Jackson Jambalaya

I'd say in the interest of bilateral unity, do what the democrats do. Reject his candidacy as a republican. Cross the aisle! Extend a hand! Embrace the policies of the other side. Kick his ass to the curb ala George Dale.

There's gridlock because the zealots in both parties will alive any member that doesn't drink the party Kool Aid even when it's laced with poison.

It's no longer about conservatism or liberalism, it's about loyalty to a narrow, extremist viewpoint!

There's no hope for pragmatism or rationalism on any issue.

We've lost our f'ing minds. We are like the " highway or my way" married couple who fights constantly and we all know they are both just crazy and unpleasant to be near and ask their friends to choose up sides thus making everyone miserable.

Part of me believes the GOP should accept his candidacy but on the other hand the probability that Taylor will flop back to the Donkeycrats should they take the House sometime in the future is very high.

March 5, 2014 at 8:20 AM = seek help for your depression, please don't kill yourself

Gene was really never a very good Democrat nor very good Republican. I find it refreshing that he won't have espouse only the talking points of the obstructionist,crazy, Ted Cruse ultra right or the looney ultra left. I've been shocked by the number of people I've spoken with have said they're supporting Gene. Palazzo must've really (to paraphrase Haley) "stepped on his wang" with those in his district. I know who I'd vote for!

Rep Jeff Smith, Appr Chair, was the democrat of the year every year and still is...so why did Speaker Gunn give him a chairmanship??? Gunn is a weak weak Speaker

Gridlock, obstructionism......

Ugh!

I, for one, am a long term Republican and have been involved with the party on a state level. I am no politico, though.

I, for one, am sick of the smooth transition into making more laws and am in favor of gridlock and obstructionism. We have 2 parties by name, only. Both are progressive parties with nothing but professional politicos who see the government as the answer to every question. They just have their different ideology of what problems the government should solve. We have removed personal responsibility on so many levels with a nanny state, it's the typical cliche' of the sheltered child who goes to college. They never had to have any responsibility for themselves, and when they get pushed in the position of personal responsibility, they fail miserably. That's the current United States of America.

So, I want gridlock and obstructionism until some individuals start running on the "less government" ideology, less taxes, less intervention into the private lives and private sector.

I'll be labeled all sorts of things like tea party, obstructionist, etc but I'm not a label. I'm the middle class American citizen, period.

That jeff smith comment is toooo funny! he is so far up Gunn's butt all the while working behind his back against him and dumbo Gunn doesn't even see it. Its big talk at the capitol now the Smith is nice to gunn's face and turns right around and sticks it to him. Smith thinks he can still be Speaker....

Someone is telling secrets out of the Capitol! tisk tisk! Naughty Naughty!!!!

Someone hit the funny bone on this. Capitol was buzzing at lunch today about Jeff Smith and Gunn being blind to Jeff's contempt for him.

Well said, 10:08 AM.

Taylor is a democrat. Repubs would be stupid to let him run under their party.

Gunn is the Obama in the legislature. Gunn wears the MOM jeans and Smith is his Putin, continually kicking Gunn ass. Smith is secretly a liberal. Someone said they think he is undermining Gunn on behalf of the democrats. Why would a republican appoint a guy who was just a democrat 2 years ago to be chair of the House Ways and Means? Makes you wonder. The only reason he switched political affiliation is because he was about to be beat.

Back to Taylor. The state party - either one of them - has every right to question the bonafides of any candidate seeking certification for the primary. I have seen dignitaries galore show up for a county official to announce his switch to the Republican Party, and to have a former ten term Democrat Congressman do it should have been front page news from South Haven to Gulfport. Taylor obviously hasn't been welcomed into the party, and it will be interesting to see how this turns out. Were it up to me I would deny him a spot in the Republican primary. He should have filed as an Independent, and I can't figure out for the life of me why he didn't.

Bill
He didn't because he can get elected as a Republican.

I have watched many Dems switch to the GOP get elected and still act like a Donkey.

There probably should be a loyalty oath in the qualifying papers, but it is not.

If that's the case, then what's the difference between running against Palazzo as a Republican in the primary and running against Palazzo as an Independent in the general? I think he'll lose at least a few Democrat votes in the primary because they'll be voting for Childers. I'm sure there's more to it that I don't know - I'm not a coast guy - but this doesn't make much sense to me. Although Gene is well accustomed to being an outsider to his Congressional caucus, he'll be judged by a whole new group of people now. He should have been welcomed with open arms if he's truly changed his principles and is not just using the Republican Party as a vehicle of convenience to get back to Congress.

