Mississippi
updated
10:41 a.m.
I received this from Congressman Travis Childers this morning. He sends out these updates on a regular basis as one way to keep his constituents informed. You may sign up to receive the e-updates here. Receive Updates from Travis Childers July 24, 2008 Dear Friends, Small businesses make up one of the most important parts of our economy and communities in North Mississippi. Throughout the ...
Cotton Mouth - 7:37 a.m. - 3 clicks 
I wandered over to Y'all Politics tonight to what our right wing friends were up to. I expected to see mass pandemonium over there, considering their presidential candidate's implosion while Barack Obama looks like he is already President in the Middle East and Europe. Much to my disappointment no such luck in that regard. Digging deeper I find this submitted by the Mississippi GOP in response t...
Cotton Mouth - Wed 11:08 p.m. - 2 clicks
While we sleeping last night a large ecological disaster happened in the Mississippi river around New Orleans. Close to a half million gallons of oil were spilled into the Big River when a barge collided with a Liberian oil tanker. CNN has the story: The spill is much smaller than the ones that followed Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when the Coast Guard estimated that more than 7 million gallons ...
Cotton Mouth - Wed 8:39 p.m. - 5 clicks
The Wall Street Journal had an informative article on the newly posted income statistics by the IRS. The new figures are from 2006, the most recent data available. The data confirms what we already know. The Bush Tax Cuts have further widened the gap between the rich and the poor., and further lined the pockets of our top 1%. In a new sign of increasing inequality in the U.S., the richest 1% o...
Cotton Mouth - Wed 1:42 p.m.
There was a great interview of former Governor Ronnie Musgrove in the Delta Democrat Times . This excerpt of Musgrove explaining why he is a Democrat is insightful. Note: The DDT interviewer make an invalid assumption that the GOP is the more fiscally responsible party. Funny thing, Bill Clinton is the most fiscally responsible President we have had in 30 years. That is a fact, Jack. DDT: Spea...
Cotton Mouth - Tue 9:00 p.m. - 9 clicks
Thanks to the diligence of the fellows at Swing State Project we have this good campaign finance news to report. The DCCC has locked in 1.06M in advertising for Travis Childers in his bid to defend his seat in the first congressional district, from once beaten Southaven mayor, Greg Davis. As James at SSP points out, this does not mean the DCCC will spend the entire 1.06M. By reserv...
Cotton Mouth - Mon 11:30 p.m. - 8 clicks
Today Roger Wicker declared energy the number one issue. In this article in the Hattiesburg American , Wicker suggest the solution to the problem is more drilling. Sadly Travis Childers and Ronnie Musgrove join their GOP colleagues Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker in support of offshore drilling. In Childers defense he released a six point plan that included a lot of sound measures like increased f...
Cotton Mouth - Mon 9:04 p.m. - 15 clicks
This was too good to pass up. Hat tip to Ben Smith at Poltico . First Senator Obama and General Petraeus: Then two grumpy old men: ...
Cotton Mouth - Mon 8:08 p.m.
Lucky for me I'm off to another conference Wednesday with the United Methodist Church: SEJ Convocation for Young People (I'm one of those younguns!) What that means though is that I won't be able to post in the meantime so you're going to have to wait for great video clips from Netroots Nation and even better video from Gene Taylor's townhall today with a dozen congressmen including Speake...
Cotton Mouth - Mon 8:08 p.m. - 12 clicks
13474 I-55 & HWY 6 100 HOUSE-CARLSON DR BATESVILLE MS 10275 LAKELAND & LAYFAIR 204 A E LAYFAIR DR FLOWOOD MS 11524 HWY 98 & LAKE FORGETFUL 6136 HWY 98 W HATTIESBURG MS 10385 I 55 & MAIN 1903 MAIN ST MADISON MS 11053 HACKS & GOODMAN 7058 HACKS CROSS OLIVE BRANCH MS 10386 I-20 & PEARSON 403 RIVERWIND RD PEARL MS 11054 NORTHPARK MALL-THE MILLS 1200 E COUNTY LINE RIDGELAND MS The Huffington Po...
