Senate GOP Caucus Names Coffee

Republican senators voted unanimously today to name Senator Glenn Coffee of Oklahoma City to be the next President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate if the GOP takes control in this fall's elections.

“I am honored and humbled by the confidence my colleagues have shown by entrusting me with the leadership of our caucus,” stated Coffee.

“Senate Republicans have the issues on our side, and we are confident that Oklahomans will make history in 2008 by electing the first-ever Republican majority to the Senate. As Republicans have already shown while sharing power in the Senate the past two years, we are ready and able to lead the Senate in bringing positive and innovative changes to Oklahoma,” Coffee said.

Under the rules of the Senate Republican Caucus the remainder of the Senate GOP’s leadership team will be chosen following the general election this November.

Coffee currently serves as Co-President Pro Tempore under the power sharing agreement that governs the evenly divided State Senate. As part of the Senate’s power sharing arrangement, Coffee became the first Republican in history to serve as the Senate’s President Pro Tempore in July 2007.

The Senate has 24 Republicans and 24 Democrats, but a net gain of a single seat in 2008 would make the GOP the Senate’s majority party for the first time in Oklahoma history.

Republicans have had a net gain of at least two State Senate seats every in election since 2000, netting three seats in 2000; two seats in 2002; two seats in 2004; one seat in a May 2006 special election; and two more seats in the 2006 general elections. Conversely, it has been 18 years since Democrats last had a net gain of seats in the State Senate.

Obama Paid By Donor Who Got State Grant

As an Illinois state Senator, Barack Obama received more than $100,000 from a company owned by an entrepreneur whom Obama helped to obtain a state grant, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Robert Blackwell Jr., a contributor to Obama’s campaigns, began paying the then-broke Obama an $8,000-a-month retainer in early 2001 to provide legal advice to his technology firm, Electronic Knowledge Interchange.

At the time, Obama had recently completed his unsuccessful campaign for Congress, and had numerous debts and a law practice he had neglected for a year while campaigning, the Times reported.

Obama had been so strapped for cash that his credit card was initially rejected when he tried to rent a car at the 2000 Democratic convention, Obama disclosed in his book “The Audacity of Hope.”

The monthly payments from EKI supplemented Obama’s $58,000-a-year part-time state Senate salary, and eventually totaled $112,000.

Read the entire story in the Los Angeles Times.

Paper Names Watts 47th Most Influential

The Telegraph of London has named former Oklahoma Congressman J. C. Watts as the 47th most influential pundit in American politics. The newspaper's Washington staff compiled the list of the top 50 pundits.

Of Watts, The Telegraph writes: 47. JC WATTS A regular contributor across various networks, Watts is the last African American to serve as a Republican in Congress. Having criticised his party’s candidates during primaries for failing to "show up" for black voters, the former American footballer is the sort of voice John McCain appears to be listening to as he attempts to reach out to African Americans.

Brogdon Hopes Term Limits Clears Panel

Senator Randy Brogdon said today he's hopeful his term limits referendum bill will clear a joint conference committee.

The comment came after Brogdon announced that Attorney General Drew Edmondson’s office has agreed to compromise legislative language on a term limits referendum. The language ensures that the proposed 12-year term limits for statewide elected officials would not apply retroactively.

“General Edmondson made some suggested changes to the bill’s language. I merged his language with my amended language, and I heard back from his office this morning that he has no additional changes,” said Brogdon, R-Owasso.

“It looks like we will be good to go with these changes if we can get an agreement with Senate Democrats to send the bill to conference committee, make the changes, and bring the bill back to the Senate floor for a vote,” Brogdon said.

“I am confident that the Democrat senators who voted for this term limits bill earlier in the session will appreciate the good faith efforts we have made to ensure that the term limits are not retroactive,” he said.

Brogdon offered the term limits amendment that was attached to SB 1987. If passed by the Legislature, the term limits proposal will go to a vote of the people.

House GOP Leaders Praise Henry's Action

House Republican leaders praised Governor Henry for signing a key piece of their government modernization agenda today.

House Bill 3325 was one of several bills introduced this session following an interim study focused on finding ways to make government more efficient.

The bill, authored by Rep. Jason W. Murphey, will modernize the state's invoicing process to allow for vendors to be paid electronically. Murphey said the representatives heard testimony about a high number of state checks being issued at a massive cost to taxpayers.

One vendor testified that the price of processing hundreds of checks was being factored into his cost of doing business with the state, essentially costing the taxpayers at both ends of the payment process.

Another reform provided in HB 3325 will allow the Department of Central Services to receive electronic returns on requests for services provided to the state.

During the interim study, the director of the Department of Central Services described how massive amounts of paperwork had to be processed, standardized, and electronically formatted by state employees after being received from vendors. Allowing for the electronic submission of bids should result in a significant savings to the Department of Central Services budget, Murphey said.

The bill was signed into law by the governor today and becomes effective Nov. 1.

Nanny State Politics: Schools As Surrogate Parents, Student Weight Watchers

The Senate approved a measure Tuesday aimed at tackling the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.

Senate Bill 1186, by State Senator Mary Easley, (D-Tulsa) increases the physical activity requirement in grades kindergarten through fifth grade from 60 minutes each week to 120 minutes each week.

Easley explained those minutes could include physical education, exercise programs, fitness breaks, recess, classroom activities, and wellness and nutrition education.

Lucas Names Stacy Buck As Field Rep

Congressman Frank D. Lucas has hired Stacy Buck to serve as his field representative for a six-county area of his 3rd Congressional District in north-central Oklahoma.

Buck began work this week as Lucas' field representative. She is based out of the Congressman’s Yukon office and covers six of Lucas’ 32-county district. Her field area includes Grant, Garfield, Kingfisher, Canadian, Kay and Noble counties.

Buck is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a degree in Agricultural Communications. While at OSU, she served as an intern for the American Lung Association and for Oklahoma AgrAbility.

Scott Voted NBA Coach Of The Year

New Orleans (AP) -- When Chris Paul arrived for a workout before the 2005 NBA draft, Byron Scott took him to lunch and said the Hornets wanted the point guard if he was still available at the fourth pick.

Utah, which also needed a guard, picked ahead of New Orleans but went with Deron Williams. So Scott got his man, built his team around him, and Tuesday wore a wide grin as he glanced down at the Red Auerbach trophy in his hands.

Scott was voted the NBA coach of the year by a wide margin following a regular season in which the Hornets won a franchise-record 56 games and earned their first playoff berth in four years. The Hornets head into game five with Dallas tonight and can cinch a spot with their fourth win.

Brad Henry: Political Genius...Or Goofball?

With an approval rating that has hovered at about 75 percent for most of his tenure as governor, and the widespread perception he's a smart politician, Brad Henry is not known as a man who makes mistakes.

An Analysis ~ UPDATED AND EXPANDED

But now, two recent actions by the governor have friend and foe alike questioning his political judgment:

~ His veto of an anti-abortion bill he almost certainly knew would be overridden by the Legislature, and

~ His endorsement of Barack Obama, who managed just 31 percent of the Democratic presidential primary vote here.

One Republican political observer believes the two actions show Democratic National Convention superdelegate Henry has concluded his future lies on the national stage rather than the Oklahoma stage because both actions link Henry to the most liberal side of his party while the perception has been that he's a common-sense, moderate-conservative and it's that perception, primarily, that has fueled his popularity.

A Democrat legislator, guaranteed he wouldn't be quoted by name, said the Obama endorsement shows Henry "really is just a goofball politically. If Obama is our nominee, our candidates for the House and Senate start off with one foot in a hole and the other in quicksand...Clinton is bad enough, Obama is worse. Certainly, he must have thought of this and just disregarded it."

Henry's endorsement of Obama stunned many and caught them off guard, particularly Democrats on the inside. A Capitol Democrat in a position to know says the initial reaction was disbelief, then concern. He said some were concerned after OU President David Boren endorsed Obama, but "he's not the sitting governor and the titular head of his party" while Henry is.

This Democrat took note of a segment on KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City about the endorsement and noted the "vast majority" of those who sent in email comments were critical of it. He said some of those commenting "probably were Republicans, but this matches what I'm hearing overall."

He said he believes Henry's endorsement of Obama makes it more difficult for Democrats who are seeking legislative seats. "Most of them can tolerate Clinton...," he said, without ending the sentence. Asked if Obama's race is a factor, he acknowledged it may be in some areas. "But it's the issues mostly. Clinton's liberal, but he's just off the scale and the Republicans will beat us to death. Clinton's bad, Obama is much worse for us politically."

House Democrats plan a fundraiser Tuesday night in Oklahoma City and Henry is scheduled to attend, thus providing the first opportunity many will have to express their sentiments to Henry about his endorsment. Whether they'll do so remains to be seen.

Most Republican operatives are salivating at the thought of Obama at the top of the ticket and they're delighted Henry endorsed him. "It's Henry showing his true colors," said one. Some of them believe the Obama endorsement diminishes Henry as an advocate for legislative candidates; he had been expected to be a potent force for those Democrats he supports. "How would you like to be a Democrat in Little Dixie, or down south or out east somewhere, trying to get help from your governor and he's endorsed this way out liberal guy?" one Republican asked.

"Let's see," said another. "We've got Obama at the top and then (Andrew) Rice (candidate for the U. S. Senate) and boy, I wouldn't want to be a Democrat running for the Legislature in that mix."

Oklahoma City radio station KTOK's Capitol reporter, Peter J. Rudy, reports there's nervousness among Democrat legislators over the endorsement and notes that Republican State Chairman Gary Jones, seeeing an opening to score points, has called on Democrats in the Legislature who are seeking reelection to declare who they support for president.

Posters at http://www.okdemocrat.com/, for the most part, derided Henry for his endorsement, with "Bill" beginning the discussion by writing, "I always thought he (Henry) was a liberal. This proves it." Others defended Henry, but one poster suggested Henry's endorsement of Obama indicates he's lost touch with Democrats across the state.

Another Democrat, a consultant to his party's candidates, argues that Henry's a genius and explains: "...endorsing Barack Obama is dangerous politically in a red or purple state, but it comes with huge cash advantages. The Clintons have never been ones to spread their fundraising success around, but Obama has. Win or lose, supporting him is a wise investment. He will still be a star in the party and of the liberal netroots, and he isn't going anywhere. If he is the president, a senator or runs for governor of Illinois, he'll still be able to raise money for future candidates. In a state like ours the kind of money he could raise is unmatched by any mechanism the GOP currently has. Would a future candidate Henry get attacked for endorsing Obama and even taking liberal money? Sure, but if it raises him millions more than his opponents, who will do the telling? I'm not saying I would have done the same, but there is yet another argument for the 'genius' category."

A veteran Democrat observer at the Capitol offers these thoughts: "Henry is still a force to be reckoned with in any corner of the state. I’d disagree with the legislator – Henry’s much more engaged in legislative races than he was last cycle. One could make the argument that the race is over, we aren’t accomplishing anything with the infighting and Henry is just trying to help turn the page. I’d also argue that his abortion vote is consistent with his record given there was no exception for rape and incest."

Henry's endorsement, to some, seems to echo the dilemma facing other Democratic superdelegates across the country: Express your personal preference, or declare for the candidate who carried your state? In Henry's case, he chose the first course and if all the undeclared superdelegates who remain chose the personal preference course and give the nomination to Clinton despite the national numbers that show Obama the leader, there could be chaos. As it stands now, Henry is in step with Obama's numbers nationally but not in Oklahoma.

Last week's Sooner Survey analysis of Obama's candidacy in Oklahoma has special resonance given Henry's endorsement and the concerns it has generated. Here's the relevant part of the analysis, by pollster Pat McFerron: "Given Obama’s performance, it is difficult to imagine that Oklahoma Democrats who have any tie to him will be successful. The best comparison here is likely with the other Clinton, former President Bill. In our Sooner Survey of April 1994, we released numbers showing President Clinton with a favorable rating of 41% and a negative of 52%. Obama is a net 11 points worse than that today. As historians will recall, Dave McCurdy (who had publicly endorsed Clinton) suffered a defeat in the U.S. Senate contest, while Republicans Frank Lucas, Tom Coburn and J.C. Watts won congressional seats in areas previously held by Democrats. In addition, most statewide offices went Republican, and the GOP picked up legislative seats. Given the Bill Clinton precedent, Democrats in Oklahoma could be headed for a rocky 2008 election cycle, reminiscent of 1994. The only solace for many Democrats may be that this is not an election year in which constitutional offices (except for Corporation Commissioner) are being contested."

Whatever the case, and whatever the implications of the historic comparison of Obama to Bill Clinton in 1994, Henry's veto of the anti-abortion bill and his endorsement of Obama show he clearly is marching to the beat of a drum many of his fellow Oklahoma Democrats don't hear.

With Friends Like This...

Cole Seeks To 'Nationalize' 2008 Elections

By Aaron Blake/The Hill ~ All politics is officially no longer local at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

NRCC Chairman Tom Cole signaled Monday that he is set to nationalize the 2008 battle for the House by tagging the “liberal” label on Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Cole’s predecessor, Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-N.Y.), insisted amid a tough national environment for the GOP that House races are all unique to their locales. Just two years later, though, Cole (Okla.) is ready to flip that strategy on its head and emulate what Democrats used to great effect in 2006.

Obama’s and Pelosi’s negatives aren’t as high nationwide as the Democrats’ chief villain figure, President Bush, but Cole said the strategy can work for two reasons: because much of the battleground is GOP-leaning territory, and because Pelosi’s and Obama’s numbers get worse as her name ID climbs and his nomination battle drags on.

“Our candidates are trying to turn those things into, now, referendums on Pelosi and on Obama,” Cole said.

Despite enjoying wide support early and wooing independents, Obama was recently rated the most liberal member of the Senate by the National Journal and has endured some of his toughest weeks on the campaign trail this month.

According to internal NRCC numbers obtained by The Hill, Obama has a 32 percent favorable and 58 percent unfavorable rating in Mississippi’s 1st district, where Republicans nearly lost a special election last week to a Democratic takeover. The race will go to a runoff May 13.

His numbers were better but similar, 37-50, in Louisiana’s 6th district, where a special will be held Saturday.

Pelosi’s numbers in those two districts were 18-39 and 24-47, respectively.

“We like the way that’s unfolding,” Cole said. “We would rather be running national elections.”

Read the entire story at http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/cole-seeks-to-nationalize-election-with-sen.-obama-speaker-pelosi-2008-04-28.html

North Carolina Governor Backs Clinton

Raleigh, NC ~ Governor Mike Easley, a Democratic National Convention superdelegate, endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton Tuesday, boosting her presidential bid a week before North Carolina May 6 primary.

Appearing onstage with Clinton and his wife, Mary, the two-term Democrat declared the New York senator “gets it.”

“It’s time for somebody to be in the White House who understands the challenges we face in this country,” Easley said, adding a gentle dig at rival Barack Obama’s signature slogan of hope.

Rice Blasts State Chamber, Republicans

Senator Andrew Rice, D-Oklahoma City, is out with a blast at the State Chamber of Commerce and Republicans in the Legislature.

Rice, candidate for the U. S. Senate, says that a recent State Chamber of Commerce memo to members of the Legislature exaggerates the cost of legislative mandates for insurance coverage, Rice said today.

“The truest statement in this memo is that the cost of health insurance continues to spiral upward,” Rice said. “However, the Chamber offers no proof that insurance mandates are among the reasons why.”

Rice is Senate co-author of “Steffanie’s Law,” legislation to require private insurance companies in Oklahoma to continue coverage of routine medical care costs even after a cancer patient enrolls in experimental clinical trials. The bill was inspired by the late Steffanie Collings, who recently died at the age of 18 after fighting brain cancer for four years.

Collings’ parents are now strapped with over $450,000 in unpaid medical bills because the family’s insurance company disqualified Steffanie from coverage after she participated in clinical trials to find a possible cure.

“Republican leaders in the House of Representatives and their allies in the insurance industry continue to make insurance mandates the fall guy for rising health care costs,” Rice said.

“However, research by the American Cancer Society shows that there is very little difference in the cost of routine medical care for patients in clinical trials and patients who do not participate.”

Henry Expected To Be Active Campaigner

From The Capitol Bureau/Tulsa World ~ Democrats said Monday that they expect Gov. Brad Henry to play a more active role in this fall's election, with an appearance by the governor set for a House Democratic fundraiser Tuesday. Henry also met Monday with House Democrats, marking the first time he has talked with the caucus this session. But the governor meets weekly with House Democratic leaders, said Rep. Danny Morgan, who leads the minority Democrats. In about a month, a fundraiser will be held in Tulsa for Democratic House candidates. All 101 House seats are up for grabs this fall.

