Haley Barbour

Haley Barbour (2011)

Haley Reeves Barbour (born October 22, 1947 in Yazoo City , Mississippi ) is an American politician of the Republican Party . He was the 63rd governor of the state of Mississippi from January 13, 2004 to January 10, 2012  . His predecessor in office was Ronnie Musgrove . The laws of Mississippi excluded Barbour from running for governor again, so that he was no longer allowed to run in the 2011 election .

In August 2005, Barbour came into the limelight of the American public when Hurricane Katrina hit the state of Mississippi. On November 6, 2007, Barbour won the Mississippi gubernatorial election against Democratic challenger John Arthur Eaves . The 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico brought him back into the public eye.

In December 2010 , he pardoned the Scott Sisters , who were sentenced to life imprisonment in 1994, on the condition that Gladys donated the kidney she needed to her sister Jamie.

Origin and education

Barbour is the youngest of three sons and grew up in his birthplace, Yazoo City. His mother, Grace LeFlore Johnson, raised him after his father, Jeptha Fowlkes Barbour Jr., died when Haley was two years old.

Barbour attended the University of Mississippi at Oxford for three years but dropped out in 1968 to pursue Richard Nixon's election campaign . Although he never earned a bachelor's degree , he was still able to enroll in the law school of the University of Mississippi and received a doctorate (Dr. iur. ) In 1972 .

At the age of 22, Barbour headed the 1970 United States Census for the state of Mississippi. After completing his law degree, he worked for his father's law firm.

Politics and lobbying

In 1982 Barbour was the Republican candidate for the United States Senate , but lost to Democratic incumbent John C. Stennis .

In 1991, Barbour was a co-founder of the Washington, DC- based lobbying firm Barbour Griffith & Rogers, LLC . His co-associates were Lanny Griffith and Ed Rogers , two attorneys who previously worked in the George Bush administration . In 1998 Fortune Barbour magazine named Griffith & Rogers the second most powerful lobbying company in the United States. In 2001, after George W. Bush came into power , Fortune made the company the most powerful . The company has millions of dollars by lobbying in favor of the tobacco industry earned.

From 1993 to 1997 Barbour was chairman of the Republican National Committee . In 1994, during his tenure, the Republicans managed to win a majority in both houses of Congress . At the House of Representatives this happened for the first time in 40 years.

2003 election campaign

After two decades in Washington, Barbour decided to run for governor of Mississippi. He won the Republican primary on August 5, 2003 against attorney Mitch Tyner. During the campaign, the Council of Conservative Citizens (CofCC) website featured a photo of Barbour along with some CofCC members. Some commentators suggested that Barbour should ask the CofCC to remove his photo from the website, given that the organization has been an advocate of racial segregation in the past . Barbour didn't meet their expectations, but said: “Once you start down the slippery slope of saying, 'That person can't be for me', then where do you stop? [...] I don't care who has my picture. My picture's in the public domain. "

Barbour defeated Democratic incumbent Ronnie Musgrove in the November 4, 2003 election with 53% of the vote, versus 46% for Musgrove. This made him only the second Republican governor elected in Mississippi since the Reconstruction . The first was Kirk Fordice .

First term as governor

Haley Barbour with Condoleezza Rice and other governors

Barbour has received praise for using his lobbying skills to win over a parliament that is dominated by politicians from the opposing party. He has called a few special sessions of Parliament to move forward on a subject.

When Barbour took office, the state of Mississippi had a budget deficit (fiscal year 2004) of $ 709 million. With the support of both parliamentary groups and without raising taxes, Barbour implemented a plan called Operation: Streamline to cut the deficit in half. He did this by reducing social and health spending, particularly Medicaid ; The 2005 budget was cut for 65,000 recipients, most of whom were also qualified for Medicare , and the benefits for prescription drugs were cut back sharply. In fiscal 2005, for example, Medicaid spending was reduced by $ 130 million compared to the prior year. After a lengthy special session, parliament approved a budget that included further cuts in social spending. These cuts were not only enough to fund an increase in spending on education, but also resulted in net savings. With the further effect of higher tax revenues in fiscal year 2006, which are partly based on the increased sales tax revenue that came about in the course of the reconstruction after Hurricane Katrina, the state managed to close the budget for the first time in years.

Under Barbour's leadership, Mississippi passed some of the most restrictive anti- abortion laws in the United States. This includes the complete ban (exceptions only if the mother's life is threatened or if she has been raped ), which should come into force if the US Supreme Court upholds the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973 should be revised.