Cotton Mouth - Sun 10:51 p.m. - 15 clicks
I've submitted the following to the Austin American Statesman as a letter to the editor in response to an awful front page article : I attended the Netroots Nation convention this past weekend and found Austin to be the wonderful place I remembered. Your people and local businesses were welcoming and lived up to the reputation of individuality and excellence. Where I was disappointed was in th...
Cotton Mouth - Sun 10:05 p.m.
In May I went to Washington as a student advisor for the Y2i program at the University of Southern Mississippi. I accidently learned (like we didn't know already) the poor state of our current security measures: The next day, the knife traveled through no fewer than five secure locations. I brought it into the U.S. Mint, the Washington Monument, the Smithsonian's Museum of the American Indian an...
Cotton Mouth - Sun 12:36 p.m. - 21 clicks
Folks this race is getting serious. We are now less than four months away from election day. Former Governor Ronnie Musgrove has an opportunity to break preconceived beltway notions regarding the political leanings of this state. Poll after poll has Musgrove tied with replacement Senator Roger Wicker. Roger Wicker was appointed by our politically fading governor. North Mississippi thought so much ...
Cotton Mouth - Sun 12:32 a.m. - 14 clicks
Being the Mississippi Democrat at the liberal blogging convention makes me a little bit of a novelty and many folks hear Mississippi and ask if I write for Cotton Mouth? It's nice to see folks make the connection and remember us. Folks who were nice and accommodating: State Bloggers Especially Ben Carnacki and Ryan McCleod The Entire DFA Staff All The Netroots Nation Scholarship Partic...
Cotton Mouth - Sat 11:42 p.m. - 18 clicks
Great news for those concerned about disease in third world nations. PEPFAR , created by President Bush is program will provide care for 12 million AIDS patients in the poorest areas of the world. This is a quality program that fits into the national security framework. It is in our best interest to not allow epidemics to destabilize an area, nation, or even region. The program has received bipa...
Cotton Mouth - Sat 8:04 p.m. - 14 clicks
Rev. Osagyefo Sekou: "My grandfather was both a railroad worker, a Pentecostal and a socialist" and they stood together in his hand. Quoting the SCLC saying they were coming to redeem the soul of American. "Are we willing to see Democracy as a meaning making activity (with the intent to expand rights for all)" Ryan (?): Frederick Clarkson's words: "Charity is not to be confused with justice....
Cotton Mouth - Sat 3:08 p.m. - 2 clicks
(Ha.) Bob Barr is the Libertarian nominee for President. He's from Georgia. His website . I'll try to get a picture with him when the panel is over. Fun!...
Cotton Mouth - Sat 2:08 p.m. - 2 clicks
It was pretty cool. I went to a private reception for Darcy Burner . She's a lady with class and guts and is going to be a great representative. We then had a reception for many of the netroots candidates. I'm guessing it's one of the very few places where dozens of federal candidates can be found in one place other than the national party conventions. Some of these folks will win and they w...
Cotton Mouth - Sat 1:35 p.m.
According to Josh Marshall (and Reuters), John McCain just put Barack Obama's life in danger. And for Mr. "I Know Everything There is to Know About Matters of War and Security" to do what he just did can mean only one thing: he meant to do it. Either that or he's a feeble old man who can't be trusted to keep matters of security secret. From TPM : This is the lead on a story just out over the ...
Thorn Papers - Fri 2:36 p.m. - 3 clicks
John says a lot about how to get info across in a way that is entertaining or unusual or whatever so that not only do folks pay attention, but pass your message on. I'll add video clips in a few days. I forgot a necessary cord at home. (Grrr.) (oh, by the way. Everything I write about for the next few days are because I'm seeing them live at the Netroots Nation conference. I hope you enjoy ...
