Gov. Haley Barbour received a standing ovation to welcome him tothe podium Tuesday at a Republican Party rally at the LincolnCounty Multi-Purpose Building.

“Brookhaven and Lincoln County are very important to us,”Barbour said. “I’m very cognizant of the fact you heavily supportedme in the last election.”

The governor stumped briefly to encourage support for Republicancandidates across the board and then jumped to his message.

Democrats, he said, have been criticizing the state’s tortreform efforts and claim it has been bad for business. He urgedpeople to judge its success themselves by asking doctors how ithelped them and gauging the success of economic development in thepast four years.

Barbour said state Rep. Jamie Franks, the Democratic candidatefor lieutenant governor, and Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood”fought tort reform hammer and tong” and, if elected, wouldcontinue the fight in their efforts to repeal the law.

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