Tobacco policy

The tax policy Barbour is controversial. In March 2006, Barbour vetoed the bill that would lower the value added tax on food, which was to be financed by an increase in tobacco tax . Mississippi residents pay taxes on food, some of the highest in the United States. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has tried to suggest to the public that Barbour's affinities with the tobacco industry, which should stem from his time as a lobbyist, were an explanation for his 2006 proposal, youth - Mississippi tobacco prevention program ("Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi") to be phased out. The partnership is a private, not-for-profit organization that receives $ 20 million annually and is led by former Attorney General Mike Moore. Moore founded the organization while representing the state of Mississippi in a civil law suit for billions of dollars against the tobacco industry and was involved in an out-of-court settlement. The agreement stipulated that the funds would be used to replace the additional costs Medicaid incurred in treating tobacco-related diseases in needy patients. However, Moore's opponents have repeatedly claimed that he used the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi organization to advance his own political career. The partnership regularly approves larger grants for political organizations such as B. the Legislative Black Caucus . The allegation is also made that the partnership does not allow public accounting even though it manages state funds. In 2006, Judge Jaye Bradley, who approved the annual settlement of $ 20 million in 2000, overturned her previous decision.

Hurricane Katrina

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi coast, killing 231 people and leaving tens of thousands temporarily homeless. Barbour's response to this has been marked by a concerted attempt at evacuation, harsh speeches against looters, and an effort to keep the federal government away from blame. His reaction has been compared positively to that of Rudolph Giuliani after the 9/11 attacks .

Barbour paid tribute to the countless government officials who helped southern Mississippi residents cope with the hurricane. Barbour, however, has been praised by the coastal residents as a strong leader, able to convey calm to the public, and "a central decision-making body" in cases "when things become sprained or move sideways, which happens", as Barbour himself said .

The evacuation order was issued by local officials more than 24 hours before the hurricane arrived. On hurricane day, August 29, Mississippi activated 750 members of the United States National Guard .

2007 election campaign

While campaigning for re-election in 2007, Barbour signed the Americans for Tax Reform “ Taxpayer Protection Pledge ”, promising not to introduce any new taxes or increase existing ones. He defeated Frederick Jones in the August 7th Republican primary and defeated Democrat John Arthur Eaves in the November 6th general election .

Many Democrats voted in favor of Barbour, including Xavier Bishop , Mike Espy , Brad Dye , and Bill Waller . Waller and Dye are Conservative Democrats who served as the governor and lieutenant governor of Mississippi. Bishop is a longtime Democratic activist and the African-American Mayor of Moss Point . Espy is a former Mississippi Second District Democratic Congressman who served as US Secretary of Agriculture under President Bill Clinton . He mentioned the competence and character of Governor Barbour as justification for his advocacy.

Resignation of the presidential candidacy

At the beginning of 2011, Barbour was one of the expanded candidates for the Republican Party's nomination for the 2012 presidential election . On April 25, 2011, however, he announced that he would not apply for the office. This was "a difficult personal decision" for him.

