SD 12: NRA Ratings To Boost Democrat Young?

Democrat John Mark Young may get a boost in his race with Republican State Rep. Brian Bingman for the Senate District 12 seat in Creek County next week as the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund releases its list of endorsed candidates.

Young, a Marine veteran and member of NRA and the Oklahoma Rifle Association, had an NRA-PVF rating of "A" in his 2004 race with Bingman for the House seat Bingman won. Bingman had a rating of just 67 percent, which equates to a "D" grade. That's among the lowest ratings given an Oklahoma legislator. Bingman's allies are perplexed by the rating; they say he's voted for NRA-backed bills in the past two years, particularly this year. It appears Bingman's 67 rating was established in 2004, before he actually took office. That could indicate he failed to return an NRA questionnaire during the campaign, or returned it too late for inclusion in the NRA ratings. The listing on Young mentions his return of the 2004 questionnaire, but in Bingman's case, there is no such mention.

The Senate District 12 race is considered a key one by Republicans trying to take control of the State Senate for the first time in state history. The race is essentially a rematch of the House race of two years ago when the pair faced off.

It's not known yet if Young will get the NRA-PVF nod in the race, but the ratings themselves could be powerful political gas for Young's campaign engine. Bingman's plunge in the NRA ratings may be explained with the new ratings are issued; the ratings sometimes list reasons to explain them. Photos: At left, John Mark Young; at right, Brian Bingman

Tulsa World Endorses Jeff McMahan

The Tulsa World endorsed Auditor & Inspector Jeff McMahan for reelection in Saturday's edition. The World's editorial writer said, "Oklahoma voters can trust McMahan." The editorial said McMahan followed "one of the most honest and well-respected public servants in the state's history (Clifton Scott). McMahan embraced the task and the challenge. For his work during the past three-plus years, McMahan deserves another term." McMahan faces Republican Gary Jones in a rematch of their close 2002 election.

Henry's On The Road Again

Governor Brad Henry is taking his campaign show on the road again, with party insiders hoping the crowds are larger than his first "Oklahoma Is On The Move" foray into southern and eastern parts of the state last month. Henry's RV tour begins Monday as he heads into western Oklahoma. He is scheduled to visit Chickasha, Duncan, Lawton, Altus, Hobart, Cordell, Clinton, Weatherford, Elk City, Woodward, Alva, Cherokee, Enid, Kingfisher, El Reno and Yukon.

Meanwhile, more details have been announced by Congressman Ernest Istook's campaign about the appearance on his behalf of presidential adviser Karl Rove next week. Rove's October 9th appearance at a fundraiser will be held at the Oklahoma History Center instead of Oklahoma City University, the original site announced. Tickets are $100 per person to hear Rove's 7 p.m. speech; to attend a reception, the fee is $500 and to attend the reception and be photographed with Rove is $1,000.

1 in 12 Aliens A Criminal?

Fascinating column on illegal aliens in The Washington Times contains statistics that show illegals are taking over America and compares the influx to the European immigration that helped shaped the nation over the past 200 years.

Outgoing Commissioner's Employees Get Pay Raise

By Michael Cross, NewsRadio 1000 KTOK ~ The Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners votes to give employees in District Three raises of 6% across the board a month earlier than any other county workers. The employees work in the district where Commissioner Stan Inman is leaving in January after losing an election to former State Representative Ray Vaughn. Inman had to abstain from the vote during the regular meeting.

Commissioner Jim Roth said Inman's actions put him and Commissioner Brent Rinehart in a difficult position. "Brent and I have to vote in the affirmative to honor the disparity that might create, not just amongst our districts, but amongst the other 1600 employees that aren't getting 6% across the board raises," said Roth. Roth said he was reluctantly voting for the raises, "because I'm not going to penalize your 40 employees for your departure and our board's efforts, but I'm going to ask that the DA formalize their opinion for me."

Witness May Have Seen Jones Trailer Theft

There may be an eyewitness to the theft of Republican Gary Jones' campaign trailer in Tecumseh recently. Sources there say a witness has come forward with information that is now being investigated by police. Jones, candidate for auditor & inspector, said at the time of the theft that the trailer, loaned to him by a friend, is valued at $4,000.

TvPoll: Henry, Edmondson, Reneau, Case, Jones, Meacham Lead Opponents

(From our archives of 9/28) ~ TvPoll.com reports its latest statewide poll for KWTV-Channel 9 in Oklahoma City shows Democrats and Republicans alike have something to cheer about as Election Day 2006 nears. The poll shows Democrats leading in some races, with Republicans leading in others. Race by race, here are the poll results:

Governor Brad Henry apparently maintains a healthy lead over Republican Congressman Ernest Istook. The poll, conducted by TvPoll.com partners Keith Gaddie and Bill Shapard, found Henry at 55.5 percent, Istook at 33.3 percent with 11.2 percent undecided. Henry's approval rating was pegged at an astronomical 74.9 percent. In Oklahoma County, Istook's home territory, Henry's approval rating was 73.6 percent.

Attorney General Drew Edmondson had a healthy lead over his Republican opponent, James Dunn, 50-29 percent.

Republican Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau had a healthy lead over her Democrat challenger, Lloyd Fields, 50.5-28.2 percent.

Republican challenger Bill Case, Midwest City state representative, topped incumbent Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland, 36.4-32.7 percent. Holland was appointed to the post by Governor Henry when Carroll Fisher resigned.

Republican challenger Gary Jones topped incumbent Democrat Auditor & Inspector Jeff McMahan 36.3-32.8. It's a rematch of their 2002 race in which McMahan narrowly defeated Jones, who resigned as Republican State Chairman to make the race.

Democrat State Treasurer Scott Meacham topped GOP challenger Howard Barnett 43.1-33.9 percent. Meacham was appointed by Governor Henry following Robert Butkin's resignation.

President Bush remains popular in Oklahoma; the poll found his approval rating at 61.9 percent, with 24.9 percent disapproval.

TvPoll.com partners Keith Gaddie and Bill Shapard are among the state's most experienced pollsters. Gaddie, professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma and the author of numerous books on politics, is a frequent lecturer on polling and politics. Shapard, former aide to Congressman J. C. Watts, has years of experience in survey research and data collection and analysis. Gaddie is the co-host of the "Tailgate Politics Hour" on AM890-KTLR with GOP political consultant Kyle Loveless.

Tarrance Shows Fallin With Wide Lead

Lt. Governor Mary Fallin's pollster, The Tarrance Group, shows her with a wide lead in her race for the 5th District in Congress with Democrat Dr. David Hunter. The poll places Fallin at 60 percent, Hunter at 22 percent and an Independent candidate at just 3 percent. Fallin's campaign office said the poll found that 62 percent of those polled have never heard of Hunter. The poll also placed Fallin's favorable rating at 73 percent with an unfavorable rating from 15 percent.

Tancredo Immigration Forum Postponed

Congressman Ernest Istook's event featuring Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo in Oklahoma City next Monday for a forum and rally on illegal immigration has been postponed. The Wednesday school shooting occurred in Tancredo's district, causing him to postpone out-of-state trips for a week. Tancredo is an immigration reform leader in the U. S. House. Istook has made immigration one of his top issues in his campaign to unseat incumbent Governor Brad Henry.

Barnett Challenges Meacham On Portfolio

Republican state treasurer candidate Howard Barnett challenged incumbent Democrat Scott Meacham's campaign claim that he increased the state's investment portfolio by $1 billion. Barnett presented documents from Meacham's campaign website that make this claim, as well as information from Meacham's own office that disputes his campaign claim. "At best, Scott Meacham is simply misleading voters," Barnett said Thursday. "By his own office's report, Oklahoma now has just over $3 billion in investable assets. A year ago, it was at $2.5 billion. Either Scott Meacham isn't very good at math, something that should be a prerequisite for Treasurer, or he believes he can hoodwink the press and the voters." Barnett added, "The fact is that the State Treasurer’s official website shows that during the first half of this calendar year investable assets actually were reduced. That means something drastic happened, Meacham reversed course after his initial deviation from Robert Butkin’s safer, more conservative money management practices or his office is putting out incorrect or incomplete information." "Unless he is putting out inaccurate information or using creative accounting schemes similar to those of Enron or Worldcomm, you simply cannot get to the claim of $1 billion made by Meacham," said Barnett campaign manager Shawn Ashley. "Of course, this has become standard operating procedure for Scott Meacham. Whether it has been claims made about expectant revenues from the tobacco compacts, the lottery or gaming, Scott Meacham has a pattern of inflating estimates for the sake of political gain. Unfortunately, he never delivers for the people of Oklahoma."

TvPoll: Askins-Hiett Race A Dead Heat

The race for lieutenant governor of Oklahoma is a virtual dead heat, KWTV-Channel 9 reported this morning based on a poll conducted for it by TvPoll.com. The poll found Republican House Speaker Todd Hiett leading State Rep. Jari Askins by less than 1 percent. Independent E. Z. Million had just 2.7 percent. This new poll comes on the heels of an earlier one (see story below) that had Askins up by a few percentage points; the two polls, analysts say, simply mirror how close this race is with about five weeks remaining to election day. GOP sources say an internal poll for Hiett's campaign shows him leading slightly, again reinforcing the perception that the race is perhaps among the closest statewide races in play.

SPR: NRCC Campaign Underway

From Hasting Wyman's Southern Political Report ~ U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) is well into a campaign to become the next leader of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Two years ago, Sessions defeated Martin Frost - a Democratic leader and popular villain for the Texas GOP - after mid-decade redistricting brought the two of them together into one seat. Sessions' supporters say that the Texas Republican has shown he has the energy, fundraising ability and cross-demographic appeal necessary to run the NRCC. Other candidates for the post are U.S. Reps. Tom Cole (OK) and Phil English (PA) for the right to succeed Rep. Tom Reynolds (N.Y.) as NRCC chairman in the 110th Congress.

Another Henry Ad Claim Questioned

The Republican author of a bill designed to curb meth labs says Governor Brad Henry's claim, in a television commercial featuring Kingfisher Police Chief Dennis Baker, that "his" law has made Oklahoma a model for the nation, is false advertising. State Rep. John Nance, R-HD 90 in Bethany, said Henry didn't have much to do with the new law except sign it. He said that "does not merit a commercial bragging about it. That's not the Oklahoma way."

Mark Woodward of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control said Henry was involved in several meetings held to discuss passage of the bill. In his 2004 State of the State address, Henry said, "I urge you to pass a measure this year tightening restrictions on tablet sales of pseudoephedrine, the chief ingredient in meth. We must protect our citizens, we must protect our children."

Nance was among Republicans blasting Henry for the television commercial, and others. Republican State Chairman Tom Daxon said the commercial is part of a pattern of false claims on Henry's part. "Brad Henry is taking credit for things he didn't do," Daxon said.

Photo: Kingfisher Police Chief Dennis Baker, featured on the Henry television commercial.

Earlier, State Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, said a commercial for Henry's campaign falsely claims the governor instructed the Oklahoma Highway Patrol on how to detain and deal with illegal immigrants. Terrill says Henry issued no such instructions and he quoted the Commissioner of Public Safety, Kevin Ward, as saying he had never received any written instruction from the governor on the subject and the first he heard about it was when the commercial aired. Ward subsequently said he doesn't know where Terrill came up with that and said he had discussed the issue with Henry months ago. Terrill, who supports Henry's opponent, Congressman Ernest Istook, said Henry's claim is a "lie." Terrill said Henry's support of in-state tuition at colleges and universities for illegal immigrants has become an issue in the campaign and Henry is trying to cover himself with the claim.

Political People & Events

Brett Hamm, former assistant to Oklahoma City Mayors Kirk Humphreys and Mick Cornett, is the new head of Downtown Oklahoma City Inc. He succeeds Dave Lopez, who is becoming head of American Fidelity Assurance Company's charitable foundation. Hamm, who served on the staff of former U. S. Senator Don Nickles and worked with the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, has been executive vice president and senior partner at Saxum Strategic Communications in Oklahoma City. Incoming Downtown Oklahoma City Chairman Burns Hargis said Hamm's U. S. Chamber experience was a consideration in his hiring. Businessman Clay Bennett, chairman of the board of directors, said Hamm has "outstanding skill sets in government and in business."

The Tulsa World's Mick Hinton reported Thursday that Republican State Rep. Dennis Adkins has repaid his campaign the $15,596 it spent for rent on a condominium he owns in Oklahoma City. Hinton also reported that Adkins said he reimbursed the campaign to "get this behind me." Adkins said he has asked the Oklahoma Ethics Commission to determine if he followed the law in making the rent payments from his campaign fund.

New Poll: Only 31% View UN Favorably

A new Rasmussen Reports poll finds that only 31 percent of those interviewed have a favorable opinion of the United Nations, while 45 percent have an unfavorable opinion.

TvPoll.com Shows Lane Up By 20%

A new poll by TvPoll.com shows Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane 20 percent ahead of his Democrat challenger, attorney David Prater. The poll shows Lane at 54.8 percent, Prater at 34.5 percent with 10.8 percent undecided. It shows Prater leading only among voters who describe themselves as liberals; Lane leads among conservatives and among men and women. The poll was taken for KWTV-Channel 9 before the Brian Bates controversy erupted on Monday.

GOP Struggle For Senate Control An Uphill Fight

Republicans face an uphill fight as they try to take control of the State Senate for the first time in history this year, data obtained by The McCarville Report Online indicates. The data comes from voter identification work conducted in recent days in the Senate races Republicans view as key to taking control. The voter ID calls show that Democratic candidates have significant leads in three races, marginal leads in two races and are neck-and-neck with GOP candidates in two races.

The two tight races are in Senate District 12, where Brian Bingman and John Mark Young, the Democrat, are wrestling for control of the seat now held by term-limited Senator Ted Fisher, and in Senate District 24, where Republican Anthony Sykes is attempting to unseat Democrat incumbent Daisy Lawler.

The two races where Democrats appear to have marginal leads are in Senate District 2, where Republican Ami Shaffer faces Democrat Sean Barrage, and in Senate District 18, where Republican Mark Wofford is trying to defeat incumbent Senator Mary Easley. Both these races appear to be toss-ups at the moment.

