RIP - Evel Knievel Dead at 69

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Evel Knievel, the red-white-and-blue-spangled motorcycle daredevil whose jumps over Greyhound buses, live sharks and Idaho's Snake River Canyon made him an international icon in the 1970s, died Friday. He was 69.

Lott Update part 2!

I've heard a few scandal related rumors surrounding the abrupt step-down. this unfounded rumor isn't even the believable one, but it is getting a little press. interesting...

UPDATE on the Lott Retirement

This isn't from me, I've been buried in my work for hours. however, i did pull this for you guys from the Daily Kos. If you didn't know already, Haley Barbour was already trying to put off new elections so he could appoint his pet monkey. in this case, he even (purposefully?) mis-states the law as he announces his plan. too bad that statutes don't agree...
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MS-Sen: Barbour's efforts to rewrite state law

by kos

Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 01:58:54 PM PST

Mississippi Republicans are in a bind.

First, Lott wants out by the end of this year so new ethics guidelines that prohibit former members of Congress from lobbying for two years, rather than one. And we all know that Lott is ditching the people of Mississippi so he can cash in on K Street. He admitted it.

So Lott needs to be out by Dec. 31. However, if he does that, Mississippi law requires a special election within 90 days, and a low-turnout special might hurt the GOP. They want the presidential race to boost Republican turnout in a state that leans heavily Republican in presidential elections.

So what will win, Lott's desire to cash out ASAP, or the GOP's desire to maximize their possibilities of holding that seat? Well, if you're a Republican, there's always option 3: lie and obfuscate the law and try to pull a fast one on everyone else:

Pursuant to Mississippi law, specifically § 23-15-855 (1), of the Mississippi Code, once the resignation takes effect, I will call a Special Election for United States Senator to be held on November 4, 2008, being the regular general election day for the 2008 congressional elections.

Further, within ten days of Senator Lott’s resignation’s taking effect, I will appoint a Senator to serve until the winner of the Special Election for United States Senator is elected and commissioned, as provided in § 23-15-855 (2) of the Mississippi Code. My goal is to appoint the best qualified person who can do the most for our state and country.

Ha ha ha, that Haley. Such a joker. The law:

(1) If a vacancy shall occur in the office of United States Senator from Mississippi by death, resignation or otherwise, the Governor shall, within ten (10) days after receiving official notice of such vacancy, issue his proclamation for an election to be held... within ninety (90) days from the time the proclamation is issued and the returns of such election shall be certified to the Governor in the manner set out above for regular elections, unless the vacancy shall occur in a year that there shall be held a general state or congressional election, in which event the Governor's proclamation shall designate the general election day as the time for electing a Senator, and the vacancy shall be filled by appointment as hereinafter provided.

You get that? The law essentially mandates a special election within 100 days of the retirement. Barbour is trying to argue that the key point is the "proclamation", not the date the vacancy occurs. As election law expert Rick Hasen notes:

[T]he key question is the date of the "vacancy," not the date of the official notice or the date of the proclamation of the special election. If Lott indeed resigns in 2007, the vacancy is in 2007 and the election must occur under the 10/90 day rule described above.

And the Hill reports that MS's secretary of state (a Democrat, until the winners of the 2007 elections get sworn in later in January) agrees.

Gov. Haley Barbour (R) said in a statement Monday that he would schedule the special election for the same day as the November 2008 general election. State law, however, appears to require an earlier date if Lott retires this year, as he said he would.

While Lott sneaks in under the wire for the extended ban on lobbying Congress by retiring this year, the secretary of state’s office said Monday that state law appears to require a special election within 90 days if he does so.

Conversely, if Lott were to wait and retire in 2008, the law allows for the special election to be held the same day as the general. Of course, he would then be subject to the new two-year ban on lobbying his former colleagues, instead of the current one-year ban.

Lott will have a choice to make -- suck it up and wait an extra year before cashing out on K Street, or screw his party over one last time. And if Barbour persists on trying to rewrite state law, he'll have to likely justify his efforts in a court of law.

Update: Email press release:

JACKSON (Monday, Nov. 26, 2007) –Wayne Dowdy, chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party, issued the following statement after U.S. Sen. Trent Lott announced plans to resign from office by the end of the year.

