Mississippi Democrats

Waiting for Barbour's State of the State

2007-01-15T17:19:00.000-06:00

I am writing this from the Visitors Gallery of the Mississippi House of Representatives. It's about 5:20 p.m. and Gov. Haley Barbour will give his State of the State speech at 6 p.m. to a joint session of the state House and Senate.
I will attempt to blog from the speech. Don't forget: The Democratic Party will have its response live on Mississippi Public Broadcasting TV immediately following the speech. We taped the response earlier today. Sen. Alice Harden and Rep. Cecil Brown will give the response.

Jefferson Jackson Hamer Day Dinner proved success

2006-11-20T10:08:00.000-06:00

A successful Jefferson Jackson Hamer Day Dinner in Jackson netted the Mississippi Democratic Party with nice coverage in at least two Mississippi newspapers on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006. Click here for a story in The Meridian Star about the party honoring former Gov. William Winter. And click here for a story in The Clarion-Ledger about the dinner.

Barbour stiffs MAEP in proposed budget

2006-11-15T09:23:00.000-06:00

Republican Gov. Haley Barbour released his proposed budget on Tuesday, Nov. 14, for the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2007. And, as expected, the budget shorted education by not fully funding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program.
The Mississippi Democratic Party issued a news release Tuesday in which Chairman Wayne Dowdy blasted Barbour for not supporting MAEP and ensuring all Mississippi children have access to at least an education equivalent to a Level 3, or midlevel, state accreditation. The money will be there to fully fund education and a teacher pay raise. Click here to read the statement.
The Mississippi Democratic Party also released an Education Fact Sheet that pointed out fallacies in Barbour's stand on education -- including the fact that the teacher pay raises he's trying to take credit for actually were passed under Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove. Click here to read the fact sheet.
Finally, check out The Sun Herald's coverage of the Barbour budget and you'll see that Dowdy was mentioned as criticizing the governor's proposal. Click here for the story.

Dowdy column hits The Clarion-Ledger

2006-11-15T09:20:00.000-06:00

Wayne Dowdy's column on the Nov. 7 elections made in the Wednesday edition of The Clarion-Ledger -- at least the fourth newspaper in the state to publish the column since Sunday. This is good news as our message continues to get out in the state. And it can only help to build excitement among Democrats as we look toward the 2007 state elections.

Hopefuls consider gubernatorial race

2006-11-13T09:37:00.000-06:00

The Clarion Ledger published a story on Sunday, Nov. 12,taking a look at the Democratic Party's hopes for the 2007 gubernatorial election. Click here to read the story.

Dowdy column hits Mississippi newspapers

2006-11-13T09:27:00.000-06:00

Interested in reading what Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Dowdy has to say about last week's national elections? Check out the Hattiesburg American and The Meridian Star from Sunday, Nov. 12, and read Dowdy's column. You also can fread in the Monday, Nov. 13, edition of The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.
Also, in the Harriesburg American, you can read a column by Jim Herring, the Mississipi Republican Party chairman. I must admit, though, I think Dowdy's is better and more thorough.

Reasons 13, 14 to vote Democratic

2006-11-01T09:40:00.000-06:00

Here are the latest in the ongoing 20 REASONS TO VOTE DEMOCRATIC.

REASON 13 (Released Tuesday, Oct. 31) : North Korea. North Korea has tested a nuclear bomb built with weapons-grade plutonium. And guess what? It was done on Republican President George W. Bush’s watch, clearly signaling that the president’s North Korean policy – like much of his foreign policy – has failed miserably. It’s time Bush and the Republicans start protecting Americans. And it’s time for voters to make a change. By casting your ballot for Democrats in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House on Nov. 7, you will make a difference.

REASON 14 (Released Wednesday, Nov. 1): The growing death toll in Iraq. Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq on March 20, 2003, a total of 3,055 coalition troops – including 2,816 Americans – have been killed fighting in the war-torn Middle Eastern country. The total includes all deaths through Tuesday. Last month alone, the U.S. death toll in Iraq topped 100 – making October 2006 the deadliest month for U.S. troops since January 2005 when 107 were killed.

