Both candidates have some tough issues to overcome in this Senate race. Roger Wicker is running as a Republican when the fundamentals in the electorate are not exactly favorable for Republicans. He also has not run statewide. No matter how much you are liked in your own district, running statewide is a different ballgame. Ronnie Musgrove has run successfully twice statewide and unsuccessfully once. But Musgrove has other real issues. First, he is running in Mississippi as a "conservative Democrat", yet he is forced to support Barack Obama. Those two concepts are, by definition, mutually exclusive to anyone with a lick of common sense. And though Musgrove is a gifted politician, he has to craft a weird narrative as a "Washington outsider" that will caucus with Democrats to support Harry Reid for leadership, but vote against the Democrats on "God, guns, and pro-life" issues.

Panelist questions were predicatable and ran the gamut from the Bailout to Iraq to Katrina recovery to some specific charges of "mudslinging" and whether or not Wicker ever voted for a pay increase. However, the game changing question came as a submission by an unnamed MC Law School student who asked, Who are you supporting for President, and why?. Ronnie Musgrove was caught flush and stammmered around for a few moments before saying that he supported his "party's nominee" (Barack Obama). Wicker replied head on that he supported John McCain and Sarah Palin and challenged Ronnie Musgrove to say directly that he supported Barack Obama in his response. Musgrove refused to give him the soundbite that would have been undoubtedly hung around Musgrove's neck over and again in campaign ads in the last 30 days. Wicker closed that question by rhetorically asking, "How can you claim to be a fiscal conservative and support Barack Obama?" Wicker clearly drew blood through that exchange.

Otherwise, Musgrove and Wicker went at it steadily on issues that we have seen in both campaign's ads. Musgrove hit Wicker on allegedly voting 9 times to increase his own pay. Wicker's retort was that the last "up or down" vote on Congressional pay was in 1991 - three years before he became a congressman. Musgrove still said that Wicker makes $30K more per year now than when he started. Wicker hit Musgrove repeatedly on the Beef Plant scandal and the sources of his current and past campaign contributions from people like Dickie Scruggs. Wicker, I think, missed the golden opportunity to say that "Musgrove has accepted campaign money from people that were convicted of giving it to him". Musgrove remained pretty slippery on those issues and has superior skills to twist the attention to another issue.

Both candidates offered strong answers on Iraq and both seemed to grasp what the War on Terror means to the United States. Musgrove is the father of an Iraq war veteran. Wicker is a third generation veteran himself. Though Musgrove was long on rhetoric about Wicker being bad for veterans, his assertions were devoid of any evidence and flew in the face of common sense of Wicker (a veteran himself) being "anti-veteran".

Another exchange of interest centered on lobbying. Musgrove aggressively wailed on "pay to play" and asserted that Wicker "funnelled" $60 million to campaign contributors. Musgrove also wailed on the "special interest" and the corrosive effective of lobbyists. Wicker, in pretty deadpan fashion, recounted when Musgrove was in Wicker's congressional office lobbying for something, which was pretty effective. Wicker hit Musgrove on taking Dickie Scruggs money. Musgrove hit back with the fact that Zach Scruggs used to be a Wicker staffer, which came as news to me.

With the rules expressly barring any audience outburst, the only overt laugh line was Wicker's. The question came to Wicker, "How do you sleep at night with all of these negative ads about your opponent, when you were once roommates?" Wicker didn't miss a beat and said, "I campaign really hard."

The final exchange of the night was golden for Wicker. Musgrove's final statement attempted to invoke Ronald Reagan's "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?". Wicker then went to work. First, he said that Haley Barbour asked Mississippi voters that question in 2003 and the result was Ronnie Musgrove getting voted out of the Governor's office. Then he stated that voters need not wonder about where he stands on issues. He cited his spotless pro-life record and endorsements. He talked about being a veteran, pushing through veteran's benefit legislation and his involvement with VFW. He cited his second amendment credentials and NRA endorsement. He cited his fiscal conservatism by his support of the Bush 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. He talked about his demonstrably strong record on immigration, and finished with his commitment to increase domestic energy production to achieve energy independence.

