Luckett answers questions about Freeman comment

by Clay Chandler

Published: October 22,2009

Tags: governor's race, political campaign

JACKSON — Plenty of politicians and political hopefuls were making the rounds at the Mississippi Economic Council’s Hobnob Wednesday in Jackson.

Bill Luckett, who is pursuing the Democratic nomination for governor, was one of them.

Luckett’s campaign has hummed along pretty quietly since he made it official that he was running about two weeks ago.

That changed last weekend, when Luckett’s friend, business partner and Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman told the Associated Press that “the base stock of (Mississippi) is a bunch of mule-headed farmers” that have resisted economic and social reform.

Freeman was one of the hosts for a fundraiser for Luckett this week in Los Angeles.

“Morgan’s his own person,” Luckett said Wednesday. “I didn’t say that. He did. I respect his opinion to say what he believes. I respect anybody’s opinion to voice their own feelings about an issue. I don’t feel that way myself.”

Luckett said the feedback he’s received from Freeman’s comments had been mixed.

“Certainly it angered some people to some degree. Others said they felt the same way.”

Luckett is the only Democrat who has declared for the 2011 governor’s race. Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant and Pearl River County Supervisor Hudson Holliday will seek the GOP nomination. Gulfport businessman Dave Dennis has yet to make an official announcement but has said he intends to run.

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