Haley Barbour Uses Word "Whorehouse" in Campaign Appearance

Memphis, TN, Commercial Appeal ^ | 05-13-03 | Dowd, James

[Theodore R.]

'Whorehouse' comment surprises GOP's Barbour pledges support for The Med

By James Dowd dowd@desotoappeal.com May 13, 2003

Mississippi gubernatorial candidate Haley Barbour scored points in DeSoto County on Monday regarding support for The Med but raised eyebrows with a comment about Head Start during a tour of Sacred Heart School in Southaven.

"Head Start is a godsend for Mississippi," the Republican told Sacred Heart principal Laura Clark. "Some of those kids in it would be better off sitting up on a piano bench at a whorehouse than where they are now."

Clark said she understood the context of the remark, though she was surprised by his choice of words.

"I think he was trying to represent an extreme situation," she said. "I wasn't offended by it. I believe I know what he meant."

Later Monday, Barbour's communications director said the candidate - who's a deacon in his church and a Sunday school teacher - meant no disrespect.

"It was just a figure of speech," said Quinton Dickerson "Haley was making a point about why Head Start is so important, especially for children who are in a tough situation."

Barbour, who was in DeSoto County as part of his campaign, is challenging Democratic incumbent Ronnie Mus grove.

In Hernando, about 40 people stopped by Timbeaux's to talk to the Yazoo City native about the financial woes of the Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

"If The Med shuts down tomorrow, God forbid, there's nowhere for us to go," said Flo Larson, a founding member of Mississippi Friends of The Med.

The Med offers the closest trauma center in the region, said Paul LeBlanc, assistant director of DeSoto County emergency medical services. Without it, patients would have to travel to Jackson for treatment.

"The Med is just across the state line, they accept our patients, and we need to support them," LeBlanc said.

An increase in uninsured patients who receive treatment but often can't pay for care has created financial problems for the facility.

Nearly 300 patients from North Mississippi are taken to the trauma center every year, LeBlanc said. The Med also offers the region's only burn center and adult AIDS clinic.

Musgrove recently signed a bill designating $500,000 for The Med, LeBlanc said, but he believes the state should offer more support.

And with the hospital facing a $13 million shortfall this budget year, Barbour agrees.

The importance of The Med to North Mississippi can't be overstated, Barbour said, and he pledged to do whatever it takes to "pay our fair share."

"Mississippi shouldn't be a freeloader."

[Theodore R.]

Gee, could the word "whorehouse" become the bete noir of the Barbour campaign even before the primary is held? Well, if Jimmy Carter could overcome "ethnic purity," maybe Haley can lived down "whorehouse."

[Doctor Raoul]

James Carville sang duets with Paul Begala at a piano in a whorehouse.

Thank God that the American people shut it down in 2000.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Hehehe. He said whorehouse. He,hehe,he.

[Lysander]

"Head Start is a godsend for Mississippi,"

The truth is that the program has been around for 30 plus years and has made no difference at all in the achievement level of the children who go to it. It is another Statist program to get kids under government control at an earlier age.

[Theodore R.]

In politics today, a candidate sometimes gets saddled with a single word or phrase. Ford prematurely freed eastern Europe of its "Soviet domination." Carter had his "ethnic purity." Gary Hart had his "new ideas." Walter Mondale had his "Where's the beef?" Reagan had "there you go again." Bill Bradley was "cerebral" though he had a low SAT score, quite a bit lower than that of Bush II. Dukakis had his ACLU membership card. Bush I had his "thousand points of light." Clinton had his "I feel your pain." Gore had his "global warming." Does Haley Barbour want to be saddled with the word "whorehouse"? That's what happens when there is the free expression of ideas sometimes. Speechmaking can, like lawmaking, be synonymous with making sausage.

[Williams]

Good one. But who did Haley offend? Whores? Maybe piano players.

[Theodore R.]

Head Start was said to be the favorite liberal program of Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson. Republicans are afraid to tell the truth about Head Start. Bob Dole told Bill Clinton to "tell the truth," but the GOP fears to tread on the popularity of Head Start.

Also Head Start workers collect unemployment compensation during summers even if they have assurance of work in the fall.

[WKB]

MS BUMP

[Theodore R.]

Yea, the use of the word "whorehouse" would be "amusing" if uttered by a Democrat. But when a Republican says it, watch out! It's like the old adage about the news. Its is not news when a dog bites a man, but it is news when a man bites a dog!!! So when a Democrats says a dumb remark, it's not news, but when a Republican says a dumb remark, it is the end of life "as we know it."

[WKB]

Boy you don't hear vulgar words like that anymore.

