Jackson Free Press

Oh, the times are growing desperate for Republican operatives, present and past. Over on his Ledger blog, Andy Taggart posted one of the most ridiculous, and chilling, things I've ever seen on the Ledger site (and that's saying something). Rather than actually reading and discussing Barack Obama's financial policies (perhaps in contrast with John McCain's for good measure), Taggart takes a comment out of context and does that ole-Mississippi-red-baiting thing that whites used to do all the time to black people (and their supporters) in this state:

But now we know what we already thought was true about Barack Obama. He believes in redistribution, just as surely as did the Sandinistas in Nicaragua. And that means he believes that he should, by government fiat, take your money and give it to someone else.

Please, Taggart. Don't insults Mississippians like this. Even if you haven't, many of us have moved on from those days of old. McCarthy-esque statements like that just make Mississippians look ignorant.

Fortunately, his fellow blogger Jere Nash calls him out on it. Not strong enough, but still.

Sigh. If you can't beat the black man fair and square, then pull out one of Mississippi's ole favorite tricks and call him a communist. Wink, wink.

Previous Comments

ID

139015

Comment

Meantime, in a different post, Taggart is defending a form of "redistribution of wealth"—federal earmarks that "redistribute" federal tax dollars, or pork, to Mississippi: Perhaps Mr. Musgrove would tell us which of the federal earmarks secured by Senator Thad Cochran and by Roger Wicker while he was in the House Mr. Musgrove would have voted against: -- Maybe he was against the earmarks to rebuild the Biloxi Bay and Bay St. Louis bridges after Hurricane Katrina? -- Or does he oppose the earmarks that funded the new Mississippi River bridge at Greenville? -- Maybe Mr. Musgrove doesn't like the new I-69 highway in the Delta. -- I guess it's possible he doesn't like additional military spending at Camp Shelby, Meridian Naval Air Base, Keesler Air Force Base or Columbus Air Force Base.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-10-13T18:37:50-06:00

ID

139017

Comment

Oooo, there's trouble in red-blue paradise! Now, Taggart is firing back at Nash: Wow; in the words of Rocky Balboa when first exposed to Mr. T in the second "Rocky" movie, "I think he's upset." Jere, kind of went a little overboard there, don't you think? "Overboard"? Taggart red-baits; Nash calls him out on it—and, just like the good ole days, it's the fault of the guy who dares question McCarthy. Taggart, you're not putting your best foot forward here. I know these are desperate times, but come on. The irony, of course, is that your candidate would cut out ALL those earmarks for Mississippi that you're defending. The man you're calling a communist would weild a more discretionary scalpel that likely wouldn't hurt Mississippi so badly. Is it really more important to bash Obama in such a backward way—than to actually *think* about what you're saying? 'Spose so.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-10-13T19:04:19-06:00