New Poll: Clinton Leads McCain By 9%

Hillary Clinton now leads John McCain by 9 points in a head-to-head presidential matchup, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll that bolsters her argument (for the moment) that she is more electable than Democratic rival Barack Obama.

It's the first poll in a while to show Clinton leading McCain.

Obama and Republican McCain are running about even.

The survey released Monday gives the New York senator and former first lady a fresh talking point as she works to raise much-needed campaign cash and persuade pivotal undecided superdelegates to side with her in the drawn-out Democratic primary fight.

Helped by independents, young people and seniors, Clinton gained ground this month in a hypothetical match with McCain, the GOP nominee-in-waiting. She now leads McCain, 50 percent to 41 percent, while Obama remains virtually tied with McCain, 46 percent to 44 percent.

Both Democrats were roughly even with McCain in the previous poll about three weeks ago.

Entire Senate Named To GCCA Panel

Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan and Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee announced Wednesday that 46 of the Senate’s 48 members have been assigned to the General Conference Committee on Appropriations.

The joint Senate-House conference committee, which will consider legislation dealing with budgetary matters, will include every senator other than the two Senate leaders.

“Crafting the state budget is the single most important job our members are asked to do each legislative session” said Morgan, D-Stillwater. “Naming GCCA members today is a good indication that budget work is going smoothly and ensures we are poised to complete our work on time.”

“A lot of work remains to be done on budget issues this session, but the naming of GCCA members today shows that the State Senate is on track to bring the 2007 legislative session to an orderly and timely adjournment. We’re headed down the homestretch,” said Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

Senate Gives GPS Protection Use 47-0 Vote

On a 47-0 bipartisan vote, the Senate today approved a bill that would authorize the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to protect domestic abuse victims.

Authored by State Senator Debbe Leftwich, Senate Bill 2163 now goes to Governor Henry for approval.

Leftwich, an Oklahoma City Democrat, said the plan makes smart use of existing technology to better protect Oklahoma citizens.

Tibbs Urges Quick Voter ID Action

In light of the U. S. Supreme Court ruling today in favor of an Indiana voter identification law, Rep. Sue Tibbs urged the Senate and governor to act quickly to put a similar law in place in Oklahoma.

The 6-3 vote allows Indiana to require identification when it holds its statewide primary next week.

Senate Bill 1150, authored by Tibbs, R-Tulsa, would require voters to show one of several options of identification before casting a ballot, including a free, state-issued voter identification card. It is currently awaiting action in the Senate.

Electronic Reports Bill Passes Senate

A bill requiring hundreds of reports submitted by state agencies to legislators be transmitted electronically passed the Oklahoma Senate today.

Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, said Senate Bill 1507, which passed 47-1, could potentially save taxpayers thousands of dollars in printing and postage costs every year. The bill now goes to Governor Brad Henry for his approval.

Maughan Announces For County Commission

Republican Brian Maughan today confirmed TMRO's March 15th report that he will seek his party's nomination for the Oklahoma County Commissioner seat in District 2 now held by the embattled Brent Rinehart.

Republican J. D. Johnston, the former mayor of Bethany, and Democrat Jim Dickinson of Choctaw announced earlier that they are candidates.

Civic leader and businessman Maughan said, "It’s time to restore integrity to the County Commissioner’s office in District 2."

Maughan recently left his position as a Public Affairs Consultant for AT&T to explore the race. He served as in-house consultant for the Fortune 50 global telecommunications leader, providing strategic legislative and regulatory guidance.

Prior to joining AT&T, Maughan served as the director of economic development for Oklahoma County District 2 and as a public information officer for Oklahoma County Emergency Management and Oklahoma County District 3. Maughan also served as a field director, consultant and fundraiser for the Oklahoma Republican Party.

In 2003 Maughan co-founded and now serves as President of Marketing Dimensions, a consulting and marketing firm for both businesses and campaigns. He was recently elected President-elect for the South Oklahoma City Rotary Club and currently is President of the US Grant High School Alumni Association. Maughan previously served on the board for the South Oklahoma City Chamber; as Chairman of the YMCA Central District; and was appointed by Governor Frank Keating to the Oklahoma Developmental Disability Council.

He holds associate’s degrees in public relations and journalism and broadcasting from Oklahoma City Community College.

Dickinson ran against Rinehart in 2006 and got 47 percent of the vote.

Rinehart faces prosecution on charges related to the financing of a previous campaign.

'Wild Oklahoma' Features Paralyzed Veterans

"Wild Oklahoma," the radio and television show hosted by Ron Black, features members of the Mid-America Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America today. The radio show airs at 4 p.m. on KTOK-AM 1000 in Oklahoma City.

Black, broadcaster and blogger who often advocates for veterans, writes, "I spent the weekend with members of the Mid-America Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America on a turkey hunt in Miami, Oklahoma (and) it was a life-changing event. Today during the show at 4pm on KTOK, we are going to interview Lt. Col. Lew Deal (USMC-Ret.) about the PVA and we're going to talk about how the PVA helps disabled veterans transition and lead a 'normal' life.

"(The hunt) was an unbelievable experience. On Saturday afternoon as we were wrapping up, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. These men are not only heroes of our nation, but heroes in how they function every day with some of the most intense challenges, and they do so in such an incredibly humble manner."

The PVA website for the Mid America Chapter is http://www.mapva.com/

Founded in 1946, the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the United States Congress and dedicated to serving the needs of members.

PVA is a leading advocate for: Quality healthcare, research and education addressing spinal cord injury and dysfunction, benefits, civil rights and opportunities that maximize the independence of members.

The Mid-America Chapter PVA (MAPVA) was established in March of 1979. Units include the Green Country Division in Muskogee and the Sunflower Division in Wichita, Kansas. The mission is to service the needs of the local veterans with spinal cord injury or disease as well as the needs of the disabled community.

Democratic Party Fears Racial Divide

By Jonathan Weisman and Matthew Mosk/The Washington Post ~ The protracted and increasingly acrimonious fight for the Democratic presidential nomination is unnerving core constituencies -- African Americans and wealthy liberals -- who are becoming convinced that the party could suffer irreversible harm if Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton maintains her sharp line of attack against Sen. Barack Obama.

'The damage is going to be irreparable'

Clinton's solid win in the Pennsylvania primary exposed a quandary for the party. Her backers may be convinced that only she can win the white, working-class voters that the Democratic nominee will need in the general election, but many African American leaders say a Clinton nomination -- handed to her by superdelegates -- would result in a disastrous breach with black voters.

"If this party is perceived by people as having gone into a back room somewhere and brokered a nominee, that would not be good for our party," House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (S.C.), the highest ranking African American in Congress, warned yesterday. "I'm telling you, if this continues on its current course, [the damage] is going to be irreparable."

That fear, plus a more general sense that Clinton's only route to victory would be through tearing down her opponent, has led even some black Democrats who are officially neutral in the race, such as Clyburn, to speak out.

Clinton's camp has a vastly different interpretation, arguing that the most recent primary demonstrated that Democrats remain very interested in seeing the contest continue.

"Pennsylvania did the job of calming any nerves that existed," said Clinton campaign spokesman Jay Carson. "It showed that the big states around the country think she's the best person to be president."

But that opinion is far from unanimous. More than 70 top Clinton donors wrote their first checks to Obama in March, campaign records show. Clinton's lead among superdelegates, a collection of almost 800 party leaders and elected officials, has slipped from 106 in December to 23 now, according to an Associated Press tally.

"If you have any, any kind of loyalty to the Democratic Party, perhaps you need to rethink your strategy and bow out gracefully in order to save this party from a disastrous end in November," Rep. William Lacy Clay (Mo.), an African American Obama supporter, said in an appeal to Clinton.

Clyburn accused Clinton and her husband yesterday of marginalizing black voters and opening a rift between her campaign and an African American Democratic base that strongly backed Bill Clinton's presidency. Some surrogates in her camp are trying to render Obama unelectable against the Republican nominee so she could run for the Democratic nomination in 2012, he suggested. The discussion flared up yet again when Bill Clinton suggested this week that Obama's campaign had played "the race card" after the former president compared the candidate to Jesse Jackson after the South Carolina primary.

"We keep talking as if it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter that Obama gets 92 percent of the black vote, because since he only got 35 percent of the white vote, he's in trouble," Clyburn said. "Well, Hillary Clinton only got 8 percent of the black vote. . . . It's almost saying black people don't matter. The only thing that matters is how white people respond. And that's what bothered me. I think I matter."

Dan Boren Tells Clinton He's Not Ready To Commit

From NewsMax ~ Hillary Rodham Clinton, capitalizing on her Pennsylvania primary victory, reached out this week to uncommitted Democratic superdelegates.

"Her pitch was that she had just had a substantial victory in Pennsylvania and her campaign had raised quite a bit of money because of it," said Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma. "There wasn't a hard push or a hard sell. She asked me what are some of the things she needs to be talking about. I just told her the No. 1 issue is the economy."

Boren remains uncommitted but noted "it's really important to me how my district voted" (and in his case, that's) for Clinton.

McCain Raises Money, Avoids News Media

By Michael McNutt/Capitol Bureau, The Oklahoman ~ A crowd estimated by participants at 300 attended a fundraising reception Friday night for presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain at the Skirvin Hilton hotel.

Before the reception, which cost $1,000 to attend, McCain met with about 40 people who paid $2,300 apiece to have pictures taken with him.

The events, held on the second floor of the Skirvin, were closed to reporters. A scheduled news conference with McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, was canceled hours before the event because of scheduling conflicts, a campaign spokesman said.

McCain arrived Friday evening in Oklahoma after events in Arkansas and left a couple of hours later. Campaign aides maneuvered McCain throughout the landmark downtown Oklahoma City hotel to keep the candidate hidden from public view.

Read the entire story at www.newsok.com.

Henry Names Deborah Barnes To Civil Court

From The Tulsa World ~ Tulsa attorney Deborah Browers Barnes was appointed to the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals by Gov. Brad Henry on Friday.

She replaces John Reif of Skiatook. Henry named Reif to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in October.

Barnes, 53, earned a law degree from the Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1983. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. She served as staff attorney for state Supreme Court Justice Ralph Hodges in 1985-89. Since then, she has worked in civil litigation, administrative law, and commercial and business law.

Barnes worked as vice president, corporate secretary and associate general counsel at Oneok Inc. in Tulsa from 1997 until 2001. Starting in 2002, she has worked in private practice at Crutchmer, Browers & Barnes.

The Hill: Watts Among DC's Top Lobbyists

The Hill is out with a list of Washington's most effective lobbyists and former 4th District Congressman J. C. Watts is included.

The publication writes of Watts: "J.C. Watts, J.C. Watts Companies. Watts, an election-night analyst for CNN and a former House GOP leadership member, is tied in with top U.S. corporations."

Sullivan Says Lawsuit Reform Probably Dead

By Mick Hinton/Capitol Bureau, Tulsa World ~ An effort to pass lawsuit reform legislation and cap attorneys' fees apparently is dead this session, the House author of the legislation conceded Thursday.

Rep. Dan Sullivan, R-Tulsa, failed to get enough votes in the House to amend a lawsuit reform bill so that the fees attorneys charge the plaintiffs they represent would be limited.

Sullivan's chances of passing the amendment were crippled because of a GOP dissenter, Rep. Rex Duncan.

Read the entire story at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectID=12&articleID=20080425_1_A10_spanc28430.

Noted Quote: Hillary Clinton's Political Purgatory

Noted Quote from Charlie Cook: "As long as Clinton is winning, she can’t quit. But even in victory, she isn’t getting any closer to securing the nomination. This political purgatory will continue if she manages to win Indiana but loses North Carolina—hard to drop out but harder to see winning the nomination. If she loses in both states, then her campaign’s donors and creditors, as well as superdelegates and party leaders, are likely to intervene. But that can’t happen as long as she continues to win."

Corn Claims Clean Campaign Act Success

Senator Kenneth Corn today claimed success in winning the Senate’s approval for two amendments intended to curtail the influence of special interests in Oklahoma’s electoral process and restore integrity to the system.

The amendments were made to House Bill 2196, which creates the Oklahoma Clean Campaigns Act of 2008. The first of Corn’s two amendments would ensure that contributions accepted by a candidate for a specific state or local office not be used in a campaign for a different office.

“It should be our goal to make the campaign process as fair, honest and transparent as possible,” said Corn, D-Poteau. “Ensuring that campaign contributions are used for their stated purpose is an important part of that effort. It’s a step toward a better and more equitable campaign process.”

Corn’s second amendment would prohibit candidates for legislative or statewide office, candidate committees and political action committees from soliciting or accepting campaign contributions from January 1, through June 30, of any year.

By limiting the acceptance of contributions during the legislative session, Corn said legislators can send a message that their votes are not for sale.

Performance Audit Measure Clears House

A committee to conduct performance audits of state agencies and review tax incentives would be formed if legislation passed by the House today becomes law.

Senate Bill 1865, by House Speaker Chris Benge, would create an Office of Accountability and Innovation to ensure state agencies are operating as effectively as possible.

The legislation does not increase the number of state employees, but instead uses existing resources to make government more efficient. The office would also regularly review tax incentives currently in state law to see if any are no longer needed.

Fallin Leads Military Sexual Assault Hearing

Congresswoman Mary Fallin joined several members of the Women in the Military Task Force today in hosting a hearing on sexual assault in the armed forces. Fallin, who is a taskforce co-chair, spoke at the hearing for a need to build a better support system for victims of sexual assault. The hearing came one day after Fallin and other members met with the mother of Lance Corporal Maria Lauterback, a pregnant Marine who was murdered after reporting she was raped.

'Juli's Law' To Expand DNA Clears House

A measure that would greatly expand the state's DNA database and help solve more crimes overwhelmingly cleared the House today.

Senate Bill 2041, by Reps. Randy Terrill, Lee Denney and Skye McNiel, would create "Juli's Law" and require any persons who are arrested for a felony but found guilty of at least a misdemeanor, any persons found guilty of a list of twenty specifically enumerated violent misdemeanors and any convicted sex offenders to submit a DNA sample to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database.

Under current law, any person convicted of a felony must submit a DNA sample.

"By expanding our local and state DNA databases, we are greatly enhancing law enforcement's ability to solve more cases and convict more criminals," said Terrill, R-Moore. "The fact is most violent criminals commit more than one violent crime. Our forensic science has advanced to the point where we can solve almost all crimes; the problem is that we don't have enough DNA samples to compare to forensic evidence found at the scene of the crime. This bill will help bridge that gap."

The bill is named for Juli Busken, the University of Oklahoma ballet student who was murdered in 1996 in Norman. Busken's murder was finally solved through a cold hit on the DNA database in July 2004 when an illegal alien named Anthony Sanchez was arrested on unrelated charges in Cleveland County. Sanchez was convicted of first degree murder, rape and sodomy and sentenced to death.

The measure also requires convicted persons to pay a fee of $150 to OSBI for the testing and storage of the DNA sample.

"This measure builds on the commitment Republicans made to our citizens to make our state a safer and better place to live, work, raise a family and retire," said Denney, R-Cushing. "This bill is good news for citizens and bad news for criminals. Recidivism among violent criminals is almost a given, and by expanding our DNA database, we are ensuring that at some point these criminals will be caught and convicted."

CODIS is the Federal Bureau of Investigation's national DNA database, which allows local, state and federal crime labs to exchange and compare DNA profiles by electronic means to solve crimes across jurisdictional and state lines. OSBI is responsible for maintaining the Oklahoma CODIS database.

Since CODIS was created in 1990, more than 4 million forensic and convicted offender profiles have been entered into the system. Through January 2007, according to the FBI's CODIS Web site, there were nearly 45,000 cases in 49 states and two federal laboratories where CODIS added value to the investigative process.

Approximately 170 public law enforcement laboratories are linked through the CODIS network across the United States. Internationally, more than 40 law enforcement laboratories in over 25 countries use the CODIS software for their own database initiatives.

"The ultimate measure of a law enforcement program's success is whether it is making our citizens and their property safer," said McNiel, R-Bristow. "CODIS has taken violent criminals and sex offenders off the street, and is now even being used to solve property crimes and identify missing persons. The DNA database works, and our citizens deserves to know that their elected officials are taking advantage of every opportunity to protect them from crime."

Sooner Survey: Barack Obama Would Be A Disaster For State Democrats, Drag Entire Ticket Down

Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee for president would be a disaster for Oklahoma Democrats and possibly drag down other Democrat candidates, the new edition of the Sooner Survey reports.

