Miss. Gubernatorial Candidate: Barbour ‘Beholden’ to Insurance Interests

Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Arthur Eaves Jr. told a press group that he wants to create a state program to provide health coverage for all of Mississippi’s uninsured children.

Eaves also said Republican Gov. Haley Barbour is beholden to oil, tobacco and insurance interests that made Barbour wealthy as a Washington lobbyist. And, he wants to allow voluntary, student-led prayer in schools.

“He continues to be a lapdog for the money changers,” Eaves told about 70 people at a meeting of the Mississippi Press Association.

In a separate appearance moments later, Barbour did not respond directly to anything Eaves had said.

Instead, he bragged about the state economy and recited a long list of job-creating projects that are under way around the state, from a Toyota plant that’s being built north of Tupelo to a coal-to-liquid energy plant that’s being considered near Natchez.

Barbour also announced that he will lead a state delegation to Japan next month to try to attract automotive suppliers to the state. He said Mississippi is an ideal location because suppliers could provide parts to the Toyota and Nissan plants here and to Nissan, Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes plants in nearby states.