Still Busy, Busy, Busy

I'm sorry I haven't written a thing in the past month. I've been extremely busy. After April 17th, I plan to write a lot more than once a month.

In due time, we will have party registration. This has been caused by the Mississippi Democratic Party's refusal to certify Insurance Commissioner George Dale and State Rep. Mary Ann Stevens as candidates. Dale is being punished for supporting President Bush in 2004 and Stevens votes "contrary to Democratic positions (whatever that means)".

I was on the Rankin County Republican Executive Committee for twelve years (1980-1992), eleven of them as treasurer (1981-1992). We certified a lot of candidates who were once Democrats. In fact, we certified Larry Swales in 1988 for the special elections for county supervisor despite his support for Ray Mabus just the prior year. We had no litmus test. We just went by the legal requirements. If they met them, we certified them.

If the state Democratic Party can give a litmus test, then what about the county Democratic Party committees? If I ran as a Democrat, would I be certified in Rankin County by the Democrats despite my prior GOP activities? It makes you wonder. And what about rural whites who vote Republican but wish to run as Democrats for office? Would they be denied certification by their Democratic Party county committees?

Gov. Haley Barbour has always had an "open tent" for those who wish to run as Republicans. It is only a matter of time before the county governments which are primarily governed by whites become GOP bastions (It is unfortunate there is such a polarization of race and political party affiliation.). You will be able to thank the Mississippi Democratic Party for that.

Honestly, sometimes I think the state Democratic Party is made up of kamikaze pilots.