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."

"It made owning a gun a basis of good citizenship," Weinacht said. "I don't know. It just seems we're slipping as a society into a culture of fear."

But then Weinacht, who owns several shotguns and rifles for hunting and target shooting, discussed the law with Jett. Jett softened the language and allowed for personal or religious exemptions.

On Tuesday, Weinacht, one of four residents to attend the council meeting, announced his support. "I want to be a team player," he told the mayor and four council members.

With that, the council approved the ordinance, with Councilor Clovis Strange joking that it had become "gutless."

Mayor Brad Holton, who owns about 25 rifles, laughed at the fact that Greenleaf's gun law had been put the town into the national media spotlight. "It's been a wild ride," he said.

Tennessee State Senator Foils Burglary

Tennessee State Senator Tim Burchett says he foiled a burglary of his warehouse on Wednesday and held the suspected teenagers at gunpoint until authorities arrived.

The Knoxville Republican said the warehouse where he keeps old motorcycles and parts had previously been burglarized and he was trying to catch the perpetrators by staking out the woods nearby, The Knoxville News Sentinel reported on its Web site.

The teenagers had broken off the lock and were about to go inside when he confronted them with his pistol.

"I got four of them. One got away," Burchett said, although deputies told him the fifth was arrested later. "I think that's pretty good. I'm sick of crime. I'm sick of being a victim. I've been staying up at night trying to catch these guys."

Knox County Sheriff's department spokeswoman Martha Dooley confirmed that the teenagers were arrested, but said a report had not been filed and she could not give details.

Burchett told the newspaper that three motorcycles and a security camera had previously been stolen, apparently after school hours.

When he spotted the teens Wednesday, he said he called 911 to tell them he was armed and planned to confront the suspects.

"The lady said, 'Are you going to shoot them?' and I said, 'No, I'm not going to shoot some kid over a dad-gum motorcycle,'" he said.

Burchett said he told the youths to "put your hands up" and then to "put your hands behind your head."

"One of them said, 'Well, which one do you want: Hands up or behind the head?' and I said, 'Either one,'" he said.

The senator was re-elected last week without opposition and has served in the state General Assembly for eight years. He holds a concealed weapon permit and owns two pistols: a 9 mm Glock and a .25-caliber Keltec.

Christmas Parade Controversy Blows Up In Norman

UPDATE: It is being reported late today that Ed Coplin of Coplin’s Office Supply has agreed to form volunteers to take over the Christmas Parade. The new name will be the “Main Street Christmas Holiday Parade." Call it a “Holiday Parade” or a “Christmas Parade,” but without new volunteers, it will be called off.

The 10 volunteer members of the Norman Holiday Parade Committee resigned Wednesday, leaving the parade’s future in jeopardy.

The action came after a meeting where some argued for restoring the name "Christmas Parade," an action favored by 90 percent of those who participated in The Norman Transcript's online poll. Read more.

Inhofe Rips UN's 'Global Warming' Position

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate's most vocal global warming skeptic, James Inhofe, on Thursday dismissed a U.N. meeting on climate change as "a brainwashing session."

Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican who will step down as chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee in January, told a news conference, "The idea that the science (on global warming) is settled is altogether wrong."

A majority of scientists, many in the U.S. government, accept that global warming is spurred by human actions and the emission of greenhouse gases. President George W. Bush said as much in July at a summit of industrialized nations.

Inhofe said he acknowledged that the planet is warming but disputed those who attribute it to human activity and the emission of greenhouse gases. Instead, he blamed climate change on natural cycles.

As an example of U.N. brainwashing at this week's climate change meeting in Nairobi, Inhofe held up a children's book he said was distributed at the gathering, called "Tore and the Town on Thin Ice."

He said the book, the tale of a fictional young Arctic villager who becomes aware of global warming when his dogsled crashes through thinning ice, relies on disputed science.

"This is paid for by the United Nations and it's brainwashing little kids," Inhofe said. Inhofe did not attend the Nairobi meeting but said some of his staff did. "What we learned in Nairobi is ... that the real focus has little to do with the fate of the planet and more to do with money -- who has it and who wants it," he said.

Inhofe will be the ranking Republican on the environment committee when the newly elected Democratic majority takes power in January. Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat with long-standing environmental credentials, will chair the committee.

Boren's Man Hoyer Defeats Murtha

Congressman Steny Hoyer, backed by Oklahoma Congressman Dan Boren, defeated Congressman John Murtha today in the race to become Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi's No. 2. It was a stunning rebuke of Pelosi, who had endorsed Murtha and worked for his election.

The vote wasn't even close; Hoyer won with 149 votes to Murtha's 86.

At left, an unhappy Murtha; at right, Hoyer

Novak: Pelosi's Train Wreck

Syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak says decisions by U. S. House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi indicate her term could be a train wreck, and she's burning precious political capital by backing the controversial and scandal-tainted John Murtha as her No. 2 instead of the more-respected Steny Hoyer. Read more.

Brogdon, Wesselhoft Push Online State Spending 'Daylight' Measure To Reveal Who Gets Dollars

Saying Oklahomans have the right to know exactly how their tax dollars are spent, state Rep. Paul Wesselhöft and state Sen. Randy Brogdon want to create an online database that will reveal exactly how the state government is spending money.

"People need to know how state money is spent - who is getting the money, how much have they received, where it comes from, and historical spending trends," said Wesselhöft, R-Moore. "Transparency will reduce misuse of state funds and ultimately increase taxpayer trust in the government. When citizens can go to a Web site and see exactly how their tax money is being spent, it can only serve to eliminate waste and increase public trust."

"The Oklahoma taxpayers deserve to know where their hard earned money is being spent," said Brogdon, R-Owasso. "All too often politicians spend the money behind closed doors. Sunshine is a great disinfectant and this Transparency Act will open the windows and let in the sun shine in."

Wesselhöft noted that an August poll found that 64 percent of Oklahoma voters believe state government wastes between 10 cents and 59 cents of every dollar it collects.

Wesselhöft and Brogdon's "Oklahoma Accountability and Transparency Act" will require the Office of State Finance to maintain a searchable Web site where citizens can investigate how their tax dollars are spent.

The program will be modeled on a new federal law authored by U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Muskogee) that was recently signed into law. The federal program will allow citizens to "Google government" and type the name of any company, association, or state or locality to gain a listing of all grants and contracts awarded to that entity and how the money is being used.

The Oklahoma database championed by Wesselhöft and Brogdon will allow citizens to monitor the state budget, which totaled more than $7 billion this year, and will show how state money has been spent over the past 10 years.

"It is the citizens' business to know where their tax money is going," Wesselhöft said. "This is information that should be easily accessible to the taxpayers of Oklahoma. They have the right to see how every penny is spent."

Images courtesy Oklahoma State Senate; left, Wesselhoft, right, Brogdon

Wilson Study: Hope For New Congress

Democrats’ overwhelming midterm election victory last week has given a majority of people involved in politics a sense of hope that the new Congress will accomplish more than its predecessor has, according to a study conducted by Wilson Research Strategies for The Hill. Read more.

Blue Dogs Push Conservative Fiscal Policy

WASHINGTON -- They helped propel the Democrats to victory in last week's elections, and now the "Blue Dogs" want their reward: a decidedly conservative fiscal policy that begins with a balanced-budget constitutional amendment.

The coalition of moderate and conservative House Democrats introduced nine new members Wednesday who were elected last week, bringing their numerical strength to 44. That's more than enough, if all 44 join with the Republican minority in the Congress that takes office in January, to block initiatives of the more liberal House leadership headed by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who is likely to become the next speaker.

Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla., is a member of the group. Read more.

The Face Of New Leadership?

Congressman John Murtha.

Mike Mass Bankruptcy Numbers Don't Add Up, McAlester News-Capital's Editor Reports

By Doug Russell, News Editor, McAlester News-Capital

It’s there in his own documents. State Rep. Mike Mass was paid by at least two companies owned by Steve Phipps — one while working in the legislature.

But the numbers don’t add up.

Documents filed by Mass in a 2005 bankruptcy list three sources of income for 2003: the state of Oklahoma, Kiamichi Economic Development District of Oklahoma and American Projects Development. The documents also list two sources for 2005: the state of Oklahoma and Indian Nation Entertainment.

Only his salary from the Oklahoma House of Representatives is listed in 2004. That includes only the income listed as coming from employment or the operation of a business. Another area of the document, for income that wasn’t received from employment or the operation of a business, lists an additional $23,061 for the three-year period. Those are listed as $6,560 from casino winnings and/or a retirement account in 2005, $11,601 from casino winnings and something listed only as Devon in 2004, and $4,900 in 2005 from casino winnings and a life insurance policy for the death of Mass’ father.

Both American Projects Development and Indian Nation Entertainment, listed by Mass in the employment or business income section, are owned by Phipps, a Kiowa businessman and school board member whose actions are under scrutiny from the FBI.

Court documents indicate Mass claimed income of $49,600 in 2005. Of that, as much as $38,400 came from the state as payment for Mass’ service in the legislature. Mass received $29,435 “for tax purposes,” according to Ray Carter, a spokesman for the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The other portion of his gross salary was for items such as health insurance and a retirement account, which are collected before taxes are taken out.The remaining money was from INE and casino winnings, according to the court filing.

An FBI affidavit filed in connection with an investigation into the Pushmataha County Abstract Co., another Phipps holding, alleges that Mass was listed as a consultant with INE for $6,000 per month. The document indicating Mass was a paid consultant was dated Nov. 3, 2003, according to the affidavit.

In addition, the affidavit alleges Mass and former Reps. Randall Erwin and Jerry Hefner were each 10 percent partners in INE and each was paid at least $20,000 between March 2004 and June 2005. Mass is also alleged to have received $56,790 from INE between May 2005 and January 2006, according to the affidavit.

The $89,232.80 claimed for 2003 came from the state, KEDDO and American Project Development, according to the bankruptcy filing. Of that, about $20,000 was from KEDDO, which hired Mass for six months between his terms as a state representative.

Mass was sworn in on Aug. 18, 2003, to complete the unexpired term of former Rep. Richard Lerblance, D-Hartshorne, who had successfully made a bid for the state Senate seat vacated by former state Sen. Gene Stipe. Records show that Mass received a $14,179 gross salary for the remainder of the year, Carter said. That means the remaining $55,053.80 income from 2003 would have to come from APD, if the bankruptcy filing is correct.

But, as was previously reported in this newspaper, an FBI affidavit alleges that Mass received $30,000 from the Pushmataha County Abstract Co. on Nov. 5, 2003. A few days later, he signed an agreement with the Federal Election Commission to pay a $30,000 fine for helping Stipe funnel illegal campaign contributions to a failed 1998 congressional campaign by Walt Roberts.

The purpose of the check was allegedly for a real estate closing, but the FBI was unable to uncover any evidence of a real estate transaction involving Mass during that time period, according to the affidavit.

