Delbert declines to announce, touts need to "reorganize" state government

Delbert Hosemann chose not to make an announcement to run for Governor next year.  He focuses on the need to reorganize state government (whatever that means) and speaks a little about immigration. Now here's the kicker, and what will likely drive speculation for up to another 6 months: Delbert didn't say he was running for Governor, but he didn't say he wasn't, either.

h/t to Patsy Brumfield and her Twitter page, which is the best place for Neshoba updates

Here's what you need to watch re: Hosemann

Earlier this week, I posted word that Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann would announce for Governor this Thursday.  It's next Thursday.  Here's a link to the Neshoba County Fair's schedule.  Notice that Delbert speaks just before Phil. That should be very, very interesting, as people close to the situation would be shocked if Delbert failed to announce a gubernatorial bid.

2011 Rumor Mill

Here's what I'm hearing is happening out there:

• Sen. Billy Hewes has ordered signs that read "Lt. Gov. Hewes."  Folks think that's a bit presumptuous.
• Stacy Pickering and Tate Reeves will round out the Lt. Gov. field on the GOP side
• Most elected Democrats are staying put and running for reelection, in contrast to the fratricide about to occur on the GOP side
• Tate Reeves should raise a ton of money at an upcoming Jackson fundraiser, to be held at Bravo! tomorrow night
• The turnout at Phil Bryant's Thursday night fundraiser at the Jackson Country Club was sparse, and there could be a surprising reason for that...
• That surprising reason is Delbert Hosemann's announcing he'll run for Governor this coming Thursday.

VERY interesting entry into the 2011 Governor's race

According to the Hattiesburg American this morning, Mayor Johnny DuPree (D-Hattiesburg) announced his candidacy for governor in 2011.  DuPree is the third-term, popular, African-American mayor of Mississippi's fourth-largest city.  DuPree gives the 2011 gubernatorial field something two things it currently lacks: a candidate with executive experience, and an African-American.

It's Mississippi, of course, so race will no doubt play some part in the 2011 cycle.  Mississippi has the highest percentage of black population of any state in the Union, but it's still 60.6% white, according to 2008 projections.  That being said, DuPree has been able to win election three times in a city that is 49.95% white and 47.34% black, according to the 2000 census.  DuPree will have to conduct a campaign focused on racial unity to have any chance of getting elected, and that promises to be a very good thing for Mississippi going forward, considering the tendency of our elected leaders to do things like visit Blackhawk.  (Recognize the guy in the middle?)

Return of the House of Hypocrisy

The GOP Tea Parties have spawned another tide of hypocritical hand-wringing by Republican office-holders. But at least Democrats are fighting back. As reported by the Mississippi Democratic Party in a press release today:

JACKSON -- State Democratic Chairman Jamie Franks today responded to statements made by Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant during Wednesday's tea party at the state Capitol. Bryant told the crowd that President Obama's stimulus package was a waste of taxpayer money.

"The stimulus package is providing the State of Mississippi with millions of dollars for projects that will create jobs and improve the infrastructure of our cities and our counties," Franks said. "If creating jobs and rebuilding our roads is a waste of money to Phil Bryant, then perhaps we need to protest his leadership in the Senate."

Franks said the stimulus package will also provide tax cuts for working Mississippians, a fact he said Republicans like Bryant and Congressman Gregg Harper have repeatedly ignored. "Thanks to President Obama, working families will receive up to $800 in employee tax breaks," Franks said. "The reason you don't hear Republicans talking about this tax cut is because it helps the middle class, not the richest among us." The stimulus package will provide the following benefits to the State of Mississippi:

55,100 additional children will be provided health insurance.

997,000 workers will receive a tax credit on their paychecks.

30,000 jobs created over the next two years.

63,000 students aided by making the American Opportunity Tax Credit refundable.

"President Obama and Democratic leaders are offering workable solutions to the financial mess the Bush Administration and a Republican Congress got us into," Franks said. "Instead of posing for cameras in front of the Capitol, perhaps Bryant and Harper should go inside and figure out how to lend a helping hand to the people who are suffering because of the policies of their party."

Coincidentally, Y'all Politics pointed its readers yesterday to a blog post that reported the latest statistics on "earmarking" by Members of Congress, and guess who is the All-Star of Earmarking? A Mississippi Republican.

The Y'all Politics post is here

The story says:

Citizens Against Government Waste, a watchdog group critical of pork-barrel spending, released a summary, called the Pig Book, of congressional earmarks at a news conference Tuesday.

* * * *

Sen. Thad Cochran, R- Miss., reported more than $650 million for earmark projects such as research of dietary supplements, mosquito trapping and for the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference. He was the recipient of "The Super Thad Award," for being the senator with the highest value in earmarks.

There you have it. On the one hand, Republicans grandstand to fight against Big Government Spending. On the other hand, they bend over backward to spend the most money.