"Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says that the budget crisis is so bad in California they may have to start selling Senate seats." ~ Jay Leno
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Get Packin', Rod Blagojevich
by John McHugh
(to the tune of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen")
Get packin', Rob Blagojevich
The state's in disarray.The Tribune wants you unemployed,
At least by Christmas Day.The TV pundits want your head,
Could there by pay to play? Oh, tidings, of comfort and joy.
Save Illinois!
Oh, tidings, of comfort and joy.
Oh, tidings, of comfort and joy.
Good riddance Rod Blagojevich,Your Elvis look's inane.
The Senate's mad, so's Lisa's dad, You drive us all insane.
Our transit's broke, the state's a joke, The Tollway's one big pain.
Oh, tidings, of comfort and joy. Save Illinois!
Oh, tidings, of comfort and joy.
Good luck old Rod Blagojevich, The feds have quite a place..
Fitzegerald's poked his nose around, And if he has a case,
George Ryan's moving stuff around, Creating extra space.
Oh, tidings, of comfort and joy. Save Illinois!
Oh, tidings, of comfort and joy
Courtesy our good friend Don O'Nesky aka ElephantPride
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Aunt Bill's Brown Candy ~ Oklahoma Tradition!
Aunt Bill's Brown Candy: Cooking Light columnist Molly Wizenberg shares her holiday baking ritual: the old-timey Aunt Bill's Brown Candy, a cross between praline and fudge from her homestate of Oklahoma. This soft, nutty, and somewhat crumbly southern delight is the ideal holiday treat. Makes 30 pieces
Ingredients:
3 cups sugar, divided
1 cup half and half
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
Preparation:
Butter 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan. Combine 2 cups sugar and half and half in heavy large saucepan. Stir occasionally over low heat until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Bring remaining 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; continue boiling without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing sides of pan with wet brush and swirling pan, about 8 minutes.
Immediately pour caramel syrup into half and half mixture in large saucepan (mixture will bubble). Stir constantly over medium-low heat until caramel dissolves. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture registers 244°F, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in baking soda (mixture will foam slightly). Add butter and stir to melt. Let stand without stirring until mixture cools to 160°F, about 20 minutes. Mix in vanilla.
Using large wooden spoon, stir constantly until candy begins to thicken and loses its gloss, 4 to 5 minutes. (usually takes two people to beat). Mix in nuts (candy will be very stiff). Scrape candy into prepared pan. Using wet fingertips, press candy firmly into pan. Cool completely, then cut into 30 squares.
December issue Bon Appetit magazine
Ingredients:
3 cups sugar, divided
1 cup half and half
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
Preparation:
Butter 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan. Combine 2 cups sugar and half and half in heavy large saucepan. Stir occasionally over low heat until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Bring remaining 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; continue boiling without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing sides of pan with wet brush and swirling pan, about 8 minutes.
Immediately pour caramel syrup into half and half mixture in large saucepan (mixture will bubble). Stir constantly over medium-low heat until caramel dissolves. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture registers 244°F, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in baking soda (mixture will foam slightly). Add butter and stir to melt. Let stand without stirring until mixture cools to 160°F, about 20 minutes. Mix in vanilla.
Using large wooden spoon, stir constantly until candy begins to thicken and loses its gloss, 4 to 5 minutes. (usually takes two people to beat). Mix in nuts (candy will be very stiff). Scrape candy into prepared pan. Using wet fingertips, press candy firmly into pan. Cool completely, then cut into 30 squares.
December issue Bon Appetit magazine
Friday, October 31, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
How the Bail-Out Works!
How the bail out works: Young Chuck moved to Texas and bought a Donkey from a farmer for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver theDonkey the next day.
The next day he drove up and said, 'Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died.' Chuck replied, 'Well, then just give me my money back.'
The farmer said, 'Can't do that. I went and spent it already.'
Chuck said, 'Ok, then, just bring me the dead donkey.'
The farmer asked, 'What ya gonna do with him?
Chuck said, 'I'm going to rafflehim off.'
The farmer said You can't raffle off a dead donkey!'
Chuck said, 'Sure I can Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead.'
A month later, the farmer met up with Chuck and asked, 'What happened with that dead donkey?'
Chuck said, 'I raffled him off.
I sold 500 tickets at two dollars apiece and made a profit of $998.'
The farmer said, 'Didn't anyone complain?'
Chuck said, 'Just the guy who won. So I gave him his twodollars back.'
Chuck now works for Goldman Sachs.
The next day he drove up and said, 'Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died.' Chuck replied, 'Well, then just give me my money back.'
The farmer said, 'Can't do that. I went and spent it already.'
Chuck said, 'Ok, then, just bring me the dead donkey.'
The farmer asked, 'What ya gonna do with him?
Chuck said, 'I'm going to rafflehim off.'
The farmer said You can't raffle off a dead donkey!'
Chuck said, 'Sure I can Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead.'
A month later, the farmer met up with Chuck and asked, 'What happened with that dead donkey?'
Chuck said, 'I raffled him off.
I sold 500 tickets at two dollars apiece and made a profit of $998.'
The farmer said, 'Didn't anyone complain?'
Chuck said, 'Just the guy who won. So I gave him his twodollars back.'
Chuck now works for Goldman Sachs.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
A must read...."Liquidating the Empire!"
Liquidating the Empire
By Pat Buchanan
"Liquidate labor, liquidate stocks, liquidate the farmers."
So Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon advised Herbert Hoover in the Great Crash of '29. Hoover did.
And the nation liquidated him -- and the Republicans.
In the Crash of 2008, 40 percent of stock value has vanished, almost $9 trillion. Some $5 trillion in real estate value has disappeared. A recession looms with sweeping layoffs, unemployment compensation surging, and social welfare benefits soaring.
America's first trillion-dollar deficit is at hand.
In Fiscal Year 2008 the deficit was $438 billion. With tax revenue sinking, we will add to this year's deficit the $200 to $300 billion needed to wipe the rotten paper off the books of Fannie and Freddie, the $700 billion (plus the $100 billion in add-ons and pork) for the Wall Street bailout, the $85 billion to bail out AIG, and $37 billion more now needed, the $25 billion for GM, Chrysler and Ford, and the hundreds of billions Hank Paulson will need to buy corporate paper and bail out banks to stop the panic.
As Americans save nothing, where are the feds going to get the money? Is the Fed going to print it and destroy the dollar and credit rating of the United States?
Because the nations whose vaults are full of dollars and U.S. debt -- China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Arabs -- are reluctant to lend us more.
Sovereign wealth funds that plunged billions into U.S. banks have already been burned.
Uncle Sam's VISA card is about to be stamped "Canceled."
The budget is going to have to go under the knife. But what gets cut?
Social Security and Medicare are surely exempt. Seniors have already taken a huge hit in their 401(k)s. And as the Democrats are crafting another $150 billion stimulus package for the working poor and middle class, Medicaid and food stamps are untouchable. Interest on the debt cannot be cut. It is going up. Will a Democratic Congress slash unemployment benefits, welfare, education, student loans, veterans benefits -- in a recession?
No way.
Yet, that is almost the entire U.S. budget -- except for defense, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and foreign aid. And this is where the axe will eventually fall.
It is the American Empire that is going to be liquidated.
Retrenchment has begun with Bush's backing away from confrontations with Axis-of-Evil charter members Iran and North Korea over their nuclear programs, and will likely continue with a negotiated peace in Afghanistan. Gen. Petraeus and Secretary Gates are already talking "reconciliation" with the Taliban.
We no longer live in Eisenhower or Reagan's America. Even the post-Cold War world of George H. W. Bush, where America was a global hegemon, is history. In both relative and real terms, the U.S.A. is a diminished power.
Where Ike spent 9 percent of GDP on defense, Reagan 6 percent, we spend 4 percent. Yet we have two wars bleeding us and many more nations to defend, with commitments in the Baltic, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans we did not have in the Cold War.
As U.S. weapons systems are many times more expensive today, we have fewer strategic aircraft and Navy ships than Ike or Reagan commanded. Our active-duty Army and Marine Corps consist of 700,000 troops, 15 percent women, and a far higher percentage of them support rather than combat troops.
With so few legions, we cannot police the world, and we cannot afford more. Yet, we have a host of newly hostile nations we did not have in 1989.
U.S. interests in Latin America are being challenged not only by Cuba, but Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Honduras. Brazil, Argentina and Chile go their own way.
Russia is reasserting hegemony in the Caucasus, testing new ICBMs, running bomber probes up to U.S. air space. China, growing at 10 percent as we head into recession, is bristling over U.S. military sales to Taiwan. Iran remains defiant. Pakistan is rife with anti-Americanism and al-Qaida sentiment.
The American Empire has become a vast extravagance.
With U.S. markets crashing and wealth vanishing, what are we doing with 750 bases and troops in over 100 countries?
With a recession of unknown depth and duration looming, why keep borrowing billions from rich Arabs to defend rich Europeans, or billions from China and Japan to hand out in Millennium Challenge Grants to Tanzania and Burkina Faso?
America needs a bottom-up review of all strategic commitments dating to a Cold War now over for 20 years.
Is it essential to keep 30,000 troops in a South Korea with twice the population and 40 times the wealth of the North? Why are McCain and Obama offering NATO memberships, i.e., war guarantees against Russia, to a Georgia run by a hothead like Mikheil Saakashvili, and a Ukraine, millions of whose people prefer their kinship to Russia to an alliance with us?
We must put "country first," says John McCain.
Right you are, Senator. Time to look out for America first.
Mr. Buchanan is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of Churchill, Hitler, and "The Unnecessary War": How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World, "The Death of the West,", "The Great Betrayal," "A Republic, Not an Empire" and "Where the Right Went Wrong."
By Pat Buchanan
"Liquidate labor, liquidate stocks, liquidate the farmers."
So Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon advised Herbert Hoover in the Great Crash of '29. Hoover did.
And the nation liquidated him -- and the Republicans.
In the Crash of 2008, 40 percent of stock value has vanished, almost $9 trillion. Some $5 trillion in real estate value has disappeared. A recession looms with sweeping layoffs, unemployment compensation surging, and social welfare benefits soaring.
