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.Labels: Politicians