Tribal Membership Controversy Motives Examined

Native American tribes, including the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, are in the midst of controversies over who are, and are not, members of the tribes. The controversies, it is reported, bring into question the motives of those who want to exclude some as members, and in some states, tribal casino gaming revenues are alleged to be behind the moves.

In Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation has an upcoming vote that could remove more than a thousand of its present 260,000 members.

Nationwide, there are 561 federally-recognized tribes with 1.9 million members. The tribes own 406 gaming facilities, including about 240 casinos. Those casinos generated $22.6 billion in revenue in 2005. Oklahoma, with a growing list of tribal casinos, has the largest Native American population in the nation, with 675,021 the latest count from the U. S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.

USA Today reports this week that some tribal members are being kicked out without being given reasons why.

One such case involves Marilyn Vann of Oklahoma, who was refused tribal membership in 2001 but finally was admitted last March. She now fears expulsion because she is a member of the Cherokee Freedmen, descendants of former slaves owned by the Cherokees. "I've always considered myself a Cherokee Native American with African blood," she said. She believes her membership is in peril because of "racism."

In other cases across the country, gambling profits are sometimes the issue, it is alleged. Some tribes split such revenue with tribal members each month. The Cherokee Nation does not, but does provide services to tribal members.

State Spend-O-Meter Is Spinning

How fast does our state government spend money? One place you can actually watch how fast money gets spent is on the website of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, where the "Spend-O-Meter" whirls nonstop. Also at the OCPA site, you can read a thoughtful piece on transparency in government in which Brandon Dutcher and Senator Tom Coburn argue folks have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent. Makes sense to me.

Surfing The Blogosphere, We Find...

...that at Right Wing News, one can order the T-shirt of the day, this spiffy item that says it all.

Time To Fire The Reporter...

...and maybe the editor too, suggests Cam Edwards, who asks, Who lets this get through? "The first amendment provides the right to bear arms, but should every household have a gun? In one local borough, there is a push to do just that."

Last time I checked, Cam writes, it was the 2nd Amendment.

Under Pressure, Pelosi Dumps Hastings

UPDATE: Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida, impeached as a federal judge in 1989 on corruption charges, dropped his bid under pressure on Tuesday to chair a congressional panel designed to help protect America's security, a party aide said. Hastings took the action after being told by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, in line to head the U.S. House of Representatives when the new Congress convenes in January, that she would not give him the coveted job, the aide said. Columnist Michelle Malkin nailed Congressman Alcee Hastings, D-Florida, in a piece that obviously got Pelosi's attention.

Rudy G First, John K Last, Poll Finds

Mark Shannon posts an interesting poll piece this morning. The poll shows former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani topping a list of potential presidential candidates. Democrat John Kerry finished dead last.

54% Believe Henry Will Seek Senate Seat

Fifty-four percent of those who voted in The McCarville Report Online's poll believe Governor Brad Henry will run for the U. S. Senate in 2008. Eight percent said they "doubt" he will run and 38 percent said he will not. Thirty-one percent said he'll run and they were joined by 23 percent who said he'll run and added that he can beat incumbent Republican Jim Inhofe. Twenty-seven percent said he won't run and they were joined by 11 percent who said he can't beat Inhofe, who has now held the seat for 12 years and been elected three times (1994, 1996, 2002). Henry has given no indication that he'll seek the Senate seat, but speculation he'll consider doing so began immediately after his landslide victory over Congressman Ernest Istook in this year's race for governor.

State Agency Changes Position On 'Merry Christmas'

11/27 UPDATE: By KTOK's Melissa Gandall and Bill Bateman at the State Capitol ~ It was a mistake. That's the admission from a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, following a series of e-mails which went out to workers cautioning against the use of phrases like, "Merry Christmas." A statement issued by the department Monday reads, in part; "We did not mean to restrict staff speech or prohibit anyone from following traditions and customs with co-workers who celebrate the same holidays. DRS has 915 employees and we value all of our staff who come from very diverse backgrounds." Spokeswoman Jody Harlan says the memos were intended to remind employees that any type of religious harassment will not be tolerated and could lead to employee termination. 11/24 UPDATE: Governor Brad Henry's spokesman, Paul Sund, asked if the governor has a position on this issue, told The McCarville Report Online, "Our position is no one should be punished for saying Merry Christmas. It seems another case of political correctness taken to a ridiculous extreme." 11/23 Some state employees have been told they can't say "Merry Christmas." Nope, it is "Happy Holidays." What poppycock! Read more on Brandon Dutcher's blog

Did Henry 'Comfort Level' Help Down-Ticket Democrats Win This Election Year?

