Bush Plan to Ban Abortion
Michelle Goldberg writes in Salon: "Unnoticed by much of the public, the Bush administration and the Republican-controlled Congress have been laying the groundwork for a repeal of abortion rights." (Click …
Tricks and Errors
The 2003 Mississippi election results were pockmarked by dirty tricks and general incompetency that has left one local Senate race in controversy and regular Mississippians feeling like they needed a …
Two Large Unions May Support Dean
AP reports: "Two of the nation's largest and politically powerful unions initially overlooked Democrat Howard Dean as a marginal, quirky presidential candidate from a small state. But that changed as …
‘Confederacy of Dunces'
Salon's Joan Walsh reports that Howard Dean's critics have it wrong: "Does anyone really believe that former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean was borrowing a playbook from the GOP and telegraphing …
Election Post-Mortem
Well, all, there weren't a lot of surprises Tuesday night, and a lot of our prayers about the state rising above the race game went unanswered ... for now. But …
Barbour, Carroll Bash Jackson With Old Statistics
"Jackson is one of the 10 most dangerous cities in America." How often are you hearing that jingle right now? From Haley Barbour. From Hinds County D.A. candidate Wilson Carroll. …
Just In: Stacking the Deck: 72 Legislative Candidates Sign "Lawsuit" Pledge
The October 2003 newsletter of Mississippians for Economic Progress, a group set up by industry groups, to limit lawsuits in the state, says that 72 legislative candidates in the state …
JUST IN: Dem, GOP Heads Address Voter Intimidation
From Chairman Cole, Democratic Party:
The following letters were sent by Democrat Party Chairman Rickey Cole and Republican Chairman Jim Herring to Secretary of State Eric Clark in response to Secretary Clark's memorandum to Circuit …
JUST IN: Voting Irregularities Reported
Secretary of State Eric Clark just faxed this letter to Attorney General Mike Moore and U.S. Attorneys Jim Greenlee and Dunn Lampton, warning of potential violations of election laws.
Punkvoter sez youth should vote in 2004
CNN reports that 'Punkvoter' founder (and NOFX lead singer) Mike Burkett is trying to unify the youth vote. "So many millions of people don't feel like their vote has any …
Secretary of State Predicts Average Turn-out
STATEMENT TODAY: Secretary of State Eric Clark today predicted that voter turnout in Tuesday's General Election will be up slightly from the last gubernatorial election and anticipates 775,000 ballots will …
JFP Endorses Musgrove, Blackmon, Peterson, full slate
To determine our candidate choices, the JFP editorial board looked at the record, watched the campaign (focusing on issues, not rhetoric) and talked to many of the candidates whom our …
JFP Questionnaire posted for Justice Court candidate Nicki Martinson Boland
See her PoliticsBlog page to read full answers.
Kudos to Salter's Anderson column
Every now and then, Sid Salter hits with a column. Yesterday told it like it is about the immensely qualified Gary Anderson -- and just why Mississippians might not elected …
Clarion-Ledger Endorses Musgrove, Tuck
So, here's a riddle: Why of the top four candidates' distasteful (at best) campaign tactics -- Musgrove ("poisoning"), Barbour and Tuck (race-pandering), Blackmon (abortion affidavit) -- would the Clarion-Ledger only …
Former FBI Agent Eyes AG Post
The GOP candidate for attorney general talked to the Jackson Free Press in his offices in Ridgeland. This is the full transcript of the interview.
I Can Fix It
Attorney Wilson Carroll Wants to 'Fix' the D.A.'s Office
Wilson Carroll wants badly to be the next district attorney in Hinds County. As a result, the Harvard and Ole Miss graduate is going on the offensive against incumbent Faye …
Poet looking for reasons people don't vote ...
Pass it on: Poet looking for reasons people don't vote for big traveling project .... I just got this e-mail:
Gannett's Hattiesburg-American Refuses to "Hold Nose" for Lt. Gov
Note that the Hattiesburg-American wrote an entire non-endorsement without a single actual issue mentioned -- the entire column is based on the performance of the two women during the campaign. …
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 …
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 …
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.
‘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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
[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," …
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 …
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 …
