Jackson Free Press sets record straight on NRSC attack ads against Musgrove

The Republicans are desperate to try anything to prevent Ronnie Musgrove from winning the November Senate special election against Roger Wicker. The polls show Musgrove within striking difference, and those polls do not factor in any increase in turnout that Obama might bring to the table. They also show Wicker getting 20% of the black vote. That won't happen. So the desperation button has been punched at the NRSC who have launched attack ads attempting to tie Ronnie Musgrove with Dickie Scruggs and Paul Minor. Both contributed to Ronnie Musgrove's gubernatorial campaigns over six years ago. Neither had been indicted or implicated of wrong doings at the time of the donations.

From the Jackson Free Press:

“Paul Minor and Dickie Scruggs: trial lawyers who gave thousands to Ronnie Musgrove’s campaigns,” the NRSC ad states. “... Minor had so much influence with Musgrove, insiders called him ‘the judgemaker.’ Now Minor and Scruggs are in jail, convicted of trying to bribe a judge. Ronnie Musgrove: a record that makes you want to blush.”

Adam Bozzi, spokesman for the Musgrove campaign, said Musgrove has not received any contributions from either of the two during his Senate campaign.

“The money they’re referring to is from five or 10 years ago, maybe even longer. At the time there was no reason to suspect it,” Bozzi said.

A 2003 Biloxi Sun Herald article reported that Scruggs gave Musgrove $57,000 in 1999, while Minor gave Musgrove $112,000. Minor’s most recent contribution to Musgrove was a $4,125 donation for his 2002 gubernatorial campaign.

A federal jury convicted Minor of corruption in 2007, and Scruggs in 2008, well after Musgrove’s 2002 campaign. Scruggs also donated money to Republican campaigns, including those of his brother-in-law, former U.S. Sen Trent Lott, who retired the day before Scruggs was indicted last year..

The funny part of this is the horrible record that Roger Wicker has with giving contracts to contributors. In politics this is known as a revolving door. Donations in, contracts out, round and around we go, yeehaw!

A January Washington Post article revealed that Wicker, last year, obtained a $6 million earmark for a defense contractor, Aurora Flight Science, whose executives were among his top campaign contributors. Wicker’s former chief of staff even represented Aurora concerning the earmarks.

OK, what is REALLY funny is that the Wicker campaign when asked about the validity of the ads had nothing to say other than talk to the NRSC. No defense, nothing.

Ryan Annison, spokesman for the Wicker campaign, said he knew nothing about the ads and directed all calls to the NRSC. “Not only do we have nothing to do with them (the NRSC), but it’s illegal for us to have anything to do with them. We learn about them the same way you do, by watching them on TV,” Annison said.

What is clear is that Mississippians can do better than Roger "PAC-Man" Wicker for Senate. We need Ronnie Musgrove in Washington to fight for Mississippi, not line the pockets of his campaign contributors.