Rothenberg on Harper

The Rothenberg Political Report - Good Candidates for House Come in All Shapes and Sizes - Every election cycle, I meet a lot of candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives. Some, in fact many, have more liabilities than assets. But some actually impress me. This column is about four of them, and I’d advise keeping an eye on each at least until November.

Gregg Harper (R), Mississippi’s 3rd district. An attorney and former Rankin County Republican chairman, Harper, 52, did what many candidates promise to do but, in fact, don’t. He put together a successful grass-roots campaign. With one of his primary opponents flush with money and the other a well-known state Senator who had the governor’s media consultant at his disposal, Harper was the long-shot Republican hopeful with little cash and no district-wide recognition. But his years toiling in Republican political vineyards — whether working in phone banks for a Mississippi GOP candidate in 1978, serving as a Republican observer of the Florida recount in 2000 or working as a legal volunteer for President Bush’s campaign in Ohio in 2004 — paid off.

Harper is straightforward, astute and earnest. It’s clear that he is an extremely hard worker, and that people who meet him are willing to go to work to help him. That’s a very good sign. In a rarity these days, Harper refused to use negative information about one of his opponents. But don’t think Gregg Harper is politically naive. He isn’t. And he will win the open seat in November.

Gill on Science

In his responses to Scientists and Engeineers for America, Joel Gill rejects the premise of global warming ("Being in the cattle business, I question why just now are cow bealches and flatulence being blamed for global warming. They have been preforming these natural functions since the beginning of time. I suggest that we are in a normal cycle that will in the next 100 years return to the cooler temperatures of the past.") and shares his energy policy ideas:

"With the rising cost of fuel, people will self limit and shift to those fuel efficient vehicles on their own so I do not favor mandating greater restrictions on manufactures. I support greater research to develop military vehicles that will be more fuel efficient and enviroment friendly. I favor more nuclear develpoment for electricty. I favor more research on hydrogen as a fuel. I favor providing credits to promote more usage of Geo thermal technology for home heating and cooling. For the immediate future, I favor expanded drilling operations both off shore and in ANWR and new refineries provided the oil stays in the United States and does not enter the world market. This must be coupled with a requirement to ensure no or very little reduction in the current amount of oil supplied to by sellers in this nation."

He also makes statements on the environment and stem cells, "I do not favor expansion of the current wetlands policies which encraoch on private property rights. I somewhat lean in favor of support more stem cell research."

Gill TV

Joel Gill is buying half-hour cable television time, according to Cotton Mouth - "The Gill for Congress 1/2 hour television show will begin airing every evening at 8 PM from Monday till election day on CABLE ONLY...A new show will be taped each week running the entirety of the week." Check out Cotton Mouth for channel details.

Is this a real Joel Gill interview?

This portrays itself as an interview between Joel Gill and Richard Barrett's racist organization. Is this for real?

The Joel Gill Interview

The alleged interview has Gill saying that he is elected as an alderman in an eighty-percent black town, "so I have to go in that direction." He mentions his first fundraiser is coming up and everyone there will be Obama supporters, and he can't come out against Obama because "I am right there at Holmes County and it is mostly black." Gill says he can't get close to Richard Barrett because "It would hurt my chances" and turned down a meeting with Barrett's people because "If my opponent found out and there were pictures taken, it could hurt me." When asked about a picture on his web site with Bennie Thompson, Gill says, "I wanted to show that I am a lobbyist. I am trying to get some support for my area. Did you, also, notice my picture with Trent Lott?" When asked about the flag vote Gill said, "Well, I am for our heritage." Gill describes his opponent Gregg Harper as "very flaccid" and says "not appealing." In the end, Gill says he was just returning the call but can not accept any support from Barrett's organization, but he'll take their money.

Gill opposes Flora National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility

Starkville Daily News - Biolab’s safety questioned - In a meeting at the West Point Stockyard Thursday morning, cattlemen gathered to learn more and express concerns to representatives of the state's bid for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. Stanley Scott, Mississippi's membership chair for R-Calf USA, an organization representing cattle producers, organized the meeting Thursday to ensure the possible concerns of those he represents were voiced. Before the meeting, Scott and Joel Gill, Democratic candidate for U.S. representative for the Third Congressional District, said they were concerned about the potential economic and health impact of the possible accidental release of an infectious disease like foot and mouth disease (FMD) into the Mississippi cattle population. Scott and Gill said they worry that FMD could escape the Biosafety Level 4 facility as previously occurred at the Plum Island facility (a Level 3 facility), but its separate and remote location prevented the disease from spreading off the island while the Flora site and the other proposed sites are located in populated areas. The release of FMD in 1978 at Plum Island was determined largely to be due to the age of the facility, said Dr. Bianca Garner, a microbiologist consulting on the project for the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership. Older biolab facilities are more difficult to upgrade and maintain, especially when in a remote location like Plum Island, Garner said. By bringing the biolab to a mainland area, maintenance and upgrades could be more routinely performed, she said. Garner pointed to the safe operation of a Biosafety Level 3 facility at UMMC as representative of the feasibility of maintaining a high-level lab in a highly-populated area. Garner has worked in the UMMC lab in Level 3 with anthrax and holds FBI clearance and CDC certification. Gill supported the demolition and complete rebuilding of the facility on Plum Island. "I think we really need to upgrade the facility but in its current location," Gill said. "The diseases that they work with are far too dangerous." Gill currently serves as president of the Mississippi Livestock Markets Association, an organization of sale barns and licensed dealers in the state, he is also a second-term aldermen in Pickens and serves on the boards for the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce and the Holmes County Cattlemen's Association. All the potential biolab sites are in major cattle feeding areas, Gill said. For Gill, the potential risk of a FMD outbreak is too great to the state. "In the name of economic development, I think it's too high a price to pay," he said. The economic impact of the $451 million facility is estimated at $3 billion to $5 billion over 20 years. "I think the economic impact is going to be much higher than that," Dzielak said. The lab's location in Mississippi could also push the state into the biotechnology sector, he said. Despite the answers Garner and Dzielak brought to the table, Scott and Gill remained concerned about the potential impact on their livelihoods from an outbreak of FMD. "I feel a little better about it," Gill said after the meeting, noting that he still is concerned, especially since he makes his living from the livestock industry. "I wish I could feel at ease about it ... but in light of this foot and mouth disease, I'm just a little nervous," Scott said. "It is in my mind as one of the world's most dangerous research labs and should be treated as such."