Pickering recruited to lobby

The Clarion-Ledger, 1/2/9

Former Rep. Ronnie Shows hopes the man who took his job in Congress, Rep. Chip Pickering, will join forces with him in the lobbying business.

Shows, a Democrat, was forced to run against Republican Pickering in 2002 when the state lost a congressional district to reapportionment. Shows lost that race by 29 percentage points.

But Shows says he’s not bitter and wants to work with his former rival, who is retiring from Congress.

“Chip and I have always been friends,” he said.

Pickering said he’s met with Shows to discuss working together, but nothing has been settled.