Jackson Free Press

Also see: Jackpedia: Haley Barbour

And you've got to love the part where he clearly tells her to go sit back down. (And listen to the Ross Barnett reference in Ken Breland's intro of Barbour.) You sure wouldn't know how much has changed here to judge it by the Neshoba County Fair games.

Watch the "trophy wife" gaffe.

Read our earlier coverage of trophy-gate here (where we broke it under the transcript of Barbour's speech) and here in a follow-up piece.

It's also funny to watch The Clarion-Ledger's Sid Salter do his Barbour damage-control dance after the Katrina Effect showed her ire in the primaries last Tuesday. And on the "trophy wife" slight.

Does anyone have evidence that Eaves said the "restoring dignity to the Governor's mansion" comment? Not that that would somehow excuse the insult to both Eaves' and Barbour's wives.

Previous Comments

ID

113732

Comment

And see Bill Minor's column. A hat tip to Mr. Minor for including the JFP in it. ;-)

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-08-12T22:16:28-06:00

ID

113733

Comment

Y'all see this on the Cottonmouth Blog about Barbour supposedly pollling under 50 percent with 15 percent undecided? The funny part is when you take Salter's conventional, pre-Katrina wisdom about Barbour's bit-over-50 percent victory last time and factor in Katrina anger (and it is real, and he's in bed with the Bush administration, as far as the Coast is concerned), then you can see why we've long tried to tell people that "it ain't over til it's over." (not to mention his devotion to the tobacco industry at any cost). The irony here is that Katrina may well help pull the lid off Barbour's tort-reform bamboozle. Is Barbour beatable? Absolutely. Can Eaves and the Dems pull it off? Who knows?

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-08-12T22:26:14-06:00

ID

113734

Comment

I don't have evidence that Eaves said the "restoring dignity to the Governor's mansion" comment, but if he did, could he be referring to this: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/09/AR2005100901586_pf.html

Author

chance

Date

2007-08-14T10:26:17-06:00

ID

113735

Comment

I thought the same thing, chance—that he could be talking about the tumblers of Jack Daniels. And he would have a point.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-08-14T10:28:27-06:00

ID

113736

Comment

I have heard repeated rumors (some from two people close to the Barbour's) of Mrs. Barbour's excessive drinking, and I thought that that may have been what Eaves' was alluding to.

Author

Kacy

Date

2007-08-14T13:21:35-06:00

ID

113737

Comment

On Sid Salter's blog, he is being challenged to provide a source for his comment saying that Eaves had said in his speech at the Fair right before Barbour that his election would "restore dignity to the Governor's Mansion." (Thus, somehow, providing an excuse for Barbour calling Eaves' wife a "trophy wife.") Commenters are accusing Salter of parrotting Barbour's talking points without checking them out, and Salter hasn't responded to that charge, yet. Either way, this must be one of the biggest stretches I've ever seen from him, and there have been some doozies (like him arguing during Barbour's 2003 campaign that he had divorced himself from the lobbying firm bearing his name). I wonder how/if Salter will respond for Barbour to the Bloomberg piece today.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-08-16T10:16:50-06:00

ID

113738

Comment

I have heard repeated rumors (some from two people close to the Barbour's) of Mrs. Barbour's excessive drinking, and I thought that that may have been what Eaves' was alluding to. Well, if Marsha Barbour has a drinking problem, that is a sad thing and shouldn't be used as a veiled political barb. However, it's remarkable that she was drinking tumblers of Jack Daniels right in front of a Washington Post reporter (link above). So maybe the Barbours don't care if people talk about their alcohol consumption. And there is the point that Barbour has fashioned himself as a leader of the religion-right political movement. Lots of those folks wouldn't appreciate tumblers of booze, or the fact that he lived away all those years while she was here raising his kids. So when you fashion yourself such an angelic "values" leader, you do open yourself up on those kinds of points. However, it seems much more likely that Eaves was talking about the indignity of Barbour's friends and family getting billions of dollars in Katrina contracts on the backs of the people on the Coast. That's sure what I would have been talking about had I said such a thing about Barbour's dignity in the governor's mansion. That's me, though.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-08-16T10:21:30-06:00

ID

113739

Comment

another blog googled sid salter's columns , which revealed multiple instances in which salter used the term "governor's mansion" to refer to the barbour administration and not merely the governor's residence. BTW the governor has a very large executive office in the mansion along with a large board room and conference table where staff meetings and other official meetings regulaly occur.you aint gonna catch haley walking 2 blocks up the street to the woolfolk building in this heat and i bet if he is in town today he is conducting business in his office on the first floor of the mansion.also wet or dry marsha barbour is a decent person and has been a good first lady.my friend john eaves has not said a word about her as far as i know. haley on the otherhand took a shot at angel.

Author

chimneyville

Date

2007-08-16T12:28:06-06:00

ID

113740

Comment

I saw that, chimney. Some people seem to be using Salter's blog to turn his water-carrying on him. Interesting that he hasn't really responded.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-08-16T12:34:11-06:00

ID

113741

Comment

Of course, trying to make it sound like "dignity" in the gov mansion is just about drinking might serve the GOP well here, considering that the real problem seems to be about Barbour using a disaster to benefit him friends and family. But I saw that already. It infuriates me, though, that people act like he's so angelic even though he's so linked into the D.C. power circle that is getting outed left and right. OK, right and right. ;-)

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-08-16T12:36:08-06:00

ID

113742

Comment

If Mrs. Eaves said that alluding to Mrs. Barbour's drinking, where is the equal outrage? Little stuff happens in a campaign---but, I think neither matters very much. When someone is as far behind as Eaves is, they'll look for anything they can to make the race swing their way. A trophy wife comment won't move the polls one bit. They're trying to light a fire where there is none. Eaves just isn't big enough to play this game. Additionally, what about Eaves' ad stating that he'll restore prayer in public schools? If Gov. Barbour said that, I know certain people would freak. There would be marches, press conferences and the like. The ACLU (many of whom I know, and like very much) would be galavnized. It would be as if a jolt of elecricity had gone through them, and they would spring to life. But let Eaves say it, and: *poof* nothing, nada---just the sound of quiet wind. Barbour would be skewered by some on the left, and they would want his head on a stick. It would be their Holy Grail.

Author

Cliff Cargill

Date

2007-08-16T15:52:23-06:00

ID

113743

Comment

Wait: Who said Angel Eaves said that? "Trophy wife" matters a whole hell of a lot. It's a huge slap at women; of course, in this state, many people don't even know there was a women's movement. But ignorance doesn't excuse it.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-08-16T16:06:27-06:00

ID

113744

Comment

I read that Angel Eaves said that she would "Restore dignity to the governor's mansion..." What does that mean? That Marsha Barbour somehow brought disrepute to that dwelling? As for the "trophy wife" comment, not everyone is offended by the same things you are. I don't have anything against women. I've been married 18 years, and she's my queen. Hell, I might even have a "trophy wife"....and I mean that in a good way. Maybe some guys think they married up in life, who knows.

Author

Cliff Cargill

Date

2007-08-16T17:31:34-06:00

ID

113745

Comment

cliff, i dont believe angel said that.

Author

chimneyville

Date

2007-08-16T18:36:40-06:00

ID

113746

Comment

chim, you may be right... I just read that's what's out there.

Author

Cliff Cargill

Date

2007-08-16T18:47:58-06:00