What Should Amy Tuck Run For in 2007?

[lamarrebel]

Lt. Governor Amy Tuck, who once again is reportedly being courted to return to the Democratic Party (ostenisibly to run for Governor), is term limited as Lt. Governor and will have to run for something else in 2007. What should office should it be?

After walking in almost complete lockstep with Governor Barbour for the first two years of his term, Tuck has shown a considerable (or should I say disturbing) show of independence in recent months including;

1) Siding with Jim Hood and Mike Moore in defending the constitutionally indefensible judicial fiat giving $20 mil of state money to the private Partnership for a Better Mississippi.

2) Siding with Speaker McCoy and other Democrats in supporting the next beef plant waiting to happen....the (Wishing) Wellspring project, in which no one has expressed an interest in coming to the site, located outside of Tupelo.

3) Proposing this most recent tax swap, in which the tobacco tax would be greatly increased and the grocery tax ultimately eliminated. She did this without even telling the Governor's office -- they read about it in the paper. On Supertalk's "The Pinebelt Talks Back" Farley Shaw's cohort referred to the Lt. Governor as 'that great political prostitute" -- except he didn't use the word prostitute on the air. In theory, the idea looks great, but according to the data from the State Tax Commission, it will blow a huge deficit into out state budget, as well as greatly hurt many small communities, many of whom are already cash strapped. As Senator Mike Chaney of Vicksburg noted, passing a huge tax cut at a time when we have been holding out hands out for billions in Federal dollars to recover from Katrina, makes us look very foolish.

I worked very hard for Amy Tuck in 2003, but I am now having serious second thoughts. So what should she run for?

[lamarrebel]

Already ahead of you, QM.....the story, in part, inspired this thread. This week, I have already heard a good bit of grumbling among local Republican friends of mine. If she did switch back, I do not see how finanacial backers would get behind her on either side of the aisle....how could anyone trust what she would do??

[lamarrebel]

I'm not against raising the cigarette tax...so long as the tax increase is offset somewhere else. I'm not per se against cutting the grocery tax, but long as it is done in a fiscally responsible manner. This particular bill is just simply ill timed, and I am satisfied, will create a huge budget hole.

I think Amy may have a fork stuck in her either way she goes. If I were a Demo (very crazy hypothetical, i know) running against her in the primary,I, assuming she switched, could just imagine the "Who is Real Amy Tuck?" ads I'd be running. In a Republican primary, the local activists would do more of the work.

Yesterday, I overheard a lady at a Republican event, express in a conversation concern over the Governor's weight, fearing "God forbid!" the thought of Amy Tuck as Governor. This infighting is becoming eerily similar to the fights between Republican Governor Kirk Fordice and former Democrat switchcoat Eddie Briggs in the early 90s

[just-Wynn]

What Should Amy Tuck Run For in 2007? The border. :smt028

[RevranAL]

The border. :smt028

Don't matter if you needs several times to pass the bar, or fo that matter the Lt Gov don't even have to spell
But ol Wynns you is right 'bout which way Sistah Amy should run, but why is that you must reference Taco Bell

RevranAL

[Tully Mars]

I think Amy may have a fork stuck in her either way she goes.

Agreed...

I think that if she switches again her political career, for all intents and purposes will be over and done for.

There is simply too much distrust between the parties to have someone like her switching back and forth.

[RoethlisbergerRocks]

Agreed...

I think that if she switches again her political career, for all intents and purposes will be over and done for.

There is simply too much distrust between the parties to have someone like her switching back and forth.

I have to agree with you! It really makes me mad that these politicians can switch parties whenever they decide to - just so that they can win an election! I think that she needs to pick a party and be loyal to it. How can either party trust her? She's not looking out for the Republicans or Democrats.... she's looking out for herself and ONLY herself! I think she needs to run for the border also!!!!! :)

[Conveyor Belt]

I'm not against raising the cigarette tax...so long as the tax increase is offset somewhere else. I'm not per se against cutting the grocery tax, but long as it is done in a fiscally responsible manner. This particular bill is just simply ill timed, and I am satisfied, will create a huge budget hole.

I think what we need is a huge budget hole. We've got money to spend on pet projects, why not cut back to what's absolutley necessary? People complain about the beef plant, but if the money wansn't there for it, then it wouldn't be there to complain about. Cutting off the source of money for government expansion is key.

As for Tuck, I didn't vote for her the first time. To me, she's always been a RINO. She's creepy. I don't trust her when she speaks. Something about that lady gives me the willys.

[lamarrebel]

I've known Amy since the 1999 campaign, when she ran as a Democrat, and I have always found her to be about the best one on one campaigner I've ever met. I didn't vote for her in '99, but found her imminently more likable that Bill Hawks, who had about as much campaign personality as my office desk.

As she sided with the GOP more and more during her first term, I wanted her to switch and was thrilled when she did. She personally called me early on during the '03 campaign from a cell phone to ask for my help, which was very flattering (her campaign manager, Ben Thompson, had just finishing managing Jess Dickinsons' campaign, which I had been heavily involved in).

Her path over the last few months, however, has been very distrubing. It seems like she switched to the GOP because she knew she'd likely lose to Barbara Blackmon in the Democrat primary in '03 and now since she might not have anything but auditor to run for in the GOP in '07 being term-limited as Lt. Gov, now she's waffling again. It appears, she is looking out for Amy first and will only prove, if she did this, that she has no political soul or core set of convictions.

[mikedabiker]

We need an accountant to run for state auditor. Hamp King was the last elected state auditor that had an accounting degree.

The office is the weakest at this point that it's been in 30 years. Staff is at a all time low and mral too.