It was by far the most focused I have ever seen Wicker. He was infinitely more effective in this setting than at the Neshoba County Fair as this was much less a display of style and more a display of command of the issues. He never raised his voice. He never got flustered. He had a command of the facts and of his record and Musgrove never managed to trip him up.

This race was always going to be close. This was a good debate. How much impact a debate that competes with high school football on a Friday night will have is yet to be seen, but Roger Wicker had a great showing and clearly got the best of the exchange.

"Make sure people get registered to vote," Wicker said Wednesday. "It is so easy now. ... It's the grass roots. It's the ground game. It's getting people to the polls to vote Nov. 4."

Wicker is married to U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, who was appointed to the post on New Year's Eve by Gov. Haley Barbour after former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott of Pascagoula resigned.

The Republican senator will face former Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove in the November election. The winner will serve the remainder of Lott's term, which ends in 2012. Wicker has been campaigning off and on with her husband since his appointment.

She described her husband, to whom she has been married for 32 years, as a man of principles.

"Of those 32 years he has been a public servant," Wicker said of the senator. "He's seen that as a calling and as a mission. I've watched him very closely and he has always served with dignity, honor and integrity. He has core beliefs that are based on his belief in God. He's guided by the Bible and what it teaches him. He doesn't need a poll or a finger in the wind to make a decision."

Wicker said her husband is also a man of courage.

"He has made some decisions that have caused us to get phone calls," Wicker said, "but, if he truly believes in something he is going to fight for it and stand up for it. He truly believes in the people of Mississippi. He loves Mississippi."

Wicker, a Republican, is running in a special election Nov. 4 to fill the remaining four years of the term. He is challenged by Democratic nominee and former Mississippi governor, Ronnie Musgrove.

Chris Cox, chairman of the NRA-PVF, cited Wicker's record of commitment to the Second Amendment as reason for the endorsement.

In a tour of Southwest Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker and Rep. Sam Mims stopped in Natchez to assess the damage done by Gustav.

Wicker said based on his other stops in the state he believed Natchez to be unique in the amount of downed trees and utility poles.

“We didn’t see that on the coast,” he said.

He said the damage to trees and utility poles looked like “more than any other place in the state.”

Natchez Mayor Jake Middleton and Adams County Board of Supervisors President Henry Watts accompanied Mims and Wicker on their tour.

Before the tour began Mims and Wicker met in the mayor’s office, with several city and county officials, to answer general questions about what necessary steps should be taken to get Natchez back to normal.

Much of the discussion centered on debris removal and the acquisition of state and federal funding available to the county and city.

“We want to be able to report to the state on the damage the county has seen,” Mims said.

Mims said the information given to the state could then be relayed to federal agencies.

And Middleton said he hopes Wicker and Mims’ awareness of the situation in the county will help local officials be able to cut through the red tape of acquiring federal clean-up money.

“It was an important meeting,” he said.

A portion of the tour had to be rerouted due to a large downed tree that blocked the road near the Roselawn Subdivision.

Shortly after the detour the four men had an impromptu meeting with Entergy executives in a parking lot on Liberty Road.

Haley Fisackerly, president and CEO of Entergy Mississippi, briefed the Wicker and Mims on the state of electricity restoration in the area.

Late last year Wicker was appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour in the wake of Trent Lott's retirement, until an election could be held. Wicker faces former Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove on Nov. 4.

Wicker, who was representing a north Mississippi district in the U.S. House of Representatives when he was appointed, said he played a large role in getting Katrina-relief money. He said he and Mississippi Republican Rep. Chip Pickering went door to door talking to the speaker of the House and the leadership of the conservative caucus, who aren't always receptive to funding requests, to make the case for $5 billion in storm-recovery funds, just before the measure passed.

"Almost everything that we have been able to do from the federal level has my fingerprints on it in terms of Katrina relief," Wicker said in a meeting with the Sun Herald.

In the race to replace Lott, Musgrove has painted himself as a fiscal conservative. Wicker's campaign is hitting Musgrove over what he sees as Musgrove's failed record as governor. Musgrove has portrayed Wicker as purveyor of pork-barrel spending and an integral part of what he characterizes as a broken system in Washington.

"I've taken a hard line approach to my votes on illegal immigration," Wicker told the Hattiesburg American editorial board Tuesday. "My system has basically been two-pronged."

