By Billy Davis

Except for more vigilant constituents in Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District, a one-year anniversary last week likely went unnoticed by most people – unless you’re privy to the press releases.

“Congressman Childers Achieves Major Accomplishments in First Year Serving North Mississippi,” declared the press release from U.S. Congressman Travis Childers’ press office.

The press release proclaimed that Childers has “hit the ground running to create jobs and improve the economy,” among other feats, since he was sworn in on May 20, 2008.

Among Childers’ most important decisions was a “yea” vote for the controversial $787 billion economic stimulus bill.

He cast the vote in January, eight months into his first full term.

Childers told The Panolian in February that the bill began with a good goal: pour money into the economy through infrastructure improvements. The bill got “Washington-ized” over time, he said, meaning it was loaded with controversial items, but the “good still outweighed the bad.”

When the bill passed the U.S. House, every Republican and 20 Democrats voted against it.

“Here’s what pushed me over: I represent 24 counties, and 10 of them have double-digit unemployment,” Childers said of his vote.

Mississippi’s 1st District includes 24 counties in North Mississippi. Panola County represents the west boundary of the district, which stretches east to Alabama. 

Childers is a Prentiss County native, where he served as chancery clerk before running for the 1st District Congressional seat.

The congressman has won the 1st District seat twice, first in a special election on May 13, 2008 to fill the unexpired term of Roger Wicker.

Wicker had been chosen by Gov. Haley Barbour to fill Trent Lott’s open U.S. senate seat after Lott retired.

Childers later won his first full term in the November 4, 2008, general election.

Childers’ win last November returned the seat to the state Democratic Party. Wicker had filled the seat since 1995 but perennial Democratic Congressman Jamie Whitten had occupied it for 54 years.

To fend off potential challengers, Childers is wise to find a leadership position and demonstrate his conservative record, said Dr. Marty Wiseman, director of the John C. Stennis Institute of Government.

Political observers have credited Childers with positioning himself as a leading spokesman for rural community issues, a position that would benefit the 1st District.

Wiseman also said the freshman congressman was smart to co-sponsor a pro-gun rights bill, written to protect gun rights in Washington, D.C., soon after winning the special election.

“You’re most vulnerable in that first term and maybe that second term,” Wiseman said. “What he has to do is build out his base and demonstrate his effectiveness.”

The name of Mississippi state senator Alan Nunnelee, a Republican, has been floated as a potential Childers opponent, Wiseman said. 

In Congress, Childers sits on the House Financial Services Committee, which is ground zero for hot-button issues such as bank bailouts and the housing market crisis.

Childers has bucked his party by voting against two bank bailout bills, known as TARP I and TARP II, which allocated $700 billion to help banks recover from the subprime mortgage crisis.

Childers also voted against a $410 billion Omnibus Appropriations bill, one of 20 Democrats to do so, even though he had sought $8 million in appropriations in the bill that he opposed.

Voters in Mississippi’s 1st District are realizing “that nearly every time Childers “accomplishes” something, their pocketbook is worse for wear,” Brad White, chair of the Mississippi Republican Party, said in statement.

“I don’t think folks expected (Childers) to be a lapdog of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but clearly that’s what he has become,” said White, referring to the liberal Speaker of the House.

But Childers’ voting record and political philosophy has found favor with some conservative interest groups that roam Washington, D.C.

Conservative groups Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America, and the Campaign for Working Families have given Childers high marks, according to ratings tabulated by Web site Project Vote Smart. 

The congressman also scored an “A” with the National Rifle Association, the powerful gun rights lobby, and a “0” with the Brady Campaign, a pro-gun control lobby.

 The ultra-left wing ACLU gave Childers a score of “50,” and he earned a “100” score with the liberal National Organization for Women.  

“I am extremely proud to serve Batesville, Panola County, and surrounding towns,” Childers said in a statement. “Like all North Mississippians, Panola residents are facing tough times, and I will continue to do everything I can to promote economic growth and development, and provide relief for hard working families throughout the county.”

Jamie Franks, chair of the Mississippi Democratic Party, could not be reached for comment for this story.