[keats5]

"Whore" remains a great decriptive term. I often use it when shopping with my eight year old daughter, as in "Don't buy those shorts. That's the kind whores wear." Even my teenage boys consider some of these "little girl" fashions to look more like outfits for whores.

My daughter gets the message loud and clear. The other day she pointed out a photo of an underclad woman on a magazine cover and whispered, "Mommy, that's a bad girl."

I figure she surrounded everywhere with these slutty images. I might as well spin it to her advantage while she's still impressionable.

[Enterprise]

Monica Lewinsky owes her success in life to her own "Head Start" program.

[mabelkitty]

And? Why is this a story?

Are we going to pretend politics isn't a whorehouse?
Are we going to pretned media isn't a whorehouse?

[Theodore R.]

Whenever a Republican "misspeaks" or is later forced to apologize for having "mispoken," it is newsworthy, whether we like it or not. Now if Gary Hart or Bill Clinton had uttered the same remark, such a comment might not have even made the paper.

[faithincowboys]

I find this ridiculous. The democrats in the Southern media etc. are so damn scared that they are losing the South (not just in national elections, but now in state and local ones). Barbour is a folksy, likeable guy. I think colorful is good. Can we please stop electing politicians like Byron Dorgan-- a man that could single-handedly cure insomnia?
This is a non-story, manufactured by GOP haters in the media.

[billhilly]

"Monica Lewinsky owes her success in life to her own "Head Start" program."

Looks like you got a twofer with that statement.

[dighton]

In the King James Bible, I find 76 instances of whore (including the forms whoredom, whoredoms, and whoremongers.) There are no whorehouses as such, and no pianos.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Speaking of Begala, he famously said about someone, I can't recall whom, "he's as nervous as a whore in church."

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Brother Jed Smock and Sister Cindy (who later married him) used to call me a whoremonger when they'd swing by my campus 20 years ago.

[Theodore R.]

It may be a non-story, but the Memphis Commercial Appeal saw fit to mention it and put the "W" word in the headline. If it brings down a Republican a notch or two, it can't be all bad, reason the Democrats.

[Theodore R.]

One of the best uses of "clip art" that I have seen on this forum!!!

[Blood of Tyrants]

Thanks. The statement was so disingenuous and juvenile that I immediately thought of B&B.

[The Old Hoosier]

Oh, come on, don't take it so seriously, it's funny and newsworthy, no matter who says it.

I remain convinced that George W. would not be president if he had not called Adam Clymer an "asshole" in front of a live microphone.

[Theodore R.]

I wasn't taking the "W" word seriously myself. It is humorous. I was replying to others who saw this as an ominous Democrat plot against the Republicans. You are right, Old Hossier, too much attention to this could wind up helping Haley Barbour get elected governor.

[Theodore R.]

Dorgan -- what do people in ND see in him? Is it mostly a matter of farm subsidies?

[JohnnyZ]

In other news, Haley Barbour is running an excellent campaign, going hard after black votes and black support:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-campaign2002/910363/posts

[dixiechick2000]

Thanks for the ping!

Somehow, I don't think this would have much play if ol' Ronnie said it.

[Valin]

Question, will Haley Barbour now bwcome the latest B.R.O.W?
Bad Republican Of the Week

[Theodore R.]

"Bad Republican of the Week"

It depends on the meaning of the word "bad," explained bILLclinton.

[faithincowboys]

The people in the Dakotas need to get with it-- they have given us Daschle, Dorgan, Conrad and Johnson. I really hope
John Thune trounces Daschle in 04. That would, in my mind, redeem the people of Sout Dakota.

[bourbon]

Hey, thanks for posting that great link to your post about Barbour trying to attract black votes. That's the news I've been waiting to hear!

I'm glad he signed Darryl Neely on to his campaign. I wondered what happened to him after he lost the Jackson mayoral campaign not too long ago. I always liked that guy.

I loved this quotation from him (Neely):
You don’t need the black vote to win, but you do need black support to govern. We don’t want Barbour to be governor and 37 percent of the voters have no connection with him.

That's the truth, and it's a shame that it has taken MS GOPers this long to learn this lesson!

[Theodore R.]

Rush Limbaugh just used this "whorehouse" comment regarding Haley Barbour on his radio program on May 20. He is a week late. Limbaugh praised Barbour for "refusing to apologize" about the remark.

[PISANO]

Are we insane or what? Whorehouse? Who gives a d..n if he used that word. My goodness this is silly.

[bourbon]

Unbelievably, the Barbour "whorehouse" story made it to the Drudge Report today. This is the most ridiculous "controversy" I've heard of lately.

I swear, if aliens came down and read the articles about Barbour, they'd think we were a nation of prudes. Of course, if they just watched TV, they'd probably reach the opposite conclusion that we're a nation of sex-obsessed degenerates. :-)