Keeping Up With McCoy
I’m a big fan of Billy McCoy. He’s from my parents’ district and I think The Speaker has done a great job of putting the brakes on Gov. Barbour & Co. The House is the only place in the Capitol where people aren’t getting rolled. And he still runs a tight ship despite being the damage done by the stroke he suffered three years ago now. (Every time I see him, I think that GHB actually did give someone a stroke.) He’s raising money for V-Pac, was active in the recruitment process for House candidates, and with the help of Rep. Franks (D) Mooreville, held together the House coalitions that put Barbour in such a bind over the tobacco tax swap deal.
Those are also all reasons that he pisses off Republicans. He’s a marked man. They’re throwing the kitchen sink at him. In 2003 he had the first real threat he’d had in my entire life. He put something like 6-8 points up on George Waddell. And people called it close.
This year there are three Republicans in the primary. One of them showed cash on hand in his 5/10 finance report. William Tracy Arnold (my first cousin, in the interest of full disclosure) had around 3k. The Speaker has around 28k.
I wish all those Republicans the best of luck. They’re going to need it..