America's first trillion-dollar deficit is at hand.
In Fiscal Year 2008 the deficit was $438 billion. With tax revenue sinking, we will add to this year's deficit the $200 to $300 billion needed to wipe the rotten paper off the books of Fannie and Freddie, the $700 billion (plus the $100 billion in add-ons and pork) for the Wall Street bailout, the $85 billion to bail out AIG, and $37 billion more now needed, the $25 billion for GM, Chrysler and Ford, and the hundreds of billions Hank Paulson will need to buy corporate paper and bail out banks to stop the panic.
As Americans save nothing, where are the feds going to get the money? Is the Fed going to print it and destroy the dollar and credit rating of the United States?
Because the nations whose vaults are full of dollars and U.S. debt -- China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Arabs -- are reluctant to lend us more.
Sovereign wealth funds that plunged billions into U.S. banks have already been burned.
Uncle Sam's VISA card is about to be stamped "Canceled."
The budget is going to have to go under the knife. But what gets cut?
Social Security and Medicare are surely exempt. Seniors have already taken a huge hit in their 401(k)s. And as the Democrats are crafting another $150 billion stimulus package for the working poor and middle class, Medicaid and food stamps are untouchable. Interest on the debt cannot be cut. It is going up. Will a Democratic Congress slash unemployment benefits, welfare, education, student loans, veterans benefits -- in a recession?
No way.
Yet, that is almost the entire U.S. budget -- except for defense, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and foreign aid. And this is where the axe will eventually fall.
It is the American Empire that is going to be liquidated.
Retrenchment has begun with Bush's backing away from confrontations with Axis-of-Evil charter members Iran and North Korea over their nuclear programs, and will likely continue with a negotiated peace in Afghanistan. Gen. Petraeus and Secretary Gates are already talking "reconciliation" with the Taliban.
We no longer live in Eisenhower or Reagan's America. Even the post-Cold War world of George H. W. Bush, where America was a global hegemon, is history. In both relative and real terms, the U.S.A. is a diminished power.
Where Ike spent 9 percent of GDP on defense, Reagan 6 percent, we spend 4 percent. Yet we have two wars bleeding us and many more nations to defend, with commitments in the Baltic, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans we did not have in the Cold War.
As U.S. weapons systems are many times more expensive today, we have fewer strategic aircraft and Navy ships than Ike or Reagan commanded. Our active-duty Army and Marine Corps consist of 700,000 troops, 15 percent women, and a far higher percentage of them support rather than combat troops.
With so few legions, we cannot police the world, and we cannot afford more. Yet, we have a host of newly hostile nations we did not have in 1989.
U.S. interests in Latin America are being challenged not only by Cuba, but Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Honduras. Brazil, Argentina and Chile go their own way.
Russia is reasserting hegemony in the Caucasus, testing new ICBMs, running bomber probes up to U.S. air space. China, growing at 10 percent as we head into recession, is bristling over U.S. military sales to Taiwan. Iran remains defiant. Pakistan is rife with anti-Americanism and al-Qaida sentiment.
The American Empire has become a vast extravagance.
With U.S. markets crashing and wealth vanishing, what are we doing with 750 bases and troops in over 100 countries?
With a recession of unknown depth and duration looming, why keep borrowing billions from rich Arabs to defend rich Europeans, or billions from China and Japan to hand out in Millennium Challenge Grants to Tanzania and Burkina Faso?
America needs a bottom-up review of all strategic commitments dating to a Cold War now over for 20 years.
Is it essential to keep 30,000 troops in a South Korea with twice the population and 40 times the wealth of the North? Why are McCain and Obama offering NATO memberships, i.e., war guarantees against Russia, to a Georgia run by a hothead like Mikheil Saakashvili, and a Ukraine, millions of whose people prefer their kinship to Russia to an alliance with us?
We must put "country first," says John McCain.
Right you are, Senator. Time to look out for America first.
Mr. Buchanan is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of Churchill, Hitler, and "The Unnecessary War": How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World, "The Death of the West,", "The Great Betrayal," "A Republic, Not an Empire" and "Where the Right Went Wrong."
Monday, October 13, 2008
Ballot Box Compromise!
Americans should be very alarmed at recent stories of voter fraud. Ballot boxes compromised! One more move toward a 'third world nation' status! One writer sums it up nicely.....
"Stealing Elections: How Voter Fraud threatens our Democracy" by John Fund of the Wall Street Journal.
At bookstores everywhere!
"Stealing Elections: How Voter Fraud threatens our Democracy" by John Fund of the Wall Street Journal.
At bookstores everywhere!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Taxpayers should be OUTRAGED!
This is an unbelievable outrage and totally unacceptable. The Grapevine has sent a letter to our Congressman/women! ACORN is replete with voting/voter fraud and is currently under investigation!........
“One of the sticking points in resolving the crisis was a poison pill in the Dodd/Paulson compromise that would move 20% of profits from the bailout into the Housing Trust Fund, a slush fund for political action groups such as ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) and the National Council of La Raza.”
- Investors Business Daily, 9/26/08
“One of the sticking points in resolving the crisis was a poison pill in the Dodd/Paulson compromise that would move 20% of profits from the bailout into the Housing Trust Fund, a slush fund for political action groups such as ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) and the National Council of La Raza.”
- Investors Business Daily, 9/26/08
#13 - Unlucky for Voters!
Voters: Keep in mind....Democrat candidate Obama is the #1 MOST LIBERAL member of the US Senate. His running mate - Joe Biden - is #3 MOST LIBERAL!
Add those together, you get the universally known BAD LUCK #13!
To KNOW the candidate(s) is to NO the candidate(s)!
Add those together, you get the universally known BAD LUCK #13!
To KNOW the candidate(s) is to NO the candidate(s)!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Gingrich: The Happiest Convention!
The Happiest Convention!
by Newt Gingrich
This was the happiest convention I have attended.
In seven conventions going back to 1984, I have never seen delegates as happy.
I have seen them eager, energized, committed, determined but the underlying mood last night was sheer joy.
There was joy that Senator McCain had had the courage to pick Governor Palin.
There was joy that she and her family had come through the week of attacks smiling and eager to campaign.
There was joy that Governor Palin's Wednesday night speech completely vindicated Senator McCain's choice.
There was joy that 37 million Americans had seen her speech. That is almost as many as watched Senator Obama's acceptance speech (39 million).
There was deep inspiration from Cindy McCains story of adopting a child from Bangladesh and her commitment to the poor and the weak around the world.
There was awe at the film about Senator McCain's service to country and inspiration from the personal parts of his speech.
There was joy at Roberta McCain saying "he's a momma's boy" and admiration for her energy and enthusiasm at 96 (sort of knocks down the age issue).
Finally there was joy that we had nominated two real people of great authenticity to take on the poseurs on the other ticket.
It was appropriate in St. Paul, the city of F. Scott Fitzgerald, that the modern Great Gatsby found himself facing a ticket with a real war hero and a real governor.
Obama's long voyage of self discovery and posturing may be about to collide with a team that can't be intimidated and is not afraid to tell the truth.
Now that is a cause for joy.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Obama wants YOUR Gun(s)!
On the Second Amendment, Don't Believe Obama!...
The NRA Facts Prove it!
It is now time for gun owners to take a careful look at just where apparent nominee Barack Obama stands on issues related to the Second Amendment.
During the primaries, Obama tried to hide behind vague statements of support for "sportsmen" or unfounded claims of general support for the right to keep and bear arms. But his real record, based on votes taken, political associations, and long standing positions, shows that Barack Obama is a serious threat to Second Amendment liberties.
Don't listen to his campaign rhetoric! Look instead to what he has said and done during his entire political career.
FACT: Barack Obama voted against the confirmation of 2 of the 5 Justices that affirmed an individual right to keep and bear arms.
FACT: Barack Obama voted to allow reckless lawsuits designed to bankrupt the firearms industry.
FACT: Barack Obama wants to re-impose the failed and discredited Clinton Gun Ban.
FACT: Barack Obama voted to ban almost all rifle ammunition commonly used for hunting and sport shooting.
FACT: Barack Obama has endorsed a 500% increase in the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition.
FACT: Barack Obama has endorsed a complete ban on handgun ownership.
FACT: Barack Obama supports local gun bans in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and other cities.
FACT: Barack Obama voted to uphold local gun bans and the criminal prosecution of people who use firearms in self-defense.
FACT: Barack Obama supports gun owner licensing and gun registration.
FACT: Barack Obama refused to sign a friend-of-the-court Brief in support of individual Second Amendment rights in the Heller case.
FACT: Barack Obama opposes Right to Carry laws.
FACT: Barack Obama was a member of the Board of Directors of the Joyce Foundation, the leading source of funds for anti-gun organizations and "research."
FACT: Barack Obama supported a proposal to ban gun stores within 5 miles of a school or park, which would eliminate almost every gun store in America.
FACT: Barack Obama voted not to notify gun owners when the state of Illinois did records searches on them.
FACT: Barack Obama voted against a measure to lower the Firearms Owners Identification card age minimum from 21 to 18, a measure designed to assist young people in the military.
FACT: Barack Obama favors a ban on standard capacity magazines.
FACT: Barack Obama supports mandatory micro-stamping.
FACT: Barack Obama supports mandatory waiting periods.
FACT: Barack Obama supports repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment, which prohibits information on gun traces collected by the BATFE from being used in reckless lawsuits against firearm dealers and manufacturers.
FACT: Barack Obama supports one-gun-a-month handgun purchase restrictions.
FACT: Barack Obama supports a ban on inexpensive handguns.
FACT: Barack Obama supports a ban on the resale of police issued firearms, even if the money is going to police departments for replacement equipment.
FACT: Barack Obama supports mandatory firearm training requirements for all gun owners and a ban on gun ownership for persons under the age of 21.
Please forward to your family and friends who care about our Second Amendment Rights!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Buchanan: Democracy and Hitler!
In his 1937 "Great Contemporaries," Winston Churchill wrote, "Whatever else may be thought about (Hitler's) exploits, they are among the most remarkable in the whole history of the world."
Don't miss Pat Buchanan's.......'Democracy: A Flickering Star?'