Cotton Mouth - Fri 12:32 p.m. - 2 clicks
Didn't happen. Crap. Last year it was on the official event calendar and had dozens of folks showed up. I was actually a panelist. This year there wasn't an official time, but we tried to do one anyway. 5 people showed up. 1 was in the wrong place. Time to go somewhere else....
Cotton Mouth - Fri 12:32 p.m. - 2 clicks
From an interview he gave with the Huffington Post , we learn that former Alabama Gov. (and target of Karl Rove's own personal US Attorneys office) Don Siegelman is calling on John McCain to urge his "informal adviser" (Rove) to testify before congress as he was compelled to do by subpoena: On Friday, former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman called on John McCain to compel his informal adviser Karl Ro...
Thorn Papers - Fri 11:06 a.m. - 3 clicks
I'll soon be seeing Harold Ford (A former conservative Democratic congressman from Tennessee) and Markos Moulitas (The nations top liberal blogger). I agree more with Harold on issues of faith. He's a christian and pro-life. I agree with Markos more on issues of protecting citizens from corporations and the government. I'll let you know what I think. Update 1: Pretty boring so far. Kos is r...
Cotton Mouth - Fri 10:31 a.m. - 2 clicks
You may recall that a big part of why I'm in Austin is due to the generosity of y'all and a scholarship y'all helped me get from Democracy for America. I'm volunteering at their booth right now and they have a giant card for Howard Dean. (I'll add a picture of it here later) For those folks who donated to help me get here I've spent about $100 on gas and $30 on food. Thanks! More soon......
Cotton Mouth - Fri 9:40 a.m. - 2 clicks
Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films have launched a petition drive to pressure the House Judiciary Committee to hold Karl Rove in contempt of Congress for ignoring the congressional subpoena which required him to come testify on his political manipulation of the US justice system for political ends. It is fully within their power to jail him for his contempt, and that is the goal here, to make...
Thorn Papers - Fri 9:04 a.m. - 2 clicks
For the 4th straight year Mississippi ranked as the most obese state in the nation according to a study done by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Several factors are in play here including, poor diet, poverty, and lack of education. Read the full AP story here: The 2007 findings are similar to results from the same survey the three previous years. Mississippi has had the highes...
Cotton Mouth - Fri 8:37 a.m. - 26 clicks
And it's more bad news for Oxford. Reliable sources tell me that FNC, Inc. , a local company that is tied directly into the mortgage industry, is in the process of laying off roughly 10% (maybe more) of its workforce. Bad news for the job market in Oxford (and elsewhere), but really just par for the current course in the industry. Sad. For the folks who are now unemployed, for the company, a...
Thorn Papers - Fri 8:09 a.m. - 22 clicks
First this news: Voters to decide: Bush memorial sewage plant? San Francisco voters will be asked to decide whether to name a city sewage plant in honor of President Bush, after a satiric measure qualified for the November ballot today. Backers of the measure, who for several months circulated a petition to place the measure on the ballot, turned in more than 12,000 signatures on July 7, sai...
Cotton Mouth - Thu 10:34 p.m. - 2 clicks
Ben Ginsberg is the Wicker for Senate lawyer? This Ben Ginsberg ? Jeez Louise. Talk about low friends in high places. And talk about hypocrisy. He's launching an attack about coordinated communications? Please. ...
Thorn Papers - Thu 9:03 p.m. - 26 clicks
By way of Cotton Mouth : “In such a short time, the internet has developed into a key tool for our free society. It has driven economic development, enabled innovation, stimulated political discussion and provided new forums for the exercise of our First Amendment right of free speech. Net Neutrality is vital to keeping the internet free and open, and protecting access to its information for all...
Thorn Papers - Thu 8:35 p.m.