Michael J. Fox commercial

2006-10-31T22:28:00.001-06:00

Just in case you wanted to see the controversial Michael J. Fox campaign ad for yourself, here you go. Remember, this is the ad in which the illustrous Rush Limbaugh accused Fox of acting.

Some things never end

2006-10-31T22:17:00.000-06:00

Looks like President Bush just can't get enbough of Sen. John Kerry. Bush took time on Tuesday to take a few unnecesary slams at Kerry. Instead, maybe Bush should be a little more concerned about what will happen to his ill-advised political agenda once the GOP loses its gripn on Congress. Click here to read The New York Times.

Pine Belt Senate race

2006-10-31T22:14:00.000-06:00

If you are interested in the District 41 state Senate race, which is set for Tuesday, Nov. 7, click here and you will find a list of links at the Hattiesburg American to audio interviews with each candidate. All candidates were invited to meet with the American's editorial board.

Candidate forum in Greenville

2006-10-31T22:10:00.000-06:00

The Delta Democrat Times in Greenville has coverage in the Tuesday edition of a televised forum in which candidates for the District 34 state House seat were grilled by a panel of journalists. Click here to read the story. And vote Democrat.

Reasons 10, 11, 12 to vote Democrat

2006-10-30T08:51:00.000-06:00

20 Reasons to vote Democratic: The count continues.

Reason 10: Hospital tax. A change in federal guidelines led to a $90 million shortfall in Mississippi’s Medicaid program. Republican Gov. Haley Barbour and the state’s Division of Medicaid then decided to tax hospitals in order to make up the difference. That’s right – Barbour took it upon himself to help cover the shortfall by charging up to a 1 percent tax on the gross revenue of hospitals. Plans changed when Barbour reported earlier this month he no longer planned to impose the hospital tax this fall. That move, however, doesn’t erase this key point: Barbour sidestepped the Mississippi Legislature and was about to impose his own tax – something that surely would have been passed on to hospital patients, many of whom scrape their bank accounts to pay for medical care. Why take any chances Barbour might try something similar again in the future? Make a difference. Vote Democratic on Nov. 7.

Reason 11: Help working families. Republicans in Washington certainly can’t point to helping rank-and-file Americans – not with consumer prices on the rise and employee wages on the decline. Yet that’s exactly what President Bush and fellow Republicans are doing. And this comes despite the fact that Republicans have blocked raising the national minimum wage of $5.15 an hour, handed out tax giveaways to oil companies and sold America into debt. The facts, however, speak for themselves. Can the United States and the working class – the man-on-the-street who barely makes enough to sustain his family – stand another term with Republicans at the helm? Vote Democratic on Nov. 7 and make a difference.

Reason 12: Stop the tax increases. Republican Gov. Haley Barbour likes to talk about how he opposes any kind of tax increase, including raising the state sales tax, the state income tax and even the state tobacco tax. But take a closer look at the governor’s first three years and you’ll find a different story – one in which many local governments were forced to raise property taxes to help fund public schools because Barbour has fought fully funding K-12 education. Barbour passed the buck. At the same time, Barbour opposes proposals to cut the state sales tax on groceries and increase the state tax on cigarettes – a confused, mixed message, to say the least. Everyone has to eat, but not everyone smokes.

Reason 9 to vote Democratic

2006-10-27T10:08:00.001-05:00

Reason 9 to vote Democratic on Nov. 7: Gasoline prices.

Remember when gasoline cost $1 a gallon? How about $1.50 a gallon? Those days are long gone as the cost to fill your tank has grown steadily to coincide with the rising price of crude oil, the staggering profits of oil companies and the never ending war in Iraq.

This year, the price of crude oil reached record heights. Consequently, we’ve felt the pain at the pump as gasoline soared close to, and in some places topped, the $3-a-gallon mark. Meanwhile, companies such as Exxon Mobile Corp. have enjoyed billions of dollars in record profits.

On Thursday, Exxon Mobil reported its earnings rose to a whopping $10.49 billion in the third quarter – the second-largest quarterly operating profit ever recorded by a publicly traded U.S. company.

