Wednesday, May 7, 2014

The Fall of the House of Bennie?

Democrat consultant Richard K. Buckman submitted this column to JJ.  It is much closer to political reality than Sid Salter's recent "Kingmaker" column on Congressman Bennie Thompson. Enjoy. 




“Media misses what’s really behind  Bennie’s racist comments”

You may not like Congressman Bennie Thompson’s politics, but you should admit that he finally understands that the only way for him to retain his 2nd Congressional District seat in Mississippi and his power is to be the leader for the African Americans.

This past week Bennie called Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas an “Uncle Tom” and said Governor Phil Bryant's opposition to Medicaid expansion per the Affordable Care Act is "just because a black man created it." He went on to attack U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell as well because he was opposing the White House’s agenda, saying Republicans' "blatant disrespect" of Obama "is all about race." 

Bennie did say all of these things, but the main stream media has lost the real take on Bennie’s recent racist comments.

They had nothing to do with defending Obama’s low poll numbers, the right’s efforts to repeal Obamacare, or Bennie’s desire to go after any particular GOP office holder. This has much more to do with Bennie realizing that he has lost touch with his real base, his large African American constituency.

This is a role he is obviously losing as demonstrated by the loss of three candidates he endorsed recently in Hinds County. Any member of Congress should take that kind of a response from his own constituency as a sign to get things right in their base community or face defeat themselves.
Congressman Thompson was first elected in a special election back in the spring of 1993 When Mike Espy resigned to become Agriculture Secretary under President Clinton.  Bennie won with a crowded field of six Democrats and one Republican with a run-off victory of 55 percent against the Republican.

Bennie had previously served on the Board of Supervisors in Hinds County. His politics has always been racially loaded toward African Americans because that was his majority base as both Supervisor and as a Congressman.

The black voting age population grew in Bennie’s district during the last redistricting and is now at 63.7 percent.

During his early years in Congress, many white businessmen displayed their anger with Bennie’s process that he had in place to get an audience with him. This process usually meant you had to have one of a handful of his “people” on your payroll as a consultant to be able to gain an appointment with him so he could hear your needs. Needless to say that almost all of Bennie’s “people” were African American lawyers, engineers and consultants.

This went on for years and slowly started to change as Bennie’s tenure and power continued to grow. He thought that he could get the money necessary from the white community without having to fully give up his strong racial stand with his base.

The money part has worked well. As of this past month’s quarterly FEC filing, Bennie has $1,376,212.64 cash on hand in his campaign account and is the richest member personally among all of our Mississippi congressional delegation. 

During Bennie’s tenure he served as the chairman of the Budget Committee and then was actually appointed chairman of the Homeland Security Committee while the Democrats held the majority in the House. Now, with the Republicans in power, he is still the ranking member on the Homeland Security Committee.

Due to Bennie’s powerful committee positions, he has over the years lost some of his personal connections with his Mississippi constituency. His attention has become more national in scope. Bennie has spent more time in DC and taking trips all over the world and less time doing the local “fish fries” that he was once famous for doing throughout his district.

Also, Charlie Horhn, who was once Bennie’s district director, retired.

Charlie was a master at African American and labor union organization for Bennie personally and for all of the other elections in which Bennie had a stake. After Charlie left, Bennie did not understand that Charlie’s departure left him weaker in the African American community. He assumed he was as strong as ever, but as you can see, he was wrong.

Earlier this year, Bennie Thompson decided to get involved in a special election for his old Hinds County seat on the Board of Supervisors by supporting his cousin, Willie Earl Robinson, against Darrel McQuirter.

Bennie got very involved and had his “people” out there supporting Willie Earl and he and his wife were making appearances on his behalf.

That also meant Bennie had all of his close “people” – his lawyers, consultants and engineers – out there donating money to Willie Earl and trying to turn out the vote for his campaign.
What Bennie didn’t have any longer was the organization that Charlie Horhn had always had in place for him and he was also lacking the same respect that his base constituents once had for him as a leader for African Americans here at home.

McQuirter beat Robinson for Bennie’s old supervisor’s seat by a 54 percent to 46 percent vote total.
That was a blow to Bennie’s entire organization and sent shivers in his ranks being that this was his old Bolton seat. This should have made the Bennie Thompson regime take note at the time of the power transition that was taking place right before their eyes.

However, the arrogance of Bennie and his “people” prevented them from learning from this embarrassment.

