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Election Shorts

McCullough picks up endorsements Glenn McCullough Jr., a Republican candidate for 1st District Congress, was endorsed this week by three current and former Golden Triangle area officials - state Sen. Terry Brown and state Rep. Gary Chism of Columbus, and former West Point Mayor Kenny Dill.

Hurt endorses Coleman Former Democratic congressional candidate Ken Hurt announces his endorsement of fellow Democrat Marshall Coleman of Calhoun City. Coleman has been an Alderman in Calhoun City since 2002.

Davis signs the taxpayer protection pledge Southaven Mayor Greg Davis, a Republican vying for Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District seat, recently signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). The Pledge commits signers to “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates."

Childers talks economy at Justice Center 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.”

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 is the third in a series of Monday question-and-answers with candidates in the March 11 party primaries for the 1st Congressional District seat.

The dates and topics for the series:

Feb 11 – Background, qualifications and philosophy

Feb 18  – The economy and the budget Today -- National Security Coming Up March 3 - Domestic issues

NATIONAL SECURITY

Q:What is your assessment of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and what is the appropriate role for Congress in determining their future course?

CHILDERS: We must ensure that our forces on the ground in Iraq have the proper equipment and support to resolve what can be resolved. Most North Mississippians want a resolution to this conflict and they want it soon. We need to engage the various countries in the region. They have a vested interest in the stability of the region and should be asked to help with bringing a peaceful resolution. There is merit in the idea of partitioning the country along ethnic and religious lines. Through diplomacy, backed by American strength and resolve, there is an honorable way out of Iraq.

COLEMAN: We must not abandon the accomplishments that we have made in Iraq. However, the Iraqi people need to take control of their country as soon as possible. We should not pull all our troops out all at once; there should be gradual decline in forces. America needs to send a message that we will not and cannot continue to make sacrifices with no clear sign of progress. The war in Afghanistan is the forgotten war. We should and will in the next Congress have to focus more attention on Afghanistan and neighboring countries like Pakistan.

DAVIS: I was privileged to spend several days in November with our troops at their staging area in the south pacific, and when I asked them what they needed their overwhelming response was “Give us the tools and the support we need to win.” I’m with them.  Our troops deserve the best and I believe that we must continue to provide them the best. I believe that Iraq and Afghanistan are the frontlines of the war on terror and we must win this war, and we are winning this war. Congress must support our troops and their mission.  Congress must show this nation’s resolve in this war and Congress must not fail our troops.

HOLLAND: Our service people need our support. They also need the material support that will allow them to do their jobs. I don't know how many times I have read of soldiers who lacked material and equipment they needed. I have also read of waste and fraud. While some people have been getting rich because of "no bid" contracts as suppliers, our troops have been suffering. I am concerned that these wars have now lasted longer than World War II. We need a thorough evaluation of the status of Iraq and Afghanistan from unbiased military experts and then proceed accordingly.

HURT: We should win and conclude the war in Afghanistan and get out of Iraq.

McCULLOUGH: Congress certainly has a role in determining the future course of the military and diplomatic efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Congress must advise the president and the military and foreign policy establishment of the will of the American people during strategic planning and information gathering. Congress should not, however, interfere in the actual execution of the agreed upon plan. I believe our troops should have the necessary support and resources to be successful.

NEELY: Everyone knows the Iraqi government is a joke. The moment that U.S. troops leave Iraq – whether it is six months from now or 20 years from now – the “nation” is going to explode in civil war. Congress controls the purse strings and we should not continue to fund this wasteful, useless, purposeless war indefinitely.

RUSSELL: We should support the military experts’ current strategy of strengthening local coalitions to stabilize the civil government and security forces. No timetable for withdrawal which would only benefit the enemy.

Q: What is your assessment of the overall "war on terrorism" and how would you rate its effectiveness?

CHILDERS: Fortunately, there has not been a major terrorist attack in America since 9/11, but it is clear that we are not doing everything that needs to be done to keep this country safe. It is time to put aside partisan bickering and implement all of the  9/11 Commission’s recommendations. As a matter of national security, we have to get control of our borders. Congress and the president have dropped the ball on border control for far too long. First responders are our first line of defense. They need the federal resources and support to do the job.

