Friday, October 31
Hattiesburg American Endorses Hood, Anderson, Brown
Gannett's Hattiesburg paper today endorsed Jim Hood for AG and Gary Anderson for treasurer, among others.
Blackmon-Tuck Clash in Debate
Is it just me, or does it seem like a weird question to ask two candidates for a major office to waste time asking candidates if they can say something …
Barbour supporting NAFTA, on tape
The Governor issued the following statement
Musgrove revealed old TV footage yesterday showing that Haley Barbour, indeed, supported NAFTA (as if this is in doubt, but Barbour denies it). The statement: "In Mississippi, Barbour tries to …
Sampling ‘Strange Fruit'
The Jewish Film Festival takes place Nov. 1 through Nov. 6. Call 956-6215 for tickets.
Thursday, October 30
Friedeman: GOP Will Sweep Tuesday
Ultra-conservative columnist Matt Friedeman argues today in the Clarion-Ledger that next Tuesday will be a sweep for the Republican Party. You have to give the guy points for forthrightness: "We …
[Fry] Why Young Minorities Barely Vote
OK, I am ready to vote. But for whom? Let me go through my process of personal questions. The first question is obvious: Which one is a person of color? …
[Ladd] You Got the Power
They call you "sorry." "Lazy." "Apathetic." Or, worse: "Dumb." At the same time, they treat you like an idiot. They don't talk about anything that matters much to you. They …
The Rev. Ed King
June 18, 1963: Just six days after Medgar Evers had been assassinated in Jackson, white civil rights fighters Ed King and John Salter lay unconscious in Salter's blue 1961 Rambler …
Miracle on North State
Forty years ago—October 1963—I was a tenth-grader at Provine High School. Never in my wildest imaginings would I have believed where I would be and who I would be with …
Wednesday, October 29
Country Changed Me, by Lynette Hanson
Luther Wade Lackey just doesn't look like what he is. I mean, he's a black man who writes, plays and sings country music. And it's not that pop country music, …
The NBA's Worst Coach?
It's NBA time again. The New Orleans Hornets have a new coach, Tim Floyd, a Hattiesburg native. Slate's Sam Eifling wonders why the NBA's worst coach has a new job.
Thursday, October 23
Monday, October 20
Was Rush Right?
Rush Limbaugh quit his ESPN NFL pre-game show because the network couldn't take the heat it caught after Limbaugh said Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb is overrated and there's a …
Horse Race Politics—Whose Fault?
OK, here's a riddle: Why would political candidates talk about issues when the medium reporting them (the media) won't report them in any detail? The Clarion-Ledger today had a report …
Chasing Amy
<b>Can Barbara Blackmon Make History?</b>
Read the full transcript of this interview on the JFP Politics Blog.
Saturday, October 18
‘Mr. Washington Goes to Mississippi'
The Sunday New York Times Magazine is featuring Haley Barbour in a lengthy profile by Pulitzer nominee Nicholas Dawidoff. An excerpt: "While Barbour denies race-baiting, Winter says that Barbour's mention …
Who Da (Next) Man?