Survey Director Pat McFerron reports that with either Obama or Hillary Clinton as the party nominee, Republican John McCain should win the state easily. But while McCain now leads Clinton 2-to-1, he leads Obama 3-to-1 and Obama displays startling weakness in Democrat areas of the state.

While Oklahoma Republicans once salivated at the opportunity to again run against a Clinton, McFerron writes, "Barack Obama’s numbers in the state make him an even more appealing Democrat nominee to run against."

For Oklahoma Democrats on the fall ballot, McFerron sounds an ominous warning: "When looking at their individual favorability numbers, there is not much difference between Obama (32% favorable vs. 54% unfavorable) and Clinton (34% favorable vs. 57% unfavorable). However, when looking at ballot match-ups against McCain, there is a sizeable difference that could have dire consequences for down-ballot Democrats. Against Hillary Clinton, John McCain has a two-to-one advantage (60% McCain vs. 30% Clinton). Against Barack Obama, however, it approaches three-to-one (62% McCain vs. 21% Obama)."

Obama drew a favorable rating from 32 percent of those in the survey, with 54 percent expressing an unfavorable opinion. And 40 percent have a "strongly unfavorable" impression of him.

McFerron writes that in the Ada/Ardmore area, an area of significant Democrat strength, 81 percent of those surveyed picked McCain and only 5 percent picked Obama in a head-to-head matchup.

In Little Dixie, McCain has an astounding 5-to-1 lead over Obama.

McCain Hits Oklahoma City On Friday

Republican presidential nominee John McCain hits Oklahoma City tomorrow for a fundraiser at The Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

A host reception for McCain begins at 6 p.m., followed by a photo op session at 6:30 p.m., and a general reception at 7 p.m. Cost: Host Committee raise $10,000; Photo op $2300 per person; General reception $1000 per person. For more information, contact Alex Lawhom at 703/650-5576 or at alawhon@mccain08hq.com.

Crunching The Clinton-Obama Numbers

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro (hat tip to Tim Reese at www.demookie.com) ~ Audra Ostergard, the lone remaining Nebraska superdelegate, publicly endorsed Obama, per a campaign release. Obama now has the backing of all six Nebraska superdelegates. Today, Obama announced two superdelegates (Ostergard and OK Gov. Brad Henry) and Clinton announced one (TN Rep. John Tanner).

Clinton now holds a 263-239 superdelegate lead. Obama leads by 133 overall: 1,729-1,596. Obama leads by 157 in the pledged delegate count: 1,490-1,333.

The Pennsylvania pledged count (updated 4/23, 6:15 pm): Clinton 82-73 (three delegates still to be allocated.)

There are 408 delegates up for grabs in the remaining nine contests.

And a new addition, some "fun" with POPULAR VOTE numbers...

Without MI/FL: Obama: 14,447,566 Clinton: 13,965,192.

With FL, but NOT MI:Obama: 15,016,607 Clinton: 14,822,400.

With MI/FL, including "uncommitted" for Obama: Obama: 15,254,369 Clinton: 15,150,551.

With MI/FL, giving Obama 0 in MI and Clinton 328,000-plus (the only metric which gives her a lead): Clinton: 15,150,551 Obama: 15,016,607.

Henry's Obama Endorsement Focuses New Attention On Party's Superdelegates

Washigton (Fox News) ~ Hillary Rodham Clinton’s victory in Pennsylvania breathed new life and fresh cash into her run for the Democratic presidential nomination, but only dented rival Barack Obama’s nearly unassailable lead in elected delegates and increased pressure on superdelegates to declare their preferences.

Henry Says Obama An 'Inspirational Leader'

Despite the long odds, Clinton on Wednesday declared herself the best candidate to defeat Arizona Senator John McCain, who wrapped up the Republican nomination about two months ago and has been benefiting greatly from the increasingly bitter battle between the Democrats.

“I’m confident that when delegates — as well as voters, like the voters of Pennsylvania just did — ask themselves who’s the stronger candidate against John McCain that I will be the nominee of the Democratic party,” Clinton said during a round of television appearances Wednesday.

As soon as her victory was known Tuesday night, Clinton launched an Internet fundraising campaign, hoping to erase part of her campaign’s heavy debt. She told said Wednesday morning she already had raised $3.5 million.

Later Wednesday, her campaign said she was “on track to raise $10 million online in the 24 hours since” she was declared the victor. The campaign said it was her best fundraising day ever. She has been badly trailing Obama in fundraising, raising about half of what he did in March, the last reporting period.

The two-term New York senator’s popular vote margin in Pennsylvania, which hovered between 9 and 10 percentage points as late returns were tallied Wednesday, gave her at least 82 of the state’s 158 delegates, according to an Associated Press analysis of returns. Obama won at least 73.

That means Obama still leads with 1,723.5 delegates, including separately chosen party and elected officials known as superdelegates. Clinton has 1,592.5, according to the AP tally.

The candidates need 2,025 delegates to secure the Democratic nomination, meaning that the roughly 300 uncommitted superdelegates — out of a total of nearly 800 who have already lined up behind the candidates — were likely to decide the nomination. Superdelegates are party leaders who may choose whomever they like at the Democratic convention in August.

Barring a huge misstep by Obama, many superdelegates would be reluctant to ignore the ballots of the millions of Americans who have voted in record numbers in the most compelling party presidential nominating race in memory. Obama holds the lead in popular votes.

The remaining Democratic contests are primaries in North Carolina, Indiana, Oregon, Kentucky, West Virginia, Montana, South Dakota and Puerto Rico, and caucuses in Guam. Given party rules for apportioning delegates, both candidates would need improbably large victories in all those races to accumulate the necessary pledged delegates.

Both picked up superdelegate endorsements on Wednesday — Obama from Gov. Brad Henry of Oklahoma, who called him an inspirational leader who can unite the United States. Clinton was endorsed by U.S. Rep. John Tanner of Tennessee, co-founder of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of fiscally conservative Democrats in Congress.

Tanner, who said the country is facing an economic crisis, praised Clinton in a statement released by her campaign as a leader “who can work with others to return to fiscal sanity.”

Clinton, bidding to be the first woman U.S. president, overcame Obama’s massive spending in Pennsylvania, especially television advertising that cut the former first lady’s early and overwhelming advantage in the state. He too would make history in U.S. politics as the first black to lead the country.

The Pennsylvania matchup was fierce and bitter, which seemed to harden attitudes among Democrats. Only half of each Democrat’s supporters said they would be satisfied if the other Democrat won the nomination, according to interviews with voters as they left polling stations.

“After 14 long months, it’s easy to forget what this campaign’s about from time to time,” Obama told an Evansville, Indiana, rally, Tuesday night, obliquely conceding that the Pennsylvania race turned nasty.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the distractions and the silliness and the tit-for-tat that consumes our politics, the bickering that none of us are entirely immune to, and it trivializes the profound issues: two wars, an economy in recession, a planet in peril, issues that confront our nation. That kind of politics is not why we are here tonight. It’s not why I’m here, and it’s not why you’re here.”

Clinton, when challenged on voter assessments — even among her supporters — that she ran a negative campaign in an interview with a TV news outlet, said: “This is a very civil campaign by any objective standard.”

“That’s just the way campaigns are run,” she said.

The candidates quickly left hard-fought Pennsylvania behind and headed to fresh challenges in Indiana — seen as a tossup — and North Carolina, where the Illinois senator was expected to win easily because of the large population of fellow African Americans. Primaries in those states will be held May 6.

Istook: Blame Congress For Gas Prices

Former Congressman Ernest Istook, in a World Net Daily column out today, blames Congress for the price of a gallon of gasoline. He also offers other thoughts.

Read Istook's column at http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=62393.

State Retirees Seek Regular COLA Adjustments

By Angel Riggs/Tulsa World Capitol Bureau ~ Several retired state workers called on lawmakers on Wednesday to approve an automatic annual cost-of-living increase in retirement benefits to help retirees keep up with rapidly rising prices for fuel and health care.

The cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, would not further strain the state's tight budget because a 2 percent annual increase already is fac tored into the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System.

However, lawmakers must approve the 2 percent increase each year, said Sterling Zearley, executive director of the Oklahoma Public Employees Association.

Typically, he said, rather than giving an annual 2 percent increase, lawmakers will skip a year and then give the retirees a 4 percent increase during an election year.

Read the entire story at www.tulsaworld.com.

New Hope Scholarship Credit Bill Fails

Many low-income students will continue to be forced to attend historically under-performing schools because legislation failed in the House today, backers of the bill said.

Senate Bill 2093 would have created the New Hope Scholarship Credit. The bill would have offered tax credits to private individuals who donate to the created scholarship fund as a way to incentivize giving.

Only students who obtain free or reduced lunch and are attending a school that has been on the non-performing list for three or more years would have qualified.

“This is a sad day in Oklahoma. Once again our low-income, urban students are being punished academically because of their financial lot in life,” said Rep. Tad Jones, chairman of the House Education Committee. “This bill would have been null and void if all our schools raised their standards and got off the needs-improvement list.”

The legislation is needed because many Oklahoma students do not have the luxury to pick where they attend school, many of which have been on the needs improvement list for years with no sign of improvement in sight.

The fight will continue, supporters pledged today.

“All kids don’t learn the same, so why would we force them all into the same type of schools?” said Rep. Jabar Shumate, D-Tulsa. “I will fight until I am pushed out of this building for kids who otherwise are unable to realize their full potential because of their financial situation.”

Gumm Inducted Into Child Advocates Hall Of Fame

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) has inducted Senator Jay Paul Gumm into its Child Advocates Hall of Fame.

Gumm, a Democrat from Durant, was enshrined during OICA’s 25th Anniversary “Friends of Children” Hall of Fame celebration, held April 22 at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel in Oklahoma City.

Anne Roberts, OICA executive director, said Gumm was honored for his ongoing legislative efforts to protect children. Specifically, Gumm was noted for his work to reduce childhood poverty in Oklahoma.

Official English Bill Passes House Vote

Members of the Oklahoma voted today to make English the official language of state government.

Senate Bill 163, by Reps. Randy Terrill and George Faught and Senator Owen Laughlin, would put the English question to a statewide vote next November.

The proposed constitutional amendment would make English the official language of state government in Oklahoma.

Clean Campaign Act Advances In Senate

The Senate today voted for new restrictions on campaign fundraising after adopting amendments that ban lobbyist gifts and make it a misdemeanor to lie about a political opponent.

Critics predicted the amendments would be removed in a joint conference committee.

The ethics reform measure will prevent incumbent lawmakers from collecting donations during a legislative session and 15 days before and after a session.

Sponsors say that will counter speculation that a "pay-for-play" atmosphere exists at the Capitol, where contributions are tied to legislation under consideration.

The Oklahoma Clean Campaign Act of 2008 was introduced by Rep. David Dank and is sponsored in the Senate by Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee. Dank and Coffee are Oklahoma City Republicans.

The measure forbids the transfer of donations between political action committees, a practice that allows the identity of some campaign contributors to be hidden.

Senate OKs 'Scum Of The Earth Bill'

The Senate today approved the “Scum of the Earth Bill” which strenghtens the penalties for assaults on pregnant women. Senator Debbe Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City, is Senate author of the bill.

Jones Calls On Demo Senators To Declare Their Preferences In Presidential Primary

Republican Party Chairman Gary Jones called upon Democrat Senators to follow Governor Henry’s lead today in making public their preferences for President of the United States.

“Governor Henry continues to show his true liberal stripes,” said Jones. “He claims to be a bi-partisan governor but vetoes bipartisan legislation, including reasonable pro-life legislation and sensible tort reform measures on more than one occasion. Gambling has proliferated under his watch and the 'education governor' continues to lead the decline in Oklahoma’s national education rankings.

“He is clearly bucking for an administration position when his days on the Oklahoma payroll are over, and presenting his liberal bona fides to the Beltway crowd.

“I regret he didn’t show Oklahomans his true self when he ran for office.”

Jones then turned his attention to incumbent senators and candidates.

“Brad Henry is about to be history in Oklahoma,” he continued. “Oklahoma voters deserve to know who their Democrat Senators and aspiring Senators will support.

“Does Nancy Riley support Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton?

“Will Charlie Laster follow the lead of his friend from Shawnee and throw his support to Obama?

“Who can the voters of southeastern Oklahoma expect Richard Lerblance to support?” Jones asked. “I hardly believe either Clinton or Obama reflects the conservative, pro-family, pro-Second Amendment values of that region. Who will it be, Senator Lerblance?

“We already know that Senator Tom Adelson supports Obama. He was way out in front on that one, months ago,” he continued.

“Who can the voters in Lawton and southwest Oklahoma look to for leadership? Who will Keith Erwin or Rick Wolfe support for president?

“These are legitimate questions, because their presidential preferences are a window into how they would govern in the Senate.

“Hillary or Obama? Either choice is bad for Oklahoma,” Jones said.

“It makes no difference. Hillary or Obama will mean higher taxes, greater regulation and intrusion into our personal lives, the breakdown of the traditional family and a weakened national defense.

“Is this the kind of leadership Nancy Riley, Charlie Laster, Richard Lerblance, Tom Adelson and aspiring Democrat Senators would emulate?” he asked.

“Oklahoma voters deserve to know, stand up and be counted.” Jones concluded.

Superdelegate Jay Parmley: It's 'Not Over'

Former Oklahoma Democratic Party Chairman Jay Parmley (shown here, left background, with other Oklahoma party leaders at a Washington conference), who now works for Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and who is a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention, said today the race for his party's nomination for president "is not over" and he's not yet ready to endorse either candidate.

Parmely's comment came when he was asked by TMRO if, given Governor Henry's endorsement of Obama today, he is rethinking his position of not endorsing either candidate.

"I think Clinton's decisive victory in PA clearly demonstrates this race is not over and I really prefer to let the voters have a say before the Party leaders make their choice," Parmley said.

"I won't decide until after all of the primaries and caucuses are over in the states and territories," he told the Oklahoma Daily two weeks ago. "I think it is important to weigh not only how Oklahoma voted, but how the rest of the county has voted."

Dean has called on the party's superdelegates to make their choices clear by June.

Parmley currently works for the DNC as a top field representative. He served as the Mississippi Democratic Party's Coordinated Campaign Director and the Interim Executive Director of the South Carolina Democratic Party. From 2001-2005, Parmley was the fulltime elected chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. He is a past president of the Young Democrats of America serving from 1999-2001. Parmley was appointed by Dean as an At-Large member of the Democratic National Committee in 2005 and is a member of the DNC Budget and Finance Committee. Parmley is a frequent panelist at seminars sponsored by Democracy For America (DFA).

Superdelegate Henry Endorses Barack Obama

Governor Henry, a Democratic National Convention superdelegate, today endorsed Barack Obama for president. The endorsement immediately drew national attention on the cable television news shows and numerous Internet sites, including The Drudge Report.

It was a surprising, and unexpected, development in the race between Obama and Hillary Clinton and came on the heels of Clinton's win in Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary.

It's a surprise given Obama's record as the most liberal member of the U. S. Senate, and the fact he ran a distant second to Clinton in the Oklahoma presidential primary. It's unexpected, given Henry's earlier statement that he would not announce an endorsement until the Democratic National Convention in Denver this summer.

The announcement clearly was planned to follow immediately the Pennsylvania vote and was posted on Obama's campaign website, the same place the endorsements of OU President David Boren and former George U. S. Senator Sam Nunn were announced last week.

Henry called Obama an inspirational leader who can unite the country. He says the senator will be able to move beyond the divisiveness and partisanship that has characterized Washington politics.

The endorsement gives Obama the official support of 3 of Oklahoma's 10 superdelegates, while Clinton has the backing of 1 superdelegate. The rest are uncommitted.

The Henry endorsement is important for Obama; it continues a string of superdelegate endorsements for him and helps him rebuild whatever momentum he lost in Tuesday's loss to Clinton.

The endorsement comes on the same morning that The New York Times, which has endorsed Clinton, printed an editorial that came close to unendorsing her based on the tone of her "negative campaign."

Concludes the editorial: "It is getting to be time for the superdelegates to do what the Democrats had in mind when they created superdelegates: settle a bloody race that cannot be won at the ballot box. Mrs. Clinton once had a big lead among the party elders, but has been steadily losing it, in large part because of her negative campaign. If she is ever to have a hope of persuading these most loyal of Democrats to come back to her side, let alone win over the larger body of voters, she has to call off the dogs."

Clinton: 'Tide Is Turning' After Pennsylvania Win

Hillary Clinton declared the “tide is turning” Tuesday after scoring a critical victory by about 10 percent in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary, pushing the race ever forward to the nine remaining contests.