Although Mass listed only his salary from the state House of Representatives as income for 2004 on his bankruptcy filing, the affidavit by FBI agent Gary Graff alleges he was paid $122,610 from APD between September 2002 and June 18, 2004. That appears to indicate that Mass received some sort of payment from APD in 2004 — which was not listed as income for bankruptcy purposes.

The affidavit also alleges that between fiscal years 2003 and 2005 Mass allocated a total of $1,490,667 in state money to companies owned by Phipps.

Cargill Names House Leadership Team

As lawmakers for the 51st State Legislature prepare to be sworn in, Speaker-elect Lance Cargill today announced three key leadership positions for the upcoming legislative session.

Cargill said that Reps. Greg Piatt, Chris Benge and Rob Johnson would serve in the key positions of Majority Floor Leader, Appropriations and Budget Committee Chair and Majority Whip respectively.

“We now have our top leadership positions in place to conduct the business of the House in an orderly fashion to advance conservative policies for Oklahoma,” said Cargill (R-Harrah). “I’m excited about our united leadership team as we prepare for the 2007 legislative session.”

The Republican majority now enters its second term in the state House -- returned to power in last week’s elections for the first time in state history. In Ada-based House District 25, a recount underway for the seat there could maintain the GOP’s majority with no losses.

As Floor Leader, Piatt will oversee the daily floor activity of the House during the four-month legislative session from the beginning of February through the end of May. The Floor Leader also coordinates supporting votes for legislation.

“I’m humbled to have the opportunity to guide the daily activities of the House at this historic time in our state’s history,” said Piatt (R-Ardmore).

Rep. Chris Benge returns to his role as chair of the House A&B committee, a leadership position he has held the past two years. As A&B chair, Benge is charged with overseeing the legislative formation of the state’s annual budget for various state agencies and departments -- including the filing of all appropriation bills and assigning those bills to subcommittees.

“I’m honored that Speaker-elect Cargill has put his confidence in me to continue to lead the appropriations and budget process, and I’m looking forward to building on the success of the first two years of the House Republican majority,” said Benge (R-Tulsa).

As Majority Whip, Rep. Johnson, now in a second two-year term, will assist the Speaker, Floor Leader and Caucus chairman with duties pertaining to the GOP caucus, including keeping members advised of various floor and committee votes.

“With the centennial this year, this is an exciting time in Oklahoma’s history, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help lead the Republican caucus,” said Johnson (R-Kingfisher).

Last week, the House Republican majority caucus chose Cargill as Speaker-elect, along with Rep. Gus Blackwell (R-Goodwell) as Speaker Pro Tempore and Rep. John Wright (R-Broken Arrow) as House Majority Caucus Chair.

Fallin's First Capitol Photo Op

Congresswoman-elect Mary Fallin was among freshmen members of Congress photographed on the Capitol steps this week. That's Fallin in the red suit standing by the light pole to the right of center in the photograph.

Dan Boren Does It His Way, Backs Hoyer

Congressman Dan Boren, Okahoma's lone Democrat in the U. S. House, has taken sides in the selection of a new House majority leader and he's not supporting the man House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi wants.

A member of the "Blue Dogs," or moderate-to-conservative group of Democrats in the House, Boren in the past has indicated his lack of support for Pelosi, a San Francisco liberal. As has been reported, the ranks of the "Blue Dogs" swelled this year with the election of conservative Democrats, some of whom defeated Republicans to give Democrats control of the House.

The bitter leadership post battle began after Pelosi said she would prefer Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania to be majority leader over her current lieutenant, Congressman Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the man Boren supports. Critics accused Pelosi of backpedaling on a pledge to scrub the House of corruption and they point fingers at Murtha, whom in recent months has been the darling of the national news media. Both Murtha and the more-moderate Hoyer claim to have commitments from a majority of Democrats, but the balloting Thursday will be secret and commitments often change.

Pelosi has angered some by her now-ardent support of Murtha. Here's what one national publication reported: "Another House Democrat supporting Hoyer was incensed that Pelosi was exerting her influence in the caucus, asserting that it will further divide House Democrats. 'It’s an incredible display of hubris,' the member said, using a phrase Pelosi herself sometimes employs. 'It’s incredibly egotistical. We all got us here. We all got us to the promised land and Steny’s not going to the promised land?'

"The member said regardless of who ultimately wins the Thursday election, the effect of Pelosi actively getting involved in the race would reverberate for some time. 'Either way, it’s damaging,' the member said. 'She will have a tremendous road to hoe to repair the damage she’s done.'"

Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran who favors an immediate drawdown of U.S. troops in Iraq, has fought charges for years of using his senior status on the defense appropriations subcommittee to award favors to campaign contributors. He voted against a Democratic package of ethics reforms earlier this year and was touched by but never charged in the Abscam bribery scandal a quarter-century ago.

TMRO Poll Results

For the past week, we've asked how you feel about the 2006 election results. The poll found about 35 percent are satisified or very satisfied, 39 percent are not satisfied or ticked off and 26 percent are philosophical, saying you win some, lose some.

Read This And Be Uplifted

Give yourself a lift today. Read "His Brother's Keeper" posted on Brandon Dutcher's blog.

NCSL Offers Advice On Deadlocks

The National Conference of State Legislatures has guidance and advice for legislative bodies that face deadlocks like the Oklahoma State Senate. Read the guidelines.

GOP Grumbling Focuses On Daxon, April Convention; Reneau Being Urged To Seek Post?

UPDATE: Republican sources said late today that Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau, defeated in her reelection bid, is being urged by supporters to seek the post of Republican State Party chair. However, her spokesman Trey Davis told TMRO, "Tom Daxon is a good friend of Brenda's and she's not out to unseat him as chair. Frankly, the fact that her name is being bandied about caught her by surprise and she hasn't had time, yet, to think about it. She's not actively seeking the position but of course she'll give it serious consideration if that's what a majority of state Republicans want." With the dust from the 2006 elections barely settled, there's talk among some Republicans that the GOP convention in April will see an effort to replace Chairman Tom Daxon if he decides to seek reelection; a source close to Daxon said a final decision hasn't been made.

The unrest, and the grumbling, is coming from some of those involved in this year's campaigns as candidates and consultants. They argue that the state party, under Daxon, was ineffective and offered little help to candidates for statewide office and the Legislature, a view contested by others.

Some unrest was evident earlier this year, when critics said the party's "Victory" effort existed on paper only and was being used only to support party staff members and not candidates.

When word of unrest about Daxon's leadership first surfaced, his supporters were quick to note that when he ran for chairman, he made clear his first priority would be to take control of the State Senate and insiders say he worked with Senate Minority Leader Glenn Coffee to make that happen. While the party did not win control, it did pick up two seats to tie Democrats.

Overall, the party's losses in the statewide races were offset by a 2-seat pickup in the State Senate, giving Republicans their historic tie with Democrats. But those pickups, insiders say, had more to do with Senate Minority Leader Glenn Coffee and his efforts than they did with the state party. And House candidates say Speaker-designate Lance Cargill was of more help than the party organization.

"Tom just wasn't very effective," a supporter of Daxon's said. "The party just wasn't a player this time around. You didn't see or hear much out of Tom."

Daxon's defenders say he spent his time helping raise money to help candidates and saw that as a better use of his time than making speeches.

Daxon's lack of visibility apparently bothered others. He declined repeated invitations to appear weekly opposite Democratic Party Vice-chairman Ben Odom on radio station KTOK's "Mullins In The Morning" show and State Rep. Doug Miller became the party's voice, leading some to wonder why Daxon would bypass such an opportunity to represent the party. His predecessor, Gary Jones, was a regular on the show.

The 2007 GOP convention will be held April 13-14 at the Clarion Hotel in Oklahoma City.

Mary Fallin, Frank Lucas Draw High Marks For Donor Disclosure From OpenSecrets.org

Congresswoman-elect Mary Fallin and Congressman Frank Lucas draw high marks from OpenSecrets.org for the quality of donor disclosure in their successful campaigns.

Fallin is given a 98.8 percent rating, among the highest, for providing information about contributors. The organization found 1.2 percent of donor information was "incomplete" and Fallin had zero donors for which no information was listed.

Lucas drew a 99.5 percent rating, among the highest found.

Tulsa Congressman John Sullivan has the lowest rating, just 89.9 percent, with 10.1 percent of his donors found with no information, a red flag.

Congressman Dan Boren, D-2nd District, drew a 95.5 percent rating; Congressman Tom Cole, R-4th District, drew a 95.6 percent rating.

Federal law requires that all donors be identified by address, occupation and place of employment. Some candidates whose listings TMRO examined met those requirements only in the 80-percent range; in the past, ratings that low have prompted Federal Election Commission letters warning that the required information must be provided.

Newly-elected Democrats May Surprise Some

From the UK's Guardian: The forging of a cohesive domestic reform agenda will be complicated by the fact that several of the new intake of Democrats in the Congress are socially conservative and in favour of policies traditionally associated with the Republicans they ousted. Some of them are pro-guns while others are anti-abortion. Some oppose stem cell research using human embryos, and many are on the wing of the Democratic party that believes in fiscal rectitude and tight control on public spending. Read more.

Thomsen Alleges Voting Irregularities In Ada

Republican State House candidate Todd Thomsen of Ada alleges there were irregularities in the voting in his 2-vote loss to Democrat Darrell Nemecek last week.

Thomsen has challenged the results with the State Election Board, saying four ineligible voters were issued absentee ballots. A hearing is set Thursday at 8:30 a.m., the same time a recount requested by Thomsen will begin.

Results in three other races also are being contested. In Claremore, Dale Marler is challenging his loss to District Judge Dynda Post. In Oklahoma City, Pat Crawley is challenging his loss to District Judge Vicki Robertson. In McClain County, Suzanne Woodrow is asking for a recount in her loss to Charles N. Gray in the associate district judge election.

Pelosi's Actions Examined

While much is being made of promises of bipartisanship by Democratic leaders in Congress, the first actions of incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggest that the reality will be quite different.

The California congresswoman’s decision to endorse Pennsylvania Rep. Jack Murtha, the House’s loudest voice for withdrawal from Iraq, for majority leader indicates that Mrs. Pelosi intends to go all-out to undermine Bush administration attempts to actually win the war or at least avoid a humiliating defeat for the nation.

Likewise, Mrs. Pelosi’s decision to block California Rep. Jane Harman from becoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, because Mrs. Harman has been too nonpartisan for Mrs. Pelosi’s tastes, tells a discerning political oberver all he or she needs to know about the highly partisan direction Mrs. Pelosi intends to take the House. Read more.

Pelosi-Murtha Controversy Spreads

WASHINGTON — House Democrats are locked in an internal dispute over a top post that highlights the party's ideological tensions and the assertive style of their leader, Nancy Pelosi, less than a week after winning majority control for the first time since 1994.