Who's going to replace Jackie Sherrill as Mississippi State's football coach? The rumor mill is grinding overtime. (Speaking of rumors, word is that Sherrill agreed to retire as part of …
Transcript of Tuck fund-raising letter on her JFP candidate page
Amy Tuck has not responded to requests for interviews or returned her voter questionnaire, but you can read the Sept. 11 fund-raising letter that is posted in its entirely on …
Musgrove page updated on JFP Politics blog
The Musgrove page now contains a full interview, largely focusing on education and "tort reform," that the JFP did with the governor in August. We will also be updated this …
Let's Get Series-ous
The 100th anniversary World Series starts Saturday with the Florida Marlins playing the New York Yankees. Talk about unlikely matchups. Dr. S was pulling for the Red Sox, himself, but …
Friday, October 17
Full transcript of Blackmon interview now on JFP Politics Blog
Read Blackmon quotes not included in the cover story: "We can say 'pro-choice' or 'pro-life,' but in the end it is what is about the best interests of those unwanted …
Thursday, October 16
Barbour and the CofCC story taking off
Note that a number of national political blogs are talking about the Council of Conservative Citizens' endorsement of Barbour, and his picture on the racist group's site that first surfaced …
125 Years Old, and Counting
Jackson State University has seen a lot of history in its 125 years. Originally founded in Natchez, the school was started to be a seminary for "the moral, religious and …
Jackson's Losses
Over the last couple weeks, Jackson lost several bright lights of our big city. We salute the memory of three who will be missed by many. Thalia Mara moved to …
[Fashion] Local and Proud
Hip-hop Designers Sell What They Know
Since hip-hop first emerged out of the slums of New York City's infamous South Bronx in the mid '70s as a new art form created by the DJs, MCs, breakdancers …
[Stauffer] The Secret to Jackson's Future
The burning question of how to fix what ails Jackson is on the minds of, at the very least, newspaper editors and the people they've interviewed here in our fair …
[Spann] Right the First Time
I don't really follow politics per se; the whole mess bores me. But I have taken note lately. Over the last year, the political scene has been a colorful place …
Anna Barber
What little girl hasn't dreamed of being a princess? Anna Barber, a 20-year-old member of the Gena Band of Choctaw Indians in Gena, La., not only had that dream, but …
[Fry] Dear Mr. President
Dear Mr. President, Saddam is right here in my neighborhood. He is in the third house on the right. Yeah, the one that is all boarded up. So please send …
Tuesday, October 14
Animal House Politics
Good Lord: Do we have a bunch of children running these campaigns? The state Republican Party has launched this silly anti-Musgrove Web site, registered to the state College Republicans at …
Monday, October 13
Red Sox or Cubs?
Slate's Seth Stevenson asks the burning question: Red Sox or Cubs? Dr. S says, Red Sox, naturally because the Cubs are evil (and cheap and incompetent, until this year). Dr. …
Sunday, October 12
[Business] Dreaming Is Free
Congratulations to Chane—his clothing lines are now represented by a New York showroom.
[Drive] Focus on Chivalry
Ms. D and I have a running point of, er, discussion regarding, of all things, remote keyless entry. I say it's an absolutely must-have feature in terms of the next …
Salter Defends Barbour, Again
OK, here's a riddle? Why should it possibly matter that a potential governor of the state went off to Washington once and helped sell out the state's jobs and economy …
[Media Talk] Romper Rhetoric
Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger admitted in a Sept. 24 column that his paper might have screwed the pooch on "tort reform" coverage, as we detailed in our last cover …
Friday, October 10
Haley to Cure Jackson Crime
(Verbatim statement)-Calling for an increased focus on crime-fighting from the office of the Governor, Haley Barbour announced that he will use the authority given to the Governor to "direct the …
The Young And The Reb-less
Ole Miss called off its online mascot vote on Thursday, apparently because the only people voting in the non-binding election were Mississippi State fans. Also it seems that the artist …
Wednesday, October 8
Rebel, Rebel
Breaking news: Dr. S' spies in Oxford claim — and The Daily Mississippian hints — that Mississippi State students and fans have broken into Ole Miss' computer system and are …
Conservative Says Howard Dean Welcome Change
In his column today, conservative-but-independent columnist Charley Reese writes that Howard Dean is a real threat to the U.S. political establishment: "What people see is an intelligent man who isn't …
Takes On Topics Of All Sorts
Theme? We don't need no stinkin' theme. Just in time for the State Fair, here's a midway of unrelated items:
Tuesday, October 7
[Talk] No More ‘Segregation'
Gubernatorial candidates other than Democrats and Republicans were determined to be heard Monday, Sept. 29. So much so that an unlikely alliance formed between Sherman Lee Dillon of the tree-hugging …
Musgrove's Economic Plan
October 5, 2003 -- (verbatim release) Today Governor Ronnie Musgrove proposed a detailed plan to keep Mississippi's economy moving forward. National unemployment has grown to a nine-year high, but we've …
Back in the Swing
The big boys are back, and they are golfing at Annandale Country Club in the Southern Farm Bureau Classic. We'll see them with their caddies and their Buicks, but what …
[Media Talk] Students Blame Ledger
Fifteen-year-old Jonathan Minor was shocked when he saw his picture on the front page of the Sept. 16 Clarion-Ledger. "I thought I was a superstar. Then I read the caption," …
Monday, October 6
Kennedy Derides Howard Dean's NRA Support
The Washington Post reports: "Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.) scolded Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean for his friendly relations with the National Rifle Association during a Capitol Hill rally last …
NFL By The Numbers
The Village Voice's Paul Lukas returns with another installment on the wonderful world of uniforms and how the players' numbers add up in the NFL.
