I just got this email from Mike Huckabee…

Last night was a reminder of what a tough year this will be for Republicans. The loss of the Congressional seat in Mississippi was tough. We had a great candidate, but the Democrat very effectively ran as a pro life, pro 2nd amendment conservative. I’m convinced that for the GOP to have wins this year we have to focus on specific issues and not party building (for us) or party bashing (against them).

What do you think the GOP needs to do to reverse the slide in support and start winning elections? LINK

You know, Mike. A few months ago, you spent a great deal of time talking about Vertical Politics: policies and issues which were neither right nor left, but were about lifting everyone up. Is was an effective message. We conservatives truly believe that conservative principles are the very essence of Vertical Politics. The abandonment of conservative principles by the Republican Party is the main reason for the election losses.

There’s more.

High gas prices, the war, and the overall general funk that I tie up in a neat little ball called “Bush Fatigue.” The general public blames the Republicans for all of the ills in the world, and the President won’t defend himself or the Party. And even when he tries, he is so inarticulate that we cringe every time he steps up to the microphone.

Mike, we’ve been waiting to go on offense since the budget battle of ‘96. But, one by one, we’ve watched our leadership get picked off by a sex or money scandal, and all our time has been spent on defense. And then we get junk coming out of the Congress like Foley, Abramoff, Delay, Ney, and Cunningham… and uncontrolled spending, and bigger and more obtrusive government programs … illegal immigration out the wazoo, and the President, as well as our presumptive nominee, on record as supporting a path to citizenship for those who have entered here illegally (just doing jobs Americans won’t do, my foot), even going so far as to tie the hands of the border enforcement agents charged with a near impossible and thankless task. The fact that Compean and Ramos are still in a jail cell irks us to no end.

The fact is, we’re mad, Mike. But not so much at the Democrats. They aren’t doing anything that we don’t expect out of them. They’ve behaved disgustingly, and continue to do so. No, we’re mad at the Republicans for not carrying the fight to the Democrats. We vote for men and women who promise to fight the good fight when they are back home campaigning, but when they get to DC, they seem to be interested only in being liked by the opposition, lining their pockets, or getting their groove on. Our elected representatives have refused to stand up and fight for our principles, and we don’t see any real advantage to returning them to DC.

I’m going to tell you something else, Mike. If John McCain doesn’t get off this global warming kick, he’s going to need a heck of a lot of crossover voters in order to win — because there are a whole bunch of us who will not vote for him if he stabs us in the back. Again.

Walter Hawkins and the MS Mass Choir.
Enjoy!

First up, a cool video from the Military Channel, comparing Mark46/Mark 48 machine guns.

(w00t!)

Next is a piece from Christopher Hitchens, describing the argument from the Left — it’s apples and oranges –

Iraq: Worth the Price

Think how many candy-canes and vacations I could have if it were not for the space program, or the cost of carrier-groups or special forces or — I don’t know — Black Hawk helicopters. (If you think I am being unkind or frivolous, see if you can detect the thread of reasoning that connects Iraq expenditures with the crisis in the mortgage system.) There are days when I think that the money raised by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama might have been better spent on the alleviation of poverty, but I can still tell an apple from an orange and am not hopelessly stuck on the zero-sum fixation. Once again, the economic “experts” turn out to know the price of some things but not the value of anything.

Time to start moving dirt…. the Toyota deal is bringing the beginnings of a boom in north Mississippi …

Auto parts maker Vuteq USA plans to build a $31 million plant in New Albany to supply molded plastic pieces and other components for Toyota’s assembly plant in Blue Springs.Vuteq, a Japanese company with seven facilities in North America, will hire 130 people to work at the New Albany plant and up to 500 to prepare parts kits at the Toyota plant.

Vuteq’s building will be the first in the Martintown Industrial Park, open land Union County bought with Toyota suppliers in mind.

Primary day in the Magnolia State … Beagle Scout who lives down on the coast in MS 1st district, is calling for voters to cross over and vote for Hillary. I live in the 3rd, and I won’t be crossing over. We’ve got a pretty good selection of hopefuls vying for the Pickering seat. The Club for Growth jumped in and endorsed Charlie Ross, to which I say, “forget Charlie Ross.” I’m pulling for David Landrum. So is Mrs. Nuke. Sure hope he makes the runoff.

U.S. House, 3rd District. For the Democratic nomination, Randall Eads of Starkville will meet Joel Gill of Pickens. On the Republican side, voters will choose between Gregg Harper of Pearl, Charlie Ross of Brandon, David Landrum of Madison County, John Rounsaville of Madison, Bill Marcy of Meridian, Gregory Hatcher of Meridian and the Rev. James Broadwater of Flowood.

So what’s going on in your neck of the woods?

MLK Day in Mississippi.
This is BB King

A lot of folks around these parts have vivid recollections of the plane crash that claimed the heart and soul of Southern Rock–Lynyrd Skynyrd. That was thirty years ago today.

Where are they now?

Of those who were members when the plane crashed Oct. 20, 1977:

ARTIMUS PYLE Drummer: Lives in North Carolina and plays with the Artimus Pyle Band

CASSIE GAINES Backup vocals: Died in plane crash

BILLY POWELL Keyboards: Lives in Jacksonville, still playing with Skynyrd

LEON WILKESON Bass: Died 2001 of chronic liver and lung disease

ALLEN COLLINS Guitar: Died 1990 of pneumonia, following paralysis from a 1986 car crash

LESLIE HAWKINS Backup vocals: Lives in Middleburg, still dealing with health issues from plane crash but sings occasionally with tribute bands

GARY ROSSINGTON Guitarist: Lives in North Georgia, still playing with Skynyrd

RONNIE VAN ZANT Vocals: Died in plane crash

JO JO BILLINGSLEY Backup vocals: Now a minister in Alabama, left band two months before crash

STEVE GAINES Guitar: Died in plane crash

Just how high could Lynyrd Skynyrd really have flown? Wonderful piece in the Jacksonville Times-Union. Read it all

Here is Lynyrd Skynyrd, from 1976, doing a live performance of “Searching”

Enjoy your boiled peanuts and root beer on this beautiful college football Saturday in Dixie! Later y’all.