There's evidence today that Governor Brad Henry's huge approval rating, described by some as the "comfort level" voters had with him, helped other statewide Democrats win their campaigns this year.

The evidence comes in an examination of the number of straight party votes that were cast in the November 7th elections, and it indicates to those of us who analyze such things that an argument can be made, in part, that Democrats Lloyd Fields, Jeff McMahan and Kim Holland could owe part of their victory margins over Republican opponents to Henry's overwhelming margin over Congressman Ernest Istook. Moreover, Democrat David Prater well could owe his upset of incumbent Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane to the "stamp the rooster" voters satisfied with Henry at the top of the ticket.

Fields and Prater narrowly defeated their opponents; Fields edged out incumbent Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau, Prater squeaked by Lane and McMahan withstood the challenge of Gary Jones for auditor & inspector. Insurance Commissioner Holland posted a more substantial win over challenger Bill Case, but much of her margin could have come from Democrat straight party voters who, comfortable with Henry, simply connected the rooster arrow on their ballots.

State Election Board statistics show that there were 339,685 straight party votes on November 7th; 197,185 of them were by Democrats, 142,500 by Republicans. For the Democrats, that's an advantage of 55,685 and, significantly, it is 16,000 more straight party votes than were cast by Democrats in 2002.

That plus-16,000 would more than account for Prater's razor-thin 824 vote margin over Lane in Oklahoma County, Fields' 2,726 vote win over Reneau and provide a substantial part of the margins posted by McMahan over Jones (30,533 votes) and Holland over Case (37,140 votes).

The impact of straight party voting in the Prater-Lane race is clearly shown in the Oklahoma County totals; Democrats connected the straight party arrow 33,897 times, while Republicans connected the straight party arrow 26,587 times, a Democrat advantage of 7,310 in a county that generally supports GOP candidates but has a history of "pick the best candidate" voting.

Oklahoma County this time around went heavily for Henry and gave margins to Attorney General Drew Edmondson, Treasurer Scott Mecham, and School Superintendent Sandy Garrett, all Democrats. The county also went for Republicans Reneau, Todd Hiett (barely), Case (barely), Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony, and went with Lt. Governor Mary Fallin over Democrat Dr. David Hunter in the 5th District congressional race by a margin of about 37,000 votes. The conclusion could be that while many voters split their tickets, general satisfaction with Henry and other statewide Democrats in the capital county was obvious.

With 926,462 ballots cast in the governor's race, the number of Democrat straight party votes equates to slightly more than 21 percent of the votes cast in that race.

Straight Party Voters Examined In GOP Losses

With just one mark, more than 61,000 Rhode Islanders cast their vote for Senate candidate Sheldon Whitehouse and every other Democrat on the ballot two weeks ago. The number outpaced the number of straight-Democratic voters in the 2002 midterm election by 23,000 — a 66 percent increase from one midterm to the next — and Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.) has suggested the increase is partly to blame for his ouster. In Chafee’s case, the increase isn’t enough to cover the 26,000 votes by which he lost. But many Republicans around the country lost by much narrower margins and, where figures are available, the number of Democratic “straight-party” voters rose much like it did in Rhode Island. Read more.

'Republican Rejecters' Cited In November Elections

The last midterm election that brought upheavals in Congress was in 1994, when Republicans ousted Democrats from control of the House and Senate courtesy of a voter pundits dubbed “the angry white man.” This time, election foment was driven by independents and moderates who had supported Republicans, particularly in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, but now turned against the GOP. Republican pollster Frank Luntz calls them “Republican Rejecters,” about 15% of the electorate. Read more.

History's Lesson

Americans helped Great Britain prepare to fight Germany 66 years ago; it's a history lesson worth recalling.

How Do Candidates Spend Their Money? It's A Guessing Game, Tulsa World Reports

The Tulsa World is out with an informative piece today, one that makes a point we've often cited here on The McCarville Report Online: Reading the expenditure side of candidate finance reports tells you very little about how they spend money.

Candidates for state office spent more than $30 million on their 2006 political campaigns, paying for everything from turtle races to fly swatters, with most of the money going to advertising, a Tulsa World review has found.

While most candidates provided some detail on how they spent their supporters' contributions, thousands of dollars disappeared into an accounting vacuum. Read more.

To all the troops on shore and to the ships at sea: OU 27, OSU 21.

McCarville Rehashes 2006 On 'The Verdict'

"The Verdict" rehashes the results of Oklahoma's 2006 elections with Mike McCarville, Kent Meyers and Mick Cornett on Sunday. The show airs at 9 a.m. in Oklahoma City on Cox Channel 7 and at 9:30 a.m. in Tulsa on Cox Channel 3; it replays during the week. For a complete schedule, go to The Verdict.