“According to multiple news reports, Senator Lott intends to resign his seat by the end of the year. Section 23-15-855 (1) of the Mississippi Code makes clear that if Senator Lott does indeed resign during this calendar year, as stated, then Governor Barbour must call a special election for within 90 days of making a proclamation – which he must issue within 10 days of the resignation – and not on Nov. 4, 2008, as he has announced he intends to do.

“We will wait for Senator Lott’s official notice of resignation, when he will undoubtedly announce the exact date he will leave office. But if he does resign this calendar year we expect the governor to uphold the law and call a special election within 100 days. It is important that Mississippi be represented in Washington by a senator who was elected by the state’s voters as soon as possible.”

Race tracker wiki: MS-Sen

I Went To High School With Mrs. Lincoln

Have you seen those commercials for sleeping pills? the one where the insomniac is talking to Abe Lincoln? it turns out abe is married to a classmate of mine from High School. ha!

Trent Lott to Step Down Before 2008

If you haven't heard, MS' Junior Senator, Trent Lott (R-MS) is stepping down this year. you can rest assured this is to start a lucrative career in lobbying after the federal waiting period is over. There's been speculation for years that he'd be stepping down. Most think that Katrina and its aftermath kept him in the Senate, as he had great personal losses in the storm.

That being said, MANY have speculated that he didn't enjoy the back bench status in which he found himself after the Strom Thurmond fiasco. He had clawed his way back into some form of leadership, only to see the GOP Majority slip away. It seems so many of our 'statesmen' want to take their ball and go home if they can't be in charge (I'm looking at you Chip Pickering). It also speaks volumes about Lott's view of the GOP presidential field.

So, what does that mean for the future? It means Barbour will appoint a new Senator to fill out the term. there has been LONG speculation that Rep. Chip Pickering was being groomed for this seat. with him stepping down from the house and this seat opening, you can bet he'll be on the short list. Though, i'm less convinced it will be him at this point. whomever it is, they will enjoy a Year in the senate and perhaps be able to establish a whiff of Incumbency. On the Democrat side, i see Mike Moore (former AG) as the likely candidate. he's LONG been rumored to have wanted this job. the question is whether 5 years out of politics is too long for people's short attention span. I would argue that he's perhaps the most widely known and liked Democrat in the state.

Smells Fishy...er...Like Sulphur

The Mayor of a town in Arkansas has decided to step down. Note, this supposedly isn't part of some scandal or political hubub on the horizon, it's actually because of Satan! You see, he was living in Indiana until he took up an assumed name.
...and of course, the reason he took up the new identity was because Satanists had kidnapped him and brainwashed him! The truth came out recently after being injected with truth serum (JEEZ! now THAT's a Halloween party!).

The story falls apart a little when he explained that he had a choice:

go with these people (hey! i thought you were kidnapped!?)
-OR-
see his family killed before his eyes (i thought you didn't remember them??).

He took a 3rd route and ran away (i suppose the killers didn't have his family address). Police say he's not suspected of any wrong doing. I say he's at LEAST guilty of abandonment (or worse) with this dubious story.

EGG BOWL WIN over OLE MISS!!!

I spent the day at my mother's house. We had a shrimp boil. as good as it was, i couldn't help but squirm. i wasn't able to watch the Miss. State v. Ole Miss game and i couldn't wait to get home and watch the Tivo. I kept checking my cell phone until i 'refreshed' it so much that i'd almost ran out of battery juice. we were losing the whole game through. I'd eat a little bit and check the cell. it was killing me. 14 to nothing and then the 4th quarter came. we ended up tying the biggest late game comeback in MSU history, winning the game 17 - 14 in the final seconds with a 48 yard kick, our kicker's personal best! the coach was in tears and ran onto the field with a Giant MSU flag. something i think has never EVER been done. we've had a long hard trip to get here. nearly a decade to finally be decent. it feels awfully nice to get to a bowl game again, especially for a kid that was lucky enough to go to MSU when we were used to winning. It feels good to be winning again. OH, here's video of the end!