Jackson Free Press

The unabridged interview.

Rep. Bennie Thompson is nothing if not partisan. He enters most political debates with pre-conceived notions on conservatism and liberalism. He also holds strong views on Democrats and Republicans and makes no bones about his opinion that conservatives achieve popularity by selling lies—especially during the campaign season.

Thompson was in full throttle at an April 22 rally for Mississippi organized workers on the steps of the State Capitol. "'Conservative' means that working folk will never have health care. 'Conservative' means that working folk will never have a pension. 'Conservative' means that working folk will never, ever have a job that they will be proud of," Thompson thundered, his finger jabbing a warning to the audience of shouting union members who support him religiously. "I am convinced that we're going to take back this Congress this year, and if you do that, a lot of worker-friendly people are going to be on your side."

In the same breath, Thompson cuts loose with a reminder that probably makes people like Sean Hannity nervous.

"(Rep.) John Conyers, (D-Michigan,) will be Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. (Rep.) Charlie Rangel, (D-New York) will be Chairman of Ways and Means and Yours Truly will be Chairman of Homeland Security, so we have a lot of things vested in our right to vote this year," Thompson shouts. "Do not let people mislead you. If seniority is good for Trent Lott … then seniority is good for Bennie Thompson."

There's a thinly disguised threat behind this statement, and Thompson knows it—as does the cheering crowd of union workers going bananas in front of him. Voters sometimes have very specific reasons for voting a certain way at election time, but voting in search of a presidential impeachment is like eating your way through a garbage truck to get to a $5 bill all the way up near the front.

After a speech that left the pro-union crowd practically throwing bras and panties, Thompson made time for questions-and-answers with the Jackson Free Press.

How have the needs of your district changed?

My district, historically, has been steeped in low-wage, unskilled employment that has been displaced with mechanization of agriculture. You absolutely have to come back over time and re-tool the district. This means supporting education, training programs, and I've done that. I have a 100 percent voting record for education, job training programs and consistently supported employment that would provide health insurance, decent wages, and retirement benefits.

Name an example.

New industries are tough to bring in. The best you can do sometimes is try to expand businesses that are already there. We worked on Viking Range in Greenwood. It's the No. 1 employer in Leflore County. We brought in Acquila Inc, in Clarksdale. We had to get the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval. They had some problems. We worked with them. There's a cottonseed oil facility in Jonestown that was about to leave. We worked with the owners of that company to secure a loan that kept that only industry in that community. We've had a number of catfish related businesses that needed additional capital. We helped facilitate that. We opposed the importation of mislabeled catfish into the country, which turned out to be something other than catfish so now it can't be mislabeled as pond raised or fresh. The Vietnamese had gotten 1 percent of the market doing that, but pond-raised in Vietnam is not the same standard that we use and we worked with the local industry there to work through that.

We worked with a personal-care facility in Holmes County, called Miss Johnson's House, the only personal-care facility in Holmes County. We worked with the city of Canton for a lot of the Nissan relocation efforts. We worked with Warren County on its port expansion. We worked on port expansion in Greenville and Rosedale. We do a good bit, but the key is that a congressperson doesn't have this magic wand. What you do is you work with other leaders who identify opportunity and you create he federal incentives to go with it.

We have several hundred mayors, over 100 board or supervisor members, then when you count council members that's a lot of people. A congressman can't run a city or a county. The best he can do is work with those local officials and those things they identify where federal help is needed.

Have you changed how you help out the district?

I'm the only ranking member on our state delegation that's held a local office. I've been an alderman, I've been a mayor, I've been a county supervisor. I've had to balance budgets and make tough decisions, so what I tried to do was behave as if I was still there as a local official. This last year, we got $25 million earmarked for small communities who needed roads paved. We got that for Bolton, Terry, Edwards, Utica, Isola, Tutwiler—good communities but communities that can't finance their own roads.

