I believe that Phil Bryant is closer to the first variety and doesn't particulary care about the issues Christian Conservatives often focus on.
Former Rankin County Republican Executive Committeeman John Goodman wrote in his blog that in 1990 he witnessed Phil Bryant speak in favor of a woman's "right to choose."
I saw Phil Bryant walk up and down encouraging his supporters to strip the pro-life plank. He yammered about a woman's "right to choose." I remember Tom Hamby, one of the RCREC members who supported the pro-life plank, getting up and
saying, "For God's sake, don't do this. This is the buckle of the Bible Belt."Phil Bryant went all-out to ensure no pro-life plank would ever be in the RCREC
party platform.
Goodman states that Bryant adopted the pro-life postion in an election year ploy the following year in 1991 when he defeated incumbent State Rep. Frances Savage.
Bryant was told if he wanted to get elected, he would have to run as a pro-lifer. Otherwise, Savage was going to defeat him. The Christian Right didn't care much for her, but they weren't going to vote for Bryant if he was pro-abortion (The thinking was: Why have a Republican pro-aborter in the State House?). So he became a gung-ho pro-lifer.Also I noticed that in his Meridian Star interview he was asked the question:
The Star: Charlie Ross, in an interview with The Star, talked a lot about abortion and the rights of Mississippians to have guns. What are some of your platform issues and do you see those as important to the state?He avoided the question saying that people aren't worried about guns and failed to even mention abortion in his response.
Phil Bryant appears to be gliding along, hoping no one will notice anything but his name.
whoa. was not aware of Bryant's Mittens Romney-like flip flopping on abortion. I just assumed that it was apart of the contract that you signed (the all anti-choice all the time position that most MS repubs take)
ReplyDeleteLet the games begin. I only wonder if the Mississippi press will allow itself to get its hands a little dirty. I fear that they will choose the easy route of just reporting on press releases.
ReplyDeleteoh. the repubs should start to get their hands dirty. i can't wait to see some bryant/ross attack ads against each other.
ReplyDeleteim sick of this press release benign shit. unleash your inner right wing attack machines onto each other!
How is Phil a member of the "Country Club Republicans"? He is the son of a mechanic. He was the first person in his family to graduate from college.
ReplyDeleteCharlie, on the other hand, is a graduate of Harvard Law School and practices with a big firm in Jackson.
It seems to me that Charlie would be the "Country Club Republican?"
About John Goodman's claims against Phil Bryant, John Goodman is not an expert on Phil Bryant. I know from personal experience that no man in the state of Mississippi is as staunchly pro-life as Phil Bryant.
The term "country club republican" has less to do with finances as it does ideology.
ReplyDeleteA "country club republican" would care more about economic issues and look upon social conservatives with concern or even alarm.
In those circumstance I believe Bryant to be closer to the "country club republican" than Ross.