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Mississippi state is bordered by the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee.

Mississippi state is also bordered by the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River runs between Mississippi state and the state of Arkansas and part of the state of Louisiana.

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MISSISSIPPI News:

20080513

Mississippi - Illinois - Louisiana - 2008 Election - "Childers victory gives Dems a third straight takeover." ... "Democrat Travis Childers won Tuesday’s Mississippi special election runoff for [Mississippi Republican Senator] Sen. Roger Wicker’s (R [Republican]) former House seat, handing Democrats the biggest of their three special election takeovers this cycle and sending a listless GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] further into a state of disarray." ... "Childers led GOP candidate Greg Davis 53-47 with more than 90 percent of precincts reporting. Turnout increased substantially over the 67,000 voters who cast ballots in the April 22 open special election, with more than 100,000 voting in the runoff." ... "Childers, who beat Davis 49-46 three weeks ago but came up just shy of a race-ending majority, joins new Democratic [Illinois Representative] Reps. Bill Foster (Ill. [Illinois]) and [Louisiana Democratic Representative] Don Cazayoux (La. [Louisiana]) to give Democrats a trifecta of upsets in conservative House districts over the last two months." ... "Wicker’s former district voted 62 percent for [Republican] President Bush in 2004 and, by that measure, is one of the most conservative seats Democrats have taken from the GOP over the last 18 months, including the 2006 election." ... "Davis and Childers will square off again in November [2008 Election], as they have already been elected their parties’ general election nominees." (1, 2) -By Aaron Blake -TheHill.com

20080331

John McCain - Military - Intelligence - US - Iraq - 2008 Election - Mississippi - Arizona - "McCain ‘Surprised’ by Iraq Developments." ... "As he launched a tour here [in Mississippi] designed to highlight his family’s long tradition of military service, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona] Senator John McCain said Monday that he was surprised by the latest turn of events in America’s current war in Iraq." ... "Mr. McCain said he had not expected [Iraq] Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki to try to oust Shiite militias from Basra [Iraq] without consulting the Americans, and that he was troubled by some of the demands that were made by the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr as part of his offer of a ceasefire after the militias held off the American-supported assault. And he tied some of the current problems to the [Republican President] Bush administration’s old strategy there." ... "“Maliki decided to take on this operation without consulting the Americans,’’ Mr. McCain said on his campaign bus as it rolled through downtown Meridian [Mississippi], saying that the move showed independence but that he had expected the military to focus on Mosul [Iraq]." ... "“I just am surprised that he would take it on himself to go down and take charge of a military offensive,’’ he said. “I had not anticipated that he would do that.’’ " -By Michael Cooper -NYTimes

20080312

Barack Obama - Hillary Clinton - 2008 Election - Lawmakers - Illinois - New York - South Carolina - Mississippi - Georgia - Virginia - North Carolina - Tennessee - Alabama - North Dakota - South Dakota - Kentucky - West Virginia - "Eyeing Obama coattails." ... "Democratic lawmakers are becoming persuaded that [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.[Democratic-Illinois]) would have a more positive impact on other Democrats on the November ballot than [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and New York Senator] Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.[Democratic-New York])." ... "Obama’s advantage over Clinton would be most pronounced in the Southern and Western states President Bush carried in 2000 and 2004, say lawmakers interviewed by The Hill. In total, 32 members of Congress from these “red states” have endorsed Obama. Twenty-two lawmakers from those states have backed Clinton." ... "Obama will “bring new people into the process in Southern states, there’s no question about it,” said Rep. James Clyburn, the House Democratic whip from South Carolina. “In these Southern states he’s bringing out more people, young people, African-Americans. They’re being energized by him.”" ... "Clyburn, who has stayed neutral in the primary, said Obama at the top of the ticket would “certainly” do more to help other Democratic candidates, citing South Carolina and Mississippi specifically." ... "Obama has picked up congressional endorsements from Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, North and South Dakota, Mississippi, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Clinton has not collected congressional endorsements from any of these states, according to a tally kept by The Hill." -By Alexander Bolton with contributions by Sam Youngman -TheHill.com

