The Barbour Gang rides to Thad Cochran’s rescue

politico.com ^ | 3/19/14 | Alexander Burns

[cotton1706]

When Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran filed papers to run for another term, the snowy-haired Republican listed the address of his campaign as a P.O. box in Tupelo, a town best known as the birthplace of Elvis Presley and a hub of the state’s conservative, northeast corner.

But the focal point of Cochran’s reelection effort might be more accurately placed in an office tower nearly 200 miles away, at a building in downtown Jackson — 210 E. Capitol St. is the address — where a pair of brothers, in suites separated by just one floor, work overtime to defend Mississippi’s elder statesman.

They are Henry and Austin Barbour, the nephews of Haley Barbour, the former Mississippi governor who is himself an integral part of the sophisticated political operation seeking to quash Cochran’s primary opponent from the GOP’s right flank.

In all the Republican-on-Republican primary battles that have unfolded over the last few cycles, there’s no more vivid example of establishment forces racing to the rescue of an embattled legislator than the Barbour-backed rescue operation under way in Mississippi, a tradition-bound place where seniority has long been king.

Though the attempted turnaround involves a constellation of operatives and donors who are not blood relatives, the Barbour family is at the center of the whole effort. Austin, 38, is a senior strategist for Cochran’s campaign. Henry, a 49-year-old member of the Republican National Committee, leads the pro-Cochran Mississippi Conservatives PAC. The outside group has already spent nearly $400,000 so far going after Cochran’s challenger in the June 3 primary, state Sen. Chris McDaniel.

[cotton1706]

The only reason Cochran decided to run again (he wanted to retire but was talked into running again, probably by McConnell) was to prevent a conservative from getting into the senate. Because in Mississippi, the republican nominee would win. So they want to keep a liberal voting republican in the seat.

McDaniel for Senate on June 3rd!

[Repeal The 17th]

Thank you for your frequent postings and updates on the various senate races.
Do you have a good link/source for the various upcoming primary dates/calendars?

[cotton1706]

You’re welcome. Here you go!

http://www.thegreenpapers.com/G14/events.phtml?format=chronological

[Servant of the Cross]

They are Henry and Austin Barbour, the nephews of Haley Barbour, the former Mississippi governor who is himself an integral part of the sophisticated political operation seeking to quash Cochran’s primary opponent from the GOP’s right flank.

This sh*t is what pisses me off. The gOpE enlists their media, including conservative thinkers like Thomas Sowell and Ann Coulter, to wail and lament about how terrible it is that Republicans (and by that they only focus on conservative Tea Party movement candidates who seek to replace/upgrade a squishy incumbent) are “engaging in a circular firing squad”.

It is the gOpE that is “quashing, punching and attacking” the conservative candidates who have every right to challenge the squishy moderates in Republican primaries. Mr. Sowell, Ms. Coulter, why don’t these Republican incumbents run on their records rather than run a DNC-like campaign solely based on trashing their more conservative opponents?! It’s because their record is not good enough to run on and they know it! If their records were as good as you suggest, they would NOT have these primary challengers.

McDaniel for Senate on June 3rd!

Oust the snowy-haired old geezer puppet of Mitch McConnell and the Barbour brothers whom they’re trying to shove down our throats.

And let's make upgrades to these GOP Senate seats too while we're at it ....

Georgia – Chambliss (ret)
Kansas - Roberts
Kentucky – McConnell
Nebraska – Johanns
South Carolina – Graham
Tennessee – Alexander

Game on Mitch!

[Servant of the Cross]

‘Fight like hell in the primaries’ ping .....

[Repeal The 17th]

Thank you very much!

[houeto]

(he wanted to retire but was talked into running again, probably by McConnell)

Reliable sources have stated that it was Haley that talked him into running again. What I truly don't understand is why these old geezers fight so desperately to hold on. They already have more money than they could possibly hope to spend in their waning years. What gives? Any idea cotton1706?

[cotton1706]

“What gives? Any idea cotton1706?”

1. They love power, and the perks that go with it
2. They honestly think that the country can’t do without them.
3. They get vindictive. “I’ll show this young whipper-snapper a thing or two about politics!”
4. They believe that the natural order of things is to retire on their own or be taken out by a democrat.
5. They have people that push their buttons to instigate all of the above (Barbour or McConnell, in this case).

Witness the last couple of examples: Arlen Specter (”I won’t have my 30 year career be decided by the republican electorate, so I’ll just become a democrat to thwart you and piss you off.”); Ted Stevens, in the Senate since 1967, wouldn’t retire even though he knew he had an indictment coming down, defeated his primary opponent and then was himself defeated; Richard Lugar, arrogantly pissed off his constituents, was removed from power and is now endorsing the democrat in Georgia, daughter of one of his old senate pals; John McCain, don’t even get me started on him.

Orrin Hatch was one of the only smart ones. He voted in lockstep with Mike Lee to get reelected. Now he can screw us over with abandon for another six years.

[houeto]

Thank you for the reply cotton1706. I can go with you on #1, 3 and 5.

#2, not a chance. You used the word "honestly". Nope, nope, nope.

#4 is mind reading. In the FR Religion Forum that would get you booted immediately. Not so much in "News/Activism". After reading your reply I am convinced that you know of what you speak.

Greed and arrogance have consumed our 'governors'.

The Lord Himself explained that the LOVE of money is the root of ALL evil. We are now witnessing that to the extreme.