Wicker said he has supported legislation to increase military presence on the country's border with Mexico and a more stringent employment verification system.

"We need to make sure the E-Verify system is as accurate and instantaneous as it can be," he said. "I know there are people who think it's inaccurate, (but) it seemed to be a system on the right track to me."

In a wide-ranging interview, Wicker said he disagrees that babies born in the United States to parents who are in the country illegally should automatically become American citizens.

"I personally don't think that, and that alone, should confer citizenship on someone," Wicker said. "It would take a statute to be passed to say that interpretation of the 14th Amendment is incorrect. I would vote for such a statute to say something more has to take place than for the child to be physically born of illegal immigrant parents for that child to be a citizen."

Questions concerned issues like energy and oil drilling, the railroad industry and how Meridian contributes to that, and the recent mortgage crisis.

The VoteForBusiness Bandwagon started out on Friday to cover more than 8,000 miles in 32 states, including scheduled appearances at the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention.

The bandwagon is due to arrive at Structural Steel Services, Inc., 6210 St. Louis St., in the South Industrial Park in Meridian at 9 a.m. and remain until 11 a.m.

Featured speakers include Wicker and Moore Hallmark, executive director of the U.S. Chamber's Southeast Region.

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations.

Wicker, who was appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour to fill retired U.S. Sen. Trent Lott's seat, will face former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, a Democrat, in the November general election.

At a press conference at a local oil field, Wicker said there’s a need for Congress to act now to lower gas prices.

Braving the high temperatures Wednesday afternoon, Wicker visited with oil company representatives gathered at the Jack Hosey Well in the Reddy Creek oil field.

Kerry Allen with Denbury Resources and Jay Fenton with Ventura Oil and Gas said the oil and gas industries in Jones County provide approximately 2,000 jobs and is a boost to the local economy.

Also Wednesday, Wicker expressed his frustration over the Senate adjourning without providing relief to the American people.

The senator reiterated his support for the Gas Price Reduction Act, which he says, “would open more sources of oil here in the United States.”

Wicker and Senator Thad Cochran helped introduce the Gas Price Reduction Act in June.

“The people of Mississippi and the United States are demanding action from Congress,” Wicker said. “The Gas Price Reduction Act will reduce prices at the pump and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

Allen said the bill “would no doubt lessen the U.S.’s dependency on oil import and create better national security.

“Since 1972, the U.S. dependency on imported oil has continued to increase,” Allen added. “We now import 60 percent of the crude oil we use.”

Fenton said now is a good time for the country to start reducing it’s dependency on foreign oil.

“Now is as good of a time as any to start,” Fenton said. “We’ve got to start at some time.”

Wicker said the Gas Price Reduction Act will mean that “Americans will have a lot more crude oil at its disposal. As a result, the price of crude oil will come down and the price of gasoline will be lowered.”

Whether that plan will ever be considered will be up to a Democrat-controlled Congress.

Wicker appeared Wednesday afternoon at the Reedy Creek Oilfield in the Sharon community in Jones County to express his frustration that the bill he co-authored with fellow Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran - Gas Price Reduction Act - never was brought up for discussion since being introduced in June.

"When the American people speak up, the elected leadership should follow," Wicker said. "I think that if the Democratic leadership in Washington, (Senate) Leader Harry Reid and (House) Speaker Nancy Pelosi, would simply let this legislation come to a vote, I think a majority of the House and the Senate would support (it) ... The question is, and I don't know the answer any more than you do, will Harry Reid let this come to a vote?"

So far, the answer has been a steadfast no, and Congress has recessed for five weeks.

Wicker, a former Congressman who was appointed by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour to finish out the term of former Sen. Trent Lott, will face former Mississippi Democratic governor Ronnie Musgrove for that Senate seat in November.

Wicker has made energy production, particularly as related to the nation's dependence on foreign oil and the sky-rocketing cost of gas, one of his central election planks.

The act he and Cochran co-authored would open up more offshore drilling, delve into oil shale deposits in the West, encourage development of affordable alternative energy sources and crackdown on oil speculators.

"The people of Mississippi and the United States are demanding action from Congress," Wicker said. "(This) act will reduce prices at the pump and reduce our dependence on foreign oil."

