Stay Tuned . . .

Matt must be as jammed by work today as I am. Watch for more in this space later today!

Liveblogging the Jackson Democratic Mayoral Debate, Part 5

The candidates are taking a break, and frankly, I am as well. I'm a touch too irritated to continue typing. I learned long ago to hold my tongue when I get this mad.
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Liveblogging the Jackson Democratic Mayoral Debate, Part 4

While I was a little shocked by Johnson's claim that there hadn't been any promotions at JPD in the last 4 years, I was absolutely stunned at what I heard from Johnson just now. Johnson just essentially said that the white people accusing him of not being responsive to their concerns during his 8 years as mayor are quite possibly racist.

Crisler's response was a fairly well constructed call to a post-racial Jackson and a colorblind approach to governance, which sounded like something someone reading from the Obama playbook would say.

Johnson moves on to attack Crisler for supporting the recent 1% sales tax increase, which was something championed by business interests, and authored by Sen. John Horhn, if I recall correctly. That being said, it's becoming more and more clear that Johnson and the Jackson business community have differences over policy, not race, and that each may be engaging in a bit of that old Mississippi past time: race-baiting.

I am in no way amused.
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Liveblogging the Jackson Democratic Mayoral Debate, Part 3

Simmons asks Crisler if he'd slash the number of "in office" JPD employees and in turn increase the number of patrolmen. Crisler takes the opportunity to get a dig in at Johnson's failure to implement the Maple Linder recommendations.

Johnson responds by saying that Crisler was head of the Council's budget committee during the past 4 years, when the number of patrolmen dropped. Johnson then makes an interesting claim. He says that there were no promotions within the Jackson Police and Fire Departments since he was in office. Having had quite extensive experience with JPD over the past couple of years, I have to say this: I think he's flat wrong, and I was a little shocked to hear that.

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Liveblogging the Jackson Democratic Mayoral Debate, Part 2

The two candidates are now on the stage. Crisler looked young and confident as he approached his lectern, Johnson looked old and wise. That's really going to be a theme throughout this race, I think.

Crisler gives his opening statement first, focusing on his energy and desire to "move Jackson forward." Johnson then claims credit (to some degree, correctly) for the projects we have seen come to fruition over the last 4 years.

First question is about Two Lakes, a project I care deeply about. Crisler voices his strong support for Two Lakes. Johnson says he's in favor of economic development along the Pearl River, but doesn't say exactly what type of project he'd like to see happen.

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Liveblogging the Jackson Democratic Mayoral Debate

A friend of mine suggested that I blog from tonight's debate. Sounded like a good idea to me, so I'll give it a shot.

Scott Simmons from WAPT just advised the crowd that the debate will start in approximately 7 minutes.
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Now Dick Cheney Wants Transparency? (Return to the House of Hypocrisy)

Oh, now I understand: Dick Cheney thinks that national security requires secrecy . . . except if it might help him make a rhetorical point. The Washington Post reports:

The CIA has rejected a request from former vice president Richard B. Cheney to release documents that he says show that the agency's harsh interrogation methods helped thwart terrorist plots.

A letter today denying the request cites pending legal action as the sole reason for keeping the documents under seal.

* * * *
Cheney, who has sparred publicly with the Obama administration since it prohibited coercive interrogations in January, submitted a formal request to the National Archives and Records Administration on March 31, asking for the declassification of two secret documents that were said to describe the intelligence gained from the CIA's questioning of suspected al-Qaeda terrorists in overseas prisons.

Cheney, in a Fox News interview last month, said the documents "lay out what we learned from the interrogation process" and would presumably validate Bush administration claims that the controversial methods disrupted terrorists' plans and saved American lives.

Recall that as Vice-President, Cheney didn't even think he was required to give the Information Security Oversight Office data on how much material from his own files he had designated as "classified." (Something in the nature of a privilege log). That is, he not only kept his own documents secret, he wouldn't even say how many documents he was withholding from public view.

And Vice President Cheney also famously refused to disclose information about his meetings on energy policy with executives at the now-infamous Enron. See TIME story

But now, the necessity of preserving his reputation -- oops, I mean, the nation -- has made Dick Cheney a fighter for transparency in government.

Can't anybody shut this guy up?