The fact that the Republicans are having a primary battle demonstrates the strength of diverse ideas within their party – you support diversity.

Democrats are like wind-up dolls repeating the leadership’s mantra. Take Mississippi, for example, where well over 80 percent of the voters amended our state constitution to protect traditional marriage. The Democratic Party has driven marriage equality and Mississippi Democrats have just bowed down to the agenda without any pushback. Notice I didn’t say same-sex marriage because their agenda goes much further than that. And yet in 2015 many Mississippians will have to decide if they want to run for county offices under the banner of this far-left party.

Now as to the two Republican candidates, McDaniel is a strong challenger. But the way you describe Thad as a weak warrior who has outlived his political strengths is so erroneous that it would be more likely for the Mississippi Gulf to freeze solid before he could ever be called weak and ineffective. Ask the negotiators of the recently passed farm bill who worked the hardest. And when Mississippi needs a leader to deliver disaster aid like after Hurricane Katrina who does that best?

Now how about the possibility of Mississippi losing our National Guard’s 155th. When it comes to batting at the plate and swinging to keep our 155th and other important issues who would you rather have in the batter’s box? Travis Childers? Chris McDaniel? Or Thad “the Babe Ruth of appropriations negotiations” Cochran? Mississippi has bases loaded, voters will choose who swings the bat. Choose wisely Mississippi, we need a grand slam!

The Tupelo Tea Party last week distributed a disinformation flyer concerning the National Guard’s 155th Brigade Combat Team in Mississippi.

The flyer’s premise was that the historic 155th will be shut down because Sen. Thad Cochran voted to confirm Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense and Hagel is a “yes man” for President Barack Obama.

“It’s time Senator Cochran is held responsible for putting Mississippi in this situation,” says the flyer.

False premise. Twisted facts.

In reality, the Tea Party put Mississippi in this situation.

It was the Tea Party push for budget cuts that resulted in the “sequester” that slashes $500 billion from military budgets over 10 years. Such steep cuts require reductions in force.

Mississippi is blessed with more than its share of outstanding active duty military, National Guard, and Air National Guard missions and facilities. That didn’t happen by accident. Sen. Cochran, former Sen. Trent Lott, former Congressman and now Sen. Roger Wicker, the late Congressman G. V. “Sonny” Montgomery, and former Congressman Gene Taylor – all of whom had clout on defense or appropriations committees – spent years building up these missions and facilities. Newer congressmen have helped maintain them.

As the military makes cuts, our numerous missions and facilities can’t help but be impacted, along with those in other states. Fighting off Army, Navy, and Air Force attempts to make deep cuts to Mississippi units will be hard.

The issue with the 155th is part of an intense tug-of-war between Gen. Raymond Odierno, the Army chief of staff, and National Guard leadership. Odierno wants to maintain as many active duty combat-ready units as possible. The National Guard says its combat-ready units should stay because they cost one-third of what active duty units cost. (Hagel wants fewer, better armed, active duty units.)

Odierno would deactivate six National Guard Brigade Combat Teams from 28 nationwide. The 155th could be one of them. The active duty Army also covets the Apache attack helicopters at the 155th Army Aviation Support Facility in Tupelo.

Sen. Cochran and other Republican members of the Mississippi congressional delegation are on top of this issue. Early last week, the senator joined with Tea Party favorite Sen. Mike Lee, Sen. Lindsey Graham and others to introduce legislation that would halt the active duty Army plan. Congressman Steven Palazzo voted later in the week to include a provision in the House Defense Authorization Bill that does the same.

Just as it takes congressional clout to gain military missions and facilities, it will take clout to keep them. We learned that lesson well during the BRAC rounds. So, Tupelo Tea Party, if we want to keep the 155th, we need to keep Sen. Cochran. Nobody has and uses clout for our military as well as he does.

As the Mississippi Legislature convenes a special session to consider $20 million for tornado recovery efforts, it is worth reexamining the records of the two men in the race for U.S. Senate:

Thad Cochran wrote the bill that was essential to Mississippi recovering from Hurricane Katrina.

As one Gulf Coast resident said: “.”

