Jackson Jambalaya

Kingfish, I am covered up today, but could you tell us if there was a single Republican arrested in Operation Pretense? I am really curious.

Paul,this was a Democratic state in those days. There were hardly any Republicans holding office.

When one party controls a state as used to be common, corruption is a given.

The same was true in Republican controlled states in the North.

The most amazing thing to me at the time of Operation Pretense is how cheap it was to buy an elected official.

Knock it off Paul. Take a look at two nearby Republican counties. Not too clean, are they?

I'm not in favor of statewide one party rule by either party. Yes, the Republicans want to dominate as do the Democrats but if the R's own the house, senate, and all statewide offices, it will eventually lead to trouble human nature being what it is. The loyal opposition can be a good thing at times.

I just wanted to know because I remember that Gil Carmichael was like the only Republican in Mississippi at the time other than me.

By the way, the last I time I ran the numbers, about three years ago, Democrats are only charged with a crime at a rate eight times that of Republicans.

It sounds like corruption is more likely to take place in counties where voters have less education. In the 1980's that may have meant the rural counties, but I'm not so sure that today's urban voter is any smarter than his rural counterpart. Kenneth Stokes is elected by better educated voters than Karl Banks? I can't say for sure, but I heard that the only county that Bill Marcy carried was Carroll County, which is pretty rural. Seems those folks are pretty smart...Bill Billingsley

I have a lawyer friend who agreed to represent a supervisor from his home county. They met with the US Attorney, who played an audio tape on which the supe could be heard complaining that the bribe was too low. After the tape finished, my friend turned to the supe and said, "That hurts." The supervisor replied, "Some."

Hey, I too was riding around with Gil and his beautiful wife and there were three Republicans in our County that would admit to being a Republican. Out of all those that went to jail, those that had the keys to the system that locked them up were more corrupt and used the poor dumbass's as their political step UP. All politics are local untill its not.

Not sure if I want to put my two cents in because this stirs up a lot of memories and resentment. The tactics used by some of the FBI agents were despicable and nothing short of entrapment--I heard the tapes. G.F. Mixon of Perry County finally agreed to a plea deal because the stress of the indictment caused a great deterioration in his health. He died shortly after.

I remember Operation Pretense mainly because I won a trip to Washington, D.C. because of it. I was in high school and I entered a competition where the final round involved an impromptu speech about a topic selected by the judges -- mine was Operation Pretense. I WENT OFF on it, saying the primary lesson was that Mississippians needed to do a better job policing themselves so the Feds would have no reason to come down here. (sigh) Memories.