Henry Sets New Record At $4.8 Million

Governor Brad Henry raised $4,826,577 for his 2006 reelection bid, his final report with the Ethics Commission shows. That's about $1.2 million more than the $3.6 million he raised in 2002 and set a new fundraising record for a gubernatorial campaign.

The governor spent $3,992,558 in defeating Republican Ernest Istook. Henry ended the election with $755,659 on hand, his filing shows.

Henry's report shows he spent $535,504 on advertising in the final two week of the campaign.

Istook raised about $1.6 million and apparently ended the campaign with a debt.

Istook Working With Heritage Foundation

Former 5th District Congressman Ernest Istook is now working with the Heritage Foundation in Washington.

TMRO inquired of the Heritage Foundation's spokesman, Matt Streit, about Istook's status and he replied, "Mr. Istook is currently a Visiting Fellow at Heritage and is working with us for several months on congressional appropriations and spending projects."

Cole Names Fallin To NRCC Executive Committee

National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman Tom Cole announced today that Congresswoman Mary Fallin has been named to the NRCC Executive Committee. As a member of the NRCC Executive Committee, Representative Fallin will play a key role in setting up the structure, raising the funds and implementing the strategy for the 2008 campaign.

“I am looking forward to working with Mary Fallin to develop and execute our game plan for the 2008 elections. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but with the leadership and hard work of this executive committee, we will be well on our way to victory,” Cole said. “We will be doing everything we can to grow our Republican Conference in the House. Mary is one of the Republican Conference’s most able and dedicated members. Having her help and political expertise on the NRCC Executive Committee will be a tremendous asset." The NRCC Executive Committee is composed of Republican Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The NRCC Executive Committee is an advisory committee appointed by NRCC Chairman Cole. The NRCC is a political committee devoted to increasing the 202-member Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Cargill Unveils 'Safe Families' Platform

Speaking at the Oklahoma City police department’s new Bricktown substation on Wednesday, House Speaker Lance Cargill and House Republican leaders unveiled the Safe Families platform in their 2007 Year of Ideas Agenda in advance of the upcoming legislative session.

The Safe Families platform of the agenda aims to boost public safety, protect children, offer immigration reforms and increase investments in the state’s transportation infrastructure.

“Oklahomans deserve to live in a safe state, free from violent criminals and dangerous predators,” said Cargill (R-Harrah). “We must be tough on crime, but also on the causes of crime, by fostering partnerships with faith-based and volunteer community organizations to help reduce repeat offenders. Our neediest citizens should be protected by a social safety net that has not been frayed by the strain of illegal immigration. And a safe Oklahoma must include a quality transportation infrastructure – not only to support economic growth and to boost opportunity, but to protect lives.”

The Safe Families platform is the final portion of the 2007 House GOP Year of Ideas Agenda. House leaders unveiled the first two platforms last week and earlier this week.

The Safe Families platform aims to make public safety, protections for children, immigration reform and boosted investments in the state’s transportation infrastructure top priorities in the upcoming legislative session.

Highlights of the four-plank Safe Families platform: Law and Order ~ Several legislative measures in the Safe Families platform will strengthen and enhance Oklahoma’s public safety. Legislation includes House Bill 1051, a measure authored by Speaker Cargill to prevent student-aged sex offenders from attending the same school as their victims, something state law currently does not allow school districts to do. Cargill introduced a similar measure last year. However, it died in the Senate. House Bill 1927, authored by Rep. Kris Steele (R-Shawnee) would require local court-appointed special advocates to undergo a background check conducted by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. House Bill 1816, authored by Rep. David Dank (R-Oklahoma City) would increase the penalty for sex offenses against children under 12 to a minimum sentence of 25 years and not more than life imprisonment. No minimum sentence currently exists for such offenses. House Bill 1649, by Rep. Pam Peterson (R-Tulsa), implements a State Plan for Coordination of Efforts for Prevention of Sexual Violence through a public awareness campaign, establishment of a coordinator within the health department, development of sexual assault resource teams, and more. House Bill 1742, authored by Rep. Rex Duncan (R-Sand Springs), will offer a 10-year concealed carry license as an option for gun owners. Currently, concealed handgun licenses are valid for 5 years.

Pointing to Oklahoma’s prisons, Rep. Gus Blackwell, who has been a leader on corrections funding issues, said that House GOP leadership remains committed to investments in public safety coupled with reform. Blackwell said the House GOP will advance a top-to-bottom audit and transformational study of the Department of Corrections to break the cycle of supplemental appropriations sought year after year.“We will continue to invest in public safety this year, and make sure the Department of Corrections is adequately funded,” said Blackwell (R-Goodwell). “At the same time, government accountability is a top priority for the House Republicans, so we will keep a close watch over taxpayer dollars.”

Immigration Reform ~ “Our immigration reforms are about upholding Oklahoma’s laws, and respecting immigrants who come to our country legally,” said Rep. Randy Terrill (R-Moore), who will carry the House GOP’s immigration reform legislation in House Bill 1804. “Our reforms are also focused on making sure Oklahoma’s neediest citizens have access to a social safety net that has not been strained by illegal immigration. Illegal immigration has serious financial consequences for Oklahoma – costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Terrill said House Bill 1804 would include five major components: Ending identity theft by restricting access to government identification and information, stopping voter fraud by requiring proof of citizenship, ending taxpayer subsidies for illegal aliens, enhancing law enforcement so that state and local law enforcement will be able to detain and hold illegal aliens and penalties for employers who knowingly employ illegal aliens.

Faith-based Solutions ~ Cargill has authored House Bill 2101, the Transformational Justice Act, similar to legislation that passed the House last year. The legislation died in the state Senate last year. The measure would encourage state prisons to partner with faith-based, community and voluntary organizations to help inmates rejoin society and reduce the rate of repeat offenders. “Oklahoma’s prisons should be preparing inmates to function in society when they get out, not simply warehousing them so that they commit more crimes once released,” said Cargill. “Faith-based and volunteer organizations can play a vital role in reducing prisoner recidivism, and I think it’s just common sense to take advantage of programs that are already working.”

Protecting Investments in Roads and Bridges ~ Finally, the House GOP will build on successful investments in Oklahoma’s roads and bridges made over the past two years, on track to double the state’s transportation budget. “Oklahoma’s transportation infrastructure was neglected for years before Republicans pushed through the past two years’ worth of reforms,” said Rep. Mike Thompson (R-Oklahoma City) chairman of the House Transportation Subcommittee. “We will make it a priority to follow through on funding commitments, so that we can continue to fix our crumbling roads and bridges.” Thompson noted that prior to 2005, road funding in Oklahoma had not increased in approximately 20 years. Taking inflation into account, road maintenance funding had actually declined by 45 percent over the past two decades. “Oklahoma’s transportation infrastructure is fundamental not only to boosting our economic growth, but to making sure every citizen lives in a safe state,” said Thompson. “We will stick to the promises that have been made so that we can secure Oklahoma’s long-term future.”

Brett Robinson Named To Head OMBA

The Oklahoma Malt Beverage Association (OMBA) has named Brett Robinson president and chief executive officer, succeeding Oliver J. Delaney who retired recently after serving 22 years in the position. Delaney will remain as a consultant to OMBA on legislative and government affairs matters.

Robinson will continue as managing director of Public Issue Advisers (PIA), an Oklahoma City-based government and political affairs consulting company. Jan Gilmore Loftis will serve as OMBA executive vice-president, providing day-to-day management of the association and Lesa Smaligo will provide legislative and government affairs’ consulting.

“OMBA members are pleased to announce Brett as our new president and chief executive officer and we look forward to working with him and his partners,” Jimmy Albert, OMBA board chairman said. “Oliver Delaney leaves some big shoes to fill but I have every confidence Brett and his team will do an outstanding job representing the interests of OMBA members statewide.”

The Oklahoma Malt Beverage Association was founded in 1938 as an advocacy association for Oklahoma beer distributors. OMBA safeguards the business interests of beer wholesalers collectively and individually and works to improve the business climate in which they conduct their daily operations. OMBA is affiliated with the National Beer Wholesalers Association, the Wholesale Beer Association Executives and the Beer Institute.

Anthony, Edmondson, Reneau File Finance Reports

Among the first 2006 statewide candidates filing their final campaign finance reports with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission are Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony, Attorney General Drew Edmondson and former Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau.

Reports on file with the Ethics Commission today show that Anthony, who defeated Democrat Cody Graves, raised $428,343, spent $351,333 and has $76,109 on hand.

Edmondson, who easily defeated his Republican opponent James Dunn, raised $902,582, spent about $841,000 and has $52,218 on hand.

Reneau, defeated by Democrat Lloyd Fields, raised just $165,591, spent $162,431 and has $3,063 on hand. Fields' report is not yet on file.

Giuliani's Supporters Explain Gun Control History

The Republican leading Rudy Giuliani's New Hampshire campaign said he thinks the 2008 presidential hopeful will be an "easy sell" and that the ex-mayor "satisfied" him that he won't support federal assault-weapons bans, as he has in the past.

"I'm satisfied that he believes there's no need for any additional gun laws, that's for sure," Wayne Semprini told The New York Post.

As mayor, Giuliani supported the federal ban which expired in 2004, and other gun-control programs. That record will prove a detriment to him in many parts of the country.

Semprini, who lives in a state where the right to bear arms is a major issue, said, "The context that I took to his approach to guns is . . . he was running the largest city in the country, where there were upwards to 2 million illegal guns floating around in that city, and he wanted to get the crime situation under control."

Giuliani's top adviser, Anthony Carbonetti, however, insisted the ex-mayor's "position on this has not changed. People understand that Rudy had a commitment to protect New York against crime. That has no impact on hunting or gaming."

House Opens Doors To Presidential Candidates

House Speaker Lance Cargill announced Tuesday that the House will have an "open house" policy during the upcoming legislative session to hear from presidential candidates. Cargill said that he is asking House Minority Leader Danny Morgan to help contact and schedule Democratic presidential candidates. And Cargill said that two Republican presidential candidates have already sought out opportunities to speak to House lawmakers.

"We're approaching a historic presidential election in two years. Neither party will have an incumbent running for the highest office in the land," said Cargill (R-Harrah). "With such an open field for candidates, I think it's important that we do everything we can to maximize Oklahoma's visibility and impact in the presidential primary selection process. I hope all of the major presidential candidates take advantage of this opportunity."

Oklahoma's presidential primary is scheduled for February 5, 2008, one of the earliest in the nation. Cargill said the Oklahoma House chamber would be open to announced candidates from any major party to speak to lawmakers during the regular session. Those accepting the invitation will be provided a 15-20 minute opportunity to address the entire House.

"This is good for Oklahoma, and good for democracy," said Cargill, who said the House has already been contacted by U.S. Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican, for upcoming speaking appearances.

Cargill said the House will also provide full gallery access to the general public, as well as access to the House lounge to either party for post-speech receptions and media availabilities.

Coffee, Cargill Differ On Henry's Biofuels Proposal

Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, made the following statement regarding Gov. Brad Henry’s proposal to create a biofuels research center in Oklahoma. “Oklahoma has long led the way in developing our nation’s traditional energy resources, like oil and natural gas. While oil and gas will continue to be the backbone of our energy industry for many years to come, it also makes sense for Oklahoma to take a leadership role in the development of new forms of energy, like biofuels. The governor’s proposal for a bioenergy research center is worthy of serious study and consideration,” Coffee said.

Republican House Speaker Lance Cargill, however, struck a different theme: "We're looking forward to hearing how the governor plans to balance the state's budget with all of his recent spending proposals."

Inhofe Agrees With FAA Proposal

U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe today said he agrees with FAA Administrator Marion Blakey’s announcement that the FAA plans to abolish its arbitrary and discriminatory Age 60 Rule.

“FAA Administrator Marion Blakey’s proposal to end the Age 60 Rule is a step in the right direction,” Inhofe, a private pilot, said. “However, the harsh reality of the situation is that American pilots are already suffering under the current standards. I have spoken with Administrator Blakey and she has agreed to consider addressing the impact to pilots stuck in the middle, those who will be forced to retire at age 60 before the new rule is enacted.

“It is clear that there is much work yet to be done on behalf of our pilots and I will continue working to pass my ‘Freedom to Fly Act’ to expedite this rule change. My legislation will ensure that American pilots are granted the same rights and privileges as foreign pilots in accordance with the ICAO age standards.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Age 60 Rule, adopted in 1959 with no scientific evidence to support it, has come under increased scrutiny due to the recent adoption by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) of a new international retirement standard of age 65 on November 23, 2006. This new standard has resulted in foreign pilots being allowed to fly in U.S. airspace while American pilots of the same age are denied the same right.

Oh Happy Days!

Lauren Nelson, aspiring Broadway performer from Lawton, is the sixth Miss Oklahoma to win the Miss America Pageant. Congrats, Lauren!

Former Gingrich Assistant Wants Draft

A former press assistant to Newt Gingrich, David Kralik, has started a "Draft Newt For President" movement.

Gingrich says he won't decide whether to run for president until September. A former campaign manager for Gingrich says he fully expects Gingrich to enter the race next year.

"America is ready for his leadership again," said Kralik. "He's the only conservative."

Kralik has created a Web site, www.draftnewt.org, that will serve as the headquarters of what he calls a grass-roots effort to increase the Georgia Republican's profile with primary voters. He says funds raised on the site will be used to buy TV and radio ads promoting Gingrich.

Muskogee Editorial: Disclose 100 Ideas Donors

Editorial, Muskogee Phoenix ~ State Speaker of the House Lance Cargill, who came up with 100 Ideas, told the Phoenix Editorial Board this week that he did not believe the initiative is required to follow state financial disclosure standards by reporting who contributes to the enterprise and how much they contribute.

Cargill kicked off 100 Ideas earlier this month, soliciting Oklahomans to submit any idea they have to improve Oklahoma’s future. The initiative includes public forums to spur discussion of ideas on specific topics.The end result will be, according to Cargill, a book of the best ideas that will be given to state legislators when they convene in 2008.

We like the idea behind 100 Ideas, but we don’t understand why organizers will not reveal what corporations, businesses and individuals are donating funds to make it happen.

Cargill said he did not believe the initiative needed to disclose its finances because it was a private enterprise and the proposed ideas will be as much for private enterprises and individuals as for government. That’s fine. But Cargill is a state legislator, soliciting ideas for the Legislature. The people heading this enterprise are former state officials — former representative Thad Balkman is the executive director and former Govs. David Boren, George Nigh and Frank Keating will serve as honorary vice-chairmen.

This is a very public enterprise that very well may produce legislation that provides state funding for enterprises involving private businesses, or it may place people at the helm of future state-funded projects.We don’t think it will please Oklahomans for someone in late 2008 to reveal that the state approved a contract with a private business to develop one of the 100 ideas and that business had contributed to the initiative.

It seems prudent — even if not required by law, and even if the donors are few and the donations modest — for the initiative to make available the list of financial donors and their donations.

Cole's NRCC Seeks Communications Strategy

Congressman Tom Cole's National Republican Congressional Committee is asking veteran Capitol Hill public relations operatives who now are working in the private sector to volunteer their advice on crafting a communications strategy, The Hill reports.

House Republicans’ loss of 30 seats in the previous cycle was compounded by the exit of Carl Forti, who captained both the NRCC’s communications shop and its independent expenditure campaigns, writing TV ads in a number of races over the past two cycles.

Now, Jessica Boulanger, selected by Cole as Forti’s replacement as communications director, is setting up an informal advisory group to help the party get back on track. At least 10 public relations professionals with decades of Hill experience among them are meeting with Boulanger on Feb. 8 at the Capitol Hill Club, for the first of what they expect will be regular meetings to plot strategy.

Where Are They Now? Amy Lawrence

Amy Lawrence (right), former sports radio talk show host at KREF in Norman and news anchor for the Oklahoma News Network and KTOK in Oklahoma City, is broadcasting for ESPN Radio and Television. She's shown here with partner Brooks Weisbrod doing an ESPNU telecast in Syracuse, NY over the weekend.

Petitgrew Seeks Edmond Mayoral Post

Former state Rep. Wayne Pettigrew says he's a candidate for mayor of Edmond.

Pettigrew said he decided to seek the office to ensure future quality growth comes to Edmond. "I recently moved from west Edmond to east Edmond and I always knew about the traffic problems we had in west Edmond and now I realize they have all sorts of service issues out there in east Edmond," he told the Edmond Sun.

Pettigrew served 10 years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1994 to 2004.

Others considering the race include former radio talk show host and blogger Mark Shannon.

Crime Fear Propels Concealed Carry

From NewsChannel 8, Tulsa ~ The person standing next to you could be carrying a gun. That's because more and more Oklahomans are choosing to carry concealed weapons. More than 113-thousand permits have been issued since 1996 and nearly half of those were issued in the last five years.

NewsChannel 8's Kim Jackson went to find out why more people are arming themselves.

Crime is the number one reason more people are exercising their right to bear arms. They come to firing ranges, take the classes and apply for a permit. And, it may surprise you who is packing a pistol these days. There are many days and nights Rosie Gorrell travels alone. And, at about 5-foot-1, you'd never guess she was a pistol packin' mama.

"Oh, I know it. That's what everyone thinks," Rosie says. She has a gun purse that carries her .38 Special. She got her permit to carry it right after her divorce seven years ago. "I've encouraged my sisters," she says. "And, my sister-in-law carries. And, some friends do. I think all women should. If you drive a car, you should have a cell phone, AAA and a gun."

Rosie and anyone who wants to carry a concealed weapon has to go through an eight-hour class. Rendell Napier is an instructor who says he has seen more a diverse group of students. "You're starting to see more single parents, single moms, elderly people," Napier says. Napier is teaching more daughters and wives -- all of whom have to shoot fifty rounds to get a passing grade from him. "During a class, you learn about the laws that pertain to the concealed weapons, license, what you can and can't do," Napier says. "We go over several scenarios over what you would and wouldn't do. You don't want a bunch of ignorant armed people out there, you'd rather have intelligent armed people."

Rosie says one thing she can do is pull the trigger -- if she needs to. "I would not hesitate," she says. "It's something I think about. Even though I've never had to, it's always in my mind."

KTOK's Mullins Guest Professor At OCCC

By Matthew Coury, OCCC News Writing Student ~ Radio news show Host Reid Mullins joined Oklahoma City Community College as an adjunct professor of Journalism and Mass Media Communications last semester. The opportunity arose when he received a call from friend and co-worker Gwin Faulconer-Lippert, mass communications professor. She told Mullins she would not be able to teach the rest of the semester due to a health problem. Gwin has recuperated and is back in the classroom this semester.

“She called me up and said, ‘I know that you’ve taught audio production classes before at OU,” said Mullins. “I need you to teach my audio production class at OCCC.”

Mullins said he jumped at the chance to repay Faulconer-Lippert for how well she’s treated him and others when they worked together. “I’d be willing to help her with anything,” said Mullins. “I love to teach.”

Mullins and Faulconer-Lippert are co-workers at the local Clear Channel radio network located at 50 Penn Place.

Mullins said everyone should pursue a college degree, something he earned as a student worker. “When I was in college, through the first half of school, I cleaned bathrooms for extra money,” Mullins said. “If you’ve never gone to a truck stop on I-40, and scraped scum and algae off of a shower stall with a single-edge razor blade, then you haven’t lived.”

Two of Mullins’ buddies, with whom he was rooming, already had jobs working in radio, and Mullins thought it was time he gave it a shot. He’s been doing it ever since. Mullins worked as a sports programming engineer, production manager and a deejay for six radio stations before attaining his current position as a show host.

“About a year and a half ago I was selected to be the morning host of News Radio 1000 KTOK,” said Mullins.

Iraq Troops Need GPS Units, Seabee Writes

By Patrick Peterson at Camp Morrell, Kuwait ~ Portable electronics - DVD players, notebook computers, and CD players - fill everyone's pack. But many Seabees have arrived with their own personal Global Positioning Satellite receivers, which they will use to navigate through Iraq. The devices gather signals from satellites and map the holder's location.

"The problem in the desert is that there are no landmarks," said Maintenance Chief Lee Longacre of Eustis, Fla., a member of NMCB 14, a U. S. Navy Seabee reserve unit that arrived Friday in Kuwait.

Military GPS units work fine, but they are bulky and in short supply. And in this country, getting lost is the most dangerous kind of accident. In civilian life, Longacre uses his GPS to navigate his boat through shallow Florida waterways. In Iraq, he will use it to help guide a convoy north into Iraq, where Seabees will rebuild schools, utilities and public buildings.

"With a GPS, you can't get lost. I know it's 7,196 miles to my house," the 19-year Navy veteran and auto technician said. "I told everyone that had one to bring it."

As the Seabees prepare to move north into hostile territory, they are taking all precautions to avoid getting lost. "If I had to send somebody out somewhere, I would give them my GPS," Longacre said.

Lobbyist Expenditure Reports Noted

AP's Capitol Correspondent Ron Jenkins reports that, "During the last half of 2006, Oklahoma lawmakers were wined and dined by lobbyists with $200 dinners and expensive football and basketball tickets and golfing fees." Full story.

House Republicans Launch 'Healthy Oklahoma'

Speaking at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa on Monday, Speaker Lance Cargill and House Republican leaders (pictured at right) launched the second platform in their 2007 Year of Ideas Agenda.

“Oklahoma’s pioneer spirit remains strong after the first 100 years of our history. Now we should harness that spirit to create a healthier society in our state,” said Cargill (R-Harrah). “2007 should be the year of ideas. We have an opportunity this year, in our centennial year, to lay the groundwork for our state’s second century. And our healthcare system is a vital part of that future. Oklahoma is blessed with citizens who are hard working and who uphold traditional values. At the same time, we face challenges, and it’s time for solutions.”