With that said, doesn’t it appear even the slightest bit odd – as well as incredibly coincidental – that weeks away from the November election motorists have seen gasoline prices suddenly drop from close to $3 a gallon to less than $2 a gallon in some places?

It certainly looks like someone wants you to conveniently forget about rising pump prices, record oil company profits and the untold hundreds of extra dollars you’ve spent to drive to work, shop for food or take the children to school.

Remember this: Republicans have been in charge during the age of skyrocketing gasoline prices and oil companies want to keep it that way. They like the high prices and the record profits, and they don’t want that to change.

But you can make a difference. Vote Democratic on Nov. 7.

AARP survey on grocery tax reduction

2006-10-26T09:36:00.000-05:00

Momentum is starting to build for reducing the sales tax on groceries and raising the tax on cigarettes. Check out a story in the Thursday edition of The Clarion-Ledger and you'll see that an AARP survey shows wide support for the tax swap. With Democrats in favor of this and Republican Gov. Haley Barbour opposed -- all in an electio year -- the 2007 Legislature could be very interesting.

Reason 8 to vote Democratic

2006-10-26T09:35:00.000-05:00

Reason No. 8 to vote Democratic on Nov. 7: Save Mississippi’s anti-smoking programs.

When former Democratic Attorney General Mike Moore negotiated a settlement in 1997 to a lawsuit against the tobacco industry, a Jackson County Chancery Court judge established a tobacco prevention pilot program called the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi.

Because of the program’s success, the chancery court later set aside $20 million a year to fund the Partnership. The organization then continued to spearhead anti-tobacco programs statewide and funded school nurses in some schools.

But Republican Gov. Haley Barbour, a former tobacco lobbyist, and Republican state Treasurer Tate Reeves filed suit. They argued it was unlawful for a court to appropriate money. Barbour won. The Partnership appealed.

And then, on Oct. 19, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi can’t spend any money from the state’s tobacco settlement until the Barbour lawsuit is finally settled.

The ruling, in effect, shuts down most of the Partnership’s programs – and leaves one of Moore’s greatest legacies dangling to life. If state legislators approve a proposal in the 2007 Mississippi Legislature to preserve the Partnership, it likely would need enough support to survive a possible Barbour veto.

You can help. Vote Democratic in races to fill four open state legislative seats – a state House seat on the Mississippi Coast, a state Senate seat in the Pine Belt and a House and Senate seat in the Delta – and help preserve the Partnership.

Reason 7 to vote Democratic

2006-10-25T09:50:00.000-05:00

Reason 7 to vote Democratic: Republic morality -- or, rather, the lack of.

While Republicans often embrace religion- and morality-based issues, some party members nevertheless engage in questionable behavior. And, at least in one recent incident, key Republican leaders in Congress apparently knew about a U.S. House member’s questionable behavior for more than a year and did nothing.

The person in question: Former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley. The Florida Republican allegedly sent sexually explicit e-mails and instant messages to male, high school-age pages who worked for him and other congressmen at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

Foley abruptly resigned from office Sept. 29 when ABC News confronted him about the issue.

If that’s not enough, consider this: Kirk Fordham, Foley’s one-time chief of staff, said he notified House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s chief of staff in 2003 about Foley’s inappropriate conduct. Obviously, little, if anything, was done.

And that’s simply not acceptable. Let’s put an end to the hypocrisy that has gripped the Republican Party, which has long tried to maintain a monopoly on morality issues and has failed. Vote Democratic.

Reason 6 to vote Democratic

2006-10-24T10:09:00.000-05:00

Reason 6 to vote Democratic on Nov. 7: Hurricane Katrina grant program.

Congress approved $5 billion in Hurricane Katrina aid for Mississippi in December 2005. About $3 billion was used for the Homeowner Grant Program to financially help homeowners who flooded even though they lived outside the federal flood zone.

But here we are, nearly 14 months since Katrina devastated the Coast, and the Homeowner Grant program is moving at a snail’s pace. As of Oct. 11, for example, 1,300 checks had been written to Coast residents even though more than 17,000 people applied.

Republican Gov. Haley Barbour and the Mississippi Development Authority, whose executive director Barbour appointed, should be embarrassed. They are administering the program – one of Barbour’s top storm relief programs – and they are dragging their feet.

