Saying that elephants never forget may be an overstatement, but they do have remarkable recall power.
That is unfortunate for Sam Cameron and the Mississippi Hospital Association.
Sid Salter mentions Cameron and the MHA in his recent piece on the proposed Medicaid expansion.
Cameron and MHA are attempting to make their political rounds, supporting the expansion of Medicaid alongside legislative Democrats. Governor Phil Bryant and the new Republican majority in both the Senate and House oppose this costly endeavor.
As Salter sees it, the battle lines being drawn hearkens back to former Governor Haley Barbour and the hospital tax.
While that may be partially true, it would appear that such wrangling may be more recent.
If you will recall, Cameron sent an email during last year’s redistricting saga siding with former Democratic Speaker Billy McCoy and his liberal merry men over then Republican Lt. Governor Phil Bryant and legislative Republicans.
Cameron, in one of the more robust statements from the email, wrote:
“In statements made by, among others, Republican Party Chairman Arnie Hederman, Lt. Governor Phil Bryant, and state Senator Joey Fillingane, the goal of the Party is to draw districts that will ensure its ability to elect a Republican Speaker of the House and to control the state Senate. These Republicans no longer pretend the Legislature should draw fair districts.”
Strong words. I’m sure Cameron wishes he could reign those in a bit now. But you see, once you put it in print, words are hard to take back.
To put it bluntly, Cameron openly declared war on legislative Republicans in 2011. But he picked the wrong side; he and the Democrats lost. Cameron and MHA are totally discredited in the eyes of the leadership at the Capitol, yet MHA’s board continues to keep him in charge of the organization (along with their lobbyist Steve Dixon).
Cameron and MHA made their own bed and now they are lying in it. If MHA wants anyone to give them the time of day at the Capitol, they need to clean house and do some soul searching.
And fortunately for the taxpayers of Mississippi, elephants rarely forget.
Magnolia Tribune