I'd been unable to find and capture this ad and get it up on YouTube myself, but luckily someone else has: I know there's lots of right wing noise about how this ad supposedly violates the Coordinated Communications restrictions of the FEC, but as far as I can see, it does nothing of the sort. From a comment I left on another site : For the record, the FEC has a three-pronged ...
Thorn Papers - Thu 5:32 p.m. - 2 clicks
This is very welcome news indeed. Whenever Rachel Maddow is on the teevee, the wife and I race to see who'll be the first to say, "Now why don't they give her a show?" She's extremely intelligent, argues her points well, and has a sort of common sense inisght that's often sorely lacking among the cable talking heads. According to the NY Time s, looks like the day's coming soon when we won't h...
Thorn Papers - Jul 17 - 2 clicks
$52 million dollars last month . Them's some apples: Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate, raised $52m (£26m) for his campaign in June, his second highest monthly total and more than twice of what his Republican rival, John McCain, received. Combined with cash raised by the Democratic National Committee, which is also contributing to a war chest for the November contest, Obama an...
Thorn Papers - Jul 17
By way of the LA Times' Babylon & Beyond blog , I see that one of my all time favorite artists, Patti Smith , brought her revolutionary soul to Beirut to " sing for the "regeneration" of the city of Beirut and to voice her rejection to war ." The celebrated 1970s rock icon turned political activist performed near the old Phoenician port at the opening of the Byblos music festival , one ...
Thorn Papers - Jul 17 - 2 clicks
Clarion-Ledger's reporting that Ronnie Musgrove has filed a complaint with the FEC, saying Roger Wicker has been breaking federal campaign financing laws by accepting contributions that are in excess of the federally allowed limits. ...
Thorn Papers - Jul 17 - 25 clicks
We were watching the fifth episode of HBO's John Adams last night (which I highly recommend to those of y'all who haven't seen it yet; a great exploration of the birth and infancy of this nation), and there was a moment when George Washington and John Adams are at the window of the White House, with an angry mob outside waving French and American flags, carrying torches and denouncing the gover...
Thorn Papers - Jul 16 - 2 clicks
A brief musical interlude for y'all. Michael Franti & Spearhead , a man and band that are doing wonderful things, and making some crazy-good music with a full appreciation for the weight of our times. Time to Go Home , from the album Yell Fire . A great political statement and a great song at the same time. That's a difficult balance to achieve, but one which Spearhead does time and time...
Thorn Papers - Jul 16 - 2 clicks
...so when you're riding through the ruts, don't you complicate your mind. - Bob Marley Wake Up and Live Good advice, but turns out Bob was a better man than I. The ruts have got my mind so complicated my head hurts. Yesterday, we found out that US producer prices (wholesale costs) had risen year over year by the largest amount in 27 years : The U.S. producer price index increased 1.8% last...
Thorn Papers - Jul 16 - 2 clicks
The USA Today runs a piece that suggests that maybe today's current economic woes are the result of America flying high (in both senses of the word) on growth fueled by Americans, American companies and American institutions taking on higher and higher levels of debt. There's only one response for that sort of keen insight at this late point in the game: Well, duh : If it wasn't clear before T...
Thorn Papers - Jul 16 - 2 clicks
The long-awaited report, the last in a series published over the past several years by the committee, found that Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, in particular, frequently made assertions in the run-up to the war that key intelligence agencies could not substantiate or about which there was substantial disagreement within the intelligence community. "In making the case for war, ...
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 19 clicks
Four insurance companies are offering wind coverage in the South Mississippi market, although restrictions apply. Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said he has recently approved the "surplus-lines" companies. Surplus-lines companies insure high-risk properties without state regulation of rates or any guaranty in case of insolvency. They have been active for years in South Mississippi...
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 16 clicks
The Gulfport Library got a reprieve from the wrecking ball on Thursday. The permit committee for the state Department of Archives and History agreed Wednesday to consider designating the building a Mississippi Landmark because of its architectural significance, the role the building has played in the community and public sentiment. If the library, built in 1965 in the New Formalism style of archi...