You can make a difference: Vote Democratic and help those who need our help.

Fleming interviewed by The Meridian Star

2006-10-23T10:54:00.000-05:00

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Erik Fleming is featured today in The Meridian Star in a front-page Editorial Board interview. You can read the entire interview by clicking here.

20 Reasons in 20 Days

2006-10-23T10:24:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't been following it, the Mississippi Democratic Party has kicked off a media campaign to drum up interest in the Nov. 7 election and to point out why Democratic candidates offer the best for the future of the state and the nation.

At stake on Nov. 7: A U.S. Senate seat, four U.S. House seats, a state Senate seat in the Delta, a state House seat in the Delta, a state Senate seat in the Pine Belt and a state House seat on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Democrats are running in each race.

So we have created a campaign we call 20 REASONS TO VOTE DEMOCRATIC. And we are releasing one a day through Election Day.

A quick review so far:

REASON 1: Fully fund education. Republican Gov. Haley Barbour has fought this issue repeatedly, but with Democrats backing public education it's time to make a move. Vote Democratic, put good people in office and fund education. (Issued Thursday, Oct. 19)

REASON 2: Raise the minimum wage. Republican U.S. Sen. Trent Lott has opposed an increase in the minimum wage nine straight times, with the latest vote coming June 21. That proposal would have increased the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour. (Issued Friday, Oct. 20)

REASON 3: National unity. Public opinion polls show a growing number of people oppose the

Iraq

war or disapprove of the way President Bush has handled the war on terrorism. Bush also has gone on the defensive with a series of speeches hopelessly comparing terrorist leaders to Hitler. Meanwhile, bipartisanship is a thing of the past. (Issued Saturday, Oct. 21)

REASON 4: Reduce grocery tax. Democrats in the Mississippi Legislature voted earlier this year for two separate bills, one to phase-out by 2014 the state tax of 7 cents on the dollar charged on the purchase of groceries and another to cut the tax in half. At the same time, the proposals would have raised the state cigarette tax from 18 cents to $1 a pack. Barbour vetoed both bills. (Issued Sunday, Oct. 22)

REASON 5: Oust Republican U.S. Sen. Trent Lott. Lott, who has held his U.S. Senate seat since he was elected in 1988 to replace retiring Sen. John Stennis, obviously thinks he is above discussing his stand on state and national issues. Lott has refused to debate Democratic opponent Erik Fleming. (Issued Monday, Oct. 23)

Taylor campaign profiled

2006-10-23T10:23:00.000-05:00

U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor'scampaign is profiled in the Moday edition of The Clarion Ledger. Click here to view the story.

Fleming files formal request for debate

2006-09-27T16:28:00.000-05:00

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Erik Fleming delivered a formal request to Republican incumbent Trent Lott today challenging the longtime senator to a debate.
Fleming’s action came one day after the state representative from Clinton publicly requested a debate with Lott before the November general election. The Associated Press reports that Lott’s spokesman Lee Youngblood said Lott never received a formal request.
To ensure Lott received the request, Fleming did the following: He hand-delivered a copy of his letter to Lott’s downtown Jackson office; faxed and e-mailed a copy to Lott’s Jackson and Washington, D.C., offices; and sent a copy overnight to Lott in Washington.
Now, the fate of a debate in the Senate race is firmly up to Lott – who hasn’t debated anyone for office since he first ran for and won the U.S. Senate seat in a 1988 election.
No excuses are valid for avoiding a debate, including that Lott is too busy to participate in a debate, that he doesn’t have time, that he is too busy campaigning or that it’s too late in the campaign.

More criticism for Republican state lawmakers

2006-09-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

The Mississippi Homeowners Grant story continues to develop.
The Mississippi Press reports today, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006, that Public Citizen – a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1971 by Ralph Nader – is chastising three Republican state lawmakers who are profiting from a state contract to finalize the grants.
Republican state Sen. Tommy Robertson of Moss Point and state Rep. Jim Beckett of Bruce formed a company and bid on as state contract to complete grants for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Robertson and Beckett hired Republican Rep. Jim Simpson Jr. of Gulfport to finalize grants in Harrison County.
Here’s what the story says:

A spokesman for Public Citizen on Monday called the issue “a classic ethics violation” and a “classic case of violation of conflict of interest.”