Now somebody can always point a finger about something else needing to be done, but if that person has never created a job, if that person has never put a water or sewer system down he can only make a promise, and I've historically demonstrated my commitment to helping communities better themselves. As one person, I am not a magician. People try to paint this position that a congressperson can turn water to wine, but it just can't happen.

Has the Democrats' loss of power in Washington these last few years hindered your attempts to better your region?

No question about that. Republicans run the White House, the Senate and the House. I'm a ranking member, but I'm not chairman. There's no substitute for being in charge. We've not had some congressional oversight hearings because Republicans don't want oversight so we've had to come up with innovative ways to get things done. In spite of the loss of Democratic influence we've been able to help with some things.

Have Democrats really been so badly locked out of the process?

Oh yeah. I mean, we (Democrats) bring legislation to the floor that doesn't go through the committee process. We get legislation brought to the floor where we can't offer amendments so you either get to vote up or down, or many times Republicans just run it over you.

Give me an example.

We had a Medicaid prescription drug program that was offered and that bill came to the floor without amendments. That legislation basically allowed the drug companies to charge whatever rate they wanted. It even prevented the government from negotiating cheaper rates for the drugs. A lot of people are on Medicare in this country. Can you imagine the deal the government would've gotten if it had been granted the power to say 'we've got X number of people who use drugs. Sell us these drugs cheaper or we'll take our thousands of consumers somewhere else'? The bill we wound up with, thanks to the Democrat lockout, took away our power to negotiate a deal in the best interest of this country and its people.

Now we've done some good things, even in a minority position. We've asked for a number of reviews on Homeland Security through GAO or the Inspector General, and we've been fairly successful in turning some things around. Just this week we were notified that $500 million in Katrina related contracts would be going to Mississippi minority firms. And some of those firms are from Jackson and other places that just needed an advocate in the process. We've been that advocate, but only from the position of a minority party position.

What's your take on Tom Delay's impact on the election?

We'll Tom couldn't win this coming election. It would've been an absolute disaster in November for him to lose to a guy that he earlier beat, and now Republicans are scurrying for cover. George Bush is a blessing on his own, having trouble with his little 33 percent approval rating, and he can't even go out and meet people in the country without critics telling him he's disconnected from Americans. He can preach at some captive audience in a military base all he wants, but he catches it when he comes out to a real community where gas is high, drugs are expensive and a war that's going on hasn't been getting any better according to voters. His own Republican colleagues are distancing themselves from him, saying they don't need that kind of aggravation in their re-election campaign because he's a reflection on them. Heck, the mess we got today with all this and the skyrocketing deficit and everything is all about Republicans. It was their House, their Senate, and their White House. They don't have any Democrats to blame this time.

Has Bush really helped you that much?

George Bush is a pariah in areas where I campaign. People see him as an evil man who is not interested in quality of life issues, or survival issues that the average everyday person is looking for. They don't see him helping with health care. They don't see him as helping them afford education or housing. They don't see him really as doing anything to make their life better.

Does the Delta keep up with Washington politics?

Hah. No question. When you call George Bush's name, you get boos. Even small business owners, like drugstore owners, complain that his policies, like the new prescription drug plan, are putting them out of business. The average person says when Bill Clinton was president they did better, they saw opportunity and prosperity, but after five years of George Bush they say it's all gone.

Will you do anything about the perception of corruption in Washington?

Anybody breaking the law should be prosecuted, so rather than winking at the law we should be enforcing it, whether it's lobbying reform, or campaign reform, or finance reform.

So you support lobbying reform?

So long as it doesn't prevent people with little access to government to reach me.

What about government-funded campaigns?

I don't have a problem with it so long as everybody has to get equal funding. Of course, if you have 54 candidates, you'll have to come with the money to fund 54 campaigns.

What was your take on the Iraq War? A lot of Democrats initially favored it.

I wasn't one of them. I've been consistent with my support of the troops but my opposition to his pre-emptive war in Iraq. Hopefully we won't get dragged into a war with Iran, but you never know with these guys. You can never be sure.

