I'm Roger Wicker, and I Approved This Message

Just got sent this by a reader. Roger Wicker's running ads decrying Ronnie Musgrove's supposed "embarrassing ethical conduct." But when called to account for these charges by a local TV station, Roger Wicker showed that he's an empty suit, whose campaign is being run outside of his own jurisdiction. He didn't even know what his own ad was talking about. If you're going to make allegations like that, you should at least know what in the world it is you're implying. And be prepared to account for it, since the ad carries your statement of approval.

Check it out:

I'd say many more such "truth tests" are in order.

NPR on Neshoba, Musgrove v. Wicker

Interesting Mississippi-focused segment on NPR's Morning Edition today. Reporter Debbie Elliot takes a look at Mississippi politics, and the Musgrove-Wicker senate race particularly, from the historic Neshoba County Fair:

Longtime Republican Senate leader Trent Lott won re-election in landslides, but now that land is sliding. His once comfy seat in Mississippi is up for grabs. Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, appointed after Lott retired last year, faces former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove in what pundits are calling the Deep South contest of the year.

And that has brought the candidates to the summer political tradition of the year — the Neshoba County Fair. It's a 10-day tent revival meeting in the red clay hills near Philadelphia in east Mississippi — except that the tents are two- and three-story cabins, 600 of them, lined up beyond the carnival rides and cow barns.

Elliot finds that Wicker is (shocker, I know) sticking to the same strategy that failed the GOP back in May's MS-01 Special election, trying to tie the local Democratic candidate to the national party, counting on the same liberal bogeyman to rally Mississippi Republicans. Well, it didn't work then, and it's not certain it will work now. But that doesn't mean Roger won't give it the good old college try:

"When you're at the Neshoba County Fair, you know you're in the heart and soul of Mississippi," says Wicker, 57, a lawyer, long-time congressman and former state senator. He's on a stage in the fair's pavilion, where hundreds of people have crowded onto rustic wooden pews.Wicker has a receptive audience in this nearly all-white, rural crowd. A few folks in the front rows have made signs juxtaposing Democrat Ronnie Musgrove with a few national Democrats who are not so popular here: Hillary Clinton, Al Gore and Barack Obama. Wicker also makes the link.

"My opponent is the Democratic national nominee for U.S. senator," Wicker says. "Barack Obama is certainly supporting Ronnie Musgrove. He's raising money for him, working for him and wants Ronnie elected."

Remember that in Sid Salter's dispatch from Neshoba we learned that the "rustic wooden pews" were stacked with bussed in Wicker supporters, to "create an image pervasive widespread support" (which, it should be noted, Wicker does not have). So take his showing at the - admittedly and historically very conservative-friendly Neshoba County Fair - with at least a grain of salt. Likewise with Musgrove's positioning at the Fair:

Musgrove, a 52-year-old lawyer, does benefit from Obama's popularity among African-Americans in Mississippi. And blacks make up more than one-third of the electorate. But that's not something Musgrove touts to the crowd in Neshoba County, where the thing to advertise is conservative credentials.

"Make no mistake about it," Musgrove tells the crowd. "I'm a Mississippi Democrat, pro life and pro gun." It's the same strategy Democrat Travis Childers used to win Wicker's north Mississippi House seat earlier this year. That victory has political observers wondering if the Republican hold on the Deep South is slipping.

Elliot touches on history, too, via Salter, again:

"1980 was the watershed," says Sid Salter, a columnist with the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson. "When Reagan Republican politics came to Mississippi, it had ripples that carried on. I think now the pendulum may be swinging back."

Salter says Mississippi Republicans like Trent Lott found success using Reagan's formula: looking back to better times and emphasizing issues of faith and family values. "The challenge for Roger Wicker right now is that when people go through the checkout line or the gas station, they're not feeling warm and fuzzy."

No, they are most certainly not feeling warm and fuzzy. they're under pressure, and in many cases, rural Mississippians are hurting disproportionately more from the price of gas and other economic burdens.