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 18 clicks
Jackson Watch: Democrats predicting November win This is pretty good prediction. McCain and his staff are running one of the strangest campaigns I can remember and I can remember many. The economy is crapping on many voters and McCain seems to focus on lame proposals and national security. I would guess that that is a losing combination at best....
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 18 clicks
PopMatters Music Feature | Ten Reasons Bo Diddley Is the Forgotten Heavyweight Champion of Rock AS I have said, IMO, he and Chuck Berry were the fathers of R&R, not some guy with disjointed hips....
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 3 clicks
SunHerald.com : Teachers brush up on economics Sorry guys but I see this as another one of the mind numbing things that will give only the bright and the best. Will not cover the poverty, homelessness and such. It will be a distorted view of what really happens in economics....
Atomic Dog - Jul 16
While Jackson residents may have received denial letters from FEMA in the weeks following the April 4 tornadoes and storms, they may still be able to get aid. Some residents were denied aid by FEMA because they were already insured. “By law, we cannot duplicate what insurance already covers or pay for deductibles,” said Michael L. Parker, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer in a statement. “But i...
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 16 clicks
Antiwar.com Blog · Daniel Pipes: If Obama Wins, Bush Will Attack Iran in November Something to consider.......the way the the sentiment toward Iran is revving up...this is a very good possibliity....
Atomic Dog - Jul 16
Z Magazine - Mississippi’s SB 2988 Mississippi is at the lower end of almost every thing, but they try....sarcasm intended....
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 17 clicks
SunHerald.com : Gulfport job outlook 8th-best in nation This is good news to the local economy, but the down side is that MS is a right to work state and NO one will become wealthy working for the low wages of MS....
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 17 clicks
A Mississippi marine was shot and killed over the weekend while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan, according to a press release from the Marine Corps. Corporal Justin Cooper was a decorated marine who will be greatly missed not only by his family but by the town he called home. Corporal Cooper's father Alan bought this t-shirt when he saw his son graduate from boot camp three ...
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 17 clicks
As the campaigns get stronger and harder, I just wanted to add my two cents. Health Care in the nation's biggest and most pressing issue and here is Wicker's stands on health care. Rated 11% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record : YES on establishing tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts: YES on subsidizing private insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage: YES on allowing reimpor...
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 14 clicks
FactCheck.org: Katrina Kerfuffle McCain has been pretty verbal about his position on the Katrina investigations, but is he being entirely honest?...
Atomic Dog - Jul 16
With his stocky build and his thick glasses, Bo Diddley didn't look like a typical rock'n'roll star. The rectangular-bodied electric guitar he played didn't look like the instruments other rock'n'rollers played. The beat he favored, which came to be known as the Bo Diddley beat -- three strokes, then a rest, then two more -- was not a typical rock'n'roll rhythm. But Diddley, who died yesterda...
Atomic Dog - Jul 16
SunHerald.com : FEMA: No ice after a storm Another crap on the face of the people of the Gulf South by the government....
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 2 clicks
This is a finding that should not surprise any Mississippian. • Fifty percent of Mississippians favor McCain to 44 percent for Obama. • Fifty percent of Mississippians said it's more important to get troops home from Iraq than to win; 45 percent say it is more important to win. • If McCain wins, 53 percent said they believe it is somewhat likely the U.S. will win the war, to 26 percent w...
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 17 clicks
The Mississippi Attorney General's Office has investigated more than 1,000 Hurricane Katrina-related home repair fraud cases. So far, investigators from the Consumer Protection Division have made 89 arrests in cases totaling $3 million in losses. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood expects the number of cases and arrests to increase. "The reason it keeps going up is because people will do ever...
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 16 clicks
I have been thinking a lot about the energy problems we are having and will have in the future and I do not understand why Mississippi has not become a research center. we have Coast winds, tidal action and lots of damn sunshine, so why is Mississippi not doing more in research and production? Jobs would be created, good jobs. The state has numerous universities and colleges and they should be ...
