthcare, except fundraising

Healthcare is so important for Democrats they won't even take the weekend off in the Senate.

The next weekends, plural, we will be working. I have events, uh, this weekend that I'll have to postpone, some I'll have to cancel. That's the way it's going to have to be with everyone. There is not an issue more important than finishing this legislation. - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Dem-Neveda), November 30, 2009 on working the weekends in the Senate

Well, unless there is a fundraiser, of course!

But Reid, who wants to get a healthcare bill finished by Christmas, urged Republicans on the Senate floor to forego a debate on several conference reports this weekend in order to give Senators and staffers the weekend off.

"I understand the Republican leader doesn't want us to do health care. I appreciate that. He and I have different positions on that," said Reid. "I see no reason to punish everybody this weekend and I hope the minority will give strong consideration to the proposal that i've made."

It turns out Reid has a 1,000 plus per plate fundraiser scheduled for Saturday in New Orleans, according to one local paper, which also reports that Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-LA, a key swing moderate in the health care debate, will also be in attendance.

Malcolm Harrison's About Face: "I don't think it's important that you choose an African American"

It's funny how things change. Consider Malcolm Harrison attacking Governor Haley Barbour on his judicial appointments eight months ago.

"He has not appointed any African Americans for judge in any of his 20 appointments. It’s sad that he cannot believe an African American could do the job. African Americans are more than qualified to serve on the Mississippi Court of Appeals, as well as any other judicial appointment. In fact, Mississippi Court of Appeals Chief Judge Leslie D. King is an African American—at least he was last time I checked. There are qualified people who are available, but the governor has seen fit not to even consider an African American in these positions." - Malcolm Harrison, Jackson Free Press 2/11/2009

"We know there were qualified African-Americans who can serve on the judiciary, and why African-Americans have not been appointed or even considered makes no sense to us. The Republican Party in Mississippi doesn't believe diversity is important, especially not in the judiciary in Mississippi." - Malcolm Harrison, Associated Press 2/23/2009

Now that Governor Haley Barbour has appointed him to a circuit court judge position in Hinds County, Malcolm Harrison has changed his tune.

[Harrison] said race was never a part of his discussion with Barbour or the governor's staff. "In my conversations with the governor, he was serious about appointing the best person for the job," Harrison said. "I think it's important to take all opinions into account, but also have a diverse pool in which you choose the best qualified candidates. I don't think it's important that you choose an African American, but I do think it's important to consider everyone." - Clarion Ledger 10/28/2009

Most hard working, qualified people don't want to think they got a job because of anything other than their qualifications. They don't want a job just because they're black, or white, or male, or female. They want to know they got the job because they were qualified. I'm sure Malcolm Harrison feels the same way. Certainly, that is what the Barbour Administration is saying.

"[Harrison] was chosen for the judgeship based on his qualifications," Barbour spokesman Dan Turner told The Associated Press.

Here are a few more quotes by Harrison on his selection.

"Race was not an issue. The Magnolia Bar has a position. Me personally with my interview with Governor Barbour race never came up, not once. I thought the process was fair and balanced." - Malcolm Harrison, WLBT 10/29/2009

"Race was not an issue. During my interview with Gov. Barbour, race never came up, not once. I thought the process was balanced and fair.” - - Malcolm Harrison, WAPT 10/29/2009

American Spectator's Hypocrite of the Month

The American Spectator has named Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter "hypocrite of the month" saying, "Take it away, Carol, you maniac, you. You've really, really earned it."

NowHampshire.com explains:

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter lashed out at South Carolina Republican Congressman Joe Wilson for his outburst before a joint session of Congress last week and at Republicans in general for vocally opposing President Barack Obama’s health reform initiative while speaking at the Strafford County Democratic Party Picnic this weekend.

“They were behaving in a way we never behave,” Shea-Porter told the enthusiastic group of party faithful.

Shea-Porter claimed Democrats never interrupted President George W. Bush while he was addressing Congress.

“We sat there quietly and politely because that’s what we owe the President of the United States,” she said.

This is not true.

Democratic members of Congress lustily booed President Bush during his 2005 State of the Union Address.

What’s more, Shea-Porter herself once had to be forcibly removed from a Bush speaking engagement in Portsmouth, NH for causing disruptions and wearing a shirt that read “Turn Your Back on Bush.”

Prior to that, Shea-Porter was a permanent fixture at then-incumbent Republican Congressman Jeb Bradley’s town hall meetings where she regularly disrupted the constituent events to criticize America’s war effort. She actually boasted of this activity during her 2006 campaign for Congress.