<http://www.humanevents.com/search.php?author_name=Patrick%20J.%20Buchanan>
Don't miss Pat Buchanan's.......'Democracy: A Flickering Star?'
<http://www.humanevents.com/search.php?author_name=Patrick%20J.%20Buchanan>
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Tort Reform; Ethics; Replacing Appointments!
The Grapevine reccommends Steve Fairs latest "Tort Reform Needed in Oklahoma" at: < http://www.stevefair.blogspot.com/>
Please check the Ethics reports for legislative candidates in your district. The Trial Lawyer lobby is not going gentle into that good night. They are contributing large amounts to candidates who if elected will work to stop tort reform! To check the candidates in your area, click on link:
< http://www.state.ok.us/~ethics/>
This election cycle will also be a good opportunity for the replacing (voting-out) of Henry appointments to various postitions in state government. ie: Treasurer, Corporation Commissioner...etc. The people need to make these 'appointments' at the ballot box!
Please check the Ethics reports for legislative candidates in your district. The Trial Lawyer lobby is not going gentle into that good night. They are contributing large amounts to candidates who if elected will work to stop tort reform! To check the candidates in your area, click on link:
< http://www.state.ok.us/~ethics/>
This election cycle will also be a good opportunity for the replacing (voting-out) of Henry appointments to various postitions in state government. ie: Treasurer, Corporation Commissioner...etc. The people need to make these 'appointments' at the ballot box!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Sen. Coburn having medical tests...
From The Hill and OKC news line.......Sen. Tom Coburn of Muskogee has been tested for an irregular heartbeat.
Spokesman John Hart says Coburn was tested Friday at a Washington area hospital but has not been admitted.
The Oklahoman reported from its Washington bureau that Hart said the Republican senator is being tested for common arrhythmia and expects to return to the Senate Saturday.
The 60-year-old Coburn had a benign tumor removed from his pituitary gland last summer. He had colon cancer in 2003 and a malignant melanoma in 1975.
[ed] We certainly all wish the Senator well.
Spokesman John Hart says Coburn was tested Friday at a Washington area hospital but has not been admitted.
The Oklahoman reported from its Washington bureau that Hart said the Republican senator is being tested for common arrhythmia and expects to return to the Senate Saturday.
The 60-year-old Coburn had a benign tumor removed from his pituitary gland last summer. He had colon cancer in 2003 and a malignant melanoma in 1975.
[ed] We certainly all wish the Senator well.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
OK's Coburn driving 'Dirty' Harry Reid Nuts!
"Majority Leader Harry Reid has had it up to here with [Oklahoma Senator] Tom Coburn, the Senate's scourge of excessive spending and pork-barrel earmarks. Mr. Reid is telling reporters he will no longer tolerate the Oklahoma Republican blocking about 100 bills using the power Senate rules give individual member to stop legislation from coming to a floor vote.
Mr. Coburn objects to many of the bills because he says they would enrich special interests and private developers at the expense of taxpayers.
"So Mr. Reid is taking the unusual step of assembling a package of bills that Mr. Coburn has stopped, forming an omnibus bill and ramming them through the Senate before it leaves for its August break. 'For those of you who may not know this, you cannot negotiate with Coburn,' Mr. Reid told reporters. 'It's something that you learn over the years, that it's a waste of time.'
"Mr. Reid's decision now puts added pressure on Mr. Coburn's fellow Republican senators. An omnibus bill can proceed to a floor vote if 60 Senators agree to cut off debate. With many GOP Senators having inserted provisions into the bills Mr. Coburn is blocking, they will be torn between supporting their colleague in his fight against excessive spending or risking losing projects for their state. Mr. Reid's move is a clever way to force Republicans to choose between their self-proclaimed principles and pork. It will be interesting to see just how many side with Democrats in their effort to roll over Mr. Coburn."
- John Fund, Political Diary, 7/15/08
Mr. Coburn objects to many of the bills because he says they would enrich special interests and private developers at the expense of taxpayers.
"So Mr. Reid is taking the unusual step of assembling a package of bills that Mr. Coburn has stopped, forming an omnibus bill and ramming them through the Senate before it leaves for its August break. 'For those of you who may not know this, you cannot negotiate with Coburn,' Mr. Reid told reporters. 'It's something that you learn over the years, that it's a waste of time.'
"Mr. Reid's decision now puts added pressure on Mr. Coburn's fellow Republican senators. An omnibus bill can proceed to a floor vote if 60 Senators agree to cut off debate. With many GOP Senators having inserted provisions into the bills Mr. Coburn is blocking, they will be torn between supporting their colleague in his fight against excessive spending or risking losing projects for their state. Mr. Reid's move is a clever way to force Republicans to choose between their self-proclaimed principles and pork. It will be interesting to see just how many side with Democrats in their effort to roll over Mr. Coburn."
- John Fund, Political Diary, 7/15/08
.."do it for America".....
"Americans want to go back to the 'can do, get it done, cut through the red tape' style of our parents and grandparents in World War II to bring down high energy prices. Americans want American energy resources developed to bring down prices. Americans want American technology and know how used to increase conservation and create alternative fuels. Americans want to do it all, do it now, and do it for America."
- Newt Gingrich
- Newt Gingrich
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
OPUBCO Launches ElectOK!
http://www.electok.com/aboutabout
ElectOK is Oklahoma's most comprehensive source for information related to the Oklahoma State Elections. ElectOK connects undecided voters with the local candidates, providing the information they need to make informed decisions on Election Day.
Visit a candidate's profile page to discover that candidate's background, experience and most importantly where they stand on the issues that matter to you. Let your voice be heard by contributing to a candidate's blog. You can even stay up-to-date with latest news articles, events, videos, podcasts, press clipping and more. ElectOK allows you to carefully compare candidates to make an informed decision. As an informed voter, you can have a powerful influence on the future of our state. ElectOK is gives you the tools you need to make the voting decisions that are right for you.
Find the following on ElectOK:
*Candidate profiles, platforms, positions and experience
*State questions listing and analysis
*Latest public opinion polls
*News related to Oklahoma candidates
*Related media including articles, videos, podcasts, photos, blogs, press clipping and more.
Have a question or a comment? Tell us at electok@opubco.com
ElectOK is a product of OPUBCO Communications Group, a division of The Oklahoma Publishing Company, a 104-year-old privately held corporation based in Oklahoma City.
ElectOK is Oklahoma's most comprehensive source for information related to the Oklahoma State Elections. ElectOK connects undecided voters with the local candidates, providing the information they need to make informed decisions on Election Day.
Visit a candidate's profile page to discover that candidate's background, experience and most importantly where they stand on the issues that matter to you. Let your voice be heard by contributing to a candidate's blog. You can even stay up-to-date with latest news articles, events, videos, podcasts, press clipping and more. ElectOK allows you to carefully compare candidates to make an informed decision. As an informed voter, you can have a powerful influence on the future of our state. ElectOK is gives you the tools you need to make the voting decisions that are right for you.
Find the following on ElectOK:
*Candidate profiles, platforms, positions and experience
*State questions listing and analysis
*Latest public opinion polls
*News related to Oklahoma candidates
*Related media including articles, videos, podcasts, photos, blogs, press clipping and more.
Have a question or a comment? Tell us at electok@opubco.com
ElectOK is a product of OPUBCO Communications Group, a division of The Oklahoma Publishing Company, a 104-year-old privately held corporation based in Oklahoma City.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Abstract Requirement Rip-Off of Oklahomans!
Special Report via Tulsa World
The Grapevine has repeatedly called for the elimination of abstracts to convey real property in Oklahoma.(ie: real estate: your home, business, vacant lot) Goes without saying that abstractors and abstract offices would follow!
Some in the Legislature tried this last session, unfortunately without success.
Article mentions [indicted Auditor] McMahans help in killing the bill.
Oklahoma is one of only 2 states that still use this archaic system which amounts to nothing more than a glorified copying service. BUT, it does keep a lot of lawyers in business and provides a 'bird-nest' on the ground for the select few who have the clout to be able to open an abstractors office. Or as the article below states a "very lucrative" business.
Think anyone with a desk and a copy machine can open one? Give it a try!
Former Sen. Gene Stipe has kept the abstract business pretty well sewn up in eastern Oklahoma and some other areas of the state for many, many, years. State law requires an abstract and abstract offices, again as the article below states, can charge what ever they want.
Removing abstractors/abstract offices from under the Auditor and Inspector to a new agency - the newly formed Oklahoma Abstractors Board - has done NOTHING to clean up the corruption (read below - new chair already under investigation), nor does it address the fact that in todays business climate, abstracts are no longer needed.
There is a better, almost - if not entirely - cost-free way to transfer real property! It is past time for Oklahoma to eliminate this antiquated system that amounts to a rip-off of property owners and as the following article will show, abstracting is also a system open to corruption and manipulation.
by: SUSAN HYLTON World Staff Writer6/8/2008
Testimony indicates corruption and complaints were rife in the abstract industry.
MUSKOGEE',~The underbelly of the state's abstract system was exposed in testimony last week in the trial of State Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan, whose office once regulated the industry.
McMahan and his wife Lori McMahan of Tecumseh are accused of accepting bribes and illegal contributions from Kiowa millionaire businessman Steve Phipps, who owned a number of abstract offices throughout southeastern Oklahoma in partnership with former state Sen. Gene Stipe, D-McAlester.
Witnesses described a culture of illegally bankrolling the campaigns of Democratic candidates through the use of lower-paid abstract employees who were reimbursed by Phipps in exchange for political favors that protected the abstract industry.
By his own account, Phipps admitted to organizing illegal fundraising events and straw donations for numerous Democrats for nearly a decade. Some of them, like McMahan and former state auditor Clifton Scott, knew about it and others didn't, Phipps said. Scott denies being aware of straw donations.
Ex-auditor employee Tim Arbaugh claimed in testimony that Tulsa abstract owner Randy Dittmann also came through for McMahan in his 2006 campaign by providing straw donors. Dittmann, president of Buffalo Land Abstract Co., is under investigation but has not been charged. He could not be reached for comment but said in January that the allegations are not accurate.