"With all of the seemingly endless public criticism of Washington, it is essential to point out that Senator Wicker just played a successful, pivotal role in helping roll back potentially disastrous $7.4 million Medicare cuts for Mississippi's seniors," stated Lori Porter, a co-founder and CEO of the National Association of Health Care Assistants, and a founding member of the CPSC, based in Joplin, MO. "From the perspective of front line caregivers who help make the key difference in patient outcomes, Sen. Wicker deserves enormous thanks for stopping the Medicare changes that were about to go into effect."

Specifically, Sen. Wicker wrote a letter to White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten warning the Bush Administration's proposed Medicare regulation would jeopardize the significant quality improvements made by the skilled nursing facility (SNF) community in recent years as well as the ability of nursing homes to continue caring for high acuity patients. Because nursing homes rely on Medicare to make up for chronic underfunding by the Medicaid program -- an average of $13 per day for every Medicaid beneficiary in nursing homes nationwide -- it is critically important that Medicare reimbursement remain fair and consistent.

In his speech, Wicker never mentioned Musgrove and only briefly even acknowledged the election. His was the speech of a Senator absent campaign rhetoric and dwelling more on wonkish policy than political swipes. On the other hand, Musgrove mentioned Wicker by name (or by "my opponent") ten times, essentially repeating his campaign stump speech from the Neshoba County Fair. Each discourse fit the respective candidate's style: Wicker implementing a Cochranesque gentlemanpolitik; Musgrove a campaign street fighter always ready for a political Pier 6 brawl.

Wicker discussed Senate accomplishments, legislative items in the pipeline, and his future policy priorities. He spoke about the Wicker Amendment that extended the start date for GO-Zone qualifying post-Katrina construction, and listed his goals for the remainder of the session including $350 million for the restoration of the barrier islands to pre-Camille levels, and acting on a commitment by Senate leadership to address all perils insurance.

The aim: to lower gas prices.

The bill would accomplish that by opening more sources of oil here in the United States.

“It addresses coastal drilling and oil shale development, encourages development of alternative energy sources and cracks down on speculators,” Wicker said.

Wicker said he did not know whether the bill would be able to come to the floor for a vote because of Democratic opposition.

For more on this story, see Thursday’s Hattiesburg American.

The Gas Price Reduction Act, introduced by Wicker and Sen. Thad Cochran in June, calls for increased deep sea oil drilling, the opening of oil reserves in several Rocky Mountain states, and increased research funding for electric vehicles.

Wicker believes the plan is a solution for bringing the price of gasoline down and reducing the dependency on foreign sources of oil.

“The price of gasoline is outrageous,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be that way.”

Wicker defended the plan against criticisms that it is a short-term solution by saying he thinks alternative fuels are not realistic in the near future.

Wicker was appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour last year to fill the unexpired term of retired U.S. Sen. Trent Lott. He is running against former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove for the Senate seat. The election is in November.

Wicker says the move is necessary because "activist judges are attempting to redefine one of our nation's most sacred institutions." The Mississippi lawmaker notes that "19 states have passed laws and 26 states have amended their constitution to protect traditional marriage."

"Rather than giving unelected judges the opportunity to legislate from the bench, this amendment will reaffirm what most Americans believe ... marriage is between a man and a woman," Wicker says.

At one of Wicker’s stops, he visited veterans and their families at the Veterans Memorial Museum on Hillcrest Drive. Following a tour of the facility, Wicker talked about issues facing local residents and the nation.

Talking about energy, increased gas prices and illegal immigrants, Wicker said there’s much work to be done in the nation’s capital.

“I’m a strong opponent of illegal immigrants,” he said. “We’ve got to secure our borders.”

Wicker, who has voted to increase funding to build a fence along the southern border and to add more border patrol agents to protect the border, said enforcement is a key.

“We need to enforce the law and protect the border,” he said. “We should be able to tell businesses if someone is an illegal immigrant and then hold them accountable if they hire them after they have been informed.”

Wicker said, however, he thinks one of the most important issues facing Americans is the increasing prices of so many consumer goods, including fuel.

“Our federal policies of developing energy in the United States needs to be addressed,” he said. “We need to end the moratorium on deep sea drilling.