20080306

Military - Safety - Clothing - Mississippi - Texas - US - Iraq - Afghanistan - "U.S. troops buy own gear for safety, style in battle: Since 9/11, the market for tactical war gear has grown to $150 million annually." ... "The traditional Army credo is that it's guts that win the glory – not fancy long-johns or Oakley sunglasses. But that old-school thinking is wicking away like perspiration through Gore-Tex as US soldiers today go beyond military-issue battle dress uniforms in favor of top-of-the-line gear to help them get home in one piece – and look sharp, too." ... "One reason, critics say, is that military procurement, especially of life-saving equipment, is still too slow. Quietly, however, the Pentagon – with the Army leading the charge – has begun bypassing rigid procurement rules, loosening uniformity requirements, and even spearheading technical innovations in gear, ranging from flame-retardant shirts to low-infrared signature zippers." ... "To some critics, the sight of soldiers buying their own battle gear symbolizes a divide between frontline grunts and rear echelon procurement officers who may never have seen battle. [Mississippi Democratic Representative] Rep. Gene Taylor (D [Democratic]) of Mississippi told the House Armed Services Committee last week that supplies such as body armor and uparmored Humvees "[have] taken entirely too long" to get to frontline troops." ... "In some cases, charity groups have stepped in to help. Operation Helmet, founded by Bob Meaders of Montgomery, Texas, shipped special helmet liners to soldiers to replace what many soldiers said were poorly designed helmet pads issued by the Army and the Marines. Just as Operation Helmet thought its work was done late last year, more requests came in from troops in Iraq and Afghanistan." ... ""The Army is planning a $20 billion future combat system, and they can't provide boots that don't wear out," says Roger Charles, editor of DefenseWatch, an investigative website that advocates on behalf of frontline soldiers. "There's no priority for taking care of relatively mundane items where most people would think, 'Gosh, that's so simple. Why don't they have the best boots, the best uniforms, the best helmets, and the best flak jackets?' " " (1, 2) -By Patrik Jonsson -CSMonitor

20080304

John McCain - Corporate - Government - Politician - Arizona - Pennsylvania - Ohio - Florida - Miss - Trent Lott - 2008 Election - "Lobbyist to run McCain's Hill effort." ... "Presumptive [2008 Election] Republican presidential candidate [and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain has engaged a leading GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] lobbyist to coordinate his message and travel schedule with congressional Republicans —the most concrete sign yet that the biggest battleground in the 2008 presidential race may not be Pennsylvania or Ohio or Florida’s I-4 corridor but rather the floor of the United States Senate." ... "John Green, a founding partner of what is now Ogilvy Government Relations, will soon take a leave of absence from that firm to work as a full-time liaison between McCain’s presidential campaign and Republicans in the House and the Senate, according to GOP aides on Capitol Hill and McCain surrogates downtown. Green, a Mississippi native, has strong ties in the Senate after his years of work for [Mississippi Republican Senator and] former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss. [Republican-Mississippi]), a vocal McCain supporter who left Congress late last year to set up his own lobbying shop." ... "Green is part of a small cadre of lobbyists who have met regularly to help build support for McCain on Capitol Hill. The group, which includes fellow Ogilvy partner [lobbyist] Wayne Berman, has been helping the senator secure congressional endorsements in recent weeks to ensure he solidifies his status as the GOP front-runner." -By Martin Kady II and Patrick O'Connor -Politico.com

