13 of 16: Delbert’s Democratic Chairs

During his speech at Neshoba, Delbert the Democrat tried his best to reassure his fellow Mississippians that he was, indeed, a Republican, boasting about his runs for Congress (that he lost) and other so-called evidence of his party loyalty. “I was a Reagan guy,” he said.

But what a person does in life defines who they really are, regardless of what words they use to describe themselves. To borrow a phrase from our Lord, “A tree is known by its fruit.”

This lesson is especially true in politics, particularly Republican primary politics. In every contested Republican primary, the fight between the candidates will, more often than not, center on who is the true, genuine conservative and who is the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Not everyone who claims to be a conservative actually is. How do you know? Watch what they do, or what they have done in the past.

Case in point: Delbert Hosemann. In his speech, Hosemann never mentioned his support of Ray Mabus, his past leadership role in an abortion clinic, and support of Democratic policies. Those are not the actions of a “Reagan guy.”

Nor did he bother to admit to his conduct as Lt. Governor the last four years, such as killing important conservative bills like the complete elimination of the income tax, or his support of Democratic Senators.

Out of 52 Senators in the Mississippi Senate, just 16 are Democrats. Republicans hold a super majority with 36 seats. There is no need for power-sharing with such a massive advantage. 

But Hosemann, the Lt. Governor and President of the Senate, insisted on Democrats getting more than a fair share of the power and influence in the Senate. One of his first acts as the new Lt. Governor in 2020, Hosemann appointed 13 of those 16 Democrats to committee chairmanships:

Juan Barnett – Corrections 

Barbara Blackmon – Housing 

David Blount – Gaming 

Hob Bryan – Public Health and Welfare

Albert Butler – Ethics 

Hillman Terome Frazier – Interstate and Federal Cooperation

John Horhn – Labor 

Robert L. Jackson – Executive Contingent Fund

David Jordan – Drug Policy 

Sollie B. Norwood – State Library

Derrick T. Simmons – Municipalities 

Joseph Thomas – Enrolled Bills

Angela Turner-Ford – Public Property

In his speech at the Neshoba County Fair, Hosemann addressed his appointment of these 13 Democrats to committee chairmanships. 

They were only minor committees, he claimed. But the above list shows some pretty important committees that should have been chaired by Republicans. 

And on that note, Hosemann had a ready-made fib, one of his biggest of the campaign: “We ran out of Republicans,” he said. But this is an easily provable lie: The truth is that NINE Republican Senators were NOT given a committee chairmanship. He had plenty of Republicans to hand a committee chairmanship to, yet chose to give them to Democrats instead. 

Making matters worse, just a few weeks after Delbert rewarded these Democrats with chairmanships, the entire Democratic caucus, all 16 Democratic Senators, signed a letter endorsing Joe Biden for President:

This is not something a “Reagan guy” would have ever done. The truth is he is no “Reagan guy.” He’s Delbert the Democrat.

Delbert Hosemann’s words say one thing, but his actions point to who he really is – A Democratic Wolf in Republican Sheepskin.