This award could really go to lots of Democrats who have suddenly discovered decorum after eight years of bad behavior.

NOW Democrats condemn dissent?

The Democrats need a thicker skin. Yesterday we shared how the Democrats flipped out when parents criticized President Barack H. Obama's speech to school children...even though when President George H.W. Bush did the same thing the Democrats ordered an investigation and hearings over the matter.

It is really driving them nuts that anyone would criticize Obama. They just can't take it.

Now they share their indignant moral outrage over South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson's outburst during Obama's speech saying "you lie" after Obama claimed universal health care would not extend to illegal immigrants. First of all, Joe Wilson is right on the issue. Illegal immigrants get health care now. How will they not when it becomes universal? And if Democrats were serious about it, they would allow a specific exclusion in the legislation (which they won't). Second, he should have showed more restraint and not yelled out during the speech. We're not Brits after all.

But this is the best part. The Democrats are all out there calling Wilson a redneck for his behavior. But as Drudge points out today, the Democrats were not exactly polite to President Bush. This video records Democrats booing and heckling the President of the United States during a State of the Union address.

Democrats, spare us the outrage and hypocrisy. We think Joe Wilson behaved boorishly, but after the way Democrats behave, they have no place to criticize.

Is the Mississippi Democratic Party hypocritical on the Second Amendment?

The Mississippi Democratic Party suggests that Senator Thad Cochran is a hypocrite for opposing Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.

It brings to mind Senator Roger Wicker's reason for opposing Sotomayor:

"In refusing to confirm that the Second Amendment is a fundamental right that applies to all 50 states, and thus, all Americans, Judge Sotomayor shows an alarming hostility toward law-abiding gun owners across the country. This is a view that is certainly out of the mainstream in Mississippi and, I believe, across the rest of the nation."

Wicker is correct, not only is Sotomayor outside the mainstream in Mississippi, she is even outside the mainstream of the Mississippi Democratic Party, as we quote from its official party platform:

We believe in the affirmation of the Second Amendment as an individual right.

So the Mississippi Democratic Party is supporting a nominee who rejects its own platform on the Second Amendment. Who is the hypocrite now?

Democrats' Double Standard; George Flaggs Pouts; Billy McCoy Taxes the Sick

The Democrats proclaimed their righteous indignation the other day on Governor Barbour's staff budget:

Gov. Haley Barbour had the Senate slip $300K into a spending bill. What was the $300K for? Glad you asked. Raises for his staff. We’re in a budget crisis and the guv wants to give raises to his people. That’s fiscal conservatism?

But the Democrats don't want you to look at what the Democratic House Leadership did. Here is more of it revealed in the Clarion Ledger:

House leaders and Gov. Haley Barbour are at loggerheads over the governor's office budget. The House attempted to extend, for one more year, a cap on salaries for the governor's staff. Senators had voted to remove the cap, but the House wanted to leave the salary cap on the governor's staff because of the tight economy.

But Barbour's budget already had been voluntarily cut 6.5 percent before the House attempted the additional line-item cut in governor's office staff salaries. Strange, but the House raised staff salaries this fiscal year. Double standard?

Like other agency heads, Barbour should manage his own office budget, including staff salaries.

The editorial was mostly about Democrat George Flaggs' "self-serving stunt" as he pouted over losing amendment votes in the House. Facing a deadline hours away where the whole state government could shut down, he required legislation be read to postpone the passage of the compromise legislation by three hours.

Flaggs defended the move as one designed to register an emphatic protest and to call attention to what he called the "exclusion" of many in the House who disagreed with the majority position on the Medicaid bill.

He said that because of Barbour's political strong-arm tactics, House members had little time to read the bill and that the measure was being "rammed down our throats."

Poor thing. Flaggs was upset because Haley Barbour provided the leadership necessary to keep our state functioning despite the delays and obstructions by Democrats like Flaggs. The irony is, Flaggs called this thunder down on himself. Remember?

State Rep. George Flaggs, a Democrat from Vicksburg, urged Gov. Haley Barbour today to stay in the state and "provide leadership" while budget talks continue.

Before we leave today's lesson in Democratic hypocracy, Sid Salter points out the difference in rhetoric and reality.