The Legislature removed regulation of the abstracting industry from the auditor's office when allegations against McMahan surfaced last year. Gov. Brad Henry appointed Dittmann as chairman of the new Oklahoma Abstractors Board earlier this year to provide oversight of the abstract industry. Dittmann then stepped down after it was reported that he was named by an unidentified witness in an FBI affidavit as being a straw donor in McMahan's 2002 and 2006 campaigns.
Through the course of the trial, it's been said that Oklahoma is just one of two states that requires home buyers to pay for an abstract, which is a record of all the public documents on file related to the title of a property.
The new Oklahoma Abstractors Board puts it this way: "Oklahoma is one of two states that require the highest standards for the title evidence and the title examination." The more title history a property has, the more pages are in the abstract and the higher the cost. Sometimes the cost can be astronomical, $15,000", according to Rep. Jerry Ellis, D-Valliant.
Ellis testified about his efforts to write a bill that would have eliminated the abstract industry after receiving numerous complaints about Southern Abstract in Idabel, which was then owned by Phipps and Stipe. He said his constituents were upset about the price and the time it took to process an abstract, which was causing some to lose their loans.
"It was just holding up business is what it was doing," Ellis said. There were also complaints that the employees were mean. "They weren't terribly concerned about what the customers thought because they couldn't get (abstracts) anywhere else," Arbaugh testified. Arbaugh and Phipps have testified that McMahan helped Phipps by successfully thwarting the bill.
In the end, an agreement was set up in which the Idabel company would charge no more than $850 for an abstract and they would take no longer than 30 days to process a "normal" abstract, Ellis said. Ellis said McMahan assured him that the Idabel company would follow the agreement, which applied only to the Idabel office and no other abstract company in the state. Southern Abstract is the only abstract company in McCurtain County.
When John Callaham, a Broken Bow banker, put in an application to start an abstract business, Arbaugh said he was instructed by McMahan to do everything he could to slow down the process so Phipps wouldn't have a competitor.
Abstract companies are allowed to set up their own fees. The new abstractor's board is supposed to review the fees to ensure they are not excessive. Members of the new board include six people from the abstract and title business, an attorney, banker and real estate broker. [Fox and Hen House]
Phipps has testified that the abstract business is very lucrative. As co-owner of about seven abstract offices, Phipps said he earned $200,000 to $400,000 a month. Contacted Friday, Ellis said that about half the counties in the state operate with just one abstract company.
The Grapevine urges you to contact your Representative, your Senator. Abstracts need to be eliminated as a requirement (rip-off) of Oklahomans transferring real estate.
The Grapevine has repeatedly called for the elimination of abstracts to convey real property in Oklahoma.(ie: real estate: your home, business, vacant lot) Goes without saying that abstractors and abstract offices would follow!
Some in the Legislature tried this last session, unfortunately without success.
Article mentions [indicted Auditor] McMahans help in killing the bill.
Oklahoma is one of only 2 states that still use this archaic system which amounts to nothing more than a glorified copying service. BUT, it does keep a lot of lawyers in business and provides a 'bird-nest' on the ground for the select few who have the clout to be able to open an abstractors office. Or as the article below states a "very lucrative" business.
Think anyone with a desk and a copy machine can open one? Give it a try!
Former Sen. Gene Stipe has kept the abstract business pretty well sewn up in eastern Oklahoma and some other areas of the state for many, many, years. State law requires an abstract and abstract offices, again as the article below states, can charge what ever they want.
Removing abstractors/abstract offices from under the Auditor and Inspector to a new agency - the newly formed Oklahoma Abstractors Board - has done NOTHING to clean up the corruption (read below - new chair already under investigation), nor does it address the fact that in todays business climate, abstracts are no longer needed.
There is a better, almost - if not entirely - cost-free way to transfer real property! It is past time for Oklahoma to eliminate this antiquated system that amounts to a rip-off of property owners and as the following article will show, abstracting is also a system open to corruption and manipulation.
by: SUSAN HYLTON World Staff Writer6/8/2008
Testimony indicates corruption and complaints were rife in the abstract industry.
MUSKOGEE',~The underbelly of the state's abstract system was exposed in testimony last week in the trial of State Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan, whose office once regulated the industry.
McMahan and his wife Lori McMahan of Tecumseh are accused of accepting bribes and illegal contributions from Kiowa millionaire businessman Steve Phipps, who owned a number of abstract offices throughout southeastern Oklahoma in partnership with former state Sen. Gene Stipe, D-McAlester.
Witnesses described a culture of illegally bankrolling the campaigns of Democratic candidates through the use of lower-paid abstract employees who were reimbursed by Phipps in exchange for political favors that protected the abstract industry.
By his own account, Phipps admitted to organizing illegal fundraising events and straw donations for numerous Democrats for nearly a decade. Some of them, like McMahan and former state auditor Clifton Scott, knew about it and others didn't, Phipps said. Scott denies being aware of straw donations.
Ex-auditor employee Tim Arbaugh claimed in testimony that Tulsa abstract owner Randy Dittmann also came through for McMahan in his 2006 campaign by providing straw donors. Dittmann, president of Buffalo Land Abstract Co., is under investigation but has not been charged. He could not be reached for comment but said in January that the allegations are not accurate.
The Legislature removed regulation of the abstracting industry from the auditor's office when allegations against McMahan surfaced last year. Gov. Brad Henry appointed Dittmann as chairman of the new Oklahoma Abstractors Board earlier this year to provide oversight of the abstract industry. Dittmann then stepped down after it was reported that he was named by an unidentified witness in an FBI affidavit as being a straw donor in McMahan's 2002 and 2006 campaigns.
Through the course of the trial, it's been said that Oklahoma is just one of two states that requires home buyers to pay for an abstract, which is a record of all the public documents on file related to the title of a property.
The new Oklahoma Abstractors Board puts it this way: "Oklahoma is one of two states that require the highest standards for the title evidence and the title examination." The more title history a property has, the more pages are in the abstract and the higher the cost. Sometimes the cost can be astronomical, $15,000", according to Rep. Jerry Ellis, D-Valliant.
Ellis testified about his efforts to write a bill that would have eliminated the abstract industry after receiving numerous complaints about Southern Abstract in Idabel, which was then owned by Phipps and Stipe. He said his constituents were upset about the price and the time it took to process an abstract, which was causing some to lose their loans.
"It was just holding up business is what it was doing," Ellis said. There were also complaints that the employees were mean. "They weren't terribly concerned about what the customers thought because they couldn't get (abstracts) anywhere else," Arbaugh testified. Arbaugh and Phipps have testified that McMahan helped Phipps by successfully thwarting the bill.
In the end, an agreement was set up in which the Idabel company would charge no more than $850 for an abstract and they would take no longer than 30 days to process a "normal" abstract, Ellis said. Ellis said McMahan assured him that the Idabel company would follow the agreement, which applied only to the Idabel office and no other abstract company in the state. Southern Abstract is the only abstract company in McCurtain County.
When John Callaham, a Broken Bow banker, put in an application to start an abstract business, Arbaugh said he was instructed by McMahan to do everything he could to slow down the process so Phipps wouldn't have a competitor.
Abstract companies are allowed to set up their own fees. The new abstractor's board is supposed to review the fees to ensure they are not excessive. Members of the new board include six people from the abstract and title business, an attorney, banker and real estate broker. [Fox and Hen House]
Phipps has testified that the abstract business is very lucrative. As co-owner of about seven abstract offices, Phipps said he earned $200,000 to $400,000 a month. Contacted Friday, Ellis said that about half the counties in the state operate with just one abstract company.
The Grapevine urges you to contact your Representative, your Senator. Abstracts need to be eliminated as a requirement (rip-off) of Oklahomans transferring real estate.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Taxpayers Burden continues.....
The people of Oklahoma should be outraged that they will continue to support former Sen. Gene Stipe!
Disgraced former Senator Gene Stipe, now a convicted felon, gets to keep his $7,042 monthly state retirement checks and recoup some $344,000 back pay......the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled this week. [this amount is ridiculous].
The court upheld a district judge's ruling that Stipe is entitled to the sum, his full retirement benefit based on his years of service in the Legislature. The board of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System had appealed an Oklahoma County judge's decision reinstating Stipe's full benefits.
The OPERS had reduced Stipe's pension to about $1,600 a month after he pleaded guilty to illegally funneling money into a 1998 congressional campaign. Stipe argued his pension should not have been cut because his plea did not relate to his duties as a legislator.
[What an insult to anyones intelligence - only one justice (Winchester) agreed].
(note: a source who asked to remain anonymous, alleges, Stipe to have siphoned-off at least $10 million of YOUR taxpayer dollars!)
Read Paul Jacobs thoughts on this OK (not) decision at:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/PaulJacob/2008/06/01/another_ok_court_decision
Disgraced former Senator Gene Stipe, now a convicted felon, gets to keep his $7,042 monthly state retirement checks and recoup some $344,000 back pay......the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled this week. [this amount is ridiculous].
The court upheld a district judge's ruling that Stipe is entitled to the sum, his full retirement benefit based on his years of service in the Legislature. The board of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System had appealed an Oklahoma County judge's decision reinstating Stipe's full benefits.
The OPERS had reduced Stipe's pension to about $1,600 a month after he pleaded guilty to illegally funneling money into a 1998 congressional campaign. Stipe argued his pension should not have been cut because his plea did not relate to his duties as a legislator.
[What an insult to anyones intelligence - only one justice (Winchester) agreed].
(note: a source who asked to remain anonymous, alleges, Stipe to have siphoned-off at least $10 million of YOUR taxpayer dollars!)
Read Paul Jacobs thoughts on this OK (not) decision at:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/PaulJacob/2008/06/01/another_ok_court_decision
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Getting to Know John McCain
by Karl Rove
Wall Street Journal ~ April 30, 2008
It came to me while I was having dinner with Doris Day. No, not that Doris Day. The Doris Day who is married to Col. Bud Day, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, fighter pilot, Vietnam POW and roommate of John McCain at the Hanoi Hilton.