The Healthy Oklahoma portion of the House GOP agenda will focus on creating a healthier society in Oklahoma. Cargill and House leaders will unveil the final portion of their agenda later this week.

Highlights of the four-plank Healthy Oklahoma platform:

New Healthcare Reforms: Oklahomans need affordable, portable healthcare options. Cargill said House Republicans will seek to continue to reform Oklahoma’s health care system to empower patients and to offer better choices. Rep. Kris Steele (R-Shawnee), chair of the House Health Subcommittee, has authored House Bill 1928 to expand health savings accounts (HSAs) as an option to state employees. Health savings accounts are personal and portable accounts that allow individuals to set aside pre-tax dollars toward medical and long-term care expenses.“We must continue to look to market-based solutions for health care options,” said Steele. “Health savings accounts put consumers in charge of their health care decisions, and we think state employees should be allowed to have that choice. Health savings accounts will also reduce many of the problems we currently have in health care – such as overuse of medical services and rising costs. Other legislation in this area includes: House Bill 1818, authored by Rep. Scott Martin (R-Norman), establishes a new task force to study and make recommendations on using information technology to reduce health care costs, share health care data more efficiently and establish a regional health information organization. The task force would make recommendations. House Bill 1601, authored by Rep. Jeff Hickman (R-Dacoma), would make physical education and arts education available to all Oklahoma students. “We must ensure that our children learn physically active habits early on,” said Hickman. “If we can encourage them to be physically fit at a young age, they’ll be healthy into adulthood.” Hickman said the arts education portion of the bill would enhance children’s intellectual development.

Strengthening Traditional Family Values: House leaders said they would remain focused on support for Oklahoma’s traditional values. As they have in years past, House GOP lawmakers have introduced measures to strengthen marriage and to uphold Oklahoma’s strong pro-life stance. “We have achieved so much over the past two years, but we must continue to foster a culture of life in this state to protect innocent unborn children,” said Rep. Pam Peterson (R-Tulsa), who has been a firm right to life advocate. Legislation includes: House Bill 1317 by Rep. John Wright (R-Tulsa). HB 1317 would ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used to perform abortions. The measure would make it unlawful for a state employee to perform an abortion or for state funds to be used to counsel for abortion. An exception is provided to save the life of the mother. House Bill 1652 by Rep. Pam Peterson. HB 1652 would close loopholes in existing law by establishing an objective standard for “medical emergency” abortions. “Unfortunately there are cases in which medical professionals may try to encourage an abortion on the basis of medical reasons when it’s not warranted,” said Peterson. “We must make sure that this occurs only in the case of legitimate medical emergencies.”

Senior citizen & retiree issues: As portions of Oklahoma’s population continue to age, House Republicans said they will look to offer protections to senior citizens, as well as ways to enhance quality of life. Legislation in this area includes House Bill 1294, authored by Speaker Cargill, to offer free park days for senior citizens. “This measure will provide our senior citizens with a reward after working hard and raising families,” he said. “And it will help boost healthy lifestyles, as well.”

Incentives for green space and recreational areas: Similarly, Cargill has introduced measures that take advantage of Oklahoma’s beautiful natural terrain and moderate weather to set aside more green space in the state for the enjoyment of citizens. House Bill 2108 by Cargill would help develop quality recreation areas in the state through land trusts."We’ve made progress to improve Oklahoma’s quality of life over the past several years, but we can do more,” said Cargill. “Making Oklahoma a more livable and attractive location boosts the economy and it boosts the health of our citizens.”

Anti-war Protesters Allowed To Deface Capitol

Anti-war protesters were allowed to spray paint on part of the west front steps of the United States Capitol building after police were ordered to break their security line by their leadership, two sources told The Hill. According to the sources, police officers were livid when they were told to fall back by U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Chief Phillip Morse and Deputy Chief Daniel Nichols. "They were the commanders on the scene," one source said, who requested anonymity. "It was disgusting."

Oklahoma City Teen Kills Armed Home Invader

From The Oklahoma City Police Department ~ On January 27th, at 8:30 am, officers of the Oklahoma City Police Department responded to an apartment complex at 2201 NW 122nd #2113 on a "home invasion" call. Upon arrival officers discovered the suspect, 33-year-old Richard Allen Dean (Black/Male, 11/9/73) deceased in the apartment from gun shot wounds.

Upon speaking to the victim, who was identified as 17-year-old Brandus Clayton (Black/Male, 5/15/89), it was discovered that the suspect forced his way into the apartment armed with a gun and demanded money and property from the victim. The victim gave him cash and jewelry but the suspect demanded more.

When asked to leave by a female victim who was also in the apartment, the suspect became agitated and assaulted the female. This is when the victim reached for a firearm kept close by and shot the suspect.

Dean was identified as a former outstanding football player at Millwood High School in Oklahoma City who played a short time in the National Football League with the Green Bay Packers.

Police were later called to the scene. Clayton was interviewed but not arrested in the shooting.

A complete investigation will be conducted and presented to the Oklahoma County DA's Office to determine if charges will be filed.

Mantle Novel Toppled Editor, Story Reports

O.J. Simpson's kill-and-tell book sickened America, but it was the crass sullying of New York and Oklahoma baseball hero Mickey Mantle in a novel that finally toppled publisher Judith Regan, according to New York magazine. Read the story.

Headline: 'Gun permits gain in popularity'

The Oklahoman reports this morning that more and more Oklahomans appear to be acquiring licenses to carry concealed weapons. The article cites the issuance of 54,705 concealed carry licenses in the past five years, 40,538 of them to white men and 10,484 to white women. Those of Asian, black, Hispanic, and American Indian descent accounted for the remaining 3,683.

Since the Oklahoma Self Defense Act became law in 1996, more than 113,000 licenses have been issued, but it is not known how many of those were renewals of existing licenses.

In Texas, it is reported that about 260,000 citizens have a license to carry. At the end of last year, 258,162 people had permits, up about 4 percent from the year before and more than double the number in 1996, when Texas law first allowed people to carry concealed weapons.

Senior citizens and middle-agers are among the most likely to take advantage of the Texas concealed handgun law, the Texas Department of Safety's spokesman said. Although those 55 and older represent just 28 percent of the state's population over the age of 21, they carry 46 percent of the permits. And one-third of the permit holders are 60 and older.

'Snowplow Roadkill'

Yet Another Small Town Moment blogs about "Snowplow Roadkill." Light Sunday reading for a chuckle.

Tim Graham Nails Jane Fonda

NewsBusters columnist Tim Graham nails Jane Fonda for her participation in the weekend's anti-war march in a great column on the recommended reading list.

Romney Shifts Abortion Position

Attempting to defuse a controversy that threatened his claim to Republican conservatism, Governor Mitt Romney acknowledged that his views on abortion had changed during his years of public service, Captain's Quarters (click to read the full post) reports.

At the National Review's Conservative Summit, he gave his explanation of his transformation: "On abortion, I wasn't always a Ronald Reagan conservative," Romney told a gathering of conservatives. "Neither was Ronald Reagan, by the way. But like him, I learned from experience."

During his 2002 campaign for Massachusetts governor, Romney said that while he personally opposed abortion, he would leave the state's abortion laws intact. In his speech Saturday, he said he had had a change of heart after a discussion with a stem cell researcher.

Romney had to come up with an explanation for his change of heart on abortion. Pro-life conservatives would not have trusted Romney with the nomination unless they understood the shift in his position as coming from conviction rather than political expediency. He obviously has worked on this answer for a while; invoking Ronald Reagan provided a nice touch, especially at an event such as the National Review summit.

Armed Crimes Rise In 'Gun Free' England

The number of armed burglaries has risen to record levels in England, new crime figures show.

Latest statistics from the Home Office reveal 645 cases of burglars using a firearm in the year ending April 2006, a 46 per cent rise on the previous year.

The figures were published in the British Crime Survey, an annual assessment of households that is considered the most accurate indicator of crime as it includes incidents not reported to the police. It showed overall, guns were used in 4,120 robberies in England and Wales in the year ending April 2006 - a 10 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

England enacted severe gun control measures a few years ago, effectively disarming the law-abiding civilian population.

Newsday Profiles Toby Keith As 'Angry American'

From Newsday ~ If there's one thing Americans love doing these days, it's taking sides. So let's have a vote on the polarizing country singer Toby Keith: Raise your right hand if you think Keith is a pro-military type who voted twice for George W. Bush, supported the invasion of Afghanistan and watches Fox News. Raise your left if you think he is a registered Democrat who voted twice for Bill Clinton, opposed the war in Iraq and suspects Fox News merely panders to the right to boost ratings. Either way, you're correct -- and whichever hand went up probably says more about you than about Keith. Read the entire Newsday profile.

The Gadfly On The Wall

Blogs & Such: Prowling the Internet, one finds numerous blogs of interest. Some are political, some cover only social mores, others are general. In Oklahoma, there's a new one: Open Magazine. It has odd stories about the state. You can take a look by clicking on its title just under the Oklahoma gas prices logo on the lower right side of this page. And, of course, in our "Links" listing, you'll find blogs on just about any topic, from local politics to the national discourse to the military to just thoughtful ideas.

Captain Kevin Calvey In Iraq: That's the link I've posted on the right to former State Rep. Kevin Calvey's blog from Iraq, where he will serve in the U. S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps. It's Calvey's second tour; he'll be assigned in Baghdad, with some out-country duties. His first entry relates his preparations for deployment. I'm hopeful that, at some point, Kevin and grandson Colby Stuck, a Navy Seabee now training in California for deployment to Iraq, can make contact.

Forshee Hired: Debbie Forshee, former spokeswoman for former DA Wes Lane, has been named president and CEO of Youth Services for Oklahoma County.

Mark Shannon For Mayor Of Edmond? Fellow gadfly Mark Shannon continues to talk about a possible run for mayor of Edmond. The former radio personality has very definite ideas on what that city needs. Check his views at http://www.markshannon.com/.

TMRO Has Arrived: Your site is ranked (as of Friday) the 79,624th (!) most popular blog in the world. And don't tell me there are just 79,625 blogs; methinks it is more like a bajillion. At any rate, we remain humble in keeping with such a ranking.

Attacker Brought Knife To Gun Fight: Muskogee County prosecutors are declining to file charges against an 81-year-old Haskell man who shot and killed another man Saturday night. District Attorney Larry Moore says Curtis Wright acted in self-defense when he shot 49-year-old Arthur Fisher Junior in the chest with a 12-gauge shotgun. Investigators say Fisher had threatened Wright with a knife.

Case Rumors: All sorts of rumors flying about the lobbying client former State Rep. Bill Case will represent on behalf of Bobby Stem's Capitol Gains LLC. Case signed up as a lobbyist in December. Case lost his race for insurance commissioner to incumbent Democrat Kim Holland.

Talk Radio: Ratings sag for talk radio in OKC. KOKC-AM 1520 has never gotten off the ground with its mostly-syndicated lineup, is now ranked 19th, and KTOK-AM 1000 remains in the second tier of stations, now ranked No. 12.

That's, Uh, (Splutter), Uh, Un-American! Die-hard football fans attending the Super Bowl game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami are getting a rude awakening after finding out that no tailgating of any type will be allowed on game day within one mile of the stadium. "There is no tailgating allowed in the Dolphin Stadium parking lots," Sue Jaquez, a member of the Super Bowl XLI Host Committee, confirmed on Tuesday. "And there is no tailgating anywhere within a one-mile radius of the stadium." And there are no RVs allowed." (How much are in-the-stadium vendors and local hotels/motels paying the host committee for this bit of take-all-the-fun-out-of-it-tradition-be-damned idiocy?)

The Education Of Brad Henry: The Governor now wants more money, a bunch more, spent on education. This, after his lottery-for-education has fallen short after voters were promised, essentially, education's needs would be fulfilled by it. Reminds one of House Bill 1017 circa 1990 that was going to take care of education needs for decades. Hah.

Truth In Advertising: In fairness, should the Oklahoma Lottery Commission produce television commercials that show all the losers, instead of just the occasional winner? Their ads, and those placed by tribal casinos, would have us believe everyone is a winner when they gamble. The only way a lottery works for the state is when players lose; ditto casinos. Lousy personal economics, bad public policy. (Image at right courtesy www.TulsaToday.com.)

BUFFALO, NY ~ A Buffalo homeowner forced an intruder to flee Tuesday afternoon when he pointed his pistol at the man, according to South District police. The homeowner, who lives in a lower apartment on Edson Street, was inside his home when a man kicked in his door at about 4:29 p.m. and walked in, police reported. The man, wearing a knitted green hat and green jacket, confronted the homeowner and said, "I'm looking for Dougy." The homeowner pulled his pistol on the intruder, who ran out of the apartment toward Seneca Street. Police said the homeowner has a valid pistol permit.

Ban Swimming Pools?

Statistics show that in 2004, 58 pre-school children died in gun-related accidents. And 527 drowned.

Laster Bill Would Ban Robocalls

A Shawnee lawmaker wants to put an end to what some say are obnoxious automated phone calls on behalf of candidates and issues.

Senate Bill 1008 by Sen. Charles Laster, D-Shawnee, would remove an exemption granted under the Oklahoma Telemarketer Restriction Act, which allows calls from charitable or religious groups, candidates, causes and organizations, or any activity of a nonprofit entity. The measure still would allow candidates to make personal campaign calls. But it would ban the use of random-dialing, automated devices used to generate calls for candidates, causes or organizations.

Laster said outrage from constituents prompted him to write the bill. "I hate them (the automated calls), as well," he said.

The Attorney General's Office, which oversees the state's "don't call" list, receives numerous complaints about automated calls during election season, spokesman Charlie Price said.

Laster, an attorney, said he doesn't know whether such a bill has been filed before or whether his will even receive a hearing. He also doesn't know whether it will pass legal scrutiny if approved.

A court might have to decide whether the public's desire to be left alone at home outweighs a candidate's right to communicate with the electorate. "I would think there would be tremendous public support for it," Laster said of his proposal. "I am sure there will be some concerns about constitutionality." Laster said that in some cases, outside groups unknown to candidates pay for the calls. He said the calls were worse before November's election than in previous years. "It is a very inexpensive tool candidates are tempted to use," he said.

Huckabee To Enter Presidential Race

Sources say former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will announce on Monday the formation of a presidential campaign exploratory committee.

Like others, Huckabee will use the committee to raise money, hire staff and begin traveling to promote his candidacy for the Republican nomination.

Confused In Fargo?

From The NRA ~ Fargo, N.D. Mayor Dennis Walaker, who has joined Mayor Michael Bloomberg's anti-gun mayoral coalition, is either woefully confused, or deliberately misleading the public, about his alleged NRA membership status. In trying to highlight his pro-gun credentials when joining this cabal of mayors, Walaker billed himself as a one-time member of NRA. The only problem: there is no record of Walaker ever being a member.

Harrison In McAlester Altercation

A Weatherford man has been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery after a scuffle with a state lawmaker, the Associated Press reports.

According to a statement he filed with the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Department, State Rep. Terry Harrison claims he stopped at Dallas Green's trailer and offered assistance while touring the McAlester area with Gov. Brad Henry to examine damage from an ice storm.

Harrison, D-McAlester, claimed Green almost immediately cussed him and attacked him after he, his father and Reserve Deputy Ricky Wall approached the trailer.

Green, 54, claims he asked Harrison to get down off the trailer but "he just kind of ignored me and acted aloof, then started to walk past me."

"You've got to understand, this is a small space, with equipment on both sides, so I put up my hand to stop him and he slapped my hand down," Green said. "I was just bewildered. Who was this guy, what was he doing and what was wrong with him?"

Green said he lifted his arm again and Harrison threw him from the trailer, but he grabbed Harrison as he fell. According to Green, he landed on his hands and knees and Harrison was above him, hitting him in the back of the head.

"The two gentlemen who were with him pulled him off and I grabbed a broom to defend myself," Green said. "I didn't know who the guy was, what was wrong with him or why he'd been on my trailer or anything."

After being charged, Green was released on $500 bond.

"I felt like the deputy had already made up his mind on who was wrong before he ever took witness statements," Green said.

Senate Republicans Say Henry May Need Tax Hike

Republican leaders in the evenly divided State Senate said Governor Brad Henry may need to increase taxes to pay for the new spending he is promising for the upcoming legislative session.

In December, Henry publicly cautioned state lawmakers about new spending in what could be a tight budget year. But in the past week, he has proposed about half-a-billion dollars in new spending – with even more new spending proposals likely to come in the days before the State of the State address scheduled for February 5th, the GOP members say.

“We’re becoming very concerned about the level of new spending the governor is proposing. He must be planning to use one-time revenues to pay ongoing expenditures or to raise taxes to pay for his program. Either way would be fiscally irresponsible,” stated Senate co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

“The governor spent virtually all the money last year and now energy revenues are declining this year. There probably is just not enough money available this year to meet our current obligations and fund all of his new spending proposals. Gov. Henry needs to show some fiscal responsibility,” stated Sen. Mike Johnson, R-Kingfisher, Senate Appropriations co-chair.

“We’re already starting to feel the adverse effects of spending money we didn’t have. Lottery shortfalls are cutting into other funds, and the other obligations from the past have already taken up most of our new funds available this year,” stated Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, co-chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education.

Does Reynolds Face GOP Caucus Ouster?

A maverick Oklahoma City lawmaker could be kicked out of the House Republican caucus, several GOP lawmakers have confirmed. Possible action by the caucus comes after Rep. Mike Reynolds declined to vote for Speaker Lance Cargill earlier this month on the House floor. Read all of Mick Hinton's story in today's Tulsa World.

Political People

OIPA Names Mike Terry: The Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association has named Mike Terry as its new president. He replaces Jeramy Rich, who left to head the Oklahoma Youth Expo. Terry comes from Diamondback Energy Services, a firm he joined last March after 12 years as head of the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board. Terry is OIPA's third president in 15 months; longtime leader Mickey Thompson resigned and was replaced by Rich.

Calvey Reports To Iraq: Former State Rep. Kevin Calvey, Del City Republican, is being sent to Iraq for his second tour of duty with the U. S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps. Calvey, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress last year, joined the Army Reserves following the terrorist attacks in 2001. A captain, he spent a year in Baghdad advising on military legal affairs.

Steele Replaces Watts At GOPAC

GOPAC today officially announced that former Congressman J.C. Watts, Jr. will be stepping down after serving nearly four years as Chairman, confirming a report issued on Monday.

Former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele will be named as GOPAC’s seventh Chairman.

Under Watts’ leadership, GOPAC more than tripled fundraising, raising nearly $9 million during the last election cycle. GOPAC trained thousands of Republican activists across the country and assisted Republican organizations in recruiting candidates for local office. GOPAC also provided direct campaign support to candidates in 17 states.

Watts has come under fire for his endorsement of Democrat Cody Graves in last year's corporation commission race in which Graves was defeated by incumbent Republican Bob Anthony. Watts and Anthony served together on the commission. Anthony worked undercover for the FBI in an investigation during which Watts was tape-recorded in a conversation with a lobbyist who eventually want to prison.

Murphey: Reduce Legislators' Pay

Saying he can think of no better place to trim state waste than the Oklahoma Legislature, Rep. Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie) today announced the introduction of House Joint Resolution 1007. Murphey's resolution calls for a vote of the people to amend the Oklahoma Constitution to slash state legislators' pay. If approved by the voters, the amendment would cut Oklahoma legislative annual salaries from $38,400 per year to match the annual income of the average Oklahoman, which now stands at $29,908.

Bill Case Registers As Lobbyist

Former State Rep. Bill Case, Midwest City Republican who lost his race for insurance commissioner to incumbent Democrat Kim Holland, is now a registered lobbyist.

Records at the Oklahoma Ethics Commission show that Case registered as an agent of Capitol Gains LLC on December 27th.

Capitol Gains is owned by veteran lobbyist Bobby Stem of Edmond.

Home Invader Shot By Florida Resident

PALM BAY, FL ~ Police have identified a second home invasion suspect, just hours after arresting a 19-year-old man shot in the buttocks by a resident defending the property, officials said.

The first suspect, Anthony Giuffrie of Sebastian, was charged with home invasion, impersonating a police officer and aggravated battery after officers were called out to the 3000 block of Edgewood Drive to investigate reports of a robbery today.

Giuffrie (pictured above) was found at the home, suffering from wounds to his leg and butt from a 9mm handgun, police said. He was turned over to the Brevard County Jail Complex and booked about 8 a.m., records show.

Palm Bay police are also continuing to search for 19-year-old Port St. Lucie resident William Louis Pelletier Jr., said Yvonne Martinez, spokeswoman for the Palm Bay Police Department. He is wanted for questioning in the home invasion. Adam Suarez, the resident who shot Giuffrie, will not be charged because he was acting in self-defense, Martinez said, adding police were still sorting out a motive for the incident.

Kathy Taylor Supports Bloomberg's Agenda

Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor joined mayors from around the country in Washington to urge an end to federal restrictions on information supporters claim could help local police track illegal guns. Gun rights groups disagree, saying the proposal opens the door to gun control.

In Washington for a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Taylor joined other members of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's coalition known as Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which has targeted a bill it believes keeps the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other agencies from sharing trace data they claim could help local police combat illegal guns.

Taylor's membership in the coalition has sparked considerable discussion among pro-2nd Amendment bloggers; see www.okshooters.com.

One of the most outspoken members of the coalition is Boston Mayor Thomas Menino (pictured), a proponent of total gun control.

Taylor, the only Oklahoma mayor who has joined the group, cited Tulsa's escalating murder rate and acknowledges she might be facing off with the powerful gun lobby.

Most of the members of Bloomberg's coalition are gun control advocates who support efforts by the Brady Center and others to ban handguns in the United States.