You Couldn't Make This Stuff Up If You Tried

A member of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's anti-gun coalition of mayors has been charged with...illegal gun possession! Details here.

Texas A&M Upsets Texas, Boosts OU

Unranked Texas A&M upset the No. 11 Texas Longhorns today 12-7 and gave the University of Oklahoma Sooners a boost by doing so. If the Sooners defeat the Oklahoma State University Cowboys on Saturday, OU likely moves to the Big 12 championship game versus Nebraska in Kansas City. The loss to A&M put Texas at 6-2 in Big 12 play.

Will Henry Seek Inhofe Senate Seat In 2008?

Will Governor Brad "Landslide" Henry try to parlay his huge November 7th victory over Congressman Ernest Istook into a race for the U. S. Senate in 2008?

Some observers are coy, saying it's too early to tell; others say it's a no-brainer and Henry is certain to seek the Senate seat now held by veteran Jim Inhofe, Republican elected in a 1994 special election and reelected twice (1996, 2002) since.

Those who see Henry running against Inhofe (and all presume Inhofe will run again) say the politically-moderate governor has far broader appeal than the arch-conservative Inhofe. They note that Inhofe has never won by a margin anywhere close to the margin Henry rolled up against Istook. They also note that while Henry's approval rating hovers at an astronomical 70 percent, Inhofe's approval ratings in the past have been nowhere near that number.

Inhofe, his record shows, is no election pansy; he defeated popular Congressman Dave McCurdy in '94 (gun control was the key issue, McCurdy for, Inhofe against) and easily defeated former Governor David Walters, who has emerged as an outright liberal in recent years, four years ago, 57-36 percent.

Henry no doubt will try to downplay any speculation about an '08 Senate race, but he'll have to face it sooner or later. Already, many within the Democratic Party have his name at the top of their list of "dream" candidates and they believe Henry is the one who can take out Inhofe, who has been a thorn in the side of liberals specifically and Democrats generally during his entire public service career that stretches back to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in the 1960s.

And there undoubtedly will be poll pressure on Henry to make the race. As an example, the non-scientific online poll The McCarville Report Online has conducted in the past few days (you can still vote) shows clearly that some of the state's most astute political observers and insiders (our readers) believe Henry will make the race, with about 60 percent of that opinion. This poll will be the first of many, we suspect, that will pit Henry against Inhofe. The results of those broader statewide polls, whenever they come, could fuel, or kill, the speculation.

If Henry does fancy entering the race, he'll need to make a decision soon; 2007 is almost here and Inhofe will be in full reelection mode, continuing to build his campaign warchest in anticipation of a full frontal assault from Democrats.

Inhofe's September report to the Federal Election Commission shows he had about $500,000 in cash on hand; in 2005-06, he raised $626,014. In his 2002 race, he raised about $3 million.

The Hill Profiles New RNCC Chief Tom Cole

Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) describes himself as a conservative but insists he’s pragmatic. He isn’t known for offering up over-the-top, red-meat rhetoric, but in 2004 he said that if President Bush lost, Osama Bin Laden would win. Read more of The Hill's article on Cole.

Congress To Consider Gun Industry Protection

The U.S. House of Representatives ought to pass the proposed Firearms Corrections and Improvements Act. It’ll soon be up on the floor of the House. This proposal, H.R. 5005, introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, would prevent New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his hoplophobic coterie of like-minded, gun-grabbing mayors (including Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor) from using data designed specifically for use in criminal investigations and prosecutions in civil actions brought against the gun industry. Read more.

James Dobson: GOP Blew It

With solid majorities in both House and Senate, Republicans failed to take advantage of their numbers and pass legislation that would satisfy "values voters," Dr. James Dobson told Larry King. Read more.

Grandpa's Buttons Are Popping

The fine-looking young man you see pictured here, in the latest edition of the National Rifle Association's great America's 1st Freedom magazine, is my 16-year-old grandson, Kevin Aliff. As you can see, Kevin is pictured at H&H Gun Range in Oklahoma City with an air rifle and appropriate gear. Kevin aspires to be a member of the 2008 United States Olympic Shooting Team and, as author Gary Lantz notes in the article that accompanies the photo, Kevin is a young man "who shows uncanny ability." He does that, and more. Kevin's mom and dad are staunch defenders of the 2nd Amendment and are regular shooters themselves. Kevin joined them at an early age. What he's learned as a shooter trained by responsible adults and coaches reminds me of my Scout experiences. Kevin's learned patience, determination, self-reliance, responsibility, modesty, self-control...all of the attributes we value, especially in the young. Kevin's in serious training now and later this month, will travel to our Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to add another chapter to his pursuit. He's excited, but grandpa's the one who keeps losing the buttons off his shirt.

