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Election Shorts

NeMiss Chancery Clerks endorsing Childers Chancery Clerks in North Mississippi are endorsing one of their own, Prentiss County Chancery Clerk and businessman Travis Childers, in the race to elect a new congressman in Mississippi's first congressional district. Recently, the Childers campaign released a list of fourteen current and retired chancery clerks from the first congressional district who are personally endorsing Childers for Congress.

Holland earns American Lung Association Award The American Lung Association of Mississippi presented Rep. Steve Holland of Plantersville with its Legislative Support Recognition Award at a meeting on January 31 in Jackson.  As chairman of the Public Health Committee of the Mississippi House of Representatives, Rep. Holland was instrumental in passing a resolution forming an asthma study committee.

McCullough taps campaign manager The McCullough for Congress campaign announced recently that Ripley native Brad Davis will manage Glenn McCullough Jr.'s race for the First Congressional District seat.

Davis endorsed by Desoto County Board of Supervisors Southaven mayor Greg Davis announced the endorsement of the Member of the Desoto County Board of Supervisors. Board President Allen Latimer (District 4), Supervisors Jesse Medlin (District 1), Eugene C. Thach (District 2), Bill Russell (District 3) and Tommy Lewis (District 5) threw their support behind Davis.

1st District Candidate Views

We posed a set of questions to the candidates and each week for the next few weeks djournal.com will share with our readers how the candidates answered those questions.

This week's questions focused on the candidates' thoughts in the area of : Background, Priorities and Philosophy

Q: What relevant experience, background and personal characteristics equip you to be an effective congressman for the 1st District?

CHILDERS: I worked full-time jobs through high school and college to support my family. I understand the value of hard work and the opportunity of a good education. During my service in county government, we have balanced 16 straight budgets. As a small businessman and as an active member and former president of our local development association, I helped bring over 1,000 new jobs to North Mississippi. I have a proven record of working across regional, governmental and party lines to create jobs and promote economic development -- for example, my involvement with the Yellow Creek Inland Port Authority.

COLEMAN: Independent business owner 23 years, former police officer in Bruce, Calhoun City Alderman Ward 2 second term, involved in politics for 20 years; Democratic nominee, House of Rep. District 23 August 2007; veteran MSANG 28 years - Master Sergeant E-8, Operation Desert Storm 1991, Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003-2004, Army Food Service Manager eight years, Hurricane Katrina 2004-2005, numerous humanitarian missions, domestically and overseas.

DAVIS: For the past 11 years I have served as mayor of Southaven. Prior to that, I served Southaven and DeSoto County in the Mississippi State House of Representatives for seven years. I think that the citizens of Southaven will tell you that I have always been straightforward, hardworking and always remember that I work for the voters. And as the father of three girls I am reminded every day of how important it is that we ensure the future for our children.

HOLLAND: I have served 25 years in the Legislature and won last year's election with a 72 percent approval rating. I started my career working in Washington for Congressman Jamie L. Whitten, who taught me the importance of constituent service. I carried that philosophy to Jackson. Folks know I will respond to their needs when possible. As current Public Health Committee chairman in the House as well as chairman of the Agriculture Committee chairman for 16 years, I earned a reputation for cutting through red tape and being dependable. I am a businessman with interests in several Northeast Mississippi locations.

HURT: Two terms as chief aide to highway commissioner; four years director of the Appalachian Regional Commission's Mississippi office.

McCULLOUGH: I have run a business and I have served the people of the 1st Congressional District in local, regional and national leadership roles. I believe in the same common-sense, conservative philosophy held by most North Mississippians and I know we need leaders who "do" instead of just leaders who "talk."

NEELY: I have served as a Marine captain during Operation desert Shield/Desert Storm. I have served as a federal law clerk and, as such, I have intimate knowledge of the federal judiciary. I have been a practicing attorney for 20 years and have served as Lee County prosecuting attorney. Finally, I have served on numerous boards and committees across North Mississippi.