"I believe in the Second Amendment, but I don't believe terrorists should have guns," Taylor said. "I don't believe people who are felons should have guns. I don't believe kids who have been convicted of violent crimes should be able to have guns, but they are getting them." She did not explain how any of the Bloomberg's group proposals would solve any of those concerns, nor did she address the existence of laws that now exist to prevent terrorists and those convicted of crimes from carrying illegal, stolen firearms.

Bloomberg's coalition members believe the only way to remove "illegal" guns is to remove all guns from the United States.

Taylor cited Tulsa's escalating murder rate for her concern. Tulsa has had five murders in the past several days. Two of them were drive-by shootings, a third was a domestic murder-suicide. "Three-quarters of homicides are with guns, and most of them are obtained illegally," she said. "It is a public safety issue." Prosecution of people caught committing violent crimes must remain a priority, Taylor said. "But when you are mayor, that is after the fact," she said.

Sharing stories she heard from mayors of other cities, Taylor noted that 30,000 Americans die each year from gunshots. She did not cite the number of cases in which law-abiding citizens use legally-owned firearms to prevent crime.

During Taylor's trip to Washington, the mayor also met with a top official of the National Rifle Association, and she agreed that they are right to be concerned that the rights of responsible gun owners not be abridged. Restrictions exist that make certain data harder to obtain, Taylor said, adding that she would discuss the NRA's concerns with the Tulsa Police Department.

Senate Republicans Unveil Legislative Agenda

Republicans in the evenly divided Oklahoma State Senate unveiled their 2007 legislative agenda, titled a “Vision for a Better Oklahoma," at news conferences in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Lawton on Wednesday.

“Today we’re presenting our vision for making Oklahoma a superior state in which to live and raise a family, receive an excellent education, work at a quality job, succeed in business, and comfortably retire,” stated Senator Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, the Senate’s co-President Pro Tempore.

“Our ‘Vision for a Better Oklahoma’ focuses on four policy areas where we believe we can enact changes and reforms to make Oklahoma a better state: education, jobs and the economy, health care, and public safety,” said Senate Republican Floor Leader Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward.

“The historic 24 to 24 tie in the Oklahoma Senate gives Republicans an unprecedented and equal voice the Senate’s legislative process. Republicans will use our co-equal status in the Senate to fight for policies that help move Oklahoma forward in the 21st-Century,” stated Senator James A. Williamson, R-Tulsa, the Senate’s Republican leader emeritus.

Senate Republicans will pursue policy initiatives in four key areas as part of their “Vision for a Better Oklahoma” program:

An Educated Oklahoma: Senate Republicans believe Oklahoma children deserve superior schools and that we can obtain outstanding results by requiring excellence in our schools. Senate Republicans will seek to toughen standards and increase accountability in our schools, and will work to fix the Teacher Retirement System.

A Growing Oklahoma: Senate Republicans want to bring economic opportunity to Oklahoma. We will demand financial accountability and eliminate wasteful spending in government. Senate Republicans will work to foster a job-rich environment by fighting for real lawsuit reform, comprehensive workers’ compensation reform, and a reduced tax burden on Oklahoma families.

A Healthy Oklahoma: Senate Republicans believe every Oklahoman should have access to affordable, quality healthcare. Senate Republicans will fight to keep and attract doctors to Oklahoma, for free-market health care cost reductions, and will work to lower the cost of prescription drugs.

A Safe Oklahoma: Senate Republicans are committed to the safety of all Oklahomans by protecting our most vulnerable citizens. Senate Republicans will work to continue to fix our roads and bridges, protect seniors and children from sex offenders, and strengthen laws against illegal immigration.

Miller Cites Disagreement With Henry

Rep. Ken Miller, vice chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, issued the following statement today regarding the governor's announced plan to earmark 1.25 percent of state income tax receipts to fund the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP): "This announcement today demonstrates a fundamental difference between House Republicans and the governor. House Republicans will continue to ratchet down the income tax to boost economic growth and opportunity, while the governor proposes to tie spending to this harmful tax. We all want to find ways to make college more affordable for all Oklahomans. And while OHLAP is a good program, it's never a good idea to tie spending to the income tax. Earmarking the tax that hurts job creation the most is not the way to build Oklahoma's future."

Stonewall Democrats Select Linda Gray Murphy

From www.Demookie.com ~ Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats (www.okstonewall.org) announced today that activist and political consultant Linda Gray Murphy of Oklahoma City has been named to the Board of Directors for National Stonewall Democrats (NSD)(www.stonewalldemocrats.org).

She will begin a two-year term in March as a delegate from Region 6, representing Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma.

Her election continues the strong presence that Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats (OSD) has had on the national board for the last three years, beginning with the late activist and lobbyist Keith Smith. Murphy and Smith, both Yellow Dog Democrats, were close allies in advocating for the betterment of Oklahoma's citizens through work in many progressive issues such as equality for gay people, women's health care, and the environment.

Murphy is well known throughout Oklahoma and Texas for her work with political campaigns and progressive causes, with her latest victory being the election of Al McAffrey to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She serves as executive director and spokesperson for Working Families Project (www.workingfamiliesproject.com), a statewide organization to increase the minimum wage and improve the lives of all Oklahomans.

Membership growth in Stonewall Democrats, the only gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender organization recognized by the National Democratic Party, has prompted recent expansion of Region 6 representation on the NSD board from three to five delegates. Murphy will join Olga Hernandez of San Antonio as female delegates. Four candidates will vie for the three remaining positions. They include incumbent national board members Jesse Garcia and Buck Massey, both of Texas, and two Oklahoma City men, Steve VanHook and Colin Raley. VanHook has served OSD as interim co-chair since early December. The lowest vote-getter in February’s regional elections is expected to be named an alternate delegate, attending when a regular delegate cannot. Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats, with nearly 200 current members, is constitutionally recognized as an active club of the Oklahoma Democratic Party (www.okdemocrats.org) with a voting seat on the state party’s governing Central Committee.

The Stonewall organization is dedicated to achieving full equality for America's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens, and its members work in campaigns and raise money for both openly gay and gay-friendly Democratic candidates at all levels of government.

GOP Leaders Counsel Health Program Caution

House Speaker Lance Cargill and Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee have cautioned Governor Brad Henry about his proposal to expand an insurance program that, they say, has so far failed to meet expectations.

"While we look forward to seeing more details of the governor's proposal, unfortunately his insurance program has not met expectations,"said Cargill (R-Harrah). "I have real concerns about investing more of the taxpayers' money in a program that has been oversold and has under-delivered. While we must help the children of this state,particularly with the affordability and availability of health care, I think we should take a cautious approach and focus our efforts where they'll make a difference."

"We're willing to study his proposal, but the governor should be very cautious about expanding government programs in what could be a tight budget year," said Coffee (R-Oklahoma City).

Licensed Oklahoman Shoots Kansas Armed Robber

From Channel 13 News, Topeka, KS ~ We have an update to a shooting we first told you about Friday night. The victim of the shooting was actually trying to rob the Phillips 66 at 2525 29th St.

Two suspects were holding up the owner of the store, Dean Yee, with a handgun. A man in the store, 57-year-old Michael Mah, drew a firearm and told one of the suspects to drop his weapon before shooting the 17-year-old.

Mah has a valid concealed carry permit from Oklahoma.

The firearm the robbery suspect used was found to be stolen. The 17-year-old suspect was treated at a local hospital before being transferred to a Kansas City hospital. He is now in stable condition. The second suspect was last seen running South on Randolph Street from 29th Street. He is described as an Hispanic male, 18 years of age, wearing a black coat, white t-shirt, red doo-rag and blue jeans.

Cargill Reveals GOP Caucus 2007 Agenda

Less than a month into Oklahoma’s centennial year, House Speaker Lance Cargill and House Republicans (left, surrounded by news media and onlookers) took the first step in laying out a new vision for the state’s second century Tuesday.

Speaking at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), a premiere 60-year-old research facility that is a focal point for a growing bioscience industry in the state, Cargill introduced the first part of the House Republican caucus 2007 legislative agenda.

The Entrepreneurial Society platform will focus on removing barriers to economic growth and opportunity in Oklahoma. Cargill and House leaders will unveil more of the agenda over the next two weeks.

“Its time to create an economic environment that rewards hardworking families and entrepreneurs, not punish them with a burdensome bureaucracy and an unfair tax burden,” said Cargill (R-Harrah). “It’s time to promote a wise fiscal policy and require more accountability from government. It’s time to foster a first-class educational system to create a talented and capable workforce. And we must create a fair and balanced legal system – one that ensures access to our courts for those with legitimate claims, but does not subject our citizens to unfair shakedown lawsuits, forced settlements to avoid bankruptcy and lengthy and costly jackpot justice lawsuits.”

The 2007 House Republican agenda aims to build on landmark reforms passed within the past two years – reforms that have touched nearly every area of state government and are already saving taxpayers tens of millions of dollars each year.

Highlights of the six-plank Entrepreneurial Society platform:

Fighting for Taxpayers ~ Cargill said the House GOP will fight to preserve and continue last year’s tax cut agreement, on track to bring income taxes down to 5.25 percent. And Cargill said the House will pass a childcare tax credit to support stay-at-home moms. “We are committed to maintaining the level of tax relief that was a part of last year’s bipartisan agreement, and we will stop any efforts to roll it back,” said state Rep. Ken Miller (R-Edmond), vice chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee. “As we get a more detailed revenue picture before the beginning of the session to come, we will present additional details of our tax cut package.” Cargill said one of the first tax relief proposals the House will pass is House Bill 1295 -- offering a childcare tax credit for stay-at-home parents as a percentage of the federal child care credit.

Promoting Excellence in Education ~ “The House GOP will continue to push for higher standards of excellence in our schools, as well as provide more and better educational opportunities for students in low-performing schools,” said Rep. Tad Jones (R-Claremore), chair of the House Education Committee. “We will also reward hardworking teachers by boosting programs like the Academic Achievement Award offering cash bonuses to great teachers.” Jones said that legislation in the House GOP agenda for education will include House Bill 1593 focused on expanding the Academic Achievement Awards program and House Bill 1589 to encourage the development of charter schools.

Government Efficiency & Accountability ~ “Oklahomans should see results from the government they pay for,” Cargill said. “We need to ensure that Oklahoma’s state government is more responsive to the needs of its citizens.”As part of a focus on government efficiency, Cargill and House leaders have already announced plans to eliminate nearly 20 state boards and task forces that have been inactive for years or duplicate other state entities. Additional legislation includes: House Bill 2100 – Commission on the Accountability and Review of State Agencies Bill (CARSA). Authored by Cargill, this bill will create a special commission to evaluate the need for each state agency, identify duplication in services and consider changes that will improve the efficiency or service of state government. The 10 member commission will conduct reviews every 12 years. Recommendations will require an up or down vote by lawmakers. House Bill 1073, Listing of State Agency Appropriated Funds. Authored by Rep. Randy McDaniel (R-Oklahoma City), this measure will require state agencies to publish on their Web sites an accounting of funds appropriated by the Legislature.

Common Sense in the Courtroom ~ “We must make Oklahoma’s legal system more reasonable,” said Rep. Rob Johnson (R-Kingfisher), who has authored a comprehensive lawsuit reform bill. “Lawsuits in Oklahoma are out of control, and if we’re going to move our state into the next century of our history, we must make our system more reasonable and fair to everyone involved.” Legislation includes House Bill 1620 – Comprehensive Lawsuit Reform. Authored by Johnson, HB 1620 is a comprehensive lawsuit reform bill with numerous features, including limiting the amount a defendant can be required to pay to secure the right to appeal; making it harder for frivolous lawsuits to make it to trial; limiting unreasonable class-action lawsuits; limiting the plaintiff to only be liable for its proportionate share of damages, excluding criminal cases; limiting non-economic damages in civil suits to a reasonable amount; and protecting school officials from being sued for reasonably punishing unruly students. House Bill 2106 – Business Courts. Authored by Speaker Cargill, HB 2106 will create a specialized court docket to handle commercial and corporate disputes. The complex nature of these types of cases requires expertise and familiarity with specific areas of business law, creating a significant burden on trial courts. Cargill said a specialized business docket will enhance the consistency, predictability and accuracy of decisions on business law issues. “Having a dedicated forum to efficiently resolve business cases will make Oklahoma more attractive to new businesses,” he said. House Bill 1475 – Medical Liability. Authored by Rep. Doug Cox (R-Grove), this measure lifts the restriction on the medical specialties under which the $300,000 non-economic damages cap applies. Existing language only applies to OB-GYNs as it relates to pregnancy, and medical professionals involved in emergency room care. Wrongful death or negligence are exceptions to the cap.

Research & Economic Development ~ House Republicans will build on the success of economic development reforms passed over the past two years by continuing to push for small business incentives, reduced regulatory barriers and expansion of high technology research opportunities. Legislation includes House Bill 2105, Second Century Entrepreneurship Center. Authored by Cargill, HB 2105 will create a “one-stop shopping” location for entrepreneurs. “We should make it as simple as possible for anyone who wishes to start a business to find out what steps need to be completed,” Cargill said. Housed within the State Department of Commerce, the Second Century Entrepreneurship Center will offer information about local permitting, licenses, state and local codes as well as business forms for applications, tax identification numbers, and any other forms required by the state before business can be conducted.

Protecting Property Rights ~ The property rights of families have been under attack across the country. Oklahoma’s House GOP will strengthen state law protecting families’ private property, Cargill said.

Does Taylor Seek Gun Control Advocate As Chief?

Is Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor looking for a gun control advocate as Tulsa's new chief of police? Some 2nd Amendment advocates believe so, and they note today that Taylor, a member of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's coalition of mayors pushing for more gun laws, is trying to keep secret the names of applicants. Some believe she is doing so to prevent pre-selection research of the candidates and their records on the 2nd Amendment.

Word about Taylor's attempt to keep the names under wraps came today in a revealing Tulsa World article, which reports that at least three Tulsa Police Department supervisors will compete to be the next police chief despite attempts by Taylor to keep the candidates' names confidential. The World reports that Deputy Chief Bill Wells, Maj. Rob Turner and Maj. Paul Williams all confirmed their candidacies.

Monday was the deadline for internal applications to be submitted, but Taylor would not identify the candidates.

"At this point, this is a civil service process and an internal personnel issue," she said in a statement. "As such, just like in private business, I will respect the applicants' right to privacy and do not intend to release the names of the candidates."

Her predecessors, the World reports, conducted their police chief searches as open processes and revealed the names of applicants, even though it isn't required by the state Open Records Act.

Wells and Turner were among the candidates in the last police chief search, conducted by then-Mayor Bill LaFortune in 2002. The names of the four internal candidates in that search were released shortly after they applied. LaFortune chose Police Chief Dave Been, who will retire this spring.

In a police chief search in 1992, during the transition of the Rodger Randle and Susan Savage administrations, the names of the five internal applicants were revealed. City officials ended up looking outside the department, and the names of those finalists were released as well.

Taylor began her search late last year, saying she welcomed public scrutiny and advice.

"I think talking to the citizens is essential to finding the right person to be Tulsa's police chief," she said at the time, adding that it was part of an effort to achieve transparency in government. Taylor's spokeswoman Kim MacLeod said she didn't know whether Taylor will ever reveal the names of candidates.

The job has a salary range of $86,052 to $149,016, the World reports. Internal candidates must be ruled out before Taylor can look outside the department. Recent revisions to the city's hiring policies would allow Taylor to hire an external candidate even if qualified internal candidates applied. The city is working with a California firm, Bob Murray & Associates, on the search. Murray & Associates, which specializes in executive searches, is being paid $30,500, plus up to $13,500 in expenses by a local nonprofit organization, the Tulsa Police Foundation.

Taylor's every move as mayor is being monitored by gun rights advocates. She was a founding member of Bloomberg's gun control coalition and attended a meeting at Gracie Mansion in New York. She subsequently showed up in Chicago for a meeting with other mayors who outlined a gun control agenda opposed by the National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Bloomberg's group is meeting today in Washington and Taylor reportedly will be among the attendees.

Here are the comments of some of Taylor's seatmates in the Bloomberg coalition:

"The presence of guns on our streets and in our communities hurts our quality of life. I am proud to join the Mayors' Coalition Against Illegal Guns and stand with my fellow mayors in the fight against gun violence in our cities."--Mayor Mike Fahey, Omaha, NE.

"America's Mayors are on the forefront of the battle against crime and gun violence. I look forward to sharing best practices in the State of California and City of Los Angeles with other Mayors and learning about strategies others have used to reduce gun deaths in their cities."--Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa,Los Angeles, CA.

"Gun violence is a non-partisan issue. All citizens need to know what a terrible impact that guns in general, and illegal guns specifically, have and how they are contributing to the violence in our communities."--Mayor William "Bill" Bell, Durham, NC.

Ethics Commission Bans PAC-to-PAC Donations

From Today's Tulsa World ~ The Oklahoma Ethics Commission voted Monday to ban political action committees from contributing to one another.

A PAC can give as much as $5,000 to a candidate in an election cycle. But a PAC with considerable money could give some to another PAC, which then could pass it along to an individual candidate legally.

Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, had proposed the ban.

The panel also decided to continue limiting entities including universities to giving gifts worth no more than $300 per year to lawmakers. University of Oklahoma Vice President Catherine Bishop said recently that OU season football tickets cost $333 each. Lawmakers still can receive a ticket if they pay the cost difference. They also can buy a second season ticket.

Rule changes take effect unless the Legislature rejects them.

Blame It On Inhofe

By Emily Heil, The Hill ~ Internet surfers trying to access the Senate’s website on Friday (oh, c’mon, you know you were) might have encountered a bit of a delay. For part of the day, all of the Senate’s Web pages, including senators’ personal pages and committee sites, were down. The culprits? Two oft-blamed scourges: DrudgeReport.com and global warming. Well, sort of.

Traffic to a blog posted by Republicans on the Environment and Public Works Committee was so heavy Friday, thanks to a link posted on DrudgeReport.com, that the Senate site got bogged down.

The blog entry that caused the stir was critical of the Weather Channel’s call for decertification of meteorologists who are skeptical of global warming.

An e-mail sent to Senate offices by the Sergeant at Arms, whose office was scrambling to fix the problem on Friday, read in part, “Drudgereport.com established a link on their web site to a press release on a Senate committee Web site. This link was creating 30-50,000 queries per hour to senate.gov, which in turn was generating a query to the Press Application for each of those hits.”

EPW ranking member Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) started the blog in December.

Brady Center Alleges Dealers Aided Gun Traffickers

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence today released a report alleging that three licensed Oklahoma gun dealers aided gun traffickers. The Oklahoma gun dealers, including two from the Tulsa area, allegedly were involved in business transactions with gun traffickers that are outlined in the report. Green Country Arms and Pawn allegedly sold four straw purchasers 33, eight, 27 and 22 guns each in multiple transactions in 2003 and 2004. RJ's Guns in Broken Arrow and W.D. Guns in Alva allegedly combined to sell a trafficking ring some 240 guns over seven months in 2003 and 2004. There's no reaction yet from federal or local law enforcement agencies.

Gingrich Will Run, Former Chairman Says

Former U. S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich will get into the 2008 presidential race, but not until late next year, his former campaign chairman believes.

Matt Towery's comments are included in a piece on Hasting Wyman's Southern Political Report by Online Editor Tim Darnell.

Towery, now CEO of InsiderAdvantage (parent of SPR) and former campaign chair for the ex-congressman from Georgia, says to expect a Newt For President campaign just before the Republican National Convention in September '08.

Eliminate 20 Groups, Cargill Proposes

After a week of House hearings to review state agencies’ budgets and spending practices, House Republican leaders announced Friday they have identified nearly 20 state boards, committees and task forces that can be eliminated immediately.

“We don't need more government for the sake of government," said Speaker Lance Cargill (pictured). "We should strive for a model of government that is as efficient as possible, and that includes having clearly defined goals and a plan to achieve results. By trimming off non-essential boards and commissions, we can focus our efforts and resources on those services and functions that are most needed."

Cargill said that House committee and subcommittee chairs found 18 task forces, boards and councils that had either completed their work or have been inactive for some time. In some cases the list of task forces included entities that had been inactive for years, such as the “Joint Legislative Oversight Committee for the Review of Coordination of Efforts for Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy/Sexually Transmitted Disease” that had not met for a decade. Some, such as the “Task Force on Men’s Health,” have never met. Others, like the “Alzheimer’s Research Advisory Council,” duplicate work already performed in other areas of state government.

Cargill said that legislation will be introduced this session to eliminate the 18 entities. Cargill pointed out that every year Oklahoma prints a book known as the “ABC” book listing Oklahoma’s numerous state agencies, boards and commissions.

“Oklahomans are literally confronted by an alphabet soup of state government. At the very least, we can begin to simplify and streamline with this important first step,” said Cargill, who has made government accountability and efficiency one of his top goals for the upcoming legislative session. “Down the road, taxpayers could also see savings in terms of paper and clerical costs that could be associated with these boards and task forces.”

Earlier this week, House subcommittees met with state agencies, boards and commissions to review existing budgets, in hopes of finding ways to trim costs and increase efficiency. The meetings are part of an on-going effort by House budget leaders to make sure Oklahoma’s government is responsive to the needs of its citizens.

The entire list of boards, task forces and committees to be eliminated includes: Oklahoma Dairy Committee, Joint Legislative Oversight Committee for the Health Care Authority, Task Force on Men’s Health, Joint Legislative Oversight Committee for Oklahoma Long-Term Care, University Hospitals Trust Legislative Advisory Task Force, Joint Committee on Federal Funds, Joint Committee on Water Planning, Common School Capital Improvement Needs Assessment Committee, Mentor Selection Advisory Committee, Oklahoma Task Force on the Status of African American Males, Oklahoma Trucking Advisory Board, Joint Legislative Committee on Data Processing and Telecommunications, Electronic Commerce Pilot Program Steering Committee, International Trade Development Council, Oklahoma Weather Modification Board, Joint Legislative Oversight Committee for the Review of Coordination of Efforts for Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy/Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Cache Creek Water Supply and Flood Impact Task Force, Alzheimer’s Research Advisory Council.