As we ate near the Days' home in Florida recently, I heard things about Sen. McCain that were deeply moving and politically troubling. Moving because they told me things about him the American people need to know. And troubling because it is clear that Mr. McCain is one of the most private individuals to run for president in history. When it comes to choosing a president, the American people want to know more about a candidate than policy positions. They want to know about character, the values ingrained in his heart. For Mr. McCain, that means they will want to know more about him personally than he has been willing to reveal.
Mr. Day relayed to me one of the stories Americans should hear. It involves what happened to him after escaping from a North Vietnamese prison during the war. When he was recaptured, a Vietnamese captor broke his arm and said, "I told you I would make you a cripple."The break was designed to shatter Mr. Day's will. He had survived in prison on the hope that one day he would return to the United States and be able to fly again. To kill that hope, the Vietnamese left part of a bone sticking out of his arm, and put him in a misshapen cast. This was done so that the arm would heal at "a goofy angle," as Mr. Day explained. Had it done so, he never would have flown again. But it didn't heal that way because of John McCain. Risking severe punishment, Messrs. McCain and Day collected pieces of bamboo in the prison courtyard to use as a splint. Mr. McCain put Mr. Day on the floor of their cell and, using his foot, jerked the broken bone into place. Then, using strips from the bandage on his own wounded leg and the bamboo, he put Mr. Day's splint in place.
Years later, Air Force surgeons examined Mr. Day and complemented the treatment he'd gotten from his captors. Mr. Day corrected them. It was Dr. McCain who deserved the credit. Mr. Day went on to fly again.
Another story I heard over dinner with the Days involved Mr. McCain serving as one of the three chaplains for his fellow prisoners. At one point, after being shuttled among different prisons, Mr. Day had found himself as the most senior officer at the Hanoi Hilton. So he tapped Mr. McCain to help administer religious services to the other prisoners.
Today, Mr. Day, a very active 83, still vividly recalls Mr. McCain's sermons. "He remembered the Episcopal liturgy," Mr. Day says, "and sounded like a bona fide preacher." One of Mr. McCain's first sermons took as its text Luke 20:25 and Matthew 22:21, "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's." Mr. McCain said he and his fellow prisoners shouldn't ask God to free them, but to help them become the best people they could be while serving as POWs. It was Caesar who put them in prison and Caesar who would get them out. Their task was to act with honor.
Another McCain story, somewhat better known, is about the Vietnamese practice of torturing him by tying his head between his ankles with his arms behind him, and then leaving him for hours. The torture so badly busted up his shoulders that to this day Mr. McCain can't raise his arms over his head.
One night, a Vietnamese guard loosened his bonds, returning at the end of his watch to tighten them again so no one would notice. Shortly after, on Christmas Day, the same guard stood beside Mr. McCain in the prison yard and drew a cross in the sand before erasing it. Mr. McCain later said that when he returned to Vietnam for the first time after the war, the only person he really wanted to meet was that guard.
Mr. Day recalls with pride Mr. McCain stubbornly refusing to accept special treatment or curry favor to be released early, even when gravely ill. Mr. McCain knew the Vietnamese wanted the propaganda victory of the son and grandson of Navy admirals accepting special treatment. "He wasn't corruptible then," Mr. Day says, "and he's not corruptible today."
The stories told to me by the Days involve more than wartime valor. For example, in 1991 Cindy McCain was visiting Mother Teresa's orphanage in Bangladesh when a dying infant was thrust into her hands. The orphanage could not provide the medical care needed to save her life, so Mrs. McCain brought the child home to America with her. She was met at the airport by her husband, who asked what all this was about. Mrs. McCain replied that the child desperately needed surgery and years of rehabilitation. "I hope she can stay with us," she told her husband. Mr. McCain agreed.
As we ate near the Days' home in Florida recently, I heard things about Sen. McCain that were deeply moving and politically troubling. Moving because they told me things about him the American people need to know. And troubling because it is clear that Mr. McCain is one of the most private individuals to run for president in history. When it comes to choosing a president, the American people want to know more about a candidate than policy positions. They want to know about character, the values ingrained in his heart. For Mr. McCain, that means they will want to know more about him personally than he has been willing to reveal.
Mr. Day relayed to me one of the stories Americans should hear. It involves what happened to him after escaping from a North Vietnamese prison during the war. When he was recaptured, a Vietnamese captor broke his arm and said, "I told you I would make you a cripple."The break was designed to shatter Mr. Day's will. He had survived in prison on the hope that one day he would return to the United States and be able to fly again. To kill that hope, the Vietnamese left part of a bone sticking out of his arm, and put him in a misshapen cast. This was done so that the arm would heal at "a goofy angle," as Mr. Day explained. Had it done so, he never would have flown again. But it didn't heal that way because of John McCain. Risking severe punishment, Messrs. McCain and Day collected pieces of bamboo in the prison courtyard to use as a splint. Mr. McCain put Mr. Day on the floor of their cell and, using his foot, jerked the broken bone into place. Then, using strips from the bandage on his own wounded leg and the bamboo, he put Mr. Day's splint in place.
Years later, Air Force surgeons examined Mr. Day and complemented the treatment he'd gotten from his captors. Mr. Day corrected them. It was Dr. McCain who deserved the credit. Mr. Day went on to fly again.
Another story I heard over dinner with the Days involved Mr. McCain serving as one of the three chaplains for his fellow prisoners. At one point, after being shuttled among different prisons, Mr. Day had found himself as the most senior officer at the Hanoi Hilton. So he tapped Mr. McCain to help administer religious services to the other prisoners.
Today, Mr. Day, a very active 83, still vividly recalls Mr. McCain's sermons. "He remembered the Episcopal liturgy," Mr. Day says, "and sounded like a bona fide preacher." One of Mr. McCain's first sermons took as its text Luke 20:25 and Matthew 22:21, "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's." Mr. McCain said he and his fellow prisoners shouldn't ask God to free them, but to help them become the best people they could be while serving as POWs. It was Caesar who put them in prison and Caesar who would get them out. Their task was to act with honor.
Another McCain story, somewhat better known, is about the Vietnamese practice of torturing him by tying his head between his ankles with his arms behind him, and then leaving him for hours. The torture so badly busted up his shoulders that to this day Mr. McCain can't raise his arms over his head.
One night, a Vietnamese guard loosened his bonds, returning at the end of his watch to tighten them again so no one would notice. Shortly after, on Christmas Day, the same guard stood beside Mr. McCain in the prison yard and drew a cross in the sand before erasing it. Mr. McCain later said that when he returned to Vietnam for the first time after the war, the only person he really wanted to meet was that guard.
Mr. Day recalls with pride Mr. McCain stubbornly refusing to accept special treatment or curry favor to be released early, even when gravely ill. Mr. McCain knew the Vietnamese wanted the propaganda victory of the son and grandson of Navy admirals accepting special treatment. "He wasn't corruptible then," Mr. Day says, "and he's not corruptible today."
The stories told to me by the Days involve more than wartime valor. For example, in 1991 Cindy McCain was visiting Mother Teresa's orphanage in Bangladesh when a dying infant was thrust into her hands. The orphanage could not provide the medical care needed to save her life, so Mrs. McCain brought the child home to America with her. She was met at the airport by her husband, who asked what all this was about. Mrs. McCain replied that the child desperately needed surgery and years of rehabilitation. "I hope she can stay with us," she told her husband. Mr. McCain agreed.
Today that child is their teenage daughter Bridget. I was aware of this story. What I did not know, and what I learned from Doris, is that there was a second infant Mrs. McCain brought back. She ended up being adopted by a young McCain aide and his wife. "We were called at midnight by Cindy," Wes Gullett remembers, and "five days later we met our new daughter Nicki at the L.A. airport wearing the only clothing Cindy could find on the trip back, a 7-Up T-shirt she bought in the Bangkok airport." Today, Nicki is a high school sophomore. Mr. Gullett told me, "I never saw a hospital bill" for her care.
A few, but not many, of the stories told to me by the Days have been written about, such as in Robert Timberg's 1996 book "A Nightingale's Song." But Mr. McCain rarely refers to them on the campaign trail.
There is something admirable in his reticence, but he needs to overcome it. Private people like Mr. McCain are rare in politics for a reason. Candidates who are uncomfortable sharing their interior lives limit their appeal. But if Mr. McCain is to win the election this fall, he has to open up.
Americans need to know about his vision for the nation's future, especially his policy positions and domestic reforms. They also need to learn about the moments in his life that shaped him. Mr. McCain cannot make this a biography-only campaign - but he can't afford to make it a biography-free campaign either. Unless he opens up more, many voters will never know the experiences of his life that show his character, integrity and essential decency.
These qualities mattered in America's first president and will matter as Americans decide on their 44th president.
Mr. Rove is the former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Paul Supporters Fail in Attempt to ram-rod GOP Convention!
Attempts by the Ron Paul supporters to alter the face of the State Republican Convention in Tulsa on Saturday and elect an alternate slate of delegates to the National Convention, failed! New National CommitteeMan and Woman elected. Read about the Convention happenings at:
http://www.batesline.com/
and http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/
http://www.batesline.com/
and http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Presidential Preference Reflects Democrat Values!
GOP CHAIRMAN CALLS ON DEMOCRATS TO DISCLOSE THEIR ALLEGIANCES!
Presidential Preference Reflects What They Really Stand For!
OKLAHOMA CITY (April 23, 2008) State GOP Chair Gary Jones called upon Democrat Senators to follow Governor Henry’s lead today in making public their preferences for President of the United States.
“Governor Henry continues to show his true liberal stripes,” said Jones. “He claims to be a bi-partisan governor but vetoes bipartisan legislation, including reasonable pro-life legislation and sensible tort reform measures on more than one occasion. Gambling has proliferated under his watch and the “education governor” continues to lead the decline in Oklahoma’s national education rankings.
“He is clearly bucking for an administration position when his days on the Oklahoma payroll are over, and presenting his liberal bona fides to the Beltway crowd.
“I regret he didn’t show Oklahomans his true self when he ran for office.”
Jones then turned his attention to incumbent Senators and candidates.
“Brad Henry is about to be history in Oklahoma,” he continued. “Oklahoma voters deserve to know who their Democrat Senators and aspiring Senators will support.
“Does Nancy Riley support Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton?