Give Thanks Today For Defenders Of Freedom

May Your Bird Be A Big One...

...and when you sign on to surf the web, check out the BatesLine for all the latest blogger news worth reporting.

Fallin Hires Lulie Maumenee, Blog Reports

Oklahoma Women's Network Blog reports that Congresswoman-elect Mary Fallin has hired Lulie Maumenee as her legislative assistant. Maumenee has worked on the staff of New York Congresswoman Sue Kelly.

Thomsen Takes House Office Oath

Newly elected State Rep. Todd Thomsen formally took the oath of office Wednesday in the Oklahoma House chamber after one of the closest elections in state history.

"I'm humbled to be sworn into office today and I'm ready to serve as an independent and bipartisan representative for all the people of House District 25. I'm pleased to get the recount over and anxious to get to work for the people in my district," said Thomsen, R-Ada.

Thomsen - a southeastern Oklahoma representative for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a member of OU's 1985 championship football team - had to wait for the completion of a recount before his election was certified this week. Thomsen won by a two-vote margin, making his victory the closest in the state.

Thomsen's victory means that Republicans will maintain a 57-seat majority in the Oklahoma House of Representatives with no losses.

Noting that there are roughly 8,000 more Democrats than Republicans in House District 25, House Speaker-elect Lance Cargill (R-Harrah) said Thomsen's election proves that Oklahoma has truly become a two-party state.

"Too often in the past, there were regions ignored by both political parties because those areas were seen as a 'lock.' Times have changed, and our growth in southern Oklahoma over the past few years demonstrates the point," Cargill said. "Today, voters across the state are actively courted by both parties. We're in a competitive environment where neither side can take a single vote for granted, and that's a good thing for the state of Oklahoma."

The House will next meet for an organizational day on Jan. 2, from noon to 5 p.m., when lawmakers will formally select the next Speaker of the House. The formal legislative session will begin on February 5, 2007.

Gone Bird Huntin'...But Surfing The Blogosphere

Idle time is a wonderful thing; time for reflection. This Thanksgiving week, everything seems to move in slow motion. Unless, that is, you are Todd Thomsen, Republican winner of the contested Ada House race (two votes!) and you're being sworn in today to join your colleagues and you have some catching up to do. For most, however, politics takes a breather in a holiday week. That provides time to surf the blogosphere, the entity that has, truly, revolutionized political conversation, news coverage and the speed with which information is disseminated.

There are, we know, a bajillion blogs and websites out there in the sphere and since I spend a lot of time checking them all out, I thought I'd share my thoughts on some of the best ones, locally and nationally, that provide solid information, commentary, and news on a regular basis. By "regular basis," I mean those that are updated throughout each day, or at least at the beginning of each day. There are others that are more sporadic in their postings and once you've hit them, there's little reason to revisit on the same day. Some of the blogs specialize in providing links to other news sources and blogs, where you can find out just about anything about just about anyone.

My own list of favorite blogs includes those that (1) offer thoughtful commentary on events and (2) offer news and extensive links to other news sites. In the former category is my friend Cam Edwards, a pioneer blogger who now hosts "Cam and Company" on Sirius Satellite Radio Patriot Channel 144 and at NRANews.com, a show that features me a couple of nights a week. Cam offers thoughts on anything and everything and has an extensive following of folks who have their heads screwed on right. Another is friend Brandon Dutcher of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. Cerebral, witty, informative and fun describe Brandon's blog. Mark Shannon offers a daily dose of sometimes-ribald, comic and insightful thoughts on most things in the news and links to the day's top news stories. Ron Black usually posts his thoughts for the day, so a one-time visit per day is in order. At PassionateAmerica, "Wild Bill" usually has something to get the juices flowing. Nationally, my friend Jim Geraghty at National Review covers D. C. politics and conservative thought with multiple daily blog posts on everything under the sun.

In the latter category, those offering hard news and links to other news sites, Michael Bates has climbed to the top of my list of daily "must-reads." Right behind him is News Max, David Arnett's Tulsa Today, Jean Warner's Oklahoma Women and, of course, the blogger king himself, Matt Drudge.

There are many other blogs and news sites worthy of a visit, including the Tailgate Political Hour, Sooner Politics (Dr. Keith Gaddie's long-standing site; he now blogs on the Tailgate Political Hour site), Oklahoma Political News Service, Hasting Wyman's Southern Political Report and Western Wisdom; those of interest to readers of The McCarville Report Online are listed on the right side of the page. If, like me, you're experiencing a bit of holiday "down time" this week, take a few minutes to surf the blogosphere.

Is This The Future?

