Shows-Pickering race poised to turn nasty
By By Terry R. Cassreino / assistant managing editor
June 2, 2002
When Ronnie Shows came out swinging at Chip Pickering last week, it marked the opening shot of what could become Mississippi's nastiest political campaign ever.
Although Shows' charges were flimsy at best he challenged Pickering's support for the military and charged him with unethical behavior they nevertheless set the stage.
As Joe Parker, a University of Southern Mississippi professor and longtime political observer, put it: Shows was "throwing down the gauntlet and saying I'm coming at you. I'm coming at you every day.'"
Shows, a Democrat, will meet Pickering, a Republican, in the November general election to represent the newly re-drawn 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House.
Shows, who now represents the 4th District, and Pickering, who now represents the 3rd District, found themselves running against each other after Mississippi lost one of its five U.S. House districts.
The Shows-Pickering race is one both say they can win. It's also one of the most high-profile elections in the nation, with control of the U.S. House possibly riding on the outcome.
The last time Mississippi had anything remotely similar was 1988, when two sitting congressmen 4th District Democrat Wayne Dowdy and 5th District Republican Trent Lott ran for the U.S. Senate.
But that race didn't have the far-reaching, national significance of the Shows-Pickering race. That's what makes this year's election so critical and why it likely could turn ugly before November.
The only surprises so far are how early Shows went on the attack sometimes a sign that a candidate has fallen behind in the polls and that the issue he picked isn't a Pickering weakness.
So let's look at Shows' charges.
First, Shows said that Pickering doesn't support Naval Air Station Meridian because the congressman didn't back a procedural vote that would have protected the base from closing.
Then, Shows filed an ethics complaint saying that a town meeting in his current 4th District was, by definition, a campaign event.
Pickering said the town meeting was legitimate because he discussed the new federal farm bill. And he said he has been a longtime supporter of the military and NAS Meridian.
Pickering even backed a bill to fund the base and supported millions of dollars in military construction projects two facts that Shows conveniently overlooked.
In a brief interview late Thursday, Pickering challenged Shows to stay above-board and run a clean campaign based on issues and their records in Congress.
But even Pickering can't follow his own advice.
Pickering in the same deliberate, measured tone he uses when talking with reporters called Shows a desperate politician who can't stand on his own record.
And then Pickering took his own stab, a shot just as flimsy and cheap as Shows'. Pickering tried to link Shows with Democratic Party leaders, all but branding him one of those "evil liberals."
It's show time, folks.