Pelosi's decision to endorse her close friend, Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, for House majority leader over her current deputy, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, was a surprise to some. Pelosi, a California Democrat, is in line to be the first female speaker of the House.

Hillary's Promise: 'Health care is coming back'

Democratic Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday outlined an ambitious agenda of legislative priorities, including health care, when her party takes control of the Congress.

"It may be a bad dream for some," she said of her health care plans.

Clinton returned to Washington on Monday to participate in a lame-duck session of Congress in which lawmakers will tackle several pieces of unfinished business before ceding control of both the Senate and House to Democrats early next year.

The New York senator was clearly looking ahead to the next Congress, which she, like other Democrats, has vowed will operate on a more bipartisan basis than it had under Republican control.

"We are ready to roll up our sleeves and work with our Republican counterparts. Our country works best when we govern from the vital, dynamic center," she said.

Clinton outlined a range of challenges she said Democrats would tackle in the coming months, such as trimming the federal deficit, reducing dependence on foreign oil, and improving the quality and affordability of health care - a touchy matter for the former first lady, who in 1993 led her husband's calamitous attempt to overhaul the nation's health care system. The failure of that effort helped Republicans win control of both the Senate and House the following year.

"Health care is coming back," Clinton warned, adding, "It may be a bad dream for some."

Webb, Northrup Named To Head Fallin Staff

Lieutenant Governor and Congresswoman-elect Mary Fallin today announced that Nate Webb and Denise Northrup will head her congressional staff.

Webb, the lieutenant governor’s current chief of staff, will serve in the same capacity on her congressional staff.

Campaign Manager Northrup will serve as district director and manage day-to-day operations in Oklahoma, Seminole and Pottawatomie counties, Fallin announced.

"I am thrilled that both Nate and Denise have agreed to remain with me as we begin this new challenge. They are both people of integrity and trusted advisors. Most importantly, they understand the needs and concerns of the Fifth District and I know they share my commitment to work tirelessly for the people I was elected to represent in Congress,” said Fallin.

What Role Will Dan Boren Play Now?

WASHINGTON -- Democrats' historic victory in last week's midterm elections has put much of Oklahoma's congressional influence on the young shoulders of U.S. Rep. Dan Boren.

At 33, Boren is just now completing his freshman term in office and will remain the state delegation's lone Democrat in Congress next year.

Remarks in the days following the elections that put his party back in power in both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994's so-called Republican revolution seemed to offer a mixed picture of the way Boren will approach his new responsibilities.

He initially refused to say he planned to vote for Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California for the top spot in the House of Representatives, even though no one is expected to challenge her for the job. Read more.

What If? Questions Face Democrats

WASHINGTON -- It's the question Democrats would rather not ask in their moment of revelry: Are their new majorities in the House and Senate sustainable?

What if the war in Iraq is over by 2008? Or what if it is still being waged despite Democratic pledges to change the course? What if voter antipathy toward President Bush is irrelevant in two years? After all, he will be on his way out. Read more.

Flames Reported On Board Whitefield Plane

DANVILLE, Ark. (AP, Arkansas Online) -- The pilot of a plane that crashed Nov. 4 reported flames on the aircraft, but a preliminary investigation has found no evidence of a pre-crash fire.

All three passengers -- Justin Whitefield, 34, and Jennifer Parton, 37, both of Oklahoma City, and Brandon Wayne Hughes, 26, of Ada -- died in the crash, which happened near Danville. The pilot apparently was trying to land in a pasture about two miles from the Danville Airport when the plane clipped power wires, invisible in the dark, and crashed.

The Oklahomans were returning home from the Breeders' Cup in Louisville, Ky., after a refueling stop in Little Rock. Whitefield headed the Oklahoma Youth Expo and was a State Capitol lobbyist and attorney. Parton was a Republican fundraiser.

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot reported a 'rough-running engine' at about 6,000 feet.

The report did not specify which of the three Oklahomans was flying the plane (but it is believed Hughes was at the controls). Whitefield was a student pilot; he and a partner purchased the single-engine airplane, after a thorough mechanical inspection, about a week before the crash from Ada businessman Bob Cantrell.

Shortly after radioing his engine was running rough, the pilot reported, "Mayday, going down, on fire," the report said.

An NTSB investigator said the plane caught fire after it crashed, but found no evidence to substantiate the pilot's statement.

"None was found to bear any evidence or signatures of a possible in-flight fire," the report said.

A probable-cause report on the crash will take several months to complete, the safety board has said.

A memorial service honoring Whitefield will be held Wednesday beginning at 10 a.m. at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Those wishing to honor his memory are being asked to donate to the Justin Whitefield Junior Livestock Memorial Fund being handled by the Bank of Western Oklahoma. The bank has branches in Weatherford, Vici, Cordell, Geary, Woodward and Elk City. Services for Parton were held last week.

Honor America's Veterans This Weekend

Brent Bozell: The Pelosi News Networks

The Media Research Center's Brent Bozell: "This year's campaign coverage was the most tilted I've seen in 25 years. The stuff between the commercials wasn’t 'news' as much as a boatload of free infomercial advertising for the Democrats. The news reports should have led with the sentence, 'I’m Nancy Pelosi, and I approved this newscast.'"

Explaining The GOP Losses

In the sixth year of a two-term Presidency, Americans rebuked Republicans on Capitol Hill who had forgotten their principles and a President who hasn't won the Iraq war he started. While a thumping defeat for the GOP, the vote was about competence, not ideological change.

This is not to minimize the Democrats' victory, which they deserve to savor after several frustrating election nights. Credit in particular goes to Rahm Emanuel and Chuck Schumer, who led the House and Senate efforts to pick candidates who could win in GOP-leaning states. Their leaders, notably Speaker-in-waiting Nancy Pelosi, also kept in check their ideological ambitions to make Tuesday a referendum on Republican governance. It was a shrewd strategy.

All the more so because the GOP gave them so much ammunition. By our count, at least eight GOP House seats fell largely due to scandal; campaign-finance ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff probably cost Conrad Burns his Senate seat in Montana. Read the entire Wall Street Journal analysis.

Republicans Angry Over Rumsfeld Resignation?

Donald Rumsfeld's abrupt resignation from the Pentagon the day after Republicans lost both chambers of Congress has infuriated some GOP officials on and off Capitol Hill.

Money Talks In Campaigns

While voters in some states are still waiting to see who will represent them in Congress, one thing is certain: Money was a clear winner in the 2006 elections. Equally clear was voters' concern about corruption in Washington; officeholders tied to scandal lost in disproportionate numbers.

In 93 percent of House of Representatives races and 67 percent of Senate races that had been decided by mid-day Nov. 9, the candidate who spent the most money won, according to a post-election analysis by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. The findings are based on candidates' spending through Oct. 18, as reported to the Federal Election Commission.

Worst Of The Worst, 2006

"You think fighting off dogs and water hoses in the Sixties was bad, imagine if we sit idly by and let the right-wing Republicans take control of the Fulton County Commission." - From a radio commercial aimed at African-American audiences in Atlanta, Georgia.

One Analyst's Thoughts: Senator Thomas Allen Coburn, or Senator Tom Coburn, M.D., as he usually styles himself, unquestionably is among the most independent and courageous of United States Senators. He also has had a varied career - a college degree in accounting, management and expansion of an (originally family) optical business, medical school and the practice of medicine, three self-limited terms in the House of Representatives, now a Senator.

Fallin Featured On MSNBC, Heads To Washington

Lieutenant Governor and Congresswoman-elect Mary Fallin was a featured guest on Friday’s MSNBC morning news segment representing fellow members of her freshman class. Fallin discussed her goals and priorities as an incoming member of the 110th Congress.

During the interview, Fallin reiterated the priorities she plans to pursue as a new member of Congress and discussed the changing dynamics on Capitol Hill.

“During the campaign I said I wanted to make the tax cuts permanent, work on a comprehensive immigration policy and continue to an aggressive national security agenda. I believe those issues are important to Oklahomans in the Fifth District and despite the change in leadership, they will remain priorities for me in Congress,” said Fallin.

On Sunday, Fallin will leave for a week of Freshman Orientation, a weeklong series of bipartisan meetings designed to brief new members on a wide variety of topics related to their new Congressional duties.

Your Votes: Prater's Upset Of Lane Biggest Surprise

The biggest suprise of Election Day 2006 was David Prater's upset victory over Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane, voters in our online poll say.

Among those who voted, 39 percent cited the Prater upset.

The upset of Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau by Lloyd Fields was second, at 33 percent.

The 24-24 State Senate split was cited by 11 percent, while Auditor & Inspector Jeff McMahan's win over challenger Gary Jones was cited by 10 percent and the size of Governor Brad Henry's margin over Congressman Ernest Istook was cited by 6 percent.

Students Ban Pledge Of Allegiance

Student leaders at a California college have touched off a furor by banning the Pledge of Allegiance at their meetings, saying they see no reason to publicly swear loyalty to God and the U.S. government.

Bush Nominates Terry Cline For Top Post

President Bush has announced his intention to nominate Oklahoma Secretary of Health Terry Cline as head of the U. S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Cline, an Ardmore native educated at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, previously was a Health Care Policy Fellow for the agency in Washington. He returned to Oklahoma in 2001 to head the state Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Department and was appointed secretary of health by Governor Brad Henry in 2004.

Cline's appointment by the president requires confirmation by the U. S. Senate.

Republican Caucus Confirms Leadership

Following close on the heels of a renewed Republican majority in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, the GOP caucus on Thursday chose its top leadership for the 51st Legislature.

The GOP caucus elected three top leadership positions: Speaker of the House, Speaker Pro Tempore and Majority Caucus Chair. On Tuesday, Oklahoma voters returned a Republican majority to power in the state House for the first time in state history, with one seat still involved in a recount.

“Our leadership team is one that is united and I look forward to working together to advance Oklahoma,” said Speaker-elect Lance Cargill (R-Harrah), who was confirmed as the next Speaker by the GOP caucus Thursday.

In addition to electing Cargill, the GOP caucus Thursday chose Rep. Gus Blackwell (R-Goodwell) as Speaker Pro Tempore and Rep. John Wright (R-Broken Arrow) as Caucus Chairman.

Blackwell, who is starting his third two-year term in the state House, holds a Master’s in business administration from Panhandle State University and a Master’s in Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological University.

“It’s an honor to be able to serve my colleagues in this capacity,” said Blackwell. “We have a great depth of talent in our caucus. I’m looking forward to House Republicans working to accomplish great things for Oklahoma this coming session.”

As Caucus Chairman, Rep. Wright will assist the Speaker with directing weekly meetings of the GOP Caucus. Wright, now entering his fifth term as a lawmaker, holds a bachelor’s of science degree in marketing from Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida.

“I’m honored and grateful to have this opportunity to help lead our caucus,” said Wright.

