Adults in the Room

When you consider the sorts of things that matter to Democrats and Republicans in Mississippi government, it's easy to definitively pick out the adults in the room.

While Punxsutawney Phil Bryant peeked out of his office today looking for the federal government's shadow, he followed the same trodden path of many discredited, discriminatory, Mississippi governors before him, saying:

Because these decisions are better left to the states, and not made at the point of a federal bayonet, Mississippi's public schools should not participate in the president's social experiment.

Perhaps this sort of language keeps Bryant's appetite for "states' rights" satiated, but it's the sort of distraction that has led to the habitual failure to acknowledge the real issues facing our state. It's the sort of attitude that has directly contributed to the collapsing bridges and roadways, failing schools, and dying hospitals.

Now in 2016, Bryant finally has the genetic makeup he prefers in the House and Senate, and his legislative cronies (slash Gubernatorial farm team) Speaker Gunn and Lieutenant Reeves have offered up the economic package they've always wanted:

A complete short on public services, with miscalculations to boot. They had plenty of money for more corporate tax cuts, but not enough for basic functions of our state. And if that's not enough, they didn't even give themselves enough money to fund the stuff they did approve.

So, today, when Legislative Democrats reached out to Governor Bryant to call a special session directed at solving our devastating mental health crisis, we can all imagine that none of them held their breath. But that doesn't mean they aren't right for doing it, and it doesn't mean they don't deserve a round of applause.

Because at least someone is acting like an adult.

Trust the Bryant Touch

What do Republicans Dan Moreland, John McKay, Cheri Berry, Fred Pitts, and Mitt Romney have in common?

They all received endorsements from Governor Phil Bryant, and promptly lost. Often in embarrassing fashion. And tonight is no different:

After much ado over Biloxi Mayoral candidate Fofo Gilich's Republican credentials, Bryant endorsed Windy Swetman and made quite a scene in the process. Tonight, Gilich routed Swetman with 60% of the vote. 

Not too much later in the evening we saw a similar scene, when Bryant-backed-Boyce Adams was crushed by much of the field in his attempt at Mississippi's first congressional seat, despite early suggestions that he was the frontrunner.

When it comes to endorsements, we are co-signing a statement from the Mississippi Democratic Trust:

Gov. Philbo strikes again: Dan Jones out as Ole Miss chancellor

There has been an ongoing power struggle at the Institutions of Higher Learning, with Gov. Phil Bryant and his appointees pushing to politicize the curriculum at our state's colleges and universities by increasing the power wielded by the IHL.

Gov. Bryant has been no fan of University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones, despite the outstanding things Jones has done for the University. (Bryant is in league with supporters of the old Confederate imagery that Jones worked to wipe from the University's image.)

Expect to see someone well-connected to Gov. Bryant be named to replace Jones. And expect that they will be less enthusiastic about getting rid of the Old South trappings long-associated with Ole Miss.

So, what's with the "Philbo" line in the title of this post?  In 1930, Gov. Theodore Bilbo got the predecessor to IHL to fire 3 college presidents and fire 179 professors.