NEW: Mississippians are offering tributes to former Secretary of State Colin Powell after he died of COVID-19.

Though vaccinated, Powell, 84, had multiple myeloma, which compromises the body’s ability to develop immune response to infections like COVID-19.mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker described Powell as “the embodiment of the American dream.”

“The son of Jamaican immigrants, he went to college on an ROTC scholarship and rose to become one of the most consequential leaders of our time."
mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…
A July study found that, among multiple myeloma patients vaccinated for COVID-19, just 45% "developed an adequate response, while 22% had a partial response."

At 84, Powell's condition and age greatly increased the danger of COVID-19 even with vaccination.mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…
Secretary Colin Powell backed President Bush's push to go to war in Iraq based on false claims that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. His sterling reputation helped convince Congress and most Americans to back the war.mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…
A year-and-a-half into the Iraq War, Powell told Congress in September 2004 that the intelligence was faulty and that it was unlikely Hussein ever had WMDs.
Two months later, Bush fired Powell just eight days after winning re-election.
mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…
After being floated as a possible running mate for Republican presidential candidate John McCain in 2008, Powell surprised political observers when he endorsed Barack Obama’s campaign for president instead and rebuffed xenophobic GOP attacks against Obama.mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…
Colin Powell in 2008: “(Obama) is a Christian—he’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is (Muslim)? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America."
mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…
Like Roger Wicker, Mississippi’s other U.S. senator, Cindy Hyde-Smith, offered condolences to the first Black secretary of state this morning, calling Powell “a lifelong servant to our nation” who “will be missed by many.”
mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…
Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann: “‘Remain calm. Be kind.’ One of former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell’s 13 rules to live by. General Powell was a true public servant, a leader in diplomacy, and a family man at heart."
mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…
National NAACP President Derrick Johnson, a Mississippian, also offered a tribute to Powell, who held the distinction as the highest ranking Black American in history until President Obama. Johnson called Powell “a good man who inspired many.”mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…
U.S. House Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Democrat who represents Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District and chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, called Powell “the best example of a true patriot.”
mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…
After Trump’s unfounded claims of election fraud led to the deadly U.S. Capitol insurrection in January, Powell renounced the GOP, saying Republicans "should've known better” than to support Trump, but none "wanted to put themselves at political risk.”mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…
All Mississippi Republicans in Congress, including Wicker and Hyde-Smith, supported Trump. All Mississippi Republicans voted against impeaching Trump both times, including for inciting an insurrection. Wicker and Hyde-Smith voted twice to acquit him.mississippifreepress.org/8161/amid-bipa…
On Jan. 6, all Mississippi Republicans in Congress except Sen. Roger Wicker voted for Trump's attempt at to hold onto power by overturning the election—even after he incited the Capitol insurrection.
mississippifreepress.org/8008/sen-cindy…
Wicker and Hyde-Smith voted against establishing an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks. All Mississippi House Republicans voted against the Jan. 6 congressional select committee led by Rep. Bennie Thompson.
mississippifreepress.org/12615/after-vo…
Mississippi Republican State Sen. Brice Wiggins offered a tribute to Secretary Colin Powell Powell today, calling him “a wonderful American, military hero” and “true leader.”

Wiggins was one of only a few vocally Trump-critical Republicans in Mississippi.
mississippifreepress.org/7838/republica…
“You know I’m not a fellow of anything right now,” Powell said after the Jan. 6 insurrection. “I’m just a citizen who has voted Republican, voted Democrat, throughout my entire career, and now I’m just watching my country and not concerned with parties.”
mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…
Mississippi Leaders Mourn Colin Powell After Immunocompromised Ex-Secretary Dies of COVID-19

My latest for @MSFreePress with @nickjudin:
mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…
You can support our paywall-free journalism at @MSFreePress with a one-time or recurring donation to our non-profit at mfp.ms/donate. We believe in journalism that puts context, accountability and solutions first—not partisanship, "both-sidesism," or soundbites.

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More from @ashtonpittman

21 Oct
With Black people making up about 38% of the population, Mississippi is the blackest state in the nation.

Here is a photo of Mississippi's eight statewide elected officials.
If you want to understand how, in the blackest state in America, all 8 statewide elected leaders could be white, start here:

Systemic Racism Built Mississippi. Gov. Reeves Says It Doesn’t Exist.
mississippifreepress.org/11705/systemic…
A 2020 Mississippi microcosm: Election officials in Madison County quietly rezoned 2,000 Black & Hispanic voters out of a majority white precinct w/hundreds of parking spaces to a majority Black one w/35 spaces for 3500+ voters (3x what it served before).mississippifreepress.org/6492/madison-c…
Read 5 tweets
21 Oct
NEW: The American people “will be shocked to know how close we came to losing our democracy” once the the January 6th Committee reveals its findings, its chairman, Mississippi Democratic Bennie Thompson, told @maddow.
mississippifreepress.org/17082/rep-thom…
Rep. @BennieGThompson: "What would happen to you if you did what Mr. Bannon was doing? If you were a material witness in a criminal prosecution..., what would happen if you refused to show up, Do you think you would be able to just go about your business?"
mississippifreepress.org/17082/rep-thom…
"There’s no question in the minds of the committee. We believe that Mr. Bannon clearly was one of the persons encouraging the insurrection to happen,” said @January6thCmte Chairman @BennieGThompson.
mississippifreepress.org/17082/rep-thom…
Read 7 tweets
19 Oct
Here's a quarter, call someone who cares. 🪙
It just hit me that I probably have some followers who don't know what the connection is between a quarter and making a phone call.
Looks like @AshaRangappa_ beat me to this one
Read 4 tweets
17 Oct
Amid hysteria over the idea of Mississippi teachers teaching CRT, I'm reminded of the history coach* who, in front of Black students, said Black people would start turning against Mexicans for taking all the welfare money.

*he didn't want to teach, but was required to as a coach
Amid hysteria over CRT in Mississippi classrooms, I'm reminded of my high school American Law "teacher"/coach* who taught us that the Civil War was fought over state's rights, not slavery—a key Lost Cause myth taught since the early 1900s to rewrite the history of the Civil War.
Amid hysteria over CRT in Mississippi classrooms, I'm reminded of another history coach* who asked the only Black boy in the room if he'd support Colin Powell for President, then asked the only Black girl if she liked Condi Rice.

Then said: "Republicans ended slavery, you know."
Read 14 tweets
14 Oct
In case you missed my appearance on Shepard Smith's @thenewsoncnbc this evening, here it is!
(I must invest in a better lighting setup for future appearances, whew).
Auditor Demands Brett Favre Return $828,000 in ‘Illegally Spent Welfare Funds’
mississippifreepress.org/16910/auditor-…
Read 4 tweets
13 Oct
NEW: The Mississippi State Auditor is demanding that Brett Favre return $828,000 he received in "illegally spent welfare funds" that should have gone to needy families.

But Favre is not among the six facing criminal charges for the scheme.mississippifreepress.org/16910/auditor-…
Brett Favre received $1.1 million in Temporary Assistance For Needy Families funds from two non-profits whose owners have since been indicted on state and federal charges for their alleged role in the largest embezzlement scheme in state history.mississippifreepress.org/16910/auditor-…
This afternoon, Mississippi Today’s Anna Wolf reported that White's letter to Favre said the NFL quarterback "knew or had reason to know through the exercise of reasonable diligence that the expenditures were illegal and/or the dispositions were unlawful.”mississippifreepress.org/16910/auditor-…
Read 35 tweets

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