ATLANTA, GA ~ Out-of-wedlock births in the United States have climbed to an all-time high of 37 percent, government health officials said Tuesday. While out-of-wedlock births have long been associated with teen mothers, the teen birth rate actually dropped last year to the lowest level on record. Instead, births among unwed mothers rose most dramatically among women in their 20s.

Experts said the overall rise reflects the burgeoning number of people who are putting off marriage or living together without getting married. They said it also reflects the fact that having a child out of wedlock is more acceptable nowadays and not necessarily the source of shame it once was. The increase in births to unwed mothers was seen in all racial groups, but rose most sharply among Hispanics. It was up among all age groups except youngsters ages 10 to 17.

County Commissioner Faces Down Alleged Killer

Knox County Commissioner and Knoxville, Tennessee, car dealer Greg "Lumpy" Lambert says he grew suspicious Saturday when a young customer didn't haggle over the price of a 2005 Ford Focus. His suspicion was well-founded.

The young man didn't ask for a mechanical inspection, either. He told Lambert he had $12,000 in cash and was ready to buy the car.

Lambert says he prepared paperwork on the car and the man then pulled a .25-caliber handgun from his pocket, apparently to rob him. Lambert, who has a license to carry a concealed weapon and who practices how to fast draw, pulled his own .380 caliber and the two were pointing weapons at each other for a tense moment.

The commissioner says he told the man to put down his gun and the man said he didn't want any trouble.

The suspect fled on foot and police later arrested 19-year-old Kane Stackhouse on an attempted robbery charge. On Monday, Stackhouse was charged with murder in the shooting death of another man just 10 hours before his gun-to-gun encounter with Lambert.

At the time of the attempted robbery, Lambert was wearing a baseball cap that read, "Friends of the NRA." He says the would-be robber never asked for money or made demands -- but then, he didn't get much of a chance to.

Giuliani Can't Win, Poll Voters Say

Rudy Giuliani can't win a presidential race, voters in our online poll believe. The former New York City mayor, who has formed an exploratory presidential committee, is one of half a dozen or so Republicans eyeing the race. Our poll results found 57 percent saying he can't win and 43 percent saying he can.

Thomsen The Winner By Two Votes

Republican Todd Thomsen is the winner of the close House District 25 race, outcome of which hinged on just two votes. Final court action came in Shawnee after a Hughes County judge last week threw out four absentee ballots because of voting irregularities, giving the lead to Thomsen.

All four ballots were cast for Democrat Darrell Nemecek, who was the leader by two votes on November 7th.

The win by Thomsen means Republicans retain the same number of seats they held prior to the November 7th elections.

Thomsen requested a re-count, alleging that four voters in Hughes County voted in the race without living in the district. Hughes County shares only one precinct with House District 25.

Associate District Judge Gordon Allen agreed with Thomsen and his lawyer after testimony from county election officials who said the incorrect ballot was mistakenly given to four voters for in-person absentee voting November sixth.

Washington Today In Pictures

Charlie Rangel wants to reinstitute the military draft.

Democrats don't like this photo.

Hillary's not too sure about Nancy Pelosi. Are sparks about to fly?

Hotel Chain Boots CNN Over Sniper Tape

A Midwest hotel chain with several properties in Illinois has pulled CNN and CNN Headline News from its guest rooms and lobbies in response to the cable network's broadcast of an insurgent video showing Iraqi snipers shooting at U.S. troops.

The Oct. 18 CNN broadcast, which featured edited portions of a tape the network said it obtained from the Islamic Army of Iraq rebel group, crossed the line from journalism to propaganda, said James Thompson, president of the Iowa-based Stoney Creek Hospitality Corp.

"It was shocking and repulsive," he said. "Their actions supported terrorism." Guests at the Stoney Creek Inn's 10 properties in Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin can still view Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC and other cable news channels, Thompson noted. Supportive comments from guests have outnumbered complaints by a 3-1 margin, he said.

Martinez: GOP Must Return To Core Beliefs

Republican National Committee Chairman Mel Martinez said Saturday that the GOP must return to core beliefs of smaller government, less spending, and fewer taxes to regain national leadership.

Martinez's remarks are the first since the Florida U. S. senator won the leadership position.

"There's nothing wrong with our philosophy. There's nothing wrong with our principles," Martinez told members of the Florida Republican Party at its quarterly meeting. "We need to go back to restoring the faith of the people."

Martinez said continued Republican success in Florida was a sign that state Republicans needed to lead a return to "the party of ideas." Florida Republicans held on to the governor's office and two out of three Cabinet seats. He attributed GOP losses nationally to the party's failure to speak "in a unified voice."