The three races where Democrats appear to have huge leads are in Senate District 16, where Republican Ron Davis faces Democrat John Sparks for the seat being vacated by term-limited Senator Cal Hobson; Senate District 26, where Republican Todd Russ and Democrat Tom Ivester are the candidates; and in Senate District 32, where incumbent Democrat Randy Bass faces Republican Ed Petersen of Lawton. All of these races, except the District 32 race, have been on watch lists since the primaries ended.

Henry, Askins Lead SurveyUSA Poll

Governor Brad Henry and State Rep. Jari Askins have leads over their Republican opponents in a new SurveyUSA poll for KFOR-Channel 4 in Oklahoma City. The poll found Henry at 64 percent and Congressman Ernest Istook at 33 percent with 3 percent undecided. It found Askins at 50 percent and House Speaker Todd Hiett at 43 percent in a race most believe is a dead heat; another poll shows Hiett ahead by 1 percent. Independent E. Z. Million had 3 percent and the undecided was 3 percent in the new poll. The poll was taken of 494 respondents and has a + or - of 4.3 percent.

SD 18: Easley Faces Wofford Challenge

Senate District 18 in Mayes, Tulsa and Wagoner counties should be safely Democrat. The voter registration is lopsided (21,452 Democrats, 14,721 Republicans, 3,778 Independents) and the seat historically has been in Democrat hands. The current occupant, Mary Easley, succeeded her son, Kevin Easley, when he resigned to become head of the Grand River Dam Authority in 2004. Yet Republicans have this race on their list of half a dozen Senate races where they believe their candidates can win and thus, give them control of the Senate for the first time in history.

Republican optimism is rooted in their nominee, Wagoner lumber company owner Mark Wofford, 42, and in what they say is the 70-year-old Easley's lackluster campaign. Democrats may share the concern about Easley's campaign; recently, Governor Brad Henry was rushed into the district to headline an Easley fundraiser on short notice. The reaction may have been prompted, in part, by the surprising victory of Republican Mike Schulz in a special election earlier this year over the widow of Democrat Robert Kerr in southwestern Oklahoma; Schulz defeated Robbie Kerr to make it a Republican seat. Republicans say the younger Schulz simply outworked the older Kerr and presented a much more energetic appearance.

Campaign finance reports filed in early August show Easley with a commanding lead in donations. She listed $71,800 in donations and $37,580 in expenditures, including $3,100 to consultants. Her largest donors are political action committees, including OKIE PAC, which gave her $5,000.

Wofford's August report shows he'd raised only $13,695 and spent $10,409. His largest donor is Senator Mike Johnson, Kingfisher Republican, who gave him $2,000. Others include a Wagoner optometrist, Dawn Teel, and Tulsa realtor Joe Robson, $1,000. Wofford's supporters say his fundraising has picked up as word about the perceived closeness of the race has spread. Wofford ran for the House District 12 seat two years ago and lost by just 239 votes to Democrat Wade Rousselot.

Easley served in the State House from 1996 to 2004 after 27 years as a public school teacher. She is talking about education and her opposition to abortion, plus tax cuts for middle and working class citizens. Wofford is talking about immigration, education (his wife was a school teacher for 15 years), affordable health care, workers compensation system reform and traditional family values.

Rinehart Seeks FBI Probe Of Whetsel

By Jerry Bohnen, NewsRadio 1000 KTOK

Two weeks after Oklahoma County sheriff John Whetsel publicly called County Commissioner Brent Rinehart an 'idiot' in a budget fight, Rinehart has gone to the FBI to ask for a formal investigation of the sheriff. Rinehart declined to comment about the three page letter he mailed Monday to FBI special agent Salvador Hernandez of Oklahoma City. "It was an accident for the letter to have been released to a sheriff's deputy," said Rinehart when questioned by KTOK. He would not comment further about the letter which accused Sheriff Whetsel of wrongdoing and "mismanagement at the Oklahoma County Detention Center."

"Please accept this letter as a formal request by my office to initiate a federal invevstigation and to take appropriate actions," wrote Rinehart in the letter under county commission letterhead. He went on to state the sheriff has "politically attacked me in the newspapers"and accused him of being "soft on crime."

Rinehart denied several times in the letter that he is "soft on crime" and said he has received several letters and emails from family members of inmates that detailed severe mistreatment of inmates. "I have reported these incidents to Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane, but because of the local political environment, I do not have confidence that the District Attorney's Office is capable of investigating the Sheriff," wrote Rinehart.

He further alleged the sheriff has used brutality against the inmates of the county jail. "It is my impression of Sheriff Whetsel that he is out of his depth as a jail administrator and intentionally uses excessive force or brutal punishments as a method of control inside the Jail or he is hopelessly incompetent to hold this office that requries appropriate jail administration and as a result the jail is out of control," Rinehart wrote.

"Ridiculous," replied Sheriff Whetsel, who told KTOK he now knows he was right two weeks ago in calling Rinehart an "idiot" as the two argued over his request for funding to buy several new patrol cars.

Oklahoma County Commission Chairman Jim Roth sees the request as another in a long line of "Brent Rinehart actions. He's trying to mask the fact he is not qualified to do the job," Roth said in an interview with KTOK. Photo: County Commissioner Brent Rinehart

Prater Says Lane 'Morbidly Incompetent'; Finance Reports Show Lane With Huge Advantage

The race for Oklahoma County district attorney took another turn Tuesday, as Democrat David Prater said Republican incumbent Wes Lane is "morbidly incompetent." Prater accused Lane of engaging in a "publicity stunt" by sending more than 400 jurors home on Monday after Brian Bates, the "Video Vigilante" prosecuted by Lane, passed out fliers critical of Lane outside the courthouse to some jury pool members. Prater said he does not approve of Bates' action, even though the two marched together in Bethany's July 4th parade with Bates carrying a Prater banner. Bates' website is a virtual Prater campaign site, raising the question of whether it constitutes a contribution to Prater's campaign. In a statement posted on his campaign website today, Prater says "Lane and Bates are acting like children." Lane, meanwhile, said he will ask Attorney General Drew Edmondson to select a prosecutor to determine if Bates violated any laws by passing the fliers out at the courthouse.

With the Lane-Prater race heating up, attention is turning to the financing of their campaigns. Ethics Commission reports show that Lane began the year with about $20,000 on hand, remnants of his last campaign. As of early August, he had raised about $175,000 and spent $79,000, almost $61,000 of it described as being payments to consultants and related expenses. Lane's largest donors, at $5,000 each, include Aubrey McClendon, CEO of Chesapeake Energy; Angus McQueen, CEO of Ackerman-McQueen; and James Williams of Oklahoma City. Donors of $4,000 include real estate agent Mark Befford, Josephine Freede, and Stan Harrison. Donors of $2,500 include David Green of Hobby Lobby and Clay Bennett, investor.

Prater's reports show he raised about $98,000 and spent about $64,500, $17,105 of it on campaign consultants. His donors include a large number of attorneys, including two assistant attorneys general, Phillip Stambeck ($100) and James Hankins ($250). Others include Joe Reynolds, $2,500; Garvin Isaacs, $1,000; and Irvin Box, $1,000. Jim Meyer, president of Bridgeport Holdings, gave $2,500.

SD 16: Money Favors Democrat John Sparks

If money is the key factor in the race for the State Senate District 16 seat that includes Norman and Purcell, the advantage clearly goes to Democrat John Sparks. But if barely surviving a bitter primary runoff where the man who lost by 76 votes still hasn't endorsed you is a disadvantage, Sparks has that as well.

Sparks has spent almost three times as much to pay his various campaign consultants as Republican Ron Davis has raised. At least that was true as of the filing of their early August campaign finance reports with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. Davis had, at that time, raised $15,535. Sparks, at that time, had paid numerous consultants $41,305, including $21,084 to Evolve Research Strategies, Oklahoma City market research firm, and $2,340 to Carrier Marshall & Associates, Oklahoma City political consulting firm. He also paid Zata 3 Consulting, Washington-based polling firm, $3,488 and Butler & Associates $5,000.

Sparks' last report shows he had raised $264,000 and spent $211,000. He loaned his campaign $31,835. Most of Sparks' larger donors are outside the district; many are outside the state. Inside the state but outside the district, his largest donors are Don Smith of Smith Cogeneration of Oklahoma City, $3,000, and Dr. Kyle Toal of Oklahoma City, $5,000.

Most of Davis' donors are inside the district, and gave small amounts. He loaned his campaign $5,000 of the total $15,535 he raised. He spent $8,673. His largest donor is Hoyt Mayes of First American Bank in Norman, who gave $1,000. Guthrie window washer Charlie Meadows, who also heads the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee, donated $705.

Two weeks ago, Davis told a reporter he's raised considerably more money since his last report was filed, and several observers say that's true. Insiders say Davis' campaign picked up steam following the bitter Sparks runoff with Tim Emrich, who dismissed Sparks by saying he didn't know when he would speak to him or whether his supporters would vote for Sparks. One group of Emrich supporters ran an ad calling on Sparks to apologize for his campaign and fire his campaign consultants. That upheaval prompted Republican leaders to put the race on their radar screens as a possible GOP pickup in their fight to win control of the Senate. The seat is now held by Cal Hobson, who has endorsed Sparks. Senator Minority Glenn Coffee said Davis "is a strong candidate." State GOP Chairman Tom Daxon said, "Two months ago, we were keeping an eye on this district, but realistically looking at more favorable districts elsewhere. However, that is no longer true. Ron Davis is putting himself in a position to win and he has the full support of the Oklahoma Republican Party."

Davis, 53, is a Purcell insurance agent and Oklahoma State University graduate. Reforming state government is his primary goal. He said state funding has grown by 33 percent in the past two years but money isn't "going into the classrooms. I want to know where all that money is going." Sparks, 37, is a Harvard University graduate and obtained his law degree from the University of Oklahoma Law School. He is president of the Cleveland County Bar Association. He is talking about education and health care, two issues Hobson stressed during his sometimes-rocky years in the Senate. Both candidates also are discussing prison funding; the district has two large prisons.

Most observers give Sparks the edge in this race, but barely; they say the split in the Democratic Party created by the harsh runoff remains and note that some Democrats have formed "Democrats for Davis." Some think Emrich's voters won't vote for Davis, but they could stay home or just avoid voting in the race and that could create a problem for Sparks in this district which includes six House districts, four of which are held by Republicans, and in which Republican registration has increased in recent years.

'Bad Thad' Campaign Takes On Ugly Face

Republican State Rep. Thad Balkman's signs are being defaced by spray paint that spell out "Bad" below and above his first name, a description first seen in print on several Democrat blogs. Balkman, who represents District 45 in Cleveland County, is in a race with Democrat Wallace Collins.

Odom, Miller Assess Governor's Race On KTOK

By Tim Granahan, NewsRadio 1000 KTOK - Monday, September 25, 2006 - State Democratic Party Vice Chairman Ben Odom says Governor Henry is well on his way to reelection. He says, "the question, is Oklahoma on the right track? I think most folks think yes it is." Odom says Henry is up 29 points on Congressman Ernest Istook, in the latest polling numbers he's seen. Odom says the poll was conducted by a Republican polling source. But State Representative Doug Miller, speaking for the State Republican party on KTOK's First News with Reid Mullins, predicts the polls will get much closer as election day nears. He doesn't buy into the idea that Oklahoma is on the right track, arguing recent legislative sessions have done little to move Oklahoma to lower taxes and a more business friendly environment. But Odom says the proof is in the prosperity Oklahoma is enjoying. And Odom says Istook hasn't found an issue which will resonate with voters. He says recent commercials talking about illegal immigration and making English the official language aren't helping Istook gain ground. Miller argues voters will ultimately choose Istook, because he reflects Republican values.

SD 12: Stipe Law Firm Donations Biggest Issue?

It's considered a key race for Republicans as they fight to take control of the Oklahoma State Senate this year, and the acceptance of a $5,000 donation by Democrat John Mark Young from the law firm founded by disgraced former Senator Gene Stipe in McAlester may be the biggest issue in the Senate District 12 battle in Creek-Tulsa-Okfuskee counties.

Young, an attorney, received $5,000 from the law firm and also received $2,750 in donations from law firm members James Belote of Edmond, Tony Laizure of Tulsa, Eddie Harper of McAlester and John Thetford of Tulsa, plus $5,000 in donations in $2,500-each sums from attorneys John Harlan and Mike Jones and smaller donations from other attorneys; the Stipe law firm donations of $7,750 comprise about 21 percent of the $38,000 Young had received as of his last Ethics Commission report filed in early August. The two Stipe family members still in the firm, Clyde and Jack, are not listed as donors. Gene Stipe was forced to surrender his law license and resign from the Senate as part of federal charges that came as the result of laundered money going into the congressional campaign of Stipe protege Walt Roberts.

Republican Rep. Brian Bingman, who is giving up the House seat he won two years ago in his first meeting with Young, had raised about $195,000 as of his last report. He reported having spent $54,300, $8,000 of it going to his campaign consultant.

Bingman hasn't been talking about the Stipe law firm donations, but others have. "Taking that money was a huge mistake," said a Bingman supporter and longtime Creek County GOP activist. "Even some Democrats have a hard time with that," he added, and he said it doesn't make any difference that Gene Stipe is no longer associated with the firm. "It's still the 'Stipe Law Firm' and everybody knows who that is," he said.

Bingman defeated Young by 1,820 votes in their House race two years ago. Young says he has a better chance in the Senate district because it is larger and contains more Democrats.

For Tony Laizure's thoughts on this article, read them by clicking on the comments button at the bottom of this story.

Bingman, 52, has been talking about illegal immigration, economic development and education. Young, 56, has been talking about education, health care and the economy. Bingman is a land manager for Uplands Resources of Tulsa. Young has the support of term-limited Senator Ted Fisher and the Oklahoma Senate Democrats organization has been pushing the endorsement. Young claims Bingman won two years ago in the House race because he had a popular Republican president at the top of the ticket. Some in the district, however, say they saw no signs of "coattails" from President Bush. They also concur that Young could benefit in this race from party-line Democrats who might be enthused enough about Governor Brad Henry to go to the polls and vote a straight ticket.