Cargill Endorses State Ice Storm Assistance

After spending time in Muskogee today and seeing first-hand the damage caused there by the recent ice storms, House Speaker Lance Cargill has endorsed a plan to set aside at least $10 million in "Rainy Day" spillover funds to help pay recovery costs for the entire state. FEMA officials have yet to determine the exact dollar amount of aid the state will be required to pay to assist Oklahomans affected by the ice storms that blanketed much of the state in the last two weeks.

Watts Leaving GOPAC; Official Denies Pressure

Former Congressman J. C. Watts is leaving the chairmanship of GOPAC, the Republican Party's premier candidate recruitment and training organization, but a GOPAC official who confirmed that today denies there's any connection between his departure and anger over his endorsement of Democrat Cody Graves in last year's Corporation Commission race.

The confirmation came in a statement faxed to Oklahoma City radio station KTOK.

Earlier, sources said Watts was being forced out because he endorsed Graves over Republican Commissioner Bob Anthony, and dissention because he, as a GOP leader, had endorsed a Democrat over a Republican.

Subsequently, Congressman Tom Cole, Watts' political mentor who now heads the National Republican Congressional Committee, denied that he and others were angry over the Graves endorsement. Today's announcement from GOPAC Executive Director John Morgan reiterated that position, saying neither Cole nor former Governor Frank Keating are upset with Watts as several sources had contended.

Morgan said Watts gave notice he intended to step down last summer. Morgan said GOPAC will have an announcement soon about his replacement.

Morrissette Proposes Tax Break

In a move that he says could dramatically improve health care coverage in Oklahoma, Rep. Richard Morrissette has filed legislation, House Bill 1888, to provide working families similar tax benefits enjoyed by large corporations.

"In the spirit of President Bush's State of the Union address tomorrow evening, I have filed a bill that will make the Oklahoma tax code fairer for working men and women and their families by providing a tax break for health care expenses such as in-patient hospital care, prescription drugs, rehabilitative care and nursing home care," said Morrissette, D-Oklahoma City.

"These tax breaks are similar to those already given large corporations and big businesses, who are now allowed to deduct all types of expenses and have been allowed that right for many years. Any tax code benefits should be applied broadly and fairly, which House Bill 1888 does."

Under current law, businesses are allowed a tax break to offset the cost of employee insurance. President George Bush is expected to call for extending that break to individuals who buy their own insurance during his State of the Union speech on Tuesday.

Dank Proposes Property Tax Cap

State Rep. David Dank (R-Oklahoma City) has introduced legislation to cap annual increases in household property taxes and freeze ad valorem taxes for the elderly.

"If we don't act soon, the people of Oklahoma are going to organize a property tax revolt like California did some years ago and dramatically constrain government's right to tax," Dank said. "I cannot blame them."

Companion measures introduced by Dank would call for a vote of the people to reduce the current cap on annual property tax increases from 5 to 1 percent and freeze property taxes for Oklahomans over 65 for as long as they own their homes.

Bill Richardson Jumps In

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson says he's a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president. Richardson, former member of Congress and former member of the Clinton Administration, is the only Democrat thus far to have won a previous endorsement from the National Rifle Association for his stances against gun control.

"I am taking this step because we have to repair the damage that's been done to our country over the last six years," said Richardson. "Our reputation in the world is diminished, our economy has languished, and civility and common decency in government has perished."

"The next president of the United States must get our troops out of Iraq without delay. Before I became Governor of New Mexico, I served as Ambassador to the United Nations and as Secretary of Energy. I know the Middle East well and it's clear that our presence in Iraq isn't helping any longer," said Richardson.

Georgia Gun Control Saves Homeowner

GAINESVILLE, GA - A would be home invader was shot and killed early Sunday morning in South Hall County. Sheriff's Major Jeff Strickland said a man approached a home in the 4000 block of Winder Highway and when confronted by the homeowner fired several shots.

"The perpetrator fired several shots toward the homeowner ," Strickland said, "The homeowner was able to return fire, striking and killing the perpetrator."

Strickland said the homeowner will not face charges. "Preliminary investigating shows the homeowner acted in self defense," Strickland said. "And no charges will be filed."

Oklahoma Democrats Discuss Hillary

Interesting discussion about Hillary Clinton taking place among Oklahoma Democrats.

Blogger Exposes False AP Iraq Reports

Bogger Michelle Malkin, columnist for the New York Post, is just back from a trip to Iraq and writes a troubling piece about false Associated Press reports about an "atrocity" that never happened.

Brownback Says He's In

Kansas U. S. Senator Sam Brownback jumped into the 2008 presidential race Saturday, a long-shot favorite of the religious right in an uphill battle against better-known rivals for the GOP nomination. "I am a conservative, and I'm proud of being a conservative," he proclaimed.

Stephen Jones Defends Texas-Based 'Just The Facts America,' Says Controversial Entity Is His Client

Enid attorney Stephen Jones (pictured at right), in a letter to The McCarville Report Online, confirms that the secretive Texas-based "Just The Facts America" is his client and he defends it, writing, "my client acted fully within the law."

Jones responded to repeated mentions here of the group, headed by Texas Republican leader James B. "Jim" Cardle (pictured below left) of Austin, and continuing questions about its actions in launching an effort to defeat Democrat Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland last year.

The group erupted on the Oklahoma political scene when it placed tens of thousands of dollars in television commercials attacking Holland, who defeated Republican Bill Case in November. The group also created a website attacking Holland. Jones and associates donated thousands to the Case campaign.

There had been questions about the group and why its donors had not been revealed. Oklahoma Ethics Commission director Marilyn Hughes and Attorney General Drew Edmondson had both said they believe the group was required to reveal its donors and register with the commission. Jones said they were "mistaken."

"There was no legal obligation then or now to register unless the decision of the (U. S. District) Court is reversed by the (U. S.) Supreme Court," he wrote. He noted that the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia had ruled "that the federal statute, unlike the Oklahoma Statute, did affirmatively require 501(c)(3), (4) and (6) organizations to reveal their donors when engaged in campaign communication was unconstitutional as a violation of the First Amendment."

Jones continues to disagree with the assertion the group is "mysterious." He wrote, "It is no more mysterious than any other...organization whose donors are protected by law from disclosure. Its officers and purposes are well known."

Hillary Says She's In

U. S. Senator Hillary Clinton of New York jumped into the fray as a 2008 presidential candidate with the words "I'm in" posted on her Web site. "And I'm in to win," she added in a statement, announcing she has set up an exploratory committee that can gauge opinions and raise money for a presidential campaign.

Barack Obama's (Scary) Record

Blogger The Liberty Sphere has compiled a brief piece on Illinois Senator Barack Obama's record. It is worth reading.

The Gadfly On The Wall

Lofty Expectations: Some citizens expect government to be able to perform miracles. Witness the latest angst over residential streets still ice-packed a week after the initial blast. It seems the belief of some that their cities should have had the side streets cleared by now. Never happen, unless those citizens want to pony up a gazillion dollars per year to buy graders, scrapers, salt/sand trucks (which would sit unused for 11 months and 3 weeks per year most years) and pay all the drivers it would take to maintain such a huge fleet.

Cabin Fever? Having ventured out several times this week to slip and slide over secondary streets to fetch essentials for the household, I find "cabin fever" absent. True, I was housebound (by choice) for five days, secure in the belief another vehicle was not needed on the roadways and I had no pressing reason to venture forth. Besides, with the Internet and several good, hefty books at hand, it was a chance to thoroughly explore the written word. Ten Minutes To Normal, Karen Hughes' autobiography, provided insight to George W. Bush, whom I continue to try to figure out. It Doesn't Take A Hero, retired General Norman Schwarzkopf's autobiography, rekindles the "Duty, Honor, Country" mantra drilled into those of us who served in the "brown shoe Army" (pre-1959) and still drilled into West Point cadets today. (For those unfamiliar with the term "brown shoe Army," the reference is to the brown shoes and boots issued to those in the Army up to about March 1959; those of us issued brown footwear for duty in Europe had the task of dying them black and then trying to spit-shine them into looking like the new, black shoes and boots being issued to newbies. Seldom were we successful.)

Governor Late: Brad Henry, who is chronically late to almost everything, it seems (I've personally witnessed his tardiness on two occasions, so it's not hearsay), needs to pay attention to these words from Karen Hughes' book as she writes about President Bush's always-on-time habit: "The first several months, dozens of members of the support staff, motorcade drivers and military personnel and the Air Force flight crew, commented to me about how the president was always on time. They appreciated it because they thought it showed a respect for their time; if the schedule said the motorcade was leaving at nine or Air Force One was departing at ten, the president was there on time, or a few minutes early; dozens of support people didn't have to sit for hours in hot cars or on airplanes waiting for him."

Al-Qaida In Central America? Reports continue to surface alleging terrorists are training in Central America's rain forests for eventual migration north into Mexico and then, across the border into the United States. Skeptics say it's not possible there's an Al-Qaida base we don't know about in the forests. Having visited the rain forests of Guatemala 40 years ago (and not much has changed there since), I attest is is possible for the City of New York to exist there and it would be 10 years before we knew it unless we knew exactly where to look and focus our satellite cameras.

Be Prepared: Doomsday is not at hand, my opinion, despite the continuing terrorist threat. I do, however, continue to honor my Boy Scout motto and have on hand an ample supply of firearms and ammunition, in substantial calibers, and am sufficiently trained in their use, to defend should the need arise. And I promise I'll do my best to also defend my gun-grabbing, liberal neighbor who is ill-prepared to defend against even the weakest of assailants.

Good Old Buddies: Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields has named former State Rep. Bill Settles of Muskogee, as his general counsel and former State Rep. M. C. Leist as deputy commissioner. This convergence of good old buddies from the House in the Department of Labor makes some uncomfortable.

Gadflys On Other Walls: Blogger Ron Black has his camo pants all waded up over the suggestion a "MAPs3" is needed in Oklahoma City. Blogger Mark Shannon is similarly situated as he contemplates running for mayor of Edmond. Being the circumspect, veteran conservative that I am, I am taking a "wait and see" posture. Alphecca's Jeff Soyer continues to uphold the Constitution. Michael Bates in Tulsa continues to offer the best blog anywhere; my favorite. Click on the tiny "Newsgator" label on the right side of his home page for the best postings from other blogs.

On The Air: Satellite radio is amazing. Although my air time on Sirius Patriot Channel 144 is limited to a few nights a week on the NRA's "Cam & Company" show, I am startled by how many listen all over the country. The technology is superb; one can listen anywhere in the nation, even driving across it, with no static, no button-punching for a clear signal, and there's something for everyone. Now, if Sirius would just add a Zydeco music channel....

Idiocy: "SACRAMENTO, CA ~ California parents could face jail and a fine for spanking their young children under legislation a state lawmaker has promised to introduce next week. Democratic Assemblywoman Sally Lieber said such a law is needed because spanking victimizes helpless children and breeds violence in society." Sure, it does. Just look at all of us violent law-breakers who had our fannies whacked in childhood.

Homeowner Controls Pistol, Kills Armed Intruder

BUFFALO, MN— The Wright County prosecutor said no charges will be filed against a Rockford man who shot and killed an armed intruder in December.

“In this matter, you have a justifiable use of deadly force,” County Attorney Thomas Kelly said Wednesday. “As tragic as it is, that’s how it comes down.”

Eric Cegon, 30, shot Erik Richter, 35, of Watertown, after Richter broke into the apartment Cegon shared with Richter’s ex-girlfriend in Rockford. Simons’ and Richter’s toddler son was home at the time.

It was the second time Richter had violated a court order not to contact either of them.

The county attorney said Richter was armed with a loaded semi-automatic handgun when he broke into the apartment. He also had handcuffs and leg irons with him.

“Let’s just say that I don’t think anything good was going to come out of his visit,” Kelly said.

Cargill Offers Measures

House Speaker Lance Cargill has authored a lineup of legislation that includes measures to help working families reduce childcare expenses through tax credits, create a comprehensive consolidation effort for state government, and reduce repeat offenders in prison through faith-based and other outreach programs.

House Measures, By The Numbers

By the close of the House bill-filing process on January 18th, lawmakers in the Oklahoma House of Representatives had filed 1,195 bills, 45 joint resolutions and 11 concurrent resolutions, Speaker Lance Cargill's office reports today.

Fallin: No Debts, Modest Assets

As Mary Fallin joined Oklahoma's congressional delegation this year as a freshman from the 5th District, her personal financial disclosure statement shows she has no debts and modest assets.

Fallin listed her only 2006 income as her salary as lieutenant governor, $82,097 at the time of the filing.

Fallin listed six assets including savings, certificates of deposit and three investment accounts. Given the wide parameters in which such assets are valued, their worth is from $18,000 to $97,000.

Members of Congress are not required to list property owned unless it produces income; Fallin listed no property.

Gaddie: The Conversation For Ideas

By Dr. Keith Gaddie ~ The fashion in American political punditry is to be cynical. The cynic, after all, is rarely disappointed by failure, but instead revels in a snide grin, confident in their knowledge that father figures have feet of clay and the promises of politicians are fleeting at best, driven by the need to garner votes from a public that wants to be fooled.

I’m going to fight cynicism and will argue for the conversation emerging in Central Oklahoma over Ideas. The conversation for ideas comes from many directions – a young house speaker who is seeking public input on possible new policies, from an ambitious mayor who is building on the ideas and successes of his predecessors and asks how we can direct tax dollars to build more private opportunity and a more capable community. It will doubtlessly surprise old-line conservatives that these ostensibly conservative Republicans are talking about new ways to use government, but, at base, that is what the legislature and the media are for – to talk about how to do things better. Instead of staring at its boots, saying “aw shucks” or waiting for the next oil boom, Oklahomans are looking forward and saying “what next?”

Read Keith's entire essay here.

Cornett Raised $521,000, Spent $515,000

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett raised $521,006 and spent $515,846 in his unsuccessful bid for Congress last year, his final campaign finance report shows.

The report was filed with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday.

The latest report filed by Corporation Commissioner Denise Bode, who finished third in the 5th District Republican primary to Cornett and eventual winner Mary Fallin, indicates Bode at the time of the filing had a $250,000 debt. Her most recent filing shows she raised $730,000 and spent more than $1 million.

In LA, Illegals Commit 90+% Of Murders

In Los Angeles, a look at outstanding arrest warrants for homicide reveals that over 90 percent are for illegal aliens.

Examination of all LA felony arrest warrants (murder, rape, armed robbery, etc.) shows that 65 percent are for illegal aliens, according to the Manhattan Institute.

The Institute estimates that 350 killers managed to escape back into Mexico and the Mexican government refuses to extradite them to the US to stand trial. In another study -- this one by the General Accounting Office-- a sample group of about 55,000 criminal aliens committed over 700,000 criminal acts.

Dorman, Proctor Ask For Ice Funds

State Reps. Joe Dorman and Eric Proctor today called on legislative leaders to approve an estimated $22 million in emergency funding for ice storm recovery "as soon as possible" when the Legislature convenes in February.

Fallin Seeks To Protect Oil, Gas Industries

Oklahoma Congresswoman Mary Fallin addressed the full floor of the House of Representatives today, encouraging her colleagues to oppose legislation that would undermine Oklahoma's oil and gas industries and move the nation further away from energy independence.

Fallin instead proposed a two-part solution, acknowledging the role that both traditional and alternative energy forms can play in our future.

Fallin said, "The answer to America's energy crisis lies in expanding our oil and gas production in the short term, while investing in renewable energy sources in the long term."

The legislation backed today by Congressional Democrats, she said, would raise taxes on oil and gas companies in the United States, which would ultimately discourage domestic energy companies from further exploration. Fallin argued that this tax increase comes at a time when the U.S. most needs to increase production of its own energy resources. To not do so, said Fallin, would represent "both a national security threat and an economic threat to the nation."

First '100 Ideas' Reported By Cargill

The first 100 ideas have been logged, a majority of them coming through the new interactive website which was introduced one week ago by House Speaker Lance Cargill.

The site, 100ideasok.org, was launched as part of a statewide initiative to find the best 100 ideas for Oklahoma’s second century.

"The 100 Ideas Initiative has picked up real momentum over the past week, and I've been pleased with the level of participation so far," said Cargill, who officially unveiled the project on Jan. 10. "This first milestone shows that Oklahomans are excited about sharing their good ideas for our state's future."

Former Rep. Thad Balkman, executive director of the initiative, said he was excited to have reached the first milestone. “This is just the beginning of the 100 Ideas Initiative,” said Balkman. “We look forward to receiving the next 100 ideas and the next 1,000.”

Balkman said the ideas, submitted primarily through the website, www.100ideasok.org, came flowing in through e-mail, mail and through online submissions. “People from Elmore City to Henryetta to Tulsa submitted ideas,” said Balkman.

Submitted ideas ranged from eliminating the state sales tax on groceries to creating incentives for biofuels and biofuel research.

In addition to accepting submissions via mail, e-mail and online, the project will host “IdeaRaisers” across the state which will invite the public to attend, share and discuss varying ideas.

At the end of the year, 100 Ideas will publish a book with the best 100 ideas gathered from IdeaRaisers and the website. Balkman said an announcement detailing the specifics of the first two IdeaRaisers, scheduled to be held in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, will be released later in the week.

McDaniel Seeks Agency Expenditure Disclosure

Legislation to shine a light on how tax dollars are used by state agencies was filed this week by State Rep. Randy McDaniel.

McDaniel authored House Bill 1073, the Oklahoma Public Finance Openness and Accountability Act, which would require all state agencies to publish on their website their financial expenditures throughout the year. While some state agencies already report their expenses, the Oklahoma County Republican said it should be a requirement for all to ensure tax dollars are spent efficiently.

McDaniel Wants Light On Tax Dollars

Legislation to shine a light on how tax dollars are used by state agencies was filed this week by State Rep. Randy McDaniel.

McDaniel authored House Bill 1073, the Oklahoma Public Finance Openness and Accountability Act, which would require all state agencies to publish on their website their financial expenditures throughout the year. While some state agencies already report their expenses, the Oklahoma County Republican said it should be a requirement for all to ensure tax dollars are spent efficiently.

Blogger Reports On Iraq Tour

Conservative blogger and syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin has just returned from a trip to Iraq, where she visited numerous military units and observed what's going on. Her insightful reports are posted on her site. She's shown here debarking from a military bus.

Score One For The Good Guys

A team of SAS soldiers captured a key Taliban commander yesterday in a lightning raid on a heavily-fortified compound in southern Afghanistan.

Without a shot being fired, the force of fewer than 30 elite soldiers, backed by Afghan troops, achieved "total surprise" and seized Mohammad Nabi in the early hours of the morning near Gereshk, in Helmand province. Nabi is believed to be a key commander in the Taliban insurgency in the neighbouring province of Kandahar.

The compound, which had been under observation by Nato forces for around two weeks, was typical of the heavily-fortified homes favoured by the Pashtun tribes of southern Afghanistan, which often boast battlements and watch towers.

Cole Moves Two More Staffers To NRCC

Congressman Tom Cole has moved two more of his congressional office staff members to the staff of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) he now heads.

Cole said his communications director, Julie Bley Shutley of Bethany, is now deputy communications director at the NRCC and that Bryce Korney, staff member who managed his 2004 and 2006 campaigns, is now in the NRCC's political department. He also said that Virginia-based consultant Clinton Key, former Oklahoma Republican State chairman who has worked with Cole on his COLEPAC operation, is now a consultant to the NRCC.

Previously, Cole moved his chief of staff, Pete Kirkham, to the NRCC staff as executive director.

Foundation Sues Nagin In New Orleans

Frustrated by repeated failures to meet court-appointed deadlines, and a pattern of disregard by the City of New Orleans, the Second Amendment Foundation has filed a motion to hold Mayor Ray Nagin and Police Superintendent Warren Riley in contempt of federal court. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for January 31st in federal district court in New Orleans.

The Second Amendment Foundation is suing Nagin and Riley over the confiscation of firearms from law-abiding citizens in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Joining SAF in the lawsuit is the National Rifle Association.

“Mayor Nagin, Chief Riley and the city’s attorney have repeatedly failed to communicate with our legal counsel, even for the most trivial of matters related to this lawsuit,” said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb. “We were prepared to file this motion months ago, but gave the city several opportunities to comply with the court, and to begin returning seized firearms to their rightful owners. They haven’t done it.

“There comes a time when patience runs out,” Gottlieb said, “and people need to be held accountable for what amounts to an arrogant disregard for the seriousness of this lawsuit and the rights of New Orleans gun owners.”

The motion notes that Nagin and Riley failed to comply with a discovery order issued last November 29th and asks that the court compel them to answer discovery questions from SAF and NRA attorneys. The defendants had been ordered to exchange initial disclosure information by December 12th, but ignored that deadline.

“At first,” Gottlieb recalled, “Nagin, Riley and the city claimed they had not seized anyone’s firearms. Then, faced with the threat of a contempt motion, they ‘discovered’ that guns had been taken and were being held at a central location. After that, the city promised to begin returning firearms, but put roadblocks in the way for citizens to retrieve their guns.

“The city’s behavior in this matter, and particularly that of Mayor Nagin and Chief Riley, has been deplorable, and it is time for them to behave like adults,” Gottlieb said. “Since the day the city began seizing firearms, Nagin and Riley have acted as though they are above the law. It is time they learned otherwise.”