“The House Republican majority is ready for the upcoming legislative session,” said Cargill. “We will continue to keep our promises to the citizens of Oklahoma to foster enterprise and entrepreneurship, invest tax dollars wisely and hold government accountable.”

Cargill said that over the next several weeks he’ll announce additional appointed GOP leadership positions.

Next week on Thursday at 1 p.m. the newly-elected members of the entire House will be sworn in at the capitol. In early January, the full House will convene for an organizational day to formally elect House leadership.

Henry Swept 74 Counties, Istook's Home Base

Governor Brad "Landslide" Henry, enroute to an impressive statewide sweep of opponent Ernest Istook, carried all but three of the state's 77 counties in Tuesday's voting. Henry bested Istook in the 5th District Istook has represented, and it wasn't even close.

Henry lost only in Beaver, Cimarron and Texas counties, the three Panhandle counties, winning 67 percent of the vote statewide.

Henry carried the three counties (Oklahoma, Pottawatomie, Seminole) in the 5th Congressional District, which Istook represented for 14 years. Henry is from Shawnee in Pottawatomie County.

Henry smashed Istook in Oklahoma County with 63 percent of the vote and in Tulsa County with 61 percent.

Image courtesy KOCO-Channel 5

The New Face(s) Of The Republican Party

U. S. Senator Tom Coburn, porkbuster.

Image courtesy Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

State Senate: Now What?

By Mick Hinton, Tulsa World Capitol Bureau

OKLAHOMA CITY -- With an unprecedented 24-24 party split in the Senate a reality on Wednesday, the GOP leader trotted into the Democratic president pro tem's office and split it down the middle with a piece of tape.

"I get the couch; you get the refrigerator," Democrat Mike Morgan told Republican Glenn Coffee.

On a more serious note, the two leaders and newly elected Democratic Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, who constitutionally may break tie votes in the Senate, started to ponder the question of how to run government with a house -- in this case the Senate -- divided. Rest of story.

Democrats Take U. S. Senate, Complete Sweep

Democrats wrested control of the United States Senate from Republicans Wednesday with an upset victory in Virginia, giving the party complete domination of Capitol Hill for the first time since 1994.

Jim Webb's squeaker win over incumbent Senator George Allen gave Democrats their 51st seat in the Senate, an astonishing turnabout. Allen was the sixth Republican incumbent senator defeated in Tuesday's elections.

The Senate had teetered at 50 Democrats, 49 Republicans for most of Wednesday, with Virginia hanging in the balance.

Cargill Cites Return Of GOP House Majority

House Speaker-designate Lance Cargill of Harrah noted Wednesday that, for the first time in state history, voters returned a Republican majority to power in the state House of Representatives, with one seat still involved in a recount after Tuesday's voting.

Cargill said he looks forward to working with Governor Brad Henry to continue to achieve progress and solutions for the state.

“The voters of Oklahoma have endorsed our hard work over the past two years of Republican control,” said Cargill. “The House GOP has delivered for Oklahoma’s working families. Now it’s time to continue to keep our promises and move Oklahoma forward. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be sharing our goals for the upcoming legislative session to reward families and small business owners, foster a first-class educational system and require more accountability from state government.”

In Ada-based House District 25, a recount for the seat there could maintain the GOP’s majority with no losses -- there’s only a two-vote margin between Republican Todd Thompson and his Democrat opponent.

When compared to other state legislatures, Cargill said, Tuesday’s GOP victory in the Oklahoma House is striking: Democrats flipped control of state Houses in Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oregon and Pennsylvania. Democrats control both chambers in 21 states, while Republicans control 15 and 9 were split between the two parties.

“There’s no question Democrats had the wind at their backs this election cycle,” said Cargill. “Republicans had twice as many seats to defend, with many freshman members. Yet despite all of their advantages this year, the Democrats failed to make significant gains in the state Legislature, and they no longer have a majority in the state Senate for the first time in Oklahoma’s history. Oklahoma voters have embraced our positive vision for the future. The voters have seen that the Republican majority in the House offers real solutions that matter to their lives as Oklahomans.”

Cargill said that the Republican track record of historic tax relief, repeal of the state’s unfair death tax, historic pro-life reforms, record investments in the state’s roads and bridges, record teacher pay increases and conservative health care reforms led to Republican victories.

Highlights of Republican victories on Tuesday cited by Cargill:

Republican George Faught, a Muskogee businessman, won the seat in House District 14 with 54 percent of the vote, a seat which had been under Democrat control.

Republican Dennis Johnson won the seat in House District with 53 percent of the vote, another seat previously held by Democrats.

In District 62, Republican T.W. Shannon made state history to become only the second black Republican elected to the Legislature -- winning a previous Democrat-held seat with 58 percent of the vote.

Republicans Miss Senate Control By 137 Votes

Republicans missed taking complete control of the Oklahoma State Senate by just 137 votes in Tuesday's voting.

Having won the Senate District 12 (Brian Bingman over John Mark Young) and Senate District 24 (Anthony Sykes over Daisy Lawler) races, it came down to the surprisingly close Senate District 26 race in southwestern Oklahoma, where Republican Todd Russ and Democrat Tom Ivester had battled to within a few votes of each other. When all the votes were counted, Ivester won 9,383 to 9,110, giving Ivester a margin of 273 votes. Thus, a switch of just 137 votes would have made Russ the winner (9,247 vs 9,246 for Ivester) and given Republicans a 25-23 Senate majority.

The Ivester-Russ race was so close there was election night talk of a recount or a challenge of the results, but sources this morning said it appears the results will stand.

Senate Minority Leader Glenn Coffee focused on the GOP two-seat gain in an election night news release: "Today the people of Oklahoma said they are tired of the old guard leadership in the State Senate. Voters elected a record number of Republicans to the State Senate because they want a new direction in the Senate for the new Oklahoma century.

"State Rep. Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, won Senate District 12 for the GOP, an open seat held by outgoing Senate Majority Leader Ted Fisher. Republican Anthony Sykes of Moore defeated incumbent Democrat State Sen. Daisy Lawler of Comanche in Senate District 24," he said.

Coffee said the Republican victories in key Senate races show that Oklahoma voters are ready for change. The top issues in GOP campaigns were tax reform, job creation, immigration reform, education, lawsuit reform, and traditional values.

"Voters want the Oklahoma Senate to start being part of the solution in moving Oklahoma forward. Our candidates ran excellent campaigns and were very successful in running on a positive agenda of change for the State of Oklahoma," Coffee said.

For the state's first 100 years, the State Senate was controlled by Democrats. For the time ever, Democrats will not have a Senate majority in the 2007 Legislature -- and Republicans will have a clear advantage to win the majority in 2008, Coffee added.

Every Vote Counts, David Dank Finds

Every vote counts, State Rep.-elect David Dank finds.

Dank won election Tuesday in a tight battle with Democrat Jennifer Seal. Dank defeated Seal by 128 votes.

He faced a tough Republican primary and topped the field by 27 votes to make the runoff.

He faced a tough runoff with former Governor Frank Keating's son, Chip, and won his party's nomination by 82 votes.

Thus, in three elections, Dank won all by a total of 238 votes.

Governor Landslide

Governor Brad Henry and First Lady Kim Henry.

Image courtesy Tulsa World

Election Day's Biggest Surprise?

Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane's loss to David Prater.

Oklahoma's New Power Person

Lt. Governor-elect Jari Askins.

Image courtesy Tulsa World

'Just The Facts America' Sent Back To Texas

Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland.

Historic Victor

Congresswoman-elect Mary Fallin.

Image courtesy Tulsa World

The New Face Of Congress

Nancy Pelosi.

McCarville's (Almost) Fearless Predictions; Mostly Right, But Pass The Crow So He Can Start Eating

Your editor's Fearless Election Day Predictions were mostly on target, but he blew some calls as well. Pass the crow so he can start eating. (He missed 3 of 14 calls.) Here are his calls on Tuesday morning, and how the races turned out Tuesday night, percentages in red.

Governor Brad Henry 59% (best commercials of 2006, bar none) 66% (as in LANDSLIDE) Ernest Istook 41% (never in the race, really) 33%

Lt. Governor Jari Askins 51+% (her own money, Henry coattails help make her the winner) 51% Todd Hiett 47% (primaries consumed resources, no help from Istook) 47% E. Z. Million 2% (if it's more than this, credit negative ads by Askins and Hiett) 2%

Congress 5th District Mary Fallin 63% (elected the day she filed) 61% Dr. David Hunter 37% (back to the practice, Doc) 37%

Treasurer Scott Meacham 55% (Brad's guy eases in) 59% Howard Barnett 45% (no real traction) 41%

Attorney General Drew Edmondson 57+% (dinged around the edges, but solid) 61% James Dunn 43% (never got off the ground) 39%

Superintendent of Public Instruction Sandy Garrett 60% (in a walk) 63% Bill Crozier 40% (never in the race) 37%

Labor Commissioner (Pass the crow) Brenda Reneau 52+% (wins again) 49.85% Lloyd Fields 48% (loses again) 50.15%

Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland 52% (staves off attack from rich Texas and Oklahoma Republicans!) 52% Bill Case 48% (no ground game, those awful Larry Gatlin commercials!) 48%

Auditor & Inspector (Pass the crow) Jeff McMahan 49.5% (his own worst enemy) 52% Gary Jones 50.5% (Jones must carry Tulsa County by 29,000+ votes to pull this off) 48%

Oklahoma County District Attorney (Pass the crow) Wes Lane 54+% (dinged, bruised and battered) 50% David Prater 46% 50% (824 vote margin)

State Senate Goes from 26-22 Democrat to 24-24 tie (and Democrats rule with Askins win) 24-24 tie, Democrats rule with Askins win

State House Republicans retain control (Lance Cargill is Speaker) Republicans retain control

U. S. Senate stays in GOP hands despite a loss. In the House, Democrats pick up seats, take control. Senate still in doubt; House flips to Democrat control.

Just The Facts America: 'Vote Tomorrow'

"Just The Facts America," the secret Texas group trying to defeat Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland, is out with a robocall to voters today urging them to "vote tomorrow."

One voter who received the call at midday said it repeated the allegations made against Holland in television commercials and on a website. Apparently, the calls were supposed to have been made yesterday.

Holland faces Republican Bill Case, who has received much of his funding from those connected, in one way or the other, to the group.

Counties To Watch Tonight In A&I Race

Six counties of Oklahoma's 77 likely will determine whether Republican Gary Jones unseats incumbent Auditor & Inspector Jeff McMahan in today's voting.

Our analysis of the 2002 election returns, in which McMahan defeated Jones by 28,779 votes, 516,425 to 487,6464 (a total of 1,004,071 votes cast), shows McMahan lost the six counties we've studied 213,243 to Jones' 247,651, or a 53.7-46.3 percent Jones advantage. If the voter turnoff drops to 900,000 (as predicted by Election Board Secretary Mike Clingman), and if newspaper editorial endorsements mean anything, Jones needs to increase his margin in those six counties just slightly to win. That assumes the vote percentages in other counties remain about the same (which they won't).