Henry, Istook To Debate

Governor Brad Henry and his challenger, Congressman Ernest Istook, will debate three times in the final four weeks of the election year and participate in a fourth joint appearance. The joint appearance is October 11th from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. at the Reed Center in Midwest City, sponsored by the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce, not televised; the second is October 17th from 5 to 6 p.m. at Cameron University in Lawton, sponsored by the Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce, televised by KSWO-Channel 7; October 23rd from 7 to 8 p.m. on KOCO-Channel 5, also sponsored by AARP Oklahoma, to be held in Constitution Hall in the Nigh Center on the University of Central Oklahoma campus in Edmond; and November 2nd from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Communications Center, Rose State College, Midwest City, sponsored by the Midwest City Chamber and KFOR-Channel 4, which will televise the event. Henry is seeking his second term as governor after winning a first term in 2002 by upsetting Republican front-runner Steve Largent. Istook is giving up a safe seat in Congress to challenge Henry.

Political People & Events

Controversy in the Oklahoma County district attorney's office, as a suspended assistant DA claims the action against her came because she supports DA Wes Lane's opponent, Democrat David Prater. Cindy Truong was suspended and although the contents of her suspension letter haven't been revealed, she admits she did not follow office policy in two cases; she maintains her actions were justified. The letter apparently also accuses her of providing opponents of Lane with a recording of his comments to the a Fraternal Order of Police meeting. She denies that. Last June, Truong went to the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission to complain she is paid less than other prosecutors in Lane's office and she says it is because she's an Asian woman.

Albert Ashwood, director of the State Emergency Management Department, has been elected president of the National Emergency Management Association. That came during the group's annual meeting in Alabama.

Two Hispanic leaders have accused Congressman Ernest Istook of "scare tactics" when he discusses his views on immigration and criticizes Governor Brad Henry. Ed Romo of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said, "The rhetoric, the tone, the language, the ideas and the philosophies speak volumes about how he thinks of us." Giovanni Perry, vice chairman of the Governor's Advisory Council on Latin American and Hispanic Affairs, said if Istook has solutions to immigration problems, he should attend an upcoming summit and present them there. Istook spokesman Derek Kern said, "Americans of all stripes do not want to give their tax dollars over to fund things like in-state tuition and taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal immigrants, such as Governor Henry has done."

House Speaker Todd Hiett is being supported in his race for lieutenant governor by a new group, the "Steering Committee for the Hiett Farmer and Rancher Coalition." Fred Wyatt, Hollister farmer and rancher, said Hiett has put the "needs and concerns of rural Oklahoma front and center." Hiett faces Democrat Rep. Jari Askins.

When does a non-event become a news story? When some bloggers start floating rumors on the Internet. That was the case recently when it was speculated that Democrat Dan Boren, the 2nd District congressman, might switch to the Republican Party. TMRO didn't buy it then and mentions it only now because Boren says he's never considered it and it isn't so, period.

The Tulsa World's Mick Hinton reports that State Rep. Dennis Adkins, R-Tulsa, is using campaign funds to pay rent on a condominium he owns in Oklahoma City. Hinton reported that Adkins bought the condo for $109,000 in January and in June and July, when the Legislature was not in session, paid $2,000 per month himself and listed reimbursement from his campaign account as "unreimbursed lodging." Ethics Commission Director Marilyn Hughes told Hinton that campaign contributions can be used only for expenses related to a campaign or serving in office. She said Adkins asked her earlier this year if contributions could be used to pay rent but didn't mention that he owned the property. She said she told him he should apply his monthly per diem payments toward the rent. "The only thing I am doing out of the campaign account is leasing a place," Adkins told Hinton.

Barbara Thompson, wife of U. S. District Judge Ralph G. Thompson, has been presented France's "Chevalier of the Legion of Honor." The award was bestowed by Patrick Berron, counsul general of France in Houston. The award is a civil and general military order of merit. Mrs. Thompson, honorary counsul of France, was honored for her work in assisting French citizens in Oklahoma in diplomatic matters and for promoting French cultural and educational activities.

Henry's Campaign Theme Wins Approval

Viewers of The McCarville Report Online give credence to the viability of Governor Brad Henry's theme of "Oklahoma Is On The Move." In our online poll, 55 percent said they believe it's a solid theme and 45 percent said it's not, a surprising result to some given the perception most TMRO viewers are Republicans. Gaining the highest percentage among the possible selections was "I agree" that Henry's theme is a good one, at 26 percent.

Time For Us To Leave The UN

By Matt Towery In The Southern Political Report (9/21/06) Indulge me. This is the second time this year I've been called upon to invoke my postgraduate degree in International Relations. I do so to provide pedigree for an opinion that, although well-reasoned, might be deemed by some to be extreme. It's time for the United States to leave the United Nations and spearhead the formation of a new, more workable international consortium. Wow. I said it. Had I done so in my days back at Cambridge, England, I probably would have been tossed out the back door of some of its world-famous colleges and into the River Cam. For those of you who would help toss me and who believe I'm a right-wing quack, hold your horses. There's plenty of red meat here for those frustrated with Bush foreign policy. But if that's your take, you won't like the way this column starts or ends. On Wednesday, our president -- and "our" includes Americans who do and don't like him -- was verbally assaulted before the United Nations General Assembly in a manner more befitting a wrestling match than what is supposed to be a solemn gathering of the world's nation-states. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez insulted President Bush by saying "the Devil was here yesterday," and "it smells of sulfur still today." That's right. This dictatorial brute came to our own New York City and spat in the face of our president. And the attacks didn't stop with Bush. Chavez declared that "the United States' empire is on its way down, and it will be finished soon." How did those in the audience react? Many roundly applauded when he was done. Here is where I could fall into the trap of uttering simply, "Get out, and good riddance to the whole lot of you." That would reflect my raw sentiments. It would also be what's deserved by the ungrateful collection of diplomats who prance around New York City as if they are entitled to the very best that life in such a city can provide. Instead, allow me to cite the post-speech interview of Chavez, plus a little-known 1949 memo by a revered American diplomat. Together, they provide my strongest evidence in support of dismantling the unwieldy and apparently corrupt coddler of rogues and semi-legitimate nations that is the modern-day United Nations. Railing to media after the speech, President Chavez bit the hand that feeds him. He said the United Nations was created primarily to deal with post-World War II issues between the United States and the Soviet Union. He said the UN should now be replaced by a new international organization. Oh, Hugo! If only you knew how many Americans agree with you. There's just one catch. They want a new world body that doesn't operate as a self-perpetuating money pit, and doesn't have rogues and bullies like you as members. Chavez's comments are symptomatic of something predicted by the late diplomat and international policy expert George Kennan in his 1949 memo to the State Department about the UN and its relationship to the world of foreign policy. The 1980's British book "The Rise of the International Organisation" notes Kennan's "doubts about the role of the Assembly as a new 'theater of diplomatic operations.'" Kennan's concerns were rooted in his belief that the interests and influence of smaller nations, including the dubious validity of some states' claims to equal sovereign status, would create a fragile foundation for the United Nations as a viable international organization. Understand that Kennan, in his later years, became a strong opponent of U.S. intervention in many international conflicts, including, before he died, our involvement in Iraq. I share his belief that the United States cannot, neither fiscally nor emotionally, continue to "see itself as the center of political enlightenment and as teacher to a great part of the world…" Amen. Yes, we're stuck in Iraq and we can't abandon our troops. But when we've finally reached the point that a room full of international freeloaders are applauding wildly as our president is called the Devil and our demise is predicted, then it's time to seriously reassess whom we want to deal with, in what manner and in what international forum. Be assured that after this week's antics in New York, more and more Americans will come to believe that expensive, do-nothing diplomatic assemblies such as the United Nations are something we can live without. ~ Matt Towery served as the chairman of former Speaker Newt Gingrich's political organization from 1992 until Gingrich left Congress. He is a former Georgia state representative, the author of several books and currently heads the polling and political information firm InsiderAdvantage. To find out more about Matthew Towery and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at http://www.creators.com/. COPYRIGHT 2006 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.

Lottery Ticket Sales Lag Projections

Sales of Oklahoma Lottery tickets, as the trend has indicated, continue to lag those rosy projections from Governor Brad Henry and State Treasurer Scott Meacham months ago. Even Lottery Director Jim Scroggins has a hard time spinning the projected $123 million into the $150 to $300 million projections. Ticket sales lag despite the hype Scroggins and the Lottery Commission have devoted to winners and new variations designed to increase ticket sales.

Political People & Events

U. S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert will be in Oklahoma in late October as the featured attraction at a fundraiser for Republican congressional candidate Mary Fallin, TMRO has been told. Fallin, the current lieutenant governor, faces Democrat Dr. David Hunter in November. Hastert leads Republicans in Congress and reportedly will spend the final days of the campaign year helping GOP candidates considered likely winners.

Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will be in Bartlesville and Norman in October to raise money for the Oklahoma Republican Party. Huckabee, who is leaving office in January, will speak at two luncheon events where the tickets are $50 per person. He will be in Bartlesville on October 11th and in Norman on October 12th. For more information, contact jay@okgop.com. Huckabee's political activities outside Arkansas drew the attention of the Arkansas Times.

Istook Wins Right To Life Endorsement

Congressman Ernest Istook has been endorsed by the National Right to Life Committee in his quest to oust Democrat Brad Henry from the governor's office. Istook, with a 100 percent lifetime rating from the group, welcomed the endorsement and said it is important in a state where a majority of citizens value the right to life and oppose abortion.

Rasmussen Sees Senate Shift

Rasmussen Reports, national pollsters, regularly issues comments on what it perceives as the "balance of power" struggle in the United State Senate. Today, Rasmussen says it has seen a shift in that balance from Advantage Republicans 50-45 with 5 toss-up seats a week ago to Advantage Republicans by a single seat, 49-48 today.

This is not a paid advertisement. This is the Good Lord's idea of humor.

Political People & Events

A Senate Task Force on Illegal Immigration (see TMRO archives 9/16) is an admission by the Senate leadership of their mistake in killing illegal immigration reform proposals in the 2006 session of the Legislature, says State Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore. Terrill said, "the Senate is admitting their mistake by acknowledging the serious financial consequences of illegal immigration in Oklahoma. I expect the Senate task force to provide detailed proposals and work with me to abolish the magnets that lure illegal aliens to Oklahoma." Terrill has waged a fight to end taxpayer subsidies that he says reward illegal aliens here; he's also sought to penalize employers who knowingly hire illegals. Terrill said the task force meetings "cannot be considered a success unless the Senate develops concrete proposals to reduce the number of illegal aliens in Oklahoma." He said he will re-file his "Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act" that was killed by the Senate this year.

Oklahoma City pollster Chris Wilson, CEO of Wilson Research Strategies, is the featured speaker before the Oklahoma Business Ethics Consortium at the Tulsa County Medical Society (53rd and Lewis) from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on September 28th. Wilson's topic is, "Corporate Reputation & The Bottom Line." Wilson has conducted numerous public opinion surveys for candidates, companies, political organizations and news outlets. He specializes in developing information that allows clients to "burn through the clutter," the Consortium's announcement said. Wilson also was the keynote speaker Tuesday in Orlando, Florida for the National Beer Wholesalers Convention; he spoke about national attitudes toward the beer industry.

Good news for President Bush. A new USA Today/Gallup Poll finds his approval rating at its highest point in a year, 44 percent. This poll follows several others that noted an uptick in the president's approval rating following a series of speeches in which he vigorously defended the war on terror and the war in Iraq.

McCarville On 'Tailgate Political Hour'

Mike McCarville joins hosts Keith Gaddie and Kyle Loveless to talk politics on the "Tailgate Political Hour" on Oklahoma City radio station KTLR-AM 890 Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m. The show airs Monday through Thursday; plans call for expanding it to two hours. Gaddie is a professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma, pollster and pundit. Loveless operates Phoenix Consulting, working for Republican candidates for office. He formerly was on the staff of Congressman Ernest Istook. The show has a new website. McCarville was the afternoon drive host on KTOK-AM 1000 for 10 years and the station's program director; he resigned last year. He now broadcasts on Sirius Satellite Radio and the Internet for the National Rifle Association and is the spokesman for numerous businesses.

Jones Posts Rewards In Trailer Theft

A campaign trailer with Republican Gary Jones' name in 7-foot high letters disappeared over the weekend from behind a Tecumseh office building and Jones on Tuesday offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to its return and another $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the thief. Jones also said that if the trailer is returned, undamaged, within 72 hours, he will not pursue the theft with authorities. The $4,000 rolling billboard belongs to a friend of Jones; it was loaned to him for use in the campaign. The trailer has become a familiar fixture at parades. It apparently was stolen late Friday or early Saturday from the hometown of Jones' opponent, incumbent Democrat Jeff McMahan. McMahan said he and his wife saw the trailer behind the office building about 9 p.m. Friday night. He said he knows nothing about the theft. Jones said he won't speculate on who might have stolen the trailer, or whether the theft has a political motive: "You have to give people the benefit of the doubt. But it makes you wonder," he said.

The Nation Agrees: WE WERE ROBBED!

The nation agrees that the University of Oklahoma Sooners were robbed by bad officiating in the team's Saturday game with Oregon. America Online is conducting a poll and as of mid-morning on Tuesday, 71 percent said the referees are to blame for the loss and about 65 percent said the one-game suspension given the officiating crew as punishment is not punishment enough.

Vice President Cheney Campaigns In Maine For Legislative Candidates

Vice President Dick Cheney reportedly raised a huge sum, said to be more than $125,000, for Republican legislative candidates in Cape Elizabeth, Maine on Monday. His visit on behalf of Maine House and Senate candidates could give credence to rumors (see story below) that the vice president is being discussed as a possible Oklahoma guest to help Oklahoma candidates in key State Senate races. Photo courtesy The White House: Cheney at Portland (Maine) International Airport.