Bennie and his “people” suited back up after Jackson, Mississippi, suffered the shocking news that it lost its Mayor Lumumba to a heart condition unexpectedly after only being in office a few short months.

This time they put all of their support behind a city councilman named Melvin Priester, Jr. This councilman had no great experience in city government.

However, there had to have been a commitment to Bennie by Mr. Priester that he would continue to use the same lawyers, consultants and engineers that the late mayor had used to get Bennie’s support.
The entire Thompson team was out working hard for Priester, making commercials and endorsements. But Priester finished a very, very distant third place. The run-off came down to the late mayor’s son, Chokwe Antar Lumumba and City Councilman Tony Yarber.

But Instead of learning from his two previous losses for supervisor and mayor right there in his major African American base of Hinds County, Bennie backed Lumumba to replace his late father. That decision, too, carried the same stipulation about Bennie’s lawyers, consultants and engineers.
Again, all for naught, as Bennie’s candidate lost to Yarber by a considerable margin – 54 percent to 46 percent.

This would be the third candidate in a row from Hinds County within a few short months to take the endorsement of the strong 2nd District Congressman and still be defeated.

We should also not forget Bennie’s efforts to be the kingmaker in Canton last year for incumbent Mayor Dr. William Truly. Bennie used his same model of going all out making commercials for Dr. Truly and having his “people” do the negative efforts that they always do on his behalf against challenger Arnel Bolden. 

This time Bennie and his “team” ended up worse off than they did this year in Hinds County. The Incumbent, Dr. Truly, took Bennie’s endorsement and got a whopping 41%, while challenger Bolden won with 59% of the vote.

There is only one way to look at these facts and one conclusion to draw from them – that Bennie Thompson has lost strength as the kingmaker right in his own backyard.

If the Congressman can’t get three African American candidates in a row in Hinds County elected over three other African American candidates then maybe this shows that he is vulnerable in his own congressional seat.

This is why you have seen Bennie come out talking about the “Uncle Toms” and the evil white Republicans against this wonderful black President Obama.  Bennie’s comments coming on the heels of the recent defeat of his candidates also sends a sign that this was a very calculated political move by Bennie.

This should also be a wake-up call to all intelligent, educated, and politically motivated African Americans in the 2nd Congressional District.

It is a call that they should start the process today of getting their organization in place for the 2016 race, which promises to be a high voter turnout. 

It is obvious that Bennie Thompson, like many other members of Congress, have served too long.
In his 21 years of service, he has apparently forgotten who sent him to DC to begin with and has spent his time gaining power in DC and making his lawyers, consultants, and engineers wealthy.
Although Bennie is trying to reconnect with his African American base by making these racist comments now, it may be too late.
Perhaps it is time for some new blood in the 2nd Congressional District as 21 years in office is enough to make anyone lose sight. Maybe the voters should take note of how the NBA is dealing with the racist comments of Clipper’s owner Donald Sterling. The NBA is banning him for life. Sounds like the voters of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi should at least look at forcing the permanent retirement of Bennie Thompson, along with all of his “people”.

Written by Richard K. Buckman
Richard is a political consultant and operates Resolute Strategies, Inc. in Biloxi, MS. Richard has spent the last 25 years in politics with 15 of those in our nation’s capital of Washington, D.C.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good insights, other than suggesting that Canton is in Hinds County.....

Anonymous said...

"Ban Bennie"!!!

Anonymous said...

I will believe the African American majority in congressional district two will dispose of Bennie.... when Thad is retired.

Anonymous said...

Is this the same Richard Buckman that who did Fed time for not paying his taxes?

Anonymous said...

It would still take a very strong candidate to unseat Bennie. It ain't gonna be Bill Marcy.

White Perch said...

Never underestimate the power of a fish fry.
Especially when it's free.

Nuff2Say said...

Bennie on the schedule for the Hinds CC Utica Campus and Hinds AHS graduation on Sunday, May 18th at 2PM on the Utica Campus of Hinds CC. More Info at http://news.hindscc.edu/index.php/hinds-cc-expands-graduation-ceremonies-announces-speakers/?utm_content=5206588&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook . It's also on their Facebook page and Twitter page with a pic.

Also happens to be the last graduation for Hinds AHS, historically BLACK school. The Gov signed a bill to close the school last month. Wonder if Big B's speech will contain some of the same language that he has recently be spouting???

Also interesting that election year will be next year and he will have LOTS of ears to hear him at the graduation.

