Current governor of Mississippi, Former Republican National Committee chairman, Microsoft mouthpiece, and big tobacco lobbyist for Philip Morris. After being in the ring during the 1990's biggest political and economic fights, Barbour became political strategist and chief fundraiser for the Senate Republicans.

His activities are considered the most important cause of the Republicans gaining control of both the Senate and the Parliament in 1994. Since then, he became involved in various financial schandals. In 1997 he was hauled in before a Senate Committee investigating campaign finance abuses and accused of using a Republican think tank to launder a $2.2 million dollar loan from a Hong Kong businessman to the national GOP.

After een equally controversial campaign and victory, Barbour assumed office as republican governor of Mississippi in 2004. He gained national attention when Hurricane Katrina hit the state. Other than Ray Nagin, the mayor of the also devastated city of New Orleans, who heavily criticised the federal government for not reacting soon enough, Barbour's response was characterized by an unwillingness to blame the (republican) federal government.