In the end, Representative Bennie G. Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat on the committee, stressed that past problems needed to be corrected to prevent future ones.

Mr. Lott's entry into the race in 1972 as a Republican came as a surprise to Mississippi Democrats, but was again an astute move politically.

Phillips stressed that in the 1850s, when Mississippi Democrats faced competition from Whigs, the state ranked fifth nationally in per capita income.

Representative Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, argues that the Akima deal made no sense.

A similar bill has been introduced by Representative G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery, a Mississippi Democrat.

Mississippi Democrats attacked the Radical Republicans for using the riot as a partisan point.

Representative Bennie Thompson, the Mississippi Democrat who is set to lead the Homeland Security Committee, also expressed concern.

By 1841, the aftermath of the Panic of 1833 had caused a division among Mississippi Democrats.

And Representative Gene Taylor, a Mississippi Democrat, urged the rare step of a full declaration of war.

Mr. Taylor, who calls himself "a typical Mississippi Democrat," must battle daily against the stereotyping of his party label.