State Democratic chairman does not approve of effort, says Democrats should stay out of GOP primary.
James "Scooby Doo" Warren said he has put together a get-out-the-vote (GOTV) plan and is "putting it in place across the whole state." Warren said he is not working with the Cochran campaign itself but for the PAC and Bishop Ronnie Crudup Sr.
When asked if he was getting any blow back for working in a Republican primary, Warren said he "got all that taken care of on the front end."
"I called D.C. and told them what was going on with the tea party," Warren said. "But I can't do anything after the 24th because I'm a Democrat ... Whoever wins will have to deal with me in November."
But Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Rickey Cole said he doesn't like the idea of Democrats "crossing over to vote for the weaker candidate" in a Republican primary.
"I think Democrats ought to vote for a Democratic nominee, Republicans ought to vote for a Republican nominee, and independents ought to wait until November," Cole said Tuesday.
In a Facebook message to a Wall Street Journal reporter that was tweeted by state Sen. Tony Smith, Cole said he thought Warren was working with Pete Perry. Mississippi Conservatives PAC paid Perry's company during the primary to do GOTV supporting Cochran. Perry's involvement in the race drew criticism because he is chairman of the Hinds County Republican Executive Committee, which oversees GOP primary elections.
"Large sums of cash are being passed around," Cole said in the Facebook message. "These guys are old-school 'walking around money' vote buyers. It is happening in Hinds County, but they are trying to move black voters in the Delta, adams (sic), jefferson (sic), and claiborne (sic) too."
Henry Barbour, who heads Mississippi Conservatives PAC, could not be immediately be reached for comment.