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.

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.

Bennie Thompson Agrees with Rudy Giuliani

A few months ago, the left attacked Rudy Giuliani for claiming that after 9/11, the United States experienced no domestic terrorists attack under President George W. Bush.

Last night House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) announced to a crowd in Greenwood, Mississippi:

"I'm happy to report to you that since the 9/11 incident, we have not had one major breach in this country."

I wonder what the left will say about that?

Listen for the crickets.)

(HT: Majority in Miss)

Democrats Criticize Health Contributions...to people like Travis Childers?

The Mississippi Democratic Party blogs that campaign contributions and not "some noble calling" are driving Republicans to oppose Obamacare. I guess they need to explain their accusations to Travis Childers and Bennie Thompson.

Childers leads state delegation with health-care dollars

A look at Mississippi's members shows Reps. Travis Childers and Bennie Thompson lead the delegation in health-related contributions, with Sen. Thad Cochran not far behind.

On CRP's list for the 435-member House, Childers ranks at 142 with $12,500 in health contributions; Thompson at 186 with $7,400. The list contains information on 432 of the members and some tied in rank with the same total receipts.

A Daily Journal check of FEC reports puts Childers with $40,450 including insurance companies, which would rank him at No. 32. The same examination puts Thompson at $13,900 or 131.

Democrats pointing their fingers should be careful standing by a mirror.