Standing With Mississippi.

Heather Young sent me the following information about the Mississippi Center for Justice and their Standing With Mississippi campaign to force Mississippi's corrupt (my word) Republican Governor Haley Barbour to take federal money to help Mississippi's working class and stop acting like a posturing dumbass (again, my words).

OK, Heather I've signed the petition and here's my endorsement.

For those of you who don't know who Haley Barbour is, lucky you. Haley's a big time, Southern, good old boy, anything that helps the rich and screws the poor must be a good thing, Republican party philosopher/propaganda expert. He was even chairman of the Republican National Committee from '94-'97.

Here's a little more background on Barbour courtesy of Think Progress.

Family members and lobbyists profited from Katrina tragedy: "Among the beneficiaries are Barbour's own family and friends, who have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars from hurricane-related business. A nephew, one of two who are lobbyists, saw his fees more than double in the year after his uncle appointed him to a special reconstruction panel."

Owned controlling interest in 2002 New Hampshire phone jamming company: For nearly two hours on election day 2002, subcontractors for the telemarketing firm GOP Marketplace tied-up Democratic and union phone banks with repeated hang up calls. Multiple GOP officials eventually either pled guilty to or were convicted of criminally violating federal communications law. Barbour's investment group, Helm Partners, was not only a major investor in GOP Marketplace, but it also held a controlling interest in the firm.

As a lobbyist, he represented firm indicted in Tom DeLay's money laundering scandal: As a lobbyist for Barbour Griffith & Rogers, Barbour represented The Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care Inc., "a corporate coalition of 14 of the country's largest for-profit nursing home companies." The Alliance wrote a check for $100,000 "ended up illegally funding Republican candidates for the Texas statehouse" in 2002. The check was eventually used as evidence in the case that led to indictments for money laundering against former Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX).

A former tobacco lobbyist, he killed Mississippi's successful anti-smoking program: From 1998 to 2002, Barbour's lobbying firm "was paid a total of $3.8 million by the tobacco companies." As governor of Mississippi, he led an effort to defund and ultimately kill the state's anti-smoking program, considered to be "the nation's most successful anti-smoking programs."

Directed large amounts of reconstruction funds to wealthy homeowners: Barbour and Mississippi's two Republican Senators steered an "unprecedented" $23.5 billion in federal reconstruction aid, but by waiving a HUD requirement that "70 percent of the funds are supposed to be allocated to low- and moderate-income people." Barbour "badly skewed" the funds towards "wealthy homeowners," with only 25 percent reaching "the poorer segments of the population."

What a guy.

Here's the plug from Standing with Mississippi.

Petition to Governor Barbour: Accept Stimulus MoneyMississippi

Center for Justice launches national online petition in favor of stimulus

Mississippi Center for Justice launched an online campaign, “Standing With Mississippi,” designed to inform Mississippians—and other friends around the country—about Governor Haley Barbour’s intended rejection of nearly $60 million in Unemployment Insurance benefits provided to Mississippi as part of the Federal stimulus package.

“Standing With Mississippi” encourages people to voice their support for providing every available dollar to Mississippians who have lost their employment through no fault of their own.

As the poorest state in the nation, Mississippi can least afford to put partisan politics ahead of people’s basic needs. Mississippi desperately needs its rightful share of the stimulus package. The money that Governor Barbour is rejecting will help 39,600 hardworking families weather this recession.

Supporters are encouraged to sign the petition and learn more at: http://www.StandingWithMississippi.org

The petition comes at a time when Governor Barbour has called a public meeting for April 16 to discuss the stimulus money. Mississippi Center for Justice believes hardworking Mississippians deserve every available resource to support their basic needs of food and shelter during such a difficult economic time.

There's a lot of good folks in Mississippi, sign the petition and help them out. Thanks.

Later.

I'm working on some right wing propaganda to show just how unbalanced the Right actually is, so stay tuned.