COLEMAN: The Iraqi people need to take control of their country as soon as possible. That doesn’t mean we should pull all our troops out all at once. There should be gradual decline in forces to make sure the sacrifices that have been made are not in vain. America needs to send a solid message that we will not and cannot continue to make the sacrifices that we are making with no clear sign of progress. Benchmarks must be set and achieved. Without realistic benchmarks there is no way to measure the success of our campaign in Iraq.

DAVIS: We are winning the war on terror and must continue to do so. I believe that we have been very effective at hunting down those who would harm us and bringing them to justice. The surge is working. Areas of Iraq that were once strongholds for Al Qaeda are now under Iraqi control. While our armed forces and intelligence community have done a great job, this battle is far from over and we must win.

HOLLAND: I am concerned that the war on terror has been used to ramp up fear in the American people when it was unnecessary. That isn't some figment of my imagination. That is from former administration employees such as Tom Ridge, former head of Homeland Security. I think it is unconscionable to play on American fears. Obviously, we have had no more terrorist attacks on American soil. We need to continue to support those men and women not only on the front lines, but in intelligence arenas that can help us in these matters.

HURT: I don’t have enough intelligence to make an informed assessment.

McCULLOUGH: The events of the past few years in Iraq have shifted some of our national focus from the other fronts in the war on terrorism, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and North Korea. As the situation in Iraq continues to improve as a result of the military and diplomatic surge, I believe the United States should increase its focus on other areas.

NEELY: Have they found Osama bin Laden yet?!

RUSSELL: We need to finish what we have started and be very careful in the future to avoid nation-building. The end results are not always positive and it can be very costly in both lives and money. We need to free our intelligence agencies to protect us from the covert enemies that seek to harm American citizens.

Q: National Guard and Reserve units have played a major role in the recent conflicts. Is there a need for any reassessment in how those troops are deployed?

CHILDERS: The National Guard and Reserve units of this country have done a heroic job of answering the call during this war in Iraq – too often without the equipment, health care or down time they deserve. The fact is, the National Guard and Reserves were not designed for the long, repeated deployments that they have been asked to perform over the last seven years, yet they have performed their missions with honor and skill. It is imperative that we keep the promises we made to all of our veterans by giving the Veterans Administration the resources it needs.

COLEMAN: That has already occurred. Most all of the National Guard Units have gone through a restructure mode. Some of the mission-oriented tasks stayed the same; for other units there was a reclassification and the unit had to be reclassified along with its mission.

DAVIS: The generals and trained military personal must make these decisions about how our forces are deployed. I respect the men and women leading our forces and we must put a huge amount of trust in them to do their jobs. We should welcome any solution that keeps our troops out of harm’s way and I am open to any ideas that accomplish that while protecting our country.

HOLLAND: I believe the National Guard should be under state control. There has been an erosion of that policy under this Administration. Traditionally, the National Guard has been there for state emergencies. I believe we have to make sure that the traditional policy is reinforced.

HURT: Yes, in order to have manpower for both state emergencies.

McCULLOUGH: I have great respect for the men and women who serve in our National Guard. I believe the primary responsibility of our National Guard troops is to protect and serve our nation. My prayer is that the people in Iraq and Afghanistan can soon govern themselves peacefully and we can bring our troops home.

NEELY: Again, American resources should be used for the benefit of American citizens at home and not to protect corrupt, incompetent and decadent foreign regimes.

RUSSELL: We need to increase their numbers and capability so that their deployment times can be shortened. The National Guard and Reserve are very important in the lives of many Mississippians and I believe they will continue to be important to America’s overall defense in the future. I will do everything possible to see that they receive the support that they need to do the tasks at which the so nobly serve. I am proud to say I have family that serves in this way. To me, they are all American heroes.

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

1st District Election Schedule

March 11: 1st District House seat (full term beginning 2009) party primaries

April 1: 1st District House seat (full term beginning 2009) runoff, if necessary

April 22: Special election for 1st District House seat (unexpired term) Note: Winner serves out the rest of the unexpired term, through early Jan 2009.

Nov 4: General Election

Election Round Up

Barbour sets special election in 1st District Feb. 21, 2008 Daily Journal JACKSON - Gov. Haley Barbour has set an April 22 nonpartisan special election to fill the unexpired term of former U.S. Rep. Roger Wicker in north Mississippi's 1st Congressional District. Candidates' qualifying deadline is March 7. A runoff, if necessary, is May 13. The winner will serve the rest of a two-year term, through early next January. The special election overlaps with the regular election in the 1st District. Republican and Democratic primaries for the regular election are March 11. A runoff, if necessary, will be April 1. The general election is Nov. 4. In December, Barbour appointed Republican Wicker to fill a U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the retirement of the GOP's Trent Lott. Wicker and Democratic former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove are running in the Nov. 4 special Senate election to complete Lott's term, which ends in January 2013.