“It really is outrageous,” Craig Holman, Public Citizen’s campaign finance lobbyist, said in response to The Mississippi Press’ request for comment. “These lawmakers are cashing in on one of the worst disasters Mississippi has seen.”

The Mississippi Press is on a roll with this story – and the questions keep piling high.
Click here to read the full story.

Fleming challenges Lott to a debate

2006-09-27T09:23:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the absence of a couple of days.
Now, it’s back to business.
First off: U.S. Senate candidate Erik Fleming has challenged incumbent Republican Trent Lott to a debate before the November election. And instead of doing what’s in the best interest if the voters – agree to a debate and discuss the issues with Fleming – Lott’s spokesman said the senator hasn’t received a formal request for a debate.
A formal request? Come on, Sen. Lott. Do you really need a “formal request” to stage a debate? It simply makes good sense to debate. Unless, of course, this is a delay tactic and you simply don’t intend to debate at all.
Well, a formal request you’ll get. Fleming plans to deliver one today, Wednesday, September 27, 2006. When that happens, the ball will be in your court.

Party statement on Katrina grant program

2006-09-22T16:48:00.000-05:00

The Mississippi Democratic Party joined the fray over the Homeowners Grant Program. Keeland Sanders, our executive director, issued the following statement to the media:

“Congressman Gene Taylor was right to criticize the slowness of the $3 billion Homeowner Grant Program. These people on the Mississippi Gulf Coast have been suffering for more than a year and Congress passed this funding before Christmas.

“It seems to us that Republican Gov. Haley Barbour and his administration should have gone out of their way to help these people well before now. There is no excuse for the delay. Haven’t Coast residents suffered enough?” – Keelan Sanders, executive director, Mississippi Democratic Party.

Katrina profitting: The plot thickens

2006-09-22T11:33:00.000-05:00

Republican state legislators Tommy Robertson of Moss Point and Jim Beckett of Bruce aren’t the only lawmakers apparently trying to profit from Katrina victims.
Now it comes to light that Republican state Rep. Jim Simpson Jr. of Gulfport also has entered the game.
Here’s the deal: Robertson and Beckett formed a company to finalize grants through the Homeowner Grant Program. They will earn $250 for every grant they finalize.
State officials said that 2,000-5,000 homeowners could receive grants, giving Robertson, a state senator, and Beckett, a state representative, the chance to pocket as much as $1.25 million.
Robertson and Beckett hired Simpson to finalize grants in the 1^st Judicial District of Harrison County. The Mississippi Press in Pascagoula said Robertson would not say how much Simpson will be paid.
Either way, something doesn’t smell right. Think about it: Three state lawmakers are preparing to profit off of a major disaster – and two of them are from the Coast.
Sounds like a possible ethics issue.

Where’s the money?

2006-09-22T11:26:00.000-05:00

U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor wants to know where’s the money that was promised homeowners through the $3 billion, federally-funded Homeowner Grant Program.
The money for the program comes from the $5 billion the federal government gave to Mississippi in January to help homeowners who were flooded by Hurricane Katrina.
But of the 17,000 Coast homeowners who applied for the grants, The Mississippi Press in Pascagoula reports today, only 75 checks have been written.
The Press reported Taylor, the Democratic 4^th District congressman, asked Republican Gov. Haley Barbour to speed the process.
“(Congress) passed this funding before Christmas,” Taylor told The Press. “Here we are 10 months later and people don’t have their money. The whole idea was to do something quickly.”
And for many people, the wait continues . . .

Universities request budget increase

2006-09-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

Mississippi’s universities are asking legislative leaders for more than a 36 percent budget increase during the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2007.
Higher education officials made their request during legislative budget hearings on Wednesday. The hearings are in advance of the 2007 Legislature in January.
House Speaker Billy McCoy said higher education’s funding request will receive full consideration.
Read The Clarion-Ledger story by clicking here.

Where's Haley?