This thing is a toss-up right now, despite the Mississippi and national GOP coming in strong for Wicker, despite his fundraising advantage, and despite the historically safe-Republican nature of the seat. That ought to tell you something.

In any case, the audio of the segment is longer and more detailed than NPR's print version, and I encourage you to give it a listen. And let me say once again how refreshing it is to see national eyes turned toward Mississippi politics. After years of being ignored by the media, surrendered by the Democrats, and taken for granted by the Republicans it's nice to see our state making political news.

Wicker's in a Dogfight, Pure and Simple

Not sure how I missed this the other day, but Sid Salter of the Clarion-Ledger had a dispatch from the Neshoba County Fair, comparing and contrasting the two candidates for Trent Lott's old Senate seat. It doesn't sound so great for Roger Wicker, despite his seeming advantages:

In Wicker, the Republicans have a candidate who isn't particularly comfortable in the role of candidate.

Even with a packed house under the Founder's Square pavilion with most of the seats taken by people bused in for the purpose of providing a pro-Wicker background, Wicker isn't the most charismatic candidate....

...Wicker had a larger professional and volunteer campaign staff on the grounds at the Neshoba County Fair than did Musgrove and obviously invested more time, more money and more man hours into creating an image of pervasive, widespread support. Wicker signs by far outnumbered Musgrove signs on the cabins and there were more Wicker T-shirts on more Wicker bodies.

But Wicker simply didn't generate the excitement that Republican lead dogs like the late Kirk Fordice or Gov. Haley Barbour generate here.

Even outnumbered and facing hecklers, Musgrove stood in there pitching and stayed on message. He even turned the old Ronald Reagan ("Are you better off than you were four years ago?") question around on Wicker and did so with success.

Musgrove is a better retail politician than is Wicker. That's not a knock on Wicker, it's simply a fact. Musgrove is a people person. Wicker is more reserved.

What Wicker lacks that has benefited Republicans over the last 20 years is the sense of inevitability that he will win.

Wicker is in a dogfight, pure and simple, with Musgrove. Democrats in general in Mississippi and Musgrove's camp in particular, believe that he not only has a chance to win the race but an excellent chance. Republicans, in contrast, for the first time in years have some doubt.

Musgrove Comments on Wicker's Vote Against the Troops

Just received this via email from the Musgrove campaign. Seems that not only was Wicker busy voting against the interests of the military in favor of holding out for the oil companies, but he chickened out of a scheduled debate with Ronnie Musgrove at the Neshoba County Fair in order to do so:

Roger Wicker cancelled a scheduled debate at the Neshoba County Fair in order to hurry back to Washington so he could vote on important issues.

One of the votes he cast last night blocked a bill that included pay raises for troops and improvements for health care for troops and their families.

“Our military has done everything we’ve asked of them. (said Musgrove) Service men and women have put country before family and they have sacrificed to defend our freedom. It is outrageous that Roger Wicker would vote against pay raises and health care for our troops and their families.”

“This is a clear of example of the broken system in Washington that needs to be changed. Rather than looking out for the people’s interests Roger Wicker is knee deep in partisan politics and Washington gridlock.”

The bill Wicker voted to block was the Defense Authorization bill, which sets out Defense Department policy guidance and authorizes weapons systems. This bill includes a pay raise for troops, improvements in health care for troops and their families, including a rejection of a proposed fee increase by President Bush, and an authorization for $3 billion to defeat IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the past month Roger Wicker has voted against Mississippi doctors, seniors and military families when he blocked a bill to prevent cuts to Medicare, he voted against Mississippians struggling to pay at the pump when he protected Wall Street speculators who profit off high gas prices, and now he has voted against the men and women who serve out country in the military.

Musgrove doesn't note this in the release, but it should be remembered that the GOP is blocking the troop's funding as part of its efforts to pass legislation beneficial to the oil industry. It's a matter of priorities, I guess.

