Some Observations

Haley Barbour was sworn in as Governor of Mississippi today at noon. You can read his speech here. Former governors are giving their two cents on how Barbour should proceed.

State Senator Mike Chaney (R-Vicksburg) plans to introduce a bill that will require voters to show one of 13 forms of ID in order to cast a ballot, and if they don't have any ID, they can still vote if the election manager recognizes them. The aim is to reduce chances of voter fraud (dead people have a hard time getting driver's licenses renewed). However, many black members of the state legislature are opposed to the idea because it brings up memories of the days of poll taxes and literacy tests. For example,

State Rep. Chuck Espy, D-Clarksdale, an opponent, said he would be more amenable to the measure 25 years from now, when it would not affect the oldest generation of voters, black or white.

I really don't see how requiring a voter to prove who he says he is harkens back to the days of Jim Crow voter intimidation. Plus, in many majority or near majority black counties, the poll workers are predominantly black, usually older black women (like here in Washington County); it's very doubtful that they will engage in discouraging blacks to vote.

The indispensible Magnolia Report has a list of candidates running for each of Mississippi's 4 Congressional Districts.

Jimmy/Dean: Former Pres. Mr. Peanut Carter will endorse Dean. In other words, a failed former President with bad foreign and domestic policies will support a Presidential candidate with bad foreign and domestic policies.

Another Georgia Democrat, Sen. Zell Miller, is going to stump for Bush, instead.

Wes Clarks promises that if he is elected President, there will be no terrorist attacks. That's reassuring...

Matt Drudge has a partial transcript of the insightful and enlightening political observations of a MoveOn.org event.