CARTER COUNTY - McMahan carried it 7,162 to 5,859 in 2002. The Daily Ardmoreite endorsed Jones this time around, noting McMahan's connections to the southeastern Oklahoma cabal of Steve Phipps and Gene Stipe and their abstract company empire, now subject of a civil lawsuit between the two as a Federal Bureau of Investigation probe continues. The editorial said McMahan's "integrity has been compromised by some unethical dealings...." Can Jones break even with McMahan here?

CLEVELAND COUNTY - Jones carried it 33,299 to 29,893. The Norman Transcript endorsed Jones and the county now has more Republican voters than it did four years ago. Can Jones add a thousand or two thousand more votes to his margin?

MUSKOGEE COUNTY - It was big for McMahan in 2002; he beat Jones 12,854 to 6,897, almost a fourth of McMahan's victory margin. The Muskogee Daily Phoenix endorsed Jones this time, noting McMahan's involvement with Stipe and Phipps, saying McMahan is "entwined in a big state scandal" as a result. Can Jones cut McMahan's win in the county in half?

OKLAHOMA COUNTY - Jones carried it 95,677 to 86,779 votes for McMahan. Most observers believe Jones will increase that margin substantially in today's voting.

STEPHENS COUNTY - McMahan carried it, 7,335 to 6,543. The Duncan Banner endorsed Jones. Can Jones break even with McMahan as a result? An expected huge Democrat turnout for hometown girl Jari Askins in the lieutenant governor's race may help McMahan.

TULSA COUNTY - Jones drubbed McMahan in 2002, 99,376 to 69,220, a margin of more than 30,000 votes. Can he do it again, or even increase his margin? If Jones is to win, he must march out of Tulsa County with a margin of at least 29,000 votes by our calculations, all other things being equal.

Bottom Line: A switch of just 14,000 votes in these six counties makes Jones the winner. Elections always produce surprises, but based on our study, these six counties hold the keys to which candidate has a victory party tonight.

Vandals Strike GOP Offices In Duncan

Vandals struck the Republican headquarters in Duncan this morning, said Stephens County GOP official Wayne Watts.

"Dennis Johnson, candidate for House District 50, went to open the headquarters offices at 901 West Main in Downtown Duncan and was greeted with hot pink paintball splatters over the front and side windows and the entrance to the offices," Watts said. There were 39 individual paintball splatters over the windows facing Main Street and 9th Street.

"This culminates a cycle of vandalism to Republican candidate's signs during the last 4-6 weeks. Dennis Johnson lost several 4x8 billboard-style signs that cost several hundred dollars to produce or replace, some being destroyed to the point that they were no longer salvageable. Individual yard signs have disappeared entirely in some cases or been deliberately run over with vehicles," Watts said.

Steve Fair, Stephens County Republican chairman, said, "It looks like a deliberate attempt by the opposition to quieten our freedom of speech. In published reports in The Duncan Banner, the Democrat spokesman in Stephens County said that they had not experienced any vandalism of their signage. This may point the finger at what group is responsible for the blatant destruction of our campaign signs."

Duncan police apprehended an individual on Monday evening taking up Republican candidate signs. The officers made the individual replace the ones he was caught with. Duncan Police Captain Rick Lang said that they were researching the laws and probably would file charges on the man for "tampering with political signs" in an effort to stop the vandalism in the area.

"We appreciate the enthusiasm of the supporters in both parties," said Watts, State Committeeman for Stephens County, "and understand that this is the political process, but we certainly do not condone vandalism of any kind to anyone's property, by either party, and especially when it deals with our right of free speech."

Political Commentators At Work Today

Republican consultant Kyle Loveless is on KSBI-TV during its 5:30-6:30 news block.

Dr. Keith Gaddie, pollster, pundit and commentator, is on the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority from 7 to 8.

Commentator and consultant Scott Mitchell is on KTWV-Channel 9 off and on during the night, beginning in the 4 p.m. newscast.

Mike McCarville is doing national election coverage on Sirius Satellite Radio's Patriot Channel 144 and at NRANews.com beginning at 7 p.m.

Voter Turnout Reported 'Steady' Across State

Voter turnout was reported to be "steady" in most areas of the state today.

State Election Board Secretary Mike Clingman has predicted a turnout of about 900,000, which would be about 44 percent of the electorate. Good weather and some hot races could drive the number up, observers believe.

Turnout is expected to be high in State Senate districts with contested races; those districts include portions of the state in the northeast, west, southwest and central. Voting was said to be heavy in Rogers County, site of one of those hot Senate races.

Polls are open until 7 p.m.

Seven Texans Grace Case With $35,000

UPDATED ~ Seven Texans graced insurance commissioner candidate Bill Case with $5,000 maximum donations at the last minute, Ethics Commission records show today. The $35,000 was joined by a single $1,000 donation to put $36,000 into Case's final effort to win the office.

Case seeks to unseat Democrat Kim Holland, who has been under fire from a secret Texas group, "Just The Facts America."

Case's report shows the seven maximum donations were received on Friday but were not reported until Monday.

The seven Texans are:

Attorney Mark Bennett of Lake Dallas.

Attorney Marc Hesse of Plano.

Attorney Jay LaJone of Dallas.

Michael Neary of St. Johns Holdings, Dallas.

Gary Solomon of Dallas, Today Realty Advisors. (Solomon is identified as a businessman. There is a Gary B. Solomon in Dallas who is an attorney and associate of the law firm Patton Boggs; it was Benjamin L. Ginsberg of Patton Boggs in Washington who emerged as the attorney for "Just The Facts America," the group attacking Holland.)

Jane Street of Carrollton, Today Realty Advisors.

Susan Reese of Dallas, unidentified.

TMRO Viewers See Democrat State Senate

UPDATED ~ Viewers of The McCarville Report Online who have voted in our online poll through Tuesday at 2:45 believe Democrats will retain control of the State Senate in Tuesday's voting. There are six Senate races that have been identified by both Democrat and Republican leaders that are considered pivotal to which party controls the Senate. The split is now 26-22.

Thus far, 50 percent say Democrats will retain control outright and another 8 percent say they will control a 24-24 tie with the election of Democrat Jari Askins as lieutenant governor. And 25 percent say the GOP will take control 25-23; 14 percent say it will be a 24-24 tie with Republicans in control due to the election of Todd Hiett. And 3 percent say there will be a 24-24 tie.

Our poll is at the top right side of this page; vote now!

Graphic: Tulsa World

Columnist Cites Media Liberal Bias

A new study by the non-partisan Center for Media and Public Affairs in Washington, D.C., analyzed midterm election coverage on the ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts between September 5 and October 22. The study found during these seven key weeks following Labor Day, 167 such stories were broadcast. These big three network gave Democratic candidates coverage that was 77 percent positive. Republican candidates got the opposite – coverage that was 88 percent negative. Read Lowell Ponte's complete column.

CRP: Most Expensive Federal Election Ever

WASHINGTON—This year’s intensely competitive election for control of the House of Representatives and Senate will be the most expensive midterm election ever, the Center for Responsive Politics predicts. Candidates, national political parties and outside issue advocacy groups will spend roughly $2.8 billion by the end of 2006 to influence the 472 federal contests around the United States and pad the war chests of incumbents not running this year.

Hiett Dumps $200,000 Into Race

UPDATED ~ House Speaker Todd Hiett has dumped $200,000 into his hot race with Democrat Rep. Jari Askins for lieutenant governor, a late Ethics Commission report shows.

The report, a CR4 form filed by Hiett, shows he raised $242,700 on Friday, including $200,000 from himself.

Askins, meanwhile, filed a late report showing she raised $22,000 on Saturday.

In the race for auditor & inspector, a CR4 shows Republican Gary Jones on Friday put another $25,000 into his campaign against incumbent Jeff McMahan and raised $1,500 on Sunday. McMahan took in $1,000 on Monday.

In the race for corporation commissioner, incumbent Bob Anthony took in $5,000 and Democrat Cody Graves collected $6,500 on November 1st.

In the race for labor commissioner, incumbent Republican Brenda Reneau added $3,000 on November 3rd and Democrat Lloyd Fields added $2,500, all of it from organized labor.

In the race for insurance commissioner, incumbent Kim Holland took in $500 on Monday and Republican Bill Case banked a $5,000 donation from Dr. Michael Gregorio of Oklahoma City.

In the race for Oklahoma County district attorney, incumbent Republican Wes Lane raised $8,500 on November 3 and his challenger, Democrat David Prater, raised $16,615 including a $5,000 personal loan.

Dick Morris: Polls Show GOP Tilt

The latest polls show a tilt to the Republicans, noted political strategist Dick Morris tells NewsMax exclusively.

Final Shift To GOP, Pew Research Center Reports

A nationwide Pew Research Center survey finds voting intentions shifting in the direction of Republican congressional candidates in the final days of the 2006 midterm campaign.

The new survey finds a growing percentage of likely voters saying they will vote for GOP candidates. However, the Democrats still hold a 48% to 40% lead among registered voters, and a modest lead of 47%-43% among likely voters. The narrowing of the Democratic lead raises questions about whether the party will win a large enough share of the popular vote to recapture control of the House of Representatives.

Justin Whitefield, Two Others Die In Arkansas Crash

UPDATED ~ Justin Whitefield, Oklahoma City attorney and State Capitol lobbyist, died with two others in Arkansas last night when his newly-purchased airplane crashed. Also killed in the crash was Republican activist and fundrasier Jenny Parton.

Whitefield, 34, and Parton, 37, were returning from the Breeder’s Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, when the plane crashed near Danville, Arkansas, about 11 p.m, authorities there said.

Whitefield, a student pilot, was executive director of the Oklahoma Youth Expo and was a partner with Bob Funk in the purchase of horses.

The plane had been refueled in Little Rock before departing for Oklahoma City. The pilot, 26-year-old Brandon Hughes of Ada, also died in the crash. He reportedly was at the controls when he radioed he was experiencing engine trouble. The plane crashed two miles short of the Danville Airport runway and burst into flames.

Whitefield and a partner reportedly purchased the airplane from an Ada businessman last week.

A remembrance of Parton's life will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at the Western Club, Northwest 52nd and Western. Her funeral will be held at 4 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi, 1901 Northwest 18th.

KWTV reported Monday night that Parton had emailed a friend that while she was excited about making the trip, she was scared. "Pray for me" was her final line.

Judge Accused Of Rulings Based On Donations

Vickie Robertson Faces Accusations

By Jerry Bohnen, KTOK-AM 1000 News Director ~ Oklahoma County District Judge Vickie Robertson, in the middle of a re-election campaign, has been accused by attorneys of making rulings in order to get campaign contributions and of letting her ties to the University of Oklahoma interfere in her ability to be unbiased in those rulings. Read the entire story and view documents filed in the case.

