Haley Barbour, the ball is in your court

In a game of political chess played out in downtown Jackson, House Democrats came out smelling like roses. As you are well aware a special session has been called by Haley Barbour to deal with the $90 million budget shortfall in Medicaid. Haley Barbour's lackey Phil Bryant blocked consideration of tobacco taxes for the special session, because the governor did not list tobacco taxes as an agenda item. Raising the hospital tax is the only solution on the table to make up the Medicaid shortfall in the special session. Haley is threatening to make deep cuts in Medicaid to make up for the $90 million shortfall.

What the Democrats in the House did today was beyond genius. The budgetary year starts July 1. The $90 million will not come into play until next spring.

Before leaving, the Democrat-controlled House voted Friday, largely along party lines, to tell Republican Gov. Haley Barbour not to make any cuts in the program until at least February.

That is right! It is up to you Haley Barbour. The money is there to make it until next session. Will you make the deep cuts you have promised and throw Aunt May out of the nursing home? Will you make those deep cuts and deny the poor child living in HUD housing an opportunity for medical treatment? The ball is in your court Governor. Let us see the real Haley Barbour.