I Must Be Experiencing What They Call A Disconnect

Let me see if I understand this correctly after reading this morning's Clarion-Ledger story on potential voting problems.

Jamie Franks Jr, the Golden Boy himself, spent twelve years in the state legislature. During that time, he was responsible, according to him, for everything that came down the pike. But during this time, he never once thought about working on the labyrinth that is our state elections system?

Per Chairman Jamie this morning:

"The cavalcade of confusing and conflicting statements from state officials would baffle every lawyer from Matlock to Perry Mason and could lead to a frustrating experience Tuesday for many Mississippi voters," said Jamie Franks, chairman of the state Democratic Party.

Twelve years in public office, ladies and gentlemen, and this year it became a problem.

Remember that post I made about the Democrat strategy for Mississippi this year? That quote is the first shot being fired. The ground is being prepared to lay every bit of the blame on Secretary of State Hosemann when the whole thing plays out Tuesday. Let's be 100% clear: the "state officials" are all going to be in the Secretary of State's office, not the AG's. The prediction of a "frustrating experience...for many Mississippi voters" probably won't apply in Madison, Rankin, or DeSoto counties.

I called it last week. This is the shot across the bow by the Golden Boy.

Rassmussen Puts Wicker Up 11

This is your positive, encouraging update on the Senate race. 60 is much, much harder to get to if-and hopefully, if the poll is good, when-Monty loses.

Monty Goes Back to the Playbook

Monty Rushgrove has apparently gone back to the standard Dem playbook, and has decided that the way to win is to demonize free trade. Its actually not dumb politics, considering how the furniture industry in North Mississippi has contracted. Of course, he forgets to mention that the president who shepherded NAFTA into law was one Bill Clinton, a Democrat.

It isn't smart, however, since one of the big critics of NAFTA is the union establishment-those beacons of integrity-and Wicker has hit him on union ties, and card-check legislation. Mississippi being a very proud right-to-work state, it's a huge gamble.

Every 30-40 years in North Mississippi the economy is going to change. It's a fact of life. We started out as the poorest of the poor in the US, back when rural life was a symbol of poverty. In the 1930s we started our way out, and developed the dairy industry. By the 1960s the economy had shifted toward manufacturing. Its shifting again, now to more heavy manufacturing like Toyota. This inevitably causes pains for those caught in the change, and Monty is hoping to cash in on that in November.

It should be noted that the saving grace of North Mississippi is our Community College system and its non-traditional education programs. In the early 2000s, the JuCo system was wracked by cuts due to the perilous financial straits the state found itself in. Those cuts were made by one Ronnie Musgrove, Governor. This in spite of the fact that his cheif of staff was a Community College president!

So Let Me Get This Straight, Left-Wing Media

Ronnie Musgrove getting heaps and heaps of cash from the Beef Plant guys? No big deal.

Jim Greenlee giving $200 to Roger Wicker six years ago? There must be a conspiracy.

Oh Sidney

Why does one press release have to be labeled "according to the Wicker campaign" and the other just simply posted in your blog without comment?

It's sad that Samson thinks you're a Republican. Really, I almost feel sorry for the folicled one.

Over at Salter's Blog

He has a gripe with GWB about the traffic flow in Rankin County during the Presidential visit. Fair enough. He's wondering whether or not this could tip the election to Musgrove.

I wonder what Sid had to say a couple of years ago during the Saints/Colts preseason game at VMS, where traffic in downtown Jackson was an absolute disaster. How many people swore they'd never go to a Saints game again? Was Sid one of them?

Absurd, Sid. You can do better than that.

Does Not Compute

For someone who apparently has never heard of Barack Obama, Monty Rushgrove sure does campaign like him.

Recently (a hat tip to my guys over at Mississippi Dish) he termed President Bush's visit to Mississippi for a Wicker fundraiser a 'distraction.' Yeah, because it might distract people to the fact that two guys who put approximately $250,000 in your coffers are in jail.