“Some counted me out and said to drop out,” Clinton told cheering supporters at a rally in Philadelphia. “But the American people don’t quit. And they deserve a president who doesn’t quit, either.”

Clinton beat Barack Obama in the Keystone State primary with a big boost from her core constituencies. Incomplete returns showed her poised to pull out a significant victory. With 84 percent of precincts reporting, Clinton had 55 percent and Obama had 45 percent.

Even with the win, Clinton's road to her party's nomination would require Obama to "blow a tire" in the words of one commentator. "The math, for her, just doesn't add up," he said.

House Approves Hunting, Fishing Proposal

The House voted today to give Oklahomans the opportunity to protect their right to hunt and fish by amending the state Constitution in November.

Senate Joint Resolution 38, by state Rep. Randy Terrill(R-Moore) and Senator Glenn Coffee (R-Oklahoma City), would place a state question on the November ballot allowing citizens to determine whether the right to hunt and angle and take game and fish should be protected by the Constitution.

"Oklahoma has a long tradition of hunting and fishing that precedes statehood by centuries," Terrill said. "Our right to hunt and fish is inherent and deserves constitutional protection, especially given the increasingly radical actions of liberal activist groups targeting outdoor gaming around the nation. This bill gives our citizens the chance to protect their rights from being taken away by people who have no respect for our traditions and values."

The resolution will add a new section to the Constitution that gives all Oklahomans the right to hunt, trap, fish, and take game and fish. The legislation would prevent new state laws from prohibiting anyone from engaging in such activities.

The bill has received the support of both the Oklahoma Rifle Association and the National Rifle Association.

In a joint memorandum of support, Joel Partridge, Oklahoma State Liaison for the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action, and Darren LaSorte, Manager of Hunting Policy for the NRA-ILA, urged lawmakers to support Senate Joint Resolution 38.

"Enshrining the right to hunt, fish and trap in the Oklahoma Constitution will protect the state's rich hunting heritage for generations to come against attacks from the well-funded anti-hunting interest groups like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)," Partridge and LaSorte wrote. "The group spends $120 million annually lobbying to incrementally stop hunting and animal agriculture across the country."

The letter states that Senate Joint Resolution 38 will "provide truly meaningful protections against the animal 'rights' radicals."

Partridge and LaSorte note that sportsmen generated $573.2 million in state economic activity in 2007 and created 6,755 jobs, according to the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Tony Snow Joins CNN As Commentator

Former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow has joined CNN as a conservative commentator.

Snow's new duties return him to the world of punditry he occupied for 10 years at CNN rival Fox News Channel. In addition, he was host of Fox broadcasting's "Fox News Sunday." Before joining Fox, Snow was a substitute co-host for CNN's "Crossfire."

Snow developed a syndicated radio talk show that was heard locally but abandoned it when he became press secretary.

Inhofe Sponsors Disabled Veterans Bill

Senator Jim Inhofe announced today he is co-sponsoring a bill that would provide more money for disabled veterans’ housing and driving needs, and provide for annual increases tied to inflation. The bill also provides inflation protection for veterans’ burial benefits and increases education benefits for National Guard and Reserve personnel.

In addition to his support for the Veterans’ benefits Enhancement Act of 2008, Inhofe said he will offer two additional amendments. One would create a special high-end medical facility to deal with the treatment and rehabilitation of traumatic extremity injuries and amputations. The other will authorize veterans to render a military salute during the playing of the National Anthem.

'Demarion's Law' Signed By Governor Henry

Child care facilities will soon be required to carry liability insurance to protect the families of children who are injured or killed as a result of the day care operator's negligence after Governor Henry today signed the measure into law.

House Bill 2863, authored by Rep. Mike Shelton, creates "Demarion's Law" and requires all child care facilities in order to maintain or obtain a license to carry a minimum of $200,000 of liability coverage for each incident of negligence that leads to any injury to a child that occurs while the child is on the premises of or in the care of the child care facility.

The bill passed overwhelming out of both the House and the Senate before heading to the governor.

"This is a monumental day for Demarion's parents and the entire state,"said Shelton, D-Oklahoma City. "Regulation of the child care industry sends the message to Oklahoma's parents that the state values the lives of their children and we are going to take every step necessary to ensure not only their children's safety, but also their family's finances. No parent should face the prospect of mountains of debt and possibly losing their home because of the negligence of a day care operator."

Shelton introduced the measure following a rash of tragic incidents at day care centers across the state and after learning of the heartbreaking story of three-year-old Demarion Pittman of Oklahoma City.

In August 2007, after returning from an outing while in the care of a day care center, he was left in a hot van for several hours and suffered extensive brain damage. Pittman's parents soon learned that not only did the day care facility not carry liability insurance, but also that the Department of Human Services does not require such facilities to carry insurance in order to obtain a license to operate.

Demarion's medical expenses have already topped more than $1 million dollars in six months.

Record Voter Turnout Seen In Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania voters are going to the polls today in an expected record turnout as Hillary Clinton looks for a big victory to keep her campaign hopes alive while Barack Obama hopes to keep her from making substantial gains.

Experts agree Clinton needs an 8+ percent win, at least, to remain viable.

Obama on Monday sought to downplay expectations, saying he is “not predicting a win” but said he thought he would do better than expectations.

On Tuesday, Clinton told voters she still hoped to be the nominee despite a string of primary losses broken only by a six-week stall in primary voting leading up to Tuesday’s balloting.

House Clears Sales Tax Holiday Expansion

Parents would be able to buy school supplies tax-free this fall if legislation passed in the House today becomes law.

Senate Bill 1149, by Rep. Don Armes and Senator Don Barrington, would expand the state’s back to school sales tax holiday to include school supplies, school art supplies and school instructional materials. The exemption would be limited to items costing less than $100.

The legislation is estimated to save parents about $17 million annually once fully implemented.

GOP's Jones Expects Delegates To Support McCain

By Michael McNutt/Capitol Bureau, The Oklahoman ~ The chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party said Monday he's confident all 23 delegates up for nomination to the national GOP convention will be loyal to the party's presidential presumptive nominee, Sen. John McCain.

Republican officials last weekend interviewed 114 people who had applied for the delegate spots, state GOP Chairman Gary Jones said. A slate of 23 at-large delegates and 23 alternates will be submitted during the Oklahoma Republican Party's convention next month.

Jones said party officials wanted to know from each of the delegates what "they're going to do to support our nominee, John McCain.”

Ron Paul supporters are continuing efforts to win delegates at Oklahoma's convention, scheduled for May 2-3 in Tulsa.

Paul supporters are hosting a "speech coaching” session April 29 in Oklahoma City.

McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, captured Oklahoma's 23 at-large delegates when he won the state's Feb. 5 presidential primary. Three state GOP officials, Jones and the national committeeman and committeewoman, automatically go as delegates; all three are supporting McCain.

Fifteen other delegates were awarded to the winning candidate in each of the state's five congressional districts. McCain got nine of those delegates – three in each of the three congressional districts he won.

State law requires each delegate or alternate delegate to the national convention to cast his or her vote on all ballots for the candidate who won Oklahoma's vote unless that candidate is "no longer a candidate.” After that candidate withdraws, for example, the Oklahoma delegates may vote for any candidate.

Bode: Clean Skies TV Launches Today

Former Corporation Commissioner Denise Bode, who now heads the Clean Skies Foundation in Washington, announced on the group's website that its new Internet-based television-style news show will debut today, Earth Day.

Bode, who resigned a year ago to become CEO of the foundation, is now based in Washington. The foundation was formed by Chesapeake Energy and its chairman, Aubrey McClendon, who also serves as chairman of the foundation. Bode and broadcaster Ron Black now host "Energy Matters," a series of brief reports, on radio station KTOK in Oklahoma City, and other stations.

One of those involved in the pioneering Internet news show is former KOCO-TV news anchor Tyler Suiters, who announced a week ago he had resigned to join Clean Skies TV in Washington. Suiters made his on-air debut this afternoon with a field report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge during primary anchor Susan McGinnis's segment.

Bode writes that the site will air energy news updates every hour and provide programming throughout the day at http://www.cleanskies.tv/. (This morning's programming included a panel discussion about the presidential candidates and their positions on energy with panelists from The Associated Press, The Hill and Reuters.)

Bode's announcement, and and more about the new programming, can be found at http://www.cleanskies.org/.

Bush Disapproval Rating Hits Record High

President Bush has set a record he'd presumably prefer to avoid: the highest disapproval rating of any president in the 70-year history of the Gallup Poll.

In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday, 28 percent of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing; 69 percent disapprove.

The approval rating matches the low point of his presidency, and the disapproval sets a new high for any president since Franklin Roosevelt.

The previous record of 67 percent was reached by Harry Truman in January 1952, when the United States was enmeshed in the Korean War.

House Approves Speed-up Of Death Tax End

The House voted today to speed up the elimination of Oklahoma's death tax.

"The death tax is simply immoral and the sooner we get rid of it, the better," said Rep. Rob Johnson (pictured), House author of the measure. "Families shouldn't have to face both the undertaker and the tax collector in the same week."

Senate Bill 1383, by state Senator Mike Johnson (R-Kingfisher) and Johnson (R-Kingfisher), would accelerate the repeal of the death tax, also known as the "estate tax."

Currently, the state death tax is set to be repealed beginning January 1, 2010. Senate Bill 1383 advances the repeal to January 1, 2009.

The measure would save grieving families an estimated $30.2million per year.

"Most Oklahomans believe that if you work hard and play by the rules, you should have the chance to be successful and eventually provide a better life for your children," Johnson said. "The death tax essentially robs families of the American Dream and I'm pleased that my colleagues have joined me in eradicating it."

The bill passed the House by overwhelming, bipartisan 73-22 vote. It now returns to the Senate for action.

Clinton Maintains Pennsylvania Poll Lead

Hillary Clinton might well be headed for victory in Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary, according to two polls released on Monday. The question is, Can she win by enough to justify the continuance of her campaign?

Experts say Clinton needs a double-digit win, but others say anything beyond 8 percent will do. Some of Clinton's own supporters have said a 10-point win is vital.

Barack Obama's strategists believe anything less than a double-digit win for Clinton will be seen as a defeat for her and a victory for Obama. At one time, Clinton held a 20-point lead in the state.

In two final polls before voting begins tomorrow, Clinton leads by 7 to 10 percent.

Clinton leads Barack Obama by 10 points (52-42) among likely Pennsylvania Democratic voters in a poll conducted by Suffolk University. Four percent of Democratic voters polled were undecided, and 2 percent declined to respond. The poll also found that 20 percent of the same Democratic voters said they would vote for John McCain in November if their Democratic choice fails to win the party’s nomination.

Click here to see the full results of the Suffolk University poll.

Another poll released by Quinnipiac University found Clinton holding a 7 point lead over Obama (51-44) among likely Democratic primary voters.

McCain Rips Obama For Coburn Remark

Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Sunday criticized Barack Obama for comparing former Weather Underground terrorist William Ayers to Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., during Wednesday’s ABC News democratic presidential debate.

Obama said he did not agree with the views held by many of his associates, including Coburn, who once proposed the death penalty for those who perform abortions. He made the statement in defending his links to Ayers, now a Chicago professor who a few years ago refused to apologize for bombs the Weather Underground planned to detonate in New York, saying that if anything, they didn't detonate enough bombs.

“Worst thing of all, that, I think, really indicates Senator Obama’s attitude, is he had the incredible statement that he compared Mr. Ayers, an unrepentant terrorist, with Senator Tom Coburn, Senator Coburn, a physician who goes to Oklahoma on the weekends and brings babies into life,” McCain said.

“Comparing those two — I mean, that’s not — that’s an attitude, frankly, that certainly isn’t in keeping with the overall attitude,” he said.

Can Clinton Pull Off A Big Pennsylvania Win?

From Fox News ~ In Pennsylvania, it’s not just about winning for Hillary Clinton. It’s about winning big.

Clinton trails Barack Obama in delegates and is struggling to convince uncommitted superdelegates that her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination is still alive and kicking. To that end, her campaign is looking for a commanding victory Tuesday to give her momentum going into the Indiana and North Carolina primaries two weeks later.

“A double-digit victory in Pennsylvania would be huge,” Clinton supporter and former Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Hoeffel told FOX News. “That double-digit victory is within reach and it would be a tremendous turnaround.”

With three days to go until the Pennsylvania primary, both candidates stormed through the Keystone State on Saturday, taking jabs at each other’s character. Obama told voters Clinton is a “slash and burn” Washington game-player. Clinton suggested Obama is all talk, no substance.

Polls show Clinton consistently leading in Pennsylvania, but since late March, Obama has narrowed that margin to about 5 or 6 percentage points.

Obama aides tell FOX News the goal is to keep Clinton’s lead to single digits. This would dull Clinton’s argument that she consistently wins big in large industrial states that are key in a general election. Clinton won by 10 points in Ohio and New Jersey and by 17 in her home state of New York.

In a sweep across the southeastern part of the state, Obama clambered aboard a shiny, royal blue train car Saturday morning in Philadelphia after speaking to about 35,000 supporters the night before — the largest crowd of his campaign.

Clinton, meanwhile, spoke under a baking sun outside West Chester’s 175-year-old fire house, striking a somber note about problems at home and abroad as she described the stakes for voters Tuesday.

“I don’t want to just show up and give one of those whoop-dee-do speeches and get everybody whipped up,” she said. “I want everyone thinking.”

The primary Tuesday follows a month-long hiatus in voting, a gap the candidates filled in large measure by sullying each other.

Clinton has been trying to cast Obama as a flimsy candidate, even poking fun at him for complaining about the rough treatment he got at a debate Wednesday in Philadelphia. On Saturday she said the “incredible pressures of a political campaign” are a good way to test which candidate can handle the pressure of the presidency.

Clinton worked hard over the past week, in interviews and in a television ad, to get electoral mileage out of Obama’s controversial claim to a group of California donors that small-town voters “cling” to guns and religion out of bitterness over lost jobs.

But only Tuesday will tell how well that worked. Pennsylvania polls have stayed pretty much steady for the past week while national polls have fluctuated wildly.

'60s Bomber Or Tom Coburn? Obama's Problem

By Byron York/The Hill ~ If we’re judged by those with whom we associate, here’s a question: Would you rather be associated with a ’60s radical who plotted to bomb the Pentagon and to this day believes, as he said a few years ago, “I don’t regret setting bombs; I feel we didn’t do enough,” or would you rather be associated with — slight pause, please — Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)?

That was the rather bizarre scenario raised by Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) at Wednesday night’s Democratic presidential debate in Philadelphia.

ABC’s George Stephanopoulos asked Obama about Obama’s relationship with William Ayers, the unrepentant former member of the Weather Underground.

“An early organizing meeting for your state Senate campaign was held at his house, and your campaign has said you are friendly,” Stephanopoulos said to Obama. “Can you explain that relationship for the voters, and explain to Democrats why it won’t be a problem?”

At first Obama downplayed his connection with Ayers. “This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who’s a professor of English in Chicago, who I know and who I have not received an official endorsement from,” Obama said. “He’s not somebody who I exchange ideas with on a regular basis.”

Then Obama downplayed the question’s relevance. “The notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8 years old, somehow reflects on me and my values doesn’t make much sense.”

And then, the Coburn Card.

“The fact is that I’m also friendly with Tom Coburn, one of the most conservative Republicans in the United States Senate,” Obama said, “who during his campaign once said that it might be appropriate to apply the death penalty to those who carried out abortions.

“Do I need to apologize for Mr. Coburn’s statements? Because I certainly don’t agree with those, either.”

Where to start?

Well, Coburn is ardently anti-abortion. So much so that he once said, during his 2004 Senate campaign, “I favor the death penalty for abortionists and other people who take life.”

It’s a far-out position. But note a couple of things. Coburn also said in the campaign that he realizes abortion is not, you know, against the law. And he does not support the death penalty for people who haven’t broken the law and who haven’t received due process if they have.

“I understand what the law is,” Coburn said during the 2004 campaign. “My hope would be that we would get back to a time when we recognize the value of life, and I think we’re not.”

Now, that’s still an out-there position. Coburn’s dream is not going to happen.

But wouldn’t Coburn be more comparable to Ayers if he, Coburn, had bombed abortion clinics in the past — and then said that he not only did not regret bombing the clinics but wished that he had done more? And then, after bombing abortion clinics and refusing to express regret, he held a political event in his home for Barack Obama, which Obama attended?

And if all that had happened, would Obama say it wasn’t a problem because Coburn had bombed those clinics a long time ago, when Obama was just 8 years old?

Do you believe that would endear Obama to voters in the Democratic primaries?