“Will Charlie Lassiter follow the lead of his friend from Shawnee and throw his support to Obama?
“Who can the voters of southeastern Oklahoma expect Richard Lerblance to support?” Jones asked. “I hardly believe either Clinton or Obama reflects the conservative, pro-family, pro-Second Amendment values of that region. Who will it be, Senator Lerblance?”
“We already know that Senator Tom Adelson supports Obama. He was way out in front on that one, months ago,” he continued.
“Who can the voters in Lawton and southwest Oklahoma look to for leadership? Who will Keith Erwin or Rick Wolfe support for president?
“These are legitimate questions, because their presidential preferences are a window into how they would govern in the Senate.
“Hillary or Obama? Either choice is bad for Oklahoma,” Jones said.
“It makes no difference. Hillary or Obama will mean higher taxes, greater regulation and intrusion into our personal lives, the breakdown of the traditional family and a weakened national defense.
“Is this the kind of leadership Nancy Riley, Charlie Lassiter, Richard Lerblance, Tom Adelson and aspiring Democrat Senators would emulate?” he asked.
“Oklahoma voters deserve to know, stand up and be counted.” Jones concluded. (END)
Monday, February 25, 2008
UP in SMOKE!
by Russell Turner
It seems to me that we Americans as a whole have a love affair with socialism. Far too many Americans are content to let the government have more and more control of our lives. Our founding fathers were men who knew the importance of and responsibilities of freedom. When someone understands personal responsibility in a free society, it forces us to be more educated and to use good judgment. It was Thomas Jefferson that was quoted as saying, “the government that governs best governs least.” It wasn’t that long ago that the state legislature voted to ban smoking in public buildings and privately owned buildings unless they had a designated smoking area with special ventilation equipment. There were many restaurants that invested thousands of dollars to comply with that law, now there is a bill before the state legislature that would prohibit smoking even in those areas.
Senate Bill 1875 passed the Senate Business and Labor Committee, and will move to the Senate. The businesses that invested in the smoking areas were catering to a need of people who smoke, it was simply a business decision to keep or gain new customers. Some may say that smoking is a bad habit and it should be eliminated. I have never smoked and I agree that it is not good for our health, but there are other bad habits out here such as overeating, gambling, etc. I have noticed that it doesn’t bother our state government to promote the sale of lottery tickets.
I have always supported the ban of smoking in public buildings such as schools and court houses, all of us have to enter those buildings at one time or the other. In the case of the private businesses, no one is twisting my arm to enter those establishments. If those businesses are catering to someone I don’t agree with I can take my money elsewhere. That is what the free enterprise system is all about. People in the business community must continually weigh the consequences of their decisions.
I am an American; I cherish my freedom that our founding fathers entrusted in us. I believe in the right of self-determination. Free people can make good or bad decisions and I want that freedom to choose for myself. If we don’t start seeing through all of this feel good legislation our freedoms will go up in smoke.
Russell Turner is currently a County Commissioner in Adair County. Russell says he understands the need to protect our freedom at all levels of government. Russell also shares the sentiments of our founding fathers who felt that whenever we as a people are ready to trade our freedoms for security we will have have neither and deserve neither. Russell writes a weekly column that appears in several newspapers in the Stratford, OK area.
It seems to me that we Americans as a whole have a love affair with socialism. Far too many Americans are content to let the government have more and more control of our lives. Our founding fathers were men who knew the importance of and responsibilities of freedom. When someone understands personal responsibility in a free society, it forces us to be more educated and to use good judgment. It was Thomas Jefferson that was quoted as saying, “the government that governs best governs least.” It wasn’t that long ago that the state legislature voted to ban smoking in public buildings and privately owned buildings unless they had a designated smoking area with special ventilation equipment. There were many restaurants that invested thousands of dollars to comply with that law, now there is a bill before the state legislature that would prohibit smoking even in those areas.
Senate Bill 1875 passed the Senate Business and Labor Committee, and will move to the Senate. The businesses that invested in the smoking areas were catering to a need of people who smoke, it was simply a business decision to keep or gain new customers. Some may say that smoking is a bad habit and it should be eliminated. I have never smoked and I agree that it is not good for our health, but there are other bad habits out here such as overeating, gambling, etc. I have noticed that it doesn’t bother our state government to promote the sale of lottery tickets.
I have always supported the ban of smoking in public buildings such as schools and court houses, all of us have to enter those buildings at one time or the other. In the case of the private businesses, no one is twisting my arm to enter those establishments. If those businesses are catering to someone I don’t agree with I can take my money elsewhere. That is what the free enterprise system is all about. People in the business community must continually weigh the consequences of their decisions.
I am an American; I cherish my freedom that our founding fathers entrusted in us. I believe in the right of self-determination. Free people can make good or bad decisions and I want that freedom to choose for myself. If we don’t start seeing through all of this feel good legislation our freedoms will go up in smoke.
Russell Turner is currently a County Commissioner in Adair County. Russell says he understands the need to protect our freedom at all levels of government. Russell also shares the sentiments of our founding fathers who felt that whenever we as a people are ready to trade our freedoms for security we will have have neither and deserve neither. Russell writes a weekly column that appears in several newspapers in the Stratford, OK area.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Reagan makes Decision!
Each voter will have several choices to make this November. To vote or not to vote? Which candidate? It will not help the overall Republican 'position' to 'sit-it-out' or neglect to vote. Here is one persons comment and his decision:
"Let me say this. There has been plenty of battling in the primaries, and I've been in the middle of the battle, but until now haven't committed myself to any candidate, waiting until we had a nominee. That's over.
If John McCain is the nominee of the party, this Reagan will happily campaign with him. The alternative is unthinkable to anyone who loves this nation.”
- Talk-show host Michael Reagan
"Let me say this. There has been plenty of battling in the primaries, and I've been in the middle of the battle, but until now haven't committed myself to any candidate, waiting until we had a nominee. That's over.
If John McCain is the nominee of the party, this Reagan will happily campaign with him. The alternative is unthinkable to anyone who loves this nation.”
- Talk-show host Michael Reagan
Monday, January 28, 2008
State GOP Chairman Comments on Cargill Resignation.
Republican State Chairman Gary Jones said this afternoon the resignation of Republican House Speaker Lance Cargill was "the right thing to do."
Jones' comments came on Mark Shannon's show on Oklahoma City radio station KTOK.
Jones said there should be no comparison to Cargill's recent publicized shortcomings and the case of Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan, Democrat, facing a federal indictment alleging corruption and campaign finance violations. Jones was McMahan's opponent in 2002 and 2006.
Jones said Cargill did "the honorable thing" in stepping aside. He said doing so removes Democrat criticism of Cargill as a roadblock to GOP legislative goals.
Jones' comments came on Mark Shannon's show on Oklahoma City radio station KTOK.
Jones said there should be no comparison to Cargill's recent publicized shortcomings and the case of Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan, Democrat, facing a federal indictment alleging corruption and campaign finance violations. Jones was McMahan's opponent in 2002 and 2006.
Jones said Cargill did "the honorable thing" in stepping aside. He said doing so removes Democrat criticism of Cargill as a roadblock to GOP legislative goals.
Speaker Cargill Resigns!
House Speaker Lance Cargill resigned that post today just a week before the 2008 Legislature convenes. Cargill, at 36 the youngest House speaker in the nation, took the action following another embarrassing revelation, this one that he failed to pay taxes on his Harrah law firm in timely fashion. That followed an earlier revelation that he had failed to file his personal income taxes in timely fashion.
House Speaker Pro Tem Gus Blackwell of Goodwell will take over until a new election for speaker is held, sources said. A leading candidate, they added, is Rep. Susan Winchester of Chickasha.
For more and the complete text of Cargills statement:
< http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/>
House Speaker Pro Tem Gus Blackwell of Goodwell will take over until a new election for speaker is held, sources said. A leading candidate, they added, is Rep. Susan Winchester of Chickasha.
For more and the complete text of Cargills statement:
< http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/>
Friday, January 25, 2008
McMAHAN to RESIGN?
After appearing in federal court on Friday morning, Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan announced Friday afternoon that he will turn over the day-to-day operations of the office to Assistant Auditor Michelle Day. McMahan and his wife, Lori, entered pleas of "not guilty" to accusations contained in a 9-count federal grand jury indictment.
And later this afternoon [Friday] Tony Thornton of the Oklahoman is reporting that McMahan is considering resigning in the wake of a federal indictment accusing him of corruption, his attorney said Friday. “We expect to make an announcement in the near future,” defense attorney Rand C. Eddy said.
Thornton also reports that Republican State Chairman Gary Jones, twice defeated by McMahan, sat in the back of the courtroom at today's proceeding.
-McCarville
Considerable pressure to resign or step aside has been brought to bear on McMahan from the Governor, the AG, and now the Legislature looking at impeachment legislation.
And later this afternoon [Friday] Tony Thornton of the Oklahoman is reporting that McMahan is considering resigning in the wake of a federal indictment accusing him of corruption, his attorney said Friday. “We expect to make an announcement in the near future,” defense attorney Rand C. Eddy said.
Thornton also reports that Republican State Chairman Gary Jones, twice defeated by McMahan, sat in the back of the courtroom at today's proceeding.
-McCarville
Considerable pressure to resign or step aside has been brought to bear on McMahan from the Governor, the AG, and now the Legislature looking at impeachment legislation.
"Day of Reckoning".......
Book review by Dennie Hall:
Patrick J. Buchanan, often termed America’s leading populist conservative, has never been know for his optimism.
However, his latest book, “Day of Reckoning: How Hubris, Ideology, and Greed are Tearing America Apart”, spews warnings that are especially chilling.
Buchanan ran for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1992 and 1996 and was the Reform Party’s candidate in 2000. The author of several books, he is perhaps best known for “The Death of the West: Where the Right Went Wrong.”
Here’s the gist of Buchanan’s new book: US foreign policy is bankrupt. Armed forces are too small to meet the nation’s commitments. We’ve run five record trade deficits. US manufacturing is going abroad. The dollar is sinking to record lows. Aliens threaten to swamp the ethno-cultural core of the nation. A fiscal crisis looms because of the unfounded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare.
