The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal Editorial, 9/18/8
Mississippi’s Supreme Court heard 90 minutes of arguments on Wednesday in an appeal by Gov. Haley Barbour and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann of a circuit court ruling ordering the Nov. 4 special U.S. Senate election placed near the top of ballot.
Hinds County Circuit Judge Tomie Green’s order overruled Barbour’s decision for bottom-of-ballot placement made last week in concert with Hosemann.
The claim that this issue is not at least in part about partisan politics is laughable. The assertion by some that a racial tint lurks behind the controversy is disturbing.
Barbour’s attorney on Wednesday conceded that the law didn’t require the governor to put the race at the bottom of the ballot, but that the decision was within the law and the court should defer to the chief executive’s authority.