This is likely to be Martinez's biggest challenge in his role as RNC chairman. The first-term senator takes control of the party in January, as President Bush enters the latter half of his second term with deep division in the party on issues such as immigration. Many Republicans also are concerned about the policy toward the war in Iraq, and have criticized the tremendous growth in federal spending since Bush took office.

Arkansas Self-Defense Measure Copies State Law

LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS ~ A proposal filed for next year's legislative session would make it easier to use deadly force in self-defense. Arkansas State Senator Jerry Taylor, a Democrat from Pine Bluff, pre-filed the first Senate bill Thursday for the legislative session that begins January 8th.

Taylor's proposal, Senate Bill Two, would remove the requirement that a person who is attacked has a "duty to retreat" before turning to deadly force.

State law already allows the use of deadly force if the person is attacked in their home and they're not the aggressor. It also removes the retreat requirement if the person using force is a law enforcement officer or a person assisting at the direction of a law enforcement officer.

Rep. Shirley Walters, the bill's House sponsor, says she signed onto the bill after several constituents in her district said they were concerned they could be charged for defending themselves. The proposal is similar to measures that gun rights groups have backed in other states. Oklahoma has adopted a similiar measure.

Failure To Comply With Ethics Rules Widespread

Two-thirds of the campaigns that were required to file financial reports in 2006 failed to comply fully with state ethics rules regarding disclosure of contributors' occupations and employers, a report released Friday shows.

The worst offenders were Scott Pruitt, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, and Tim Harris, the Tulsa County district attorney. Pruitt had 258 rules violations and Harris had 240, the report said.

Issued by the Ethics Commission staff, the report says the staff found 293 candidates who submitted reports that failed to include the occupation and/or employer of at least one contributor.

Ethics Commission member John Raley suggested that the panel get the word out to future candidates that the reporting requirement is to be taken "very seriously."

"I am concerned about the apparent cavalier attitude of a few who have failed to put down just the very modest amount of information," Raley said. "At the next cycle two years hence, prior to that time I think we need to fire a shot across the bow, give them warning, from now on we are going to view this as a serious transgression and it will be noted and appropriately punished."

The report was generated following a review of 566 candidate campaign contribution reports. Nearly half of the candidates, 273, fully complied with the reports, but that number includes 129 who were exempt from reporting because they did not accept or spend more than $500.

That leaves only 144 who got the required paperwork right and 293 who did not. Among the noncompliant campaigns, 115 candidates had one to five contributions that failed to list appropriately either the occupation or employer.

Ethics Commission Executive Director Marilyn Hughes said a total of 7,320 contributors were missing this information. "We probably had around 40 that were serious violations out of all of our (candidate) committees," Hughes said. Candidates who listed a contributor only as "self-employed" were deemed noncompliant with the rule, Hughes said.

Harris told the Tulsa World he made every effort to comply with the ethics rules, reporting whatever information a contributor provided. "It's my understanding you make your best effort to get that information," Harris said. "You make a good-faith effort to do that, to list what their employer is." Harris said he understands that the rule is intended to identify potential conflicts of interest, and he will supplement the reports with the required information if that's what the Ethics Commission desires. "It would be burdensome because I'm here to do the people's work in prosecuting crime, but if it was that important of an issue and they want me to go back and do that, I would gladly do that," Harris said.

Hughes said the current rules do not provide for a candidate's "good-faith effort" in obtaining the required information, other than allowing 10 business days to obtain the information after receipt of the contribution.

The Ethics Commission staff will send letters to the identified candidates, beginning with the campaigns that have at least 50 violations, asking them to update their contributor information, Hughes said. The commission can levy fines of as much as $1,000 per violation of the rule, Hughes said.

Other candidates with more than 100 violations of the reporting rule were: Ernest Istook, 181; Robbie Kerr, 168; Johnnie Crutchfield, 161; John Sparks, 161; John Luton, 154; Mary Easley, 132; Brad Henry, 118; Lance Cargill, 112; John Mark Young, 111; Wayne Walters, 109; Todd Hiett, 108; T. Brett Swab, 106; and Anastasia Pittman, 102.

Just The Facts America: $300,000 And Counting

"Just The Facts America," the secret Austin, Texas-based group headed by Republican activist James B. Cardle (pictured at left), apparently spent at least $300,000 in a failed bid to defeat Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland.

The figure comes from sums spent on Oklahoma television stations plus best estimates on the sums spent for the group's website, consultants, telephone "robocall" operation, and television commercial production.

Where the group's money came from is a secret; it was formed as a 501(c)(6) entity, meaning it does not have to report the sums it raised, or from whom the money came.