Saturday, October 4
Blackmon Challenges Tuck to Debate Issues
Oct. 3 statement (verbatim): Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor Barbara Blackmon today called on her opponent to agree to a televised debate focusing on jobs and Mississippi 's economy and …
Lester Spell JFP Voter Questionnaire Posted
We have just posted a very complete candidate questionnaire we received from Commissioner of Agriculture Lester Spell, a Democrat, who is running against Republican Max Phillips. Mr. Phillips returned a …
AG candidate Jim Hood accuses opponent of lying
We received this letter today from attorney general candidate Jim Hood, the Democrat, accusing his challenger Scott Newton of intentionally lying about Hood's record. It is reprinted verbatim:
Friday, October 3
Reaching New Political Lows
This whole lt. gov. abortion dust-up is absurd. Finally, we have two women, one black and one white, running for a major office in the state -- and we're arguing …
Her Perspective
To be 19 years old from a small town outside of Petal, newly married and living in "the big city" provides opportunities to see things other people take for granted. …
[Talk] Raising Flags
On Wednesday, Sept. 17, French Elementary School turned "green." After completing the first level of the Green Flag Program, French students were presented with a national recycling award and a …
Thursday, October 2
[Talk] Beauty and Mystery
September sunshine streamed through the Atrium windows at the Mississippi Arts Center as the small crowd waited. In truth, on that Friday, Sept. 26, the crowd looked like one anywhere; …
ESPN: The S Stands For Spineless
While you were sleeping Wednesday night, conservative talk show howt Rush Limbaugh "resigned" from ESPN's NFL Sunday pregame show. In reality, ESPN fired Limbaugh for doing what it hired him …
Restless Lucero, by Palmer Houchins
Calling Memphis country-rockers Lucero restless might be an understatement. Over the past two years, the group has logged almost 400 live shows. Despite a commitment to touring that would spell …
No Fallen Angel, by Alphonso Mayfield
The world of hip-hop is a male-dominated jungle where the fiercest competitors survive by the ferocity of their lyrical acumen. Meaning that they eat off their words. Many female artists …
A New Politics
<b>How Cultural Creatives Are Changing the Map</b>
"A third party? I'd just be happy with a second party!" Agree with that statement? If so, there's a chance you've considered yourself a "centrist," an "independent," a "free thinker"—or …
[Ladd] Souls of Our Citizens
I left Mississippi in 1983 to find my place in the world. It wasn't in my home state, I knew then; I just didn't fit here. My spirit was a …
[Stiggers] Anegrophobia
<i>"We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
The Right, Reverend, Brother, PHD, DD, JD, M.O.U.S.E., Dr. Peanut of the George Washington Carver Holistic Health Commission of Tuskeegee, Ala., has issued an Anegrophobia mental health epidemic for this …
Tell Me the Truth, JoAnne
Thank you for that question. If there's one thing I know about, it's losing things. I've declared mismatched earrings stylish because one in every pair I've ever owned has been …
James Meredith
Talking to Mr. James Meredith is a right-brain experience. The conversation isn't linear, organized, disciplined. It jumps around to topics that the thin, intense grandfather is interested in at the …
Wednesday, October 1
Go, Rush, Go
The Associated Press reports: "New ESPN commentator Rush Limbaugh said on the network's pregame show that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated because the media wanted to see a …
Barbour's company to profit off Iraq
The AP's Emily Wagster Pettus wrote an important story today about Haley Barbour's D.C. company's plans to make a lot of money in Iraq. She begins: "Lobbying partners of Haley …
Barbour choice of white supremacists?
The Clarion-Ledger today mentions Barbour appearance on a racist site, as a JFP reader revealed on our blog (scroll to bottom) last week: "Barbour wears a lapel pin with the …