New MS Poll: Musgrove vs. Wicker Neck and Neck, and Obama Rising

A brand spanking new Research 2000 Poll is out, commissioned by Daily Kos on the state of the Mississippi Senate and Presidential races. And what's it find? Well, there's a statistical tie between Musgrove and Wicker, and Obama's numbers are ticking up (and these numbers include 15% of African-American voters as undecided). Numbers in parenthesis are from a 5/22 poll conducted by the same outfit:

Wicker (R) 45 (46)

Musgrove (D) 44 (42)

Looks like float within the MoE. This one is tight. Note, there was a methodological difference in this poll from the last -- we omitted the party ID of the candidates since the ballot will omit them. Ultimately, it seemed to make little difference.

And check out the presidential:

McCain (R) 51 (54)

Obama (D) 42 (39)

Obama is getting 19 percent of the white vote in this poll, just shy of the 20 percent DavidNYC identified as key for winning the state. The second part of that equation is to boost African American turnout in the state to 40 percent of the total vote. In this poll, African Americans represent 37 percent of the vote. The undecided African American vote -- 15 percent (!) -- will come down for Obama. Now it's a question of turning them out in historic numbers.

Full cross-tabs of the poll are available at the link above if you're interested, and y'know, while you're at it, I'd recommend y'all go ahead read the diary linked in Kos' comments as well. Things are still very much up in the air in the Magnolia state, in terms of both the Senate and Presidential races.

Musgrove Supports Net Neutrality

By way of Cotton Mouth:

“In such a short time, the internet has developed into a key tool for our free society. It has driven economic development, enabled innovation, stimulated political discussion and provided new forums for the exercise of our First Amendment right of free speech. Net Neutrality is vital to keeping the internet free and open, and protecting access to its information for all Mississippians and Americans.”

-Governor Ronnie Musgrove

DSCC Ad for Ronnie Musgrove

I'd been unable to find and capture this ad and get it up on YouTube myself, but luckily someone else has:

I know there's lots of right wing noise about how this ad supposedly violates the Coordinated Communications restrictions of the FEC, but as far as I can see, it does nothing of the sort. From a comment I left on another site:

For the record, the FEC has a three-pronged coordination test, and according to FEC rules on the matter, all three must be met for something to be considered coordinated communications. All three. And, additionally, they apply to outside groups, not political party committees (of which the DSCC is most certainly one):

Three-Prong Coordination Test

FEC regulations establish a three-prong test to determine whether a communication is coordinated. All three prongs of the test—payment, content and conduct—must be met for a communication to be deemed coordinated and thus an in-kind contribution.

Payment Prong

In order to satisfy the payment prong, the communication need only be paid for, in whole or in part, by someone other than a candidate, a candidate’s authorized committee, a political party committee or an agent of the above.

I do believe that the DSCC qualifies as a political party committee. So, strike one, and according to the FEC rules, game over.

But Let's look further:

Content Prong

The content prong relates to the subject matter and timing of the communication. A communication that meets any one of these four standards satisfies this part of the test:

1. A public communication that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate;

Okay, I'll grant you that one, but since the DSCC is an allowed entity, no matter. Or should I suppose all of the DCCC buys on behalf of Travis Childers were illegal too?

2. A communication that is an “electioneering communication” as defined in 11 CFR 100.29 (i.e. a broadcast communication that mentions a federal candidate and is distributed to the relevant electorate 30 days before the primary election or 60 days before the general election);

We're still outside that window

3. A public communication that republishes, disseminates or distributes in whole or in part campaign materials prepared by a candidate or a candidate’s campaign committee;

(this ad was not made by the candidate nor his election committee.)

or

4. A public communication that is:

a. Made within 90 days before an election and:

(since we're outside the window, all of the following cease to matter)

* Refers to a clearly identified House or Senate candidate and is publicly distributed in that candidate’s jurisdiction; or
* Refers to a political party, is coordinated with a House or Senate candidate, and is publicly distributed in that candidate’s jurisdiction; or
* Refers to a political party, is coordinated with a political party, and is publicly distributed during a midterm election cycle

b. Made 120 days before a Presidential primary election through the general election and:

since this is a Senatorial and not Presidential election, the following are moot

* Refers to a clearly identified Presidential or Vice Presidential candidate and is publicly distributed in a jurisdiction before the clearly identified federal candidate’s election in that jurisdiction; or
* Refers to a party, is coordinated with a Presidential or Vice Presidential candidate, and is publicly distributed in that candidate’s jurisdiction; or
* Refers to a political party, is coordinated with a political party, and is publicly distributed during the Presidential election cycle.