What is known about the group is that an associate of Enid attorney Stephen Jones, Jill Graham of Goodyear, Arizona, was identified by reporter Nolan Clay of The Oklahoman as the supplier of a script for the television spot used by JTFA. Graham, Jones and other associates were maximum ($5,000) donors to Holland's opponent, Republican Bill Case. Jones has not discussed the reason for Graham's involvement in the Holland attack, and Graham told reporter Clay she couldn't discuss it. However, Jones has made no secret that he represents Texas businessman Brad Phillips; one of his companies was the subject of an intense examination by the Oklahoma Insurance Department under Holland. In the past, Jones has represented Brad Phillips' father, the controversial Gene Phillips.

For more information, search The McCarville Report Online's archives by clicking on its address at the top of this page in the Google search bar and typing in Just The Facts America.

Senate Faces Inhofe-Warner Battle

Senate Republicans have a brewing squabble on their hands at the Environment and Public Works Committee, as Senator John Warner (R-Va.) announced Friday that he will run for ranking member of the panel against departing chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.). Read more.

Cole Wins NRCC Chairmanship

Congressman Tom Cole was elected chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee today.

Cole had sought the post for the past year. Through his "COLE PAC" and his own campaign committee, Cole has poured more than $2 million into GOP campaigns this election cycle, cementing relationships with present members and helping GOP challengers and open seat candidates.

Also seeking the post were Congressmen Pete Sessions of Texas and Phil English of Pennsylvania. On the first ballot, Cole ran first, Sessions second and English a distant third. Cole won the second ballot.

Of the three, Cole is the only one with previous experience at the NRCC; he was executive director in the early 1990s and later (1999-2001) became chief of staff at the Republican National Committee.

COLE PAC Among Top Givers

From our archives 11/16/06 ~ COLE PAC, the political action committee operated by 4th District Congressman Tom Cole, has emerged as one of the top givers in the 2005-2006 election cycle.

OpenSecrets.org reports the PAC spent $647,494 in the cycle as of October 18th; a final report likely will increase that sum.

Cole, who is in the running to become chairman of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, donated to dozens of GOP congressional candidates across the country.

The numbers show COLE PAC raised $252,294 from individual donors and donated $361,111 to candidates.

They also show that former Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Clinton Key, now a Washington political operative, was paid $103,289 through mid-October as a consultant to the PAC.

Winning Friends, Influencing People: How Tom Cole Networks For His Future

From our archives of 9/14/06 ~ Congressman Tom Cole is quietly building a network that could result in a top congressional leadership role provided Republicans remain in control of the U. S. House. Cole, an accomplished personal networker whose public service career has solid underpinnings, is providing financial support to dozens of conservative Republican candidates across the country this election cycle, thus building friendships and alliances that could translate into support for any leadership post he might seek in the future.

It is the "Conservative Opportunity Leadership & Enterprise Political Action Committee," the "COLE PAC." It is operated from the offices of Key & Associates in Reston, Virginia. Clinton Key, former Oklahoma Republican State Party chairman (as is Cole) and longtime associate of Cole, is the PAC's treasurer and primary consultant.

COLE PAC, as of June 30th, had donated more than $361,000 to Republican congressional candidates in this election cycle. It had taken in almost $494,000 and spent almost $477,000. Key & Associates was paid $106,000, including expenses related to fundraising.

Donors to the COLE PAC include some of Oklahoma's heavy hitters. Seventeen of them gave the PAC $5,000 each. They are Ron Rosenfeld of Chevy Chase, MD, former Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce who now heads the Federal Housing Finance Board ; Mel Adair of Norman, JMA Consulting; Brian Campbell of Ada, officer of Chickasaw Enterprises; Eldon Flinn of Fittstown, co-owner of Flowers Oil Company; Chris Flowers of Ada, co-owner of Flowers Oil Company; David Hatton of Ada, owner of Hatton Enterprises; former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys, owner of Gibraltar Investments; the Kaw Nation; Tom Love of Love's Travel Stops; Larry Nichols, CEO of Devon Energy, and his wife, Polly; H. E. "Gene" Rainbolt of BancFirst; Aubrey McClendon of Chesapeake Energy; the Osage Tribe; Carl Renfro, CEO of Pioneer Bank in Ponca City; Robert Funk of Piedmont, founder of Express Personnel Services; and Tom Love of Oklahoma City, CEO of Love's Travel Stops. Donors of $4,500 are Patricia Evans of Ponca City and Jana McKeag of Alexandria, VA.

COLE PAC's donations have gone to congressional candidates in 34 states, including Alabama, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Colorado, California, Florida, Ohio, Texas, Georgia, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Illinois, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Connecticut, New York, Iowa, Oregon, Washington, South Carolina, Vermont, New Mexico and Mississippi.

