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Political Notebook: Delta group demands more from McCain Sunday, Jun 8, 2008 By Aaron Sadler Stephens Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - While some may debate the true political leanings of a nonpartisan Delta advocacy group, the organization left no doubt last week about its views of John McCain. The Mississippi Delta Grassroots Caucus assailed McCain because he has not specified how much money he would give the federal Delta Regional Authority if he is elected president. In an 800-word news release issued just after the caucus' annual meeting in Washington, caucus executive director Lee Powell said the group wants "answers, not platitudes," from the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. It's the "Hot Air Express," said Desha County Judge Mark McElroy, playing off the name of McCain's campaign bus, the "Straight Talk Express." The release was so critical of McCain that Powell made sure in it to note that the caucus has been kind to other Republicans. "There is nothing partisan about either of these issues," said Powell, talking about McCain's stand on the Delta and his opposition to the Farm Bill. The nongovernmental caucus had previously used up most of its criticism on President Bush, who has tried to slash Delta funding and whose administration botched its response to Hurricane Katrina. McCain sent Rep. Chip Pickering, R-Miss., to speak in support of his candidacy at a caucus event on Capitol Hill. Pickering's statement that McCain would support the Delta Regional Authority wasn't strong enough for the caucus. "We were very puzzled that he said several times that he could not 'speak for Sen. McCain,' because we invited the McCain campaign to send a speaker, and they designated Rep. Pickering to be their spokesperson," Powell said. Pickering said the Delta authority would complement McCain's plan to streamline government. Other presidential candidates, including presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama, have pledged specific budget increases for the DRA, which distributes economic development grants within the eight-state Delta region. Different predictions for fall Pickering and Rep. Marion Berry, D-Ark., are from different parties and live on different sides of the Mississippi River. Perhaps that's why they provided starkly different previews of the tone of this year's presidential campaign between McCain and Obama. Pickering, a McCain supporter, said the campaign will have a civil tone without much mudslinging. The candidates will focus on important issues, he said. "They will both run campaigns that will not be about the old divisions, but about the new solutions," Pickering said. Berry backed Hillary Clinton and has said he will support Obama. His take: "I think we'll probably see the roughest general election that any of us has ever seen. ... I hope I'm wrong, but I expect to see that. I think every trick in the bag will be used and it will be a real battle as to who comes out on top." Another Arkansan in 'VP Madness' Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., is just the latest Arkansan to square off in a tournament-style battle over who should be vice president. Last month, former Gov. Mike Huckabee won the "VP Madness" contest on the Web site cqpolitics.com. Voters in the online survey said he should be McCain's running mate. Now that Barack Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee, the Web site affiliated with Congressional Quarterly magazine produced a Democratic version of the "March Madness"-style tournament bracket. Lincoln is among 32 Democrats listed in the survey. She's in a head-to-head contest with former Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia. The first round of voting ends June 10, with the winner of the Lincoln-Cleland poll facing off against either Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., or Tim Roemer, a former congressman from Indiana. Lincoln trailed Cleland by 15 percentage points Friday afternoon. Lincoln's office takes the survey lightly. "We all know how trivial and unscientific these online polls are, unless, of course, you win," said Lincoln spokeswoman Katie Laning. Another Arkansan, retired Gen. Wesley Clark, is also on the "VP Madness" bracket. Clark made an unsuccessful presidential run in 2004. He was up 67 percent to 32 percent on Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., on Friday. |