Oops! Hiett Email Asks Askins For Help

An email from House Speaker Todd Hiett seeking help, financial and otherwise, in his race for lieutenant governor also went to his opponent, Rep. Jari Askins, Duncan Democrat. The email from Hiett said, "I urgently need your financial support." The email was sent about the same time the Tulsa World reported that Hiett's campaign is broke, and apparently went to all Democrats in the House as well as Republicans. Word of the email came in an early Tuesday morning post on a Democrat chat board, www.demookie.com. No comment yet from Hiett's campaign coordinator, Sara Pawelka. Hiett thus far has spent about $1.3 million in his campaign; he ran first in the primary and defeated State Senator Scott Pruitt of Broken Arrow in the runoff.

Rove, Top Fundraiser, To Visit For Istook

Presidential adviser Karl Rove will be in Oklahoma City next month to campaign for Congressman Ernest Istook, who seeks to unseat incumbent Governor Brad Henry, Democrat who upset Republican Steve Largent four years ago.

Rove is one of the administration's top fundraisers. Thus far this election cycle, he has helped raise $10.4 million at 75 events.

The McCarville Report Online has been told Rove will headline an October 9th fundraiser, the goal of which is raise $500,000 for Istook's campaign. Istook's supporters say his underdog campaign can succeed if he has enough campaign money to drive home his issues, which include Henry's support of allowing in-state college tuition for illegal immigrants. Rove, perhaps the single most controversial figure in the Bush Administration, is a longtime friend of Oklahoma City pollster and Istook consultant Chris Wilson of Wilson Research Strategies; the two worked together in Austin, Texas in the mid-1990s when Wilson was executive director of the Texas Republican Party and President Bush was governor of Texas. Such trips by Rove are said to be rare; while he's been known to help congressional candidates, help for gubernatorial candidates apparently has been far less frequent.

Meanwhile, a campaign flier distributed by Istook on his recent county-by-county tour drew fire from Henry spokesman Paul Sund, who said it distorts Henry's record. An Istook spokesman said Henry can either "run for governor or run from his record."

Sooner Survey: Henry 59%, Istook 30%

Another survey, this one the Sooner Survey, shows Governor Brad Henry with a huge lead over Republican Ernest Istook in the governor's race. The survey found Henry at 59 percent, Istook at just 30 percent. Henry's favorable rating is pegged at about 70 percent. About a third of those polled said they've never heard of Istook. The survey also found that Istook has yet to consolidate even those who believe the state is headed in the wrong direction; he and Henry split that group about evenly. Survey analyst Pat McFerron said about a third of the 500 voters interviewed have no opinion of Istook; that could be altered by advertising and news coverage. McFerron said there should be a natural close in the race because Henry at present is strong in groups where Istook has a natural appeal: Conservatives and Republicans, where, remarkably, Henry is getting almost as much support as Istook. The poll was taken August 27-28.

UCO Conservative Activist Threatened With Arrest

A University of Central Oklahoma student and political activist has been threatened with arrest for trying to form a conservative club on campus, Cybercast News Service reports. The student, Travis Cleek, was told by campus law enforcement officers he could not recruit on campus without first gaining university approval. A spokeswoman for the Leadership Institute, which is helping Cleek form the club, questioned the university's requirements. Cleek said it sometimes appears conservative groups have more difficulty gaining approval than other groups. For complete details, click here.

Odom On Istook

State Democratic Party Vice Chairman Ben Odom, discussing the gubernatorial race on KTOK-AM 1000's "Mullins In The Morning" show, said this of Republican nominee Ernest Istook: "With the way Istook cares about the facts and truth, he ought to be a PAC 10 referee."

Do Republicans Plan 'October Surprise' In Quest To Take Control Of State Senate?

Oklahoma Republicans may have a series of October surprises in their quest to take control of the State Senate this year with help from a powerful source: The White House. A Washington source tells The McCarville Report Online that while plans are in the discussion stage and nothing apparently is yet firm, these events are possible to help GOP candidates in at least five Senate races where state party officials believe their candidates can win and thus give them control of the Senate:

(1) Recorded calls from President Bush; "robocalls" from the president were used to help Senator Mike Schulz win his contest with Democrat Robbie Kerr earlier this year, a win that took a seat away from Democrats. The seat had been held by Kerr's late husband, Robert Kerr. The calls seem the most likely to occur of what's being discussed.

(2) Possible fundraiser appearances by administration officials; the speculation ranges from presidential adviser Karl Rove to Vice President Cheney to others. The source said he doubts a visit by the vice president is in the works, "but this could be a historic win (Republicans taking control of the State Senate for the first time) and right now, the White House is looking for political wins. That's what gives wings to all this talk in the first place." However, with Rove scheduled into Oklahoma for Istook (see story this page), it seems unlikely he'd be back for any other reason.

(3) Possible visits by top GOP members of Congress. Again, the historic nature was cited as a reason for the interest when members of Congress might otherwise have little interest in campaigning for state legislative candidates.

There are six Senate races now on radar screens, one of them added recently because of the bitter end of the runoff for the Democratic nomination. That is the Senate District 16 race in Cleveland County, where Democratic nominee John Sparks has been accused of waging a nasty smear campaign to defeat runoff opponent Tim Emrich by just 76 votes. Emrich, after his loss, said he wasn't sure his supporters would support Sparks and some of them went public with a blast at Sparks. The Republican nominee is Ron Davis, a Purcell businessman. Party Chairman Tom Daxon said earlier the race was not considered a key one, but now "Ron Davis is putting himself in a position to win and he has the full support of the Oklahoma Republican Party."

The other five Senate races on the top of most lists are these: District 2, where Claremore businesswoman Ami Shaffer faces Democrat Sean Burrage, an attorney in outgoing Senator Stratton Taylor's law firm; District 12, where Rep. Brian Bingman of Sapulpa faces the Democrat he defeated for the House seat two years ago, John Young; District 18, where Republican Mark Wofford is challenging Senator Mary Easley in the Tulsa district; District 24, which stretches from Moore to Duncan, where Republican Anthony Sykes of Moore seeks to oust Democrat Daisy Lawler of Comanche; and District 26 in southwestern Oklahoma, where Republican Todd Russ is battling Democrat Tom Ivester in an open seat race.

A well-placed Oklahoma City source said he believes the Bush robocalls are possible, but doubts that any top administration officials will come into the state to actually campaign for the party's State Senate candidates.

Another Oklahoma City GOP consultant agreed that the Bush calls probably will happen, and possibly there will be recorded calls from others, but also doubted any officials will campaign in the state for the Senate candidates. "I've heard the talk, too, and I know the visits are on wish lists. I just don't think they will happen," the consultant said.

Hiett Out Of Money, Tulsa World Reports

Republican Todd Hiett's campaign for lieutenant governor is out of money at the most critical time of his general election campaign with Democrat Jari Askins, the Tulsa World's Mick Hinton reports. Hiett told Hinton his campaign is broke; Hiett spent $1.3 million in the primary and then in his runoff with State Senator Scott Pruitt, R-Broken Arrow. Word of Hiett's problem comes just as Askins begins a new round of television commercials (see story this page); she apparently has ample funds on hand, due in no small part to her own contributions. The latest (8/28) SurveyUSA poll for KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City found Askins at 48 percent, Hiett at 42 percent.

Askins Ties Campaign To Henry

Democrat Jari Askins is out with a new television commercial in her bid to become lieutenant governor that ties her campaign to that of Governor Brad Henry, seeking reelection. Askins' new spot says the lieutenant governor should be a "working partner" for the chief executive. Republican Mary Fallin is the current lieutenant governor. Askins faces House Speaker Todd Hiett in the November general election. Polls show Henry leading Republican Ernest Istook by a substantial margin and Democrats are hopeful the governor will provide coattails for its nominees. Askins obviously agrees.

Role Reversal: Waitress 'Tips' Istook

Congressman Ernest Istook's campaign for governor got a boost on his recent 13-county tour when waitress Bette Skaggs "tipped" him with a $100 donation to his campaign. Istook went into The Cactus Grill in Beaver to shake hands and encountered Skaggs, who said she had been impressed by his "morals and principles." The Republican, who has been a waitress at the restaurant for four years, said, "I was highly impressed" by Istook.

Keith Gaddie Takes Up Online Residence At Tailgate Politics Hour Site

Keith Gaddie, whose SoonerPolitics.com site has been a popular one, has moved his Internet presence to the new site of the KTLR-AM 890 talk show he co-hosts with Kyle Loveless, the Tailgate Political Hour. Gaddie, professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma, pollster, pundit and author, is a frequent face on television with poll results and political commentary.

Walters Says He's Raised $250K For Democrats

Former Governor David Walters, in a post on a Democratic chat board, says he and his wife, Rhonda, have raised more than $250,000 for Democratic candidates this year. Walters, governor from 1991 to 1995, did not seek reelection after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge to avoid prosecution on multiple felony counts tied to fundraising for his 1990 campaign. Walters now heads Walters Power International, a firm involved in power plant operations and installation worldwide. Walters last week held a fundraiser in his home for Pat Potts, party nominee in Senate District 40 against incumbent Republican Cliff Branan, elected in 2002. An event Tuesday night is for Jennifer Seal, candidate in House District 85 against Republican nominee David Dank, husband of out-going Rep. Odilia Dank.

Bush War Defense Boosts Approval Rating

President Bush's week-long defense of the war in Iraq apparently has prompted a boost in his approval rating, several national polls show. Rasmussen Reports issued its latest polling data today; it shows the president's approval rating at 44 percent, disapproval at 54 percent. That's an improvement of three percent since the beginning of the week. Fox News reported today its latest poll shows Bush's approval rating has improved by about five percent this week, while disapproval has dropped by that and more. Photo courtesy The White House.

Political People & Events

Corporation Commission Chairman Jeff Cloud has been named one of 24 Aspen-Rodel Fellows by the Aspen Institute in Washington. The Aspen-Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership program is headed by former Oklahoma City Congressman Mickey Edwards. It is designed to bring together emerging leaders to discuss public service and government. Edwards said those chosen are recognized for their thoughtfulness, intelligence, willingness to cross party lines "and their ability to remain focused on the ideals that had led them into public service in the first place." The Gallup Organization reports that a new poll finds most Americans believe Republicans are more friendly than Democrats to religion. About 70 percent of Republicans say they hold positive opinions of Jews, Methodists, Baptists and Catholics, while among Democrats it's about 50 percent. The divide becomes a huge gap when those in both parties were asked to evaluate evangelical and fundamentalist Christians; 63 percent of Republicans say they have a positive opinion and among Democrats, it was just 31 percent.

State Rep. Susan Winchester, R-Chickasha, has been named "Woman Of The Year" by The Journal Record in Oklahoma City.

Congressman John Sullivan, R-1st District, is being criticized by opponent Alan Gentges for what Gentges claims is the "old politics of fear" for comments about terrorists and the Mexican border. Gentges says Sullivan is offering theories as fact without any documentation and he challenged Sullivan to prove terrorists are offering $100,000 to those who can get them into the U. S. over the Mexico border.

The University of Oklahoma in Norman will be the site of a conference on biofuels on October 3-4. The Oklahoma Governor's Conference on Biofuels will feature former CIA Director James Woolsey, who will discuss the relationship between national security, dependence on foreign oil and the development of alternative transportation fuels. Other speakers will discuss agricultural feedstock development and refining technologies. Registration fee is $20. For more information, go to www.GrowOk.com or call 1-800-203-5494.

Voter registration for the general election is open until October 13th. Absentee ballot applications must be filed by November 1st for the November 7th election. The applications can be obtained from county election boards or at the Election Board's website, www.elections.state.ok.us.

Istook Takes The Gloves Off

Congressman Ernest Istook has released the first commercial attack of his gubernatorial contest against incumbent Democrat Governor Brad Henry and it is a radio spot with a direct assault on Henry's stand in favor of providing in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. Istook has made it plain the issue will be a major one in his underdog campaign to oust Henry from the office he won four years ago in an upset of Repubican Steve Largent.

Political People & Events

Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will be in Norman on Wednesday, October 11th, for a Republican Party fundraiser at the home of Bill and Jo Fowler. A reception at 6 p.m. will be followed by a BBQ dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets to the dinner are $75 per person. Tickets to the reception and dinner are $350. Sponsors of the event are paying $1,000 per couple and hosts are paying $2,500 per couple. For additional information, contact jay@gop.com.

A federal grand jury seated in Muskogee has indicted five individuals on criminal charges, ranging from sexual abuse of a minor to counterfeiting. No word on what is rumored to be a probe involving southeastern Oklahoma political figures.

A fundraiser for Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane will be held Tuesday evening (9/19) at the Oklahoma City home of former Mayor Kirk Humphreys and his wife, Danna. Fifteen sponsors are listed as $5,000 donors. Lane faces Democrat David Prater in November.

Bobby Cleveland, president of the Cleveland County Republican Luncheon Club, is in fair condition at Norman Regional Hospital after being hit by a pickup truck Thursday morning. Cleveland was walking near 108th Avenue and York Road in Norman about 8 a.m. when the truck struck him.

Congressman Dan Boren, D-2nd District, says he will list on his official website all "earmarks" that he obtains for his district. Given the controversy over special projects, also known as "pork barrel projects," Boren said he wants to highlight those that benefit citizens in his district.

All The Numbers Favor Burrage Over Shaffer In Senate District 2, But...

Democrat Sean Burrage has all the numbers working for him in his Senate District 2 race with Republican Ami Shaffer. Registration numbers in the district clearly favor Democrats, with 21,291 registrations compared to 15,096 Republicans and 3,326 Independents. Burrage's numbers in fundraising also seem to be working for him: He's raised $423,000 and spent about $88,300, his latest Ethics Commission filing shows. Shaffer's last report showed $58,600 raised (including a $10,000 loan from her) and expenditures of $47,136.

But.

