CNN

Related: Struggling Mississippi county waits on small victories

The only two medical doctors currently in the Senate, both Republicans, are using the August congressional recess to take their two-month old, twice weekly health care reform Webcast on the road.

(CNN) - The only two medical doctors currently in the Senate, both Republicans, are using the August congressional recess to take their two-month old, twice weekly health care reform Webcast on the road across America's heartland - an itinerary that appears designed to pressure on some of their more moderate Democratic Senate colleagues from Nebraska, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

"I think we may bring a little bit more judgment and credibility to what's really going on in this debate and the problems in health care," Oklahoma Sen. and family practice physician Tom Coburn told CNN.

Along with Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, an orthopedic surgeon, Coburn launched "The Senate Doctors Show" in early July. Twice a week, the two doctors sit down and film a roughly 20-minute segment where they answer questions about health care reform submitted by the public via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, and through "man-on-the-street" video interviews of Capitol Hill visitors.

This week, the two men hit the road. Wednesday, Coburn and Barrasso were in Omaha, Nebraska where they visited an intensive care unit and taped an episode of their Webcast with a live audience. Thursday, the two men split the day between a morning town hall in Bentonville, Arkansas and two afternoon events in northern Mississippi - another taping of their production with a live audience and a hospital visit. Friday, the two doctors are set to join fellow Republican Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana and three House Republicans from the state at a town hall meeting in Kenner, Louisiana. Vitter will also join Coburn and Barrasso on a tour of a New Orleans medical facility.

Three of the four states for this week's tour don't appear to be coincidental.
Read the rest of this entry »

Is Barbour considering a presidential bid?

WASHINGTON (CNN) - When a leading Republican public official visits New Hampshire and Iowa back-to-back, it sparks speculation of a 2012 run for the Republican presidential nomination. And that's exactly what Haley Barbour's doing this week. But the Mississippi governor is playing down talk of presidential politics.

Barbour speaks at a state GOP fundraising event in New Hampshire tomorrow. New Hampshire traditionally holds the first primary in the race for the White House. Thursday, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee attends a fundraiser in Iowa for that state's GOP. The Iowa caucuses kick of the presidential primary season.

To top it off, Barbour campaigned Monday in Virginia with Bob McDonnell, the state's gubernatorial candidate. The contests for Virginia and New Jersey's governorships are the two biggest political battles of the year.

But Barbour appears to be waving off presidential politics. At a news conference in Washington Tuesday, where he teamed up with House Republicans to discuss health care reform, Barbour was asked when he's going to make a decision on running for president.

"Probably never," said Barbour. "But, you know Gov. Sununu called me and said he'd like to have somebody come up to New Hampshire who wasn't running for president to talk about party building and I told him I'm your man."

Read the rest of this entry »

Republican Roger Wicker.

(CNN) – CNN projects that Republican Roger Wicker will win the Senate seat in Mississippi in a special election to replace former Sen. Trent Lott who resigned in December 2007.

Wicker, a former seven-term congressman who was appointed to the seat, defeated former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, a Democrat.

CNN projections are based on actual results and exit poll data from key areas.

Cochran stays on as Mississippi senator.

(CNN) - CNN projects that Republican incumbent Thad Cochran will win a sixth term in Mississippi's Senate race, defeating Democrat Erik Fleming, a former state lawmaker.

CNN projections are based on actual results and exit poll data from key areas.

John McCain, with VP pick Sarah Palin, visit a hurricane command center on Sunday.

PEARL, Mississippi (CNN) - Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain told reporters Sunday there would be significant changes to the upcoming GOP convention, saying it would be inappropriate to hold a political celebration in light of the imminent arrival of Hurricane Gustav.

“We must redirect our efforts from the really celebratory event of the nomination of president and vice president of our party to acting as all Americans," said McCain.

The Arizona senator, who spoke after his tour of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency in Pearl, Mississippi, did not elaborate on what those changes might be, instead saying the campaign will release a statement in the next few hours.

McCain did say the convention would need to transition from a "party event" to a "call to the nation for action": "I pledge that tomorrow night, and if necessary, throughout our convention if necessary, to act as Americans not Republicans, because America needs us now no matter whether we are
Republican or Democrat.’’

Obama and Clinton supporters in Mississippi appear divided among racial lines.

(CNN) – Mississippi Democratic voters were sharply divided among racial lines in Tuesday's primary, exit polls indicate.

As has been the case in many primary states, Obama won overwhelming support from African-American voters. They went for him over Clinton 91-9 percent.

But Mississippi white voters overwhelmingly backed the New York senator, supporting her over Obama 72 percent to 21 percent.

According to the Associated Press, only two other primary states were as racially polarized - neighboring Alabama, and Clinton's former home state of Arkansas.

The exit polls also indicated roughly 30 percent of Mississippi Democratic voters said race was an important factor in their vote, and 60 percent of those voters supported Obama.

