Looks like our lil' ole senate race made the national media again this week:
Bloomberg published a Shrimp as Pork story yesterday that handicapped the race. Some excerpts:
There was a time when it was a good thing for a politician to bring home the bacon, or in the case of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi, the shrimp. In today’s divided Republican Party, it can get you in hot water.
That’s where Cochran, 76, finds himself as he faces Tea Party-aligned challenger Chris McDaniel, 41, a state senator who has criticized the six-term incumbent’s federal spending largess, even as many of the dollars flowed back to Mississippi.
The $25 million Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center in Ocean Springs, Mississippi -- which operates research and education programs and includes shrimp, blue crab and red snapper -- is the sort of beneficiary of federal dollars called into question in a Republican primary that will help show how the party defines itself going forward.
“To bring projects home with borrowed money that our children are going to have to pay back strikes me as problematic,” McDaniel said in an interview in Jackson, the state’s capitol. “For every project, or piece of pork, that comes to Mississippi, thousands of others go to other states and at some point we have to recognize that our trajectory is not sustainable.” ....
McDaniel raised $561,279 during the fourth quarter of 2013, including a $100,000 personal loan. He had $390,794 in his campaign account as January began. That was more than the $339,865 Cochran raised during the quarter, although the incumbent had $1.1 million in his campaign account...." Article
The always accurate Factcheck.org took a pro-Cochran Super-PAC ad to task for alleged distortions in a recent ad:
A super PAC supporting Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran is trying to turn the tables on his tea-party-backed challenger in the GOP primary, accusing state Sen. Chris McDaniel of being (of all things) soft on public debt. But to do that, the PAC’s TV ad is twisting the facts....
In other words, the ad attacks McDaniel for voting for routine bills that passed with overwhelmingly bipartisan support and, when signed into law, were often signed by the very man who is reportedly helping to finance this attack ad.
The conservative National Review reported:
If Matt Bevin wasn’t taking on Mitch McConnell, the Mississippi Senate race might be seen as the premier grassroots-outsider-vs.-establishment-incumbent primary fight of the cycle...
Cochran was considered a potential retirement this cycle. The URL for his 2008 reelection campaign web site, ThadforSenate.com, doesn’t appear to be up and running yet, nor has the campaign YouTube page been updated in five years. (UPDATE: See below.) He’s 76 and has spent 40 years in Congress when you throw in his years in the U.S. House. He hasn’t given conservatives a ton to gripe about on the biggest issues and doesn’t fit the usual “RINO squish” labels. His lifetime ACU rating is 79, which isn’t bad, but . . . it’s Mississippi.....Rest of article
The Hill (a Washington DC publication) reported State Senator McDaniel questioned how much time Senator Cochran spent in Mississippi:
Sen. Thad Cochran’s (R-Miss.) primary challenger, state Sen. Chris McDaniel, suggested on Monday that Cochran may face questions over his residency similar to those that have dogged — and in one case, toppled — other senators with primary challengers."That is too absurd for a response," said Cochran spokesman Jordan Russell.
Speaking to reporters at a gathering of conservative candidates hosted by FreedomWorks on Monday, McDaniel said his campaign was "watching...very carefully" whether Cochran maintains a residence in the state in a response to a question about other senators who had lapses.
But McDaniel said he had never seen Cochran in Mississippi during his seven years in the state Senate, and cited anecdotal accounts from friends and supporters on the campaign trail “who have never physically laid eyes on him.”
“That’s the reality, and that begs the question, how could one be responsive to the local people if he doesn’t know the will of the people?” he said. “We’re watching that very carefully — he’s almost never in the state.”...
Then there is Sid Salter who increasingly sounds more like an old curmudgeon the longer he lives in Starkpatch:
Russell also said Cochran owns a home in Oxford, MS where he lives when he’s in the state, and is a registered voter there. The senator was last in the state during the Jan. 22 recess and had 11 campaign stops over four days, according to his campaign, at which he spoke to hundreds of constituents and supporters.... Article
While watching what is shaping up to be a bitter and bloody U.S. Senate campaign in Mississippi, it’s important that state voters not lose sight of the fact that in the name of “grassroots” politics they are going to bear witness to a lot of folks selling “Astroturf.”
In politics, “Astroturfing” is to true “grassroots” politics what “Astroturf” is to real grass. It’s fake grass with fake roots......
In Mississippi, these outside groups have doubled-down on state Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, in his bid to “primary” incumbent Mississippi GOP U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran.
Why? Because Cochran has committed the unpardonable sin of thinking for himself and not allowing his every vote to be dictated by libertarian talking heads and because Cochran read the part of the Constitution that balanced the power of the U.S. president to direct spending with that of Congress to do the same thing.
Why? Because Cochran refuses to engage in the politics of the temper tantrum with votes to “shut down the government” every few months when policy negotiations get tough...Column
Looks like we are finally starting to have some fun.
36 comments:
McDaniel has never seen Thad in Midsissippi because he never went to any GOP functions. Hell I have seen him at the gas station. Twice.