Republicans have this seat, long held by term-limited Senator Stratton Taylor of Claremore, among their top possible pickups this year in their quest to take control of the Senate. Their optimism about the race is fueled by their enthusiasm for Shaffer, a 48-year-old co-partner in an investments firm. Party leaders say she's a dynamic candidate, well-spoken and attractive. "And she likes to work hard," said one operative with his ear to the ground. Shaffer won a 4-way primary with 65.36 percent of the vote. Her husband, Glenn, is pastor of the Church At Claremore. They were high school sweethearts and have been married 31 years.

Democrats say Burrage, at 38, is the ideal candidate for them this year. They say he's tuned in to local issues, works hard and has the Taylor network on his side. Burrage is an attorney, the law partner of Taylor. He was legal counsel to U. S. Senator David Boren in 1993-94 and when Boren became president of the University of Oklahoma, Burrage became OU's director of state and federal relations, a post he held until 1996. He's endorsed by liberal Kalyn Free's INDN's List.

Burrage's campaign finance reports show his major donors are mostly outside the district. John Shipman, a Texas businessman, gave him $2,500. An Oklahoma City attorney, Josh Welch, gave him the same amount. Arkansas attorney John Goodson and Texas attorney Cory Patterson each gave him $2,000. Atoka businessman Morris Cochran gave $1,500. Altus banker Ken Fergeson gave him $1,000, as did Texas attorney Michael Angelovich and Tulsa attorney David Guthery. Burrage's reports show he's spent $5,000 with media consultants, $2,500 for general consulting and $6,375 for "research."

Shaffer's major donor lives outside the district; he's Republican State Senator Mike Johnson of Kingfisher, who has donated $3,000. A Texas teacher, Paul Milligan, donated $1,500. Owasso real estate agent Gary Kirby gave $1,000, as did Ted Jones, Deretha Bell and Diane Dickinson, all of Claremore. Her expenditures have been for campaign materials.

Education and economic development have been talking points for both candidates. Shaffer favors more reform of the workers comp system and Burrage, a trial attorney, doesn't mention it.

Graphic courtesy KOCO-TV Eyewitness News Five.

Reynolds Criticizes Ethics Reports

State Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, told the Ethics Commission Thursday that some candidates are not properly reporting information on donors to their campaigns. Reynolds said his research found 2,000 donor entries left blank and 250 entries with "information requested" the only notation as to the complete identity of the donor. Reynolds asked the commission if those omissions constitute violations of the filing rules. The commission didn't take action, but Executive Director Marilyn Hughes said, "Sometimes it's intentional, and sometimes it's actually someone sending them a check that they've never heard from before." Reynolds said he believes the omissions are deliberate. Failure to include the required information on reports can result in fines for the candidates.

Spreading The Word

In The McCarville Report Online's first month of existence, the site has been accessed by Internet users in all 50 states and 17 foreign countries.

Is Mary Easley In Trouble? Henry Goes To Help

It's not been a race on many radar screens, but Democrat Senator Mary Easley of Tulsa's lackluster campaign apparently has some Democrats so concerned they recruited Governor Brad Henry to roll into Wagoner tonight to spearhead a fundraiser for her. Sources tell TMRO the alarm bells began going off in the Easley race about two weeks ago when the gains made by Republican challenger Mark Wofford began to become apparent. Wofford, GOP operatives say, is waging a "ground game" similar to the one that younger and more energetic Senator Mike Schulz used to upend Democrat Robbie Kerr in the Senate District 38 special election earlier this year. Kerr was the odds-on favorite, initially, to succeed her late husband, Robert Kerr, in the seat. Instead, Schulz pulled the upset, gaining a Democrat Senate seat for Republicans in what historically has been Democrat country. Some Democrats reportedly fear the same scenario could be at work in Easley's District 18 race against the much younger and energetic Wofford.

Morgan Freezes Repubs Out Of Immigration Study; Challenged Daisy Lawler Named Chair

Senate President Pro Tem Mike Morgan has taken the uncommon step of freezing Republican members of the Senate out of a special task force on illegal immigration issues and has named in-danger Senator Daisy Lawler, D-Comanche, to chair the group. Lawler is in a contested race with Republican Anthony Sykes of Moore; the race is one Republicans have on their list of possible pick-ups on what they hope will be their march to control of the Senate in this November's elections.

The move by Morgan may be intended to prop up Lawler's reelection bid in light of her vote to give illegal immigrants in-state tuition at Oklahoma colleges and universities. It is an issue Sykes has been using effectively against her, observers say. Lawler also was among Democrats who blocked Republican Senator Jim Williamson's immigration reform amendment (to House Bill 2634) that would have tabled a watered-down substitute amendment by Senator Kenneth Corn, D-District 4. She voted against tabling Corn's amendment, thus killing Williamson's amendment. Corn is among those Morgan named to the task force. Others are Senator Jim Wilson, D-District 3; Pat Fennell, executive director of the Hispanic Community Development Agency in Oklahoma City; Paul Hitch, Guymon rancher; and Verej Jazirvar, general manager of the Petroleum Club in Oklahoma City.

Political People & Events

State Rep. Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, has been named vice chairman of the Standing Committee on Health of the National Conference of State Legislatures. In the 2006 legislative session, Steele worked to advance historic legislation to replace the state's Medicaid program with a new patient empowerment system. Steele said the new system replaces one that was "one size fits all" with one that is tailored to each patient's needs.

The Oklahoma College Savings Task Force will hold its first meeting Friday at 1:30 p.m. in Room 511A at the Capitol. State Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, who authored the legislation creating the task force, said, "If we can get more families to save for children's college education, it will make a dramatic difference in the future prosperity of Oklahoma." The task force plans to work to increase the number of low-to-moderate income families that use a state savings account program and encourage parents to put larger deposits into those accounts.

KTOK Reports McClendon's Land Buys

Oklahoma City radio station KTOK-AM 1000 reports today that Aubrey McClendon, CEO of Chesapeake Energy, has spent $27 million buying up land in northern and northeastern Oklahoma County through his "Arcadia Farms LLC" entity. KTOK's Jerry Bohnen quotes McClendon as saying the purchases are being made for investment purposes. McClendon's latest purchase was a huge tract at Northwest 192nd and May Avenue. More details here.

Rinehart 'Is an idiot,' Whetsel Says

Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel says County Commissioner Brent Rinehart "is an idiot who does not understand budgeting." Whetsel's comment came after Rinehart questioned the expenditure of $203,000 in drug seizure money to purchase replacement vehicles for the Sheriff's Department. Whetsel proposes to buy 10 Dodge Chargers. Rinehart apparently isn't pleased by that prospect and indicated his displeasure. The two have disagreed on most issues. Whetsel is a Democrat, Rinehart a Republican.

Boren's Consultants Paid $235,800

Photo: Dan Boren with staff members opening his Claremore office. Congressman Dan Boren, D-2nd District, has paid a long list of fundraising and general consultants $235,800 in the 2005-06 election cycle, his Federal Election Commission campaign finance reports show. Elected in 2004, Boren in this cycle has raised $821,000, spent $395,000 and had $252,000 in cash on hand as of his last report, filed in July. He also made payments on a loan from First National Bank of Wewoka in the amount of $220,652 and repaid himself for loans to his 2004 campaign, a total of almost $200,000.

Boren lists payments to 10 general consultants or fundraising specialists. Topping the list is the Oklahoma City firm Michael Carrier Enterprises, paid $55,302 with another $8,000 paid to Carrier Marshall & Associates, the firm Mike Carrier formed with Chebon Marshall in January 2005. The first sum was an amount owed from Boren's 2004 campaign, Marshall said. Other payments went to Campaign Technology Professionals, $15,760; Hamilton Beattie & Staff, $7,500; Molly Allen Associates, $37,541; and Springer & Associates, $44,106. The last two are fundraising specialists. Boren paid Edmond fundraising consultant Bobby Stem $38,000 and Stem's Capitol Gains entity another $10,000. He paid Owen Shackelford of Norman $15,000; he's the executive director of the Oklahoma Senate Democratic Political Action Committee. He paid Ward Curtin of Oklahoma City $4,682; Curtin became the deputy director of Oklahoma Senate Democrats last January after serving as Boren's campaign field director and then political director. Boren paid $16,434 to the Devonshire Institute of Oklahoma City; that's an entity tied to Boren's former chief of staff, Pete Regan, who lost the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor to Jari Askins.

Boren faces Republican Patrick Miller of Snow in the general election. The seat is rated "Safe Democrat."

Tarrance Group: 61% Say Immigration 'Serious Problem'

A new nationwide survey by the Tarrance Group in Washington finds that 61 percent believe immigration is a serious problem Congress must address. Among Republicans, it is viewed as a serious problem by 75 percent; among Democrats 47 percent; among Independents 62 percent; among all those surveyed, 61 percent; and among swing voters 59 percent. Survey respondents look to Congress to solve the problem; 62 percent believe it is important that Congress act and Republicans and Democrats alike are blamed for the lack of immigration reform thus far. Immigration reform and the war in Iraq are rated top issues as the November general elections near.

Cole Campaign Consultants Paid $208,000

Congressman Tom Cole, R-4th District, has paid consultants to his campaign $208,019 this election cycle, Federal Election Commission records show.

Since January 1st, Cole's campaign has paid the consultants $47,149. Included are payments totaling $23,943 to Virginia-based Key & Associates headed by former Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman and political action committee/general fundraising expert Clinton Key. His firm's been paid $112,604 during the 2005-06 election cycle for fundraising. CMA Strategies of Oklahoma City, a firm headed by Cole's former partner in Cole Hargrave Snodgrass And Associates, has been paid $45,294 in the cycle and $9,000 this year. Sharon Hargrave Caldwell and Pat McFerron, survey research expert who conducts the "Sooner Survey" are principles. Others in firm include Jason Nelson, government relations specialist. A&O Advisory LLC of Oklahoma City has been paid $50,121 in the cycle and $14,206 this year for fundraising, Cole's campaign finance records show. A&O Advisory LLC is Aaron Curry, former fundraiser for the Oklahoma Republican House Political Action Committee.

Cole has raised $802,000 this cycle, spent $286,000 and has $903,000 on hand. In his 2004 campaign, Cole raised more than $1.1 million, spent $721,000 and ended with $387,000 in cash on hand. His November opponent is Democrat Hal Spake of Norman. The FEC does not show any reports filed by Spake.

Oklahomans Back War On Terror, War In Iraq

A new TvPoll for KWTV-Channel 9 in Oklahoma City shows Oklahomans support the conduct of the war on terror, believe the war on terror is a success and approve of the conduct of the war in Iraq. The poll was taken last week of a field that included 52 percent Democrats, 43 percent Republicans and 4.3 percent Independents. Almost 59 percent believe the war in Iraq is part of the war against terrorism, while 35 percent believe the two are separate. The poll found 64.6 percent approve of the war on terror, 50.5 percent believe that war is a success (30 percent said it's a failure and 19.3 percent were undecided), and 61 percent approve of the war in Iraq. Principles in TvPoll are Dr. Keith Gaddie and Bill Shapard. Photo: President Bush speaking about the war in Iraq from the Oval Office on Monday night.

Is State's Booming Economy A Boon To Henry?

Oklahoma's booming economy may be a boon to the reelection campaign of Governor Brad Henry, whose theme is "Oklahoma is on the move." Latest demonstration of the state's strong economy came Tuesday, when new revenue figures were announced. In August, state sales tax collections were $10 million over August of 2005. Gross production taxes were up as well. The continuing flood of cash into state coffers likely will play into Henry's campaign theme.

Couric's Ratings Fall

Katie Couric's honeymoon with viewers may be over. In her first few days on the air for CBS Evening News, Couric drew curious viewers. But new ratings show she's fallen from No. 1 last week to No. 3 this week. No word on how she's faring in Oklahoma City. Cartoon courtesy Media Research Center.

Speculation Swirls Around Muskogee Grand Jury

Note: Following our post of this story this morning, Republican Gary Jones, who seeks to unseat incumbent Democrat Jeff McMahan, auditor and inspector, posted on his website the mysterious assertion that soon, a "connection between Phipps and McMahan will be released."

Speculation swirling today about the direction a federal grand jury scheduled to convene in Muskogee tomorrow will take. Sources in McAlester say they are certain the grand jury will hear from witnesses connected to the business dealings of former State Senator Gene Stipe, but that could not be confirmed and federal prosecutors are silent. One McAlester attorney insists there is federal interest in an entity known as the "Rural Development Foundation" with an address the same as that listed for an abstract company owned by Stipe and Steve Phipps in Antlers. Earlier this year, Tulsa Today reported, "Several members of the Rural Development Foundation's board are also employees of Phipps/Stipe abstract companies including Pat Payne and Jeanette Lambert." David Arnett also reported that the foundation received a total of $700,000 from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry in 2004. The foundation was formed in 2002 and in 2003 was granted permission by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to draw 25 billion gallons of water per year from Lake Eufaula and convey it to communities in Creek, Lincoln, McIntosh, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Pottawatomie and Seminole counties.

Political People & Events

Republican Gary Jones, candidate for auditor and inspector, says incumbent Democrat Jeff McMahan has dodged him again, this time not appearing at a Canadian County candidate forum. Jones has challenged McMahan to debate "anytime, any place."

The "Tailgate Political Hour" with Kyle Loveless and Keith Gaddie airs today from 4 to 5 p.m. on KTLR-AM 890. Loveless is a Republican campaign consultant, Gaddie is a professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma and partner in TvPoll.com, which conducts polls for two Oklahoma City television stations. Today's guest is Democrat Russell Griffin of Hendricks Consulting. His clients include David Prater, seeking to unseat Republican Wes Lane as District Attorney. The hour also has a new site.

Hasting Wyman writes in his widely-read Southern Political Report that while the odds favor Governor Brad Henry in his campaign with Congressman Ernest Istook, Istook is "giving it the old college try." Wyman notes that Istook's recent 11-county tour seemed to draw more people than Henry's "modest crowds" on his "Oklahoma On The Move" tour.

Sources: Democrats Plan Attack On Fallin?

Washington and Oklahoma City sources tell The McCarville Report Online today that Democrat operatives are discussing a possible attack on Lt. Governor Mary Fallin, Republican nominee for Congress in the 5th District, within the next five weeks.