20080225

John McCain - Jack Abramoff - Bob Riley - Tom DeLay - Bob Ney - Money - Politics - Investigation - Law - EMail - Alabama - Louisiana - Mississippi - Arizona - Texas - Ohio - History - 2002 Election - 2006 Election - 2008 Election - "McCain Withheld Controversial Abramoff Email." ... "In the 2006 Senate report concerning [Republican Lobbyist Jack] Abramoff's activities, which [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain spearheaded, the Arizona Republican conspicuously left out information detailing how Alabama [Republican Governor] Gov. Bob Riley was targeted by Abramoff's influence peddling scheme. Riley, a Republican, won election in November 2002, and was reelected in 2006." ... "In a December 2002 email [PDF] obtained by the Huffington Post -- which McCain and his staff had access to prior to the issuance of his report -- Abramoff explains to an aide what he would like to see Riley do in return for the "help" he received from Abramoff's tribal clients." ... "An official with the Mississippi Choctaws "definitely wants Riley to shut down the Poarch Creek operation," Abramoff wrote, "including his announcing that anyone caught gambling there can't qualify for a state contract or something like that."" ... "The note showed not only the reach of Abramoff, but raised questions about Riley's victory in what was the closest gubernatorial election in Alabama history." ... "And yet, despite the implications of the information, McCain and the Senate Indian Affairs Committee sat on the controversial portion of the email. According to an official familiar with the investigation, McCain also subsequently refused to make the email public after the report was released." ... "There was a brief footnote in the report that quoted William Worfel, former vice chairman of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, saying that Abramoff told the chief of a Mississippi tribe to spend $13 million "to get the governor of Alabama elected to keep gaming out of Alabama so it wouldn't hurt ... his market in Mississippi."" ... "But Riley's name and the details of what was being asked of him were not mentioned once in the 373-page document." ... "Indeed, as the Associated Press noted in 2006, McCain stayed deliberately agnostic as to Riley's involvement." ... ""Although Sen. McCain has long bragged of his role in the Abramoff investigation, he let [former Texas Republican Representative] Tom DeLay and the other members of Congress who were doing Abramoff's bidding completely off the hook. The sole exception was [former Ohio Republican Representative] Rep. Bob Ney, who served time in prison," Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics In Washington told the Huffington Post recently. "Sen. McCain knew what his colleagues were up to, he chose to take the easier path and give them a free pass."" -By Sam Stein -HuffingtonPost.com

20080220

Trent Lott - Money - Politics - Mississippi - "Judge: Scruggs indictment stands; Lott's name mentioned." ... "Powerful plaintiffs attorney Richard "Dickie" Scruggs tried to use his brother-in-law, former U.S. [Mississippi Republican Senator] Sen. Trent Lott, to influence the ruling of a sitting Mississippi judge, a government witness testified Wednesday in federal court." ... "The testimony about Lott came during a hearing in a separate federal case in which Scruggs, his son Zach, and law partner Sidney Backstrom are charged with trying to bribe Circuit Judge Henry Lackey to get a favorable ruling in a dispute over $26.5 million in legal fees." ... "Former New Albany [Mississippi] attorney Timothy Balducci, who has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and is helping prosecutors in their case against Scruggs, brought up Lott's name during his testimony." ... "When pressed by Scruggs' attorney, John Keker, Balducci testified that Scruggs had tried to use Lott to influence rulings made by Hinds County [Mississippi] Circuit Judge Bobby DeLaughter in another dispute involving legal fees." (1, 2) -By Chris Talbott -AP via -NOLA.com

20080204

John McCain - Psychology - 2008 Election - Mississippi - "McCain’s GOP colleagues wary of his temperament?" ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain sounds confident that he’ll be the Republican nominee for president." ... "But not everyone is ready to place McCain at the top of the ticket. The Washington Post reports several of McCain’s Republican colleagues are warning that his well-known tirades on and off the floor of the Senate suggest a temperament unfit for the office of president." ... "Mississippi [Republican] Senator Thad Cochran says, “The thought of McCain being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me.”" ... "Witnesses cite several examples of McCain cursing and belittling senate colleagues in front of people." -By Jack Cafferty -CNN

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20071218

Gordon Smith - Trent Lott - Racism - History - South Carolina - Mississippi - Oregon - "Gordon Smith Defends Lott's Segregationist Comments." ... "Speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday morning, [Oregon Republican Senator] Sen. Gordon Smith, R-OR [Republican-Oregon], offered a passionate defense of the pro-segregationist comments made by his colleague and friend, [Mississippi Republican Senator] Sen. Trent Lott, more then three years ago." ... ""I was half way around the world when an event befell Trent Lott that shook me deeply," Smith said, referencing Lott's 2002 remarks in praise of Dixiecrat [South Carolina Republican Senator] Strom Thurmond's 1948 run for the White House. "I was celebrating my re-election and on vacation. I watched over international news as his words were misconstrued, words which we had heard him utter many times in his big warm-heartedness trying to make one of our colleagues, Strom Thurmond, feel good at 100 years old. We knew what he meant. But the wolfpack of the press circled around him, sensed blood in the water, and the exigencies of politics caused a great injustice..."" ... "In 2002, Lott lost his Senate Republican Leader post after he was quoted praising the staunch segregationist Strom Thurmond during Thurmond's 100th birthday party. "I want to say this about my state: when Strom Thurmond ran for President, we voted for him," Lott boasted. "We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either."" ... "Lott apologized repeatedly for his remarks, calling them "insensitive," "repugnant" and "inexcusable" during an appearance on a black-oriented cable channel." ... "Lott recently found himself back among the leadership ranks. His election as minority whip in November 2006 came by a 25 to 24 vote. Sen. Smith played a key role in the internal party election." -By Sam Stein -HuffingtonPost.com
WATCH Oregon Republican Gordon Smith defend Mississippi Republican Trent Lott's celebration of South Carolina Republican Strom Thurmond's segregationist run for President in 1948.

