Thompson Reports $215,000 For Congress Race

State Rep. Mike Thompson, Republican candidate for the open 5th Congressional District, raised cash contributions of about $215,000 from 300-plus donors and will report a “cash on hand” balance of about $180,000 when his report is filed, his campaign spokesman said today.

The campaign received over 90 percent of its contributions from Oklahoma donors and nearly 95 percent of contributions are from individuals, the spokesman said. The donations came from 300+ contributors, the majority of whom live and work in and around Oklahoma’s 5th District. The spokesman said all of the money was raised from donors and there were no contributions or loans by the candidate.

Totals reported do not include any contributions received after the end of the disclosure period on June 30th.

Obama Nominates Alabama Doctor For Health Post

President Obama today nominated for surgeon general a rural family physician who has faced hurricanes, flood and fire to care for impoverished patients along Alabama's Gulf Coast.

Obama says Dr. Regina Benjamin understands the needs of the poor and uninsured, making her uniquely qualified to be America's doctor as his administration tries to revamp the health care system.

For her part, Benjamin on Monday ticked off preventable diseases that have claimed nearly all her relatives—diabetes, high blood pressure, lung cancer.

She pledged to fight so that, in her words, "no one falls through the cracks as we improve our health care system."

Noted Quote: Coburn Admonishes Sotomayor

“Judge Sotomayor, you must prove to the Senate that you will adhere to the proper role of a judge.” ~ Senator Tom Coburn, during today's confirmation hearing.

Henry Names Jill Weedon To Judicial Post

Governor Henry today named Jill Weedon as Associate District Judge for Custer County.

She will replace Jacqueline P. Duncan, who retired May 1st.

“Judge Jill Weedon has served Custer County as a special judge for 10 years and I am happy to appoint her to the position of Associate District Judge,” Henry said. “Her tenure as a special judge has been marked by professionalism, insight and integrity and I know she will carry those traits into her tenure as an Associate District Judge.”

Henry selected Weedon from three nominees provided to him by the Judicial Nominating Commission.

Weedon graduated from Colorado College in 1989 and earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1992. She worked in private practice in Clinton from 1992 to 1999. For the last 10 years, she has served as a special judge in Custer County.

Sotomayor And The Second Amendment

Second Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor recently held that the Constitution does not protect the right to keep and bear arms against infringement by state and local governments. Her defenders maintain that she was merely applying settled precedent, which only the Supreme Court itself is authorized to reconsider. This is a half truth that conceals more than it reveals.

Read all of Nelson Lund's commentary at http://www.realclearpolitics.com/.

Carnuccio Joins OFRG As Senior Adviser

Oklahomans For Responsible Government (OFRG) has added former State House Public Affairs Director Michael Carnuccio as senior adviser.

Carnuccio will be responsible for external relations, policy development, long-term strategy and public affairs.

Fiancee Pushes Free Michael Behenna Petition

Supporters of Edmond soldier Michael Behenna are amassing an online army via a petition to win him a new trial in the shooting death of an Iraqi detainee, and thus far, almost 3,000 signatures have been gathered.

Behenna, 26 and a lieutenant in the 101st Airborne, is serving a 25-year prison sentence for unpremeditated murder, even though an expert witness hired by government prosecutors agreed Behenna’s version of the suspected terrorist’s May 2008 death fit evidence in the case. Behenna testified he shot Ali Mansour in self-defense.

Military prosecutors did not call their own forensics expert to testify during Behenna's court martial and revealed his findings only after he informed defense attorneys after the trial was over.

Behenna’s family and others close to him insist he deserves a new trial so a jury can hear all of the evidence in the case. The petition, written by Behenna's fiancee Shannon Wahl, seeks a new trial. The same goal motivated more than two dozen prominent Oklahomans and attorneys, including former federal prosecutors, to ask the secretary of defense to order a new trial.

"He deserves a new trial, and he was not given that,” Wahl said. "There clearly was an injustice here.”

An appeal has been filed with the commanding general of the 101st Airborne, who has the authority to order a new trial, dismiss the charge, or alter Behenna's sentence.

To sign the petition, see the link on the right side of this page or go directly to http://www.defendmichael.com/.

Click here to read the complete article at NewsOK.com.

The Gadfly Is All Fired Up

Green Luckies: The Pentagon, reports claim, may soon begin a push to make the U. S. military a smoke-free entity. That, of course, would be a clear departure from the days gone by when cigarettes were included in ration packets provided soldiers. Fifty-one years ago in Germany, I was issued U. S. Army field rations that included packs of "Green Luckies," or Lucky Strikes in green, World War II packaging. They were, natch, left-over from the conflict. Best thing about them was that they were free. Some in the Pentagon say it would take 20 years to make the military smoke-free. I doubt it; more like 50 years.

Smokin' Hot: Oklahoma City radio station KTOK pegged the No. 1 slot in the age 12+ metro radio ratings war in the current "trend" from Arbitron. A trend is an interim measurement of listenership that's issued prior to an actual Arbitron "book" for a specific time period.

Heat Exhaustion: So there I was, 4:15 p.m., standing on the asphalt parking lot of a local grocery store where a distracted pickup driver had just backed into the front of my oldest granddaughter's pristine 1995 Honda Accord. It must have been 140 degrees or so. The details are boring, but the bottom line is it took 12 hours in the ER and a hospital room to get my vitals back in sync.

Heated Up: Every time I hear about the federal ghoul tax...er, death tax...I heat up. Latest on this is the estimated $80 million the IRS will claim from the estate of Michael Jackson. The death tax was enacted first in 1797, allowed to expire, and then enacted again over the years up to 1898, as a temporary measure to raise war cash for the treasury. "Temporary."

Castiglione Talks OU Sports On The Verdict

Fans of University of Oklahoma sports will want to catch the architect of the university's present prominence when Athletic Director Joe Castiglione joins Kent Meyers and Mick Cornett on the next edition of The Verdict.

The show can be seen on Cox Communications Channel 7 in Oklahoma City, and Channel 3 in Tulsa, on Sunday at 9:00 a.m., Monday at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.