For communications that refer to both a party and a clearly identified federal candidate see 109.21(c)(4)(i)-(iv)

Okay, what about the third and final prong?

Conduct Prong

The conduct prong examines the interactions between the person paying for the communication and the candidate, authorized committee or political party committee, or their agents. A communication satisfies this part of the test if it meets any one of the five standards regarding the conduct of the person paying for the communication and the candidate, the candidate’s committee, a political party committee or agents of the above:

1. If the communication is created, produced or distributed at the request or suggestion of the candidate, candidate’s committee, a party committee or agents of the above; or the communication is created, produced or distributed at the suggestion of the person paying for the communication and the candidate, authorized committee, political party committee or agent of any of the foregoing assents to the suggestion. 11 CFR 109.21(d)(1).

2. If the candidate, the candidate’s authorized committee or party committee is materially involved in decisions regarding the content, intended audience, means or mode of the communication, specific media outlet used, the timing or frequency or size or prominence of a communication. 11 CFR 109.21(d)(2).

3. If the communication is created, produced or distributed after one or more substantial discussions4 about the communication between the person paying for the communication or the employees or agents of that person and the candidate, the candidate’s committee, the candidate’s opponent or opponent’s committee, a political party committee or agents of the above. 11 CFR 109.21(d)(3).

4. If the person paying for the communication employs a common vendor to create, produce or distribute the communication, and that vendor:

* Is currently providing services or provided services within the previous 120 days with the candidate or party committee that puts the vendor in a position to acquire information about the campaign plans, projects, activities or needs of the candidate or political party committee; and

* Uses or conveys information about the plans or needs of the candidate or political party, or information previously used by the vendor in serving the candidate or party, and that information is material to the creation, production or distribution of the communication. 11 CFR 109.21(d)(4).

5. If a person who has previously been an employee or independent contractor of a candidate’s campaign committee or a party committee during the previous 120 days uses or conveys information about the plans or needs of the candidate or political party committee to the person paying for the communication, and that information is material to the creation, production or distribution of the communication. 11 CFR 109.21(d)(5).

Formal agreement or collaboration between the person paying for the communication and the candidate, authorized committee or political party committee, or their agents, is not required. 11 CFR 109.21(e).

From where I sit, all of that's on the up and up. If anyone has proof to the contrary, please do share.

Like I said, in order to be in violation of the FEC's Coordinated Communications rule, an act must violate all three of those prongs. This ad hits none. Especially since it comes from an allowed entity.

Musgrove to FEC: Wicker's Breaking Campaign Finance Law

Clarion-Ledger's reporting that Ronnie Musgrove has filed a complaint with the FEC, saying Roger Wicker has been breaking federal campaign financing laws by accepting contributions that are in excess of the federally allowed limits.

Ronnie Musgrove Interview

By way of John in the comments down below (and just the tiniest bit of sleuthing), we get this interview from WLOX in Biloxi with former Governor and current Senatorial candidate Ronnie Musgrove:

DSCC to Bring Musgrove Campaign on the Air

Finally (Thanks John). I know Ronnie's fundraising has been less than spectacular, so it's nice to see the DSCC throwing a little support behind his candidacy. I'll see what I can do about getting the commercial recorded and uploaded, but until that point, if anyone sees it online, give me a holler and let me know the context. Or even better, if you've got TiVo and can grab it, send it along and I'll upload it on your behalf.

Local Coverage on Neck and Neck Musgrove-Wicker Race

From WLBT Channel 3 in Jackson:

One thing I'd like to mention. When Wicker says that Clinton vetoed drilling in ANWR in 1995, saying it wouldn't have had an effect for ten years, he's right.