20071203

Ted Stevens - Government - Lawmakers - Politics - Alaska - Miss - "Sens. Cochran, Stevens lead in earmark tally." ... "Senior Republican appropriators in the Senate have collected more money in earmarks than any other members of Congress, even though [Republican] President Bush and GOP leaders have forcefully criticized “pork-barrel spending.”" ... "Not only have these lawmakers defied their leaders, they have also taken a much greater share of the pot set aside for rank-and-file Republicans than have senior Democrats. As a result, some on the Hill are grumbling privately that GOP appropriators are “not only the kings of pork, they’re outright hogs,” in the words of one Senate Republican aide." ... "[Republican Mississippi Senator] Sen. Thad Cochran (Miss.), ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, has collected $774 million worth of earmarks in 12 spending bills. After Cochran, [Republican Alaska Senator] Sen. Ted Stevens (Alaska), the second-ranking Republican on Appropriations, secured more money for special projects than any other member of Congress: $502 million." -By Alexander Bolton -TheHill.com

20071127

Trent Lott - Political - Lawmakers - Mississippi - Pennsylvania - 2008 Election - "'Financial problems' hastened Lott's retirement, Specter says." ... "[Pennsylvania Republican Senator] Sen. Arlen Specter yesterday said it was his understanding that new regulations on lobbying by ex-lawmakers played a significant role in [Mississippi Republican Senator] Sen. Trent Lott's decision to retire, contradicting what the Mississippi senator told reporters in his home state." ... "If he steps down at the end of the year, Mr. Lott, a Republican, will be able to begin lobbying after just a year's wait, rather than two." -By Bill Toland and Jerome L. Sherman -Post-Gazette.com

20071126

Trent Lott - Mississippi - Politics - Money - 2008 Election - "Mississippi Dems threaten battle over special election date." ... "The timing of [Mississippi Republican Senator] Sen. Trent Lott’s (R-Miss.) resignation has opened legal questions about the date of the ensuing special election, and state Democrats might fight for a date earlier than what the Republican governor is proposing." ... "[Mississippi Republican Governor] Gov. Haley Barbour said in a statement Monday that he would schedule the special election for the same day as the November 2008 general election. State law, however, appears intended to require an earlier date if Lott retires this year, as he said he would." ... "The Mississippi secretary of state’s office said early Monday that state law appeared to require a special election within 90 days if Lott retires in 2007. After consulting with lawyers, however, a spokesman said the secretary of state concurred with Barbour based on a technicality in the letter of the law." ... "The Mississippi Democratic Party, however, said it expects Barbour to call an earlier election." ... "The law “makes clear that if Sen. Lott does indeed resign during this calendar year, as stated, then Gov. Barbour must call a special election for within 90 days of making a proclamation — which he must issue within 10 days of the resignation — and not on Nov. 4, 2008, as he has announced he intends to do,” state Democratic Chairman Wayne Dowdy said." ... "By resigning in 2007, Lott sneaks in under the wire for the extended ban on lobbying Congress by former members." -By Aaron Blake -TheHill.com
Trent Lott - Mississippi - South Carolina - Racism - History - 2008 Election - 2012 Election - "Trent Lott announces his resignation." ... "Mississippi [Republican Senator] Sen. Trent Lott, the Senate's No. 2 Republican, announced Monday he will retire from the Senate by end of year." ... "Lott's colleagues elected him as the Senate's Republican whip last year, a redemption for the Mississippian after his ouster five years ago as the party's Senate leader over remarks he made at retiring [Republican Senator] Sen. Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party. Lott had saluted the South Carolina senator with comments later interpreted as support for southern segregationist policies." ... "Mississippi's [Republican Governor] Gov. Haley Barbour, a Republican, will appoint Lott's temporary replacement, who will serve until the 2008 elections, when voters will elect someone to serve out the balance of Lott's term, which runs through 2012." ... "The smooth-spoken Lott found himself in hot water in December 2002 after Thurmond's party. Lott said Mississippi voters were proud to have supported Thurmond when he ran for president on a segregationist platform in 1948, and added: "If the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years either."" -MSNBC
Trent Lott - Money - Law - Mississippi - "Congress: More on Lott." ... "NBC News has learned that [Mississippi Republican Senator] Trent Lott in the midst of informing close allies that he plans to resign his Senate seat before the end of the year." ... "While the exactly reason Lott is stepping down before he finishes his term is unknown, NBC’s Ken Strickland reports, the general speculation is that a quick departure immunizes Lott against tougher restrictions in a new lobbying law that takes effect at the end of the year. That law would require Senators to wait two years before entering the lucrative world of lobbying Congress." -MSNBC