Buchanan writes that President Bush’s Iraq invasion was “the greatest strategic blunder in US history…a product of messianic ideology.”
It is no surprise that he attacks Bush; he did the same to his father. He tried to wrest the Republican nomination from George HW Bush in 1992 when Bush was seeking a second term as President.
Of free trade, Buchanan said it “is hollowing out US industry, shipping American jobs, factories, and technology to China, driving the dollar down to record lows, and plunging the United States into permanent dependency an un-payable debt.”
Offering some suggestions for strengthening the country, Buchanan would have us bring the soldiers home, impose some tariffs, police our borders, quit trying to impose our will on other countries, balance the budget, and, we might say tongue-in-cheek, elect him President.
Before being too critical of Buchanan, I must stop to think that his dire warnings remind me of Winston Churchill’s harping throughout the 1930’s that Adolph Hitler had designs on the world. It turned out that Churchill was right all along and his warnings should have been heeded.
Buchanan thinks the sky is falling. Could it be?
Excerpt from review by Dennie Hall. “Day of Reckoning” available through Thomas Dunne, $25.95
(emphasis added)
Patrick J. Buchanan, often termed America’s leading populist conservative, has never been know for his optimism.
However, his latest book, “Day of Reckoning: How Hubris, Ideology, and Greed are Tearing America Apart”, spews warnings that are especially chilling.
Buchanan ran for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1992 and 1996 and was the Reform Party’s candidate in 2000. The author of several books, he is perhaps best known for “The Death of the West: Where the Right Went Wrong.”
Here’s the gist of Buchanan’s new book: US foreign policy is bankrupt. Armed forces are too small to meet the nation’s commitments. We’ve run five record trade deficits. US manufacturing is going abroad. The dollar is sinking to record lows. Aliens threaten to swamp the ethno-cultural core of the nation. A fiscal crisis looms because of the unfounded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare.
Buchanan writes that President Bush’s Iraq invasion was “the greatest strategic blunder in US history…a product of messianic ideology.”
It is no surprise that he attacks Bush; he did the same to his father. He tried to wrest the Republican nomination from George HW Bush in 1992 when Bush was seeking a second term as President.
Of free trade, Buchanan said it “is hollowing out US industry, shipping American jobs, factories, and technology to China, driving the dollar down to record lows, and plunging the United States into permanent dependency an un-payable debt.”
Offering some suggestions for strengthening the country, Buchanan would have us bring the soldiers home, impose some tariffs, police our borders, quit trying to impose our will on other countries, balance the budget, and, we might say tongue-in-cheek, elect him President.
Before being too critical of Buchanan, I must stop to think that his dire warnings remind me of Winston Churchill’s harping throughout the 1930’s that Adolph Hitler had designs on the world. It turned out that Churchill was right all along and his warnings should have been heeded.
Buchanan thinks the sky is falling. Could it be?
Excerpt from review by Dennie Hall. “Day of Reckoning” available through Thomas Dunne, $25.95
(emphasis added)
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The Need for Change - Reform is Obvious!
The law assumes innocence until proven guilty. In the case of the indicted State Auditor Jeff McMahan & his wife, lets assume the feds have their facts and figures right!
This latest mess involving an elected official is the 'poster child' for change and reform in several areas of our state system/laws:
1) Prime example of need to expand term limits to ALL elected officials.
2) Prime example of need to revamp top to bottom the lucrative taxpayer funded retirement and benefit 'system' for elected officials, including Legislators.
3) Re-vamp laws and criteria to make sure those proven guilty of any corruption in office will forfeit all taxpayer funded retirement & benefits immediately, including Legislators.
4) Elimination of the redundant and costly abstract system to transfer real property in Oklahoma. This archaic system is nothing more than a glorified copying service. Oklahoma is one of only 1-2 states that still hold to this outdated system while the others have gone on to a much less complicated and almost no cost system of conveying real estate.
Recent news stories clearly show why Oklahoma is still in the 'dark ages' in this area. Its been a ca$h cow for a select few. It's past time to move Oklahoma forward to a co$t friendly and more efficient system like other states enjoy.
-opinion, Grapevine
This latest mess involving an elected official is the 'poster child' for change and reform in several areas of our state system/laws:
1) Prime example of need to expand term limits to ALL elected officials.
2) Prime example of need to revamp top to bottom the lucrative taxpayer funded retirement and benefit 'system' for elected officials, including Legislators.
3) Re-vamp laws and criteria to make sure those proven guilty of any corruption in office will forfeit all taxpayer funded retirement & benefits immediately, including Legislators.
4) Elimination of the redundant and costly abstract system to transfer real property in Oklahoma. This archaic system is nothing more than a glorified copying service. Oklahoma is one of only 1-2 states that still hold to this outdated system while the others have gone on to a much less complicated and almost no cost system of conveying real estate.
Recent news stories clearly show why Oklahoma is still in the 'dark ages' in this area. Its been a ca$h cow for a select few. It's past time to move Oklahoma forward to a co$t friendly and more efficient system like other states enjoy.
-opinion, Grapevine
Saturday, January 19, 2008
'THE PEOPLE' Have Every Right to Expect.....
The PEOPLE should have 'zero tolerance' for corruption of any kind from those whose salaries they pay (ie: elected officials.)
The PEOPLE have every right to demand that any corruption be dealt with swiftly and thoroughly and reflect those same feelings of 'zero tolerance' when they go to the ballot box!
The PEOPLE also have the right to expect free, honest, and fair elections! Again, the PEOPLE should demand prosecution of person or persons who violate those rights and are found guilty of manipulating or influencing - by any means - the election(s) and voting system for their own personal greed and gain!
The PEOPLE of Oklahoma should not be burdened with retirement or benefits for ANY elected official found guilty of any type corruption while in office. The PEOPLE need to demand that the Legislators - who work for US - make sure hard working Oklahomans don't have to pay twice for corruption!
The PEOPLE have every right to demand that any corruption be dealt with swiftly and thoroughly and reflect those same feelings of 'zero tolerance' when they go to the ballot box!
The PEOPLE also have the right to expect free, honest, and fair elections! Again, the PEOPLE should demand prosecution of person or persons who violate those rights and are found guilty of manipulating or influencing - by any means - the election(s) and voting system for their own personal greed and gain!
The PEOPLE of Oklahoma should not be burdened with retirement or benefits for ANY elected official found guilty of any type corruption while in office. The PEOPLE need to demand that the Legislators - who work for US - make sure hard working Oklahomans don't have to pay twice for corruption!
Friday, January 18, 2008
APPOINT JONES AUDITOR!
......Sour Grapes......
The people of Oklahoma should demand that former candidate for the State Auditor & Inspector office, Gary Jones, be appointed to fill the position.
Jones lost by a mere handful of votes in 2002.
McMahan was the heir apparent, hand picked by former A & I Clifton Scott, when Scott 'retired'. Jones and others had information on the [now publicly alleged in federal indictments] corruption that was going on with McMahan. Various officials in elected positions, supposed to be protecting Oklahomans from this type activity, closed their eyes & turned a deaf ear in 2002 and years following. Straw donors and monies that were not reported (according to reports) allowed McMahan to pour tons of [illegal] money into this race. Be interesting to see what activity the feds turn up from the 2006 election cycle.
Jones is well qualified to be A & I, with a degree in accounting (licensed CPA) as well as a licensed fraud investigator. The only degree McMahan had is a degree in PE (physical ed). Guess that could come in handy now in the prison exercise yard!
This 'case' is far from over. Some 4 dozen blank subpoenas are in circulation with the closely related Stipegate!
The people of Oklahoma should demand that former candidate for the State Auditor & Inspector office, Gary Jones, be appointed to fill the position.
Jones lost by a mere handful of votes in 2002.
McMahan was the heir apparent, hand picked by former A & I Clifton Scott, when Scott 'retired'. Jones and others had information on the [now publicly alleged in federal indictments] corruption that was going on with McMahan. Various officials in elected positions, supposed to be protecting Oklahomans from this type activity, closed their eyes & turned a deaf ear in 2002 and years following. Straw donors and monies that were not reported (according to reports) allowed McMahan to pour tons of [illegal] money into this race. Be interesting to see what activity the feds turn up from the 2006 election cycle.
Jones is well qualified to be A & I, with a degree in accounting (licensed CPA) as well as a licensed fraud investigator. The only degree McMahan had is a degree in PE (physical ed). Guess that could come in handy now in the prison exercise yard!
This 'case' is far from over. Some 4 dozen blank subpoenas are in circulation with the closely related Stipegate!
RICO Rules! McMahan and Wife Indicted!
A federal grand jury indicted state Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan and his wife today, accusing them of accepting improper cash and gifts from a southeast Oklahoma businessman.
The nine-count indictment alleges Jeff and Lori McMahan received jewelry, trips and excessive contributions to Jeff McMahan's first campaign in 2002.
In return, the auditor granted special favors to former abstract company owner Steve Phipps, [a Stipe partner] according to the indictment. McMahan's office regulated the abstract industry until Jan. 1.
The Legislature last year created a separate agency for that purpose amid reports of McMahan's ties to Phipps.
The charges against both Jeff McMahan, 47, and Lori McMahan include racketeering, conspiracy and fraud.
Tony Thornton, Oklahoman.
Read all the article at http://newsok.com/article/3194419/1200680777.
Now......who will Henry appoint? 'They' have someone warming-up in the bullpen as 'they' have know for some time this indictment was inevitable.
The nine-count indictment alleges Jeff and Lori McMahan received jewelry, trips and excessive contributions to Jeff McMahan's first campaign in 2002.
In return, the auditor granted special favors to former abstract company owner Steve Phipps, [a Stipe partner] according to the indictment. McMahan's office regulated the abstract industry until Jan. 1.
The Legislature last year created a separate agency for that purpose amid reports of McMahan's ties to Phipps.
The charges against both Jeff McMahan, 47, and Lori McMahan include racketeering, conspiracy and fraud.
Tony Thornton, Oklahoman.
Read all the article at http://newsok.com/article/3194419/1200680777.
Now......who will Henry appoint? 'They' have someone warming-up in the bullpen as 'they' have know for some time this indictment was inevitable.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
MY Kind of Man!