RUSSELL: More than 20 years as a conservative Republican activist; 20-year history small business ownership; North Mississippi Medical Society President; former Advisory Board member Stop Lawsuit Abuse in Mississippi; longtime pro-life, pro-family, pro-adoption volunteer, leader and advocate; 13-year history of volunteer foster parenting for over 88 newborn babies awaiting adoption; Gov. Haley Barbour appointee to State Board of Health.

Q: What would be your top three priorities as 1st District congressman?

CHILDERS: My priorities will be economic policy that promotes jobs, fair trade and fiscal responsibility; access to quality and affordable health care; and education. North Mississippi needs jobs. While unemployment is low in certain pockets, most counties in this district have considerably higher unemployment than both the state and national averages. We have to focus more on education and economic development in rural areas and small towns, not just the big cites. We have to find a way to make health care accessible and affordable to more people. Immigration reform and a resolution to Iraq are also long overdue.

COLEMAN: Economic: development, jobs, growth; Education: excellence in education; Balanced Budget: assets equal liabilities plus stockholders' equity.

DAVIS: Washington is broken and we need to fix it. We need a congressman that will continue Roger Wicker's example and lead the fight to end illegal immigration, put an end to wasteful government spending and fight for the God given rights of the unborn. I have a record of doing all of these things at a local level and if elected I intend to be strong voice for our conservative principles. We must change the way our business is done in Washington.

HOLLAND: I want a tax cut for the middle class. High gas prices have hit hard. We must become energy independent. As chairman of the Agriculture Committee, I guided to passage laws dealing with ethanol and alternative energy. Affordable and accessible health care is needed. Serving as chairman of the House Public Health Committee equips me to immediately influence potential solutions. I proved this by fighting to reinstate thousands of Mississippians on Medicaid. We owe more to veterans. I co-authored legislation to build and equip our state veterans' homes. I will work to get more medical services close to veterans.

HURT: Economy, health care, get troops out of Iraq.

McCULLOUGH: Recruit good, high-paying jobs for the people of the 1st Congressional District; ensure the federal government does its job to protect our borders and provide safety and security for all law abiding citizens; and champion Mississippi's conservative values. Our government should honor our values, not defy them.

NEELY: Education, infrastructure and safe communities.

RUSSELL: Working with true diligence to meet the needs of all 1st District constituents as they relate to the federal government. A servant leadership attitude is highly important; promoting and encouraging partnerships with local and state entities to enable further job creation in the district; and fighting to preserve those founding principles that made America great Ð upholding the Constitution and promoting the basic principles of free enterprise, limited government, strong defense against our enemies, and the traditional married two-parent family. This is how we will preserve, protect and strengthen America.

Q: How would you describe your political philosophy?

CHILDERS: I'm a Mississippi Democrat. I'm on the side of struggling families, children that need health care and teenagers whose only hopes are a college degree. I'm pro-life and pro-gun and for balanced budgets. Marriage is between a man and a woman. Illegal immigration has to stop. I will not negotiate away my core principles in Washington. We do not have to change our core values to change direction in America, but if we do not change the direction of our country, our core values will be compromised. I will work across partisan and philosophical lines to get the job done.

COLEMAN: I do believe living and let living, but in some instances the federal government must decide what direction the country will go. The federal level is where everyone looks for the solution when the states don't have one. I have a genuine interest in rural Mississippi, especially the retreat of jobs and the stagnated growth in the rural areas. Most of a small town's residents work out of town, while the major cities are holding their on with jobs and growth. It has become increasingly hard for families to make it in rural America and rural Mississippi.

DAVIS: I am a Conservative Republican. I believe we need a representative that not only talks the talk, but will, and has, walked the walk. We need a government that is fiscally responsible, stands up for our values and helps rather than hurts our families and businesses. I have fought for conservative principles my entire career and have no intention of stopping now. I am the only candidate who has authored and sponsored pro-life and anti-abortion legislation and I will continue to do so in Congress. I believe the 1st Congressional District seat belongs to all the residents of our district and not just one geographical location.