Why did you come out against it?

I felt that the president hadn't fully informed Congress, which ultimately has been proven. I didn't think Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, not when we had people over there for years looking for them and telling us they couldn't find them. I felt that trying to connect the events of 9/11 to Iraq, when all our information said it was bin Laden and that he was in Afghanistan, was crazy. Why were we going to hit Afghanistan's neighbor harder than we were hitting Afghanistan? It never made sense. Now that our men and women are over there I have consistently supported the money that is protecting them while they're there.

I've since found out that when Bush said we were ready for war, we absolutely weren't ready. We didn't have the armor for the vehicles. We didn't have the body armor. and we didn't have the planning. Do consequently it all ended up being a colossal boon-doggle under the guise of fighting the war on terrorism.

Why were there only a few Democrats saying this back in 2003?

I can't speak for everybody else. That's on them now. But I'm on the Homeland Security Committee, so I get a confidential briefing every Thursday by virtue of my committee, so I'm privy to a lot of information that I can't tell people and it was really frustrating to know all these things and not be able to talk about it, but suffice it to say that even before I got those briefings, I was concerned, and I continue to be concerned.

So it was logical to invade Afghanistan?

Certainly more logical than invading Iraq. We're powerful. We're a bull in a china shop, but if we'd exercised more diplomacy we could have accomplished more; 2,200-plus dead soldiers later and countless thousands wounded and we still haven't found Osama bin Laden. Looking back I see a lot of families that have been hurt and a lot of lives disrupted because of this war. It's a heavy burden, and I don't know how Bush can sleep at night knowing that the majority of the information that got us into this war wasn't true and he knew it, and he didn't tell the American people.

I don't think (Donald) Rumsfeld and other leaders are even serious about catching bin Laden anymore. They certainly haven't caught him yet, and we've got some of the best spying technology on the planet.

How do you feel about the CIA information that was dropped to the Washington Post regarding the prison leak?

This same information was out there for two years, and then all of the sudden, it's out there, and what does Bush do? He goes after the people who let it out. There were some bad things going on, but then you go after the person who dropped the story about the illegal prisons rather than dealing with the illegal prisons. In other words, you blame the messenger. Rather than consider the crime, you go after the person who told you about the crime, and that's consistent with how this administration operates.

Did you have a role in the lawsuit seeking to close the Mississippi primary elections?

I had no real role other than supporting it. I didn't get the lawyer. I didn't participate in any of the discussion that went on, but I have an opinion, and I'm convinced, like most states in this country, that when you have a party primary, it ought to be limited to people that belong to the party and not Republicans. That's a fact in most states. And the courts have even ruled in the past that if somebody wants to limit party primaries they can. With or without closed primaries you can vote for the best candidate in the general election.

Why, if I were a card-carrying Republican, would I want to vote in the Democratic primary in the first place unless I wanted to influence who would be the Democratic candidate? It's not their business to pick the Democratic candidate. If you want to pick a Democratic candidate, then be a Democrat.

Republicans like Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, of North Carolina question why California Rep. Nancy Pelosi won't ask for investigations into lobbyist funded travel by you and Norm Dicks, of Washington, while she's demanding an investigation into Tom DeLay. Is there a difference between what you do and what Delay did?

My travel situation was that a nonprofit organization invited me to go to the Northern Marihuana Islands. I submitted it. It was approved. I submitted the required paperwork at the end, and nine years later it pops up again. The reason there's no investigation of me is because there's nothing to investigate.

Why did you appeal to Democratic Party heads like Pelosi for help in this election?

I'm the incumbent. What people don't understand is the Democratic Party is committed to supporting its incumbents. Incumbents have more power. Why would we take a hands-off position if our job were to keep Democrats elected and retain incumbents? Incumbents have the leadership and knowledge to get things done. What was done for me is nothing that is not done for every other Democrat—or Republican, for that matter.

Tell me the advantage of voting for you over your opponent?

