Democrat, Democrat,
Democrat

We don’t really know much about Ron Shapiro, besides the
fact he is one of four Democratic candidates for Congress in Mississippi’s First
Congressional District, hopeful of opposing Republican incumbent Roger Wicker in
this year’s general election.. And, since we don’t usually cover Mississippi
politics as such, we haven’t done much tracking of the situation down there,
other than to assume that Wicker will be heavily favored.

We have to say, however, that we were intrigued to receive
a note this week from Shapiro, asking our help in disseminating his message,
which he summarized as follows: “I want TRUTH. As a veteran I am against this
war, torture and illegally spying on Americans. I am against reckless deficit
spending. I am for helping the needy, keeping  the air and water clean, working
with all nations, spending more on peace than on war and rebuilding the
Mississippi and Louisiana Coast before Iraq.”

Whoa! This man is a Democrat? A member of the same party
that contains, in our own home-state bailiwick, Governor Phil Bredesen, a
competent-enough executive who is known, however,  for catuiously neutral
governmental  policies,  and a senatorial candidate, Congressman Harold Ford
Jr.,  who’d sooner say anything – including professing “personal” love for
President Bush – than admit to anything identifiably disputatious or Democratic?
A member of the same party whose presidential ticket is likely to be headed in
2008 by New York Senator Hillary Clinton, another candidate who is studiously
avoiding uttering anything that might be  taken ill by Bush or by Newt Gingrich,
the former radical-right House Speaker whom she’s taken up with as a stump
partner?

Here is more  Shapiro, as reported by the Itawamba
County Times: ‘”I want to wipe out illiteracy in the district,” Shapiro
said. A 62-year-old Army veteran, he opposes plans to reduce military benefits
and bases. Shapiro said he’s against everything the Bush administration has done
except for going after terrorist Osama Bin Laden.”

Hallelujah! Now, mind you, we aren’t taking sides in that
Mississippi Democratic primary. For all we know, the other three aspirants for
their party’s nomination are equally forthright. But we just aren’t used to
hearing candidates up thisaway – Democrats or Republicans, for that
matter – talk turkey in this manner. Most of them, to stay within the turkey
metaphor, may try to do some honest gobbling, but more often than not it comes
out gobbledegook.

There’s this, for example, from a recent report of ours on
the aforementioned senatorial candidate: ‘”I’m not a Democrat,” he said at one
point, ‘running up to Washington yelling ‘Democrat, Democrat, Democrat,
Democrat.’ In fairness, that “I’m not a Democrat” line probably translates “I’m
not the kind of Democrat who would run up to Washington, etc., etc.”

But Ron Shapiro – win, lose, or draw – obviously is
that kind of Democrat. And just as the political world admires directness and
candor whenever it hears it (like the kind Republican John McCain used to deal
out on his 2000 campaign bus,  dubbed, appropriately enough,  “Straight Talk
Express) we find Shapiro’s approach refreshing. No offense to any other
candidate down thataway, but we wish him well.

District 29 Redux

Ophelia Ford may or may not be correct when she says (as
she repeated again Tuesday) that God has chosen her – or, more properly, the
endless litigation about her on-again/off-again District 29 state Senate seat
—  to be a political object lesson. Presumably, U.S. District Judge Bernice
Donald ruled Tuesday on the basis of mortal (and legal) considerations alone
that the Shelby County Commission may not appoint a successor, as scheduled,
next Monday, and that the recent state Senate action voiding Ford’s election
must receive a full  and expedited review in her court. All we can say is (no
pun intended): Godspeed! Let’s get this matter over with once and for all.