“I need a man. A man who can say ‘No.’ A man who rejects Big Nanny government. A man who thinks being president doesn't mean playing Santa Claus. A man who won't panic in the face of economic pain. A man who won't succumb to media-driven sob stories.
A man who can look voters, the media and the Chicken Littles in Congress in the eye and say the three words no one wants to hear in Washington: Suck. It. Up.”
- Columnist Michelle Malkin
A man who can look voters, the media and the Chicken Littles in Congress in the eye and say the three words no one wants to hear in Washington: Suck. It. Up.”
- Columnist Michelle Malkin
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Oklahoma considered 'small potatos' - Candidates bypass State!
Tulsa World:
Oklahomans' growing interest in the state's Feb. 5 presidential primary is not likely to be matched by the candidates themselves, political insiders say.
"When you have 20-something states (voting) on one day, everybody is trying to figure out how to maximize their schedules," said state Republican Chairman Gary Jones.
State parties allocate their delegates to their respective national conventions through a series of primaries, caucuses and state conventions. Oklahoma is among 22 states with Democratic primaries or state caucuses and 19 with Republican voting on Feb. 5.
Almost half of both parties' national delegates will be in play on that day.
New York and California will hold their primaries on Feb. 5. So will Illinois, Georgia and New Jersey. Those five states account for about a quarter of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention and about 20 percent of Republican delegates.
Compared to them, Oklahoma doesn't amount to much. It's 47 Democratic delegates (out of a total of 4,049) and 41 Republican delegates (out of a total of 2,380) are only about 1% and just under 2% respectively of delegates at the two parties national conventions.
Just look at the map," said state Democratic Chairman Ivan Holmes. "North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma -- those are states you'd like to have, but they're not top tier in terms of delegates. It's hard to get (candidates) through here."
Jones said he expects Mike Huckabee, John McCain and possibly Fred Thompson to put some resources into Oklahoma. Democrat Barack Obama's campaign was expected to send two full-time staffers into the state Monday. The campaigns of Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, the top two Democrats in the state according to most polls, are also likely to step up their activities in the state.
But money, not votes, has been Oklahoma's main attraction for presidential candidates. All the front-runners in both parties have made fundraising stops in the state.
Personal appearances in the next month are considered unlikely -- but not entirely out of the question. Reports that Obama's wife, Michelle, might visit Tulsa next week were quickly quashed, but speculation continues that she or Obama himself might pass through the state before the primary.
Huckabee was the leading choice of Oklahoma Republicans in an Oklahoma Poll conducted in mid-December, with 29 percent of GOP voters favoring him. John McCain was second at 17 percent with 22 percent undecided.
Clinton had the support of 34 percent of Democrats, with Edwards at 25 percent. Twenty percent were undecided.
While neither Jones nor Holmes thought moving the state's primary up to early February has enhanced its national importance, they both said the campaign has stirred up interest among Oklahoma voters.
The state election board reports voter registrations increased by about 10,000 during the last two months of 2007. The Tulsa County Election Board received 1,600 voter registration forms, many of them changing independents to Republicans or Democrats to vote in the primary, in just three days last week.
Friday was the last day to register or change party affiliations for the Feb. 5 vote.
"We're finding the citizens very much engaged," Jones said. "But things are going to happen so fast and furious in the next few weeks, it's going to be hard for the average person to keep up."
"We've had quite a bit of interest in the last six months," Holmes said, adding that he hopes the Democratic nomination is not decided on Feb. 5.
"If the candidates would continue to battle it out for the next six months, it would be good for the party at the grass-roots level," he said.
Oklahoma goes to polls 'Super Tuesday', February 5. Sample ballots are now available at your local election board.
Oklahomans' growing interest in the state's Feb. 5 presidential primary is not likely to be matched by the candidates themselves, political insiders say.
"When you have 20-something states (voting) on one day, everybody is trying to figure out how to maximize their schedules," said state Republican Chairman Gary Jones.
State parties allocate their delegates to their respective national conventions through a series of primaries, caucuses and state conventions. Oklahoma is among 22 states with Democratic primaries or state caucuses and 19 with Republican voting on Feb. 5.
Almost half of both parties' national delegates will be in play on that day.
New York and California will hold their primaries on Feb. 5. So will Illinois, Georgia and New Jersey. Those five states account for about a quarter of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention and about 20 percent of Republican delegates.
Compared to them, Oklahoma doesn't amount to much. It's 47 Democratic delegates (out of a total of 4,049) and 41 Republican delegates (out of a total of 2,380) are only about 1% and just under 2% respectively of delegates at the two parties national conventions.
Just look at the map," said state Democratic Chairman Ivan Holmes. "North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma -- those are states you'd like to have, but they're not top tier in terms of delegates. It's hard to get (candidates) through here."
Jones said he expects Mike Huckabee, John McCain and possibly Fred Thompson to put some resources into Oklahoma. Democrat Barack Obama's campaign was expected to send two full-time staffers into the state Monday. The campaigns of Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, the top two Democrats in the state according to most polls, are also likely to step up their activities in the state.
But money, not votes, has been Oklahoma's main attraction for presidential candidates. All the front-runners in both parties have made fundraising stops in the state.
Personal appearances in the next month are considered unlikely -- but not entirely out of the question. Reports that Obama's wife, Michelle, might visit Tulsa next week were quickly quashed, but speculation continues that she or Obama himself might pass through the state before the primary.
Huckabee was the leading choice of Oklahoma Republicans in an Oklahoma Poll conducted in mid-December, with 29 percent of GOP voters favoring him. John McCain was second at 17 percent with 22 percent undecided.
Clinton had the support of 34 percent of Democrats, with Edwards at 25 percent. Twenty percent were undecided.
While neither Jones nor Holmes thought moving the state's primary up to early February has enhanced its national importance, they both said the campaign has stirred up interest among Oklahoma voters.
The state election board reports voter registrations increased by about 10,000 during the last two months of 2007. The Tulsa County Election Board received 1,600 voter registration forms, many of them changing independents to Republicans or Democrats to vote in the primary, in just three days last week.
Friday was the last day to register or change party affiliations for the Feb. 5 vote.
"We're finding the citizens very much engaged," Jones said. "But things are going to happen so fast and furious in the next few weeks, it's going to be hard for the average person to keep up."
"We've had quite a bit of interest in the last six months," Holmes said, adding that he hopes the Democratic nomination is not decided on Feb. 5.
"If the candidates would continue to battle it out for the next six months, it would be good for the party at the grass-roots level," he said.
Oklahoma goes to polls 'Super Tuesday', February 5. Sample ballots are now available at your local election board.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Tag Agency 'policy' a Rip-Off?
I just returned from the Noble Tag agency where I paid for my car tag renewals for our family car. I normally purchase my tag from LaNoy’s Tag agency or on occasions with Fuson Tag agency, in Norman.
However, today I was in Noble, so I decided to stop and get our tag. My mistake.
I had written my check for $82.50 for the tag renewal. The card from the Tax Commission states that the cost of a new tag was $83.50 which includes a $1 mailing fee. In all of my previous experiences with Fuson and LaNoy’s Tag Agency in Norman, they have always been $1.00 less than mailing it into the State. That should have been the case today.
The representative who was assisting said I owed $83.50 so I questioned her why it was not $82.50 she then showed me my copy from the State tag renewal that showed $83.50. I stated yes, it shows $83.50 but that includes mailing it back to me, since I am here it is not necessary to mail it so the actual cost is only $82.50. She replied “we don't do that" we mail you your copy. I told her that my Norman agency always process es my tag while I wait.
She replied that “we wait and process all the tags at once so you do not have to wait .” She then said, "Well, we are really backlogged and it would take a long time for you to wait to process your tag."
I've been to LaNoy’s and Fuson Tag Agency many times when it was much busier than the Noble agency was at 9:00am today and I've never had to wait more than a couple of minutes. The agent did go ahead and process my tag which took all of 30 seconds. I might also say she was very polite. It's only $1. However, it’s the principle of the matter that I find offensive.
After a few calls I have found that numerous tag agencies across Oklahoma are using this kind of tactic to increase their profits.
According to the Oklahoma Tax Commission, 2,801,369 non-commercial tags (automobile registrations) were issued between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007.
Basically, over a period of a year, this equates to over two million dollars that we the taxpayers of Oklahoma are being over charged. There are approximately 300 tag agencies in the state.
Respectfully,
Bobby Cleveland - Norman
However, today I was in Noble, so I decided to stop and get our tag. My mistake.
I had written my check for $82.50 for the tag renewal. The card from the Tax Commission states that the cost of a new tag was $83.50 which includes a $1 mailing fee. In all of my previous experiences with Fuson and LaNoy’s Tag Agency in Norman, they have always been $1.00 less than mailing it into the State. That should have been the case today.
The representative who was assisting said I owed $83.50 so I questioned her why it was not $82.50 she then showed me my copy from the State tag renewal that showed $83.50. I stated yes, it shows $83.50 but that includes mailing it back to me, since I am here it is not necessary to mail it so the actual cost is only $82.50. She replied “we don't do that" we mail you your copy. I told her that my Norman agency always process es my tag while I wait.
She replied that “we wait and process all the tags at once so you do not have to wait .” She then said, "Well, we are really backlogged and it would take a long time for you to wait to process your tag."
I've been to LaNoy’s and Fuson Tag Agency many times when it was much busier than the Noble agency was at 9:00am today and I've never had to wait more than a couple of minutes. The agent did go ahead and process my tag which took all of 30 seconds. I might also say she was very polite. It's only $1. However, it’s the principle of the matter that I find offensive.
After a few calls I have found that numerous tag agencies across Oklahoma are using this kind of tactic to increase their profits.
According to the Oklahoma Tax Commission, 2,801,369 non-commercial tags (automobile registrations) were issued between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007.
Basically, over a period of a year, this equates to over two million dollars that we the taxpayers of Oklahoma are being over charged. There are approximately 300 tag agencies in the state.
Respectfully,
Bobby Cleveland - Norman
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Iowa Caucus Today!
Some 300,000 are expected as surverys show one in four has NOT made up their mind! The Nation waits with some interest for evening results!
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