Federal Election Commission reports filed in August show COLE PAC's major recipients, at $10,000 each, include Brian Bilbray in Florida, Jeb Bradley in New Hampshire, Max Burns in Georgia, Geoff Davis in Kentucky, Dave Reichert in Washington, and Michael Sodrel in Indiana. The PAC gave $9,999 to Chris Chocola in Indiana, Jim Gerlach in Pennsylvania, Jon Porter in Nevada, and Michael Turner in Ohio. Recipients of sums ranging from $7,000 to $9,865 were Gus Bilirakis of Florida, John Campbell of California, Steve Chabot of Ohio, Thelma Drake of Virginia, Michael Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, John Gard of Wisconsin, David McSweeney of Illinois, Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, Rick O'Donnell of Colorado, Peter Roskam of Illinois, Van Taylor of Texas, and Heather Wilson of New Mexico.

COLE PAC also donated to U. S. Senate candidates George Allen in Virginia and Katherine Harris in Florida.

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Cole appears to be in line to head the National Republican Congressional Committee, succeeding New York Congressman Tom Reynolds. Reynolds earlier this year named Cole to head up the group's "get out the vote" effort this year.

Cole is a member of the House Rules Committee, the House Ethics Committee and the House Armed Services Committee. He also is a deputy majority whip. Born in Shreveport, LA, Cole was raised in Moore. He graduated from Grinnell College in 1971 with a BA in History, from Yale University in 1974 with an MA in British History and from the University of Oklahoma in 1984 with his PhD in British History. He was a Fullbright Fellow in 1977-78 at the University of London and taught history and politics in college before turning to politics. Cole served in the Oklahoma State Senate from 1988 to 1991. His late mother, Helen Cole, served as a state representative and state senator. Cole resigned as a senator in mid-term to become involved in national politics. He was executive director of the National Republican Congressional Committee and chief of staff of the Republican National Committee. He was a consultant to the U. S. Chamber of Commerce as well. Following the election of client Frank Keating as governor in 1992, Cole became Oklahoma secretary of state. Cole, 57, has been a partner in Cole Hargrave Snodgrass And Associates, Oklahoma City consulting firm with numerous successful candidates in Oklahoma and elsewhere in the 1990s. In 2002, Cole won a contested Republican primary for the 4th District in Congress, then faced and defeated (53.83 to 46.17 percent) popular Democrat Darryl Roberts in the general election. He is the only registered Native American (Chickasaw Nation) serving in the U. S. House. He was reelected in 2004 with 77.7 percent of the vote against an Independent. This year, he faces Democrat Hal Spake of Norman. The seat is rated "Safe Republican."

The McCarville Report Online compiled this story from records at the Federal Election Commission and data from opensecrets.org and sourcewatch.org.

Idaho Town Adopts 'Keep A Gun' Ordinance

After seeing the chaos of Hurricane Katrina, a city councilor in the tiny Idaho town of Greenleaf, founded by pacifist Quakers, came up with a novel idea.

Ordinance 208, passed by the City Council on Tuesday, asks Greenleaf's 862 residents who do not object on religious or other grounds to keep a gun at home in case they are overrun by refugees from disasters like Katrina.

"This is not an 'it'll never happen here kind of thing,'" said Steven Jett, the ordinance's sponsor. "We could get refugees."

In this town about 35 miles west of Boise near the Oregon line — where an estimated 80 percent of the adults already own guns — the proposal hardly caused a stir: It went through weeks of public hearings and drew only mild criticism from the pastor of the town's Quaker meeting house.

But in the six weeks since Jett first introduced the ordinance, national media have flocked to the story.

Jay Leno ribbed Greenleaf in his monologue. Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" telephoned, no doubt to exploit Idaho's reputation as wild woodland where mountain men shop for groceries with a rifle slung over a camouflage jacket.

Jett, whose father died in a hunting accident, said the ordinance is designed to enable residents to protect themselves, but it also gives the city a better platform from which to promote gun safety.

"The fact that Greenleaf supports the Second Amendment, we'll be able to keep the crime rate down," he said.

The thing is, Greenleaf doesn't really have crime. At least as most cities define it. The most violent offense reported in the past two years was a fist fight. Still, Jett insists, the menace of high crime may be on the horizon. Greenleaf is on the western fringe of Canyon County, a fast-growing suburb of Boise. As developers turn alfalfa rows into tract housing and hay bales into big box stores, Jett wants newcomers to know that criminals will not be "comfortable" in Greenleaf. "We don't have a crime problem," he said. "But this area is going to grow and we're going to keep it that way."

Pastor Alan Weinacht originally opposed the ordinance because it conflicted with the Quaker teaching of nonviolence. Based on an unenforced 1982 law in Kennesaw, Ga., it originally require all homeowners to own and "maintain a firearm."