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 16 clicks
And he seems to be avoiding a head to head debate with Musgrove. Interim Republican Sen. Roger Wicker's campaign said Tuesday he has declined an invitation to debate his opponent, former Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, at the Neshoba County Fair later this summer. Wicker campaign spokesman Ryan Annison said Tuesday the campaign had initially told fair officials they were interested and hoped ...
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 15 clicks
SunHerald.com : Handsboro school site will get marker About time they started recognizing the various parts of Gulfport. There has always been more to the Gulfport area other than the darn port....
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 12 clicks
Gov. Barbour had appointed one of his lackeys to finish out Sen. Lott's term. But it does not look too promising for Wicker to retain the gig. Two nonpartisan national political observers with solid track records as students of Mississippi politics say that the Mississippi special election to choose a permanent successor to former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott is now a legitimate horse race. ...
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 16 clicks
Some hospitals and nursing homes could shut down, doctors could stop seeing patients and thousands of health- care workers could lose their jobs statewide, according to providers responding to $375 million in Medicaid cuts revealed late Friday. he cuts also would affect home health care agencies, pharmacists, dentists and others, according to documents filed by Gov. Haley Barbour, a Republican wh...
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 15 clicks
Mississippi Mayor Is Indicted on Civil Rights Charges - NYTimes.com Read and weep.......
Atomic Dog - Jul 16 - 19 clicks
Findings on Katrina Trailers Went Undisclosed, Maker Says - washingtonpost.com FEMA knew of the high levels and the company figured that the findings were not important....
Atomic Dog - Jul 16
By way of John in the comments down below (and just the tiniest bit of sleuthing), we get this interview from WLOX in Biloxi with former Governor and current Senatorial candidate Ronnie Musgrove: ...
Thorn Papers - Jul 15 - 20 clicks
Why, no "irony-challenged literalists" would've been upset by that one, now would they? ...
Thorn Papers - Jul 15 - 2 clicks
After swinging wildly up and down all day, the Dow closed at 10,962.54. Down almost a hundred points and breaking an important psychological threshold (the 11,000 point firewall) for investors. Tomorrow may be very ugly indeed. But hey, these days, who the hell knows, right? ...
Thorn Papers - Jul 15
Barack Obama gave a major speech on the war today, and it was, as usual, a good one. One point I'd like to highlight: The attacks of September 11 brought this new reality into a terrible and ominous focus. On that bright and beautiful day, the world of peace and prosperity that was the legacy of our Cold War victory seemed to suddenly vanish under rubble, and twisted steel, and clouds of smoke...
Thorn Papers - Jul 15
LAPD called in to quell clashes between irate IndyMac customers at local branches. ...
Thorn Papers - Jul 15 - 2 clicks
No, not the yummy kind you eat, but the yummy kind that feeds your soul, and maybe your body, too. I refer to the box over there to the right of this page, below the "Subscribe" icons. Now, the Thorn Papers have never been much of a money making operation, nor was it ever intended to be, but there are expenses (including the new laptop my old, dying one keeps whispering, rasping, and groaning ...
Thorn Papers - Jul 15
Trading day's still got several hours left to it, and much can happen between now and then, but the Dow's been going under and over the 11,000 mark all morning. If we land beneath 11K at the end of the day, the psychological impact will probably open the floodgates even more than they've been. From Bloomberg , mid-day: U.S. stocks fell and the dollar dropped to a record low against the euro as ...
Thorn Papers - Jul 15
Finally (Thanks John). I know Ronnie's fundraising has been less than spectacular, so it's nice to see the DSCC throwing a little support behind his candidacy. I'll see what I can do about getting the commercial recorded and uploaded, but until that point, if anyone sees it online, give me a holler and let me know the context. Or even better, if you've got TiVo and can grab it, send it along an...
Thorn Papers - Jul 15