HOLLAND: I was raised in a Christian home where the Bible was read, where we went to church and where I was taught a set of values: New Testament Values. I consider myself a "Red Letter Christian" -- I do my best to adhere to the words of Jesus that were always printed in red. That means to look out for the "least of these." Government has to sometimes stand up and help folks to stand themselves. Educated and healthy people will be able to do the jobs that will compete in our global economy.

HURT: Moderate

McCULLOUGH: I am proud to be a Republican with conservative principles. I believe the basic responsibility of government is to protect our borders and provide security for all law abiding citizens. Government, through lower taxes and less regulations, should foster an environment where our people can find good jobs and improve their quality of life. I believe we are truly one nation under God, where the sanctity of life and marriage, the freedom to practice our faith, and the values captured in the Constitution must be protected for future generations.

NEELY: The purpose of government is to protect citizens from foreign and domestic threats, to ensure that all citizens receive fair and equal treatment regardless of race, sex, creed or color, and to provide the basic infrastructure and financial assistance to ensure that all children receive a quality education, that our sick, elderly and disabled are cared for and that businesses are allowed to thrive unfettered by bureaucracy and unreasonable taxation. Aside from this, I believe that for the most part, the federal government should stay out of the lives of the average American man and woman.

RUSSELL: I am a pro-life, pro-family, pro-adoption social conservative. My wife and I have served as volunteer foster parents over the past 13 years for over 88 babies awaiting adoption. I believe in putting my personal beliefs into action. For me, this agenda is a heart commitment, not a political slogan. We must fight to preserve the traditional married two-parent family. It is essential to preserving, protecting, and strengthening America's future. I'm pro-job creation, pro-tort reform, pro-gun rights and pro-secure borders/no amnesty conservative. I favor low-tax/limited government, free enterprise and strong military.

1st District Information

Mississippi's first congressional district is in the northeast corner of the state. It includes much of the northern portion of the state including Corinth, Columbus, Oxford, Southaven and Tupelo.

Area:  11,412 mi² Distribution:  38.36% urban, 38.4% rural Population (2006): 762,914 Median income:  $35,831 Ethnic composition:  70.5% White, 27.2% Black, 0.5% Asian, 1.8% Hispanic, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% other Occupation:  30.4% blue collar, 56.6% white collar, 13% gray collar

Party primaries for the 1st District seat are scheduled for March 11.  A runoff if needed would be held at April 1.

Election Round Up

CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK Daily Journal 1 Feb 2008 McCullough to have open house at headquarters TUPELO - Glenn McCullough Jr., a candidate for the 1st District U.S. House seat vacated when Roger Wicker was appointed U.S. senator, will host a campaign headquarters open house from 4-6 p.m. today. The public is invited. The office is at 850 N. Gloster St., Tupelo, between The Summit and the Chevron station. McCullough is a Republican candidate in party primaries that begin March 11 and in the non-party special election, for which a date hasn't been set by Gov. Haley Barbour. Childers talks economy at Justice Center TUPELO - Travis Childers, a candidate for the 1st District U.S. House, brought his campaign message of federal fiscal responsibility to a Thursday media event at the Lee County Justice Center. "How can this administration look America in the eye and say we're going to cut your taxes and pay for this war?" he asked. "We're just running up the credit card." He blamed many of Northeast Mississippi's job losses on the North American Free Trade Act, saying regional businesses "deserve fair trade deals." Childers is a Democrat running in party primaries that begin March 11 and in the non-party special election, for which Gov. Haley Barbour has not set a date. Barbour runs GOP governors' money machine The Republican Governors Association raised more than $21.5 million in 2007 and carries more than $9 million of that into the new year, according to figures released earlier this week. At the helm of that fundraising is Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee. In a story on politico.com, Barbour points to the governors' successes at rebuilding the GOP in the early 1990s. "I want to help Republicans get elected because it matters," he said of the recent RGA's fundraising push. The RGA's totals represent a sizable advantage of the Democratic Governors Association, which raised $12.8 last year and has $7.2 million on hand, politico said. "That is a swing that could affect electoral politics in a substantial way," said Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is chairman of the association this year. Campaign Notebook is compiled by Daily Journal news editor Patsy R. Brumfield. To contribute items to it, contact her at (662) 678-1596 or patsy.brumfield@djournal.com.

CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK Daily Journal 2 Feb 2008 State Rep. Steve Holland talks about the Mississippi House passage of full school funding with civics class at Plantersville Middle School PLANTERSVILLE - State Rep. Steve Holland, who's running for the 1st District U.S. House seat vacated when Roger Wicker was appointed U.S. senator, visited a civics class at Plantersville Middle School to talk about Wednesday's Mississippi House passage of full school funding. "We not only fully funded the formula (for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program), we did it plus $65 million over," said Holland, a longtime supporter of public education. "Two billion is what it takes, but in House Bill 513, we increased that to $2.308 billion." MAEP was designed to provide each school with the funds needed to provide an adequate education, as determined by the state's accountability system. It has been fully funded twice, in 2003 and 2007. The funding bill will now go to the Senate. Campaign Notebook was compiled by Daily Journal education writer Ginny Miller.

1st District Candidate Bios
	TRAVIS W. CHILDERS Age: 49 Party: Democrat Occupation: Chancery Clerk of Prentiss County, Realtor, businessman. Wife: Tami Childers Children: Dustin is in his first year of law school               at Mississippi College               Lauren is a freshman at Ole Miss. Website:  www.childersforcongress.com
	MARSHALL W. COLEMAN Age: 49 Party: Democrat Occupation: Operates Coleman's Quickstop in Derma Wife: Bernadette Coleman Children: Kegan and Kajah Coleman Website: www.colemanforcongress2008.com
	GREG DAVIS Age: 41 Party: Republican  Occupation: Mayor of Southaven Wife: The former Suzann Savage  Children:  Three young daughters Website:  www.gregdavisforcongress.com
	STEVE HOLLAND Age:  52 Party: Democrat Occupation: Member of the Mississippi House since 1983, funeral home owner. Wife: Gloria Holland   Children: Four grown children and one granddaughter. Website: www.stevehollandforcongress.com
	KEN HURT Age: 71 Party: Democrat  Occupation: Ran for 1st District seat last time against Roger Wicker and lost. Headed the Mississippi office of the Appalachian Regional Commission in mid-1980s.   Wife: Elizabeth Hurt Children: Six step-children. Website:
	GLENN McCULLOUGH JR. Age: 52 Party: Republican Occupation:  Chairman and CEO of GLM Associates, LLC, and partner in Ardillo, McCullough & Taggart, LCC, corporate consulting firms. Former mayor of Tupelo and Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Wife: Laura Annette McCullough  Children:  Vance Hudson and Glenn Thomas Website: www.glenn08.com
	BRIAN NEELY Age: 46 Party: Democrat  Occupation:  Private practice attorney in Tupelo and a former Lee County prosecuting attorney.  Wife: Shari Neely  Children: Lisa, Ivy, Julia Website: www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_9pfspf
No Photo Provided	WALLY PANG Age: 66 Party: Independent Occupation: Restaurant owner Wife: Mabel Pang  Children:  Colleen, Michael, and Walter Website:
	RANDY RUSSELL Age: 55  Party: Republican  Occupation: Ophthalmologist  Wife: Amy   Children: Daughter Jocelyn and son Jordan.  Website:
No Photo Provided	JOHN M. WAGES, JR. Age: 47 Party: Green  Occupation: Itawamba Community College teacher Wife: Former Gwendolyn Miles    Children: Website:  www.votejohnwages.com

Election Videos

Election videos coming soon.