Store Owner Controls Pistol, Shoots Robber

NASHVILLE, TN- Metro Police said a store owner shot a robbery suspect after he and another masked man demanded money and threatened customers. Police arrested 19-year-old Joshua Whitworth of Madison, charging him with attempted criminal homicide and two counts of attempted aggravated robbery.

Metro Police Capt. David Imhof said David Espino, one of the store owners shot Whitworth in the hand after Whitworth and another man as they tried to rob Discount Tobacco Store, 4610 Gallatin Pike.

The pair demanded money and threatened customers at the Madison-area convenience store.

Espino, 23, pulled out a pistol after hearing what he thought was a gunshot, police said. He fired at the suspects. As they ran out of the store, they fired shots, nearly hitting someone sitting in a car.

"They have a right to protect themselves, as any citizen does," Imhof told NewsChannel 5. "People are allowed to have hand guns in their homes. They have a right to protect themselves. People are allowed to have firearms in their place of business and they are allowed to protect themselves."

Will Kathy Taylor Import Gun Control Plan?

Mayors who are part of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's gun control group are being encouraged to adopt his agenda. Will Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor, a member of the group, try to adopt Bloomberg's plan in her city? Bloomberg isn't simply for "gun control" -- he's against the Second Amendment. Already, getting a permit to own a gun in New York City is practically impossible; that is, unless you're a celebrity. In December, Bloomberg announced that he wants to make the process even more difficult. Read more.

Mark Shannon Mulls Edmond Mayoral Race

Former radio talk show host Mark Shannon is considering the race for mayor of Edmond. On his blog, Shannon writes today, "Mark Shannon, long-time Oklahoma City radio personality, announced he is launching a committee to explore the possibility of a run for Mayor of Edmond."

Cole Says There's 'No Strain' With Watts

UPDATE: Late Wednesday, Congressman Tom Cole told TMRO that he wants Watts to remain at GOPAC. He said, "J. C. and I, personally and politically...there's no strain. I'm hopeful he will return to (elective) public service in the future." Cole said he understands the dissention some Republicans have voiced over Watts' endorsement of Democrat Cody Graves, but he does not believe that detracts from Watts' role as GOPAC chairman. Former Congressman J. C. Watts, since 2003 the head of GOPAC, the Republican group that recruits, trains and seeks to elect and reelect Republicans nationwide, may be about to get the boot.

A source in Washington says Watts angered many last fall by his endorsement of Democrat Cody Graves, who sought to unseat Republican Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony. The source confirmed word in Oklahoma that Watts is on his way out at GOPAC and said it may be weeks before it happens. He said one of those most concerned about Watts' endorsement of Democrat Graves was Watts' political mentor, Congressman Tom Cole, a former consultant who guided Watts' political career beginning with his race for the commission in 1990. Cole now heads the Republican National Congressional Committee (NRCC) and has long ties to the GOPAC operation.

Another top-level source, however, says Cole needs Watts as his ally at GOPAC, and he is not at all concerned about Watts' endorsement of Democrat Graves. That endorsement apparently is not well-known in Washington GOP circles, but we're told a major D. C. publication is preparing an article about the dissention Watts' endorsement has caused.

Also involved in GOPAC is former Governor Frank Keating. TMRO is told Keating expressed his concern over Watts' endorsement of Graves last fall, citing Watts' role as the leader of a group dedicated to the election of Republican candidates and his break with that dedication in endorsing a Democrat. "Keating went bazonks," our source said.

Keating and Cole both apparently heard from some major GOP donors in the state who expressed their disappointment in Watts' action. Asked if he has been contacted, Cole said, "Frankly, I have not...to any extent."

Watts became chairman of GOPAC in March 2003. Founded in 1978, GOPAC is the premier training organization for Republican candidates across America.

Watts, who served on the Corporation Commission with Anthony, endorsed Graves as did former GOP Commissioner Ed Apple. Neither of them got along with Anthony, the no-nonsense veteran who easily defeated Graves last November.

GOPAC Image: Watts with House Republican leadership in 2003.

GQ Profiles Tom Coburn

Gentlemen's Quarterly has profiled Senator Tom Coburn: "Tom Coburn doesn’t care about the midterm elections," the article begins. "Sure, he’s a senator. Sure, he’s a Republican. And sure, that means his party lost control of both houses of Congress last fall and will be out of power until at least 2009. But what difference does that make to Coburn? “I don’t think it matters,” he said on a warm day in December, sitting in his office on the first floor of the Russell Senate building as the annual session came to a close. “It will be my first time in the minority party, but I’ve been in the minority the whole time I’ve been here.”

The Gadfly On The Wall

Hoops Hoopla: O-State Cowboys took Texas in THREE overtimes 105-103 in an instant classic. And the Hornets prevailed as well. All is good in roundball land. Tonight, my Lady Sooners!

Preoccupied Media: Within hours of the miraculous rescue of the two boys in Missouri, inquiring reporters wanted to know why the boy kidnapped four years ago had not taken advantage of numerous opportunities to escape. The flaw in the questioning rests in our inability to grasp the workings of the human brain. Why do kidnapped children (and adults) not flee when they have the chance? We don't know the answer and all the questions and speculation in the world won't provide it. Now there's veiled criticism of the parents by reporters who want to ask the boy directly why he didn't flee and want the parents to parade him out for their questions. Parents are right; it's none of their damned business.

OETA News: Veteran Oklahoma City broadcasters George Tomek and Angela Buckelew have joined the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority as news anchors. They're part of a team that will replace Dick Pryor, who is now Lt. Governor Jari Askin's chief of staff. Buckelew and Tomek will join Gerry Bonds as anchors, alternating days. Buckelew will appear on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Tomek on Mondays and Wednesdays. Tomek has been a fixture in Oklahoma City television for more than 30 years; most recently, he has been a spokesman for advertising clients. Buckelew was at Channel 9 for 12 years. OETA also has added Mark Beutler, ex-4, 5 and 9 reporter, as its State Capitol specialist. He replaces Robert Burch, who has joined the OETA documentary unit.

Global Warming: Came to Oklahoma last Friday and it's still on the ground, with more to come. Jim Inhofe has a big grin on his face. And global warming has hit California as well, as this paragraph from Fresno proves: "Shoppers soon will be feeling the sting of higher prices from a wave of icy weather that has hit California farms. As much as three-quarters of the state's citrus crop withered in the field during the cold snap, but nearly every winter crop, from avocados to fresh-cut flowers, has suffered severely." Photographic evidence of global warming comes in this New York shot from Calvin Rees of demookie.com.

Texas Water Raiders: Oh boy. Those North Texas folks who want Oklahoma water best not set foot north of the Red River. Rep. Jerry Ellis did go a bit over the top in blasting them; he said Texas should get its water where it gets its employees: Mexico.

Keating No-go: Former Governor Frank Keating resisted the urge; he won't run for president.

Ice-bound: It's been a while since we've experienced anything like this. End not yet in sight. My wife is now boycotting 4, 5 and 9; says overkill can't describe the wall-to-wall coverage of ice pellets and slick spots and reporters pushing snow shovels along icy streets. Can't wait to see what the tv stations do with 3 to 6 inches of snow this weekend.

A(ll)P(ay)D(ay): Adrian Peterson is turning pro. AD's now APD...All Pay Day. Mega-millions, no doubt. I've volunteered to be his financial counselor. Fat chance.

Dead Terrorist: Captain's Quarters reports that the Philippine franchise of al-Qaeda took a heavy blow yesterday, as the government announced that it had killed one of the leaders of Abu Sayyaf. If confirmed, the terrorists will have lost their leader and chief organizer within a span of weeks: The Philippines said on Wednesday that troops had killed the top planner of the country's most deadly Islamic militant group in a clash at a rebel jungle camp in the southwest. Abu Sulaiman, one of the top five leaders of the Abu Sayyaf militant group and who is believed to have links with al Qaeda, was killed in a gunbattle on Tuesday on the island of Jolo, military chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon told reporters.

Media Blackout: (From The Washington Times) "So what happened to the story about Nancy Pelosi exempting American Samoa from the minimum wage because it benefits companies in her district?" radio talk-show host Neal Boortz asks at his blog site, boortz.com/nuze. "Here we have a juicy little story affecting the Speaker of the House, and the media has chosen to look the other way. Imagine if this had been Newt Gingrich or Dennis Hastert. Would the press be so kind? Nope ... but hey, this is a Democrat ... the big cheese, the head honcho. She gets a pass. Maybe it's because Dems plan to revise the bill to include American Samoa and cover the speaker's behind," Mr. Boortz said. "Never mind the hypocrisy of it all. Democrats stand up there and tell us that you can't raise a family on $5.15 an hour, that it needs to be raised to $7.25. Evidently you can raise a family on $7.25 an hour, even if it is phased in over two years. But when it comes to American Samoa, that's different. And as long as the Del Monte Corporation, through its Star Kist subsidiary, is loading you up with campaign cash ... then well ... maybe you can raise a family on $5.15 an hour. At least if you live in American Samoa. "So the story will wither on the vine, thanks to media bias. Can you imagine if Tom DeLay were doing this? It would still be front-page news. But Nancy Pelosi is a Democrat, and Democrats are protected by the media. You should know that by now."

Victim Controls Gun, Shoots Assailant

COLUMBIA, SC ~ A man and woman who were shopping at the Wal-Mart on Two Notch Road say a would-be carjacker was not only unsuccessful on Saturday - he is now suffering from a gunshot wound in his butt.

Harold Jeffcoat (pictured), 29, is the suspect. The victims say the man who tried to rob them came towards them as they were getting into their car and said, "Man, you know what time it is? Give me the keys!" Then they say Jeffcoat pushed his pistol into the man's stomach.

That's when the woman acted. She opened the passenger door and got her pistol from the glove box. She says she fired about five shots at the suspect, who ran away.

Officials say they found Jeffcoat at the Providence NE emergency room. He was there for a gunshot wound to the buttocks. Jeffcoat is currently at the detention center on a $200,000 bond in this case, and is expected to face additional charges.

Police say Jeffcoat was already wanted in connection with half-a-dozen robberies when they arrested him in connection with the Wal-Mart case.

Meanwhile, authorities say the woman who shot the carjacker will not be charged.

Fallin Lands Slots On Aviation, Highways Panels

Congresswoman Mary Fallin has won seats on the Aviation and Highways Subcommittees, her top choices. As lieutenant governor, Fallin worked on bolstering the state's aviation industry and has a long-standing interest in transportation issues, including roads and highways.

The freshman 5th District representative earlier was named to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Small Business Committee.

Image: Fallin being toasted by former Governor Frank Keating at a Washington reception following her swearing in ceremony.

Holland Declares State Of Emergency

State Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland has declared a state of emergency for insurance purposes, clearing the way for out-of-state insurance adjusters to begin helping those afflicted by the winter storm.

Her declaration grants out-of-state adjusters 90-day licenses to work with Oklahoma insurance companies work claims.

Earlier, Governor Brad Henry declared the entire state a disaster area and asked President Bush to issue a federal declaration; he did so in short order.

Jones Says Donations Legitimate

Enid attorney Stephen Jones said a published report in The Oklahoman suggesting he tried to buy an Oklahoma County judge’s race is incorrect. He told the Enid News & Eagle he made contributions to several friends who were running for office this year.

In published reports, former Oklahoma County District Judge Susan Caswell claims Jones illegally provided large donations that helped Bill Graves defeat her in the November election. (Editor's Note: Caswell made no such claim; she is quoted as saying she's perplexed by the interest of out-of-county interests in her campaign.)

The donations reportedly are under investigation by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office and the state Ethics Commission. Jones said he has not been contacted by anyone regarding the investigation except the media. Jones himself is not listed as a contributor, but his wife, Sherrel, and his son and daughter are listed as contributors, along with four attorneys who work in his firm.

Six Texans who reportedly are associated with a client of Jones’, Dallas businessman Gene Phillips, also made contributions to Graves. Graves reported receiving nearly $60,000 from those sources, according to the published report.

The investigation centers on whether the donations were illegal, and Jones maintains they are not.

“I know what the law is. I’m lawyered up on the subject. They aren’t against the law. Anybody who knows what the law is, knows the story is incorrect,” Jones said.

Jones said Caswell is disappointed she lost the election. He said Bill Graves has been a family friend for 30 years. Jones has helped a number of family friends who have run for office. He is a member of the Oklahoma Republican State Finance Committee, and it is part of his job to raise money for Re-publican candidates.

“His race is not the only one I’m interested in. I was involved in about 60 races,” he said.

Jones and his wife, Sherrel, also contributed $2,500 each to the campaign of Dennis Hladik, who was elected to a Garfield County district judgeship. Jones family members also were regular large contributors on the federal level. In 2006, Sherrel Jones and Stephen Jones are listed as donating $10,000 to the Oklahoma Leadership Council. Jones also contributed $5,000 to the Cole PAC, and he and Sherrel both donated $2,100 each to Mary Fallin’s congressional campaign.

He said he also contributed to judicial candidates in Dallas County, Texas, whom he thought were outstanding. He also contributed to friends across the state.“This seemed to be a year where a lot of my friends were running,” he said.

Jerry Ellis Blasts Texas Water District Request

State Rep. Jerry Ellis, southeastern Oklahoma Democrat, today ripped Texans representing the Tarrant Regional Water District; he said the group "came to Oklahoma with a hostile attitude last week." The water district serves 1.6 million people in north central Texas. In 50 years, their population could triple.

On Thursday, January 11, the Texas group requested three water permits to take 460,000 acre-feet from three water basins in Oklahoma, Ellis said, and they also filed suit to break the five-year water-sale moratorium approved by the Oklahoma Legislature in 2004. The law stopping the sale of water to out-of-state interests expires in 2009.

The three water basins targeted by Texas are Kiamichi (which could lose 310,000 acre-feet, or 15 billion gallons per year, if the Texas lawsuit succeeds), Cache Creek (125,000 acre-feet per year) and Beaver Creek (25,000 acre-feet per year), Ellis said in a news release. The total amount of water sought by the Texans is more than Oklahoma City and Tulsa use combined.

Any out-of-state water sale should require approval of the Oklahoma Legislature, not action by a board or a U.S. District Judge who are appointed and never face the voters.

Ellis said that to allow this issue to be decided by the courts would gut democracy and the result would be communism without a firing squad.

Keating Says He Won't Run

Former Governor Frank Keating says he won't run for president in 2008. Keating, 62, had been considering a possible race for the Republican nomination in 2008, but decided against it. Keating had traveled around the country talking to GOP activists in recent weeks.

Keating served two terms as governor; he is now the president and chief executive officer of the Washington-based American Council of Life Insurers.

Keating was on the short list to be President George Bush's running mate before Bush chose Dick Cheney.

Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor, Take Note...

By Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President, NRA ~ The New York Times won't be covering this story, but yet another big-city mayor has left New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg's anti-gun group.

Jared Fuhriman, the mayor of Idaho Falls, has walked away from the coalition of mayors. He told a local newspaper that he was originally told that Bloomberg's coalition was only going after "illegal guns." But after doing his own research he said, "I could see there was a conflict with the NRA and with some of the beliefs we have here in Idaho."

Bloomberg won't be sending out any press releases, of course, but it's important to point out when mayors dump Bloomberg's anti-gun group because they've been told the same lie Bloomberg's telling the public.

This isn't about going after criminals with guns. This is about criminalizing gun ownership. Mayor Fuhriman, a former police officer, did the right thing after his constituents helped him see the truth about Bloomberg's group. If your mayor's a part of this same group, you should help them see the light as well. Let your mayor know what's really going on with Bloomberg, and ask why they want to be a part of this anti-gun agenda.

I'm proud of Mayor Fuhriman, and the folks in Idaho Falls should be proud of him as well. Thanks for doing the right thing, Mr. Mayor.

Note: The only Oklahoma mayor to join Bloomberg's group is Kathy Taylor of Tulsa.

Not Oklahoma, But It Could Be

I'm a sucker for a good, timely photograph and blogger Michael Bates posted this one, taken a couple of years back in New York. Seems appropriate today in Oklahoma, eh what?

Cole Moves Kirkham To NRCC Slot

Congressman Tom Cole filled the number one staff position at the National Republican Congressional Committee by announcing that Pete Kirkham will be moving over from his personal office to serve as Executive Director of the NRCC. Pete Kirkham has served as Congressman Cole's Chief of Staff since June 2003.

"Pete has been an instrumental part of my staff in the personal office and I have every confidence in his ability to take over as the Executive Director of the NRCC. He has good political instincts and is a great leader and manager," Congressman Tom Cole said.

Kirkham has extensive experience on Capitol Hill including: Legislative Director for Jim Gerlach (R-PA); Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Rep. Wes Watkins (R-OK); and Legislative Director for Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) and Rep. Herb Bateman (R-VA).

Bloggers Note Cole on C-SPAN

Several bloggers have taken note of Congressman Tom Cole's weekend appearance on C-SPAN as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Writes Okie Doke, "As much as I disagree with Rep. Tom Cole on things like the Iraq occupation, pork-barrel spending, and growing federal power, I do admit he is a knowledgable and accomplished politician."

New Orleans: 'Colossal, Mind-numbing Ineptitude'

New Orleans is a city in deep despair and not much is being done to repair it spiritually or physically, as this New York Times report, noted by the Democrats of Oklahoma Forum, reveals.

Gary Jones Says He Hasn't Decided

Former Republican State Chairman Gary Jones says he hasn't yet decided if he'll seek that post again this spring.

Jones reacted to a story in today's Tulsa World that pretty much says he's running.

"I have not declared or decided that I was running and have no idea who they are talking to," Jones told TMRO.

Jones, who lost his race for auditor and inspector to incumbent Jeff McMahan last fall, has been considering a race for the top GOP post. It is now held by Tom Daxon, who has come under fire by some.

Blogger Gives Romney A Thumbs Down

By Jeff Soyer at Alphecca ~ Like Kerry and Edwards and other fake, phony frauds, former MA Governor Mitt Romney is suddenly embracing gun rights as he lurches right in anticipation of a run for the Republican primary (for president). Like so many other opportunistic politicians, he forgets that there's a paper trail: Courting the NRA seemed to be the last thing from Romney’s mind during his unsuccessful 1994 bid to oust Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. In an interview with the Boston Herald during the 1994 campaign, Romney positioned himself as a moderate outsider, warning special interest groups to stay out of the race and saying he supported a ban on assault rifles and the Brady gun control law.

“That’s not going to make me the hero of the NRA,” he said at the time. “I don’t line up with a lot of special interest groups.”

It’s theme that would carry over into Romney’s 2002 campaign for governor. During a debate with Democratic candidate Shannon P. O’Brien, Romney said he would do nothing to change the state’s firearms statutes.

“We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them; I won’t chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety,” he said.

And as governor, Romney signed one of the toughest assault weapons laws in the country. The state ban mirrored a national ban set to expire at the time. So, for those who are keeping track, he goes on my list of unacceptable candidates that I will never vote for. Here is the full list (so far) of Democrats considering a run that I will never vote for: Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, John Kerry, Barack Obama, Christopher Dodd.

And on the Republican side: Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg, John McCain.

Simply put, if either of the two national parties want my vote in 2008 they must run a candidate with a solid voting record in favor of gun rights and the 2nd Amendment. Period. Otherwise I look elsewhere. I believe there are about four million other (NRA members and) voters just like me.

The Hotline: Romney And The NRA

From The National Journal's The Hotline ~ Sunday's Boston Globe notes how Mitt Romney's gun stances seem to be more in line with the NRA now than during his bid for the U.S. Senate in '94. From the piece: "Romney appears to be stepping up his efforts to portray himself as a gun-friendly candidate, though some gun-rights activists in important primary states say his past positions will hurt him politically."

To gauge how much Romney's past gun stances have hurt him, I emailed some key observers of the gun movement for their take. An NRA staffer seemed to take the switch by Romney in stride and as a sign of the times: "Just more proof that support for the Second Amendment is politically popular as well as good and right public policy. After four consecutive elections -- particularly with the Kerry photo-op goose hunt, pheasant hunt, shooting event and fake gun gift receipt in 2004 -- being pro-gun (or not anti-gun) has become the norm for candidates who want to be competitive and successful. Gun control has become a real. political loser. The only 2006 race for federal office in which gun control was a political issue was IL-06 and the pro-gun candidate won."

The Brady bunch has been reduced to an organization waiting for a tragedy to exploit with no one - other than Carolyn McCarthy [D-NY], who will publicly associate with them.

Despite their anti-gun voting record, Clinton, Edwards and Obama are not expected to campaign as gun control candidates."

And a veteran Capitol Hill lobbyist notes Romney's not alone in his newfound respect for gun advocates: "Since none of the three leading presidential candidates - Giuliani, McCain and Romney - are truly or very conservative, each are campaigning for support from the party majority of conservatives who will be the deciding constituency to determine the 2008 GOP presidential nominee."

So is Romney's switch on guns a bigger deal for us in the media than those in the trenches? If these folks speak for the gun rights community, then that could be the case. [CHUCK TODD]

The Iraq The Media Ignores

With the deployment of Grandson Colby Ryan McCarville Stuck to Iraq, I'm paying much more attention to the untold stories there, the stories the troops tell us about in their blogs and emails. My new hero is this guy, a Navy Seabee, Builder 2nd Class Bruce Schmiderer, shown here building a school playground in Al Hillah, Iraq.

Band Of Builders: Seabees In Iraq

By Andrew Scutro, Staff writer, The Navy Times ~ (Image: Construction Electrician Construction man Isaac Perkins, with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74, works at repairing a portion of the runway at Al Taqaddum Airfield in Iraq. The runway is the largest project currently underway by the Seabees in Iraq and is expected to be finished by February. Photo by M. Scott Mahaskey.) RAMADI, Iraq — A call to prayer floats out from a mosque and over the city at night, straight up against the lawnmower like buzz of an orbiting surveillance drone.