I have seniority. When Democrats take over, I'll be chairman. Both of my opponents will be freshmen with no power to bring to Mississippi. There's a good chance a lot of our Republican political representatives will be on the minority side after this next election and Mississippi will be faced with a significant loss of political influence. If I lose, my seniority will be lost to other states. The only thing that keeps us in the ballpark is our representation and our seniority.

Why did you want to be on Homeland Security in the first place?

It's the second largest agency in government. I was next in line for that position on that committee. I served on Agriculture and Homeland Security so when the opportunity came for me to be ranking on Homeland Security I went for it. I was No. 4 on the Agriculture Committee, which gave me a subcommittee ranking position, but it didn't give me a leadership position like it does on Homeland Security.

The Homeland Security Committee has only been around for about five years, but now we have 22 agencies that have been put under it, such as the Coast Guard, Federal Air Marshal Service, Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Patrol.

What kind of changes do you plan to make to Homeland Security if you come into power?

We need to better secure our ports. That is still a serious vulnerability. And our borders—nobody's taking that as seriously as they need to. We just don't need them to be as porous as they are. We can use technology and manpower to do that. Satellites and an electronic sensor fence would be a possibility but the current administration is way behind on this.

Also, the Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration needs to be upgraded. We need to somehow improve thee movement of people at airports. The terrorist threat is a consistent threat that we're going to have to deal with from now on and right now it's way too easy to slip a massive destructive device into the country.

And then there's dealing with natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the more frequent tornados. They come under our authority too, because FEMA is under us, so we'll have to work to make that department as responsive and as robust as possible.

Do you have any plans to put Homeland Security to work for Mississippi?

We have a bio-medical facility that's looking for a home, and we're trying our best to land it here. North Carolina, Texas, and a couple of other states are looking to get it, but I'm going to use every fiber in my body to get it and Sen. Cochran on the other side is going to try to do the same thing. The current facility in New York is old and outdated, and it can't grow. It would fit nicely near UMC. I'd even consider putting it on the stadium property if I could get it there. Who knows?

Do you think your challenger is a Republican in disguise?

I think when you have card-carrying, dyed-in-the-wool Republicans supporting you as a Democrat, that raises enough concern on the part of a lot of Democrats in this district. Democrats don't want another Republican stalking horse trying to beat me. Instead of just facing me head up like an adult, you create a clandestine campaign laced with Republican support and try to market yourself as a Democrat.

I don't think Democratic voters will be able to rely on him when it comes to voting for affordable health care and affordable prescription drugs, safety in the workplace, a living minimum wage and those kind of issues when he's taking money from people who oppose those things. He's taken money from people like Billy Mounger, Leland Speed, and the names go on and on. Many people in the state Legislature who've supported him have been Republicans. If all you can get from the Legislature is Republican money from people like (Rep. Greg) Snowden (R-Meridian), then you should probably run as a Republican.

What's your view on abortion?

I've consistently supported a woman's right to choose, and I'll continue to do that. I think for a man to get off into a woman's decision is wrong. This is a very personal decision, and I respect that person making that decision herself.

Has your opinion on the environment changed any in the last few years?

I think, more than ever, that we have to treasure what we have. Wetlands are precious. There are some conservation programs that need support. Our national forests need to be preserved and not sold and we have to look at our dying coastal reefs and preserve them. As I get older, I'm seeing a lot more wild areas become developed property, and I'm feeling more of a sense of urgency.

Are Democrats with you on this?

No, we're all over the place on the environment, but I know that we need to conserve. We need to look at alternative fuels. Bush talked about the hydrogen economy but, hell, he hasn't put anything out there to support it. We have to invest more in ethanol and bio-diesel, and an agricultural state like Mississippi can play a big role in that, if we can get the president and Congress to take it seriously. We have to encourage more of that technology to come online. We were successful in getting some tax credits put into federal legislation but we haven't been successful in getting any here in this state. I'm thinking in the next session it'll come back up, but now, as you look around, you can see that it's not getting any major traction under Republican oilmen. I think, under Democrats, you'll see the gas mileage increase on vehicles and more tax credits on ethanol and bio-diesel development.