Presidential Election

McCain expresses faith in U.S. military might By Nancy A. Youssef McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) WASHINGTON - Less than a year ago, the Bush administration's plan to send additional troops to Iraq had so few supporters that they could be counted on one hand, according to Fred Kagan, the co-author of a policy paper that evolved into the strategy.  In addition to himself and his wife, he said, there were Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, President Bush and Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain. "It was a very lonely time," Kagan, a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, recalled in an interview. McCain "really believed in the strategy and in General Petraeus. He went out there for us" and spoke up in support of the surge. Now McCain is the presumptive Republican nominee for president, and his support for the surge suggests what U.S. policy in Iraq might look like in a McCain presidency. McCain contends that the surge has demonstrated that with enough troops, the U.S. can pacify Iraq and support its nascent democratic government. The alternative, he said Friday in Norfolk, Va., "would have catastrophic consequences. I believe al-Qaida would trumpet to the world that they had defeated the United States of America." McCain long has been a proponent of a larger military presence in Iraq. A strong supporter of the invasion, he expressed concern within weeks of the toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue that the U.S. needed more troops. His appeals to the Defense Department were ignored, he said. Despite that, he continued to vote in favor of funding the war. On Jan. 3, McCain, 71 and a former Navy pilot, said that a 100-year U.S. presence in Iraq would be "fine with me" as long as Americans weren't being killed and al-Qaida still posed a threat. While McCain boasts of the surge's success, U.S. commanders in Iraq have been more circumspect, saying the drop in violence is tenuous and partly the result of a cease-fire by a radical Shiite Muslim militia. Some U.S. officers have warned that the violence could return within days if U.S. troops left because Iraqi troops aren't ready to take over. They also warn that al-Qaida in Iraq continues to have a strong presence in some areas and that the U.S. tactics that have worked in Baghdad and in Anbar province may not work as well elsewhere. A President McCain, though, might champion not only a continued large presence in Iraq, but also more vigorous U.S. intervention in other parts of the world where groups hostile to the United States thrive. "Prevailing in Iraq and Afghanistan are critical to defeating the threat posed by radical Islamic extremists, but are not the last battle in this global challenge. We are in a long war, and I am afraid the U.S. government is not adequately prepared to fight," McCain told an audience at the conservative Hudson Institute think tank in September. How McCain would prepare the U.S. to fight a wider war, however, isn't clear. The military has said it doesn't have enough troops to carry out any other major operations and that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have depleted its equipment. In addition, U.S. allies such as Britain and Australia are unlikely to deploy additional troops, and enlarging the U.S. military would require either more defense spending or a military draft, both of which are politically unpalatable to many. McCain, who was a POW for seven years in North Vietnam, hasn't always supported U.S. military intervention. He opposed sending troops to Lebanon in 1983, saying the U.S. couldn't stabilize the region. In August 1990, he supported the Gulf War resolution but opposed sending U.S. ground troops to drive Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Now he espouses the belief that the U.S. can stabilize regions -- with enough troops. The lesson of Vietnam and Iraq, he said in a May 2007 speech, is that "we must never again launch a military operation with too few troops to complete the mission and build a secure, stable and democratic peace. When we fight a war, we must fight to win." ____ ON THE WEB McCain's speech at the Hoover Institution: http://www.johnmccain.com/informing/news/Speeches/43e821a2-ad70-495a-83b2-098638e67aeb.htm McCain's Hudson Institute speech: http://www.cfr.org/publication/14336/john_mccains_speech_on_foreign_policy.html John McCain's main campaign page: http://www.johnmccain.com/ ____ © 2008, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Clinton spokesman: MSNBC anchor’s comment on Chelsea could imperil debate By BETH FOUHY The Associated Press SEATTLE  — A distasteful comment about Chelsea Clinton by an MSNBC anchor Thursday could imperil Hillary Rodham Clinton’s participation in future presidential debates on the network, a Clinton spokesman said. In a conference call with reporters, Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson Friday excoriated MSNBC’s David Shuster for suggesting the Clinton campaign had “pimped out” 27-year old Chelsea by having her place phone calls to Democratic Party superdelegates on her mother’s behalf. Wolfson called the comment “beneath contempt” and disgusting. “I, at this point, can’t envision a scenario where we would continue to engage in debates on that network,” he added. Clinton and Barack Obama are scheduled to participate in an MSNBC debate Feb. 26 from Ohio, which holds its primary March 4. The Clinton campaign has pushed hard for as many debates as possible with Obama, but Wolfson said the Feb. 26 debate could be jeopardized. Wolfson pointed to what he called a pattern of tasteless comments by MSNBC anchors about the Clinton campaign. Weeks ago, “Hardball” host Chris Matthews apologized to the former first lady after suggesting her political career had been made possible her husband’s philandering. MSNBC has apologized on-air for Shuster’s remark, but Wolfson said neither Chelsea nor Sen. Clinton had received a phone call offering a personal apology. An MSNBC spokeswoman did not immediately return a phone call requesting comment.