Crawling around a giant, green Rolls-Royce generator in a dark corner of the government center compound here, three Seabees and two civilian contractors with flashlights and wrenches struggle to revive the neglected monster.

It will bring power to a handful of Iraqi police who have just arrived. They are supposed to work beside American forces at what used to be the headquarters of the Anbar provincial government.

But for now, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, owns the inside of the bullet-pocked compound. Insurgents own what’s outside the wall.

If U.S. forces are shifted and the Marines leave downtown Ramadi, the Iraqi police will need a fighting chance and electricity. Hence, the Seabees.

“Now that the IPs are moving into the compound, they’ll want this,” said Chief Builder James Hix, who came out here with Construction Mechanic 2nd Class Larry Chatman and Construction Electrician 1st Class Alfred Brown. “The whole thought process is get the IPs up and running so we can phase troops out. You have to get them stable before we go anywhere. If we don’t, it would be a futile effort.”

Seabees are doing all kinds of work in Iraq, but this job in particular will ease the eventual transition to Iraqi forces, if and when the U.S. leaves outposts such as the government center. “If it’s going to help the Iraqi people build a better life in the future, I guess that should be the first and foremost,” Chatman says. “But we have Marines out there. I think that would be the top priority if we’ve got us out there. We need to really make sure that we’re taken care of.”

Hix, Chatman and Brown carried in their weapons, a giant tool box and two massive batteries. They rode with a menacing Marine convoy from the nearby Hurricane Point base. After prodding and pulling on the generator in the dark for two hours, it turns over and runs, but it can’t idle on its own. It needs parts.

Poking around in the dark, they find another generator half the size of the green Rolls Royce. It’s newer, and after few adjustments, it sparks to life quickly.

“Hell, that one purrs like a kitten,” Hix says in his country twang.

The Seabees came out to restart the generators but also to assess the condition of the building where the Iraqis will live. Once a police headquarters and jail beside the provincial offices, it has been looted and torn apart. Wiring has been gouged out of the walls, and rooms emptied of anything that fit through the door. One electrical box is now a mind-boggling tangle of wires. Someone has used an indoor stairwell as a latrine. But a team of a dozen Seabees will come back and stay until January. With them, the standard of living will improve. Walking through the compound in the daylight, Hix, Brown and Chatman figure out what it will need. It needs a lot. “A lot of this has already been ripped off and pilfered. We’ll have to bring in a new generator, new panels, new wires and completely rewire the whole thing,” Hix said. “It’s part of the bigger picture, to get the IPs out here, involved in the situation we have here in Ramadi.”

The assessment team at the government center is a tiny element of the roughly 800 Seabees on the ground in Iraq under the 3rd Naval Construction Regiment. Hix and his men are from the active-duty Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74 based in Gulfport, Miss. Reservists from NMCB 18 are also in the country. Both are assigned to the regiment under forward headquarters of the I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Fallujah.

The regiment’s commodore is Capt. Scott Newman. His Seabees repair roads, patch holes in runways, drill wells, build housing on combat outposts and fortify positions for force protection. Heavily armed Seabee teams also escort convoys through some of the most remote and hostile terrain in Iraq. While a lot of reconstruction work in Iraq has been parceled out to civilian contractors, the Seabees work for the Marines, and they go where contractors cannot.

“It’s right up there with what Seabees can do,” Newman said. “Seabees are a sought-after asset. Wherever we go, we improve what the standard is. We’re only limited by the materials we have, and we have quite a bit.”

The Seabees are spread throughout Anbar province, operating out of superbases such as Al Asad and Taqaddum, where they can stash their construction materials and heavy machinery. From there, they move forward into combat outposts such as Rawah and into downtown Ramadi.

While the material yards are stacked with lumber and other building supplies, the Seabees do have trouble getting parts and certain materials. The rehab job at the government center begins as soon as they have enough wire and pipe.

Chief Construction Mechanic Tyler Watters runs the battalion maintenance shop of Alfa Company, NMCB 74, from a compound at Taqaddum known as called “Alfatraz.” The offices sit nestled underground in a former Iraqi bunker. The tire and welding shop are also in underground concrete shelters. The rest of the site is field-expedient. Mechanics rebuild Humvees in big tents on a floor made of metal aircraft pallets.

Watters said he would like to see more work done by Seabees. But even for the tasks they have, they’re shorthanded. Part of the battalion is in Guam, and another detachment is spread out in undisclosed locations with undisclosed clients.

“There’s not enough of us. We’re spread thin,” Watters said. “We get it done, though.” His job depends on making the equipment work, which depends on every kind of spare part. His way around the shortages: bartering.

Watters, 30, has been in the Navy for 11 years. He’s deployed seven times in the past seven years across Asia and the Pacific, Spain, Iraq once already and Pakistan. But in Iraq, getting spare parts quickly is an obstacle. Despite what Navy leadership says about streamlining maintenance practices and moving parts to the tip of the spear, Watters said he could get parts faster to Iraq by calling a machinery dealership in Gulfport and paying with his own credit card. Then again, doing more with less is a source of pride with the Seabees.

“We’d be lazy dudes if they gave us everything we needed,” he said.

Often the pieces for trade have nothing to do with the other. If someone wants a 22-volt heater for his hooch and he happens to have a tire Watters needs, heater is traded for tire.

“Here, to fix something with nothing, you have to network,” he said. “It’s the military way.” ‘A once-in-a-lifetime job’

The Seabees have one of the larger scale reconstruction missions in Iraq. An old Saddam-era base, Taqaddum has two 14,000-foot runways, big enough to handle the largest cargo aircraft. But because of bomb damage from the Persian Gulf War, only one is in use, clogging the heavy flow of people and supplies into Iraq.

Chief Builder Tony Chance from NMCB 74 is in charge of the project. He has crews working around the clock, rebuilding the runway section by section like a checkerboard. “This is the most important project we have done so far for the Seabees [in Iraq]. It’s very important to the cause in the war on terror,” he said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime job because of the importance of it.”

Chance gave responsibility for his work crews to 23-year-old Builder 2nd Class Cara Barton. Her daylight crew of 22 works from dawn until dark, when a night crew of 14 takes over. They carve through bad patches of runway and replace them with new concrete pads, connected underneath by metal rods.

Barton said she likes being a busy Seabee because she’s not stuck at a desk or on a ship. When she gets out of the Navy, she wants to open a spa in her native Vermont. “I’m just a hard worker,” she said modestly.

Cleveland County DA Hires Susan Caswell

Cleveland-Garvin-McClain counties District Attorney Greg Mashburn, former assistant prosecutor in the Oklahoma County district attorney's office, has hired new assistant prosecutors for Cleveland County from that office and he's also hired former Oklahoma County District Judge Susan Caswell as a prosecutor.

David Brockman and Jennifer Austin will leave the Oklahoma County DA's office to serve as assistant prosecutors in Cleveland County.

Caswell was an Oklahoma County prosecutor for about 16 years before being elected as a judge. She was defeated in her reelection bid last year by former State Rep. Bill Graves.

George Burnett, who has 20 years experience as a prosecutor in Oklahoma County and Blaine County, has been named chief prosecutor for Mashburn's Garvin County office.

Attorney General, Ethics Commission Investigating Donors Linked To Enid Attorney Stephen Jones

Attorney General Drew Edmondson and the Oklahoma Ethics Commission are investigating donations made by associates of Enid attorney Stephen Jones to Oklahoma County District Judge Bill Graves, The Oklahoman reports.

Fourteen donors tied to Jones directly or indirectly gave Graves, a former State House member, more than $57,000.

Bartlesville elementary school counselor Terry Gann (Holmes), represented by Stephen Jones in a contentious Garfield County divorce case, gave $5,000 to Graves and $5,000 to Bill Case, GOP candidate for insurance commissioner. She did not respond to an inquiry about her donations by The McCarville Report Online and told reporter Clay to "contact my lawyer." She's among more than a dozen individuals associated with Jones who donated to Graves and Case.

Donors tied to Jones also gave an equally-huge sum to Republican Bill Case, who tried to defeat Democrat Kim Holland for insurance commissioner.

Reporter Nolan Clay of The Oklahoman writes, "State investigators are looking into whether a judicial race was bought...."

Clay reported, "Most of the donors declined comment or did not respond to requests for comments." None of the 14 donors connected to Jones live in Oklahoma County.

Graves (at left) told Clay, "He (Jones) would not do that sort of thing (make donations in the names of others). He's been a friend for a long time. He's helped me in past campaigns."

Former Judge Susan Caswell, defeated by Graves, said, "I don't understand why anybody from out of state or even out of this county would have an interest in a local judge race. It makes no sense to me."

Curiosity about the donations to Graves and Case from Jones family members and associates began following reports by TMRO and others last fall. The decision to open an investigation apparently came when officials noted some of the same donors gave to the Graves and Case campaigns, and the fact they gave the maximum allowed under law, $5,000.

Donors to Graves include Jones' son and daughter. They also include six Texans connected to Dallas businessman Gene Phillips, a Jones client. Clay reports that a former employee of Jones, Daniel Rath, was approached by investigators on November 1st, and asked about Jones, Phillips, and former Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher.

Through one of his law firm associates, Jones was tied to attacks on incumbent Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland by a secret Texas group, "Just The Facts America" headed by GOP activist Jim Cardle of Austin. The activities of that group remain under scrutiny by some, TMRO has been told. A new state multicounty grand jury headed by Edmondson is scheduled to convene later this month.

To access TMRO's stories about Jones last fall, just click on Jones' name in the labels list.

Rich Leaves OIPA For Youth Expo

Jeramy Rich, president of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association, has resigned to become executive director of the Oklahoma Youth Expo.

The post previously was held by attorney Justin Whitefield, who died in the crash of his private plane in Arkansas last year.

Rich became president of the OIPA just a year ago, succeeding Mickey Thompson.

OIPA Chairman Harold Hamm said a search committee is at work and hopes to name a successor to Rich by the time the Legislature convenes in early February.

Iraq: Colby's Diary

By Colby Stuck as told to Mike McCarville ~ Greetings from warm Port Hueneme, California. We are in training. I will be careful in what I say because of security. Having just arrived, we are getting situated and going from the Naval Reserve to the regular Navy and will do weapons qualification and other things before we move to Kuwait, then on to Iraq. I don't know yet where I will be in Iraq or to what unit I will be assigned. I expect we'll be told that soon. I am an "individual augmentee." That means I am being individually assigned rather than being sent with a full unit. Ten us flew out of Oklahoma City together. #

After the first post here on The McCarville Report Online about Colby's deployment, Terry Lippman and the good folks at the "Hugs" program, which sends care packages to our military members, emailed that Colby and his mates will receive packages as soon as we have an address for them. Thanks to Terry and all the good folks at Hugs.

Others who wear our uniforms also blog about their experiences through diaries. Army Captain Lee Kelley, writing from Al Anbar Province, is among the best known and he writes words worth noting, quoted here in Time Magazine: Kelley says he and other soldiers are disappointed by how the media portray the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. "If you looked at all the coverage, you'd think the whole thing is a huge mess waiting to blow up. I sometimes wonder where these reporters are. I guess it's not exciting enough to write about schools being built." Kelley and his fellow mil-bloggers aren't just writing letters to their families. Unlike generations of soldiers before them, they're writing for history. "If they are archived, blogs will give the best account of this war," Kelley says. "No one knows what's going on better than the soldiers on the front lines."

(Mike's Note: As Colby trains and prepares to depart for Iraq, I will supplement his diary with official Navy information such as the following report on Navy and Seabee operations in Iraq.) "In addition to filling its traditional maritime security role, the U.S. Navy has been performing different missions on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, shouldering a larger part of the burden in the war on terror.

"Seabees assist in working to develop the Iraqi security forces, facilitate the development of official rule of law through democratic government reforms, and continue the development of a market-based economy centered on Iraqi reconstruction.

"Currently, more than 11,000 sailors are deployed at sea in the Middle East, and 12,000 sailors are deployed in U.S. Central Command countries, said Navy Lt. Trey Brown, a Navy spokesman. About 4,300 sailors are on the ground in Iraq, he said. Sailors are performing many different missions in the war on terror, Brown said. Some are traditional Navy duties, such as those being carried out by Seabees conducting construction missions and Navy corpsmen deployed with Marine units, Brown said. But Navy units also are doing very nontraditional Navy missions: customs inspections, medical operations, civil affairs and detention operations, among them, he said.

"'This war to defeat terrorism is not something that is put directly onto the Army or Marine Corps; it’s put onto the military as a whole,' Brown said. 'It’s up to the military as a whole to win. With that in mind, our sailors have a lot of skills that are very useful and are very sought after by the commanders that are in Central Command and in Iraq.'

"This week, a group of 520 sailors is redeploying after running a detention facility in northern Iraq, Brown said. This unit is being replaced by another Navy unit, which will do everything from commanding the facility to overseeing its laundry operations, he said. In Afghanistan, about 180 sailors are working on six provincial reconstruction teams working directly with the provinces, teaching the leaders how to work with the national government and local governments, he said.

"Many sailors who deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan go as “'individual augmentees,' which means they are pulled from their home units to support the war on terror, Brown said. The 520 sailors coming back from Iraq this week, for example, are from more than 100 different Navy commands. Every sailor sent to the Middle East goes through specialized training to prepare for the mission, Brown said. The level of training depends on the mission they will perform, he said. Those who will be in a staff position do two weeks of weapons and cultural training at Fort Jackson, S.C., and the sailors who work with detainees go through three months of training, he said. 'We’re using the Army facilities and we’re using a lot of Army personnel to help train them, but this is a Navy training set-up,' he said. Only sailors go through the training.

"The numbers of sailors on the ground has increased continually since the start of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and has steadily grown to its current strength, Brown said. Future levels will depend on the requirements of the commanders on the ground, he said, but he added that he expects the Navy to continue to be a valuable contributor to the war on terror. 'Certainly we anticipate that our sailors are going to continue to be in high demand; the skills that we have will continue to be wanted over there,' he said."

To read all of Colby's diaries, just click on the label.

House Sets Budget Review Sessions

House subcommittees will meet with state agencies, boards and commissions next week to review those entities' existing budgets and spending practices, in hopes of finding ways to trim costs and increase efficiency, House Speaker Lance Cargill said Friday.

The meetings are part of an on-going effort by House budget leaders to make sure Oklahoma's government is responsive to the needs of its citizens.

"The taxpayers of this state expect to see results from the government they pay for," said Cargill (R-Harrah). "Drafting a responsible state budget is one of the Legislature's greatest responsibilities, and these meetings are the first step in that process. As we put together the state budget for the next fiscal year, we must make sure we're asking the tough questions and getting to the heart of the issue for each state entity. Just like the taxpayers hold us accountable, it's our job to hold each state entity accountable for their performance."

This round of subcommittee budget and performance reviews will have two specific goals. First, it will be an opportunity for lawmakers to fully understand the function of, and services provided by, each state agency, board and commission. Second, lawmakers will examine options for getting better results from each state entity in question.

"There is a need to look at the purpose of each state entity and make sure that taxpayer money is being used wisely," said state Rep. Chris Benge, chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee. "We have to look at our methods for tracking progress for each entity. We need to be looking for ways to modernize government and make it more efficient, such as using advances in technology."

The Legislative session begins February 5th.

Gun Control At Work

SHREVEPORT, LA ~ One man was shot dead and his brother critically wounded late Wednesday after the two broke into a house in Shreveport's Highland neighborhood. Police identified the dead man Thursday as Leonard Ellison, 24, of Shreveport and the wounded man as Jeremy Ellison, 20, of Shreveport.

The shooting was called in to emergency dispatchers at 11:13 p.m., according to Caddo 911 records. A police patrol report says two men broke into the house when the occupant, identified in major incident reports as Emmanuel Henery, confronted them.

Mr. Henery, in control of his pistol, fired seven shots; one bullet hit Leonard Ellison in the head. Six others hit Jeremy Ellison in both legs and the torso.

The Gadfly On The Wall

Question: Who is funding House Speaker Lance Cargill's "100 Ideas Initiative?" No disclosure thus far. Lots asking. Question resonates with some Democrats because former State Rep. Thad Balkman, R-Norman, is the new initiative's executive director and he can't be paid with state funds. Private donors, we're told, are supporting this entity.

Bush Iraq Speech: The president was on his heels. Looked tired. Body language was negative. I've counseled speakers in the past that facial expressions, body language, tone of voice often are more important in public perception than the words spoken.

Fallin, Wilson On KTOK: Congresswoman Mary Fallin has a regular interview slot on KTOK's "Mullins In The Morning" show; 7:05 a.m. each Friday. Pollster/consultant Chris Wilson is a new regular Wednesday mornings at 7:35.

Boxer's Bolix: Blogosphere raging today over Senator Barbara Boxer's rude questioning of Secretary of State Condi Rice yesterday; Boxer said Rice won't pay a price for the war in Iraq because she is childless.

Pizzas For Pesos Draws Fire

A pizza chain has been hit with death threats and hate mail after offering to accept Mexican pesos, becoming another flashpoint in the nation's debate over immigrants. "This is the United States of America, not the United States of Mexico," one e-mail read. "Quit catering to the damn illegal Mexicans," demanded another. Dallas-based Pizza Patron said it was not trying to inject itself into a larger political debate about illegal immigration when it posted signs this week saying "Aceptamos pesos" - or "We accept pesos" - at its 59 stores across Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and California. Pizza Patron spokesman Andy Gamm said the company was just trying to sell more pizza to its customers, 60 percent of whom are Hispanic.

McDaniel Seeks End To Death Tax

Legislation to immediately abolish the estate tax and lower the income tax significantly has been filed by legislative newcomer State Rep. Randy McDaniel, R-Oklahoma City.

McDaniel authored a bill to be heard during the 2007 session that would alleviate Oklahoma families from paying state taxes when a family member dies. His bill would be a permanent and immediate elimination of the estate tax, also referred to as the death tax. Eliminating the death tax has been a focus for many House members and during the 2006 House session a plan was set in place to gradually remove the death tax over time. McDaniel says Oklahomans should not have to wait.

Another part of McDaniel's bill would lower the state income tax from 5.65 percent to 5 percent. McDaniel, who has over 14 years experience in financial services and has business degrees from the University of Oklahoma and Cambridge University, sees the need for Oklahoma to adopt a tax structure that is competitive to other states.

C. Joe Holland: 8/31/1915-1/10/2007

C. Joe Holland, former dean of the University of Oklahoma School of Journalism, died Wednesday at age 91.

In 1961, when I returned to Oklahoma after three years in the U. S. Army and enrolled at OU, I interviewed with Dr. Holland and it was through his efforts, primarily, that I was able to land a scholarship. I was always impressed that Dr. Holland took a personal interest in every student in the OU J School, and it wasn't a passive interest, either; from hallway-in-passing comments, it was obvious to me he was monitoring my progress and knew exactly how I was doing.

During those first years of my career, Dr. Holland was a vital mentor. He, along with Ralph Sewell, Ben Berger, Wayne Mackey, Ed Montgomery, Jack Bickham, and others at the Oklahoma Publishing Company, and several OU J School faculty members including Stewart Harral, prodded, pushed and pulled me along. The debt I owe them, Dr. Holland in particular, is huge.

Dr. Holland was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 1982. He's been in my hall of fame since 1961.

Vaughn Hires Buchanan

New Oklahoma County Commissioner Ray Vaughn has hired former county clerk and county treasurer's office employee Rick Buchanan to head his office. Vaughn said he fired the top staff members left behind by Commissioner Stan Inman, including Chief Deputy James Davenport and officer staffers Hark Hader and Bill Hancock.

State Stamps On Sale Today

The new Oklahoma stamp is on sale. Created from a painting by Perkins artist Mike Larsen, the stamp shows an Oklahoma sunrise.

Coffee Names Ahlgren To Senate Post

Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, named Tulsan Karl Ahlgren to be assistant secretary of the Senate on Wednesday. The appointment is part of a power-sharing agreement negotiated in the Senate, which is evenly split with 24 Democrats and 24 Republicans.

Ahlgren will alternate duties with Secretary of the Senate Michael Clingman, who is also the state's Election Board secretary. Ahlgren will handle floor management and parliamentary and clerk duties in the Senate chamber.

Ahlgren was an aide to former U.S. Rep. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and field director for former U.S. Senator Don Nickles.

Iraq: Now It's Personal

Today, Navy Seabee Colby Ryan McCarville Stuck will begin deployment to Iraq as one of the military construction specialists assigned the task of helping rebuild that nation city by city, bridge by bridge, road by road, building by building.

His deployment makes the war in Iraq very personal for me; Colby is my 20-year-old grandson.

I have seen the war become personal for others. My friend Jerry Bohnen, news director at Oklahoma City radio station KTOK, and his wife, Mary, watched their West Point graduate son John for more than a year as he trained Iraqi soldiers and patrolled the "Highway of Death," the Baghdad highway to the airport. I watched John grow up; used to meet Jerry and Mary to watch John play basketball for the Yukon Millers, saw their pride as he attended, and graduated from, West Point. Felt their anxiety from time to time as John shared some of his wartime experiences in carefully-couched emails. And rejoiced with them as John and his bride exchanged their vows in Yukon after his safe return.

Now, the war becomes personal for me, for Ann and for our daughter Cheryl, Colby's mother; for his brother Mike and sisters Faye and Courtney; his companion Maegan; his father, Alan Stuck and companion Kelli; and for his extended family including Shelli and Howard and Kevin; Connie and Mike and TJ and Kayla; Grandma Becky and Grandma Jane; and a lot of other relatives and friends.