But the sad truth then, as now, is that the effect that it would have had, even had we started way back then, would have been minuscule in relation to our oil consumption and done little to nothing to alleviate today's energy crisis. To say nothing of the effect of energy futures traders, which is in no small part a contributing factor to why oil is priced so high today (in addition to the hard work done by the Bush administration).

To which I'll only add, that anyone, in 2008, who is looking to more oil - from any damn where - as any kind of "solution" to our long term energy dilemma is caught irrevocably in the past and simply doesn't understand where the world is today, nor where it's going from here.

LA Times Looks at Mississippi Senate Race

This morning, the LA Times looks at the dire forecast for Republican Senate chances, with an eye toward the Musgrove-Wicker race:

Mississippi, one of the nation's most conservative states, has not elected a Democratic senator in a quarter-century. It has voted for Republican presidential candidates in the last seven elections.

But this year, there is a real chance that the state will send a Democrat to the Senate.....

..."If you have an R in front of your name, you better run scared," said Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, who says the party will do well if it holds its losses to three or four seats.

The Mississippi race between Democratic former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and Republican Sen. Roger Wicker distills the wide range of factors that have put congressional Republicans in their weakest position since the Watergate scandal of the 1970s.

The overall political climate, shaped by the sluggish economy and President Bush's low approval ratings, is souring many voters on Republicans. The party has been hobbled by a stampede of retirements by senior Republicans, including Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott. After Lott quit in 2007, Wicker was appointed to replace him.

Barack Obama's presidential campaign has generated a big boost in Democratic voter registration, especially among African Americans, who make up more than a third of Mississippi's population...

...Mississippi has emerged as an unexpected battleground largely because Lott, a powerful and well-established Republican, quit the Senate to become a lobbyist. Wicker, who had been a House member, was appointed to replace him, but he has not established himself firmly enough statewide to assure easy reelection.

Musgrove, his Democratic opponent, is a well-known former governor and is expected to benefit from the Obama campaign's efforts to register new voters, including African Americans.

Could be a very rewarding Fall indeed.

Twisted Loyalties

Seems as though Senators Wicker and Cochran (along with 8 other lockstep Republicans) have found themselves on the wrong side of a Medicare issue, siding (as per usual) with the president and the insurance industry over patients and doctors. Shocking, I know.

The American Medical Association is taking action, running ads, calling out these senators by name. From CQ Politics, a little background:

The American Medical Association, the influential trade association for doctors, began running television ads Tuesday targeting 10 Republican senators who voted last week against a bill that would reverse a scheduled cut in Medicare’s physician payments.

The AMA’s advertisements, which call out the 10 senators by name, are part of a campaign by Democrats, seniors and doctors’ groups to pressure Republicans to change their votes on the bill (HR 6331), which failed in the Senate last week by a single vote.

Democratic Senate candidates in the states where the AMA is running ads are trying to make an issue out of the vote in their campaigns, and Republicans find themselves on the defensive, trying to explain their votes to angry doctors and worried seniors.

The bill would halt a scheduled 10.6 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements to physicians, giving doctors a small increase instead. It was opposed by some Republicans — and President Bush — because the bill would pay for the increase by trimming costs in the Medicare Advantage program, in which private insurers provide benefits for seniors in place of the government...

...In the AMA ads, a narrator charges: “A group of U.S. senators voted to protect the powerful insurance companies at the expense of Medicare patients’ access to doctors.”

The ads name GOP Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas; John E. Sununu of New Hampshire; John Barrasso and Michael B. Enzi of Wyoming; Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee; Roger Wicker and Thad Cochran of Mississippi; and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

Alexander, Cornyn, Sununu, Barrasso, Enzi, Cochran and Wicker all face elections this year. Sununu and Wicker are seen by Democrats as particularly vulnerable.

An AMA spokeswoman would not say what the association is paying to run the ads, but called the buy “significant.”

Many of the AMA’s targets are facing heat from their election opponents, as well. In Texas, the Texas Medical Association revoked its endorsement of Cornyn’s re-election because of his vote on the bill. His opponent, state Rep. Rick Noriega, is promising “to make health care accessible and affordable every day as the next U.S. Senator from Texas,” said his spokeswoman, Holly Shulman.