2006-09-21T09:51:00.000-05:00

Quick, step outside. Up in the sky.
If you look hard enough, you just might see our esteemed Republican governor flying to who-knows-where at Mississippi taxpayer expense.
If you haven’t already seen it, check out the story in the Thursday edition of The Clarion-Ledger that points out that Gov. Haley Barbour has traveled 104,710 miles on state planes from Jan. 1, 2005, through June 30.
Some of those trips may have been legitimate – the ones to the Coast following Hurricane Katrina and Washington to lobby for Katrina help come to mind.
Others seem questionable, extremely questionable. One trip was 112 miles to Philadelphia. Another was a trip to Tunica for a Wayne Newton benefit.
Were those, and possibly others, really necessary at taxpayer expense?
Couldn’t Barbour have driven on his own time to Philadelphia? It isn’t that far.

Pickering took contributions from Ney

2006-09-18T10:18:00.000-05:00

In case you didn’t watch the news Friday or read the papers Saturday, U.S. Rep. Bob Ney agreed to plead guilty to charges related to the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling scandal -- the first elected official to admit his guilt in the Abramoff scandal.
Ney, a six-term Ohio congressman, filed court papers Friday saying he would plead guilty to making false statements and conspiracy to commit fraud, make other false statements and violate U.S. lobbying restrictions.
Here’s the interesting thing for Mississippi: U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering accepted $7,000 in contributions from Ney. And Democratic Party leaders, including state Executive Director Keelan Sanders, questions Pickering’s move.
As Sanders put it: “It’s clear that the congressman feels there is nothing wrong from taking money from people who have scandal and corruption surrounding them. His interest should be for the people and not for his own personal reasons.”

More fundraiser publicity

2006-09-18T10:14:00.000-05:00

The Mississippi Democratic Party picked up some nice publicity last weekend, particularly from newspapers that ran our release on the party fundraiser in Clarksdale. If you didn't read the news release as I sent it out last week, you can catch it at The Meridian Star Web site by clicking here.

Photos from fundraiser

2006-09-15T15:09:00.000-05:00

More than 200 Democrats from the Mississippi Delta and across the state attended a party fundraiser on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale. Here are a few photos from the event.

PHOTO 1
Our banner hung from the ceiling of the club, welcoming everyone who attended the fundraiser.

PHOTO 2
Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman with House Speaker Pro Tem J.P. Compretta of Bay St. Louis, Deshun Martin and Jacob Ray.

PHOTO 3
Clarksdale Mayor Henry Espy, Freeman, Secretary of State Eric Clark and Coahoma Mayor W.J. Jones.

PHOTO 4
State Rep. Eric Fleming, the Democratic nominee challenging Trent Lott in the November race for U.S. Senate, and Freeman.

PHOTO 5
Freeman and partner Bill Luckett, owners of the club, stand on the club’s stage.

Fundraiser attracts attention

2006-09-15T14:41:00.000-05:00

The Mississippi Democratic Party fundraiser in Clarksdale on Wednesday, Sept. 13, was a success, attracted more than 200 people and made it in the Clarksdale Press Register.
That shouldn't come as much of a surprise, though.
After all, the event at the Ground Zero Blues Club in historic downtown Clarksdale attracted Attorney General Jim Hood, Secretary of State Eric Clark, party Chairman Wayne Dowdy and former Govs. William Winter and Ronnie Musgrove.
The big draw was award-winning actor, and co-owner of the club, Morgan Freeman -- who spent much of the night talking and taking pictures with attendees.
In the photo here, Freeman stands with Susan Dowdy and Wayne Dowdy.
The Clarksdale Press Register ran several of its own photos from the event. If you can't find a copy of the Thursday edition, however, you can read the story online by clicking here.

-- Terry R. Cassreino

New blog, new post

2006-09-15T14:29:00.000-05:00

Thanks for visiting. Now, I hope you participate.
This blog is as a forum to discuss issues vital to the state of Mississippi and the Democratic Party - as well as anything else you or anyone deems of interest.
We will try to post items of interest here on as regular basis. Ad we invite your comments and participation. Always remember you can contact me by e-mail at terry@msdemocrats.net.

-- Terry R. Cassreino