Jones Picks Up Editorial Steam As Tuesday Nears

Several state newspapers that usually support Democrats endorsed Republican Gary Jones on Sunday in his bid to unseat incumbent Auditor & Inspector Jeff McMahan. It's a repeat of their 2002 race, which McMahan narrowly won. Observers believe, and most polls show, this is a close race and likely will go down to the wire.

In Ardmore, The Daily Ardmoreite wrote, "We encourage voters to choose Gary Jones for State Auditor and Inspector. We think Jeff McMahan's integrity has been compromised by some unethical dealings with former Sen. Gene Stipe and some of his operations."

The Muskogee Phoenix reiterated its support for Jones, writing today that, "The last thing this state needs is more public scandals. The incumbent, Jeff McMahan, is entwined in a big state scandal, and we believe Jones can more effectively and efficiently run the office."

The Duncan Banner also endorsed Jones.

The Norman Transcript on Saturday endorsed Jones and Tom Cole and Democrats Brad Henry, Jari Askins, Drew Edmondson and Scott Meacham.

Henry faces Congressman Ernest Istook, Askins faces House Speaker Todd Hiett in the race for lieutenant governor, Edmondson faces challenger James Dunn in the race for attorney general, and Meacham faces Howard Barnett in the race for state treasurer. Cole faces Hal Spake of Norman as he seeks reelection in the 4th congressional district.

The Jones endorsement is seen as somewhat of a surprise. The Transcript leans to Democrats. It was the second such newspaper to endorse Jones as of Saturday and was joined by others on Sunday; earlier, the Muskogee Phoenix endorsed Jones, noting questions about McMahan that haven't been answered.

Top 2005-2006 Donors: David Chernicky, Larry Nichols, Herman Meinders, George Krumme, Stephen Jones, Ralph Harvey

The Oklahoman has identified the top contributors to Oklahoma politicians this year and reports on them in its Sunday edition in a front page story by reporters Nolan Clay and Ryan McNeill.

They are David Chernicky, Tulsa oilman; Democrat George Krumme, Tulsa oilman; and Republicans Larry Nichols, Oklahoma City energy firm executive; Stephen Jones, Enid attorney; Herman Meinders, Oklahoma City businessman; and Ralph Harvey, Oklahoma City oilman.

Nichols was the most generous donor, giving $131,000 in statewide, legislative and congressional races. He also donated to party committees, the newspaper reported.

Chernicky was next, donating $114,000 to Democrats and Republicans.

Meinders donated $102,000, most of it going to Republicans.

Krumme donated $93,000, all of it to Democrats; he has supported congressional candidates in other states as well. He's been a Democratic Party official for years.

Jones donated more than $98,000 in state races; his total does not include thousands more he's donated to candidates for district attorney and judge. He has given to Democrats as well as Republicans.

Harvey donated more than $99,000 to Republicans.

SurveyUSA Poll For KFOR Makes It A Henry Runaway With Askins, Hiett In A Squeaker

SurveyUSA, in its final poll for KFOR-Channel 4, finds Governor Brad Henry in position to post a win of historic proportion in his reelection campaign. The poll found Henry at 65 percent, Republican Ernest Istook at just 29 percent. That's one of the largest spreads reported this election year in the race for governor. For results of recent polls, see our archives for the past week or see Dr. Keith Gaddie's review of all the polls posted at www.tailgatepolitics.blogspot.com.

In the race for lieutenant governor, the firm found Democrat Jari Askins leading with 48 percent to 44 percent for Republican Todd Hiett. The spread is within the poll's +/-4.5% margin of error. The poll was taken of 488 respondents.

Clingman Sees 'Moderate' Tuesday Voter Turnout

State Election Board Secretary Mike Clingman says about 900,000 voters, or 44 percent of the electorate, will probably cast ballots on Tuesday.

That would be a substantial increase over the July primary, when only 24 percent voted. An even lower 17 percent voted in the August runoffs.

Late Donations: $1,271,778

Late donations to candidates total $1,271,778, the Tulsa World reports today.

Republicans have raised almost twice as much as Democrats, $838,603 to $433,175.

McMahan Raises $37,900, Puts In $10,000 Himself; Jones At $132,000 In Personal Money

Auditor & Inspector Jeff McMahan raised $37,900 on Friday, much of it from abstractors he regulates, and from office employees, and put in $10,000 himself, a new CR4 campaign finance report shows.

McMahan, who faces Republican Gary Jones in what most believe is a close race, has raised tens of thousands from abstractors and employees in his office. He has far surpassed Jones in donations; Jones refuses to accept contributions from abstractors and earlier, financed his final television buy with $60,000 of his own money and now has put in a total of $132,000 of his own money.

Meanwhile, a former employee of the Tulsa auditor & inspector's office, Democratic activist Lisa Long, is out with a scathing attack on McMahan that's drawing plenty of comments from her fellow Democrats. Long and Dana Webb, former manager of the Tulsa office, have leveled accusations that the Tulsa office became an adjunct campaign headquarters for McMahan in 2002 and that state property was used illegally in his campaign. For details, see our archives.

Keith Gaddie's Election Prognostications

Pollster, pundit and commentator Dr. Keith Gaddie, AKA "DocStones," issued his election prognostications in the Oklahoma Gazette this week. Gaddie is a professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma, is a partner in TvPoll.com in Oklahoma City and is co-host of the "Tailgate Political Hour" that airs 4-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday on KTLR-AM 890.

On Tuesday morning, Mike McCarville will post his Fearless Predictions on The McCarville Report Online and he doesn't necessarily agree with Gaddie.

Here's Gaddie's column:

DocStones' Losers Author's Note: This information is provided for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate by either the author or the Gazette . . . and please, too, no wagering!

Growing up in the South, one of the Fall treats was listening to football prognosticator extraordinary, the late Leonard Postosties©, broadcasting his predictions for the day's games. In homage to the long passed and defunct Leonard, we loaded up the Little Smart Pill Machine and asked Leonard's political alter ego, DocStones of the Internets, for his prognostications for Game Day, Tuesday, November 7:

GOVERNOR: Ernest Istook versus Brad Henry. The Stormin' Mormon looked to be a contender coming out of last season. But a lack of off-season training, a weak offensive line, late injuries and a rookie crop of assistant coaches left Istook eating Henry's dust. A steady offense and a flexible defense have Henry easily hanging half a hundred just on his strong approval rating. SoonerPoll, TvPoll, SurveyUSA, Rasmussen, and party internals all point the same way: DocStones' Loser, by two touchdowns and a safety, Ernest Istook.

LITE-GOVERNOR: Todd Hiett versus Jari Askins. A defense that gets away with clipping and in-your-face-masks in the primary plus a deep offense has Askins dominating this campaign over the Stained-Glass Kellyville Dairy Farmer. Hiett's piano-playing and new boots carried him to the nomination, but it looks like he left it all on the field last time out against Pruitt. It'll take more than a Hail Mary to pull Hiett out of what is shaping up to be a double-digit drubbing: DocStones' Loser, Todd Hiett.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER: Just the Facts America versus Kim Holland. Republican Bill Case has starting running a distant third in this two person contest, behind Kim Holland and a variety of out-of-state interests who are targeting her candidacy. While Case and Holland poll close to each other, the only thing voters really know is that Kim Holland is on the field and someone from Texas doesn't want her there. DocStones' Loser, in overtime, Bill Case.

STATE AUDITOR: Gary Jones versus the Trailer Thieves. If it wasn't for a stolen playbook you wouldn't know this game was out there. But, recruiting irregularities and an investigation have kept Jeff MacMahan and the Money Machine from moving out of striking distance from Jones. At the end of the day we'll see whether there are coattails in the Sooner State, or merely "tailgates." DocStones' Loser, in a close one, Gary Jones.

LABOR COMMISSIONER: Lloyd Fields versus Brenda Reneau. Reneau labors through her fourth consecutive bid against an opponent who played her down to the last second four years ago. Despite expectations of a collapse, polling continues to place Reneau up. Coming into the fourth quarter, there is no Fields on the offense. Unless Reneau gets called for too many men on the field and loses half the distance to the goal, we're saying DocStones' Loser, on a drop-kick and blown pass coverage, Lloyd Fields.

DocStones' Other List of Likely Losers: CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 5: David Hunter will lose to Mary Fallin CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 4: Harold Spake will lose to Tom Cole IN COLLEGE STATION: Texas A&M will lose to Oklahoma TREASURER: Howard Barnett will lose to Scott Meacham IN AUSTIN: Oklahoma State will lose to Texas STATE SENATE: Republicans will lose State Senate districts 2, 12, 16, 18, and 26 CORPORATION COMMISSIONER: Cody Graves will lose to Bob Anthony

Get me out of here Percy . . .

Republican Terrill Robocalls For Democrat Fields

State Rep. Randy Terrill, Moore Republican, is the voice on a robocall being received by many voters this afternoon and he endorses Democrat Lloyd Fields over Republican Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau, he confirmed Friday night.

"He's lost his mind!" exclaimed one Republican who called The McCarville Report Online to report the call. Within minutes, a second caller said he'd received the same call and could not believe Terrill made it, but he said he recognized Terrill's voice. Five minutes later, an email arrived from one of Terrill's fellow GOP House members who described the call and said he was stunned by it.

In the call, Terrill asks the listener to join him and former State Rep. Larry Ferguson, also a Republican, in supporting Fields.

In 1998, Reneau fired Terrill as her campaign manager. In 2002, Terrill tried to help Fields in that race against Reneau.

A member of the Legislature told TMRO that Republican State Chairman Tom Daxon is aware of the calls.

Terrill confirmed to TMRO that he recorded the call. He said he had five reasons for doing so: First, he said, Fields is a personal friend. Second is that he supported Fields against Reneau four years ago. Third is that Reneau opposed him when he ran for office in 2004, while Fields supported him and defended him. Fourth is that he supports Fields on the issues of values and immigration. Fifth is that "friends support friends...he asked for my help." Terrill said that defines "bipartisanship."

Hiett Adds $121,650, $37,400 Of It Yesterday

Republican House Speaker Todd Hiett has added $121,650 to his campaign fund this week, new CR4 filings with the Ethics Commission show.

Today's filing shows he raised $37,400 yesterday, including $5,000 maximum donations from Norman Senior Care LLC, Oklahoma First PAC in Tulsa and Dick Sias of Oklahoma City.

Hiett, facing Democrat State Rep. Jari Askins in the race for lieutenant governor, added $41,000 on October 30th and $43,250 on November 1st, the reports show. With today's filing, he has raised $121,650 this week.

Among the donors is Aubrey McClendon, chief executive officer of Chesapeake Energy ($5,000).