20071117

Gordon Smith - Trent Lott - Racism - History - Miss - South Carolina - Oregon - NH - Tennessee - "Smith supported Lott's leadership bid." ... "[Oregon Republican Senator] Sen. Gordon Smith was a key backer of [Mississippi Republican Senator] Sen. Trent Lott's return to a leadership post." ... "Lott, R-Miss. [Republican-Mississippi], this week won his bid to become the minority whip, the second-highest Republican post in the Senate. He defeated [Tennessee Republican Senator] Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. [Republican-Tennessee], in a 25-24 vote." ... "During the closed-door election, [New Hampshire Republican Senator] Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H. [Republican-New Hampshire], nominated Lott, and Smith seconded the nomination, Smith spokesman R.C. Hammond said. Smith then spoke in support of Lott." ... "Lott had been the Senate's majority leader - Republicans' top post -- until he stepped down in four years ago after being criticized for remarks praising [South Carolina Republican Senator] Strom Thurmond, who ran for president in 1948 on a segregationist platform [separating races]." -By Jeff Kosseff -Oregonian

20070829

New Orleans - Louisiana - Mississippi - Storm - Flood - Hurricane Katrina - Disaster - Rebuilding - Politics - Federal - Money - "An Angry New Orleans Remembers Katrina: Upset Over Lack Of Progress Since Devastating Storm, Protests And Memorials Mark 2nd Anniversary." ... "On the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, anger over the stalled rebuilding was palpable throughout a city where the mourning for the dead and feeling of loss for flooded homes, schools, snow cone stands, old-time hairstylists and hardware stores doesn't seem to subside." ... "Hurricane Katrina made landfall south of New Orleans at 6:10 a.m. Aug. 29, 2005, as a strong Category 3 hurricane that flooded 80 percent of the city and killed more than 1,600 people in Louisiana and Mississippi. It was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States." ... "[Republican] President Bush commemorated Hurricane Katrina's devastating blow Wednesday with a somber moment of silence. Across town, in a symbol of a federal-city divide that persists two years after the killer storm, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin marked the levee-breach moment with bell-ringing." ... "The front page of The Times-Picayune advertised a scathing editorial above the masthead: "Treat us fairly, Mr. President." It chided the Bush administration for giving Republican-dominated Mississippi a share of federal money that it said was disproportionate to the lesser impact the storm had there than in largely Democratic Louisiana. "We ought to get no less help from our government than any other victims of this disaster," it said." (1, 2) -AP -CBSNews

20070813

Hurricane Katrina - Real Estate - Disaster - Politics - Alabama - Mississippi - Louisiana - Government -Construction - Legislation - "Katrina aid goes toward luxury condos." ... "With large swaths of the Gulf Coast still in ruins from Hurricane Katrina, rich federal tax breaks designed to spur rebuilding are flowing hundreds of miles inland to investors who are buying up luxury condos near the University of Alabama's football stadium [in Tuscaloosa, Alabama]." ... "About 10 condominium projects are going up in and around Tuscaloosa [Alabama], and builders are asking up to $1 million for units with granite countertops, king-size bathtubs and 'Bama decor, including crimson couches and Bear Bryant wall art." ... "And they intend to take full advantage of the generous tax benefits available to investors under the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005, or GO Zone, according to Associated Press interviews with buyers and real estate officials." ... "The GO Zone contains a variety of tax breaks designed to stimulate construction in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama." ... "The GO Zone was drawn to include the Tuscaloosa area even though it is about 200 miles from the coast and got only heavy rain and scattered wind damage from Katrina." ... "Locals say Tuscaloosa was included in the GO Zone through the efforts of Republican [Alabama Senator] Sen. Richard Shelby, who is from Tuscaloosa, graduated from Alabama and sits on the powerful Appropriations Committee. But Shelby aides said Tuscaloosa made the cut because it was classified as a disaster area by the government after Katrina, not because of the senator's influence." -By Jay Reeves -AP via -USATODAY