9:20 weighs in with a thoroughly sophomoric con-comment, chortling as he reaches in his back pocket for the skoal.
Not a single one of these pro-Cochranites would look upon him with favor if he were of another state. He would be the national whipping boy for all things pork, largess and waste.
The bacon wagon built by Stennis and Eastland has served us well over several generations. But, it's time for Cochran to climb down, tie off the reins and retire the rig. The 20 mulle-team pulling that wagon is lame, crippled and unable to continue.
One would hope an incumbent senator, bent on serving his constituents, would show up at places other than fundraisers and other GOP functions. But, such is not the case.
"chortling" - impressive vocabulary range…..
Two years from now very few will remember Chris Mcdaniel. I'm amazed at these tea partiers who lobby for your vote to become a part of the government that they want to strangle out. They want to control government spending while commanding an undeserving six-figure salary and fringe benefits that they get not necessarily as a result of hard work but by winning a popularity contest that they win by telling you what you want to hear.
Vote for me, I'm an ultra conservative constitutionalist that believes government should stay out of your business....as long as you are straight, white and agree with me. Everybody else is the devil and the constitution doesn't apply to them.
Yeah, I'd say he has a shot at being elected in this backwards state.
10:01 sounds like some deranged Tennessee Williams wanna-be. Click-a-dee CLICK!!!
The last two posts address politics on a nationwide basis. Nothing at all peculiar to 'the tea party' or 'Mississippi politics'.
Are they suggesting we search for someone who will contribute his salary to a worthy cause? Are they suggesting we vote for the 'most unpopular' one on the ticket? Are they suggesting public service work is NOT hard work but is only a paid cruise with benefits?
Hogwash.
Who is Chris McDaniel???? There is an individual sitting in the White House that no one knows - Let that be a lesson to you!
Is 11:56 seriously suggesting that we know as much (or little) about the President as we do McDaniel?
If Mr. McDaniel is so effective, why doe he only have one bill left alive in the session in Jackson?
Answer: he does not know how to get things done.
11:34,
Sometimes the best choice is the unpopular choice. Not saying they should donate their salary to a worthy cause (though that would be nice) but work for your pay. Some jobs are performance based. If you don't work, you don't eat (that much). Public service is supposed to be a noble profession. Something you do b/c you love/care about your constituents and not because it's a lucrative position.
@ 10:01 AM - excellent post.
Voting against Cochran. Period. No amount of name calling by the Cochran-or-Die group will change my mind. I am a registered repub and will not support Cochran because he is more aligned with the Dem party than a conservative representative.
He may win...he may loose. But I will know that I did what I needed to do to stand up for my values and what is important to me.
It surprises me how little some of the posters on this blog understand how things are done in the US Senate. Without a majority one can only work with those in power and try to get as much of your agenda as possible included in any bill. Seniority gets one standing committee assignments and appointments to conference committees. What assignments will Mr. McDaniel's record get Mississippi and the nation.
4:07:
You smoke that mid often?
4:07, you are about a year behind in pushing that one. Perhaps you can go to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of the book, "Extortion". Was written by Government Accountability Institute President Peter Schweizer.
The book contains copies of the Democratic and Republican price lists detailing how much money lawmakers must raise to obtain and keep their seats on congressional committees. The so-called “party dues” lawmakers must contribute for committee assignments are separate and apart from the fundraising they conduct for their own campaigns. If lawmakers fail to make their tribute payment to their party, they can lose their place on a powerful committee.
the GOP price sheet is actually posted on the wall of the Republican Congressional Committee and contains red marks beside the names of lawmakers who fall behind on their party dues.
Do I want another good old boy up there who is scared to stand up? Nope. You seem to think that being 'liked' by other good old boys is the 'prize' in winning an election.
And here I thought service to your constiuents, all of your constiuents, was what you 'won'. silly me.
But, once again, thanks to a Cochran supporter for calling anyone-against-Cochran stupid. Bless your heart.
Blah, blah, blah. Thad is Mississippi's best bet for continuing to get copious amounts of Federal drugs dealt into our state. Blah, blah, blah.
within the last year I've seen Thad Cochran at the MSU game. I've seen him at a store in Jackson. Each time he was nice and receptive to any and all who spoke to him.
This line of stupidity from Chris McDaniel is not going to help him. There are a lot more people in Mississippi who have never seen Chris than have never seen Thad.
Each time he was nice and receptive to any and all who spoke to him.
You don't know this. Unless you are Thad or one of his handlers.
Thad Cochran has always been open and receptive in public. Anyone who says otherwise either does not know him or has never seen him. You may attack many things about him; but, his personality can not be one of them.
Sorry anonymous @ 12:43 people are free to disagree with anything. Yes they can.
Will someone remind 11:20 that he was suppose to check back into the home six hours ago?
4:07 sounds the same alarm we've heard forever in this state. The same one sounded by similar alarmists in 49 other states. "Don't vote for the new guy 'cause he won't have any seniority and won't get committee assignments and we'll lose all our hard-earned power".