Is there anything inconvenient that isn't a distraction to you guys? Heck, the next thing you know, an election is going to be inconvenient.

To the surprise of none...

The state Supremes have told Samson that the Governor was actually right, and reversed the decision of Greenback Bobby Delaughter. We will be electing a senator in November instead of March.

Is there anyone out there who's had a worse start to 2008 outside of Hood? Maybe the guy in Aruba. Hey, Jimmy, there's someone you might want to go after in 40 years or so, since the Dutch are operating about as slowly as you normally do when you're not trawling for votes or doing hackjobs for your buddies.

This Just In to The Spot

A Hinds County Judge has ruled in favor of Attorney General and State Rube Samson that a special election must be held within 90 days to replace Senator Lott.

In other surprise news, Santa Clause is not real and the world is, indeed, round.

A very nice ruling by Judge DeLaughter on a day when his name has come up in association with a few of Samson's other close friends. I'll enjoy watching the state supremes scuttle this, as they have been known to do with Hinds County court rulings.

Colt Brennan Gets Sacked...aGain.

Colt Brennan was beaten to a pulp last night. His Hawaii Warriors (formerly the Rainbows, since changed to avoid people thinking they might be-well, you know, that way), who were supposed to be scrappy underdogs who would fight tooth and nail with the much bigger, stronger, and faster Georgia Bulldogs. After all, that's what the media told us, what the talking heads were saying. They'd hit Georgia hard because they'd beaten everyone who'd come before them. They had command of the passing game like no one in the SEC had. Plus, Georgia was surely to be disappointed with their not being in the championship game. And a long season of SEC football would have them bruised and bloody by the time the cameras started rolling in the Big Easy.

Of course, when push came to shove, the Bulldogs did the shoving, burying the Warriors (who don't like to be associated with Rainbows) fairly early in the contest and exposing all of their weaknesses to the viewing public. Brennan was hit early and often, more than he had been in his career, as he'd spent most of the past three years sitting comfortably in the pocket and choosing his targets. However, the Bulldogs took the fight to him, routinely hitting him well before he was ready to start firing away and taking the momentum from the Warriors (who wonder why there are so many songs about Rainbows) who spent the rest of the contest on their heels and by the end of it came away swearing they were better than they'd shown, vowing to get back into the game.

You can replace "Colt Brennan" with "Jamie Franks Jr." and get pretty much the same effect, can't you? It seems Mr. Franks has been getting ready to throw his hat into the ring to replace the recently-promoted Roger Wicker in the First District. Heck, it even works on other levels, because as we know, Mr. Franks ain't friendly to Rainbows himself. Add to the comparison this: The coach is about to hit the road and start competing himself (June Jones, who seems to have more than a passing interest in both the NFL and college openings, and Steve Holland, who it seems getting ready for a CD1 run as well). And, alas for poor Colt, all the people who loved him while he was feasting on San Jose State and Nicholls State now have turned their backs on him. Much the same, I think, for Mr. Franks and those who funded him in his recent unsuccessful bid, and for the same reason: Everybody loves a winner. And they don't like losers who can't carry their own home county. But look on the bright side of another Franks run: Guys selling thousand dollar silk suits will make a killing.

The Golden Boy has decided to saddle up once again, put his populist sherrif's star on, and go tilting at windmills. This time, instead of Haley Barbour, he's going to run against George Bush (who will be out of office in 385 days, but Sherrif Franks will give him hell for the two weeks the next Congress is in session while he's president!). Never mind that the man lost his own home county, never mind that he didn't get the endorsement of his own local socialist leaning paper, never mind that he has the personality of a hung over mountain lion that hasn't eaten in a fortnight, never mind his personal shennanigans: He's going to represent the people of Mississippi whether they wanted him or not (and, at last tally, 59% of them did not). We're going to get the lamebrained economic ideas, the strange mangled speeches, the screaming into the mike, and not to mention the working man schtick.

So we're going to be entertained with another year of this guy. And here I was looking forward a peaceful 2008, too. Hopefully, this will be the election that puts the stake in his heart.