In Mississippi, Wicker’s opponent, former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, “is talking about [the Medicare vote] at all of his stops and all his events,” said his spokesman, Adam Bozzi.

“We have heard tremendous feedback from both doctors and regular people – families and seniors – but especially doctors, who are just outraged at this vote,” Bozzi said.

Can't find either the Wicker or Cochran specific ads online yet (but if it comes across the airwaves this evening, I'll TiVo and upload it for y'all), but here is the stock ad geared toward John Sununu:

This particular version of the ad closes with an appeal for viewers to contact Sununu and tell him to "make patients a priority" and support HR 6331. Great idea, and I'd highly encourage all y'all in the Magnolia state to call our Senators (for the time being anyway) and urge them to do the same.

Thad Cochran:
(202) 224-5054
Web Contact Form

Roger Wicker:
(202) 224-6253
Web Contact Form


Light 'em up, and tell them that the time to be beholden to the insurance companies is passed, and it's about the American people now.

Get to Know Roger Wicker

The boys over at Cotton Mouth have been doing a really good job compiling the facts about Roger Wicker and his voting record. Suffice it to say that he's hardly been working for the people of Mississippi. In any case, rather than duplicate all the info here, let me provide you with a menu of the posts over at CM.

So, let's see....Roger "Lockstep" Wicker.....

• Opposed Federal Relief Dollars For Levees and Coastal Restoration


• Voted Against Loans To Help Katrina Victims Help Themselves


• Voted Against Providing Shelter To People Left Homeless By Hurricanes


• Reneges on Debate with Ronnie Musgrove


• Only Started Supporting The Multi-Perils Bill Once He Realized He Needed The Coast


• Opposed Accountability After Hurricane Katrina Decimated Mississippi's Gulf Coast


• Voted 'No' On Possible Solutions To Gas And Energy Prices


• Picked Inaction Over Protecting Mississippi Consumers


• and finally, his record on free trade

Good reading and valuable information to have and share. Wicker is wrong for Mississippi, wrong for America and only right for his corporate donors and the GOP who rest assured in the knowledge that he will never vote to benefit his constituents, only according to party line.

Back to Mississippi

Things are looking good for former governor Ronnie Musgrove in his race to take Trent Lott's old seat down here. For the last couple of weeks we've seen a variety of polls; one, an internal poll for the Dems showed Ronnie up 8 points, but a little later a Kos sponsored poll showed him down, but within 4 points.

Today, a new poll out from Rasmussen has the race essentially tied, with Musgrove up by one.

Mississippi’s appointed U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R) finds himself in a very tight election battle to win the job on his own. University of Virginia’s Larry Sabato has noted that this will be a “real political battle” which is “a rarity in a state that’s usually red as red can be.”

The first Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the race finds a pure toss-up--former Governor Ronnie Musgrove (D) attracts 47% of the vote while Wicker earns 46%.

Musgrove leads by ten points among women but trails by eight among men. The Democratic challenger leads among voters under 50 while the GOP incumbent leads among those who have passed the half-century mark. Musgrove is supported by 81% of Democrats, Wicker by 76% of Republicans, and Wicker holds a very modest 44% to 40% lead among the
state’s unaffiliated voters.

That a Democrat is even running neck and neck with Haley Barbour's handpicked successor to Lott - in Mississippi - is pretty inspiring. That the news comes on the heels of Travis Childers win a few weeks back makes it even more so. If, as we can expect, having Obama at the top of the ticket results in a historically high African-American turnout, Musgrove's advantage increases significantly.

Yes, all the usual caveats apply: Musgrove's lead is well within the margin of error, polls this far out can be misleading, and anything can happen between now and the election, but even so, that we're this close is really wonderful news.

Of course, Ronnie's going to need as much help as he can get, and Wicker is out raising him by a wide margin at this point. So, if you can and want to help us continue the Democratic reclamation of the Great State of Mississippi, head on over to Musgrove's ActBlue page and drop some coin in the bucket. Every little bit helps.