We report... You decide!!

Anonymous said...

It probably won't be long before the scent of fresh fried catfish permeates the air. Folks gonna be lining up.

Anonymous said...

The folks in the White House cringe when they hear his name and despise his politics. Its more than a coincidence that the Obama administration selected his 2010 opponent, Heather McTeer for the post of Region 4 EPA administrator.
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/heather-mcteer-toney/12/768/363

Anonymous said...

LOL, this guy Buckman as I recall was in Fed trouble not long ago down here on the Coast for not paying his taxes to Uncle Sam. He is hardly any Democratic consultant, he is some local-yokal renegade hack trying to bottom-feed off of anyone who will throw him some cash.

Look, he makes very valid points about Bennie no doubt, but for the sake of fairness, Haley Barbour operated/operates about the same way on his side of the aisle. Mississippi is, and always has been, the political struggle for seeing who can fetch the biggest slice of an ever shrinking small pie. I don't ever see that changing in my lifetime...

Anonymous said...

bennie knew what he was doing when he picked Dupree over Luckett. I believe if Luckett had gotten the Democratic nomination he would have given Bryant a run for the money, especially if Luckett had had the opportunity to ride the anti personhood wave that stated to crest in late October.

Anonymous said...

The article says nonjudgmentally, "[Bennie's] politics has always been racially loaded toward African Americans because that was his majority base as both Supervisor and as a Congressman." So is racism by an African American acceptable when it's politically expedient?

What about the following assertion. "Ross Barnett's politics had always been racially loaded toward Caucasian Americans because that was his majority base as a Southern white Democrat from the 1950's." Is it now time to declare Mississippi's past history of racial discrimination irrelevant? After all, like Bennie, can't all those white politicians from the mid Twentieth Century be excused because they were merely appealing to their majority base?

Anonymous said...

...the scent of fresh fried catfish...

Stokes perfume

Anonymous said...

Interesting article. Glad you posted, KF.

-This has much more to do with Bennie realizing that he has lost touch with his real base

-had to have one of a handful of his “people” on your payroll as a consultant to be able to gain an appointment with him....

- a commitment to Bennie that he would continue to use the same lawyers, consultants and engineers...

-This should also be a wake-up call to all intelligent, educated, and politically motivated African Americans in the 2nd Congressional District

-the voters of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi should at least look at forcing the permanent retirement of Bennie Thompson, along with all of his “people”.

It would be nice if that district could get someone who would really work to help them and not just politic and holler.

Anonymous said...

Interesting that you did not post my comment concerning Buckman and his past, and also critical of Haley. if you insist on calling yourself a "journalist" and exposing the truth in politics and government all around Mississippi, then please think about your own preconceived notions of what you are doing. Other than that, I submit that 80% of the time you do excellent work my friend.

Anonymous said...

@ 2:38; Is this you Kingfish?...

Anonymous said...
Interesting article. Glad you posted, KF.

Renick said...

What is it about calling out racism that makes people like Richard call the accuser a racist? There are some deep seated guilt issues at work here that have nothing to do with Bennie Thompson.

Kingfish said...

Some people are trying to post the author's history and information on here. Has nothing to do with the column itself. Nothing. Read the column and judge it on its merits, not who the messenger is.

Anonymous said...

Biography of Richard K. Buckman

Richard Buckman is the consummate political operative. He always knows his subject matter very, very well. He is strong in his views, but he is not rigid in his approach to negotiations. He keeps his eye on the ultimate objective and is relentless in his efforts to achieve his objectives and those of his clients. Buckman’s stature is such that he commands easy access to Capitol Hill and the entire federal apparatus in Washington, DC. In dealing with projects great and small needing federal support, Richard is the right person to weigh the merits and make sure the project is completed successfully.

Richard Buckman served as the Director of Government Affairs for the Morelli Ratner Law Firm. The Law Firm’s main office is located in New York City. The Firm is one of the priemer Trial Firms in the United States. Its founding Partner, Ben Morelli, currently serves as President of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. The Firm has represented many high profile cases throughout its history. As Director of Government Affairs, Richard ran Morelli Ratner's Washington, DC operation, working daily and directly with the senior partners: Ben Morelli and David Ratner.

In this capacity, Richard managed all of the Firms governmental and political needs throughout the nation and internationally. His mature relationship with Members of the House and Senate is second to none. He has immense ties and history with the Democratic National Committee, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, Democratic Governor’s Association, the House and Senate Leadership, as well as with many rank and file Members of both bodies and affiliations.

