JACKSON - State Sen. Charlie Ross of Brandon got some recent headlines and some political bragging rights out of a key endorsement in his Republican lieutenant governor's primary showdown with State Auditor Phil Bryant.
Ross got the endorsement of the Mississippi Right to Life organization, one of the state's major pro-life/anti-abortion groups. For conservative Republicans, it's a coveted endorsement - one that will show up in paid political advertising as a conservative bona fide.
To be sure, Mississippi Right to Life is a credible organization. Just as certain as that fact is that both Ross and Bryant are decidedly, unequivocally pro-life in their personal and political philosophies.
For that matter, so is the Democratic contender, state Rep. Jamie Franks of Mooreville. Mississippi Right to Life has in prior elections endorsed Bryant, Franks and Ross.
Right to Life's Barbara Whitehead said: "All three candidates are pro-life. That will be on our Web site along with the information on all the other candidates that we sent questionnaires to. Jamie Franks and Charlie Ross both have pro-life voting records for these last four years. Phil Bryant did in the past when he was in the Legislature. All three of them have been endorsed by the PAC. This makes them all equal."
But Whitehead said that Ross got the endorsement because he was the "the best candidate for lieutenant governor from a right-to-life stand point."
Whitehead also confirmed that a key participant in selecting the slate of 396 Mississippi statewide and legislative candidates endorsed by the group and "the real backbone of our organization" is Scott Fischbach.
Whitehead said Fischbach is a member of the board of Mississippi Right to Life. Fischbach is also the leader of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life and lives in Paynesville, Minn. He is the husband of Republican Minnesota state Sen. Michelle Fischbach of Paynesville.
In 2002, Campaigns and Elections Magazine named Fischbach a "rising star" in politics. In 2005, Minnesota Law and Politics dubbed Fischbach and his wife "king and queen of the red" in reference to their GOP influence.
Also in 2001-2002, Fischbach's political consulting firm, Coalition Productions Inc., of Paynevilles, received $22,000 in payments from the Ronnie Shows for Congress campaign in his Democratic congressional race against the eventual winner, Republican Chip Pickering.
Earlier this month, the Ross campaign reported $7,261 in total payments to Fischbach's Coalition Productions firm. Ross said he hired Fischbach because "he's worked in the past for Haley Barbour, Amy Tuck, Kirk Fordice and a lot of other successful Republican candidates."
Ross said he was not aware that Fischbach was on the board of Mississippi Right to Life when he hired him prior to getting the group's endorsement.
"I hired him because he gets results and is effective," said Ross. "There was no quid pro quo."
Fischbach concurred in that assessment and said he did not participate in the choice of Ross for the endorsement but that after meeting Ross, "I decided I wanted to go with him."
But a March 10, 2007, memo from Fischbach to Bryant paints a different picture. In that memo, which Fischbach confirmed, he said: "This race is going to be decided in the next 120 days and I want to do my part to ensure your victory." Bryant didn't hire him.
Fischbach said that despite his offer to Bryant, his hiring by Ross had nothing to do with Ross getting the endorsement.
"It's not like I said to Phil, hire me and you'll get the endorsement," said Fischbach. "I met with both of them. I liked Phil, he's pro-life, but I decided I wanted to go with Charlie. There was no quid pro quo, absolutely none."
