The American Spectator

MISSISSIPPI CALLING br> Speaking of WorldCom, Senate minority leader Trent Lott was inundated with media phone calls last week asking whether or not he would remove from his “Mississippi Wall of Fame” Bernard Ebbers , former CEO of the telecommunications giant. Lott’s Senate website features a number of Mississippians who have made it big in sports, business and the arts. Lott has told staffers he has no intention of removing Ebbers, but another Republican big shot with Mississippi roots is considering putting some distance between himself and the man from WorldCom. /p>

Former Republican National Committee chairman Haley Barbour, mulling a run for the Mississippi governorship, is assessing how much political damage he might suffer due to his close relationship with Ebbers and WorldCom.

p>While WorldCom donated plenty of money to Democrats over the past two electoral cycles, Barbour cultivated his friendship with Ebbers and connection with WorldCom. “Knowing Haley, he’ll figure out a way to turn this all into a positive,” says a longtime acquaintance. “He has a talent for that. And apparently, so did Ebbers. Maybe it’s a Mississippi thing.” br> /p>