Trial Lawyer of the Year

I'd be lying if I told you I expected it, or even if I really felt like I deserved it, but I was given the Trial Lawyer of the Year award this past weekend by the Mississippi Association for Justice.

There's no way I could thank everyone who has my appreciation, however it would be improper for me to not try. First I have to thank my wonderful parents, John and Lisa Eichelberger for raising me, encouraging me to make education a priority, and teaching me the value of hard work. I also am indebted to my teachers throughout the years. One of them, the late Professor Tom Mason from Ole Miss Law, would no doubt feel a bit of satisfaction, as at times he was more certain of my abilities to be a trial lawyer than I was.

I have also been very fortunate to have been surrounded by good people. Folks like Bill LaBarre, Brandon Jones, P.J. Lee, Ramel Cotton, Gregg Harper, Vicki Gilliam, Bobby Moak, and dozens of others have taught me more about the practice of law than I could have ever learned otherwise. Of course, I also have to thank my fiance, Jennie Pitts, who is an amazing lawyer in her own right, and of whom I could not be more proud.

I'm also thankful for my clients. They are the reason I do what I do, and I have been blessed to have so many that are easy to want to fight for.

Finally, I am very thankful for the Mississippi Association for Justice and for its 50 year history of seeking access to the courts for those who can't afford "tall building" lawyers. I'm very proud to be a part of an organization that, although it doesn't formally do so, could easily sum up its reason for being with a recitation of Isaiah 1:17 - "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow."

OK, now back to work.

Mississippi Ethics Commission Votes 5-3 to Allow Conflicted Interest in Medicaid Expansion

Reports the MS Business Journal.

More to come on this later.

You can kill a man, but you can't kill an idea

It's been fifty years, today.  Fifty years since a cowardly product of this state's wretched obsession with hate and self-destruction lashed out and killed a man dreaming of and working for a better future for us all.

Mr. Evers' dedication to Mississippi and those of us who live here was staggering. May God bless the soul of Medgar Evers, may He comfort those who loved him, and may He give us the strength to continue the work Mr. Evers could not complete.

Politico: "Mississippi's Medicaid Plan May Fail"

In today's edition of Politico, Kyle Cheney, writes about the ongoing battle struggle floundering of responsibility from Governor Bryant over the seemingly obvious decision to expand Medicaid.

There are a couple of good quotes here, some that have become old-hat in these parts, including that of House Minority Leader, Rep Bobby Moak:

The federal government will pay for expansion for the first three years, then gradually scale back to paying 90 percent of the cost.

“I feel confident that the members of the House will make a decision that’s best for their district,” Moak said.

As well as industry leaders that see the need:

Mississippi has the most to gain from Medicaid expansion. Conversely, we also have the most to lose,” said Roy Mitchell, executive director of the Mississippi Health Care Access Program. “We’re at the bottom of all the health indicator lists. If we do not expand Medicaid, we will solidify our place at the bottom for at least a generation to come.”

 Hospitals and nursing homes, too, are fretting.

“We continue encouraging Mississippi legislators to come to an agreement quickly to fund the existing Medicaid program beyond June 30, so it does not cause any disruption in services to our nursing home residents,” said Vanessa Phipps Henderson, executive director of the Mississippi Health Care Association.

National eyes are on our state to do the right thing for its people, especially since so many partisan Republicans have already seen the writing on the wall. 

How far will Governor Bryant go to avoid giving Democrats a political victory?

And does he know that his actions could lead to his state's long term defeat?

"Wound Licking" and "Soul Searching" - The Sun Herald's coverage of Blue Tuesday

Check out what the Political Editor for the Sun Herald, Michael Newsom, had to say about Blue Tuesday today.

Newsom fuses the terrible Tuesday for the Mississippi Republican Party, which includes Governor Bryant's insistence that women in the workplace contributed to mediocrity in public education, with the failure to elect municipal leaders across the state. Some takeaways:

The Republican Party was licking its wounds late Tuesday night...the results were really ugly for the GOP in races the party had targeted.

Relating to Mayor Moran's re-election:

There never was a solid backing for McKay from the business community and the GOP base there. Also, the push to make party affiliation a major factor for municipal voters still hasn't caught on. Moran ran a good campaign and effectively sold the city's accomplishments under her watch.

 Continuing:

On election night, McKay was clobbered, coming in 25 percentage points behind Moran.

Now, he and his party begin the worn-out TV news political cliché -- the time of soul searching.

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/06/08/4719749/michael-newsom-from-moms-to-mayors.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/06/08/4719749/michael-newsom-from-moms-to-mayors.html#storylinkRead more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/06/08/4719749/michael-newsom-from-moms-to-mayors.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/06/08/4719749/michael-newsom-from-moms-to-mayors.html#storylink=cpy

Newsom suggested that the Republican Party's only win was beating independent, disgraced former Republican Greg Davis, and reminded Cottonmouth readers of what they may already know:

 The Mississippi Republican Party is in disarray.  And The Mississippi Democratic Party is capitalizing on that opportunity.

Clarion - Ledger Coverage of Blue Tuesday

Just some light Sunday reading from Geoff Pender over at the Clarion-Ledger, a recap of Democratic successes on Tuesday. 

There's a lot of really great stuff here, and I might take time to delve into it a little later. Until then, take a look.

Working mom First Lady Deborah Bryant joins bank board

In what must be an affront to Republican Governor D. Phil Bryant (the "D" stands for "Dumbass"), his own wife has joined the Board of Mississippi-based Community Bank. This news, of course, comes just a few days after he declared that the American education system had become mediocre because mothers entered the workplace.

Science, meanwhile, disagrees.

Columbus Dispatch: Brandon Presley, like his cousin Elvis, ROCKS

The Columbus Dispatch, a paper not exactly known to pen kind editorials about Democrats, has published a glowing one about Northern District PSC Commissioner Brandon Presley (D).

Elected mayor of his native Nettleton at 23 years of age, Presley was reelected in 2011 for a second term as the Public Service Commssioner for the Northern District. He also serves on the board of the Mississippi Democratic Trust.

The best part about the editorial is that they recognized what many of us already have about Commissioner Presley: that he's about the least self-interested person in elective office in Mississippi, if not the nation. That will be quite a contrast to whomever Presley lines up against next. My prediction? Voters across Mississippi will have the opportunity to vote for Presley in the 2015 election.

Marty Wiseman on Blue Tuesday in Mississippi

WCBI in Columbus ran a story Wednesday on the stunning round of Democratic victories in municipal races across Mississippi, featuring an interview with MSU political scientist Marty Wiseman.  You can view the video here.

My favorite part may be Sen. Terry Brown (R - Columbus) attempting to save face by saying these were "traditional Democratic cities".  That may be true about Starkville, but Tupelo hasn't had a Democratic mayor in 30 years.  Meridian just lost an incumbent Republican mayor.  And aside from Connie Moran, every other person running for office in Ocean Springs, from mayor to alderman, was a Republican.

BREAKING: DuPree to be named winner of Hattiesburg mayoral election

DavidCBreland Final Unofficial Tally: DuPree- 25 Ware- 21 #haelex 6/6/13 1:37 PM