20070629

David Vitter - Trent Lott - Racism - Politics - Immigration - Legislation - Civil Rights - History - Mass - La - Ky - Miss - SC - Ala - 2008 Election - "Senate immigration bill fails; issue "is going to have to wait." ... "The political battles that helped bring down sweeping immigration legislation in the Senate are sure to rage on, although the bill is all but dead until after the 2008 elections." ... "[Massachusetts Democratic Senator] Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., one of the bill's architects, compared the fight with the Senate's long struggle for civil-rights legislation against segregationist opponents." ... ""You cannot stop the march for progress in the United States," he declared." ... "To that, [Louisiana Republican Senator] Sen. David Vitter, R-La., among the bill's most aggressive foes, snapped: "To suggest this was about racism is the height of ugliness and arrogance."" ... "Republicans on both sides acknowledged the immigration fight had riven the GOP. Republican Senate aides, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Senate Minority Whip [Mississippi Republican Senator] Trent Lott, R-Miss., was furious with Minority Leader [Kentucky Republican Senator] Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., over the leader's refusal to confront the bill's most implacable opponents, who had virtually commandeered the Senate floor, blocking introduction of amendments, refusing to offer amendments of their own, then complaining that an unfair process was preventing them from improving the bill." ... "Lott told McConnell that Sens. Vitter, [South Carolina Republican Senator] Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and [Alabama Republican Senator] Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., were becoming the uncompromising faces of the Republican Party, a prospect that could set them back for years as the Latino vote grows in power." -SeattleTimes.NWsource

20070216

US - Iraq - Military - Terrorism - GA - MS - CA - "House Passes Iraq Resolution With 17 Votes From G.O.P.." ... "After four days of emotional debate over the extent of presidential powers in wartime and the proper role of Congress, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution today denouncing President Bush’s plan to send more American troops to Iraq." ... "The 246 to 182 vote in favor of the non-binding but nevertheless important measure set the stage for a crucial Senate debate on Saturday on how to debate the administration’s Iraq policy, or indeed whether it should be debated at all." ... "There had been virtually no doubt about the outcome in the House today, given the Democratic majority in the chamber and the fact that a significant number of Republicans had also signaled their backing for the resolution, which expresses support for American troops but not for their commander-in-chief." ... "Seventeen Republicans voted for the resolution. Two Democrats, Jim Marshall of Georgia and Gene Taylor of Mississippi, voted against it." ... "As many of her Democratic colleagues did, Ms. Pelosi [California Democratic Representative] said the war in Iraq is not part of the battle against terrorism, but rather a distraction from it." -By David Stout -NYTimes

20060928

Abramoff- Karl Rove - Ralph Reed - Money - Religion - Government - Mississippi - Northern Mariana Islands - "House Report Details 485 Contacts Between Abramoff Team and White House Officials." ... "A House committee has documented hundreds of contacts between top White House officials and former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates, as well as tens of thousands of dollors worth of meals and tickets to sporting events and concerts that were offered to these officials during a three-year period starting in early 2001." ... "The Government Reform Committee report singled out two of President Bush’s top lieutenants, Karl Rove and Ken Mehlman, as having been offered expensive meals and exclusive tickets to premier sporting events and concerts by Abramoff and his associates." ... "In total, the committee was able to document 485 contacts between White House officials and Abramoff and his lobbying team at the firm Greenberg Traurig from January 2001 to March 2004, with 82 of those contacts occurring in Rove¹s office, including 10 with Rove personally. The panel also said that Abramoff billed his clients nearly $25,000 for meals and drinks with White House officials during that period." ... "Rove, Mehlman, and other White House officials have denied having any close relationship with Abramoff, despite the fact that Abramoff was a “Pioneer” who raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Bush’s White House campaigns." ... "During the period examined by the committee, Bush administration officials repeatedly intervened on behalf of Abramoff’s clients, including helping a Mississippi Indian tribe obtain $16 million in federal funds for a jail the tribe wanted to build." ... "Abramoff was able to block the nomination of one Interior Department official using Christian conservative Ralph Reed as a go-between with Rove, according to e-mails between Abramoff and Reed." ... "Abramoff also tried to oust a State Department employee who interfered with their efforts on behalf of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, one of Abramoff’s most lucrative clients." -By John Bresnahan and Paul Kane -RollCall.com