As it was, Obama used his Senate colleague Coburn to suggest that the issue was not one of violence, and radicalism, and lawbreaking, but rather a simple disagreement: Sen. Coburn and I disagree on some things, and yet we’re still friendly. Bill Ayers and I disagree on some things, and yet we’re still friendly. So what’s the problem?

That’s not quite good enough.

Obama needs to tell us more about his relationship with Ayers. It’s important because voters might well wonder whether that relationship, coupled with Obama’s longtime relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, is the beginning of a pattern, a pattern in which Obama seems quite comfortable with people who really, really, really don’t like the United States of America.

It’s a reasonable question, and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) was right to suggest that Republicans will raise it in the general election campaign if Obama is the Democratic candidate.

They will — and they should.

Why not clear it up now?

York is a White House correspondent for National Review. His column appears in The Hill each week.

Voter Registration Increases By 44,000-Plus

Voter registration in Oklahoma has increased, a possible reflection of interest in the presidential campaign, a state official says.

More than 44,000 new voters have been added statewide since the end of 2007, said Election Board Assistant Secretary Fran Roach.

At the end of 2007, there were 2,013,942 registered voters in Oklahoma, records show. By April 1, the number was 2,058,091.

"These are pretty high numbers," said Roach, who believes registration numbers are rising because of the presidential campaign. "There's so much interest in the races," she said.

Dan Boren Doesn't Join Father's Obama Nod

David Boren's endorsement of Barack Obama on Friday drew this pointed comment from his son, 2nd District Congressman Dan Boren: "This in no way means that I will endorse Obama,” said Congressman Dan Boren, a superdelegate to this summer's Democratic National Convention. "I remain uncommitted to either candidate. As a conservative Democrat, it is my hope that both candidates will move their messages closer to the center to reflect what I believe are the values of an overwhelming majority of my constituents.”

Paul Plot: There's Something More Than Meets The Eye About These Ron Paul Revolutionaries

By Michael D. Bates/Urban Tulsa Weekly ~ An energetic movement of idealistic young people seeks to make their candidate the Republican nominee for president. They aren't deterred by the fact that he has only managed to win about five percent of the vote and a dozen delegates in the primaries so far.

They have a plan for victory at the Republican National Convention, a plan that includes Oklahoma's May 3 Republican state convention as a crucial battle.

The prospect has party officials worried.

Some of his over-enthusiastic supporters have vandalized public property with graffiti and flooded online polls in support of their man. (Other supporters claim that his enemies are stenciling his name on bridge abutments to discredit him.)

Their habit of using search engines to find and flood every blog entry and Internet forum thread invoking their candidate's name led Oklahoma City blogger Charles G. Hill of dustbury.com to invent a code name for him: "Pon Farr," a Star Trek reference to the Vulcan mating season that aptly captures the nerdy passion of the candidate's followers.

Their zeal has earned them a plethora of nicknames from their detractors: Ronulans, Paulbots, Paultards. They call themselves the Ron Paul Revolution, but one thing you can't call them is a bunch of quitters.

The Texas Congressman and obstetrician is the original "Dr. No," often the lone vote against bills that he believes violate the limits that the Constitution places on the powers of the Federal Government. But it's his position against American military involvement in Iraq that seems to motivate much of his youthful support base.

Paul was the 1988 presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party, but he is seeking the Republican nomination this year. His supporters believe they can compensate for his poor primary showing with superior organization.

Conventional wisdom says that Arizona Sen. John McCain has the Republican presidential nomination sewn up. CNN's delegate count puts McCain at more than 1300 delegates, more than enough for a majority on the first ballot at the convention. All of his rivals have suspended their campaigns.

Not since 1976, when Gov. Ronald Reagan nearly defeated incumbent Pres. Gerald Ford, has the nomination been in doubt when the convention was called to order. Traditionally, since nothing of substance has to be decided, congressional district and state conventions send longtime volunteers and faithful donors to the national convention as a reward for their service to the party.

These delegates are wined and dined by corporate sponsors. The convention program is designed mainly as an infomercial for the party, using free network airtime to spotlight the presidential nominee, candidates in key Senate races, and rising-star governors. Delegates get a chance to be up close and personal with the political and media celebrities they watch on Fox News.

I was a delegate in 2004, and it was great fun. But the actual business of the convention -- choosing nominees for president and vice president, voting on a platform, and establishing rules to govern the Republican Party for the next four years -- was treated as a mere formality.

But all that is grounded in tradition, and nothing in the party rules says those traditions have to be followed.

Here in Oklahoma, Paul won about 3% of the statewide primary vote. McCain finished first, winning statewide and in three congressional districts, entitling him to 32 convention delegates. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won the 1st and 2nd Districts; he gets six national delegates.

State law and state party rules bind delegates to vote for the choice of the primary voters on the first ballot, but they don't require that the delegates have to be supporters of the candidate to whom they're bound. If Huckabee releases his delegates before the convention, as expected, those delegates will be free to vote for whomever they will.

Paul's supporters have captured five of the 15 delegate seats that were filled at Oklahoma's congressional district conventions -- three belonging to McCain and two to Huckabee. They won seven of the 15 alternate positions -- six of McCain's and one of Huckabee's. They managed this by getting their people to the district conventions and working the voting system to their advantage. They also managed it with a certain amount of stealth. At the 1st District convention in Tulsa on April 5, a dozen or so ran for delegate. In their speeches, they never mentioned their support for Ron Paul, and they stayed away from Paul's distinctive positions. In particular, there were no mentions of the war in Iraq. They tried to come across as enthusiastic young Reaganauts, emphasizing issues held in common with mainstream conservatives.

But an anonymous flyer outed them, based on a list of the Oklahoma Ron Paul meet-up group found on ronpaulexposed.blogspot.com.

And so the Ron Paul Revolution came away from the 1st District convention empty-handed. Long-time Republicans turned their people out and held a 60-40 advantage over the newcomers. This majority voted for the candidates they knew from years of party involvement.

Instant runoff voting--in use since the 2000 1st District Convention (at my encouragement)--ensured that whichever side held the majority would prevail.

I oversaw the tallying of the votes, in which many of the Paul people participated. While they were disappointed in the outcome, they seemed satisfied that the process was fair.

Paul's fans still have hopes of winning the state's 23 at-large delegates at the May 3 state convention, to be held at the Renaissance Hotel in Tulsa. The state party's executive committee (of which I am a member) will nominate a slate of at-large delegates and alternates. Traditionally, these slates are elected by acclamation, but that tradition can be overturned by the will of the majority and another slate elected.

The Paul supporters may also try to win Oklahoma's two open seats on the Republican National Committee. That would not only give them two more national convention delegates but two places on the party's governing body for the next four years.

If similar efforts in other states give Paul a majority of national delegates, a simple rule change could unbind all delegates from voting according to primary results, clearing the way for Paul's nomination.

Even control of a handful of state delegations would give Paul considerable leverage over the proceedings, including the choice of a vice presidential running mate and the rules that will govern the 2012 nomination process.

The machine against which the Paulinistas rage is made up of people who were insurgents themselves once upon a time. Many members of the current GOP "establishment"--the activists who hold party offices, attend caucuses, conventions, and the monthly meetings of various Republican clubs, and provide a volunteer base for Republican campaigns--came into the party as Reagan supporters in the mid to late '70s, as Christian Coalition-trained activists in the late '80s, or as talk radio fans in the early '90s.

These pro-military, pro-gun-rights, pro-life, and pro-tax-cut conservatives wanted to do away with business as usual in Washington, and after some nasty battles at county, district, and state conventions, they displaced a previous establishment that had been content to offer cut-rate versions of liberal Democratic policies and to languish as a permanent political minority.

The current party leadership can hardly be called mushy moderates. In 2004, when wealthy Republican donors backed Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys' campaign for U. S. Senate, grassroots conservatives lined up to support Tom Coburn, helping him to an overwhelming primary victory.

Oklahoma's party activists continue to hold to conservative views across the board on fiscal, social, constitutional, foreign policy, and border security issues.

The old-timers welcome the newcomers' support for a smaller Federal government and lower taxes, but they're wary that Ron Paul's supporters, some of them ponytailed and pierced, may tilt the balance in the party against social conservatism.

Their biggest policy dispute involves the Global War on Terror. To long-time Republicans, Ron Paul's "simple, humble foreign policy" looks like naïve appeasement of an aggressive religious ideology that seeks to destroy our way of life.

If nothing else, the Ron Paul insurgency has forced traditional conservatives, apathetic after years of tranquil conventions, to re-engage with the political process.

This year's Republican National Convention could rival the Democrats' Clinton/Obama clash for drama and conflict. What happens on May 3 here in Tulsa will give us an early glimpse of what could happen in September in St. Paul.

Michael D. Bates's BatesLine is a widely-read Oklahoma blog.

9:02 a.m., April 19, 1995

Oklahoma's Unemployment Rate Drops Again

State officials say Oklahoma's unemployment rate has dropped again.

The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission reported Friday that Oklahoma's unemployment rate dropped in March to 3.2 percent.

That's a decline from February's rate of 3.5 percent. The rate dropped more than a full percentage point from last March's rate of 4.3 percent.

The agency reported Oklahoma's statewide non-farm employment increased by more than 11,000 jobs in March. Statewide, employment grew in all industry sectors except for manufacturing, which reported a 100-job loss.

McCain Releases 2007 Income Tax Return

Republican John McCain today released his 2007 income tax return, which shows that while he's doing well, he's nowhere near rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

The 71-year-old Arizona senator reported total income of $405,409 last year, and paid $84,460 in federal income taxes.

McCain files his taxes separately from his wife, Cindy, whose fortune is in the $100 million range. Because Arizona is a community property state, McCain and his wife each must report one-half of their shared income and expenses. So, though McCain reported $258,800 in taxable income on his 2007 return, the couple's joint taxable income was twice that amount. And overall, the couple's total earned income for last year was more than $771,000.

McCain's two Democratic rivals released information about their taxes earlier. Both Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton file their taxes jointly with their spouses, giving a broader picture of each family's wealth and income last year. Obama and his wife, Michelle, reported making $4.2 million in 2007, while the Clintons reported $20.4 million in income.

NBA Team Owners Approve SuperSonics Move

NBA team owners voted 28-2 today to approve the relocation of the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City.

One of the first to respond to the announcement was House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa, who said, “I am thrilled the NBA relocation committee voted today to allow the SuperSonics to move to Oklahoma City. Having a major league sports team in Oklahoma elevates our state to a new level nationally and internationally.” “State and Oklahoma City officials came together to craft an economic incentive package that proved to the Sonics ownership we are serious about becoming a major league state. And today the committee showed they see Oklahoma’s potential.”

Senator Jim Inhofe said, “The relocation of the NBA Supersonics franchise to Oklahoma City is a slam-dunk for not only the city, but the whole state of Oklahoma,” Senator Inhofe said. “Oklahoma City proved itself to be a first-rate city for a NBA franchise after its strong support for the Hornets franchise and the City of New Orleans while it recovered from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

“Despite last-minute lobbying by Washington State's political leaders to derail the vote on relocation, Oklahoma City and our entire state have taken the latest step toward being the permanent home of a NBA franchise. As evidenced by the lopsided vote of the owners, Oklahoma City and the Sonics management presented a strong case to the NBA.

“The Sonics’ relocation to Oklahoma City has truly been a team effort: from the state legislature's passage of and the Governor’s support for the Quality Jobs incentive legislation, the efforts of Mayor Mick Cornett and the local Oklahoma City business and civic community, to the outstanding leadership of Clay Bennett, Aubrey McClendon, Tom Ward, Jeffrey Records and the rest of the Sonics ownership team. Finally, our state can boast some of the best fans in the country - this move is a testament to their dedication.”

Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee said, “Oklahomans already knew we were ready to become the permanent home for a big league sports franchise, and today’s decision by NBA owners shows that they agree. This is a proud and exciting day for the entire State of Oklahoma, and is evidence that when Oklahomans work together we can make great things happen."

MSNBC: Boren, Nunn Endorse Obama, Join His National Security Policy Advisory Team

MSNBC is reporting that University of Oklahoma President David Boren, former governor and U. S. Senator, and former Georgia U. S. Senator Sam Nunn today endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president.

The Obama For President website later posted this announcement: Chicago, IL – Today, former Senators Sam Nunn and David L. Boren endorsed Barack Obama for president, citing his judgment and vision to be Commander in Chief and his ability to strengthen our national security. Nunn and Boren have accepted Senator Obama’s invitation to serve as advisers to his National Security Foreign Policy Team.

Senator Nunn served for 25 years (1972-1997) in the United States Senate and was Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee from 1987 through 1995.

Senator Boren served in the United States Senate from 1979 to 1994 and is the longest-serving Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Between them, the two senators bring nearly 60 years of service and experience in elective office.

Former Senator Sam Nunn said, “America remains the strongest nation in the world, but we can only be successful in tackling our toughest problems if we gain cooperation at home and abroad. Our next president – working across party and economic lines – must restore and strengthen our national purpose, our credibility, our competence and our spirit. “We need a president who has the temperament of a leader – a sharp, incisive, strategic mind, a rare capacity for self criticism, and a willingness to hear contrary points of view.

“Based on my conversations with Senator Obama, reading his book and his speeches and seeing the kind of campaign he has run, I believe that he is our best choice to lead our nation. Senator Obama, as evidenced by his words and his deeds, recognizes that: · We have developed a habit of avoiding the tough decisions and seemingly lost our ability to build consensus to tackle head-on our biggest challenges. · Demonizing the opposition, oversimplifying the issues, and dumbing down the political debate prevent our country from coming together to make tough decisions and tackle our biggest challenges. · Solving America’s problems will require difficult choices and sacrifices and leaders capable of considering new ideas from both political parties. · On foreign policy and security policy, we must recognize that we are not limited to a choice between belligerency and isolation and that we must listen to lead successfully on the key issues facing America and the world. · Our next president must also recognize that the battle against violent terrorists, while requiring a prudent use of military power, is also a long-term contest of psychology and ideas.

“I believe that Senator Obama has a rare ability to restore America’s credibility and moral authority and to get others to join us in tackling serious global problems that will determine our own well being and security. I believe that he will bring to the White House, high principles, clear vision and sound judgment. I believe that he will inspire people to put aside extreme partisanship for the common good. I believe that he will awaken the energy and idealism of people who have never been active in public affairs, particularly our young people. I believe that he will also attract skilled, experienced and energetic people to government and will have the sound judgment to put together an outstanding governing team, bringing people together across old boundaries.

“I believe that Barack Obama is the right choice for our nation. My own role in this campaign will be as an advisor – particularly in the field of national security and foreign policy.”

Former Senator David L. Boren said, “I am joining Senator Barack Obama’s advisory team on foreign policy and national security because I believe it is my duty as a citizen to do all I can to help our country at this critical moment. Our strength is declining. Eighty-one percent of Americans believe we are headed in the wrong direction. We must act quickly to meet and overcome the challenges we face.

“Our most urgent task is to end the divisions in our country, to stop the political bickering, and to unite our talents and efforts. Americans of all persuasions are pleading with our political leaders to bring us together. I believe Senator Obama is sincerely committed to that effort. He has made a non-partisan approach to all issues a top priority.

“Senator Obama is also a person of sound and good judgment. He had the good judgment more than five years ago to warn against our involvement in this tragic and costly war. He also understands the need to repair our partnerships with other nations and to more effectively use diplomacy to serve our national interests. It is my hope that in sharing what I have learned during my time in public service, I will be helping my country.”

Senator Barack Obama said, “I am honored to have the support and counsel of two of our nation’s leading voices on national security, and two of our most respected advocates for national unity. Few public servants have done more than Sam Nunn to keep America safe, and I look forward to drawing on his counsel as we work to combat nuclear proliferation and other threats to America’s national security. David Boren is one of our nation’s foremost experts on intelligence, and he has been a powerful and passionate advocate for bipartisanship in Washington. Both of these men will be important sources of advice and counsel for our campaign in the months ahead.”

Oklahoma Superdelegate Goes For Obama

Barack Obama picked up another superdelegate in his march to the Democratic nomination for president as Oklahoma City attorney Reggie Whitten announced he's in the Illinois senator's camp.

Whitten, an "add-on" superdelegate named by Democratic State Chairman Ivan Holmes, is now one of two Oklahoma superdelegates supporting Obama; the other is party Vice Chair Kitti Asberry. Hillary Clinton has one in her camp, National Committeewoman Betty McElderry.

Politico.com reports that Obama now has 232 superdelegates, Clinton 251. At one time, Clinton had a 100-plus advantage.

Lew Ward Named To Wall Of Honor

Enid oilman Lew Ward, long active in Republican politics, has been named to the Wall of Honor of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association's "Wildcatter's Club."