Hiett and Askins are locked in what most believe is an extremely close race. Poll results have fallen within the margin of error and the two are swamping the airwaves with positive and negative commercials. Askins has put $880,000 of her own money into her campaign, while Hiett used $670,000 from his House reelection fund to fuel his primary battles. Both are legislative veterans; had Democrats retained control of the House two years ago, Askins would have been speaker. As it turned out, Hiett became speaker when the GOP took control.

Holland Adds $10,700

Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland has late donations totaling $10,700, new finance reports show.

She received $3,000 on November 1st and $7,700 on November 2nd, some of it coming from those in the insurance industry she regulates.

McMahan Adds $10,500 From PACs, Abstractors

Auditor & Inspector Jeff McMahan added $10,500 to his campaign on October 31st, November 1st and November 2nd, new finance reports show.

He received $1,500 from abstractors on the 31st, $8,000, mostly from political action committees, on the 1st and $3,000 on the 2nd from Tulsa abstractor Joe Robinson.

Reneau Says Fields Can't Add, Total From Organized Labor Higher Than His Reports Show

Fields Says $74,610, Reneau Says Total Really $98,160

Organized labor dumped a staggering $76,500 into Democrat Lloyd Fields' campaign to unseat Republican Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau, his late campaign finance reports show, and Reneau says the total shown is not the actual total.

For the period ending October 23rd, the reports show, Fields took in $129,000, $52,000 from individuals. Reneau says Fields can't add.

Many of the organized labor donations, many of which were made in recent weeks, are for the maximum of $5,000. The donations are reflected on Fields' new CR1 form, past due since Monday, and a new CR4 form used to report significant late donations.

Reneau issued this statement: Former Representative Lloyd Fields, Democrat candidate for Labor Commissioner, finally filed his missing ethics report five days late, but his figures don’t add up.

According to the report filed today with the State Ethics Commission, Fields under-reported contributions from labor unions and workers’ comp lawyers by $26,000. Donations included contributions by the Stipe Law Firm.

"Fields reported $74,610 from campaign committees, but the contributions total $98,160, under-reported by $23,350. He reported $51,889 from workers’ comp attorneys and other individuals but those contributions total $54,489, off by $2600," Reneau's statement said.

"We’re not surprised by his last minute shady shenanigans," said Reneau. "He’s not called ‘Shady Fields’ for nothing. This is the type of lawmaker he was and that’s the kind of labor commissioner he’d make. Acting as his own campaign treasurer is a bad idea and against the rules of accounting integrity."

The report shows that more than 87 percent of Fields’ contributions came from organized labor ($90,300) and workers’ comp attorneys ($20,700). He’ll be required to file an amended report with the Ethics Commission to account for the under-reported cash.

AFL-CIO president Jimmy Curry told a Stillwater newspaper he’d do everything he could to defeat Reneau.

"More than $40,000 in campaign funds for Fields came from out-of-state labor unions. The AFL-CIO is trying to buy this office even though the state Labor Department has no jurisdiction over organized labor. It can’t be good for the people of Oklahoma," Reneau said.

In addition to under-reporting his contributions, Fields' name has surfaced in a cabal of McAlester area lawmakers who funneled money to a southeastern Oklahoma development district in 2002. The FBI is probing corruption in an alleged conspiracy to defraud taxpayers of almost $2 million.

For his part, Fields funneled more than $120,000 to the Kiamichi Economic Development District in 2002. That year, the District gave $440,000 to businessman Steve Phipps, a Gene Stipe associate. Phipps was to have use the funds to establish a Dog Food company in McAlester that never materialized.

"I’ve always believed things have to pass the smell test," Reneau said. "If it smells bad, throw it out. My opponent’s ties to organizations that have no honest connection to the Labor Department smells very, very bad. It’s shady."

SurveyUSA, TvPoll Results Due Monday, Tuesday

Final polls on the race for governor apparently will be out on Monday and Tuesday. One will be a SurveyUSA poll for KFOR-Channel 4, the other a TvPoll.com poll for KWTV-Channel 9.

News anchor Kevin Ogle indicated last night the KFOR poll will be taken over the weekend. Keith Gaddie writes on his blog site the KWTV poll results will be released Tuesday night, apparently after the polls close. Gaddie also recaps all the polls taken in the governor's race this year and analyzes the incumbent's huge, persistent advantage.

Recent polls have shown Governor Brad Henry leading challenger Ernest Istook by huge margins, from 64-32 percent to 68-24 percent to 58-33 percent. Istook's supporters say the polls are not reliable because they are automated polls that do not use "live" interviewers. They do concede Istook trailed Henry in the final week of the campaign.

Congressional Spending Tops $1.3 Billion

Spending in congressional races this year is at an all-time high, the total having soared past a billion dollars.

The Center for Responsive Politics says about $1.3 billion has been spent thus far and the total is not yet complete.

Heres the latest from CRP: This year’s intensely competitive election for control of the House of Representatives and Senate will be the most expensive midterm election ever, the Center for Responsive Politics predicts. Candidates, national political parties and outside issue advocacy groups will spend roughly $2.6 billion by the end of 2006 to influence the 472 federal contests around the United States and pad the war chests of incumbents not running this year.

The non-partisan Center, which has been tracking the money in federal politics since the 1980s, based its 2006 prediction on spending to date and the final tally for the 2002 midterm election.

In 2004, which included a presidential contest, the election cost $4.2 billion. About $2.2 billion was spent in 2002, which preceded campaign finance reforms that limited the influence of large corporate and union donors. The estimate for 2006 would represent an 18% increase over ’02.

“The torrid pace of fundraising for this election is a reflection of how competitive November 7th will be,” said Sheila Krumholz, the Center’s acting executive director and longtime research director. “Barring a scandal sinking your opponent—which has happened a number of times this year—you simply cannot win a seat in the House without $1 million or more—or millions more for the Senate. But as Election Day approaches, it’s important for candidates and citizens to remember that you can’t win without votes either.”

All candidates for the House and Senate have raised nearly $1.3 billion, based on data available from the Federal Election Commission on Oct. 23. Candidates still in the running for House have raised, on average, about $760,000, while Senate candidates have raised $5.8 million (which includes money raised since the start of the six-year term in 2001). Incumbent senators have a 4:1 advantage over their current challengers, on average. House incumbents have outraised their current challengers 7:2.

Republicans are expected to retain their edge in fundraising through the election. The Center predicts that Republican interests—candidates, party committees and conservative advocacy groups—will spend $1.4 billion on this election. Democratic interests will spend $1.2 billion, the Center projects.

Who Won The Final Henry-Istook Debate?

The professional prognosticators be damned; we want YOUR opinion: Who won the final Brad Henry-Ernest Istook debate televised by KFOR-Channel 4 and simulcast on KTOK-AM 1000 Thursday night? Use the "Comment" button below to share your thoughts.

Oh, a few questions to stimulate you: Did you find the audience interruptions as distracting as we did? Did you notice the folks asking the questions HAD to be standing on a box because they all were almost as tall as Kevin Ogle (who is TALL)? Did Istook score with his comments (again) about the Torres death sentence-commuted-to-life-without-parole event? Did Henry score with his put-down of Istook when Istook said the federal government took care of more insurance for servicemen and Henry told him he was wrong? And did Istook score when he nailed Henry on his support for John Kerry two years ago?

Post your comments below.

TvPoll/KWTV: Lane-Prater Race Tightens

The race for Oklahoma County district attorney, TvPoll.com and KWTV-Channel 9 report today, appears to have tightened.

The poll, of 504 respondents, found Lane at 48.4 percent and Prater at 40.7 percent.

Lane's backers, however, say their polling, using live interviewers as opposed to automated calls utilized by TvPoll.com, show Lane with a significant lead and they contend the race has not tightened as much as this poll might indicate. Lane's pollster and general consultant is Wilson Research Strategies of Oklahoma City.

Jones Trailer Recovered in Macomb

The Gary Jones campaign trailer that was stolen in Tecumseh has been recovered in a field in Macomb, about four miles away in Pottawatomie County.

Ron Black, communications director for Jones' campaign for auditor & inspector, told Keith Gaddie and Kyle Loveless of the "Tailgate Political Hour" on KTLR-AM 890, that the trailer appears to be undamaged.

Brewster Co-hosts Perry Fundraiser

Former Oklahoma Congressman Bill Brewster, now a Washington lobbyist, was the co-host of a fundraiser last night for Texas Governor Rick Perry.

The event was held in the home of Republican strategist Mary Matalin and her husband, Democrat James Carville, in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.

Brewster operates the Capitol Hill Consulting Group.

Candidate Cash Flow Continues, New Reports Show

Cash continues to flow into numerous campaigns, new CR4 filings with the Ethics Commission reveal.

Congressman Ernest Istook reports the receipt of about $18,000 on October 30th and 31st in his campaign for governor.

State Rep. Jari Askins reports the receipt of $9,275 in donations for her campaign for lieutenant governor on the last day of October.

Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland reports the receipt of slightly more than $15,000 on October 30th, 31st and November 1st. Her opponent, Bill Case, reports the receipt of $37,000. (See story below.)

Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau reports the receipt of $6,000. Her opponent, Lloyd Fields, has yet to file his last full report and faces a fine of $100 per day.

Oklahoma County judicial candidate Bill Graves reports the receipt of $13,500, including $5,000 from another member of the Stephen Jones law firm in Enid, attorney Jennifer J. Gideon, and $5,000 from himself.

Auditor & Inspector Jeff McMahan reports the receipt of $13,500 on October 31st and November 1st.

Case Dumps $30,000 Into Race

Republican insurance commissioner candidate Bill Case dumped $30,000 into his campaign to unseat incumbent Kim Holland this week, a new CR4 report filed with the Ethics Commission today shows.

Case reported raising a total of $37,000 on October 31st; included is a $5,000 donation from Texas graduate student Ryan Beadle of Waco. The Case money came from a loan or personal resources; the form does not specify which.

The new money brings Case to $162,000 raised thus far.

Stipe Donation Part Of $17,000 For Edmondson

(Originally posted Monday 10/30/06) UPDATE: Edmondson said Thursday he will keep the donation from Stipe. Attorney General Drew Edmondson's campaign reports he raised $17,000 last week and among the donors is convicted felon Gene Stipe, who gave $1,000.

Others listed as donors include Ada businessman Mike Cantrell and his daughter, political consultant Somerlyn Cothran, who donated $1,000 each.

The donations are listed on a new CR4 form filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.

Online Poll Result: No Secrecy

"Just The Facts America," the Texas entity attacking Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland, should be forced to reveal the sources of its financing, 71 percent of those who voted in our online poll believe.

One percent said the sources should be revealed to end the controversy. Seven percent said the group should not be forced to reveal its sources because the law doesn't require it. Five percent voted no because other groups don't have to. Nine percent voted no, saying Holland "can't take the heat." And 7 percent voted, "Who cares?"

Case's Campaign Coffer More Than Doubles

Republican insurance commissioner candidate Bill Case's campaign coffer more than doubled in the period August 8th to October 23rd, his new campaign finance report shows.

