At least one Republican presidential contender isn't running from his past. Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour was proud of his past as a "lobbyist, a politician and a lawyer" when he was asked about it Sunday. "You said last year, you're the
February 13, 2011

At least one Republican presidential contender isn't running from his past.

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour was proud of his past as a "lobbyist, a politician and a lawyer" when he was asked about it Sunday.

"You said last year, you're the governor of a poor state, you have a distinct drawl, and you have been -- were a big time Washington lobbyist for a decade, Fox News' Chris Wallace noted. "You said, some people would consider those handicaps for running for president, you don't. Why not?"

"I'm a lobbyist," Barbour admitted. "The guy who gets elected or the lady who gets elected will immediately be lobbying. They'll be advocating to the Congress, they'll be lobbying our allies and our adversaries overseas, they'll be asking the business community, the labor unions. You just -- that's just what presidents do for a living."

"You were one of Washington's biggest most successful lobbyists for more than a decade," Wallace pressed.

"Let me just make this very plain. I'm a lobbyist, a politician and a lawyer," Barbour replied. "That's the trifecta and I'm willing to have my record in front of everybody."

If Barbour does decide to try for the Republican presidential nomination, he may have an uphill battle. Only 3 percent gave the Mississippi governor their vote in the this weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll.

Can you help us out?

For nearly 20 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but now Facebook is drowning us in an ocean of right wing lies. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.

Discussion

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.
Mastodon