Shows quits race for Senate seat Feb 20, 2008 The Associated Press JACKSON - Ronnie Shows has dropped out of the race to replace retired Sen. Trent Lott. The former U.S. representative from Bassfield announced his decision in a statement to the Clarion-Ledger newspaper. Shows said he can't raise the money needed to defeat former Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker. Wicker is a longtime Republican congressman who was appointed to fill Lott's post on an interim basis. The election to replace Lott will be held in November. Shows said in his announcement he would have trouble raising the "millions of dollars" to compete against Musgrove and Wicker. "I am grateful that Ronnie Shows will be supporting my candidacy for the U.S. Senate," Musgrove said in a statement. But Wicker hopes Shows' departure will help him. "This announcement will give the voters a clear choice in November," said Wicker's campaign spokesman, Ryan Annison. "We welcome Congressman Shows' supporters."

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:  www.randyrussellforcongress.com
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

Mississippi presidential primary March 11 Voters in Mississippi will have a chance to vote in the presidential primary March 11. Republican candidates will be vying for 39 delegates in Mississippi, while Democrats will be trying to earn the 42 delegates available for that party in the state. In all Mississippi counties, the circuit clerk's office will be open for absentee voting March 1 and March 8 from 8 a.m. until noon, state law requires.

FEC chair says McCain can't withdraw from public financing until loan questions resolved By JIM KUHNHENN Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON -The government's top campaign finance regulator says John McCain can't drop out of the primary election's public financing system until he answers questions about a loan he obtained to kickstart his once faltering presidential campaign. Federal Election Commission Chairman David Mason, in a letter to McCain this week, said the all-but-certain Republican nominee needs to assure the commission that he did not use the promise of public money to help secure a $4 million line of credit he obtained in November. McCain's lawyer, Trevor Potter, said Wednesday evening that McCain has withdrawn from the system and that the FEC can't stop him. Potter, who was FEC chairman in 1994, said the campaign did not encumber the public funds in any way. McCain, a longtime advocate of stricter limits on money in politics, was one of the few leading presidential candidates to seek FEC certification for public money during the primaries. The FEC determined that he was entitled to at least $5.8 million. But McCain did not obtain the money, and he notified the FEC earlier this month that he would bypass the system, freeing him from its spending limits.

Powerful Teamsters union endorses Democrat Obama By JESSE J. HOLLAND The Associated Press WASHINGTON - Sen. Barack Obama won an endorsement from the powerful Teamsters union on Wednesday, critical labor support for the Democratic front-runner with upcoming contests in Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania. "There was very, very strong support for him" among the union's members, James P. Hoffa, president of the 1.4-million member union, said in an interview with The Associated Press. Hoffa met with Obama on Wednesday in Texas, site of the next Democratic primary against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Teamsters endorsement is expected to help Obama there and in Ohio on March 4, as well as in Pennsylvania on April 22. The Teamsters have 80,000 members in Pennsylvania, 60,000 in Ohio and 17,000 in Texas, Hoffa said. Besides those members on the ground, the Teamsters plan to have their members and their families from around the country work for Obama, Hoffa said.

Clinton accuses Obama of political plagiarism, says he represents "change you can Xerox" By DAVID ESPO AP Special Correspondent AUSTIN, Texas - Hillary Rodham Clinton accused presidential rival Barack Obama of political plagiarism Thursday night, but drew boos from a Democratic debate audience when she ridiculed him as the candidate of "change you can Xerox." Obama dismissed the charge out of hand, then turned the jeers to applause when he countered, "What we shouldn't be doing is tearing each other down, we should be lifting the country up." The exchange marked an unusually pointed moment in an otherwise civil encounter in the days before March 4 primaries in Texas and Ohio — contests that even some of Clinton's supporters say she must win to sustain her campaign for the White House. The former first lady has lost 11 straight primaries and caucuses, and trails her rival in convention delegates. Obama has won a pair of big union endorsements in the past two days. In a university auditorium in the heart of Texas, the two rivals agreed that high-tech surveillance measures are preferable to construction of a fence to curtail illegal immigration. They sparred frequently about health care and the war in Iraqi.