“We have three times the oil that Saudi Arabia has and yet it’s off limits,” the Senator said. “The middle class citizens and our small businesses are suffering.”

Wicker said he is now co-sponsoring a bill on Clean Energy Independence that would address this issue.

“We can drill oil off the Gulf of Mexico,” he said. “We need to use our own energy.”

Wicker will face Ronnie Musgrove in the Nov. 4 election to fill the seat vacated by Trent Lott.

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Republican Senator Roger Wicker introduced the Life at Conception Act.

Wicker says the legislation declares human life begins at conception and addresses a question left unresolved by the Supreme Court in its Roe v. Wade decision.

The bill is the Senate companion to house legislation introduced by Representative Duncan Hunter of California.

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Wicker represented a north Mississippi district in the U.S. House of Representatives until being appointed earlier this year to serve in Sen. Trent Lott's place until a special election can be held. Wicker, a Republican, faces Democratic former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove in the Nov. 4 special election for the seat Lott vacated with his retirement.

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"In Congress, Wicker fought for us after Katrina... In Congress, he achieved bipartisan support working with Senators Lott, Cochran and Congressman Taylor," a narrator says in the ad. "Wicker helped secure billions of dollars for recovery, rebuilding infrastructure, bringing new jobs.  He listens, he cares, he gets the job done."

The ad, which began airing last week, is only being broadcast in the Gulf Coast region of the state, and is designed to improve Wicker’s name identification outside of his old House district in northeast Mississippi. Wicker’s spokesman called it a “solid buy,” and said it is still airing in southeast Mississippi.

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Making his case Monday, Wicker, R-Miss., touted the ways federal officials can work with local leaders to fund projects, promising he would “fight for Mississippi’s fair share.”

“This is something that I’ve done for 13 years,” Wicker said, referring to his time as a U.S. representative. “The local needs of a county and city have not changed. They need grants ... and ways the federal government can be a partner to provide a better environment for job creation.”

Wicker also pointed to energy prices, military policy, Social Security and education as key national issues he intended to focus on.

“People are concerned with energy prices, and it’s not only management,” Wicker said. 

Wicker said he’d visited a manufacturing plant and found employees questioning high oil and gas prices.

“Every worker on the line is feeling a pinch,” he said. “What they didn’t understand is why we don’t drill in Alaska. ... They found a very receptive ear in their new senator on that issue.”

Wicker was equally concerned with foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, pushing voters to rally behind American troops.

“We need to realize that each and every one of them is a volunteer because they remember 9/11 and they want to get to the fight,” he said. “There’s a group of young people that understand that we are facing a world-wide threat. ... In the face of these sacrifices and in light of these successes, the question is, ‘Do we still throw up our arms and just quit? Say, 60 days and we’re out?’ 

“I think the American people are going to say stay the course,” Wicker continued. “Get the job done, but make sure we don’t waste the sacrifices that have been made.”

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Wicker said he supports the U.S. 82 to downtown connector road project and is hopeful that more federal money will come for the road. Getting the rest of the money will require help from local and state agencies, though,Wicker said.

"Almost anything of this nature we have to do as a partnership," Wicker said.

Congress recently reinstated $2.5 million for the project, which had been cut in an effort to eliminat earmarks.

Greenwood Mayor Sheriel Perkins said the project will cost $5.9 million.

"We feel that this would really strengthen our economic growth (downtown)," Perkins said.

Wicker feels downtown Greenwood has a lot of potential. He and his wife, Gayle, stayed at The Alluvian Thursday night, and Wicker said they took a stroll downtown after dinner.

He said the connector road is a good investment that will help the local economy by making job creation easier and encouraging tourism.

Wicker said other cities in Mississippi, such as Oxford, have had great success in turning old railroads into highways.

On the stalled farm bill, Wicker said he does not think there is enough money in it right now for him to support it. He said it must have enough to provide a safety net for farmers who actually work the land.

"We're at a crossroads," Wicker said. "We're at a log-jam situation on the farm bill."

Wicker said fellow senator Thad Cochran was not optimistic in their last conversation about getting the bill passed soon.