Ward, with his geologist wife Myra, built his Ward Petroleum Corp. into a prosperous entity and became a national energy leader in the process. He serves on the National Petroleum Council and is a founder and board member of Sarkey's Energy Center at the University of Oklahoma College of Engineering. He graduated from OU in 1953 with a degree in petroleum engineering. He's also a member of the International Society of Energy Advocates.

Ward became known for his Oklahoma GOP involvement during Henry Bellmon's first campaign for governor. Ward subsequently was heavily involved in Bellmon's campaigns and those of the late Governor and U. S. Senator Dewey F. Bartlett, as well as others.

Francis Stipe Admits Guilt To All Charges

Francis Stipe today pleaded guilty to all federal charges as part of an agreement reached as a jury was entering its forth day of deliberations in the case.

Stipe, 77, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, mail fraud, witness-tampering and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction.

Prosecutors had alleged that $191,000 was steered from the state Legislature to buy property owned by Francis Stipe’s brother, former Senator Gene Stipe, for a dog food plant in 2002.

Francis Stipe was president of the McAlester Foundation, the agency that administered the state funds.

As part of the plea agreement, Francis Stipe will receive three years of probation, six months of home detention and pay a $500,000 fine.

Gene Stipe, 81, faces the same charges as his brother, but mental competency issues related to his dementia diagnosis have delayed his trial.

Benge Praises NBA Quality Jobs Act Bill; Henry Quickly Signs It Into Law

With the quick signature of Governor Henry, Oklahoma has done its part to attract its first major league sports team following the House passage of an expansion of the Quality Jobs Program today, House Speaker Chris Benge said.

The legislation, which expands the program to include the NBA and the 170 jobs with a $74 million payroll it is estimated to bring to the state, passed the House and went to Henry for action; he quickly signed it into law.

Senate Bill 1819 also extends the act to cover a 15-year period and puts a reimbursement cap on the incentives from the state to not exceed the top tax rate in Oklahoma. Currently the tax rate is 5.5 percent.

The change is part of a requested financial package the team needed to make the move to Oklahoma. The NBA relocation committee is expected to vote Friday on a request to move the SuperSonics basketball team from Seattle to Oklahoma City.

If the team moves to Oklahoma, the state will be one of only 22 states and 28 cities with a team. Benge, House author of the legislation, said bringing a major league team to Oklahoma City financially benefits the entire state.

“By having a professional sports team in Oklahoma we will gain exposure to our state nationally and internationally,” said Benge, R-Tulsa. “This will provide an opportunity to compete for additional jobs to come to the state.”

On ESPN alone, Benge said, Oklahoma will be mentioned every game night and be seen by 90 million viewers. That is not to mention scores being listed on just about every TV station and in every newspaper in the country.

“Employers not only look at the business climate of the state when looking to relocate, but they also look at available workforce, the state’s tax structure, and the quality of life the state would offer its employees,” said Benge. “There is no doubt having a major league sports team puts us in competition with other states when businesses are looking to move.”

It is estimated that local and state tax revenue to the state over a 15 year period will be $11.2 million.

“This is likely a once in a lifetime opportunity for our state, and I am glad we will be able to say we did all we could do to bring a team to Oklahoma,” said Benge.

Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee said, “The State of Oklahoma has done its part to help attract an NBA franchise to Oklahoma. Landing a major league sports team will provide an economic benefit to the entire state, and will put Oklahoma on the map as a ‘major league’ state." Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, author of SB 1819, added, “This is fabulous news for the people of Oklahoma.” Coffee noted that the state budget won’t be impacted because the rebates provided for in this bill would come from funds that the state wouldn’t receive at all if the NBA doesn’t locate a team here.

The bill passed the House with a vote of 67-32 today and will now go to the governor for his signature.

Henry Issues Veto Statement

Governor Henry today issued this statement on the override of his veto of an anti-abortion bill: “I knew it would be an uphill battle to sustain the veto, but I thought it was important to fight to protect rape and incest victims from additional distress.

“I do not think it is morally responsible for the state to victimize those victims a second time by forcing them to undergo an ultrasound and hear a detailed description of it after they have made the difficult and heartwrenching decision to end their pregnancy. Under a law I previously signed, these women already have the option to request an ultrasound, but forcing the procedure on them after the trauma they have already suffered as a rape or incest victim is government regulation gone wrong.

“Pro-life Oklahomans have supported similar protections for rape and incest victims in the past, and I am disappointed that legislators were unwilling to afford similar protections in this measure.

“As I have said many times, I support reasonable restrictions on abortion procedures and have signed several such bills into law during my time in office. I continue to be open to such reasonable measures, but I will not hesitate to oppose initiatives that go too far and ultimately do more harm than good.

“I want to thank all the legislators who stood with me today on this important issue. Political operatives will undoubtedly attempt to distort this vote in the upcoming election, but the truth of the matter is these lawmakers simply did what they thought was right to protect rape and incest victims. That takes courage, and I appreciate that.”

ABC Debate Moderators: Less Than Stellar

Critics are panning ABC News for its performance at the Democratic presidential debate Wednesday night. Even moderator Charlie Gibson recognized that it wasn’t going well.

Many media critics gave ABC poor reviews, arguing that the debate focused not on policy, but on gaffes by both candidates that have made the news in the last few weeks.

The debate was the last to be held before Pennsylvania voters go to the polls on Tuesday to determine who will get the majority of the 158 delegates from that state.

Among the worst offenses to media analysts and viewers was the number of commercial breaks taken, including one just minutes into the two-hour telecast, immediately after Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama made their opening statements.

Gibson later earned jeers for taking a break shortly before the end of the program. Boos could be heard, and Gibson threw up his hands in defeat.

“Oh,” he said with a nervous laugh to co-moderator George Stephanopoulos. “The crowd is turning on me, the crowd is turning on me.”

Statewide Term Limits Measure Passes House

Statewide office holders would be limited to a maximum of 12 years in office if legislation passed out of the House today becomes law.

The change would also have to be approved by a vote of the people this fall.

Currently, state lawmakers are limited to 12 years in office, and the governor is limited to two, four year terms.

Senate Bill 1987, by Rep. Trebor Worthen, would add all statewide elected officials like the lieutenant governor and the attorney general to the state’s term limits law. The governor would remain limited to eight years in office.

“The people of Oklahoma have shown they support term limits as a way to bring fresh ideas into the legislative process,” said Worthen, R-Oklahoma City. “I am confident that if given the chance, they would expand the term limits law to statewide elected officials to ensure they stay accountable to the voters.”

The resolution would appear on the ballot in November, and if approved, would then apply to officeholders first elected in the 2010 election.

The bill passed the House today with a vote of 56-44 and will now return to the Senate for final consideration. The measure does not require the governor’s signature.

HOUSE OVERRIDES HENRY VETO

The House this morning followed the Senate in voting to override Governor Henry's veto of an anti-abortion bill.

The vote was 81-15 with five members absent.

It is the first gubernatorial veto overridden by the State Legislature since the administration of former Gov. David Walters. “I want to thank my Senate and House colleagues for taking a stand for the unborn and for the sanctity of life by overriding this unconscionable veto,” said Senator Todd Lamb, R-Edmond, author of Senate Bill 1878. Lamb said he wanted to correct a factual error that was contained in the governor’s veto message that was sent to the Legislature Wednesday night. “Gov. Henry was factually inaccurate in his assertion that this bill forces victims of rape and incest to view an ultrasound of their unborn baby. The bill in no way forces a woman to view the ultrasound that is conducted before an abortion,” Lamb stated. Senate Bill 1878 is authored by Lamb, and Rep. Pam Peterson, R-Tulsa.

SENATE OVERRRIDES HENRY VETO

The State Senate this morning voted 37-11 to override Governor Henry's veto of an anti-abortion bill.

The Senate vote approving the bill earlier was 38-10.

All those who voted this morning to sustain the override are Democrats. Included are Andrew Rice, candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U. S. Senate, and Senate Co-President Pro Tem Mike Morgan.

Supporters of the bill expect a similar result in the House, which may take up the override immediately.

Mike Reynolds Rips NBA 'Boondoggle' Bill

Legislation providing tax incentives to NBA basketball teams may contain major flaws that could ultimately drain hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars that would otherwise go to schools, roads, and health care programs, Rep. Mike Reynolds warned today.

"We've already eliminated one major loophole that would have given millions of taxpayer dollars to out-of-state teams that simply visit Oklahoma, but this bill is still fatally flawed," said Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City. "Voters need to contact their legislators to voice opposition to this multi-million-dollar boondoggle."

Senate Bill 1819 would expand Oklahoma's Quality Jobs Act,originally designed to lure manufacturers to the state, to include NBA teams. The bill would permit an NBA team to receive rebates on the taxable payroll paid to players.

The bill is expected to receive a final vote in the House today.

Anti-abortion Bill Veto Override Attempt Due

Supporters of an anti-abortion bill vetoed by Governor Henry late Wednesday say this morning they will attempt immediately to override his veto.

Oklahomans For Life, the Tulsa-based pro-life group that pushed for the legislation, issued an email alert to supporters earlier asking them to contact their legislators and urge their support of the veto override.

Henry vetoed the bill because, he said, it would cause victims of rape and incest to be forced to view ultrasound images of their fetus before an abortion could be performed.

"While I support reasonable restrictions on abortion, this legislation does not provide an essential exemption for victims of rape and incest,” Henry wrote. "By forcing the victims of such horrific acts to undergo and view ultrasounds after they have made such a difficult and heartbreaking decision, the state victimizes the victim for a second time.”

Tony Lauinger of Oklahomans For Life wrote, "It is critical that senators hear at once from pro-life Oklahomans asking that they vote to override the veto of pro-life SB 1878. Be sure to thank them for their previous support for SB 1878. Email now to Senate@OKForLife.org."

Obama, Wife, Made $4.2 Million Last Year

Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, made $4.2 million last year as widespread interest in the presidential candidate pushed the sales of his two books.

In tax returns the campaign released Wednesday, the Obamas reported a significant jump in their income from the previous year as profits from the books Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope totaled $4 million.

The Obamas paid federal taxes of $1.4 million and donated $240,370 to charity.

Their salaried income was $260,735, which included his $157,102 salary as a U.S. senator and hers of $103,633 as vice president of community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

For part of 2007, Michelle Obama collected a salary for serving on the board of Westchester, Ill.-based TreeHouse Foods Inc., which produces pickles, nondairy powdered creamer and other products. She resigned in May after two years on the board.

The position had generated some complaints because TreeHouse is a supplier to Wal-Mart, and Barack Obama has criticized some of Wal-Mart’s policies and treatment of employees.

The Obamas reported $29,443 from Treehouse Foods.

In 2006, Obama and his wife reported income of $991,296. The sum included Obama’s Senate salary of $157,082 and his wife’s earnings of $273,618 from her position as an administrator at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Michelle Obama also earned $51,200 in director’s fees from TreeHouse Inc., a food distributor.

They paid $277,431 in federal taxes — an overpayment of $40,856, which they designated for estimated tax payments this year.

Among the charitable donations in 2007 was $26,270 to Trinity United Church of Christ, where the incendiary sermons of Obama’s former pastor have created problems for the candidate. The Obamas’ largest charitable donation was $50,000 to the United Negro College Fund. They also gave $35,000 to CARE.

The campaign released the returns just hours before a candidate debate with rival Hillary Clinton.

By comparison, Clinton and her husband, the former president, reported $20.4 million in income for 2007. Almost half the former first couple’s money came from Bill Clinton’s speeches. The Clintons made nearly $109 million since leaving the White House in 2001, capitalizing on lucrative business ventures and his speaking engagements.

Likely Republican nominee Sen. John McCain has not released his tax returns for 2007.

Poll: McCain Regains GOP Traction

Washington (AP) ~ Republicans are no longer underdogs in the race for the White House. To pull that off, John McCain has attracted disgruntled GOP voters, independents and even some moderate Democrats who shunned his party last fall.

Partly thanks to an increasingly likable image, the Republican presidential candidate has pulled even with the two Democrats still brawling for their party's nomination, according to an Associated Press-Yahoo news poll released Thursday. Just five months ago - before either party had winnowed its field - the survey showed people preferred sending an unnamed Democrat over a Republican to the White House by 13 percentage points.

Of those who have moved toward McCain, about two-thirds voted for President Bush in 2004 but are now unhappy with him, including many independents who lean Republican. The remaining one-third usually support Democrats but like McCain anyway.

Also helping the Arizona senator close the gap: Peoples' opinions of Hillary Rodham Clinton have soured slightly, while their views of Barack Obama have improved though less impressively than McCain's.

The survey suggests that those switching to McCain are largely attuned to his personal qualities and McCain may be benefiting as the two Democrats snipe at each other during their prolonged nomination fight.

No Debate Knockout For Clinton

Hillary Clinton, most believe, needed a knockout punch in tonight's ABC-TV debate from Philadelphia to stop Barack Obama's apparent momentum.

She didn't land one.

The Drudge Report's instant poll showed Obama the winner by a 2-to-1 margin.

Pundits on MSNBC, CNN and Fox News gave the candidates mixed reviews.

Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn was mentioned during the debate as Obama was trying to explain his friendship with controversial persons. He said he has worked with Coburn, who once advocated the death penalty for doctors who perform abortions. Does that mean, Obama asked, that I am to be held responsible for his statement even though I don't agree with it (paraphrased)?

Henry Vetoes Anti-Abortion Measure

Governor Henry tonight vetoed a bill that would have required health care providers to give a woman an ultrasound of her unborn child before an abortion.

An effort to override his veto is expected; the measure passed the Senate 38-10. It appears to sustain his veto, Henry would need seven Democrats to switch.

Senate Bill 1878 also was intended to protect health care providers' right to refuse to participate in abortions and to decide whether to dispense a pill (RU-486) to end early pregnancies.

The bill wouldn't have been applicable when a pregnant woman is in imminent danger of death unless an abortion is immediately performed or induced.

State Retirement Benefits Bill Clears House

A loophole that allows some state workers to obtain greater retirement benefits than they ever earned as a state employee was closed today by the House of Representatives.

Senate Bill 1641, by Rep. Dan Sullivan, would ensure that elected officials will not receive retirement benefits "greater than their single highest annual compensation received as a member of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System."

The bill now goes to the Senate for final action.

Henry, Legislative Leaders Find Budget Accord

Governor Henry and legislative leaders today announced a bipartisan budget agreement that will effectively provide “standstill” appropriations to state agencies and programs next fiscal year.

Today’s announcement comes after many weeks of negotiations between the legislative and executive branches. Because of a reduced revenue estimate issued in February, lawmakers had limited resources at their disposal to meet state needs.

The agreement will be executed in a general appropriations bill that funds all of state government in a single piece of legislation.

“In a very challenging budget year, we did our best to stretch the state’s limited resources as far as possible,” said Henry. “Certainly, we wanted to do much more for education, health care, roads, public safety and other important priority areas, but we had to live within our budget constraints.

“This was not an easy job, and I want to thank Treasurer Scott Meacham, the leaders of the House and Senate and all lawmakers for their hard work.”

Legislative budget leaders echoed the governor’s remarks. “We worked diligently and constructively in this tight financial year to ensure all agencies have at least standstill budgets without any cuts,” said Rep. Ken Miller, R-Edmond and chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.

“We were able to work well together to stretch taxpayer dollars as far as possible.

“We always wish we could do more, but are pleased that current services will be funded at vital departments like Education and Human Services. Additionally, we funded the Corrections Department for a full year based on the recommendations made in the performance audit,” Miller said.

“This is not a perfect budget, but given the weakening national economy and deep budget cuts that are occurring in other states, we're pretty fortunate to have a good economy and a standstill budget here in Oklahoma. This agreement for a general appropriations bill ensures that funding will be available to continue basic government services next year," said Senator Mike Johnson, R-Kingfisher, co-chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Budget negotiators used a combination of certified revenues, carryover funds and other available moneys to create a standstill budget for state government. The agreement does not call for any new taxes or a withdrawal from the Rainy Day Fund.

Lawmakers have also set aside funding to provide additional supplemental appropriations to education to address a shortfall in the 1017 fund.

Rabon Proposes Permanent Transport Funding

Senator Jeff Rabon said today he will pursue an effort to provide an additional and permanent revenue stream for the State Transportation Fund.

Rabon, co-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, has proposed a plan to reallocate a portion of motor vehicle taxes and fees from the General Revenue Fund to the State Transportation Fund. Rabon’s proposal would not reduce the percentage of revenues currently dedicated to the General Revenue Fund.