Gene Taylor and Jeff Smith are still democrats...no matter they changed their registration.

i bet speaker Gunn will support gene Taylor since he likes people who switch parties so much.

I suspect a whole lot of Dems will be voting in the Republican primary for Chris McDaniel, thinking that is a better opponent for Travis Childers to face in the general election. I'm sure those Dems will vote for Taylor as well if they live in that district. So, the Tea Party Senate candidate may have a lot to do with a sitting Tea Party Congressman being defeated in the primary. This will all be very interesting to watch.

Under the WEAK leadership of Joe Nosef and the Ms Rep Party, the committee voted 25-10 to allow Taylor to run as a republican. So how is he a republican after he got best by one. Now he wants to run against the guy that beat him? Nosef is weak as water.

@8:45 Agree. I got other words to use for Nosef besides water.

Wow. 25-10 to let Taylor run as a member of the GOP! Who are these people? We need a list KF. U don't lose an election as a democrat and then descide you want to switch sides. That's just insane. Nobody in there right mind could believe he is now a republican. Then some retards we have representing our party allow him to run when they could have said NO. these people on this committee need to be removed ASAP.

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it already law that he could run as a republican if he chose to in Mississippi without approval of the political party? So the vote was symbolic.

I watched films today on Bush's public reaction to Putin's move against Georgia compared to Obama's public reaction to Putin's move against Ukraine.

The reactions are the same. The sentences are nearly identical.

Two Presidents from different parties, neither running for re-election, and they choose the same approach because it's the wise approach.

Instead of uniting behind our President, whomever he may be at the time, we can't see past party affiliation to national best interest. We can't imagine that the man from the other party can do anything right so we automatically against any course he takes.

That anyone argues this is good astounds me.

That anyone who hates communism thinks rigid adherence to a doctrine is good and straying should be intolerable, puzzles me.

I thought those who believed in democracy believed in individual freedom even for party members. I though we believed a man should be able to vote his conscience regardless and stand for right against might.

Depressed with the current political nonsense on both sides of the aisle? You bet. Suicidal, no. I have hope those of you who are extreme conformists and who have a closed mind to any view on any subject that doesn't fit your preconceived notions won't prevail in the long run.

I have more respect for men who can think for themselves than for parrots...especially parrots who learned to speak in a brothel.

Nosef was not week, he was inclusive, he let everyone who had a opinion speak. After the roll call the vote was tallied and he still let the anti-Taylor group say whatever was on their minds.
The meeting should have been over in 15 minutes, but it lasted one and 1/2 hours to allow the venting. Which I thought was unusual because as he has said, he doesn't get paid to be the Chairman.

"...as he has said, he doesn't get paid to be the Chairman. "

Well, the GOP is certainly getting their money's worth then....

I predict the Democrats will refuse to certify Bill Marcy and they'll get away with it. Even if they don't they'll force him to use money on legal fees that otherwise could be used on the campaign. They pretty much have to do this so the scenario described at 8:44 above can play out. Childers unopposed will give Democrats plenty of opportunity to vote in the Republican primary, which is bound to help McDaniel and Taylor.

I hope the Republicans learn a lesson if the state Dems get away with blackballing Marcy. I suspect a good number of those 25 votes were to avoid the almost certain litigation that would have ensued, but sometimes you have to stand up for what's right. What's right in this case would have been for Gene Taylor to either stay a Democrat or qualify as an Independent, because he's no more a Republican than Bill Marcy is a Democrat.

Who is Bill Marcy and what is his story on party affiliation?

Bill Marcy has run as a conservative Republican against Bennie Thompson in the last two elections. He has always enjoyed TEA Party support, but state and national organizations didn't give him much financial support, mainly because Bennie would have been tough to beat even by a well funded Republican and they wanted to spend their money where it could have more impact. He is now running in the Democrat primary for the US Senate seat. There is lots of speculation about whether the state Democrats will certify him to be on the ballot, much like their Republican counterparts did for Taylor last night, but the law is unfortunately clear - if a candidate meets the statutory requirements to run the party pretty much has to certify him. Bill isn't a Democrat any more than Gene is a Republican, but that's the way the rules have been made.

A good first step for certification for both parties would be to require psychiatric tests!

I wish the press and the people on here would stop calling Steven Palazzo the tea party representative. He was not. Joe Tegerdine was the tea party candidate. The Republicans endorsed and supported Palazzo as the candidate before we had the first primary. The race was over with because Palazzo got the money from the Republican Party.

7:00 & 8:48 AM
I have been in attendance to hear GOP chairmen since Fordice speak from the podium at headquarters. Nosef is the only one to repeatedly complain about not getting paid.