TUPELO – Democratic candidate Bill Luckett of Clarksdale, running for governor, told the Daily Journal editorial board just a few minutes ago that, if you don't count college, he's pretty much behaved himself ever since.

The Daily Journal will ask every editorial board interviewee if he or she has done anything, which if revealed could embarrass the candidate, his/her family or the state.

Frankly, Luckett is the first to appear to really think about his answer. Wednesday, Billy Hewes and Tate Reeves - GOP Lt. Gov. hopefuls – barely hesitated with their strong "No" responses.

Luckett laughed later, saying his college days couldn't count. I agreed, not that any of us from the 1960s remember much of that anyway. It's mostly mythology at this stage.

Stay tuned for more responses... patsy

TUPELO – One tiny piece of 2011 campaign trivia that won't make the headlines this week: Both Republican candidates for lieutenant governor say "no" to the question about whether they've ever done anything that could embarrass Mississippi.

The questions came from me Wednesday during a Daily Journal editorial board meeting with GOPers Billy Hewes of Gulfport and Tate Reeves of Rankin County.

In the wake of political scandals like Anthony Wiener, The Governator, John Edwards, David Vitter, etc. etc., I thought it necessary to ask each candidate we see here the following question, which came last in our interviews:

"Is there anything in your background, personal or professional, that if disclosed would embarrass you, your family or the state of Mississippi?"

Each said "No," with emphasis.

Hewes' wife, Paula, was sitting beside him and sounded off strongly that her husband of nearly 26 years has behaved himself.

Reeves looked a little red-faced, but perhaps that's his natural red-head complexion, as I began to ask it. Nonetheless, he answered directly, in the negative.

And so, I'll await anyone else who comes before us. Prepare to be asked.

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Read Friday's order and memorandum opinion by Judge Neal Biggers in response to Zach Scruggs' attorneys requests for his decision on various issues relating to Zach's pursuit of proving his innocence in a 2007 judicial bribery scheme.

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Read it for yourself:

Senior Judge Neal Biggers on Wednesday disqualified Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Norman from the government's team at Zach Scruggs' May 23 hearing seeking to have his 2008 conviction and sentence overturned.

Here's a copy of the order. My reporting's on NEMS360.com web site.

... patsy