He added $78,705 to the $51,539 he had collected previously for his campaign, $61,500 of it coming from those associated with a firm incumbent Commissioner Kim Holland is suing and four maximum donors from Florida and Texas.

As TMRO previously reported, members of C. L. Frates Company and family members poured $41,500 into Case's campaign. Holland has filed a multi-complaint lawsuit against the company and executive Rodman A. "Rod" Frates, alleging fraud and conspiracy in their handling of the financial affairs of Hospital Casualty Company.

From Florida, Case received $10,000 in donations from Ronny Alcalay and Joseph Mizrahi.

From Texas, he received $10,000 from Al Weir and Lee Weir, principals in Weir Brothers, a construction-related company in Dallas.

While Case's total raised now stands at $125,040, he's far short of the $700,000-plus Holland has raised; about 30 percent of her donations have come from those in the insurance industry she regulates.

Out-of-state Donations Boost Candidates

Out-of-state donations have boosted Oklahoma candidates by $1.844 million this year, Follow The Money reports.

The public interest group's total does not include sums reported on just-filed Ethics Commission reports, so that total likely approached $2 million as of October 23rd.

SurveyUSA: Fallin 59%, Hunter 37%

A fresh poll by SurveyUSA for KFOR-Channel 4 shows Lt. Governor Mary Fallin poised for a walk-away win over Democrat Dr. David Hunter on Tuesday. The results are close to those of other polls in the race for Congress in the 5th District.

The poll found Fallin at 59 percent, Hunter at 37 percent, Independent Matthew Woodson at just 2 percent and the undecided at only 1 percent.

Polls have shown Fallin leading since the hotly-contested primary and her runoff with Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, which she won easily.

Insurance Interests Flood Holland With Cash

Insurance interests, many of them out of the state, have flooded the campaign of State Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland with cash, a study of her Ethics Commission paperwork shows. As commissioner, Holland regulates the industry.

Thus far this year, more than 300 donations from those in the insurance industry have been logged by her campaign as part of the $700,000 total she's raised. Follow The Money reports Holland has received $75,687 from insurance interests and $35,375 from lawyers and lobbyists, many of whom are connected to the insurance industry.

Not all the insurance industry donations to Holland are in cash. On October 23rd, her most recent finance report shows, the chairman of American Fidelity Group in Oklahoma City, William Cameron, made an in-kind contribution of $2,035 to pay for what apparently was a fundraising party. The sum brought Cameron to the maximum donation of $5,000.

Holland's finance reports show that in the period January 1st to March 31st, at least 86 insurance industry donations were received; in the period April 1st to July 10th, the total was at least 70; in the period July 11th to August 7th, the total was 10; in the period August 8th to October 23rd, the total was at least 132.

Among the donors is Capitol lobbyist Justin Whitefield, who donated $1,500; he represents several insurance entities, including the American Insurance Association.

Holland's donations from those in the insurance industry have figured in the attack launched against her by the secret Texas group, "Just The Facts America." That group has now been tied to an "of counsel" attorney (Jill Graham of Goodyear, Arizona) to the law firm of Enid attorney Stephen Jones, who represents Texas insurance company owner Bradford A. Phillips, son of Gene E. Phillips, the businessman who became well know here during the scandal that enveloped former Commission Carroll Fisher. (For details, see our archives for the last two weeks.)

Holland also has received donations totaling more than $60,000 from those associated with Ada-based Pre-Paid Legal. Founder Harland Stonecipher and others have showered Holland with donations; the firm's business is not regulated by the OID although have suggested it should be since its product is pre-paid legal insurance.

Holland's most recent campaign finance report shows she's spent $635,000 and has about $43,000 in cash on hand. Her most recent expenditure was for television commercials.

Holland is facing her first election; she was appointed to the post by Governor Brad Henry after Fisher resigned. She faces a tort claim filed by her former executive administrative assistant, who was fired a year ago and alleges Holland has put workers on her staff who spend most of their time working on her campaign. (See our archives for the full story.)

Istook Hits Henry Again On Killer's Clemency

Congressman Ernest Istook hit Governor Brad Henry again Wednesday on the clemency Henry approved for convicted killer Osvaldo Torres.

Istook and members of murder victim Francisco Morales criticized Henry while standing outside the governor's office.

Top 5 State Contributors Listed

The top five Oklahoma contributors to state candidates this election cycle have given almost $275,000, Follow The Money reports.

The Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association Political Action Committee has made 34 donations totaling $67,900, the public interest site reports.

Lobbyist Andrew Skeith has made 32 donations totaling $59,500.

Enid attorney Stephen Jones has made 24 donations totaling $56,500.

Lobbyist and consultant Clayton Taylor has made 79 donations totaling $48,550.

Norman attorney Richard Bell has made 26 donations totaling $42,450.

Nation's Most Dangerous City: St. Louis

St. Louis may still be celebrating its World Series baseball victory over Detroit, but this week Missouri's "Gateway City" learned it has topped Michigan's Motor City in another category, that of violent crime.

St. Louis reclaimed the title of America's most dangerous city, which it last held in 2002, based on crime statistics reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and compiled by publisher Morgan Quitno Press.

Detroit was the second most dangerous city, while Flint, Michigan, and Compton, California, were third and fourth, respectively. Camden, New Jersey, most dangerous in last year's rankings, fell to fifth.

Easley Skirts Residency Law, Coffee Says

State Senator Mary Easley no longer lives in her Senate district and now resides at 19009 Knightsbridge in Owasso, which is located in Senate District 34, Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee charged Wednesday.

Coffee said Easley is skirting state election laws by living in another Senate district while running for reelection in District 18.

"Mary Easley now resides at an Owasso address in Senate District 34," Coffee said. "She is clearly skirting state election laws by living at her new address while running for office and voting using an old address,"Coffee said.

He added that State Senator Randy Brogdon, who represents Owasso in the Oklahoma Senate, has sighted Easley on numerous occasions while he has campaigned in Owasso this year: "Senator Brogdon was understandably surprised to learn that Mary Easley is now one of his constituents," said Coffee.

State law requires legislative candidates to reside in the districts in which they run for office. But Easley and her husband now live at their Owasso home, even though Easley is running for reelection using an old address in east Tulsa.

"Mary Easley has left her district behind," Coffee said. "How can she represent the people of District 18 when she doesn't even want to live there?"Tulsa blogger Michael Bates has more on his site.

Republicans Lead Online Usage, Study Finds

NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) - November 01, 2006 Nielsen/NetRatings (NASDAQ: NTRT), a global leader in Internet media and market research, announced today that 36.6 percent of U.S. adults online are Republicans, 30.8 percent are Democrats and 17.3 percent are Independents.

With campaign Web sites becoming increasingly important to reaching the electorate, candidates need to keep their fingers on the political pulse of the Internet. (Lt. Governor Mary Fallin and Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau are among Oklahoma candidates who have used ads on the Web this year.)

The Web site with the highest concentration of Republicans was RushLimbaugh.com, with an 84.8 percent Republican audience.

NewsMax.com and Bill O'Reilly.com ranked No. 2 and 3, with audiences that were 65.4 percent Republican. The Drudge Report and Salt Lake Tribune rounded out the top five Republican sites with 59.0 and 57.9 composition percent.

Among Democrats, the top three sites were BlackAmericaWeb.com, AOL BlackVoices and BET.com with audiences that were 79.9 percent, 64.8 percent and 58.6 percent Democratic, respectively. Salon.com and Village Voice ranked fourth and fifth among Democrats, with 55.3 and 55.2 composition percent.

The Worst Commercial Of 2006

The McCarville Report Online's thumb is pointed down today as we name The Worst Commercial Of 2006.

It is the commercial placed against Republican Anthony Sykes in his State Senate District 24 battle with incumbent Democrat Daisy Lawler. It was placed by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC). It is a pathetic attempt to paint Sykes as somehow being soft on crime because, as a public defender assigned by the court to represent defendants, he did so. The commercial doesn't say that public defenders have no choice; they represent defendants as directed by the court.

Here's the text of the commercial: "Anthony Sykes wants to represent us in the State Senate - but who has he represented in the past? As a public defender, Sykes represented a prostitute, and tried to strike down a law keeping prostitutes away from churches and schools. [picture of empty swinging playground swings]. Sykes represented a drug dealer, and even represented a convicted rapist. Anthony Sykes. He represents them. We can't let him represent us." [on-screen text: Anthony Sykes Doesn't Represent Us. In smaller text: Paid for the by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. This advertisement is not authorized or approved by any candidate.]

The DLCC's involvement in the Oklahoma races comes despite the fact that, its finance report shows, it has only 13 donors in the state. The total raised from August 8th to October 23rd is $616,923.47. There are 82 pages and 1875 total donors listed. and all the donations are shown as having been received October 2nd. Most of the donations are $100 or less. There are 1,087 (58 percent) of the donors that list their employer and occupation as “information requested."

Askins In For $880,000 So Far

Democrat Jari Askins has poured $880,000 of her own money into her campaign for lieutenant governor and says she may put more in before it's over.

Askins is locked in a tight race with Republican Todd Hiett, outgoing speaker of the House.

Askins' reports to the Ethics Commission show she has raised a total of $1.5 million, including her loans. Hiett has raised about $2 million, about $671,000 of it transferred from his House campaign committee.

Askins has been successful as an oil and gas investor. She said she saved the money "over the years" that she's using in her campaign.

John Kerry's Gift To George Bush

It came during a campaign rally for California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides. John Kerry opened his speech at Pasadena City College with several one-liners, saying at one point that President Bush had lived in Texas but now "lives in a state of denial."

He then said: "You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

Kerry's quip and the controversy over it gave Bush a target in the closing week of Election Year 2006 and he jumped on it, ripping Kerry during campaign appearances. Most Democrats kept quiet, not coming to Kerry's defense. In Oklahoma, Congressman Dan Boren said the statement is 'insulting." He added, "He should know better than to belittle the choice that our heroes have made to serve this country."

For Bush, Kerry's remark is the gift that will keep on giving right up to election day; it takes attention off the congressional page scandal, it knocks "Republicans can't win" stories off the A list and it gives Bush a target, angers Republicans and thus, remotivates them to vote next Tuesday; moreover, it energizes the GOP base, which up to now has not been.

Here's part of a story from a New York newspaper that's typical of what's being written and said today, 24 hours after Kerry's remark: "But a furious Kerry refused to back down, saying he would never apologize for taking on the President - and that the criticism against him was orchestrated by 'assorted right-wing nut jobs.' Kerry is thought to be eying another White House run after losing to Bush in 2004. But the fallout from his flubbed line could endanger his ambitions - and may even torpedo Democrats' dreams of regaining control of Congress in next Tuesday's election."

And then there's this report: "A Democratic congressman told ABC News Tuesday, 'I guess Kerry wasn't content blowing 2004, now he wants to blow 2006, too.'"