Buckman has proven himself a skilled, tireless and resilient operator. He has brought together disparate interests under a common banner and proved himself a true craftsman of his trade.

Previously, Richard worked as the Director of Government Relations in Washington, DC for The Eaves Law Firm, based in Mississippi. During his tenure, he was intimately involved in the Firm’s lawsuit against the United Stated Navy on behalf of the island residents of Vieques, Puerto Rico. He was the point-of-contact with the United States Congress, the United States Navy and the Bush Administration.

This suit sought damages on behalf of the island's residents in return for the Navy’s bombing of this island for over 62 years and the people’s medical problems associated with these activities. Under his leadership, these different government bodies sponsored more than 20 resolutions supporting the Firm's efforts on behalf of these residents and coordinated many visits to the Island for many Members of Congress and the Press.

Proceeding his tenure with Eaves Law Firm, Richard served for 10 years as the CEO of Buckman and Associates, a very successful political consulting and management firm. Buckman and Associates served as a general consultant and manager for many political races. Richard worked on many federal, gubernatorial, state-wide, legislative and municipal races, covering the entire United States political gamete and landscape. In the federal capacity, Richard worked vehemently on U.S. House and Senate Races, and the U.S. Presidential campaigns of Clinton, Gore, Gephardt, Edwards and Kerry. During his tenure as CEO of Buckman and Associates, and under Buckman’s personal management, the Firm won 68 of 72 campaigns.

Richard was born and raised in Pachuta, Mississippi. After completing Quitman High School, he attended the University of Southern Mississippi where he studied Political Science and Economics. Upon graduating college, he moved to Washington, DC to work for the late Congressman Larkin Smith (R-MS). This first job in DC led to Richard’s continued political career of more than 25 years and counting on the national political stage.

Richard currently resides in Biloxi, Mississippi and is the President of Resolute Strategies, Inc.

Anonymous said...

21 years ago this was the poorest and least-educated Congressional District in the USA.

After 21 year of Bennie Thompson working on their behalf, it still is.

Dumbasses



To quote that renowned and erudite philosopher, Charles "The Round Mound of Rebound" Barkley, "Black people have been voting for Democrats for 50 years. And they're still poor."

Anonymous said...

At least Bennie Thompson's not poor anymore.

I heard Bennie and Bobby Moak got into a slap fight over thirds at the Horseshoe Buffet.

Anonymous said...

What does it say about Bennie - and his constituents - that he thinks spewing vile, racist comments will score him points?

I'll answer that: he thinks they're stupid.

And, after all, they keep electing him.

Anonymous said...

Bennie's weakness is accentuated with Priester's race . Priester carried Belhaven(precincts 8 and 9) and ran a very close second at WHBap(precinct 14) and won Fondren Pres(precinct 16).
If I am not mistaken Priester ran fourth in the black community.

Burke said...

Bennie Thompson is a fungus on the corpse of the Mississippi Delta.

Peanut Oil said...

I don't agree, Burke. A fungus is something that grows on a weak or moribund entity. Bennie did not just come along and attach itself to a dead delta. He, in fact, arranged and presided over the funeral. In that regard, he's not a fungus, but a systemic rot that attributed immensely to the demise.

Anonymous said...

Might want to look at allegations involving Thompson and the recently fired police chief from Meridian. A high-profile lawsuit by a former officer against the former chief and city contains some strong allegations.

Squeezebox's Wagon said...

10:08; If you have pictures of Bennie worshipping at the grave of The Queen of The Gypsies, post the damned things!

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, I live in Bennie's district. He has done nothing but divide the races. He is as bad as Sharpton and the rest of the race baiters. A great expose of the way Bennie got rich since getting in to politics would make for a good book. Kick backs , sweetheart deals, government programs, slum housing subsidizes by your taxes. It is truly a shame that so many blacks just vote for someone because they are black and then have the audacity to label others racist.

Anonymous said...

If Bennie ever brought a 'sweetheart deal' to his district I'd like it identified. He's never brought the first job to the Delta.

And the only jobs he will EVER bring in are the twelve black girls he'll have staffing the Bennie Thompson Memorial Museum taxpayers will build in Itta Bena upon his retirement.

Anonymous said...

Insightful article on Bennie-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/armstrong-williams/the-shame-and-ignominy-of_b_5254552.html


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