The link above is the video of Senator Cochran’s speech at Forrest General hospital. Senator Cochran’s campaign has new vigor and he is making the rounds, glad-handing the people and being folksy… campaigning, finally.
In an attempt to relate to residents of the Mississippi Pine Belt, Cochran recalled spending holidays in rural parts of the area visiting relatives, picking pecans and doing “all kinds of indecent things with animals.” It got laughs and Cochran, himself, smiled as he tied his memories into why the locals should support him.
Now the McDaniel campaign is claiming this to be a Freudian slip; proof that the septuagenarian Senator is losing it or worse, some horrific admission to harming small woodland and/or farm creatures.
Matthew Thompson is a Mississippi Family Law attorney and encourages you to stay tuned for the upcoming blog on animal indecency and grounds for divorce in Mississippi. Interesting stuff…
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…And after months of defending or dodging his record of bringing home the bacon from Washington, Cochran is now using it for his offense message: Look what I’ve done for your county, town, business, military base or school. Imagine life without me, or the federal spending that makes up more than 40 percent of state revenue…
…brought more monies into Mississippi than Mississippi has paid into the system. Be proud of it…You brought more jobs, more industry, more opportunity than otherwise would have been available to Mississippi…you went to bat for Mississippi and brought home the bacon! Be proud of that. You did not create the 17 trillion dollar national debt, you fighting for Mississippi is not saddling our children and grandchildren to indentured servitude. Instead it gives Mississippians a fighting chance and needed resources and the people know this. If you had not worked to help Mississippi it would have gone elsewhere. No one can refute that with any semblance of credibility.
I’m Matthew Thompson and I approve this message. (No word from the McDaniel camp…)
Follow the blog:#BowTieLawyer Visit the website: #Thompson Law Firm You may also contact Matthew with your family law matter or question at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms
A prior post had the basics of what is now being called Picture-Gate and the dirtiest Senatorial election in Mississippi History, at least recent history. The background can be read here; A Picture is Worth a Decillion Words.
The state’s most popular blog, Jackson Jambalaya, has been all over the story, even before it was a story. The investigation is ongoing and a recent JJ post shed some light onto the speculation surrounding the conspiracy charges. My prior blogged opined;
The most bizarre aspect, other than the brain that thought this was viable strategy, are the conspiracy allegations that have embroiled an attorney (Mark Mayfield), soccer coach (Rick Sager)and Hattiesburgian (John Mary), leading to their arrests. What role they played, if any, remains to be seen, but could include providing aid or information on Mrs. Cochran’s whereabouts and how to gain access, or after the scheme, the taking down the posting and trying to “bury the evidence.” Who knows?
The conspiracy piece did indeed include Clayton Kelly receiving information on Mrs. Cochran’s exact whereabouts, how to infiltrate the facility she was in, and otherwise plotting the photo opportunity for McDaniel’s political gain. The players seemingly only “knew” each other via FaceBook. Yet another good reason to not put your junk on FaceBook; here or here.
No clear connection has been made to McDaniel personally and the speculation that has surrounded his campaign has largely been increased due to McDaniel’s campaign’s seemingly inconsistent stories and their pronouncements of refusing to use this situation and be above it, all the while using this situation to be critical of Cochran and his campaign. McDaniel also did himself no favors in refusing to answer a basic question of what he knew and when in a recent CNN interview. The counter to this is Cochran’s seeming complete avoidance of CNN’s attempts to interview him and any other newsworthy entity, though there was a Wall Street Journal article some two nights ago indicating multiple statements to interviews by Cochran.
This sordid mess is not over yet. On June 3, Mississippi will have a candidate for Senator and the guaranty of a nasty race in the general election. Picture-Gate ain’t over by a long shot.
Matthew Thompson is a Chancery Practice Attorney in Mississippi (formerly the Hospitality State), aced Legislation in Law School and is still taken aback by this ever-growing saga.
Follow the blog:#BowTieLawyer Visit the website: #Thompson Law Firm You may also contact Matthew with your family law matter or question at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms
A picture is worth a 1,000 words. Well, in Mississippi Politics a picture is worth way more. What (fill in the blank)____Gate will this be called? ClaytonGate, SenateGate, #YetAnotherBlackEyeAndWhyMississippiRoutinelyRanks49or50Gate
The story that will not end is that of the Pearl blogger-want-to-be, Clayton Kelly, surreptitiously photographing Senator Thad Cochran’s wife and then using that photo to insinuate infidelity. He “snuck” into a nursing home to capture the image.
Both candidates for Senate, Cochran and challenger, Chris McDaniel, have been accused of using this situation for their own political gain.
There are enough questions about the bizarre story to cast aspersions at both sides and that is constantly being done. The criticism of McDaniel’s camp is how they knew, when the knew. Campaign personnel reached out to the Cochran side to express disgust and outrage prior to the full details being made public – raising the specter of how they knew. A subsequent interview of McDaniel downplayed his knowledge of the event, though his people knew of it for almost a month. Additionally, the perpetrator stated he took down the posting because “the big man” wanted it down. Presumptively “the big man” is McDaniel. McDaniel has used this scandal to repeat his mantra that Cochran refuses to debate him. The McDaniel camp has also prematurely declared their innocence based upon a reported District Attorney, Michael Guest, statement that Guest then addressed clarifying no such innocence due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, causing McDaniel to delete his declaration. It made the mess look worse than it was. Confused yet??
The other visual that each story includes is a picture of McDaniel at political meet & greets with at least 2 of the arrested individuals, alluding to guilt by association.
Cochran has been criticized for taking his sweet time in reporting the allegations. That the Cochran campaign waited until the opportune time to use this situation for political gain, sitting on it for 3 weeks to a month and then feigning outrage. Accusations that Cochran orchestrated this have been lobbed and infidelity accusations continue to be raised.
The most bizarre aspect, other than the brain that thought this was viable strategy, are the conspiracy allegations that have embroiled an attorney (Mark Mayfield), soccer coach (Rick Sager)and Hattiesburgian (John Mary), leading to their arrests. What role they played, if any, remains to be seen, but could include providing aid or information on Mrs. Cochran’s whereabouts and how to gain access, or after the scheme, the taking down the posting and trying to “bury the evidence.” Who knows?
We, as the general public, declare disfavor for the whole sordid affair, but blog, comment, research, speculate, gossip and conclude about this mess based on our own political ideology. Unfortunately we love to hate this, but perpetuate it, too.
What really happened? Who knew what and when? We will likely never get the full story. Mississippi politics will forever prevent the truth of this situation being fully determined. It’s a sad, sordid turn that will reverberate until the next political scandal…
Matthew Thompson is a Divorce and Domestic Relations Attorney in Mississippi and admits that he has followed this story, read the blogs, the comments, seen the clips, interviews, press releases and finds it all fascinating in a very sad way.
Follow the blog:#BowTieLawyer Visit the website: #Thompson Law Firm You may also contact Matthew with your family law matter or question at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms
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