The attack likely won't come from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which does not list Fallin's race with Democrat Dr. David Hunter on its priority list, even though it does encourage donations to his campaign on its website. Two sources say they heard over the weekend of the planned assault on Fallin; it would focus, they say, on Fallin's divorce from Dr. Joe Fallin and the resignation of her Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper bodyguard for "unprofessional conduct" in 1998. The goal, one source speculated, probably is to "sully" Fallin's reputation at the national level, where the controversy is not well known, and thus diminish her effectiveness should she win.

In Oklahoma City, a consultant says he has heard the attack on Fallin is being encouraged by Frosty Troy, editor of the liberal Oklahoma Observer, and by those in the Oklahoma AFL-CIO; both Troy and the AFL-CIO have endorsed Hunter, a novice making his first political race. Fallin's work on behalf of right to work marked her as an organized labor target. Troy, who is paid by the National Education Association to make speeches to NEA audiences, has been hyper-critical of Fallin for years. The NEA also has endorsed Hunter. The consultant said organized labor might launch an attack on Fallin similar to the attack they launched against then-State Senator Dave Herbert, D-Midwest City, in 2002. Herbert voted for right to work and organized labor here targeted him for defeat. Herbert was defeated in the Democratic primary, losing to IBEW member and no-name Joe Smith; Smith then was defeated in the general election by Republican Cliff Aldridge.

Whether Hunter's Washington media consulting firm is involved is unknown. The Washington source said he doubts it, but he does note numerous "connections" that play into the attack scenario. The firm, LHKK Media, represents the DCCC, the NEA and some organized labor groups as well as other far-left entities. A vice president of the firm, Sarah Flowers, is an Oklahoman who previously worked for Congressman Brad Carson. She is listed as a "progressive issues specialist," "progressive" being the in-vogue alternative to "liberal."

Fallin's past has been the subject of numerous posts on the "Democrats of Oklahoma" chat board.

Enid Attorney Stephen Jones Tops Donor List

Enid attorney Stephen Jones, the Tulsa World reports, has donated more money this election year than any other, giving $73,600 to candidates. Jones donated $5,000 to Republican gubernatorial candidate Ernest Istook and donated also to four candidates for Congress in the 5th District: Mary Fallin, Mick Cornett, Fred Morgan and Bill Graves, who was in the race for a short time. Jones usually donates to Republicans, but he also gave $1,000 to Democrat Frank Shurden in his primary for labor commissioner and $500 to Senator Cal Hobson. Jones told the World he donated to Shurden because their families are both in the funeral home business and he gave to Hobson because of his work on behalf of education. Second-largest donor to campaigns and causes is Norman construction company owner Rodney Thornton, at $65,500; Devon Energy's honcho, Larry Nichols, at $62,500; lobbyist Andrew Skeith, at $59,500; and oilman George Krumme of Tulsa, $59,500.

Freedom Walk Marks 9/11 Victims Tribute

Monday's Freedom Walk in downtown Oklahoma City was a tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Event Chairman Renzi Stone said thousands made the walk, which began at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and ended at the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark's east parking lot. There, a concert featured The Great Divide and Luke Stricklin. Among the walkers were event co-chairmen Governor Brad Henry and former Governor Frank Keating. Stone said more than 3,100 walk t-shirts were distributed.

Lane Fundraiser Goal: $100,000

Republican District Attorney Wes Lane, facing the challenge of Democrat David Prater, hopes to raise $100,000 at a September 19th fundraiser in the home of former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys and his wife, Danna, in the Heritage Hills neighborhood. The couple is among 15 listed as members of the Host Committee with donations of $5,000 each. Other couples are listed as sponsors with donations of $1,000 each. Humphreys is chairman of Lane's reelection campaign. Listed as members of the Host Committee are Joseph and Claudia Atkinson, Mark and Dianne Beffort, Clay and Louise Bennett, Max and Debbie Fairchild, Josie Freede, David and Whitney Hooten, Terry and Sharon Hoskins, Ralph and Helen Mason, Ed and Kathy Martin, Aubrey and Katie McClendon, Angus and Jodi McQueen, Tom and Elizabeth Richards, Tom and Shree Ward and James and Jill Williams. Listed as sponsors are Tom and Kay Hill, Russell and Ranola Perry and Steve and NeAnn Trice. Attendees are asked to donate $500 per couple. An invitation notes, "Our campaign goal for this event is $100,000."

Political People & Events

Photo: Istook at a recent news conference opposing amnesty for illegals. Republican gubernatorial candidate Ernest Istook did not campaign in front of an Atoka manufacturing plant on Friday after city officials asked him to move the planned campaign stop. Istook wanted to stop at Ethan Allen Interiors, which faces the possible loss of 200 jobs. Istook said he wanted a first-hand assessment of the jobs being lost and accused Governor Brad Henry, whom he seeks to unseat, of slowing down and watering down "legislative efforts to improve our economy." Istook's press secretary, Derek Kern, said the plan was to point out that Henry "has to have an active role in not only bringing new jobs and better-paying jobs to Oklahoma but also keeping the ones that we have here." Paul Sund, Henry's communications director, said Istook tried to grandstand and seek "cheap political points. Trying to stage a campaign press conference at the plant site just days after workers were notified of the company's decision is disrespectful, exploitative and insensitive."

Insiders say we should be watching a federal grand jury that convenes in Muskogee on Wednesday; they claim federal prosecutors are curious about some events in McAlester that have not yet been made public.

U. S. Senator John McCain, R-Arizona, spoke at a Republican Party fundraising event in Oklahoma City Friday night. The possible 2008 presidential candidate said his first priority this year is helping Republicans maintain control of the U. S. House and Senate.

Former State Senator Ben Brown, now deputy commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, faces an independent investigator's probe of allegations he pressured the executive director of a nonprofit program to hire the Senate's sergeant at arms as a paid ghost employee. Brown denies the allegation and Bob Craig, the sergeant at arms, denies he was a ghost employee. The allegation came from Donna Woods Bauer, executive director of the Oklahoma Citizens Advocates for Recovery and Treatment Association. She told The Oklahoman she had filed a complaint against Brown and Craig. The department's board of directors voted to hire the investigator. The state multicounty grand jury unit in Attorney General Drew Edmondson's office also is investigating.

Poll Expert Dismisses Automated Poll Results

A nationally-recognized polling expert, Keith Nicholls of USA Polling Group at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, says that automated polls, or those taken via "robo calls" as opposed to live interviewers, "typically aren't worth the paper they're not written on." The accuracy of such polls is under discussion among some Oklahoma pollsters after Rasmussen Reports earlier this week issued a poll taken in the Oklahoma governor's race showing Governor Brad Henry at 54 percent and his challenger, Republican Congressman Ernest Istook, at 33 percent. One Oklahoma pollster told TMRO that such polls are "eschewed by most mainstream survey researchers." Some in Istook's camp were angered by release of the poll, which they said privately "is less than worthless." Other firms, notably SurveyUSA, use the "IVR," or automated, system of conducting polls. SurveyUSA conducts its Oklahoma polls for Oklahoma City television station KFOR-Channel 4. The firm claims it was "the most accurate polling firm during the presidential election...." Its August 28th poll in the governor's race had Henry at 60 percent and Istook at 34 percent. A new Oklahoma polling firm, TvPoll, also uses automated calls and notes that it does so, saying its methods meet those required by the American Association for Public Opinion Research. Nicholls said that USA Polling Group does not use the IVR system and "we do not believe such systems have any legitimate role to play in public opinion polling." He said his entity conducts only "person-to-person public opinion polls by telephone...." Nicholls said he spoke out because USA Polling Group sometimes is confused with SurveyUSA and "we have received numerous complaints demanding that we cease and desist." And he added, "We respond to each of these complaints, assuring the complainant that we are not to blame." The influence of Rasmussen Reports and SurveyUSA is considerable; both maintain heavily-trafficked websites. Rasmussen Reports claims 1.8 million daily page views.

TMRO Poll: Death For 2nd Time Child Predators

Child sexual predators with two convictions should be put to death, 52 percent of those voting in TMRO's online poll believe. Another 19 percent believe child sexual predators should be given maximum sentences with no probation and lifetime electronic monitoring. Life sentences for second-time offenders drew support from 13 percent. At 6 percent each were maximum sentences with no probation and chemical castration, and probation with counseling and electronic monitoring. Three percent voted for maximum sentences with no probation.

Did You Grow Up In A Small Town?

Yes, most of us did. And if you want to recollect some of those good old days, check out "Yet Another Small Town Moment." It is filled with small-town life stories, good humor, family and the slice-of-life moments that'll make you feel good.

Lack Of English Proficiency At Fairs Is 'A Rising Safety Concern,' Official Says

The inability to speak English by the operators of rides at Oklahoma fairs, particularly the State Fair of Oklahoma that begins this week, is "a rising safety concern," an Oklahoma Department of Labor official says. Don Hankins, senior amusement ride inspector, told a Capitol hearing that about 50 percent of the ride operators at the State Fair don't speak English. He said that in the "Kiddie Land" section, the percentage sometimes reaches 90 percent. He added that the number of operators unable to speak English is lower at the Tulsa State Fair and at county fairs. His comments were among many offered by those attending, including Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau. The hearing was held to discuss illegal immigration and its economic impact in Oklahoma, and on taxpayers. Several speakers said hard statistics are not available because of federal and state restrictions on the ability of program administrators to compile that data. Speaker after speaker said data is not available because their agencies are prohibited from checking whether those receiving a benefit, service or medical treatment are citizens of the United States. Among those participating in the hearing were Pat Fennell, Latino Community Development Agency; Jimmy Curry, president of the Oklahoma AFL-CIO; Don Schooler, Labor Department general counsel; Olly Olivas, member of the American GI Forum; Adrian Privett of the Carpenters Union; Steve Antosh, Shawnee businessman; Shirley Cox, Catholic Charities; Steve Merrill, retired U. S. Border Patrol agent; Carol Helm of Immigration Reform for Oklahoma Now; and Ed Romo of LULAC.

From Our Archives (8/25/06): Can Democrats Hold The State Senate?

Oklahoma's top political story of the year in Election Year 2006 could be the battle for control of the State Senate. Democrats now have the edge 26-22 (it was 25-23 before Senator Nancy Riley rolled from Republican to Democrat recently) and Republican Party officials remain optimistic they can win the three seats needed to take control. If they win two and wind up with a 24-24 tie, the election of Todd Hiett, Republican, as lieutenant governor would give them the effective majority, but the election of Democratic nominee Jari Askins would maintain control by Democrats. If Republicans win three, they take control no matter whom is elected lieutenant governor. In the coming weeks, TMRO will profile the top contested Senate races and what insiders and local political observers are saying about them. Comments or observations by TMRO readers are welcome. Republicans have never controlled the Senate, long dominated by Democrats who favor more state spending and embrace more liberal issues than their Republican colleagues. Term limits has changed the face of both the Senate and the House, sending many veterans in both parties to the sidelines. Some credit term limits with helping Republicans take control of the House in 2004; that, and the increasing GOP registration in districts that in years past had been dominated by Democrats. When I went to the Capitol as correspondent for The Tulsa Tribune (RIP) in 1967, Republicans were few and far between in the Legislature even though Republican Dewey F. Bartlett was governor and Republican G. T. Blankenship was attorney general. Bartlett left the Senate to become governor, Blankenship left the House to become attorney general. In those days, Republicans in the House and Senate together could meet in the governor's cloakroom without crowding. That's all changed and more changes may be ahead. Soon, we'll begin profiling the key Senate races. - Mike McCarville

New State Stamp Unveiled

The U. S. Postal Service has unveiled the new Oklahoma stamp. It shows a sunrise reaching toward a river and will go on sale on January 11th in connection with the Oklahoma Centennial celebration. The stamp is from a painting by Mike Larsen of Perkins. He said the sunrise is the one he and his wife watch every morning, but the river can be any river in the state.

KTLR Debuts 'Tailgate Political Hour' Today At 4 With State Rep. Mike Reynolds As Guest

Photo: State Rep. Mike Reynolds, District 91 Veteran Oklahoma political consultant Kyle Loveless (http://www.phnx-consulting.com) and University of Oklahoma professor of political science professor, pollster and pundit Keith Gaddie (http://www.soonerpolitics.com) will host a new, hour-long political call-in talk show on KTLR-AM 890 in Oklahoma City; the "Tailgate Political Hour" debuts Monday (9/11) from 4 to 5 p.m. with Republican State Rep. Mike Reynolds of District 91 in the hot seat. Plans include expanding the show to two hours next spring, on a Monday-Thursday schedule. Loveless said the station, owned by Tyler Media, provides the opportunity to present a "behind the scenes approach to the political landscape of Oklahoma. We are going to take on serious issues, but we are going to have some fun and make sure people don't take it too seriously. Being brutally fair and independent in our questioning and in our guests, I think people will enjoy a show that brings lively, thoughtful discussion to the debate. The 'Tailgate Political Hour' will bring back on a regular basis (Thursday afternoons) a legend in Oklahoma City talk radio, Mike McCarville, formerly of Open Mic Live on KTOK. He will be a regular guest and give his insight and discuss items on his The McCarville Report Online." The call-in number is 616-5509. Gaddie was a guest political expert on McCarville's radio show and then became a regular fill-in host on WKY before it became a Spanish music station. He is often quoted by the national media and has appeared on all the television networks. He's the author of numerous books and is a partner in TVPoll, a new Oklahoma entity formed with Bill Shapard.