Evangelical leader James Dobson endorses Mike Huckabee for GOP presidential nod By ERIC GORSKI AP Religion Writer James Dobson, one of the nation’s most prominent evangelical Christian leaders, backed Mike Huckabee’s presidential bid Thursday night, giving the former Arkansas governor a long-sought endorsement as the Republican field narrowed to a two-man race. In a statement first obtained by The Associated Press, Dobson reiterated his declaration on Super Tuesday that he could not in good conscience vote for John McCain, the front-runner, because of concerns over the Arizona senator’s conservative credentials. Dobson said given the situation at that point, he was reluctant to choose between “two pro-family candidates whom I could support” — Huckabee and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. But Dobson wrote that Romney’s announcement Thursday that he was suspending his campaign “changed the political landscape.” “The remaining candidate for whom I could vote is Governor Huckabee,” Dobson said. “His unwavering positions on the social issues, notably the institution of marriage, the importance of faith and the sanctity of human life, resonate deeply with me and with many others ... Obviously, the governor faces an uphill struggle, given the delegates already committed to Senator McCain. Nevertheless, I believe he is our best remaining choice for president of the United States.”

Bush says ’prosperity and peace’ at stake in November presidential election By DEB RIECHMANN The Associated Press WASHINGTON  — Without naming John McCain, President Bush marshaled the conservative wing of the Republican Party on Friday to back the presumed GOP presidential nominee for the upcoming battle against the Democratic Party. “The stakes in November are high. This is an important election. Prosperity and peace are in the balance,” Bush told about 2,000 people attending the Conservative Political Action Conference. “So with confidence in our vision and faith in our values, let us go forward, fight for victory and keep the White House in 2008.” Bush spoke to a boisterous crowd shortly after 7 a.m. EST. The ballroom erupted in cheers when someone shouted “Are there conservatives in the house?” When the president walked on stage, they clapped and chanted “Four more years! Four more years!” Bush reached his lowest approval rating in The Associated Press-Ipsos poll on Friday as only 30 percent said they like the job he is doing, including an all-time low in his support by Republicans. Still, the crowd gave him standing ovations, cheering his comments on tax relief, the military buildup in Iraq, the Reagan years and his opposition to abortion. They booed when Bush said his critics want to expand the size and scope of the federal government. Conservatives are resigned to seeing McCain lead the Republican ticket in November, but he has a long history of disputes with the party’s right flank. Conservatives may try to influence McCain’s positions and his choice of a running mate. And the possibility exists that they will stay home in November, a development that could cost him swing states such as Ohio. Bush is not ready to weigh in formally on the election, even though Mitt Romney announced on Thursday that he was suspending his campaign, virtually sealing the nomination for McCain. The president is, however, priming the GOP’s conservative base to get ready to back McCain. “We have had good debates and soon we will have a nominee who will carry a conservative banner into this election and beyond,” Bush said.