Jim Smith Uncovered
October 22, 2008
We’ve launched a new website today called Jim Smith Uncovered.
It can be found at:
http://www.jimsmithuncovered.com
We wanted people to be able to take a close look at Jim Smith’s record while on the bench.
We were careful to make this site focused on the issues, not on personal attacks.
We encourage you to take a look at the site, pass it along to your friends and let the press know what you think of Jim Smith and his dealings on the Supreme Court.
Music Monday for Oct. 20
October 20, 2008
Welcome to Music Mondays. Today’s selections from Kitch’s album, The Sun Recordings, are:
Track 17: He’s in the Jailhouse Now
Track 18: Your Cheatin’ Heart
We’ll release two tracks every Monday between now and Election Day.
On Monday, Nov. 3, we’ll release all 20 tracks again so that you can have the entire album to enjoy.
Highlights from the Stennis Institute forum
October 13, 2008
Kitch squared off against Justice Jim Smith and Ceola James today at the Stennis Institute’s Press Forum.
It was quite a show. Once again, Kitch was not bashful about drawing contrasts between himself and the incumbent.
Here are some highlights:
Kitch made sure that people knew the “efficiency” study Smith goes around quoting actually addresses a period of time before Smith became chief justice. Kitch also said it was easy for Smith to increase the efficiency of the court because he has shipped 90 percent of the cases the court hears to the state Appeals Court.
In response to Smith saying, as a judge, he’s a middle-of-the-road kind of guy, Kitch told a story about a time when Smith told him the same thing. “I told his honor that was why he’s running over so many people.”
Smith said most of the cases the Supreme Court reverses “are coming from the same handful of judges”. You can believe he meant many of the Hinds County judges. Why? Good question…
Tomorrow, I’ll have a bit more. I’ve got to check a quote, but it’s a doozy!
Music Monday for Oct. 13
October 13, 2008
Welcome to Music Mondays. Today’s selections from Kitch’s album, The Sun Recordings, are:
Track 15: The Hog Song
Track 16: Moonlight on the Desert
We’ll release two tracks every Monday between now and Election Day.
On Monday, Nov. 3, we’ll release all 20 tracks again so that you can have the entire album to enjoy.
The devil, details and a coordinated campaign
October 13, 2008
Mississippi law prevents candidates and other groups from coordinating campaign efforts.
For instance, if Chief Justice Jim Smith was to have a photo shoot, state law would preclude him from sending those photographs to, say, IMPAC to be used on mail outs or to MFEP to be used in television commercials.
However, if said photos are on the Internet, what — save copyright laws and theft of intellectual property laws — would prevent IMPAC from stealing those photos and using them anyway they wish.
From a Sunday article in the Clarion-Ledger:
[Smith political advisor Morgan Baldwin] acknowledged it appears at least one group borrowed photographs of Smith and also his wife from the candidate’s Web site. Groups may have borrowed photographs of other judicial candidates in other races.
Of course, Justice Oliver Diaz brings up a good point:
“These groups can’t use those photographs without permission,” said state Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz Jr., who is running against [Bubba] Pierce. “If somebody were using images of my wife or children, I’d be up in arms. I don’t approve of these independent groups, but to do nothing to challenge them is actually to agree with them. It rises to a level of coordination.”
The devil, as they say, is in the details. These photos on the Internet are no more than 72 dpi, and would be virtually impossible to use in video or printed material.
But even if these are the actual photos used, what does it say about a Supreme Court justice who cares nothing about special interest groups stealing his photos? Especially when his campaign manager says they can do nothing about it.
Surely Mr. Smith, a judge, knows that he could file suit against those groups for stealing or copyright infringement.
I wonder if Smith would be so nonchalant about this theft if the group who stole those photos from his website used them in negative pieces against him?