20060815

Mississippi - Hurricane Katrina - Homeowner - Disaster - Business - Wind - Water -Weather - "Katrina storm surge damage not covered by homeowners insurance, judge rules." ... "A federal judge ruled Tuesday that an insurance company's policies do not cover damage from wind-driven water in a decision that could affect hundreds of upcoming cases related to property damage from Hurricane Katrina." ... "U.S. District Judge L.T. Senter Jr. ruled that a Mississippi Gulf Coast couple cannot collect damages from storm surge caused by Katrina because Nationwide Mutual Insurance's policies do not cover wind-driven water damage." ... "Senter Jr. said Paul and Julie Leonard of Pascagoula could be compensated for damage that they could prove was caused by high winds." ... ""This reading of the policy would mean that an insured whose dwelling lost its roof in high winds and at the same time suffered an incursion of even an inch of water could recover nothing under his Nationwide policy," he wrote." -AP via -USATODAY

20060707

Secret - Abramoff - Reed - Mark Zachares - Rove - Political - Money - Government- Mississippi - Alabama - Labor - Northern Mariana Islands - "Reed In The Rough." ... "Just days before [Republican President] George W. Bush took office in 2001, lobbyist Jack Abramoff was busily working with Ralph Reed, his longtime friend, political sidekick, and business associate, to place a key ally in the Interior Department." ... "Reed, an elite "Pioneer" fundraiser for the Bush campaign and a campaign adviser, had already helped Abramoff land his own plum slot on Bush's Interior transition team. Abramoff coveted the slot because Interior was overseeing the lobbyist's two biggest clients at the time -- the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians." ... "Now Abramoff, who had hired Reed in 1999 and 2000 to run anti-gambling drives in Alabama to fend off threats to the Choctaws' casino profits, was looking for more help. This time, Abramoff was trying to secure a job at Interior for Mark Zachares, a former secretary of labor in the Marianas government." ... "On January 11, 2001, Abramoff e-mailed Reed. "I was thinking about this appointment" to the Office of Insular Affairs at Interior, Abramoff wrote. "I know it is perhaps a bizarre request, but considering how quickly I was named to the transition advisory team thanks to your request, perhaps it would be possible to ask Karl [Rove, the president's chief political adviser]... that they should appoint Mark Zachares to head the Office of Insular Affairs.... Do you think we could get this favor from Karl? It would be my big ask for sure."" ... "Reed replied quickly: "It never hurts to ask. What's the next move?" Later that day, Reed sounded even more eager. "Just let me know who to call, when to call, and what to say. And while you're at it get me another client! NOW!"" ... "On March 6, Abramoff met with Rove for about half an hour and pushed for Zachares, according to Abramoff's former lobbying colleagues at the firm Greenberg Traurig and to Secret Service logs released earlier this year." -By Peter H. Stone -NationalJournal

20060418

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Transportation -

Hurricane Katrina -

Money- "Mississippi Senators' Rail Plan Challenged: War Bill Includes Millions to Move Just-Rebuilt Line." ... "Mississippi's two U.S. senators included $700 million in an emergency war spending bill to relocate a Gulf Coast rail line that has already been rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina at a cost of at least $250 million." ... "Republican Sens. Trent Lott and Thad Cochran, who have the backing of their state's economic development agencies and tourism industry, say the CSX freight line must be moved to save it from the next hurricane and to protect Mississippi's growing coastal population from rail accidents. But critics of the measure call it a gift to coastal developers and the casino industry that would be paid for with money carved out of tight Katrina relief funds and piggybacked onto funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan." ... "Budget watchdogs are already tagging the Lott-Cochran provision the "railroad to nowhere."" -By Jonathan Weisman -WashingtonPost

20060104

Gordon R England

Trent Lott

Hans von Spakovsky

Military

Government