Everybody Knows About Mississippi Goddam

David Weigel | August 16, 2007

It's simply disgusting the way those corrupt Louisiana politicians are getting rich off Hurricane Katrina relief. Wait... what?

Many Mississippians have benefited from Governor Haley Barbour's efforts to rebuild the state's devastated Gulf Coast in the two years since Hurricane Katrina...among the beneficiaries are Barbour's own family and friends, who have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars from hurricane-related business. A nephew, one of two who are lobbyists, saw his fees more than double in the year after his uncle appointed him to a special reconstruction panel. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents in June raided a company owned by the wife of a third nephew, which maintained federal emergency- management trailers.

Meanwhile, the governor's own former lobbying firm, which he says is still making payments to him, has represented at least four clients with business linked to the recovery.

Read the whole Bloomberg piece... there's nothing illegal, just the usual "whale-bellied southern governor using his power to enrich his clan" story.

Mississippi records show that Henry and Austin Barbour, sons of Haley's older brother Jeppie, registered as state lobbyists soon after their uncle was elected in 2003. In January 2004, Henry, who managed the gubernatorial campaign, and Austin joined Capitol Resources LLC in Jackson, located less than a block from the governor's mansion, which represented such big- name clients as Lorillard Tobacco Co. and Northrop Grumman Ship Systems.

In July 2005, Capitol Resources signed on to represent Government Consultants Inc., a local firm that advises Mississippi and Louisiana on state bond issues. Deborah Phillips, president of Government Consultants, praises the work of Capitol Resources, saying Henry, 43, and Austin, 31, have "good resources.'' Haley Barbour is "naturally not going to be disinclined to help those boys when he can,'' said Ed Brunini Jr., the governor's lawyer.

When he says "those boys," does anyone else picture Henry and Austin jumping the General Lee over a ravine and shouting "YAHOOOO"?

Comments

|8.16.07 @ 11:31AM|#

Jeppie?!?

|8.16.07 @ 11:34AM|#

"does anyone else picture Henry and Austin jumping the General Lee over a ravine and shouting 'YAHOOOO'?"

No. I imagine Haley Barbour eating a wet, sloppy, glistening plate of liver.

Timothy|8.16.07 @ 11:38AM|#

I think it's more likely that he's enriching his Klan.

|8.16.07 @ 11:41AM|#

"Jeppie?"

|8.16.07 @ 11:44AM|#

Since Barbour is a Republican, this only goes to show that the system is to blame.

There will be no holding individuals responsible for their decisions abuse of power.

Any sentiments to the contrary will be met with a robust "If on the right people are in charge."

|8.16.07 @ 11:46AM|#

I first read the title as "Everybody Knows about Mississippi Goddamn"

|8.16.07 @ 11:53AM|#

Caption Contest!

"Oh yeah? Well, the pile of cash in my freezer is THIS big!"

|8.16.07 @ 11:56AM|#

Someone spoofing joe?

sage,
Dammit, you already won. :P

|8.16.07 @ 12:22PM|#

I've said it before and I will say it again, Mississipians should not be allowed to immigrate to the United States. Or to Mexico for that matter.

|8.16.07 @ 1:57PM|#

[...] does anyone else picture Henry and Austin jumping the General Lee over a ravine and shouting "YAHOOOO"?

"YAHOOOO," David? Are you serious? Any child of the seventies worth his Big Wheel knows that them good ol' boys shouted something much closer to "YEE-HAW!"

You're not one of those... dare I say it... "born in the eighties" children, are you?!

|8.16.07 @ 2:18PM|#

"Government Consultants Inc."

Now there's a snappy corporate name for ya.

Is that located near Law Firm LLP or is it closer to Book Store Co.?

|8.16.07 @ 2:50PM|#

""whale-bellied southern governor using his power to enrich his clan" story."

Which of course a skinny northern governor would never do.

|8.16.07 @ 5:15PM|#

The DailyVid:

That's Benson, not the Dukes of Hazzard.

|8.17.07 @ 7:43AM|#

Jake is right - the phrase is "Yeee-haw!"

I'm so sick of the media distorting the truth for its own foul ends...