“This is a proposal that protects revenues dedicated to education and other essential services, while providing us with a much needed funding boost for transportation,” said Rabon, D-Hugo. “It’s always been my opinion that we could come up with a responsible proposal to increase transportation funding without hindering our ability to adequately fund education, health care and municipal governments. This plan gives us a chance to demonstrate our commitment to improving our roads and bridges."

Instead of reducing the percentage of motor vehicle excise taxes apportioned to the General Revenue Fund, Rabon’s proposal would create a maximum level of revenue to be apportioned to the fund. The proposal would freeze the maximum amount at $245,000,000 and any amount greater than that would be apportioned to the Transportation Fund.

Rabon noted it was not only important to protect funding dedicated to school districts and municipal government, but county roads as well. Currently, 13.45% of motor vehicle excise tax revenues are apportioned to county roads. Rabon’s proposal would not reduce that amount.

“This is an issue that concerns the safety of our families and the strength of our economic climate as we head into our state’s second century,” Rabon said. “It’s imperative that we make a firm commitment to increasing the amount of revenue we dedicate to improving our state’s transportation infrastructure. It’s time for us to rebuild Oklahoma’s roads and bridges and lay the foundation for real economic growth.”

Based on the State Board of Equalization’s fiscal year 2008 certification, Rabon’s proposal would result in the Transportation Fund receiving an additional $18,840,000 in 2008 and an additional $1,939,000 in fiscal year 2009. Rabon plans to offer the proposal as an amendment in the coming weeks.

Is This It For Hillary Clinton's Campaign?

Complied From Cable News Reports ~ Hillary Clinton could be facing her campaign’s last gasp tonight as she faces off against her Democratic rival in a marquee televised debate, as new polls and endorsements show more momentum swinging Barack Obama’s way despite controversy over Obama's recent "bitter" remarks.

The two candidates meet for 90 minutes six days before Pennsylvania voters head to the polls in the must-win state for Clinton.

But new polls cast serious doubt on Clinton’s ability to shore up the support she needs nationally to beat Obama, much less win a clear victory before the August Democratic National Convention.

A new Gallup daily tracking poll of national Democratic voters shows Obama has posted his widest lead so far over Clinton in the poll. Obama claims 51 percent support to Clinton’s 40 percent in the April 12-14 poll.

A Washington Post/ABC News poll shows more Democrats are questioning Clinton’s trustworthiness — even after a steadfast push over the weekend to try to paint Obama as an elitist and out of touch with Americans. The poll said a majority of Americans now believe Clinton is dishonest. She trails Obama among Democrats by 23 points on the question of honesty. While 63 percent of Democrats believe she is honest, that is 18 percent less than in 2006.

An Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg News poll shows that while Clinton still leads Obama in Pennsylvania, her lead is not sufficient to wrap up the nomination. The poll of likely Democratic voters gives Clinton a 46 percent to 41 percent edge in Pennsylvania, and a similar 40 percent to 35 percent lead for Obama in Indiana. In North Carolina, Obama has a larger, 13- point advantage.

Separately, a Philadelphia Daily News/Franklin & Marshall College poll shows Obama inching ever closer to Clinton in Pennsylvania. After leading Obama 51 percent to 35 percent in March among likely Democratic voters, her lead had dwindled to 6 percent in the new poll: Clinton 46 percent, Obama 40 percent.

Lamb Urges Henry To Sign Pro-Life Bill

The State Senate’s author of an omnibus pro-life bill that overwhelmingly passed the State Senate and House of Representatives today urged Governor Henry to sign the bill before tonight’s midnight deadline for gubernatorial action on the bill. “I strongly encourage Governor Henry to join the Oklahoma Legislature in taking a stand for the rights of the unborn and for the sanctity of life by signing this bill before tonight’s deadline,” said Senator Todd Lamb, R-Edmond, author of Senate Bill 1878.

Obama Has Edge In Indiana, North Carolina

From Bloomberg via Drudge ~ Barack Obama is leading Hillary Clinton in two of the next three Democratic primaries, an advantage, if it holds, that would allow him to sew up the nomination. A new Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll of likely Democratic voters gives Clinton a 46 percent to 41 percent edge in Pennsylvania, and a similar 40 percent to 35 percent lead for Obama in Indiana. In North Carolina, Obama has a larger, 13- point advantage.

Terrill In USA Today: Oklahoma Doing Its Job

By Randy Terrill/USA Today ~ By now, no one credibly disputes that illegal immigration is a serious and growing problem.

Given Washington's inability or unwillingness to address the issue, no one should be surprised that states such as Oklahoma, Arizona and Georgia are taking the lead. It's federalism in action. Just as states paved the way for welfare reform in the 1990s, they are pointing the way on immigration reform.

The federal government's failure to police our nation's borders has functionally turned every state into a border state and indirectly imposed a tax on each and every citizen — especially in the areas of health care, education, welfare and corrections. From a state perspective, it is indisputable that illegal immigration is a net financial drain.

In Oklahoma, our new law tackles this issue by cracking down on identity theft, terminating taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal aliens, empowering state and local law enforcement to detain illegal aliens for deportation, and requiring businesses to verify employment eligibility of workers or face serious legal and financial consequences.

The overwhelming majority of Oklahomans — more than 80% — support our law, and I am confident national polls would generate similar results.

Even more important, Oklahoma's law appears to be achieving its intended purpose. Numerous reports indicate that illegal aliens are leaving the state.

Some naysayers claim states that unilaterally enact real, meaningful immigration reform place themselves at a "competitive disadvantage" economically — the same argument once used to defend the subjugation of an entire group of people through the institution of slavery.

Those critics miss the point. The illegal immigration debate is about a whole lot more than just economics. It's about fundamental principles and values: respect for the rule of law, upholding our state and national sovereignty, basic human dignity and the immorality of exploiting cheap illegal-alien slave labor, and protecting taxpayers from waste, fraud and abuse.

This issue is also about elected officials going to the Capitol — whether it's in Oklahoma City or Washington, D.C. — and doing what the people (who) elected us expect us to do.

Randy Terrill is an Oklahoma Republican state representative and author of the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007.

Obama Faces Debate Challenge Tonight

Barack Obama will have to put on his game face tonight at a crucial debate in Philadelphia if he wants to ensure his controversial comments about small-town American voters don’t become a game changer.

The debate will be the last time Obama and Hillary Clinton face off before the April 22 Pennsylvania primary. Polls show Obama, who has consistently trailed Clinton in the Keystone State, closing the gap to single digits, but the fallout over his recent gaffe threatens to dampen his performance in the state. Clinton and John McCain have both accused him of elitism for his comments about rural gun owners and religious voters being bitter.

McCain Plans To Dog Obama's 'Bitter' Remarks

A top aide to Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) said Tuesday that Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) controversial remarks about people in small-town America are “an important and defining moment” in the campaign.

Steve Schmidt, a senior adviser to McCain, said on a conference call Tuesday, the purpose of which was to discuss McCain's newly unveiled economic plan, that the campaign would continue to talk about Obama's comments for "the duration" of his candidacy because the remarks "opened a window" into Obama's true views on small-town America.

McCain and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), as well as their surrogates, have heaped criticism on Obama since late Friday afternoon when news broke that the Illinois senator told a crowd at a San Francisco fundraiser that, as a result of prolonged job loss, many small-town Americans have become "bitter," and they "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

Inhofe Outraises Rice 2-1, Has Four Times The Cash

Senator Jim Inhofe outraised his would-be Democrat opponent about 2-to-1 in the first quarter and has about four times as much cash on hand.

Inhofe's report to the Federal Election Commission shows he raised more than $800,000 in the quarter, compared to $431,000 for Democrat Andrew Rice. Inhofe reported he has about $2.2 million in cash on hand, compared to Rice's $600,000.

Immigration Law Poll: Majority Favor It

A majority of those who have voted thus far in TMRO's poll on the new immigration law favor it; 59 percent want it left alone, while 20 percent want it changed and 21 percent want it repealed. Voting continues. If you've not yet shared your opinion, the poll is at right.

The Oklahoma Political News Service, which has waged a campaign for the law, conducted a weekend poll, asking "Is HB1804 (the immigration law) good for Oklahoma?" With about 300 votes cast, about 68 percent said Yes, 31 percent said No and about 1 percent said they are Undecided.

The Gadfly Answers Questions

Question: Why, I'm asked, do you have so much stuff on Clinton and Obama, but not much on McCain? Answer: Clinton and Obama are the game right now; they are in an historic battle, and we are watching history unfold. The Democrat nominee will be a white woman (first) or a black man (first). McCain, almost a senior citizen at 71 (the older I get, the higher the age for that designation goes), already has the GOP nomination.

Question: "I don't understand your blog; I can't tell where you stand on issues because you don't give your opinion." Answer: By design. My readers are the most well-informed observers of politics and government in the state and my opinion, or that of others (I suspect) are of no concern or interest to them. Ergo, this is a news site (albeit subject to my biased news judgment).

Question: "Why do you give Democrats so much news space?" Answer: Under the title of this site, it says we've been covering politics and government since 1980. It doesn't say we've been covering Republicans only.

Question: "How do you decide what news to publish?" Answer: What interests me, my experience tells me, probably interests my readers.

Question: "Who's the best leader we've seen in your opinion (from a college student)?" Answer: Winston Churchill. Read The Gathering Storm and you'll understand my answer. If you intended to ask about the best leader in the United States: Ronald Reagan.

Question: "What's your opinion of Brad Henry?" Answer: Probably the smartest politician this state has ever seen. Henry Bellmon, David Boren and George Nigh come in as close seconds.

Question: "I was told you used to be in the governor's office. When was that?" Answer: 1968-1970, press secretary for Governor Dewey F. Bartlett.

Question: "Have you ever thought about running for office?" Answer: Never. No way, Jose.

Question: Do you consider the war in Iraq the worst mistake this country's ever made? (The antagonistic questioner at the Kiwanis Club luncheon asked.) Answer: No. America's treatment of the American Indian and those with black skins are the worst mistakes we've made as a nation.

Question: What's your most memorable political moment? (Same luncheon.) Answer: Standing outside Richard Nixon's Oval Office while the head of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee passed out stacks of hundred dollar bills to Republican U. S. Senate candidates in 1972. (My candidate refused to accept the cash.) Close second: Introducing Ronald Reagan at a Republican fundraising reception in 1976.

Francis Stipe Jury To Resume Wednesday

Muskogee ~ A federal jury will resume deliberations Wednesday morning in the case against McAlester businessman Francis Stipe after failing to reach a verdict today.

The jury deliberated 12 hours on Monday night and Tuesday, which was not a surprise to an assistnat U. S. Attorney handling the case.

Stipe is charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, witness-tampering and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction.

The case alleges that $191,000 was steered from the Legislature to buy property owned by Francis Stipe’s brother, former Democratic Senator Gene Stipe, for a dog food plant in 2002.

Francis Stipe was president of the McAlester Foundation, the agency that administered the state funds.

The jury is sorting through 45 exhibits and 600,000 pages of documents in the case.

U.S. District Judge Ronald White said Tuesday that he had no reason to believe the jury was deadlocked. He told attorneys that on Wednesday morning he would encourage the jury to work together.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gay Guthrie said Tuesday he wasn’t surprised that the jury had deliberated 12 hours without reaching a verdict.

Rice Raised $431,000 In First Quarter

Andrew Rice's campaign for the Democratic nomination for the U. S. Senate reports he's raised $431,025 during the first three months of 2008, which brought his campaign fund raising total to $971,332 since he launched his bid for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate last fall.

Rice report to the Federal Election Commission shows that at the close of the first quarter, he had cash on hand of $597,477.

Rice seeks his party's nomination to oppose incumbent Republican Jim Inhofe, who through the end of last year had raised far more, and had far more cash on hand, than Rice.

Rice said that nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of his funds have been generated from Oklahomans and a total of 4,236 individuals have contributed to his campaign. Average contribution from individual donors at the close of the reporting period was $219. More than 96 percent of Rice's financial support has come from individuals. He has received a total of $36,660 from political action committees since the start of his campaign.

Istook 'Of Counsel' To Foshee Law Firm

Former Congressman Ernest Istook, it was announced today, has joined the Foshee & Yaffe Law Firm in Oklahoma City in an "of counsel" capacity.

“Congressman Istook is a welcomed addition to our firm,” said Jerry Foshee. “Congressman Istook has been a friend for a long time and is an outstanding attorney.”

Blake Yaffe is enthusiastic about Ernest Istook being a part of their growing law firm. “Congressman Istook’s experience and knowledge are exceptional assets to our firm.”

Istook practiced law in Oklahoma for 15 years, handling a wide diversity of legal matters of all type. As required by general congressional ethics rules, he placed his law practice on hold during his years in Congress.

Istook was the Republican Party’s nominee for Governor of Oklahoma in 2006. He also served in the Oklahoma Legislature, on the Warr Acres City Council, headed a state agency, and served on the staff of former Oklahoma Governor David Boren.

As well as resuming the practice of law, Istook has resumed his former career as a radio broadcaster and has become a Distinguished Fellow at The Heritage Foundation in Washington.

Thanks To Obama, Guns Now Top Issue

By Sam Youngman/The Hill ~ Guns are expected to be a focal point in Wednesday’s debate between Democratic rivals Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.), which is set for Philadelphia just days after controversial comments by Obama about gun owners.

Campaign news over the weekend was dominated by recently surfaced remarks by Obama that painted small-town gun enthusiasts as “bitter.”

Clinton repeatedly criticized her rival for the remarks, and favorably mentioned hunting outings she took with her late father.

Clinton and Obama now face a balancing act of promoting what Democrats call common-sense gun control regulations, which are important to urban and suburban voters, while still embracing Second Amendment rights critical to winning white, blue-collar voters in Pennsylvania, Montana, Kentucky, Indiana and North Carolina, according to political analysts.

“They will hold on to the center with both hands,” said Terry Madonna, a Pennsylvania pollster and political analyst.

Walking that tightrope could be particularly tricky during the Philadelphia debate, which takes place one year to the day that a gunman went on a rampage on the campus of Virginia Tech.

Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., said Obama needs to make inroads with white, blue-collar voters, and his recent remarks could hurt him.

A new poll out from the American Research Group (ARG) released on Monday morning underscored the potential damage. A week ago, the group had Clinton and Obama tied in Pennsylvania, but its new poll showed him down 20 points to Clinton.

Obama made the remarks while speaking at a fundraiser in San Francisco earlier this month. After using the word “bitter” to describe white, blue-collar voters, Obama went on to say that small-town Americans “cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

“There isn’t any doubt that given what he said and the fact that he included guns, the issue of gun control is now in the campaign, and it wasn’t before,” Madonna said.

McCain and Clinton seized on the comments to describe Obama as “elitist” and out of touch, and Clinton has specifically pointed to Obama’s comments on guns to paint him as out of the mainstream.

“You don’t cling to guns; you enjoy hunting or collecting or sport shooting,” Clinton said.

How this plays out between Clinton and Obama remains to be seen, but Republicans are clearly thrilled by Obama’s misstatement. One GOP strategist said Monday that “Obama may very well be the most anti-gun, pro-abortion candidate in American history.”

Obama, who initially responded by jokingly referring to Clinton as “Annie Oakley,” sought again Monday to clarify his remarks. He told a Pennsylvania audience that he is from a “state with a large number of hunters and sportsmen, and I understand how important these traditions are to families in Illinois and all across America.”

Obama added that “contrary to what my poor word choices may have implied or my opponents have suggested, I’ve never believed that these traditions or people’s faith has anything to do with how much money they have.”

Given the recent dust-up and the timing of Wednesday’s debate, analysts and advocates said they would be surprised if the issue of gun control doesn’t surface in Philadelphia. The debate will occur one year to the day after Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and wounded many more during a shooting spree on the Blacksburg, Va., campus of Virginia Tech.

“It has got to come up,” said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. “I really think they’re going to be talking about gun control in a positive way.”

Helmke said he is not afraid that Obama or Clinton will try to cater to gun owners by softening their stances on gun control. He said both candidates need to talk about the issue in the same voice as former President Bill Clinton, whom Helmke said was able to sell “reasonable” gun restrictions to voters without scaring hunters, sportsmen and other gun owners.

“I think whoever can articulate the ideal that the issue should not be anti-gun versus pro-gun [will win the argument],” Helmke said.

Neither Obama nor Clinton are regarded by anti-gun control groups as anything but an enemy. Officials with the National Rifle Association (NRA) told The Hill last week that while McCain has work to do to win over the group’s members, neither Clinton nor Obama has much of a chance to garner much support within its ranks.

