The
S TUDENT P RINTZ www.studentprintz.com
SERVING SOUTHERN MISS SINCE 1927
Tuesday, November 4, 2010
LETTERS
Volume 95 Issue 21
LOCAL
OR TO THE EDIT
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SEXY SCENTS
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WOMEN’S
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Republican congressman-elect Steven Palazzo, right, talks to Jeff Clark, pastor of First Baptist Church, at Starbucks in Hattiesburg before being elected to office on Tuesday
USM graduate goes to Congress Republican congressman-elect Steven Palazzo graduated from Southern Miss in 1996. He takes his seat in January. See page 8 Tuesday
71/39 Wednesday
67/33 Thursday
68/33 INDEX
Calendar ...................... 2 Crossword ..................... 2 News ............................ 3 Opinion ......................... 4 Feature ......................... 6 Arts & Entertainment .... 7 Sports ......................... 8
Ashton Pittman Printz Writer Republican Steven Palazzo was elected Tuesday for the Mississippi District 4 seat, ending the 21-year reign of Democratic congressman Gene Taylor. Palazzo, a state lawmaker, held a 52 percent lead over Taylor, with 95 percent of precincts reporting. Taylor conceded victory to Palazzo. “It’s been a pleasure to serve you,” Taylor said. “I have nothing but good memories.” Palazzo graduated from Southern Miss in 1996 with a master’s degree in accounting. He also received his bachelor’s degree from USM. Palazzo ran on the slogan, “Fire Pelosi,” positioning his campaign as a referendum on the Democratic Congress more so than one on Taylor himself. He will join many
other Republican freshmen in the House as the party prepares to become the new majority party in the US House of Representatives. “I think that the fact that they’ll take a 21-year incumbent out proves they’re ready for change,”
Across the nation, Republicans picked up more than enough seats in the House of Representatives to become the new majority party; and while they did not win enough Senate seats to claim a majority in the Senate, they did narrow the gap considerably. On Wednesday, President Obama reflected on his party’s disastrous losses and what the new Congress
THE PRINTZ TALKED TO STEVEN PALAZZO, TOO. GO ONLINE TO READ THE STORY: WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM. said Kyle Williams, political director for USM’s College Republicans. “I think there’s no one better qualified to lead this part of South Mississippi than Steve.” Williams did have a warning for Republicans, however. “I hope that they’ll take action and not just sit around,” he said. “They can be pulled out just as quickly as the Democrats.”
would mean over the next two years. “Yesterday’s vote confirmed what I’ve heard from folks all across America,” he said. “People are frustrated; they’re deeply frustrated with the pace of our economic recovery.” Obama said that while the results were humbling, he hopes that Democrats and Republicans would be able to work together. “I do believe there is hope for
civility,” he said. “I do believe there is hope for progress.” President of the College Democrats Jackie Northrup said, “I think it’s unfortunate that we lost one of our only ‘Democratic’ voices in South Mississippi.” She said Taylor’s refusal to switch parties lead to his downfall. In October, Northrup confronted Taylor, asking him why he didn’t switch to the Republican party considering his conservative views. “We share a love for South Mississippi, and we share a love for our country,” said Palazzo of Taylor. “I wish him the best.” USM student Rhonda Shearin, a self-described “fair Democrat,” said she hoped the election meant change would come but said too that she was not optimistic. “I feel like it’s sending a clear message to politicians, but it’s going to deadlock Congress,” she said. “But I think it’s always good to get new blood in there.” The new Congress will head to D.C. in January.