Web links

Commons : Haley Barbour  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Barbour showed early talent for politics ( Memento of October 22, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
• Haley Barbour in the National Governors Association (English)
• New York Times - Haley Barbour News (English)
• SourceWatch Congresspedia - Haley Barbour (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Chris Sundheim: Ky. Gov. Loses Election, miss. Gov. Wins. In: The Washington Post . November 7, 2007, accessed December 1, 2011 . 
2. ↑ Mark Leibovich: GOP Stalwart Says Come, the Gulf's Fine. In: The New York Times . June 19, 2010, accessed December 1, 2011 . 
3. ↑ Susan Donaldson James: Supporters Applaud Plan to Release Scott Sisters in Kidney Deal ABCNews, December 30, 2010
4. ↑ William Addams Reitwiesner: The Ancestors of Haley Barbour. Retrieved December 1, 2011 . 
5. ↑ Haley Barbour, race, Ole Miss - from black perspective ( Memento of the original from March 1, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
6. ↑ Haley Barbour Bio ( Memento of the original from February 26, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
7. ↑ About Haley Barbour. (No longer available online.) In: cme.ms. Archived from the original on September 6, 2013 ; accessed on February 12, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
8. ^ Jere Nash, Andy Taggart: Mississippi Politics: The Struggle for Power, 1976-2008. In: Univ. Press of Mississippi. June 1, 2007, accessed February 23, 2014 . ISBN 978-1-60473-266-5 
9. ^ BGR History. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on December 13, 2011 ; accessed on December 1, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
10. ↑ AARP Tops Fortune'sList of Most Powerful lobbying groups for the Second Consecutive Year. In: TimeWarner . November 16, 1998, accessed December 1, 2011 . 
11. ↑ Fat & Happy in DC Republicans are busting out all over, not just in Congress and the White House but also on FORTUNE's latest list of the capital's most powerful lobbyists. cnn.com, accessed November 24, 2012 . 
12. ↑ Big Tobacco's 1997 Congressional Lobbying. In: Public Citizen. March 1998, accessed December 1, 2011 . 
13. ↑ Leslie Wayne: No Dice, Haley. In: The New York Times . July 25, 1997, accessed December 1, 2011 . 
14. ^ Leslie Wayne: Democrats Get to Scrutinize GOP Asian Connection. In: The New York Times . July 27, 1997, accessed December 1, 2011 . 
15. ^ Barbour won't ask CCC to take photo off Web site. In: The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved December 2, 2011 . 
16. ↑ Highlights of 2004 Legislative Session. (No longer available online.) In: Mississippi House of Representatives Information Office. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011 ; accessed on December 2, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
17. ↑ Highlights of 2005 Legislative Session. (No longer available online.) In: Mississippi House of Representatives Information Office. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011 ; accessed on December 2, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
18. ^ Andy Kanengiser: Gov. calls for cost-cutting. (No longer available online.) In: The Clarion-Ledger. January 29, 2004, archived from the original on January 19, 2013 ; Retrieved July 16, 2007 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
19. ↑ Pamela Berry: Medicaid bill goes to Senate. (No longer available online.) In: The Clarion-Ledger. March 4, 2004, archived from the original on July 23, 2012 ; Retrieved July 16, 2007 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
20. ↑ Shaila Dewan: In Mississippi, Soaring Costs Force Deep Medicaid Cuts. In: The New York Times . July 2, 2005, accessed December 2, 2011 . 
21. ↑ Geoff Pender: Mississippi lawmakers pass $ 4.6 million (sic) state budget. In: Sun Herald. May 31, 2005, archived from the original on September 30, 2007 ; Retrieved July 16, 2007 . 
22. ↑ Highlights of 2006 Legislative Session. (No longer available online.) In: Mississippi House of Representatives Information Office. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011 ; accessed on December 2, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
23. ↑ Associated Press: MS: Criminalize Abortion If R v. W Overturned. In: CBN News. March 22, 2007, archived from the original on June 1, 2007 ; Retrieved July 16, 2007 . 
24. ^ Robert Morris: Legislature should override pro-tobacco Barbour. In: The Meridian Star. March 19, 2006, accessed December 2, 2011 . 
25. ↑ Grocery, cigarette tax shift passes. (No longer available online.) In: The Clarion Ledger. Formerly in the original ; Retrieved December 2, 2012 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.    
26. ^ Matthew L. Myers: Gov. Barbour's Proposal Would Destroy One of Nation's Best Tobacco Prevention Programs, Help Big Tobacco At the Expense of Mississippi's Kids. In: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Retrieved December 2, 2012 . 
27. ^ Governor: Worse than Camille. (No longer available online.) In: CNN . August 31, 2005, archived from the original on August 11, 2011 ; accessed on December 2, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
28. ^ Science Daily article on Barbour's reaction to Hurricane Katrina. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on September 30, 2007 ; Retrieved December 2, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
29. ↑ WJLA.com article on Katrina reaction. (No longer available online.) Formerly in the original ; Retrieved January 1, 2007 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  
30. ↑ Peggy Noonan: After the Storm. Hurricane Katrina: The good, the bad, the let's-shoot-them-now. In: The Wall Street Journal . July 1, 2005, accessed December 2, 2011 . 
31. ↑ Defenselink.mil report on National Guard activation. Archived from the original on January 5, 2006 ; Retrieved August 7, 2010 . 
32. ^ Homelandresponse.org report. (No longer available online.) Formerly in the original ; Retrieved February 5, 2011 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.    
33. ↑ Article on National Guard reaction. (No longer available online.) In: The Washington Post . Formerly in the original ; Retrieved December 2, 2011 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  
34. ↑ MS-Gov: Haley Barbour Wins Endorsement of Prominent Dems. (No longer available online.) In: RedState. Archived from the original on March 7, 2008 ; accessed on December 2, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
35. ↑ Text of Mike ESPYs endorsement of Haley Barbour. Archived from the original on February 3, 2008 ; Retrieved March 5, 2010 . 
36. ↑ Scott Conroy: Haley Barbour Won't Run For President. In: RealClear Politics. April 25, 2011, accessed December 2, 2011 .