Chris McDaniel said if he had been in the U.S. Senate, voting for Katrina relief would have been, “.” Amazingly, to this day he will not say if he would have voted for Senator Cochran’s bill.

Geoff Pender of the Clarion Ledger said anybody who questioned Senator Cochran doing all he could to help Mississippi in its hour of need, “.”

Will Chris McDaniel finally do the right thing?

A roundup of the coverage of and response to State Senator Chris McDaniel’s remarks on Hurricane Katrina relief:
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“The future of the state of Mississippi hung in the balance. Nearly a third of its economy was shut down. Whole cities had been obliterated. Without federal aid, the state would face an instant depression and recovery would take a generation … All other issues and politics aside, any Mississippian that faults Cochran for doing all he could do to help his state in its hour of need needs to have their head examined.” – Geoff Pender, Clarion Ledger, 2-23-14
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“That’s not an easy vote to cast” – Chris McDaniel, POLITICO, 2-19-14
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“Voting for aid for your own people after one of the worst disasters in U.S. history would be a tough decision? Really?” – Times Picayune Editorial, 2-21-14
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“I would have to see details of it. I really would,” McDaniel said. – Chris McDaniel, POLITICO, 2-19-14
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“In the days following the Burns article, newspaper editorials and numerous Republican leaders blasted McDaniel for his weak statement of support for Katrina relief.” – Bill Crawford, Daily Journal, 2-24-14
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“I don’t think any person from Mississippi would dream somebody running for senator in our state would not have enthusiastically supported that,” Barbour said. “Our delegation worked their fingers to the bone and I think this is the most important legislative achievement of Sen. Cochran’s career. I mean, the idea that anybody from Mississippi would find it a hard vote?” – Haley Barbour, POLITICO, 2-21-14
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“McDaniel added that, ‘some of the money [in the Katrina bill] was misspent,’ arguing that when it comes to government spending: ‘It’s one thing to provide immediate storm relief and to protect people’s lives and property, it’s quite another to benefit campaign supporters.” The state legislator declined to back up the implication that storm money was used in a corrupt fashion. Asked whether there was a specific instance of government abuse he had in mind, McDaniel responded:“Not that I can say.”  POLITICO, 2-19-14
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The rest of McDaniel’s post is absolutely ludicrous. First of all, the state senator from Jones County is essentially insinuating that Cochran — and, by extension, every other lawmaker who supported the bill — was somehow responsible for the $2 billion in wasteful spending on “guns, strippers and tattoos.”

“Really? McDaniel is going to tell the electorate that Cochran supported a bill that provided prostitutes and tattoos for people on the coast? That’s bunk!”Sam Hall, Clarion Ledger, 2-21-14
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“As best I can tell, he’s never directly answered whether he would have voted for the $29 billion in Katrina relief Cochran secured for the Gulf Coast.”  -Geoff Pender, Clarion Ledger, 2-23-14
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“I’m not going to do anything for you.” – Chris McDaniel, POLITICO, 2-19-14
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“When an Ole Miss student challenged McDaniel’s past description of Mississippi as a “welfare state,” McDaniel stood by that characterization.” – POLITICO, 2-19-14

As the Mississippi Legislature prepares to reconvene tomorrow for a special session called by Governor Phil Bryant to help provide disaster relief for victims of the recent tornadoes that struck Mississippi, the question is: will Chris McDaniel find this a, “,” as he did with Hurricane Katrina relief? Will he say, ”,” if this will be a good thing? Or will he finally do the right thing for Mississippi and stop trying to appease his out-of-state backers?

Senator McDaniel promised Mississippians, ”,” in the Senate. Will he finally do something?

The Mississippi Realtors have launched a website in support of United States Senator Thad Cochran’s reelection. The Realtors cite Senator Cochran’s support for flood insurance reform, rural housing, and opposition to mandatory 20% down payments for all conventional loans as reasons for their endorsement.

“I’m grateful for the Realtors endorsement. I recognize the good work they do ensuring Mississippians have access to opportunities for home ownership,” Senator Cochran said. “Many Mississippians are employed in real estate and related industries, and contribute a great deal to the economic health of our state. I am honored to work with them on issues important to Mississippi families and businesses.”

The website can be viewed  and the endorsement video can be viewed .