Mississippi’s love/hate relationship with “free” money

E.J. Dionne, writing for the Washington Post, identifies Mississippi’s personality disorder with respect to federal funding.  As a “conservative” state, Mississippi rejects federal waste, unbalanced budgets, and pork.  At the same time, the state benefits from, if not relies upon, federal money.

The U.S. Senate primary race between Sen. Thad Cochran and state Sen. Chris McDaniel is forcing the issue.  Cochran has made a name for himself as a master appropriator and is in line to chair the powerful Appropriations Committee should the Republican Party take the Senate in November.  McDaniel has fashioned himself a warrior against federal debt, excessive spending, and pork and has won the support of a host of Tea Party groups advocating the same.

According to Mississippi State’s Marty Wiseman, “Our anti-Washington politics has been to make sure that we got as much of it here as we could.  You’ve got the tea party excited that they’ve corralled a big spender, but he was bringing it back to Mississippi. That’s the paradox of all paradoxes.”

Democrat Party Chairman Ricky Cole is quoted, “If Mississippi did what the tea party claims they want . . . we would become a Third World country, quickly.  We depend on the federal government to help us build our highways. We depend on the federal government to fund our hospitals, our health-care system. We depend on the federal government to help us educate our students on every level.”

Dionne identifies the apparent victor in this battle:  “Yes, Childers could run as a Thad Cochran Democrat — except he wouldn’t be saddled with the need to appease an ideology that has to pretend federal spending doesn’t benefit anybody, least of all the people of Mississippi.”

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Childers already stumping for General Election

After securing the Democrat nomination for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, Travis Childers isn’t wasting time getting his message out.  He kicked-off his campaign yesterday morning and appeared in a live interview with Fox13 in Memphis.  The anchor, Darrell Green, gushed about Childers receiving 75% of the primary vote even though he didn’t gain even half the number of votes either Cochran or McDaniel received.

Childers stated that he didn’t think the 3-week runoff would help or hurt his campaign but does expect the mud-slinging to continue but did acknowledge that if the seat is open, i.e. Thad Cochran is not on the Republican ticket, he will have a better chance.  His biggest concern over the extended primary is the loss of civility in the state.

Childers continued his populist tone by emphasizing principle over party and politics; he will be looking out for the people of Mississippi and not the Democrat Party.  He doesn’t believe in right and left but right and wrong.  In what could be considered a slight to Cochran, Childers said that it is possible to be in Washington too long and lose touch with their constituency.

For Childers, he will engage the state and focus on families and the biggest issue facing Mississippi, jobs.  He blamed the Republican candidates for completely neglecting discussion of these two issues during their campaigns.

To see the entire interview, click Childers To Face Cochran-McDaniel Runoff Winner In Fall.


Do Democrats and Republicans represent differing views on the role of government?

With Mississippi’s 2014 Primary Elections on June 3rd, consider a quote from one of President Bill Clinton’s mentors.  Carroll Quigley wrote the following in his 1966 book Tragedy and Hope:


Is your candidate really different or just a little more or less of what is already in elected office?  Is that what you want?  Our country must to return to the principles that made our country the greatest on the earth.  We need revival. . . in the church house AND in the state house.  Make your vote count!

Yes, There is a Democrat Primary on June 3rd

Democrat U.S. Senate Candidate Travis Childers and 4th Congressional District Democrat opponents Trish Causey and Matt Moore met last Thursday to promote the Democrat Primary on June 3rd.

Childers emphasized his commitment to public education and against education vouchers.

Causey emphasized her advocacy for women’s and gay rights.  Moore stated that, based on Democrat numbers alone, they should be able to win in the general elections despite Mississippi being considered a Republican stronghold.

All 3 expressed commitment to a minimum wage increase, healthcare coverage for the working poor, and women’s rights.

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Democrat Primary 4th Congressional District Candidate: Matt Moore

This is not Matt Moore’s first campaign to represent Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District.   However, finding any information online about him is a little difficult.  All information about Moore is drawn primarily from what was written about him in 2012.

As a late add due to the withdrawal of Democrat nominee Michael Herrington in 2012, Moore claimed 28.8% of the General Election vote.  Even though he crushed Reform Party Robert W. Claunch (6.3%) and Libertarian Ron Williams (0.7%), he was far behind Rep. Steven Palazzo’s 64.1% of the vote.

Per the Wall Street Journal in 2012, “Moore says he’s running because he wants to provide better constituent service to the 4th District. He says Palazzo is too much of a party-line Republican and has fallen short in representing a wide range of opinions in the district.”

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Democrat Primary U.S. Senate Candidate: Jonathan Rawl

Outside of his inclusion on the Secretary of State’s sample ballot, little is available about Jonathan Rawl.  According to the Huffington Post, Rawl is a newcomer to Mississippi politics.

This post will be updated if and when information becomes available.

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Democrat Primary U.S. Senate Candidate: Travis Childers

Former Rep. Travis Childers is the leading candidate for the Democrat nomination for U.S. Senate in Mississippi.  Winning the 2008 Election for Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District, Childers lost his re-election bid after 1 term to Alan Nunnelee.  Despite that, the potentially demanding Republican Primary could improve his opportunities in the deeply Republican state.

By all accounts a conservative Democrat, Childers his voting record appears to support that.  He voted to censure Rep. Charles Rangel (D) in 2010, to establish a timeline for withdrawal from Afghanistan, and against the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.  Childers affirms a solid record of working across party lines and insists he will put Mississippi’s middle class first.

In any event Childers has an uphill battle.  In 2008, the last time a Democrat vied for a Mississippi Senate seat, former governor Ronnie Musgrove (D) fell to Sen. Roger Wicker (R) by 10 points.  No official campaign website or other listing of positions is currently available.  This post will be updated if either becomes known.

With a history in Mississippi Politics, below is some of the internet chatter available about Childers: