Day: May 28, 2014

Ummm, just take a victory lap, you deserve it

Most of the time there is a story behind the story you see on the Tee Vee News or read in the newspaper (IE the backstory) and that is the case with the following from Hammerman:

Appeals Court denies BP’s effort to keep claims payments stopped ~ Hammerman

I think I see a nugget in David’s story that tells me he is signaling his knowledge or at least is on the right track.  I like that.

The person responsible for the above reads this site, sometimes even sharing some insight. I have not covered the BP settlement litigation beyond the very early days.  Luckily for everyone, Jason over at American Zombie has tackled this immensely complex subject and has done a very fine job with it, better than the New York Times and certainly far better than the gasbags at 60 minutes. Here are two very recent must reads from AZ:

DHECC – Lionel Sutton Interview Part 1 – Corps Constructors

DHECC – Lionel Sutton Interview Part 2 – how the “go-to guy” became the fall guy

If State Farm is the true pinnacle of hard nosed corporate litigants then BP does not stand a chance here with the peanut gallery alone. You gotta love the PSC for being wise enough to see the genius in an idea from a member of the public that happens understands Federal Court Practice like few others. Now take that lap.

In other news, South Mississippi’s fluffer Congressman comes out of hiding

And folks he takes credit for fixing the disaster he created in Biggert Waters. The jackassery simply does not get any better IMHO:

Palazzo touts accomplishments, fight for flood insurance, against Obamacare~ Paul Hampton

Moving right along I smell “Big Dawg” and from the smell of ’em I think he has been cavorting with skunks:

Political play could block Zurich Classic from moving to new City Park golf course ~ Jeff Duncan

Nothing against Dunc as he is a decent enough sports writer but this story should have gone to someone else at NOLA. Just sayin’. Speaking of crack, seasoned journalists:

New details emerge in Jaren Lockhart’s murder and dismemberment case ~ Paul Purpura

I’m personally very leery of jailhouse confessions. Now from the bad days just got worse for Ray Ray the former Chocolatier:

Federal judge orders Ray Nagin to forfeit $501,201 ~ Gordon Russell

Finally, speaking of Gordon:

Reporters, FBI agents to face questions Wednesday at Telly Hankton hearing ~ Manuel Torres

For those that were worried about the slow DMR news cycle….

I have it on the best authority that business will be picking up rather dramatically and I plan on being at ground zero when the muck begins to fly later today. Meantime we have Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood joining State Auditor Stacey Pickering in an incredible display of asshatitude per Paul Hampton’s recap of Judge Schloegel’s contempt order against Pickering, Hood and company.

“General Hood curiously stated it might be very embarrassing for a chancery judge to be admonished by a federal judge should the assistant U.S. attorney charge the chancellor with obstruction of justice and contempt of a grand jury subpoena,” Schloegel wrote about the phone call. “General Hood’s hypothetical regarding criminal charges against the undersigned chancellor and other remarks reinforced General Hood’s clear intent not to seek to mitigate the contempt of his client, the auditor, and furthermore, raised questions of his own role, the role of the Attorney General’s Office and the role of the defendants and their employees in the issuance of the federal grand jury subpoena and the wrongful removal of the records from state court jurisdiction.”

It gets better because Pickering, while denying public records to the Sun Herald and coming across like a fool last December at the court hearings on the related litigation stopped woefully short in his investigation into DMR wrongdoing in favor of crushing a few lower level employees that now stand accused of padding their travel by a few hundred dollars a piece. Biloxi Blues summed it up nicely in comments: Continue reading “For those that were worried about the slow DMR news cycle….”

He is very clearly the happiest man in the room….

WILLIAM COLGIN/SPECIAL TO THE SUN HERALD Gulfport School Board Attorney John Harral
WILLIAM COLGIN/SPECIAL TO THE SUN HERALD
Gulfport School Board Attorney John Harral

And for good reason too. If I were he I’d also be a very happy man. That said I also thought of Kingfish and “Lil’ Piece” when I read today’s Sun Herald story on the Gulfport Bond Election. I also thought of last summer’s Ocean Springs Beach Front protest and the guy that came out of Joe Cloyd’s house to talk to WLOX’s Dave Elliot. Lets circle this topic for now but meantime Gulfport Municipal Schools needs newer facilities and the kids are on the road to getting them:

Funding for new Gulfport High School OK’d by 80% of voters ~ Mary Margaret Halford