Would you support an attempt to impeach the president if he was guilty of constitutional violations?

I would support an effort for a complete review of the facts, whether it results in censure or impeachment, because I think a lot of people in this country are owed an explanation. There's the whole question of what happened with the war. There's the illegal eavesdropping, the Valerie Plame situation—how do you out an agent because her husband crosses your bogus argument with truthful information?

With all the things floating around Bush there is at least one thing that deserves review by some oversight committee, but right now we can't get any oversight committee put together because Republican chairmen protect their own, whether or not they're protecting criminal behavior. And I think more voters are realizing this.

Previous Comments

ID

79887

Comment

If anyone has a question about Thompson's commitment to the public, I suggest that you just simply have a talk with him. IMO he is as genuine as they come. He is one of the few people that STILL will get out in his district and "get his hands dirty" and help. I have personally seen him answer medical calls with the ambulance service, talk to people openly about anything that they wish to discuss. He cannot change things alone. No politician can. One thing that you get from Thompson anytime you ask, and that is the truth. You may not always like what you hear, but he will give it to you straight.

Author

lance

Date

2006-05-18T06:23:03-06:00

ID

79888

Comment

I totally agree with Lance. I have known Benny a long time. I even consider him a hero because he's a strong black man. Lots of people in this state still don't like these kinds of people. I supported and campaigned for him when he initially won the seat. He immediately told the Delta Council something Mike Espy didn't have the balls or concern to tell them. They were long overdue on being told this. Benny is no hater of anyone. He's a good man and I'll go to bat, war or any place else with him any time. I won't even mention that he's a Tougaloo College graduate.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2006-05-18T09:10:32-06:00

ID

79889

Comment

I used to go swimming with some of his folks, and probably met him when I was a kid. Can't really remember. But I like the man's politics. He's exactly the kind of Democrat we need in Washington right now, and if the state party were led by people like Bennie Thompson, I'd be out there stuffing envelopes myself. If Chuck Espy takes his seat, it won't just be a tragedy for progressives. It'll be a tragedy for Mississippi. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-05-19T01:37:30-06:00

ID

79890

Comment

I agree with Tom Head and Ray Carter regarding Bennie Thompson. Bennie is a lifelong public servant of the highest order. He is one of the most courageous politicians I've ever met...and I've met and known most of 'em around now. What many people don't like about Bennie is precisely what's missing in today's political climate: he's says exactly what he feels and what he believes, no matter whose feelings may be hurt. If more politicos did that rather than the predictable wobbly-kneed pandering and cowardly fence-straddling, this country would be much better off. Now I have disagreed with Bennie on more than one issue, and will probably not agree with everything he does in the future. But then again, my wife and I don't agree on everything and she always lets me back in :-). And I agree with the saying that "if two people always agree on everything, one of them ain't thinkin!" Long story short: even though I don't always agree with Bennie (and we have had some turbulent political confrontations), I am man enough to admit that he is the best candidate for Congress. Period. Thus, I am going to fervently support him financially and otherwise. I don't have anything against Chuck Espy, by the way. But, I don't have anything for him, either. He's not shown that he's done anything other than splint his aimless, weak candicacy with his family name. Plus, he'd do well to address the issues rather than attacking Bennie.

Author

Kacy

Date

2006-05-19T22:35:17-06:00

ID

79891

Comment

I noticed from Benny's commercial that a gentlemen said no one has helped the catfish industry more than Benny. I also noticed millions had been brought in to help law enforcement, health care, and private businesses. It appears to me that Chuck Espy is lying when he says Benny hasn't done anything for Mississippi.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2006-05-25T09:37:16-06:00

ID

79892

Comment

By the way, what Benny told the Delta Council was that he would treat them as well as he could but no better than he treated everyone else. In other words, the ole game was over.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2006-05-25T09:53:55-06:00