“I personally don’t like the hospital tax of (even) one penny. That’s just a personal situation. It may be that some amount has to be used. We live in a world of compromise here. It’s just repugnant to me that we would tax a sick person. And I don’t care what you say, that’s what it boils down to: The patient, or customer, pays.” - House Speaker Billy McCoy, Associated Press, January 2, 2009

"As the Legislature prepares to wrap up the down-to-the wire budget mess, it seems that all the plaintive rhetoric about the evils of "taxing the sick" was just that — rhetoric — offered by mega-salaried hospital administrators at Mississippi's profitable "not-for-profit" hospitals who were far more worried about their bottom lines than about providing health care for the poor, the blind, the disabled and children. When push came to shove, the state's hospitals and the Mississippi Hospital Association agreed to "tax the sick" right along." - Sid Salter Blog, July 1, 2009

Mississippi Democrats: Sore Losers and Hypocrites

Wonderful posts from Majority In Mississippi, so great we wish we had written them, but likely more tasteful than we would have been, too.

First, Majority posts on Sore Loser Jamie Franks who thinks the 59% of Mississippians who rejected him as lieutenant governor in 2007 now want to hear from him on how that office is being run: Jamie Franks=Sore Loser

Then there is this great post on the Democrats' instant hypocrisy within in one email. The explanation of which is obvious in the title: Democrats Try To Raise Money By Bashing Barbour For Raising Money

Well played, Majority in Mississippi, well played.

Dems in Glass Houses

Well, Sam Hall takes an opportunity at the Democrat's blog to criticize Paul Gallo's spelling.

Someone should tell Gallo that if he is going to continue to be the GOP cheerleader he should learn to spell the name of one of their possible Congressional candidates. It’s “Nunnelee”, not “Nunnelle”.

As noted below, it is a common name to misspell, Minor (named by "Majority in Mississippi" the "Mississippi Democrat party spokesman, emeritus") spelled it "Allen Nunnalee."

But Democrats in glass houses should be careful at throwing spelling stones. Yesterday, the Mississippi Democrats sent out an email from Jamie Franks. Here are a few sentences.

Subject: We need Wilbur Jones in the House

=LET'S GET BEHIND WILBUR JONES=

Wilbur Jones had a great night last night.

Wilbur Jones is the Democrat.

I'm proud to join with the Democratic leadership of the Mississippi House of Representatives in supporting Wilbur Jones.

Thanks for your support of Wilbur Jones.

Sincerely,
Chairman Jamie Franks

His name is Wilbert Jones. Ooops.

Someone should tell Sam Hall that if he is going to continue to be the Democratic Executive Director he should learn to spell the name of one of their possible legislative candidates.

Dems vs Reality

Mississippi Democrats criticize Haley Barbour for going to Iowa and New Hampshire instead of working on the budget. First, he is not the Democrat controlled legislature which has failed to produce a budget. They are blaming Haley for not doing their own job. Second, where was this outrage when their budget conferee and CHAIRMAN of Medicaid, Dirk Dedeaux, skipped budget meetings to go to DISNEY WORLD?

The Mississippi Democrats also salute Brandon Presley for his recent appointment to this national board. Shocking, but Y'all Politics is reporting that Presley and the Public Service Commission recently retained that organization under contract. I guess the Democrats really ought to congratulate him, he is learning the Democratic methods early and well.

Weekend at Bennie's II - Guest Star: Allen Stanford

Brian Perry at the Madison County Journal gives us another guest star for our ongoing "Weekend at Bennie's" marathon: Allen Stanford, the latest billionaire accused of a Ponzi scheme. You might remember we talked about Bennie Thompson's trips paid for by private groups to tropical vacation paradises here and here and here and here - all started by Kingfish's post here.

In addition to Stanford's PAC sending $2500 to Thompson, he also hosted Thompson on his yacht in the Caribbean. This put us on the search for some of this material and thanks to Talking Points Memo for the pictures and Legistorm for the documents.

In 2005, Stanford sent two corporate jets to Washington Dulles International Airport to fly several members of Congress and staff to the Caribbean for a conference hosted by Inter-American Economic Council (IAEC). The IAEC president told the Dallas Morning News the organization raises no money except from sponsors for specific events and in 2005, Stanford provided 85 percent of the council's revenue.

For the next three years, New York Carib News funded trips for Thompson to Panama (2006), Antigua and Barbuda (2007), and St. Maarten (2008). According to Washington DC's The Hill newspaper, "The trip is closely associated with the [Congressional Black Caucus]; only CBC members are invited each year."

The Stanford Financial Group, as recently as 2008, was a supporting sponsor of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (giving between $15,000 and $30,000). The foundation sponsors trips including a 2003 trip to Puerto Rico for Thompson.