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Appointed to the Senate December 31, the former congressman from Tupelo drives his tiny Toyota Paseo from his Virginia condo to the Senate side of the Capitol dome, encountering more traffic en route as he drives through a tunnel that backs up in rush hour. But, otherwise, the transition from House to Senate doesn't seem to have been that difficult for the 13-year House veteran.

Well, except for that image thing. Wicker has noticed that his automobile doesn't exactly fit in among the tony, more exclusive Senate vehicles. "It may be the rattiest car in the entire U.S. Senate," he said.

Wicker, who faces a Nov. 4 special election to fill out the remainder of former Sen. Trent Lott's, R-Miss., seat, sat for a recent interview with the Sun Herald in his trailer - yes, trailer - in temporary offices in the courtyard of the Russell Senate office building. (Senate archivists had to spend time in Lott's office after he resigned.)

Wicker finally moved in mid-February to Lott's former digs in the Russell building, although in the reconfigured suite, the new Mississippi senator took a much smaller office than the one Lott occupied. Wicker's staff did the actual moving, while the senator went on a campaign swing that included a stop on the Gulf Coast for the dedication of the expanded terminal at the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport.

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Northrop Grumman and Paris-based European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. beat out Boeing Co. to build 179 refueling tankers in Mobile, creating an estimated 2,000 jobs.

The contract is worth at least $30 billion to $40 billion over 10 to 15 years. It is the first of three deals to replace the Air Force's entire fleet of nearly 600 tankers.

Freeland said the Economic Development Foundation has worked over the last two years to align the county with Mobile officials in support of the program and to court potential suppliers for Jackson County.

"Trent Lott International Airport, with close to 200 acres, is but a mere 45 or 50 miles from Brookley, so we have worked with Mobile very closely to support the contract decision itself and strategically position ourselves for supplier opportunities with these contracts," Freeland said.

Mississippi's top elected officials see long-term benefits to Mobile's success in landing such an enormous project.

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Mississippi stands to benefit from the selection of a Mobile site for a multibillion-dollar Air Force contract.

The Air Force announced Friday it had picked Northrop Grumman and its Paris-based partner, EADS, to build 179 refueling tankers at a site at Mobile, creating an estimated 2,000 jobs.

The contract is worth $30 billion to $40 billion over 10 to 15 years and could be even more lucrative. It is the first of three deals to replace the Air Force's fleet of nearly 600 tankers.

The facility will bolster economic development in Alabama and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran said in a written statement. "Mississippians will realize sizable economic advantages because of this project," he said.

Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called it a victory for the Gulf Coast.

"While the tankers will be built in Mobile, the economic impact will be felt throughout south Mississippi," he said in a statement. "I expect suppliers and other support businesses to locate in Mississippi and create quality jobs for our citizens."

Pascagoula, a 30-minute drive from Mobile, is home to Northrop Grumman.

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"This announcement is a huge victory for the Gulf Coast," Senator Roger Wicker said. "I've been a strong supporter of Northrop Grumman/EADS throughout this process and I commend the Air Force for making what I've always believed was the right choice for this contract." 

"This decision will lead to the creation of up to 2,000 Gulf Coast jobs," Wicker added.  "And while the tankers will be built in Mobile, the economic impact will be felt throughout South Mississippi.  I expect suppliers and other support businesses to locate in Mississippi and create quality jobs for our citizen."

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U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker made stops in Meridian Friday, visiting Meridian Naval Air Station and the downtown area.

The Republican was appointed to take Trent Lott's seat on an interim basis in December. He's also a candidate for the permanent position. An election will be held for it in November.

Wicker said Meridian and NAS Meridian are important to national security and international stability.

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The much-anticipated groundbreaking on a new Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport is set for 10 a.m. Monday, the U.S. General Services Administration announced.

The government awarded a $189 million contract to build the retirement home to Yates Construction in September. The home will replace the old 11-story building that was imploded last year on the beachfront property.

The main building at the 44-acre complex will be more than 650,000 square feet and will provide independent living, assisted living and long-term care. The building will be large enough to hold up to 584 residents. The project includes parking, landscaping, walking paths and recreation areas.

A few days after Hurricane Katrina pummeled the beachfront campus in Gulfport, nearly 400 veterans evacuated and headed for the government's only other retirement home, just four miles from the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

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