Now, the news from Iraq will have special importance. Now, I'll jump when the phone rings early in the morning or late at night. Now, I'll be even more angry over the reporting from Iraq that virtually ignores the good and magnifies the bad. I'll search, probably in vain, for the stories about how our military has rebuilt roads, bridges, schools and mosques and restored electricity and water and sewer service, or built it in some places for the first time ever. I will flinch over every new report of an IED explosion or ambush. Now, I'll check the official Seabee site every morning.

Colby will share his Iraq experiences with us via a regular diary as his time and security considerations permit. Colby was a wrestler at Yukon High School before injuring a shoulder. He graduated from Yukon High School and joined the Naval Reserve 18 months ago. He was trained at the Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois, and at the Seabee base in Gulfport, Mississippi. He has worked with his Dad in home construction in the Oklahoma City area.

Like so many whose family members serve our nation in harm's way, we'll begin and end each day with a prayer for Colby's safety, and for the safety of those who serve with him.

Fallin Named To Committees On Transportation, Small Business, Makes First Floor Speech

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Freshman Oklahoma Congresswoman Mary Fallin has been assigned to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure as well as the Small Business Committee, both of which deal with issues essential to Oklahoma's economy and way of life, she said today.

"I am extremely pleased with my committee assignments," Fallin said today. "As Lieutenant Governor, working with small business was one of my number one priorities. I look forward to continuing to work for Oklahoma's small businesses on a federal level."

Reacting to her assignment on Transportation and Infrastructure, Fallin said, "We in Oklahoma stand at the crossroads of the Mid-West. The maintenance of our roads, rail lines and transportation infrastructure is essential to this state and the entire region. This committee also gives me the opportunity to continue to focus my attention on aviation and aerospace."

Urges Congress to Protect Small Business Fallin spoke today on the floor of the House to encourage lawmakers to reject any consideration of a minimum wage increase without appropriate provisions to offset the cost to small business. Small businesses make up over 97% of all businesses in Oklahoma and employ more than half of the state's workforce. The House is currently considering increasing the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25, an increase which would cost a staggering five to seven billion dollars to small businesses nationwide. Fallin, who was one of Oklahoma's leading advocates for small business during her 12 years as Lieutenant Governor, rejected consideration of any wage increase that would force small business to cover the whole cost.

"We cannot force small businesses to shoulder that burden alone," Fallin told Congress. "We must pursue a balanced plan that would provide serious and appropriate tax and regulatory reform" along with any wage increase. A minimum wage hike without tax and regulatory relief for small businesses could be disastrous for employees and employers alike. As Fallin said today, "When small businesses fail, minimum wage earners suffer." According to the Hoover Institute, over 1.5 million minimum wage earners may lose their jobs if small business is forced to shoulder the burden of a wage hike along.

Fights Destruction of Human Embryos Fallin, while wholeheartedly supporting adult and amniotic stem cell research, took the lead today in shedding light on the moral pitfalls of embryonic stem cell research, a process which involves either the destruction of human embryos or human cloning. As Fallin and her cosigners on a letter to other members wrote, "To date, embryonic stem cell research has not resulted in a single successful human treatment for disease." Supporters of this type of research do not have one example of a human being who has benefited from this treatment.

Talks National Security with Rather Fallin joined Dan Rather and three other congresswomen last night to discuss the new Congress and the ongoing war on terror. Fallin, who Rather described as a "trailblazer," emphasized the need to find a bipartisan solution to the war on terror. "We need to work together to secure the safety of our nation," Fallin told Rather.

Cargill Launches '100 Ideas Initiative,' Names Balkman As Executive Director

Speaker Lance Cargill officially launched a statewide "100 Ideas Initiative" on Wednesday to find the best ideas for Oklahoma’s second century.

“As we embark on Oklahoma’s centennial year, our pioneer spirit is alive and well. I want 2007 to be Oklahoma’s year of ideas,” said Cargill (R-Harrah), who will serve as chairman of the initiative. “It’s time to harness that spirit to create a vision for our second century. The 100 Ideas Initiative will be a nonpartisan effort to seek the most innovative and forward-thinking proposals for our future. Let’s work together to make the next chapter of our state’s history even better than the first.”

At a press conference Wednesday, Cargill unveiled the interactive 100ideasok.org website that will allow citizens across the state to submit, track and discuss ideas -- as well as find out the latest news and calendar updates about the project.

Cargill said the first IdeaRaiser will be held on Jan. 30 in Oklahoma City, followed by a February event in Tulsa. More IdeaRaisers will be held across the state over the next year. At the end of the year, the 100 Ideas advisory board will help to assemble a book that will be published and disseminated to state leaders before the start of the next legislative session.

Cargill also announced that former State Rep. Thad Balkman would serve as executive director overseeing the organizational details of the initiative.

“I’m excited to be part of this historic endeavor,” said Balkman, an attorney and a Norman resident. “The 100 Ideas Initiative comes at the perfect time as we celebrate our state’s centennial and prepare for our next 100 years. I hope every Oklahoman will participate and offer their best ideas.”

Balkman and Cargill introduced members of the advisory board who will assist the initiative in its work throughout the year, as well as the development of a published book at the end of the year. Serving as honorary vice chairs will be former governors David Boren, Frank Keating and George Nigh.

At the press conference, Oklahoma Historical Society executive director Bob Blackburn also announced that materials from the 100 Ideas Initiative would be archived for the benefit of future generations.

Cargill first previewed the 100 Ideas Initiative last week in his acceptance speech on Jan. 2., when he distributed blank 100 Ideas notebooks to the 101 members of the House, Oklahoma’s 48 state Senators, the governor, lieutenant governor and other statewide office holders.

Outrage In St. Paul, Minnesota: Three Kids Kicked Off Bus Because (Horrors!) They Speak English

Imagine sending your kids off to school, but when they get to the bus they are told they can't get on because they speak English. That's right, English.

It happened to a few children in St. Paul, Minnesota, and now the school district is apologizing.

Rachel Armstrong sent her kids to pick up the bus as usual Monday, but after the driver let the kids on, he told them he would not pick them up again. He even said he wouldn't take them home that afternoon.

Armstrong left work early Tuesday, forced to pick up her kids from Phalen Lake Elementary School. Her twin girls, 10, and her son, 8, were kicked off their regular school bus. They were told by the bus driver the route is for non-English speaking students only.

"I was furious. I was at work and I was just mad." Armstrong said. "I felt like we were being discriminated because we speak English. Just because they speak English, they can't ride the school bus. I mean, this is America, right?"

Administrators at St. Paul Public Schools admit the district made a mistake when it stranded the kids at school Monday. However, the district points out, that particular bus route serves one of three language academies. The one at Phalen Lake is for Hmong students learning English. The academies all have separate bus routes to keep its students together.

The district decided to enforce the separate routes beginning Monday, but it did not tell the Armstrong family.

"It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of these kids and we made a mistake. The kids should have gotten home that day," Dayna Kennedy, a public relations representative said.

Pope Faces Possible Huge Fine

Former State Rep. Tim Pope broke the law a year ago when he paid for automated calls attacking Oklahoma County Commissioner Jim Roth, U. S. District Judge Robin Cauthron has ruled. Pope, who heads the Oklahoma Republican Assembly, faces fines that could total as much as $10 million.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Action requires prerecorded telephone calls to identify who paid for them. The 20,000 calls Pope placed did not meet that requirement. The calls accused Roth of "advancing the homosexual agenda in Oklahoma County."

Pope's attorney, Stephen Jones of Enid, said he's disappointed by the ruling; he believes the calls were protected by the First Amendment.

Pope could be fined as much as $500 per call.

Askins: First Three Weeks Critical

The first three weeks of the upcoming legislative session will tell whether an evenly divided state Senate can function, Lt. Governor Jari Askins said Tuesday. Read the Tulsa World's story.

Insurers Outline 2007 Legislative Agenda

The Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma (IIAO), the state’s largest property and casualty insurance agents association, announced today its 2007 state legislative agenda. The Legislature convenes February 5th and marks the first time the State Senate has had equal membership of Democrats and Republicans – 24 members each. Republicans control the House of Representatives 57-44.

“The IIAO Legislative Committee has identified several issues that will improve the insurance industry in Oklahoma and the citizens we serve,” said IIAO President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Ramsey (pictured). “While our primary focus in 2007 is on issues related to the insurance industry, IIAO members also support continued reform to Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation and tort systems, which are needed to further create economic opportunity across Oklahoma.”

Ramsey said IIAO will focus on six issues during the legislative session:

Uninsured Motorists – IIAO supports any legislative effort to reduce the number of uninsured drivers on Oklahoma roads and highways, HB 3115, passed in 2006, established a pilot program that will provide law enforcement with the necessary tools to have instant verification of liability insurance for automobiles involved in an accident or stopped for a moving violation. IIAO supports HB 3115 as an excellent start to additional uninsured motorist reforms necessary.

Surplus Lines – IIAO supports legislation allowing consumers and their agents more access to insurance products from financially responsible non-admitted insurance companies that provide better insurance protection. HB 2375, passed in 2006, provides greater access to the surplus lines marketplace for insurance consumers and their agents.

Theft of copper tubing/wiring – IIAO supports legislation to help identify persons who sell bulk copper tubing/wiring to a salvage yard without identification and the source of where the tubing/wiring was obtained. The sizeable increase in the number of thefts of copper tubing/wiring in existing buildings and those under construction is costing property owners’ considerable expense in repairing the damaged building as well as lost income due to the inhabitability of such properties.

Repeal of O.S. 36, Section 4809 – IIAO supports legislation repealing penalties against agents if property owners in areas protected by rural fire protection districts fail to pay their subscription fees. Insurance agents, under current law, are held responsible if property owners fail to pay their subscription fees to their rural fire protection districts. IIAO feels it should not be agents’ responsibility to assure dues are paid. That responsibility should be a matter between the fire protection district and property owner.

Use of credit in the underwriting and rating of personal insurance – IIAO opposes legislation that removes the use of credit as a tool for underwriting and rating of personal insurance.

Health Insurance Mandates – IIAO opposes any additional mandates on health insurance policies as they only increase premiums and create more uninsured individuals.

“Our members are looking forward to a positive legislative session and working with legislators of both parties to address these issues which will greatly assist the insurance industry and the citizens of Oklahoma,” Ramsey said.

New Orleans Begins Checkpoints

New Orleans police plan to set up checkpoints beginning Wednesday to help curb a crime wave that has claimed nine lives since the start of 2007, Mayor Ray Nagin said, stopping short of imposing a curfew on this tourism-dependent city. The checkpoints will operate between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., when about a third of the city's violent crime occurs, and will target drug and alcohol violations as well as motorist insurance. The first one was to be held in a crime-ridden area of the city.

Balkman To Head 100 Ideas Initiative

Former State Rep. Thad Balkman of Norman will be named tomorrow as executive director of House Speaker Lance Cargill's "100 Ideas Initiative," The McCarville Report Online has been told.

Cargill sent this email today: "To All Members of the Oklahoma House: You are invited to attend a press conference that Speaker Lance Cargill will be holding this Wednesday, Jan. 10, to announce details of the 100 Ideas Initiative, a plan to spark innovation for Oklahoma's second century. Here are the details of the press conference: WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 10:30 a.m. WHERE: Oklahoma History Center auditorium, located at 2401 N. Laird Avenue (or the northeast corner of N.E. 23rd and Lincoln Blvd) in Oklahoma City, across the street from the State Capitol STORY AT A GLANCE: Speaker Cargill will announce details of the 100 Ideas Initiative, an effort to involve all Oklahomans in the process of sparking improvement and innovation in their state as it enters its second century. Details will include an interactive Web site where citizens can directly submit their ideas for a better Oklahoma, as well as the announcement of an advisory board for the 100 Ideas Initiative. Speaker Cargill welcomes your participation in this initiative, and we hope you will be able to attend the press conference Wednesday."

Kern Wants Special Session Pay Cut

A proposed constitutional amendment filed by Rep. Sally Kern will force state lawmakers to take a pay cut if a special legislative session is required to complete the state budget. "Our primary job as legislators is to write a budget for the state," said Kern, R-Oklahoma City. "I thought it was ridiculous that we didn't finish the budget on time last year and things drug out for weeks until a government shutdown was a real possibility."

Because Senate Democratic leaders fought tax cuts for months, lawmakers did not finish the state budget by the end of the 2006 regular session, which adjourned in late May, and did not reconvene in a special session until the end of June. Had lawmakers not completed the budget by July 1, a government shutdown loomed.

House Joint Resolution 1001, by Kern, would allow a vote of the people to amend the Oklahoma Constitution to include penalties for lawmakers should a special session be required to complete the state budget. The amendment would require a special budget session to begin the first Monday after adjournment of the regular session and limits the session to just two weeks. Lawmakers could not recess the special session for more than two days under the proposal. Perhaps most importantly, legislative leaders (the Senate President Pro Tempore, Speaker of the House, and the minority leaders of both chambers) would forfeit one-third of their salary for the month of the special session. All other members would lose 25 percent of their income that month if a special session occurs for budget reasons.

"If we don't have a budget completed on time, it's primarily the fault of legislative leaders because they have not been working together, so they should face a financial consequence," Kern said. "At the same time, the rest of us can be faulted for not putting enough pressure on legislative leaders, so we should take a hit as well."

Reynolds Moves To Limit Regent Tuition Hikes

To ensure tuition rates at Oklahoma colleges grow at a reasonable rate, Rep. Mike Reynolds plans to take tuition authority back from the Regents for Higher Education and return it to the Oklahoma Legislature, he said Tuesday.

"The Regents aren't accountable to the voters, but the Legislature is," Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, said. "Even in years when Higher Ed receives record appropriations, they increase tuition by the maximum amount allowed. The current system has proven to be a failure and the Legislature must take back its tuition powers permanently."

For years, the Oklahoma Legislature had to approve tuition increases at Oklahoma colleges, but lawmakers ceded that authority to the Regents in 2003. Since that time, the Regents have imposed draconian increases that are making college unaffordable for many families.

In the past five years, state appropriations to Oklahoma colleges have increased by more than $227.9 million, a jump of 28.8 percent. State colleges received roughly $1 billion from the state last year, a record amount. But even with that gigantic surge in state funding, the Regents have increased tuition and fees by 48.3 percent during the same period, pricing many students out of a college education, Reynolds noted.

House Bill 1020, by Reynolds, would again place the Oklahoma Legislature in control of tuition rates. "The Regents have no motivation to control tuition increases, and are not accountable to any Oklahoma voters." Reynolds said. "The point of a higher education system is to produce college graduates, not increase bureaucrats' budgets. We need someone who is accountable to working families and cares about and the affordability of college to be in charge of tuition decisions, and the Oklahoma Legislature is the best candidate for that job."

Clear Thinker Of The Day Award: Boston Globe

By Jeff Soyer at Alphecca ~ It's not often I award this occasional tribute to a newspaper but such is the case today. And, it's going to the Boston Globe, a paper rarely thinking clearly about anything! Last week I knocked Chicago Mayor Daley for his suggestion that gang members caught with illegal guns have their driver's licenses suspended. Idiots think alike because yesterday Boston's Mayor Tom Menino suggested the same stupid thing.

In an editorial, the Globe feels as I do: "Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is looking for any lever that might help police reduce gun violence in the city. But his latest proposal to strip driver's licenses from those convicted of gun crimes seems a bit naive. If a mandatory 18-month jail sentence for carrying an unlicensed gun doesn't dissuade people from toting weapons, why would a license suspension or revocation? Menino is taking a national leadership role in the fight against gun crime. He's on the prowl for news-making ideas. But quality is more important than quantity when it comes to anti crime strategies. Being stripped of a driver's license might be a significant deterrent in the suburbs where the car is king. But loss of a license is not likely to agitate gang-involved young people in cities where the vast majority of the shootings occur. Public safety requires more arrests for gun crimes, not more sanctions on ex-offenders..."

Not surprisingly, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis agrees with Menino and actually says that gangsters don't fear jail but would fear losing their driving privileges upon release from jail. One has to wonder how someone as stupid as Davis actually wound up as the top cop in that city. Did lack of a state permit to own a gun prevent them from using guns in a crime? Does he really think lack of a driver's license is going to stop them from driving?

Anyway, it's refreshing to see the Boston Globe showing some common sense regarding this ridiculous crime fighting idea. I'm sure it won't last.

Despair Grows In New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS ~ Nine people have been slain in New Orleans in the first eight days of the new year, deepening the sense of despair over the slow pace of the city's recovery and leaving police and civic leaders grasping for ways to stop the bloodshed.

The government should make FEMA turn over records of residents of its trailers and trailer parks to New Orleans police and other agencies investigating crime in the area, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu said Tuesday as officials struggled to cope with the situation. The proposal is part of a 10-point plan she announced in Washington for fighting crime in New Orleans, where nine killings in the first eight days of the new year are threatening its biggest business: tourism and conventions. Landrieu also called for sending more FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration agents to New Orleans and the surrounding area and for speeding up remaining reconstruction for the police department and other criminal justice facilities in the area.

The New Orleans police superintendent is talking of a possible curfew and lamenting his understaffed force. More than 15 months after Hurricane Katrina, tourism officials are rushing to reassure visitors with the Mardi Gras season approaching.

Last year, university researchers conducted an experiment in which police fired 700 blank rounds in a New Orleans neighborhood in a single afternoon. No one called to report the gunfire. New Orleans residents are reluctant to come forward as witnesses, fearing retaliation. And experts say that is one of several reasons homicides are on the rise in the Big Easy at a time when other cities are seeing their murder rates plummet to levels not seen in decades. The city’s murder rate is still far lower than a decade ago, when New Orleans was the country’s murder capital. But in recent years, the city’s homicide rate has climbed again to nearly 10 times the national average.

"There's a big difference between being concerned and being scared. Now I'm scared," said Baty Landis, a 34-year-old Tulane University professor and music club owner who is organizing a march later this week to urge officials to do something.

The spasm of violence came despite the presence of about 300 National Guardsmen and 60 state troopers who were brought in last June to help patrol the streets because of a surge in killings.

While police say most of the recent slayings have involved drugs in neighborhoods accustomed to violence, some took place in quieter areas. Last week, a filmmaker was shot to death and her physician husband wounded as they walked outside their Faubourg Marigny home with their toddler.

From Oklahoma Opinions: 'Ole' Mike Mentioned

(Editor's Note: Reposted here from Oklahoma Opinions. Editor Mike McCarville worked at KTOK for 14 years, 10 as a talk show host, including four as program director; he left the station in December 2005 to pursue other interests.) ~ There was a day when I was a frequent caller to Mike's show. I had worked at KTOK 30 years ago and then in the 80's co-hosted a talk show on KQCV on Saturdays for ten years. I hosted an AFRTS TV and Radio Simalcast on Midway Island in 1962-63 while in the US Navy. It is interesting that several conservative bloggers in Oklahoma City share a similar background in radio. Mark Shannon, The Gorilla and Ole Mike (links available on ViewsOk.com) were full time professional talk show hosts while I was a part timer but we have roots grounded in live reaction to our words and opinions from listeners who were (at least before Caller ID) mostly anonymous to us while they knew exactly where we were!

Image: Mike interviewing Dr. Ronald Gilcher of the Oklahoma Blood Institute.

Henry, Others Take Oaths

Governor Brad Henry took his second oath of office Monday. He was sworn in by his cousin, 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Robert Henry, former Oklahoma attorney general.

Henry proclaimed Oklahoma is in a state of prosperity with unmatched momentum entering its centennial year. The state's 26th governor said Oklahoma is marked by the same spirit of adventure, optimism and fearlessness its citizens possessed when it became a state 100 years ago. "Despite a rocky road, the optimism of our forebears has triumphed," said Henry. "Oklahoma is a state with unmatched momentum. We've worked hard and kept our resolve to build a brighter and stronger state. Together, we have done great things. We are proud of our unique past and fearless about our extraordinary future. Today, Oklahomans are meeting bold new challenges and ascending to brave new heights. We are a state of prosperity, creativity, of cutting-edge research and development, acclaimed and nationally recognized for our efforts in so many areas. Our determination is palpable; our potential is boundless."

Local Bloggers Take It Up A Notch

Local bloggers Ron Black and Mark Shannon, both former talk radio show hosts, have taken their blogs up a notch.

Shannon, whose blog has been up and running for years, has a different look almost every day and offers lots of links to breaking news stories, his own take on local events, and a photo guessing game that's fun.

Black has just refreshed his blog and his "Daily Rant" is now longer and more controversial than ever. Black, now a Republican campaign consultant, offers thoughts today on GOP State Chairman Tom Daxon and his foes and a few other political topics. Ahead for Black may be a podcast. Keep reading.

Find lots of thoughtful material at Oklahoma Opinions as well.

Keith Gaddie Finds New Orleans A Shattered, Desolate, Threatening, Dangerous City

By Keith Gaddie ~ I am just back from New Orleans. I had the chance to drive around the city and check some things out. To spend a day looking around New Orleans is to have your heart broken.

The city can be divided into four basic components, in terms of recovery and rehabilitation. First, the "west bank" portions of the city, such as Algiers Point, are nicely recovered and only suffered storm damage but not flooding. Second, the down-town CBD, French Quarter and immediately proximate areas are probably better developed than fifteen years ago and seem to suffer no ill-effects of the storm. However, close inspection reveals that many of the towering downtown structures still sport busted windows (and not just a broken window here or there, but entire sides of twenty story buildings lack any unbroken panes. Third, the uptown -- the part of the city that ran along the trolley car line -- at first blush seems untouched. But close examination reveals that there are busted and damaged trees that are untended or uncleared; felled traffic signals, power poles, and light posts; the wiring for the trolley line is unrepaired.

When I went running on the grassy median of St. Charles Avenue that carries the trolley lines, the tracks were still mudded over and need to be cleared before they can be used. The uptown, usually nicely lit, is largely dark at night except for a few business and restaurant districts. A friend who lives near Tulane reports his block is half rebuilt, half abandoned, and that he doesn't go outside without his dog.