On the 2005 IAEC trip, Stanford hosted a reception for lawmakers on his yacht. He hosted another yacht reception for the 2007 trip that included an appearance by Bennie Thompson who "chatted" with Stanford "about a sailing event the billionaire sponsored." Thompson's chief-of-staff told the Politico newspaper he "was not sure whether Thompson flew on Stanford's jet for the 2007 trip."

The 2007 conference agenda scheduled Thompson to speak on "National Security: A Pre-Condition for Success" sponsored by the banking firm HSBC and "Port & Airport Security" sponsored by Macy's.

The 2008 conference at the Sonesta Maho Bay Resort & Casino on the island of St. Maarten occurred about a month after Congress approved the $700 billion financial bailout package. Citigroup (who would receive $45 billion from the bailout package) sponsored the event to the tune of $100,000. Other corporate contributors included AT&T, Verizon ($35,000), Pfizer, Macy's and American Airlines who donated travel. The National Legal and Policy Center has requested an investigation of the event by the special inspector general of the financial bailout package.

Both the 2007 and 2008 trips occurred after Democrats passed new Congressional ethics rules banning corporate sponsorship of conferences like these island trips.

Bennie Thompson recently said about AIG executives, "Well, if these are the same people who fiddled while the economy was burning, then they probably need to go." I don't know if he was fiddling, but kicking it in the Caribbean isn't exactly what I call managing our nation's economic crisis.

Stimulus Irony

The Clarion Ledger reports

Ethel Mayor Ophelia Mitchell took off work from Mississippi State University on Monday and drove more than an hour to ask Thompson what small towns - ones with fewer than 500 people - will gain.

Ethel, which is located in Attala County about 10 miles from Kosciusko, has about 450 residents, according to the most recent census figures.

Like Mitchell, officials from small, rural towns across the country have expressed concern they may not be able to compete with larger cities for their share of the federal money, although their needs may be just as dire.

"We don't have that kind of money saved up," Mitchell said. "We're still paying for things that our town fathers bought years ago."

Thanks to this stimulus, so will your great-grandchildren.

Hood Can't Prosecute Langston, But He Can Defend His $14 million

Let me get this straight.

Attorney General Jim Hood can not prosecute (now disbarred and convicted judge briber and Hood's former Special Assistant Attorney General...and Hood's former top campaign contributor) Joey Langston for his role in corrupting our state's judicial system because in Hood's words, "I'm too close to them. It would be like prosecuting my relatives."

And Hood would not represent the state of Mississippi on behalf of Governor Haley Barbour because it would conflict with his duties to his other clients the legislature and the judiciary, even though they were not parties to the lawsuit.

But NOW, Jim Hood wants to protect the $14 million contingency fee contract he gave to Joey Langston and use his office to defend that fee against the State Auditor who seeks to recover the money for the state of Mississippi.

So Jim Hood can't prosecute Joey Langston because he is like family. But he sure can defend his $14 million payout. I guess his conflict is only there when he has to do something he doesn't want to do.

Do as I say, not as I did

In 2002, Governor Ronnie Musgrove approved a sample ballot that placed special elections at the bottom of the ballot. The ballot was prepared by a Democratic Secretary of State.

In 2008, Governor Haley Barbour approved a sample ballot that placed special elections at the bottom of the ballot. The ballot was prepared by a Republican Secretary of State.

The difference? In 2008, Musgrove is in that special election.

"What I saw today was an absolutely lawless decision of the secretary of state and the governor," said Tim Phillips, Musgrove's campaign manager.

So when Republican Haley Barbour does exactly what Democratic Ronnie Musgrove did, it becomes a "lawless decision"? I guess Ronnie Musgrove whines we should do as he says and not as he did.

Ronnie Musgrove: A Lesson In Hypocrisy

Kitchens caught with oil on his hands

Jim Kitchens is running for Supreme Court. On July 10, Kitchens' campaign blogged against his opponent (Jim Smith) for taking money from "Big-time oil and energy executives".

In a time of $4-per-gallon of gas, perhaps Smith’s financial backers should think more about finding ways to cut the cost of gasoline for the consumer than backing a Supreme Court justice who has, for more than a couple of these donors, ruled on their behalf.
- Sam Hall, Kitchens Campaign Manager

Also on July 10, Kitchens' campaign reported a contribution from

Carl Bozeman
$500
May 30, 2008
Owner, Bozeman Chevron Service Station, Inc.
Hazlehurst, Mississippi

Now there is nothing wrong with Kitchens getting a contribution from someone in the oil business, but his hypocrisy stinks like bad gas.