Thad, like Robert Byrd, Moynihan, Abzug, Barney Frank, Kennedy and hundreds before and since, is simply in need of a hay-floored retirement stall in the federal barn. If 4:07 had a valid argument, everybody in congress would be over 70.
I'm still trying to understand why they trotted (assisted) Thad out on the forty at a MSU football game last season.
He was an Ole Miss cheerleader in college and has a home in Oxford. What was the point?
I'm sure he was in the Grey MHP SUV that overtook us on hwy 25 going at least 85 mph. What a waste of gas, both on hwy 25 and on the 40 yard line.
6:39 AM, not being at that game, I can only conjecture it's because of the close relationship between Dr. Mark Keenum and Thad, as well as the fact that Thad has helped appropriate loads of money to MSU over the past several years.
I keep going back and forth on the accusations that Cochran is "out of touch" with Mississippi voters. By his own admission he comes to the state about 18 times a year...how does that stack up against other senators? On a more fundamental level, some people are of the opinion that Thad funneling dump-truck loads of federal dollars into Mississippi is the greatest thing ever, so it makes sense for him to keep on keeping on in that regard. I'm not sure I necessarily agree with that; we have had multiple big-time appropriators (Stennis, Eastland,and Whitten come to mind) representing the Magnolia State in the halls of Congress. Are we objectively worse off or better off due to their influence? As a follow up, are we as a state and as a nation better off or worse off due to Thad's involvement in the political process? That, I think, is the question one must answer when making a choice in the primaries and the general election.
Since that MSU game was not the Egg Bowl I don't see any reason why Thad wouldn't make an appearance before his constituents. He represents Bulldogs and Rebels alike, you know.
And 8:42 - like the poster you disparage I have also met with Thad and hung around watching him spend several hours meeting with constituents, listening patiently to the concerns each one brought to Washington. Retail politics at its finest - "Senator Pothole" with a Southern drawl ;-)
What a crock of shit; suggesting that Cochran would make his way to Starkville and be escorted to midfield so he could 'be among' his constituents.
And another crock of shit to suggest it occurred simply because he's a friend of the chancellor. Look for motives people...look for motives. "He just happened to be in town" won't wash with anybody but the low information crowd and those with a complete inability to think critically.
Politicians only make 'appearances' when it's to their advantage to do so. Period.
Help me understand why both Cochran and Wicker support the Internet Tax push.
I've seen Cochran at a gas station in Mississippi - and he was pumping his own gas!
7:51. Because the internet tax is the right thing to do. Duh.
Mississippi receives more federal dollars per capita than any other state. If that flow of money stops then you better be ready to take in 2 of your neighbors.
All you McDaniel zealots best be real careful...you might just get what your asking for. Remember it's not the perfect surgery if the patient dies.
February 16, 2014 at 9:27 AM = wants free shipping outlawed too!
Will 'duh' care to explain why a state that has zero to do with my internet purchase should collect a tax on the transaction in which it plays NO role?
If I fill up with gas in Tallulah, should I pay a Mississippi tax on the portion of that tank I burn after crossing the bridge at Vicksburg?
Ah, back to the poster at 3:29 ~ If you're 'a registered Republican', you don't live in Mississippi.
10:55. You pay those sales taxes in Tallulah. Duh. I sat on my ass this morning, ordered 8 items from Amazon Prime, paid no sales taxes and had FREE FREIGHT.
Saved $18.63 in taxes from what I would have paid at Lowes's, which carries everything I bought.
A stupid waste of sales tax revenues for the state and city.
Also, unfair to local merchants.
Duh.
I sat on my ass this morning, ordered 8 items ... paid no sales taxes and had FREE FREIGHT ... unfair to local merchants
ANDdddddddd you went ahead and screwed them anyways. That is lofty.
Here is a reality check:
Thad Cochran, along with John Stennis, Sonny Montgomery, and a host of other soft communists from days of old, consistently voted for more and more pork/largess - which fed a lot of hogs in Mississippi, then and now. BUT, that money had to come out of the pockets of other Americans, who gave it to the federal machine, which ate some of it and sent some of it here. But now, on account of all that well-intended, un-Constitutional, communistic thinking and acting, we are almost at the point of no return on the national debt. Therefore, the free ride and free food in the hog trough MUST end, or we will ALL suffer more than this generation can imagine - when what is left of our 200+ year-old free market system collapses: No trucks or trains running, no food in the stores, no fuel, et cetera. Cochran doesn't have the stomach or will to cast a vote to peel back the big government, steal-it-from-those-who-earn-it-and-buy-votes-from-the-rest mentality. If Cochran wins re-election and the economy crashes, history will remember him as a traitor (that he is) to the Constitution he swore to uphold, defend and protect - and the only thing that will stop this economy from crashing is for Congress to start right now peeling back the layer-upon-layer of socialism that got us here. The present system is un-sustainable. Someone must be elected who will make the hard decisions.
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