The removal of the National Guard patrols has left residential neighborhoods quite dangerous at night.

Then there is the rest of the city -- about 70% of the city -- including the Lakefront, Central City, Gentilly, Desire, the Ninth Ward, and New Orleans East. Renovations are ongoing, but it seems that most of the population is still tucked into FEMA trailers, either single trailers next to devastated homes, or trailer parks.

The destruction witnessed by myself and a colleague driving the city is difficult to describe, so bear with me. First, I do not think that one fully appreciates the scope of destruction of the communities, in terms of the physical or social displacement or the scale, so I'll try to make an analogous comparison. The area of the devastated neighborhoods is about 46 square miles. I drove for eight miles through densely-packed neighborhoods that stretched to the limits of my eyes on either side of the interstate and saw mainly abandoned houses, and few recovered properties. Most of the major retail centers were abandoned (except for the Lowes, Home Depot, and a Ford dealership), and out in the suburban New Orleans East, a community roughly the size and density of south Oklahoma City, was utterly devastated and nearly abandoned. I cut through these areas on two angles to get a sense of the destruction, and it cut north to south and east to west. Getting off the highway revealed works crews and activity, but the common denominator was houses not under repair rather than houses under repair. There are still damaged cars, roofless houses, houses off their piers, and repeatedly large stretches of scrapped foundations that reminded me of the last ground-scrapping tornado I saw in 1999.

Driving west through City Park on I-610 revealed a devastated wilderness. The trees of the park are busted and untended, the infrastructure looks abandoned, and around this once-glamorous neighborhood started a century ago as a southern rival to Central Park, there are broken, abandoned, and decaying homes.

The city is largely dark at night, and a lawless quality prevails outside the French Quarter, the CBD, and parts of Uptown. The Sugar Bowl crowd was lively and well-behaved, and the quarter rocked every night, but outside of the tourist quarters, New Orleans is a vast brown field of empty, busted houses, closed schools, empty store fronts, and spotty infrastructure.

Lawlessness is always near, and as was the case in New Orleans, one needed to be on guard at all times. As I drove with a colleague to look at the city, we headed out east to the edge of the east, and got off at the end of Michoud Boulevard at I-10. This dead-end overpass is on the edge of development in the east, and affords a view to east of the wetlands, which are still recovering from the storm, and to the west one can see the remnants of a once vast and vibrant suburban landscape. I stood with a colleague atop the overpass, looking around and reflecting on what we saw, with no other cars or people around. Then, I saw a late model luxury car storming up the off ramp toward our bridge, and the hairs on my neck stood up. We quickly jumped in my truck and sped down the other ramp, back onto I-10 and towards the city. A half mile later the same car blew past us, a late-model Coup DeVille driven by two menacing looking teenagers which passed us at 90 miles an hour. Perhaps it was nothing, but in New Orleans you don’t want to get caught out alone or exposed.

New Orleans, despite the glossy spin of its mayor, is dangerous, more dangerous than it ever was before. When I lived in New Orleans, 17,000 abandoned properties created pockets of operation for predatory criminals, and now those abandoned properties are grown dramatically, multiplied, and instead of pockets of abandoned property, there are pockets of habitability.

Much of New Orleans is shattered, but we won’t know it except to look. Why? It is difficult to appreciate the scales of destruction because it is minimized by the television camera. One can show damaged homes up close, or looking out a window, but the destruction is unremitting, thousands of city blocks of busted homes and lost neighborhoods. It is so huge as to be lost in the scale of the destruction.

This should stand as no surprise, though, because there is no place from which to start an intensive, large-scale reconstruction, and there are not sufficient hands and hammers to quickly rebuild tens of thousands of houses. Put simply, you can’t just put it back. If one assumes that it takes about 3200 man-hours to pull down a destroyed house and then raise a new one – a conservative estimate – then it would take the equivalent of a work force of 160,000 persons (possessed of all the requisite construction skills) a year working fulltime to put New Orleans back up, assuming availability of products and contractors who show up on time to do their jobs. This is just going to take time.

(Editor's Note: Keith Gaddie, now professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma, formerly taught at Tulane in New Orleans. He filed this chilling report after a recent trip to the battered city.)

Part II: Two New Orleans, The Invisible Gulf Coast

By Keith Gaddie ~ There are, in a sense, two cities of New Orleans.

One, in the uptown district along the Mississippi River, is headed for a quick recovery as housing prices prepare to skyrocket. To give you an example, I’ll note my own previous home in uptown New Orleans. The house, at 1001 Pleasant Street in the Irish Channel, is a former “up-down double” (a duplex) that was opened up into a two-story, two bedroom house. The place was built around 1870, and when I bought it in 1993 the property assessed at about $80,000. Now, with uptown the only remaining source of charming houses (and the best bet not to flood), the same house appraised at $299,000 and a similar building two doors up the block appraised at $285,000. The building in between, despite never being renovated and extensively wind damaged, appraised for taxes at over $60,000 and would likely sell for over $100,000 and could be flipped for another $50,000 investment.

Blocks where I would previously not drive, let alone walk, are now having small shotguns gobbled up and when renovated they sell for over $200,000. Anywhere that has houses with gingerbread and columns will gentrify, and as a consequence the ability of working class and lower middle class residents to stay in uptown will be imperiled.

Uptown New Orleans is beat up, but it is preparing to purge itself of its diverse economic character. Every bar and restaurant I went into was filled with young professionals and risk takers who are getting in on the New Orleans recovery, and they will likely build a smaller, more exclusive New Orleans.

Then there is the other New Orleans, which I largely described in Part I. It is the land of devastated houses and busted neighborhoods, where a house or two gets renovated amidst numerous destroyed residences. FEMA trailers are everywhere, and anyone who is toughing it out in a FEMA trailer has my respect. It is a brutal life. This New Orleans is the place of lost land titles, spotty insurance coverage, and land-lord tenant disputes amidst the spots where habitable property invites residents to return, whether the property owners want them back or not. Leases are a funny thing, but they are designed to protect both property owners and renters.

What sort of New Orleans gets built outside of uptown is unknown, but it will be sporadic in its redevelopment, black and brown and likely a risky place to live, whether it rains or not. It is the New Orleans that John Edwards sought to illuminate in his presidential announcement, and it is worthy of attention because it asks only for a hand getting up, not a hand-out, but it has been lost in the noise of the Gulf War and the not-entirely deserved hype of the recovery of the tourist quarters.

It’s worth noting at this point that New Orleans has always hyped its flashy tourist quarters while hiding its racial and poverty problems, so the spin of Mayor Nagin and the chamber types is not unprecedented. A buddy once told me that to see all of New Orleans after spending the night with the French Quarter is kind of like seeing a one-night stand the next morning. It is sobering and disappointing, and sometimes downright scary.

Fact check for the uninformed: No federal reconstruction money has gone to private residence owners in New Orleans. All of the rehabilitation and reconstruction is being paid for in New Orleans by private insurers, who paid on flood policies that many New Orleanians carried. If you wanted to get a mortgage in Orleans parish before 2005, you had to have flood insurance. Now watch how the insurance underwriters flee because they actually had to make good on their contracts.

The Invisible Gulf Coast: Then there is the real tragedy and the lost story, that of the Mississippi Coast. I had the chance to see Stan Tiner, editor of the Biloxi paper, as he spoke on a panel about Katrina media coverage. We also visited, briefly, as Stan was once the editor of The Oklahoman before he was run out of town because he changed a lot of things and spent a lot of money. Stan brought sobering facts to the table. On the Mississippi coast, 88,000 people still live in FEMA trailers some 16 months after the storm. Insurance companies continue to dispute whether or not their homeowner policies should cover home damage since they blame tidal surge rather than wind and water for many losses, and the complaints are going to trial. Stan also notes that the national media have let go of their story, and it is only local media who keep pressure on policy makers to deal with the disasters of the coast.

The casinos are rebuilding, on land, and that means that jobs will be back. But the Gulf Coast is more dangerous now than ever. One of the features that kept crime low in south Mississippi was that poverty was widespread but not densely concentrated. Now, Mississippi’s worst-off are congregated together in pockets of poverty in FEMA camps where violence, rape, drug use and property crime is rampant. But the national media does not notice. We’ve put the Gulf Coast on the shelf, and we’re ignoring the less-flashy parts of New Orleans. But the problem is still there, arguably the greatest national tragedy since the Great Depression and far more significant than who we are as a people than any terror event.

CODA: I had two students from New Orleans in a class this fall, in which we explored the rebuild New Orleans problem. The class handled it in a clinical and dispassionate fashion, and, in retrospect, that exercise was one of the stupidest things I ever did in my life. There is no logical analysis of the devastation of the Gulf Coast that can be persuasive to people who knew New Orleans and have seen their entire history in the city swept away. I was lucky, in that my old home, haunts, and neighbors continue to survive and thrive. For my less-fortunate friends from down there, my apologies and prayers.

Reports Detail GOP 'Victory' Spending

Christmas may have come a month early for certain consultants and staffers associated with the Oklahoma Republican Party’s “Victory 2006” effort, according to reports recently released by the Federal Election Commission and reported by Oklahoma Political News Service.

Political People

Tim Emrich, losing candidate in the Senate District 16 race in Cleveland County last year, apparently is leaving Norman; he has his home at 628 West Comanche up for sale. It was reported last month that Emrich has joined the staff of U. S. Senator Joe Biden. Emrich has worked for Walters Power International, the company owned by former Governor David Walters.

The buildup to Governor Brad Henry's (second) inaugural tomorrow continues. Today, from 1 to 5 p.m., he and First Lady Kim participate in Family Day at the Jasmine Moran Children's Museum in Seminole; it's a product of the generosity of Melvin and Jasmine Moran. At 5 p.m., at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, there's an inaugural prayer service. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. Monday on the south steps of the Capitol.

Nagin Begs New Orleans Residents Not To Leave City Despite Wave Of Murders; Curfew Considered

With at least eight slayings in New Orleans in the first week of the new year, officials are considering a curfew to help stem the violence, the police superintendent said Saturday.

"It's something we're just sort of talking about, to see if that will make a difference," Superintendent Warren Riley said.

Mayor Ray Nagin, meanwhile, urged residents not to leave the city, still rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina, because of the recent killings. He said the slayings could be a tipping point that "galvanizes our community" to find solutions.

Some residents have called for a march on City Hall on Thursday to demand action to curb the violence.

Political People & Events

Roomies: Congresswoman Mary Fallin, confessing she's startled by the high cost of housing in the Washington area, is sharing digs (in Arlington, VA) with Major General Rita Aragon, now posted at the Pentagon after years spent in Oklahoma City.

New Job: Expect a job announcement next week from Thad Balkman, former Republican state representative who is helping former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in his presidential campaign as a volunteer.

Cole Challenge: Congressman Tom Cole, new head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, says his first challenge is retiring the NRCC's 2006 debt, about $14.4 million. He's named a "debt retirement team" of fellow GOP members. The NRCC spent about $125 million in the 2005-06 election cycle.

New Orleans: Turmoil, Violence, Murder

From New Orleans News Accounts: The Marigny shootings -- for which police offered no motive -- capped a wave of bloodshed severe even by New Orleans standards, and came three days after Police Superintendent Warren Riley called a year-end news conference to put a positive spin on the 2006 murder total of 161, which he called the lowest in 30 years. On a per-capita basis, however, even the most optimistic projection of the post-Katrina city's drastically shrunken population makes that figure an increase from previous years. The style of the slayings -- which in at least two cases took place with police officers stationed only blocks away -- ranged from a single shot at point-blank range to a spray of 17 bullets. Some victims "had heroin in their hand and crack in their pocket," said New Orleans Deputy Chief Steven Nicholas at a late morning news conference Thursday.

The Gadfly On The Wall: KEBC Format Flip

UPDATE (Originally posted 1/4/07) ~ Comes word changes are afoot at Clear Channel Radio in Oklahoma City. At heritage news/talker KTOK-AM, Program Director Lee Matthews, who now hosts the 5-7 p.m. slot, announced Thursday his "Afternoon Report" is being replaced by "VPM," hosted by Hornets basketball broadcaster Jerry V, who has been on the air from 7-9 p.m. Matthews apparently will remain part of the show based on his comments Thursday. Dave Ramsey, now aired 9 p.m. to Midnight, will move into the 7-10 p.m. slot. On Friday morning, Matthews announced a Monday change on KTOK's sister station, KEBC-AM 1340; it has been a syndicated talker featuring Bill Bennett, Dr. Laura and Dave Ramsey. KEBC will flip to sports talk using Fox Sports syndicated shows (new logo is pictured here) and feature David Garrett, longtime sports broadcaster who is now a Clear Channel account executive, from 4 to 7 p.m. weekdays. Apparently Garrett will be joined by another member of the Hornets' radio broadcast team.

Expect more Oklahomans to turn up at the National Republican Congressional Committee, now headed by Congressman Tom Cole, R-4th District. It's likely that former GOP State Chairman Clinton Key, now a Washington consultant and fundraiser who has headed Cole's political action committee, will have a role.

It's likely Oklahoma City Councilman Jerry Foshee will have company as he tries to win a Republican primary for a State Senate seat in south Oklahoma City in 2008. Foshee announced this week he'll leave the council to seek the Senate seat. Others are known to be eyeing the seat as well. It is in District 45, now held by term-limited Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson.

Murphey Offers Medical Malpractice Measure

State Rep. Jason W. Murphey (R-Guthrie) has announced the introduction of legislation he says will lower medical costs by providing incentive for insurers to write "Negative Outcomes" insurance policies. Murphey said Negative Outcomes insurance is a unique approach to medical tort reform and would provide a free market alternative to the crises faced by physicians forced to deal with the high cost of medical malpractice insurance.

If passed, House Bill 1018, authored by Murphey, would allow a tax deduction for patients who purchase Negative Outcomes insurance. In the event of medical malpractice, the insurance would allow a patient to make an immediate claim for recovery of damages. It would eliminate the need to become involved in protracted legal action against a physician,and leave the decision to litigate with the insurance company. A patient could receive a settlement directly and avoid costly legal fees."I think this legislation would be a significant step in reducing incentive for those promoting 'jackpot justice' legal actions against Oklahoma physicians," Murphey said.

House Democrats Name Leaders

The Oklahoma House Democratic Caucus today announced its leadership team.

"I believe we have assembled a top-notch leadership team that combines both rural and urban views, diverse professional backgrounds,and representatives of all parts of the state," said House Minority Leader Danny Morgan, D-Prague (pictured). "With this team in place, I believe the House Democratic Caucus will be able to leave our stamp on the 2007 legislative session."

The caucus leaders include Floor Leader James Covey (D-Custer City), who will oversee the daily schedule for the caucus. His duties include discussing pending legislation with the other Democratic Party members so they are better prepared before voting. He will also help negotiate agreements involving both political parties.

Joining Covey in that effort will be three deputy floor leaders: Reps. David Braddock (D-Altus), Ben Sherrer (D-Pryor Creek) and Dale Turner (D-Holdenville).

Eight assistant floor leaders will also assist, including Reps. Mike Brown (D-Fort Gibson), Wallace Collins (D-Norman), Joe Dorman (D-Rush Springs), Rebecca Hamilton (D-Oklahoma City), Wes Hilliard (D-Sulphur), Jerry McPeak (D-Warner), Wade Rousselot (D-Okay) and Jabar Shumate (D-Tulsa).

Rep. Terry Harrison (D-McAlester) will serve as Whip, helping build support or opposition to bills critical to the House Democratic agenda.

Rep. Ryan McMullen (D-Burns Flat) and Rep. Ryan Kiesel (D-Seminole) will serve as Caucus Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively, helping to organize and run the regular meetings of the House Democratic Caucus.

Newly elected state Rep. Eric Proctor (D-Tulsa) will serve as Democratic Caucus Secretary.

Balkman Joins Romney Campaign

Former State Rep. Thad Balkman, Norman Republican, has joined the presidential exploratory campaign of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (pictured).

Balkman sent emails to some Republicans announcing his involvement and urging recipients to join him in supporting Romney, who announced this week the formation of his committee.

You Decide: 2006's Top Political Stories

Voters in The McCarville Report Online's poll about the Top 5 Political Stories of 2006 selected the 24-24 tie in the Oklahoma State Senate as Number 1. Democrats retaking control of the U. S. House and Senate was voted Number 2. Democrat David Prater's upset of Republican Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane was voted the Number 3 story. Democrat Lloyd Fields' upset of Republican Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau was voted the Number 4 story. And Democrat Jari Askins' victory over Republican Todd Hiett in the lieutenant governor's race was voted the Number 5 story.

Johnson's Recovery Clouds U. S. Senate Picture

U. S. Senator Tim Johnson's recovery from a brain hemorrhage and emergency surgery is expected to take months, his aides say, and that complicates the political picture in the Senate where Democrats have a one-vote majority.

Tests show that Johnson, 60, no longer has the tangle of arteries and veins in his brain that caused bleeding that sent him to George Washington University Hospital, where he has been in critical condition since December 13th.

His long-term prognosis is unclear. Dr. Vivek Deshmukh, the head of his surgical team, said in a statement that a tangle in Johnson's brain, called arteriovenous malformation, appears to be gone and that Johnson, D-S.D., "continues to be responsive to both his family and physicians -- following commands, squeezing his wife's hand, and understanding speech."

The statement from Johnson's office said he had developed fluid in his lungs as a consequence of the initial hemorrhage and has been on a ventilator to assist in his breathing. Deshmukh said, "His breathing has steadily improved, and now he only requires ventilator assistance at night." The doctor's statement said Johnson's overall medical condition has improved steadily. "The next phase of his recovery is expected to take several months and focus upon rehabilitation and physical therapy," it said.

Johnson's illness and continued absence from the Senate raises questions about the Democrats' one-vote majority in the next session. South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds, a Republican, would appoint a replacement if Johnson's seat were vacated by death or resignation. A Republican appointee would create a 50-50 tie, effectively allowing the GOP to retain Senate control because Vice President Dick Cheney would have a tie-breaking vote.

2nd Amendment Unbelievers Active

Opponents of the right to keep and bear arms are active this week, as noted by Jeff Soyer at Alphecca and the monitors at Gun Law News.

Fields, Reneau Spat Continues

New Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields wants in to the Department of Labor to talk to employees and measure the immediate work ahead. Outgoing Commissioner Brenda Reneau says he can come in when he's officially the new commissioner.

Fields has sought access to the office since he won the November election; Reneau has refused.

No love lost between the two; Reneau beat him in 2002 and he beat her in 2006.

Foshee Tosses Hat In Senate Ring

Ward 5 Oklahoma City Councilman Jerry Foshee today announced his candidacy for State Senate District 45 and said he won't seek reelection to the Oklahoma City Council. His announcement came via his campaign consultant, Ron Black.

Foshee, who has only had one election, has run unopposed in the last 14 years for City Council, will be running for the State Senate Seat being vacated by Republican Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson due to term limits in 2008.

“Over the holidays, my family and I discussed our future and the future of South Oklahoma City and came to the prayerful conclusion that the time has come for me to move on, to be a voice for the people of South Oklahoma City, Western Heights, Mustang, and Yukon in the State Senate,” Foshee said. “I have been a voice of the people in Ward 5, and I will continue to be a voice for the people in the State Senate when elected in 2008.”

Foshee, a small business owner and conservative Republican, has served on the Oklahoma City Council for 14 years and has a record of being an advocate for government reform. Foshee believes his record, his goals, and his experience make him the ideal candidate for Senate District 45.

“Senator Wilcoxson has set the bar very high for anyone interested in serving in that Senate Seat, and I consider it an honor to run and will not disappoint her or her constituents – many of whom are my City Council constituents,” Foshee explained. “I have been an advocate for education reform, I have been an advocate for eminent domain reform, and I will push for those reforms while serving the people.”

Foshee, though serving on the City Council for 14 years, does not consider himself a politician, but is an outsider, a small business owner who serves as a voice of the people, rather than a voice for special interests.

“Oklahoma City Council is a non-partisan position and has afforded me the opportunity to work with men and women from both sides of the aisle to accomplish great things for Oklahoma City and my reputation stands on its own merits. The only special interest I serve are the interests of my constituents,” he said. “I’m not a professional politician, I am a small business owner, an outsider – something we need more of in the legislature.”

Parents, Don't Let Your Girls Grow Up To Be Cheerleaders (Like This Texas Crew)

"Mean girls" somehow does not adequately describe the five (former) cheerleaders at McKinney North High School in Texas described here.

Who's Laughing Now? Sheehan Disrupts Democrats

Iraq war protesters broke up a press conference by House Democrats on Wednesday with chants to bring American troops home from Iraq.

Chanting "de-escalate, investigate, troops home now," the protesters disrupted a briefing aimed at outlining priority goals when Democrats take over the House and Senate on Thursday.

Cindy Sheehan, the strident anti-war activist and mother of a soldier who died in Iraq, led the group to Capitol Hill to warn Democrats that party activists expect them to end the war in Iraq and confront the White House on a change in Iraq strategy.

"We didn't put you in power to work with the people that have been murdering hundreds of thousands of people since they have been in power," Sheehan screamed. "We put you in power to be opposition to them finally and we're the ones who put them in power."

Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., cut the press conference short when protests drowned out his voice through a dozen microphones set up to record his comments. Emanuel said Democrats would go back to the caucus room and return later.

Chicana Lesbian Culinary Science

I kid you not. A study paper by Julia C. Ehrhardt of the University of Oklahoma Honors College. Thanks to Brandon Dutcher for the heads up on this.

The Blog Mob

Blogger Farrah, writing on a new Wall Street Journal piece entitled "The Blog Mob," offers a few thoughts on the writer's thoughts and that, in turn, prompts thoughts about blogs. Get it?