Survey: Southern Baptists 'Most Political'

Churches are not likely to be involved in politics, a new study finds, but among those that are, Southern Baptist and Pentecostal churches are the most active. Facts & Trends Magazine, a publication of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, commissioned two surveys, one of almost 800 ministers, the other of about 1,200 church-goers. The goal was to determine the personal political views of each group and how appropriate they believe it is for churches to be involved in politics. The studies found that a key reason many churches are not involved in politics at all is because there's so little agreement among clergy and congregation as to what is an appropriate mix of religion and politics. The only type of political involvement deemed appropriate by a majority in each group is encouraging the congregation to vote. Sixty-five percent of pastors also believe it is appropriate to discuss issues like gay marriage, abortion and the war in Iraq from the pulpit, but only 47 percent of those in the congregation agree with that position. The surveys found the laity is more politically moderate than pastors, 38 percent describing themselves as conservative compared to 62 percent for pastors. Among Southern Baptist laity, the studies found, 47 percent are conservative, 39 percent moderate and 14 percent liberal. Eighty-six percent of Southern Baptist pastors are conservative. Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research, the firm that conducted the studies, said they show, "There is virtually no consensus among either clergy or laity as to what is appropriate for a church to do, beyond general agreement that it's OK to encourage people to vote, but not a great idea to have political candidates speak in the church."

TMRO Book Club Best Buy

History buffs, especially those interested in the Civil War, will want to jump on Bruce Catton's The American Heritage New History of The Civil War, now selling at Barnes & Noble for a fraction (about 20 percent) of its initial $50 price. This book has been widely reviewed and praised. Most readers give it the maximum rating of five stars. Get your own copy by clicking on the book image on the right side of this page below the poll question.

Rasmussen Poll: Henry 54%, Istook 33%

A new Rasmussen Reports poll in the Oklahoma governor's race found Governor Brad Henry at 54 percent and Republican Congressman Ernest Istook at 33 percent. Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm that specializes in the distribution of public opinion polling information. Some in the survey research business dismiss its findings as being unreliable because it is done via "robo calls" and not by live interviewers. Nonetheless, RR says it found Henry drawing support from 83 percent of Democrats and 27 percent of Republicans. It also found 29 percent have a "very favorable" opinion of Henry, while Istook is at 24 percent. Henry had 7 percent "unfavorable" and Istook had 18 percent. The poll also found that President Bush drew the support of 59 percent when it comes to handling national security and Iraq, and 56 percent on the economy. This poll was conducted August 15 of 500 adults, with the sampling error plus or minus 4.5 percent.

Lane, Prater Pay Consultants $83,373

Consultants to the campaigns of Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane and his challenger, Democrat David Prater, have been paid $83,373 this year, their Ethics Commission financial reports show. The sums, 30 percent of the total the two have raised, appear to include some printing and polling; the listings are non-specific. Republican Lane, seeking reelection, spent $43,829 on consulting fees, including survey research with Wilson Research Strategies of Oklahoma City. Prater spent $39,544 in payments to consultant Don Hoover, and to Hendricks & Associates Consulting; that firm lists itself as specializing in "progressive politics," the in-vogue label for "liberal politics." Principals in the firm are Jeremy Hendricks, Robert Blunt and Russell Griffin. Lane's report filed for the period that ended August 7th show he had raised about $175,000 and spent just under $80,000 as of that time. Prater had raised just over $98,000 and spent almost $65,000. Prater is a former police officer and assistant district attorney.

10 Political Figures I'd Want Watching My Back...And Why: G. T. Blankenship

Photo: G. T. Blankenship, 1967 By Mike McCarville ~ Previously in this series: Democrat Gerald Adams. Today: G. T. Blankenship. Republican. Philanthropist, investor, banker, attorney, oil and gas royalty owner. Previous: Oklahoma House of Representatives, 1961-1967; Oklahoma Attorney General, 1967-1971; Candidate for the Republican nomination for Congress, 5th District, 1976. So close, yet so far. It was election night in the 1976 Republican primary for Congress in the 5th District. Blankenship, who had been 20+ percent behind Mickey Edwards earlier in the campaign, was just a few votes shy of forcing Edwards into a runoff. It was so close I remained at the campaign headquarters hoping for a magic precinct or two, or a counting error somewhere, as my candidate and his wife were left twirling at his watch party, as uncertain as I was about the outcome. As the manager of Blankenship's campaign, I knew the odds of changing the outcome through a recount were remote; however, we filed for the recount. Edwards' victory was confirmed. Blankenship and his wife, Libby, had poured their hearts into the campaign and their disappointment in the outcome was profound. "George Tony," as some of us called him, does not suffer defeat easily. Winners never do. Despite their disappointment, G. T. and Libby performed a thoughtful act of kindness for me that while I'll not detail it here, resonates as among my life's fondest moments.

"Once I understood failure as a part of the road to success, I became more assertive...and thus more decisive." ~ Three-time Indianapolis 500 Winner Bobby Unser, in his book, Winners Are Driven.

Whether one's destiny is predetermined, or orchestrated by events, G. T. and Libby Blankenship emerged from that unsuccessful 1976 congressional race as winners. Had G. T. been elected to Congress, there's no doubt in my mind his would have been an illustrious career marked by his love of Oklahoma and his country, by his character, his steadfastness and his integrity. But in the 30 years since, G. T. and Libby have done more for Oklahoma as private citizens than ever could have been accomplished in Congress.

G. T. and Libby Warren of Tulsa married after they graduated from their beloved University of Oklahoma in 1951. Three years later, G. T. earned his law degree at OU and entered the U. S. Air Force. Following his military service, he hung out his law shingle. He was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1960, 1962 and 1964 and became minority floor leader. His role in uncovering the Oklahoma Supreme Court scandal propelled him to statewide prominence. The details can be found in Justice For Sale, the book by Supreme Court Justice William A. Berry and James E. Alexander. Two citations from the book: Justice Berry recalled, in a secret Sunday meeting at his home, showing G. T. the document that would begin the unraveling of the scandal and asked him to take personal privilege on the floor of the House to make it public. G. T. immediately agreed to do so. "G. T.," Berry said, "this takes a tremendous amount of courage on your part." Libby, Justice Berry wrote, "expressed vehement opposition to her husband's involvement. 'You don't know what these people will do to you,' she said. G. T. replied, 'I know, but one of the reasons you run for public office is to perform a service that needs to be accomplished.'"

In 1966, G.T. ran for attorney general and, with Dewey F. Bartlett at the top of the ticket, was elected as the state's first (and only) Republican attorney general. In 1970, Democrat David Hall defeated Bartlett in his bid for reelection, popular Democrat Lt. Governor George Nigh led the ticket and defeated (now U. S. District Judge) State Rep. Ralph Thompson for lieutenant governor and energetic young attorney Larry Derryberry rode the Democrat wave to defeat Blankenship for attorney general.

"It is not whether you get knocked down; it is whether you get up." ~ Vince Lombardi

Ever the entrepreneur, G. T. formed Nichols Hills Bank and it opened its doors at Northwest 63rd and Avondale in 1975. I was one of its first customers. The bank later was sold and in 1996, G. T. and others formed the Bank of Nichols Hills, of which he is chairman emeritus. I am a customer. Initially, BONH had one location; today, it has three and has plans to construct a larger facility on North Western. Two of the officers of BONH, including President Terry Stradal and Senior Vice President Bruce Kahoe, were officers in the original Nichols Hills Bank (as was retired BONH President Ken Lawton), their association with G. T. now at or near the 30-year mark. Rare, indeed.

There can be no more fervent supporter of all things-University of Oklahoma than G. T. Blankenship, unless it is Libby. His office walls are adorned with paintings of memorable moments in Sooner football. In 1990, Governor Henry Bellmon appointed G. T. to the OU Board of Regents. I am certain his joy was profound. He served for 14 years (having been reappointed by Governor Frank Keating), was chairman and helped bring U. S. Senator David Boren to OU as its president.

One can now drive on G. T. Blankenship Boulevard near the OU campus. There's a G. T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty at OU. In Oklahoma City, the footprints of G. T. and Libby Blankenship are everywhere. Board of directors, the Oklahoma Heritage Association. Board of directors, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. Board of trustees, Dean A. McGee Eye Institute's Oklahoma Eye Foundation. Board of directors, Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation. Chairman of the Epworth Villa Dementia Care Facility fundraising campaign. Donors to the Chesapeake Boat House on the Canadian River in South Bricktown. Donors to the Oklahoma History Center. Members of the Founder's Society of the Oklahoma City National Memorial. There's the G. T. Blankenship Chair in Alzheimers and Aging Research at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. G. T. and Libby are members of the Signum Fidei Society at Bishop McGuiness High School in recognition of their substantial donation to the school. They donated a considerable sum to Oklahoma City University. At the State Capitol, there hangs a painting that shows Oklahoma's beginning after the 1889 Land Run; G. T. and Libby paid for it.

Former Oklahoma Republican Party worker and political consultant (and administrative assistant to the late U. S. Senator Dewey F. Bartlett) Don V. Cogman, now president of CC Investments in Scottsdale, AZ after a distinguished 20+year career heading top public affairs companies in Washington and New York, recalls that G. T. "was always a team player...could always be counted on for support and active participation. Here was a person who didn't need to be involved at all but had a great sense of public service." Ponca City native Cogman, also an OU graduate, is a member of the Board of Visitors of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communications at OU.

G. T. Blankenship was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2001.

There are cynics who distrust any politician or candidate; they believe that politics is somehow dirty and nasty and everyone involved is "on the take." Those cynics are wrong. Our political system is, by and large, filled with honest men and women of integrity with a genuine desire to serve. Egos? Yes. Strong opinions? Obviously. Public service is a noble endeavor, but it is not always accomplished via the ballot box. G. T. Blankenship served via the ballot box and in the 35 years since he left elective office, he's proven that "private" public service is equally as noble as elective office can be. G. T.'s friends and business associates will tell you he's "the real deal." That's their way of joining me in saying that in a pinch, when the going gets tough, when the bombs are going off, when the dam breaks, when the bullets are flying, when there's a challenge to be met and overcome, we'd want him in the foxhole with us, watching our backs.

Next: Robert Butkin.

Viewers Comment On TMRO

Brian: "Looks great." Gorilla: "Great news. Congrats." Rotunda Cruiser: "Looks great!!!" JB: "Great job." Anonymous: "Love the site! I used the PayPal Subscribe deal to sign up." ProPol: "Wow...the talk of the town! Fantastic site...great insight. Enjoy the caricature portraits." Sharon: "I love the email alerts. We're all so excited about your new format." Dana: "Thank you for your great insights." Jim: "Glad to have you back." Anonymous: "Your profile of Gerald Adams was stunning; extremely well done." Terry: "Very nice article on G. T. (Blankenship). He is a very good and honorable man." SA: "I know Mr. Blankenship through his work with us (charity). I had no idea of the courage he displayed in the Supreme Court scandal and wasn't aware that he was a candidate for Congress. Yours is a marvelous character study of a fine man. Very well done." Carl: "You already have redefined political coverage in Oklahoma. Salute!" DE: "I hated you when you went after (Republican) State Treasurer Claudette Henry years ago. But you were right. She was a disgrace, and you proved it. Sign me back up."

Fred Harris: Why I Beat Bud Wilkinson In '64

Former Oklahoma U. S. Senator Fred R. Harris, now a novelist and emeritus professor of political science at the University of New Mexico, says he defeated popular former University of Oklahoma football coach Bud Wilkinson in their 1964 race because Wilkinson's "understanding of government was really rather shallow." Harris made the comment in an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The article focuses on pro football star Lynn Swann's campaign for governor and how name recognition has propelled him. "In terms of visibility, Mr. Swann may be on equal footing with the governor (Ed Rendell). But former U. S. Senator Fred Harris, the man who defeated Bud Wilkinson in Oklahoma, says name recognition alone cannot carry a sports figure in a statewide election." Harris said Wilkinson was "a strong right-winger, almost a Bircher. He started giving speeches about why Rome fell, and said it was because the people got hooked on welfare. I said I'd done my own research and found that Rome fell because people got too carried away with sports and gladiators in arenas. It was kind of bad history, but no worse than Wilkinson's." The article notes that Wilkinson integrated the OU football team by giving a scholarship to Prentice Gautt and during the campaign, Gautt toured black neighborhoods to support Wilkinson. Then, Harris said, Wilkinson had South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond, a staunch segregationist, campaign for him. Harris said, "He brought in the strongest racist in the Senate when the polls showed we were splitting the black vote 50-50. By the end I was getting nine of every 10 of those votes." Harris said he backed President Lyndon Johnson and challenged Wilkinson to disclose his choice for president. Wilkinson endorsed Barry Goldwater. Johnson beat Goldwater in Oklahoma by 107,000 votes and Harris beat Wilkinson by 21,000 votes.

Terrill Urges Illegal Worker Monitoring

State Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, wants the Oklahoma Department of Labor to monitor the citizenship status of workers. He said such monitoring would ensure that businesses don't violate state and federal labor laws by knowingly or willfully employing illegal aliens. He said illegal aliens "will not come to or stay in Oklahoma if there are no jobs available for them." Terrill proposes to verify an employee's citizenship status through a federal database and companies that failed to make a good-faith effort to verify the legal status of employees would face state criminal and civil penalties. The Department of Labor would be responsible for assessing graduated financial penalties against employers. Fines collected would be deposited into a revolving fund to reinvested in employer-related immigration compliance efforts. If an illegal alien obtained benefits or services of any kind, the employer would be required to repay the cost of those services to state agencies and private businesses through a separate civil remedy including, but not limited to, tax liens and wage garnishments.

Henry Volunteers Swarm Henryetta Parade Crowd

Volunteers for Governor Brad Henry's reelection campaign swarmed Monday's Labor Day Parade in Henryetta, Republican campaign consultant Ron Black reports on his website. Black, now director of communications for Republican Gary Jones' campaign for auditor and inspector, said he spotted at least 75 Henry volunteers working the crowd in the heavily-Democratic community.

Istook Conducts 11-County Tour, Hits Henry On Benefits For Illegals

Congressman Ernest Istook completed a 3-day, 11-county tour last week, emphasizing at every stop his support for the repeal of Governor Brad Henry's "policies that give special taxpayer funded benefits like in-state tuition and college grants to illegal immigrants." Istook said that as governor, he would make English the official language. Istook prefaced his tour by joining House Speaker Todd Hiett, GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, and Senator Mike Schulz, in Altus on Thursday. Istook said he'll hit all 77 counties in the course of the campaign. Istook hit Boise City, Guymon, Beaver (lunch at the Cactus Grill), Buffalo, Gage, Shattuck and Weatherford on Friday; they attended the Weatherford-Clinton high schools football game Friday night. Saturday, he and wife Judy moved on to Hinton and Yukon (Sid's Diner, Bad Brad's) and ended up in Norman for the University of Oklahoma football game; they are pictured here surrounded by volunteers just before the game.