In Ohio, roughly 1 in 5 voters said race factored into their decision. Roughly 60 percent of those voters picked Clinton over Obama.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

(CNN) - Are some of Mississippi's Republicans trying to cause mischief? Thirteen percent of the voters in today's Democratic primary identified themselves as Republican; they voted for Clinton, 78 percent to 22 percent. And 37 percent of the Democratic primary voters have a favorable opinion of John McCain; this group also went for Clinton, 62 percent to 37 percent.

Earlier this month, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh told listeners that since the Republican race was all but over, they should turn out for Clinton, because of his view that she would be a weaker fall opponent for presumptive GOP nominee John McCain - but there is no statistical evidence to indicate his instructions played any role in the Mississippi results.

–CNN's Paul Varian

(CNN)– Early exit polls indicate the same distinct age gap in Mississippi that has appeared in many states this year: Barack Obama appears to garner the support of younger voters, while Hillary Clinton holds a greater appeal for older voters.

According to early CNN exit poll estimates, 72 percent of voters between the ages of 17 and 29 came out in support of the Obama, while 28 percent identified more with Clinton. For voters 60 and older, 53 percent said Clinton was fit for the presidency, while 46 percent weighed in for Obama.

–CNN's Emily Sherman

(CNN) – Mississippi Democratic voters view Barack Obama more honest and trustworthy than Hillary Clinton, exit polls indicate.

Roughly 7 in 10 voters said Obama was honest and trustworthy, while only a little more than half said the same for Clinton.

But Clinton voters appear to view Obama in a more negative light than Obama voters view Clinton.

Greater than 9 in 10 Clinton voters said Obama was not trustworthy, while roughly 7 in 10 Obama supporters said the same of Clinton.

Track county-by county results here.

(CNN) – Voters in Mississippi identified the economy as the number one concern Tuesday.

According to early CNN exit poll estimates, 56 percent of voters said the troubled economy was the biggest issue in deciding their vote. Fifty-four percent of those Mississippi residents cast their ballot for Sen. Barack Obama, 45 percent for Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Iraq and health care also registered as top issues for voters. Twenty-one percent thought the war in Iraq was the most critical issue facing the country, while another 21 percent felt that fixing nation's health care system was their number one concern.

–CNN's Emily Sherman

Click here for county-by-county results from Mississippi.

CNN’s Sean Callebs takes a look at voter issues and turnout in Mississippi

(CNN) - One of the most Republican states in the nation takes center stage Tuesday in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Mississippi, which has not voted for a Democratic candidate in a presidential election in 32 years, holds a Democratic primary Tuesday.

With the campaigns of Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois battling for every delegate, the political spotlight is on a state not used to being the center of such attention.

Full story

JACKSON, Mississippi (CNN) - A few days after an aide to presidential contender Hillary Clinton accused her rival Barack Obama of behaving like Ken Starr, the Illinois senator kept up a recent string of counter-attacks, charging her campaign with strategically leaking a photo of him in African clothing and employing the “Republican playbook” in their effort to re-take frontrunner status in the Democratic race.

“When in the midst of a campaign you decide to throw the kitchen sink at your opponent because you’re behind, and you start - your campaign starts leaking photographs of me when I’m traveling overseas wearing the native clothes of those folks to make people afraid, and then you run an ad talking about who’s gonna answer the phone at three in the morning - an ad straight out of the Republican playbook - that’s not real change,” Obama told voters at a Mississippi campaign event Monday night.

The photo of Obama dressed in traditional local garb during a goodwill trip to Africa surfaced in the days before the critical March 4 contests. The Clinton campaign denied reports of any connection with its appearance, and Obama said at the time that he believed the New York senator’s assurances she did not know anything about the picture before it was published on the Drudge Report Web site the week before voters went to the polls in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont.

"...I take Senator Clinton at her word that she knew nothing about the photo. So I think that's something that we can set aside," Obama said at the Ohio debate late last month - a remark re-circulated by the Clinton campaign Monday night.

In a statement, the Clinton team attributed Obama’s Jackson remarks to his losses in last week’s primaries, and pointed to the Ohio comment, in which he seemed to absolve Clinton herself, though not her campaign, of responsibility for the photo’s distribution.

–CNN's Rebecca Sinderbrand and Chris Welch

(CNN) – Barack Obama’s campaign has debuted a new radio ad in Mississippi called "Respect," highlighting what they call “derogatory” remarks Hillary Clinton made about the state late last year.

The ad also argues that Obama will “practice his Christian faith by respecting us” - an apparent push-back against the false Muslim rumors that have dogged him throughout the campaign.

In the 30-second spot, former Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus, an Obama supporter, derides Clinton for comments she made last fall singling out the state’s record of electing female politicians.

"I was shocked when I learned Iowa and Mississippi have never elected a woman governor, senator or member of Congress," Clinton told the Des Moines Register in October. "There has got to be something at work here. How can Iowa be ranked with Mississippi? That's not the quality. That's not the communitarianism, that's not the openness I see in Iowa.'"

Mabus accuses the Clinton campaign of calling Mississippi voters “second class.”

“Now I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of people putting us down,” Mabus says in the ad. “Tired of politicians trying to divide our nation instead of lifting it up.”

Mississippi voters head to the polls next Tuesday, March 11, with 33 Democratic delegates at stake.