Who Is Mike Pence And Why Should We Be Watching This Indiana Congressman?

Photo: Congressman Mike Pence (right) with Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff at the U. S.-Mexico border. ~ Mike Pence has only been in Congress for six years, but the Indiana Republican from the 6th District has established himself as a conservative force and a possible dark horse contender for the GOP nomination for president in 2008. "Dark horse" aptly describes Pence, whose name won't resonate with most Oklahoma Republicans and, probably, with few insiders. Why is attention being focused on Pence? The Washington Post recently described him as "a new face on conservatism," and that piece certainly kicked his prominence up several notches, putting his name on the watch list for national columnists, publications and, most likely, the television networks. Syndicated columnist George Will described his brand of conservatism as the "wave of the future." US News & World Report described him as "a powerful force." Pence also has become fairly high profile to some insiders and politician-watchers through his work as chairman of the House Republican Study Committee and as a member of the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. The attention prompted Pence's supporters to launch a website, Mike Pence For President 2008.

Pence has a Tom Coburn-like approach to pork barrel spending; he's working with other conservatives in the House to cut spending everywhere he finds it and some say he brings a religious fervor to the subject. Editorial cartoonists have him holding a "REPENT!" sign outside an "Overspender's Bar." His zeal has earned him the total support of the powerful and influential group, Club For Growth, that helped fuel Coburn's successful run for the U. S. Senate and whose supporters across the country donated thousands of dollars to help Coburn. For his efforts to cut spending, Pence was honored by Human Events as its "Man of the Year" last December.

Pence's story is an interesting one. He's the grandson of an immigrant Irish bus driver whose father was a Republican, mother a Democrat. He, too, was a Democrat and in 1975, was Youth Democratic Party Coordinator in his county. Inspired, he writes, by the policies and personality of Ronald Reagan, he switched to the Republican Party. He ran, unsuccessfully, for Congress in 1988 and again in 1990 and then spent time as head of a conservative think tank, the Indiana Policy Review Foundation. He then turned to talk radio, where he enjoyed huge success as the host of his own show. Within a short time, the show was syndicated across the entire state of Indiana and he became the darling of conservatives there. That popularity helped as he launched his campaign for Congress in 2000, and he won. He was reelected in 2002 and 2004 (67 percent of the vote) and is on the ballot again this year.

Pence, 47, is known as an excellent networker; he is a remarkable conversationalist and communicator, most say, and comes across as the guy next door you'd like to have coffee with. Like some smart members of Congress, Pence keeps his family (wife Karen, three children) close to him. When Congress is not in session, they reside in Indiana and when Congress is in session, they live in Arlington, Virginia.

Pence has an Oklahoma connection in pollster and consultant Chris Wilson of Wilson Research Strategies of Oklahoma City, who counts Pence as one of his prominent clients.

Keep your eye on Pence as the run-up to the Republican race for president begins in earnest after this fall's elections.

Consultant Fees Flow In Case, Graves, Holland Campaigns

Consultants have been paid more than $65,000 this year in the campaigns of Republican Bill Case and Democrats Cody Graves and Kim Holland. Graves seeks to oust Republican Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony and Holland seeks to retain the insurance commissioner's post to which Governor Brad Henry appointed her. Graves' Ethics Commission report, showing financial data to August 7th, shows he's paid consultants $21,725 this year, including $12,000 listed on his current report. He's raised $99,000 and spent $39,000. Anthony has raised $340,000-plus and spent just $37,700; he shows no consultant payments. Holland's report shows she's paid consultants about $33,350, with $9,000 in the current reporting period. She's raised $461,400 and spent $158,900. Her opponent, Case, has raised only $51,500 and spent almost all of it, $48,200. He paid his consultant $1,000 in the reporting period and has spent $10,000 in consultant fees since January.

Henry Airs New TV Spot

Governor Brad Henry's reelection campaign began airing a new TV spot on Labor Day, this one featuring his daughters talking about his desire to improve education in the state. The "warm and fuzzy" spot follows Henry's initial spot, which focused on the state's fiscal crisis when he took office and claims that because of his leadership, the crisis is past and the state's Rainy Day Fund is full. Henry's opponent, Republican Congressman Ernest Istook, hasn't been seen on television yet; he has, however, spent $100,000 on television buys based on his latest Ethics Commission report. Henry's reports show he spent $48,000 on television buys through August 7th.

RIED Report Lists Top Pro-Business Legislators

Oklahoma's Research Institute for Economic Development (RIED) is out with its annual report card measuring how legislators vote on business, jobs and economic growth issues as selected by RIED officials. Eight legislators, four each in the House and Senate, received perfect scores. They are House members Todd Hiett of Kellyville, Susan Winchester of Chickasha, Lance Cargill of Harrah and Brian Bingman of Sapulpa. All are Republicans. In the Senate, those with perfect scores are Cliff Branan of Oklahoma City, Clark Jolley of Edmond, Mike Mazzei of Tulsa and Ted Fisher of Sapulpa, the lone Democrat. At the bottom of the rankings are State Rep. Opio Toure, D-Oklahoma City, with a score of zero, and Senator Stratton Taylor, D-Claremore, with a score of 37. RIED President Vince Robison said the Legislature as a whole has improved on business issues since RIED began issuing annual reports in 1999. "We started in with this report on the Legislature in 1999, and it was 39 percent business positive," he said. "This last year it was 75 percent.... We're learning that the Oklahoma Legislature is becoming much more attuned to economic development and growth issues than they have been in the past."

Cole Says Henry Tough Opponent For Istook

Congressman Tom Cole said Sunday on KFOR-TV's "Flash Point" that Governor Brad Henry is a tough opponent for Congressman Ernest Istook. In so many words, Cole said Istook's battle to defeat the incumbent governor is an uphill one. Cole said Henry has "genuine assets" as governor and he cited Henry's incumbency and ability to raise money. He said Istook is "an excellent candidate" who will "go after Governor Henry" and is a "formidable opponent" that Henry and his staff don't take lightly. Cole said, "We (Republicans) don't win governor's races easily," noting the state has had just three GOP governors: Henry Bellmon, Dewey F. Bartlett and Frank Keating. Cole was questioned on a range of issues by Linda Cavanaugh, Burns Hargis and Mike Turpen. Cole said the Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision to toss out the Taxpayers Bill of Rights initiative petition will have an impact in November; he said had the TABOR question been on the ballot, it "would have helped Republicans" because conservatives would want to vote for the tax and spending limitations embraced in TABOR. Cole defended the war in Iraq; he's been there numerous times. Cole also said that Iraq will be "a dominant issue" nationwide in congressional elections. He said he believes the U. S. Senate will remain in GOP hands, but the U. S. House is "very much in play."

OSU, OU Open With Wins

The Oklahoma State University Cowboys booted Missouri State 52-10 and the University of Oklahoma Sooners held on to defeat the University of Alabama-Birmingham 24-17 in Saturday night games. (Does anyone like the new "nameless" OU jerseys?)

Weekend Portrait: Senator Mike Morgan In His New Job

The lame duck Senate President Pro Tem, who shot his foot off by dragging his feet on a budget agreement after Governor Brad Henry and House Speaker Todd Hiett reached a compromise agreement, is shown here in his next job as a small-town Wal-Mart greeter.

Ben Brown Placed On Administrative Leave Pending Results Of Probe Into Allegations

Former State Senator Ben Brown, now a deputy commissioner in the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of an investigation into allegations he pressured a nonprofit group into hiring as a ghost employee the State Senate's sergeant-at-arms, Bob Craig. Brown has been under scrutiny since mid-August, when The Oklahoman's Randy Ellis reported the allegations, which involve the Oklahoma Citizens Advocates for Recovery and Treatment Association. That group's executive director, Donna Woods Bauer, told Ellis she caved in to pressure from Brown to hire Craig because her group depends on the Department of Mental Health for its funding.

Blog Profiles McCarville

Western Wisdom, a conservative blog, has profiled TMRO Editor Mike McCarville. The profile focuses on TMRO's series "10 Political Figures I'd Want Watching My Back...And Why" that began September 1st with a profile of Governor Brad Henry's chief of staff, Democrat Gerald Adams.

Rice, Gingrich Top TMRO Poll

U. S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice won TMRO's online poll of Republican presidential possibles with 38 percent. Second was former U. S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, with 31 percent. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani finished with 13 percent, while U. S. Senator John McCain had 8 percent, Colin Powell had 7 percent and U. S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist had 3 percent.

Nichols Says Rumor Is Just That: He's Staying

State Senator Jonathan Nichols, Norman Republican, said today the rumors he's about to resign are just that...rumors. Nichols said in a prepared statement that he is not resigning from the Senate, plans to seek reelection in 2008 and plans on being in the Republican majority after this fall's elections. Rumors have swirled for weeks that Nichols was in line for a federal or state legal appointment.

10 Political Figures I'd Want Watching My Back...And Why: Gerald Adams

Photo: Gerald Adams, at far right with clipboard, in the House Gallery with First Lady Kim Henry during Governor Henry's State of the State address. By Mike McCarville ~ Some say they are the ones they'd want in a foxhole with them when the shooting starts. To me, it is the individuals I'd want watching my back in any kind of peril or stress. However we describe them, they are those who have our absolute confidence and trust. In my case, a lifetime (40+ years!) around Oklahoma politics and government, and those who toil in both arenas, has resulted in friendships not forgotten with the passage of time. Beginning here, and for the next 10 days or so, I'll share the names (in alphabetical order) of those "10 Political Figures I'd Want Watching My Back...And Why." There are others for whom I have the same degree of confidence; many of them are not directly involved in politics, and some of them are not well-known while others are. Surely you have those you'd trust to watch your back; if so, and you want to share their names and the reasons why, log on to the "Comments" section below and share your story with us. The more, the merrier.

Gerald Adams. Democrat. Chief of staff, Governor Brad Henry, 2003-Present. Spokesman for three attorneys general, Robert Henry, Susan Loving, Drew Edmondson 1986-2001. Previous: Shawnee News Star, Oklahoma Baptist University, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. I've known Gerald Adams for almost 20 years. The road to prominence in Oklahoma politics and government often rests in that oldest of things, long-standing personal relationships. Gerald's residence in Shawnee put him in early close proximity to Robert Henry and when Henry ran for attorney general, Gerald managed his campaign. When Henry was elected attorney general, Gerald became his spokesman. Today, 20 years later, Gerald is chief of staff to Henry's cousin, Governor Brad Henry, another friend of many years dating back to Shawnee High School days. That Gerald lasted 15 years in the attorney general's office through three occupants (unheard of!) is testimony to his professional expertise, networking abilities and solid character. While I'd known Gerald before 1991, it was then that I developed a new respect for him. Remember that year: Neva Hill and I, as publishers of The McCarville-Hill Report, began examining the campaign contributions of newly-elected Governor David Walters, and recall also that Neva and I were deeply involved in the campaign of the man Walters defeated, Republican Bill Price. So we had a partisan side going in. But because we'd been involved in that campaign, we knew something didn't look right about Walters' list of campaign donors. I obtained a mail program, generally used for direct mail, and used it to input the hundreds of Walters' donors. We then sorted those donors by last name and then, by zip code. The story began to tell itself. Working with KOCO-TV Investigative Reporter Terri Watkins and KTOK News Director/Investigative Reporter Jerry Bohnen, we began making discoveries that soon had agents of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Criminal Division of the Internal Revenue Service, and others, knocking on our door. The Oklahoman's investigative team (Nolan Clay, Robby Trammel) charged into the story as well. Long story short: Walters copped a plea to a misdemeanor charge, thus avoiding the felony charges he faced for campaign donation violations. Then-Attorney General Susan Loving was in charge of the multi-county grand jury investigation. It was a tense time; repeatedly, we had doors slammed in our faces as we tried to determine how contributions were made to Walters, where the money really came from, and what rewards, if any, awaited the donors. My life was threatened. Walters once held a news conference to describe me, and Neva, as "political terrorists." It is a label I treasure today. As we continued to dig into those donations, we had a million questions and tried to pry answers out of almost anyone. Gerald, as Loving's spokesman, became the point of many of my questions. Ponder the circumstances: Here's this Republican gun-for-hire (me) going after a Democrat governor asking questions of a Democrat in a Democrat attorney general's office, an AG appointed by the very man about whom I was asking serious questions. Gerald at first wouldn't give me the time of day. As the days passed and I continued to pester him with questions, he began to realize, I later learned, that I was more than just a partisan hack; I was a reporter at heart who was asking questions about what looked like "a real deal." Often, my questions were contentious. Sometimes, I was in a room with two other reporters, firing questions at Gerald about the investigation. Sometimes, I'd track him down late at night at home and badger him with new questions. Gerald never was a source of any information about Walters' donations. He was candid, however, in saying what he could about the status of the investigation. Once that investigation really began to roll, and it was obvious Walters was in serious trouble, the answers came more freely, although still guarded. Late one night near the end, in the midst of an especially contentious conversation (I'd called him at home), we were yelling at each other. For some reason, I started laughing and said, "I love you, man, even if you won't tell me anything." Gerald laughed as well. Later, I realized the pressure I'd put on this guy for months and how he'd always reacted with grace and professionalism no matter how distasteful he found my sometimes rude and pointed questions, and the whole episode. In the years since, I've had occasion to think of those days, and Gerald, often, and when I began thinking about the political figures I've encountered over the years and what I admire about them, his was the first name into my mind. I know Susan Loving felt this way, and I'm equally certain Robert Henry and Drew Edmondson feel the same way, as does Governor Henry: When the stress level gets high, when the bullets are flying, when the pressure's on...I want Gerald Adams to be one of those watching my back.

Next: G. T. Blankenship