Both candidates have supported a wide array of gun restrictions in the past, and both have received poor grades from the NRA throughout their time in public office.

That said, Democrats have made significant efforts in recent years to reach out to white, blue-collar voters in so-called red states. In 2004, Republicans seized on Sen. John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) attempt to do so by lampooning the former Democratic nominee for his “photo-op” duck-hunting trip.

Wilson Touts Patient's Bill Of Rights

A conversation about insurance reform and affordable healthcare in Oklahoma will continue with the approval of a patient's bill of rights amendment authored by State Senator Jim Wilson, he said today.

The amendment, which will require insurance companies to pay for health care procedures deemed medically necessary by a physician, was attached to House Bill 2531 and now moves to the House of Representatives for an up-or-down vote.

"The debate about healthcare just reached a new level today with the passage of this amendment," Wilson, (D-Tahlequah) said. "Oklahomans fundamentally understand that the current health care system is broken, leaving far too many Oklahomans without healthcare and imprisoned by the irresponsible and negligent decisions of insurance company executives trying to grow their bottom line on the backs of the sickest and most vulnerable among us. We've given those Oklahomans a voice today and we intend to keep this momentum alive."

Wilson explained while passage of the amendment today ensured an-up-or-down in the Republican controlled House, it could be sent to a conference committee where he fears it could meet its ultimate death.

Meacham: Three-quarter Tax Collections Down

State Treasurer Scott Meacham said today revenue collections for the first three quarters of the fiscal year are down compared to collections in the prior year, but still above estimates.

Meacham released a revenue report showing collections to the state's general revenue fund. Although collections are down when compared to the previous year, Meacham notes they are above previous estimates.

Preliminary reports show general revenue fund collections during the previous nine months totaled $4.173 billion. That was $61 million, or 1.4 percent, below prior year collections but $25.8 million, or six-tenths of 1 percent, above the estimate.

Meacham says there are signs of continued growth in the economy. But economic growth is at a much slower pace than when the year began.

Clinton Maintains Pennsylvania Poll Lead

Democrat Hillary Clinton, who needs a convincing win to keep her campaign alive, continues to hold the line as the front-runner in the vital primary for president in the state of Pennsylvania, with Barack Obama six points back one week before the April 22 Democratic primary vote.

Clinton had 50 percent to Obama’s 44 percent, according to the Quinnipiac University poll out Tuesday.

The numbers remain unchanged from one week earlier, before the uproar over Obama’s remark that people in small towns like those in Pennsylvania cling to guns and religion to vent their frustration over the economy and Washington’s false promises.

The poll was taken April 9-13. Obama’s remarks from the April 6 San Francisco fundraiser were first reported on April 11.

According to the poll, support for Obama among the state’s black voters surged to 86 percent, compared with 75 percent a week ago, while Clinton maintained her advantage among whites, 57 percent to Obama’s 37 percent.

Twenty-six percent of Clinton supporters said they would vote for presumptive Republican nominee John McCain in November if Obama is the Democratic nominee, while 19 percent of Obama’s backers said they would support McCain if Clinton is the nominee. The poll of 2,103 likely Democratic voters in Pennsylvania had a margin of error of 2.1 percent.

Morrissette Wants DHS Investigation

Rep. Richard Morrissette today called on House leaders to appoint a bipartisan committee with subpoena power to investigate allegations of mismanagement at the Department of Human Services.

He said the committee must compel testimony if lawmakers want to receive a "true picture" of agency operations.

"I have been contacted by many citizens and even state employees who have identified major problems at the Department of Human Services," said Morrissette, D-Oklahoma City. "However, these individuals fear reprisal for their testimony if they voluntarily appear before a standing committee. The only way we can receive a full accounting of DHS management is to give people the legal cover provided by a subpoena."

Because several children have recently died in state custody, Morrissette has called for a major investigation of DHS and complete reform of the agency.

Morrissette filed legislation this year that would have divided DHS into three separate agencies. However, his House Bill 2890 did not receive a hearing.

Recently, Morrissette hosted a public forum for citizens and agency officials to air their concerns about DHS. Since that hearing, he said, "I have received calls and e-mail from many people who are employed by DHS who can't go public unless legally compelled to do so. They are afraid of losing their jobs."

He said some citizens are also reluctant to publicly discuss their concerns about DHS unless the House makes clear that a true investigation is being conducted.

Morrissette said a recent lawsuit should motive legislators to thoroughly investigate DHS. The New York-based child advocacy organization Children's Rights has sued the Department of Human Services on behalf of nine children who were allegedly physically and psychologically damaged by Oklahoma's foster care system. The lawsuit alleges that abused children are often re-traumatized while in state custody because of numerous flaws in DHS oversight and management of the foster care system.

The group is seeking class-action status so they can represent more than 10,000 children in DHS custody. Children's Rights has successfully used similar class-action lawsuits to force changes in child-welfare systems in around a dozen states.

It's Crown Royal For Hillary

Kicking back with the boys in a tavern, Hillary Clinton followed a beer with a shot of Crown Royal in a demonstration she's "just one of the boys," as opposed to wine-sipping latte liberal Barack Obama.

Renegar Wants More Pay For State Employees

A measure that would offer massive tax incentives to a potential Oklahoma City NBA franchise today was met with resistance from a House member who feels legislators should instead focus on a state employee pay raise.

“State employees have only had two pay raises in the past seven years,” said Rep. Brian Renegar, D- McAlester. “Costs of living are skyrocketing for these dedicated public servants and the entire legislature seems to say ‘there isn’t enough money.’ I say there’s not enough money because of corporate welfare such as this.”

“I’m extremely disappointed that we decided to give big corporations and multi-millionaires a tax break today instead of helping working Oklahomans,” said Renegar.

At stake, according to Renegar, is a revision of the Quality Jobs Act which would grant the potential pro basketball franchise a 15 year break from state taxes, compared to the usual ten for other companies.

“We found out this week that this team’s ownership spent almost $400,000 to fund an ad campaign in Oklahoma City that granted them $120 million in tax money to relocate,” he said. When is enough, enough?”

Renegar said the measure is especially frustrating in light of the poor attention paid to state agencies and their employees.

“This state lost over $80 million last year in state employee turnover,” he said. “This happens because this state does not pay a decent wage for those who provide services to our taxpayers.”

Williamson Says Comp Reform Blocked

On the same day some Democrat senators held a news conference to complain that a few of their bills are not being heard in the House of Representatives, Democrat Lt. Governor Jari Askins broke a tie to help Senate Democrats block consideration of a workers compensation reform amendment in the State Senate, a top Republican leader said today.

The amendment, authored by Senate Judiciary Committee Co-Chairman Jim Williamson, would have required Senate confirmation of gubernatorial appointments of judges to the Workers Compensation Court.

“The Workers Comp Court is currently stacked with judges who are anti-business and pro-trial lawyer," said Williamson. "This is a major factor in Oklahoma’s workers comp insurance rates being among the highest in the nation. My amendment would have helped bring about more balance and fairness by requiring Senate confirmation of the judges appointed to this critical court in Oklahoma."

“The high cost of workers comp insurance is one of the top concerns I hear in my district. So it is very disappointing that Lt. Gov. Askins and Senate Democrats chose to put the interests of Big Trial Lawyers ahead of the interests of the people of Oklahoma by blocking consideration of this important reform,” he stated.

Laughlin Responds To Democrats' Complaint

State Senate Republican Floor Leader Owen Laughlin responded to Monday’s news conference by Democrat members of the Senate and House of Representatives.

“Republicans and Democrats have worked pretty well together in the tied State Senate during the past two sessions. That’s why it was so disappointing to hear about an election-year news conference where Democrat senators and representatives played politics by whining and complaining that a few liberal bills are having a difficult time making it through the legislative process,” said Laughlin, R-Woodward.

“Ironically, when Democrats ran the State Senate for nearly a century they regularly killed conservative bills without blinking an eye. Now that Republicans have an equal say in the Senate, issues such as term limits for statewide officials, tax relief, education reform, lawsuit reform, protecting victims’ rights, new funding for roads and bridges, and voter identification have finally gotten a chance for up-or-down votes. The Democrats are complaining today because Republicans are having more success in making government more conservative,” he said.

The Senate is currently tied with 24 Republicans and 24 Democrats. The State Senate operates under a power-sharing agreement between the two parties. Democrats ran the State Senate from 1907 to 2006.

GOP's Geoff Davis Opens Mouth, Inserts Foot

Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) has apologized for using the word “boy” to describe Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) at a Republican fundraiser Saturday night in Kentucky.

“I’m gonna tell you something. That boy’s finger does not need to be on the button,” Davis said, according to an audio recording of the event that was obtained by The Hill. The lawmaker told the crowd that he participated in “closed, highly classified national security simulations" with Obama.

The comment, which was first reported by the Lexington Herald-Leader’s blog Pol Watchers, was met by laughter and applause.

In the written apology to Obama, which he personally delivered to his Senate office, Davis wrote “my poor choice of words is regrettable and was in no way meant to impugn you or your integrity. I offer my sincere apology to you and ask for your forgiveness.”

Tibbs' Voter ID Bill Clears House

Legislation its author says will prevent voter fraud or identity theft at the ballot box passed out of the House today.

Senate Bill 1150 would require voters to show one of several options of identification before casting a ballot, including a free, state-issued voter identification card. Rep. Sue Tibbs, author of the bill, said the bill would ensure only those eligible are voting.

Wilcoxson: Adair Nomination Violated Law

Senate Education Co-Chair Kathleen Wilcoxson said she did not support the nomination of former House Speaker Larry Adair to the State Board of Education because that nomination was in violation of state law.

The nomination failed on a tie vote of 7-7 to win the full support of the Senate Education Committee.

Wilcoxson said the committee’s decision not to confirm the nomination was not about personality or politics, but was about public policy and the rule of law.

“I have tremendous respect for Speaker Adair and his contributions to our state,” said Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City. “However the law is very clear and it was affirmed in a 1998 Attorney General’s opinion. If the Governor withdraws a nomination, he cannot turn around and re-nominate that individual for the same post. That is exactly what happened in this case, and I am bound by my oath of office to uphold the law."

Wilcoxson said her vote was also based on public policy and the need for additional reforms in public education, adding Adair had failed to support important reforms in the past.

“I believe strongly that we need greater accountability, more transparency and significant reform in order to lower our drop-out rates and improve student achievement levels,” Wilcoxson said. “I would have serious concerns about any nominee with strong ties to the status quo in public education. It comes down to whether we want to stand still, or move our state forward.”

Wilcoxson said she believes Adair is only the second person nominated by Governor Henry since his 2002 election to be defeated in any committee. She also stated that for more than a year she has encouraged the governor to work with the Senate to find a consensus nominee capable of winning the bipartisan support of the majority of members of the Senate Education Committee.

Meanwhile, Senator Kenneth Corn blasted the failure of the committee to approve Adair's nomination: “This is a slap in the face to a man who has devoted his entire life to helping Oklahoma. He’s a former educator who dedicated himself to building a better future for our young people, and he brought that dedication with him to the State Legislature,” said Corn, D-Poteau. “Instead of taking advantage of his experience and life-long desire to help Oklahoma’s children, Republicans serving on that committee decided to play partisan politics.”

Democrats Express Frustration With GOP House

Democrats in the Legislature today expressed their frustrations over how some of their bills have been handled in the Republican-cotrolled House.

Democrats said that bills to require insurers to provide a variety of medical coverage were killed in House committees and not allowed to be heard on the House floor.

They claim GOP House leaders are beholden to insurance companies and not the people they serve.

Senator Andrew Rice of Oklahoma City says a bill to require insurance companies to pay the routine health care costs of patients who take part in clinical trials is essentially dead.

Senator Jim Wilson of Tahlequah says his Patient's Bill of Rights would have required insurers to pay for any medically necessary procedure. It is also dead.

Senate Panel Rejects Adair Nomination

The Senate Education Committee today rejected former House Speaker Larry Adair as a member of the State Board of Education on a partisan 7-7 vote.

Adair, Governor Henry's nominee to the board, said he was disappointed.

Democrats supported the nomination and Republicans opposed it.

Adair served as a Democrat in the state House. He is now a bank president in Stilwell. He is a former school teacher and administrator.

"I am very disappointed by today's vote in the Senate Education Committee, particularly the partisan nature of it," Henry said in a statement.

Henry said Adair was more than qualified to serve.

Adair in June was appointed on an interim basis to the State Board of Education.

Republicans who opposed the nomination said Adair blocked reforms they thought were important when he was in the Legislature. They also cited philosophical differences, including a recent vote by the State Board of Education to lower math standards in the state.

What Was John McCain Thinking...

...when he invited New York City's gun-grabbing, way-out-left liberal mayor, Michael Bloomberg, now an Independent, to introduce him at a campaign event?

Democrats Plan GOP Critique

Democratic legislators will be joined at a State Capitol press conference this morning by advocates for health care and insurance reform to discuss the fate of measures that have been killed by Republicans, Democrats announced.

Democratic members of the both the Senate and the House will also discuss legislation killed this session that they claim would help lower the cost of college for more Oklahoma families and provide important public safety measures for children. They will also discuss strategies to resurrect measures that have been killed by Republican members of both the Senate and the House, their announcement said.

Obama Rips Clinton, Mocks Gun Rights Support

Steelton, PA (AP) ~ Accused of being elitist, a defiant Sen. Barack Obama lashed out at rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, saying "Shame on her" and mocking her vocal support for gun rights as their political tempest threatened to consume the Democratic presidential race.

It was a startling twist Sunday to the three-day controversy that erupted after the publication of comments the Illinois senator made at a San Francisco fundraiser a week earlier. At that event, Obama said some working-class voters are bitter over their economic circumstances and "cling to guns and religion" as a result.

Campaigning Sunday in Pennsylvania, Clinton derided the comments as "elitist and divisive" and suggested they could doom Democrats' chances for recapturing the White House in November if Obama were the nominee.

At a union hall outside Harrisburg, Obama said he'd expected blowback from GOP nominee-in-waiting John McCain but said he'd been "a little disappointed" to be criticized by Clinton.

Laughing, the Illinois senator noted Clinton seemed much more interested in guns since he made his comments than she had been in the past. On Saturday, the former first lady reminisced about learning to shoot on summer vacations in Scranton, where her father grew up.

"She is running around talking about how this is an insult to sportsmen, how she values the Second Amendment. She's talking like she's Annie Oakley," Obama said.

Clinton has told campaign audiences that she supports the rights of hunters. She's also said she once shot a duck in Arkansas, where she served as first lady.

Clinton, who is trailing Obama in the popular vote and pledged delegates, has pounded Obama since audio from his San Francisco appearance was posted on The Huffington Post Web site. She hoped the comments might give her a new opening to court working-class Democrats less than 10 days before the Pennsylvania primary on April 22, which she needs win to keep her campaign going.

At the San Francisco fundraiser, Obama tried to explain his troubles in winning over some blue-collar voters, saying they have become frustrated with economic conditions: "It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Backlash: Hillary Ignores Gun, Church Questions

Scranton, PA (CNN) ~ After a weekend spent making direct appeals to gun owners and church goers, Hillary Clinton said Sunday a query about the last time she fired a gun or attended church services "is not a relevant question in this debate” over Barack Obama’s recent comments on small town Americans.

“We can answer that some other time,” Clinton said at a press conference held in a working class neighborhood here. “This is about what people feel is being said about them. I went to church on Easter. I mean, so?”

Clinton described the furor surrounding Obama’s remarks as “about how people look at the Democratic Party and the Democratic Party leadership.”

“We have been working very hard to make it clear that we have millions of Democrats who are church going and gun-owning,” she said. “And we are tired of having Republicans, or frankly our own Democrats, give any ammunition to Republicans because what happens then is Republicans take advantage of the situation.”

She called the current imbroglio “an important moment for Democrats” and challenged Obama to further explain what he meant by his comments, which she reiterated were “elitist and divisive.”

Pressed on whether she truly believes Obama is an elitist, Clinton called him “a good man,” but recalled the narratives of the 2000 and 2004 president election.

“You don’t have to think back too far to remember that good men running for president were viewed as being elitist and out of touch with the values and lives of millions of Americans,” she said.

Clinton, Obama Debate Obama's Comments

From Fox News ~ Barack Obama lashed out Sunday at Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, mocking her sudden vocal support for gun rights, and saying he better understands the concerns of working class people.

The Illinois senator has spent three days on the defensive after comments he made at a San Francisco fundraiser suggesting working class people are bitter about their economic circumstances and “cling to guns and religion” as a result.

Clinton has pounded him for the remarks, calling him “elitist and divisive.”

More Legislators Tardy With Tax Payments

The Oklahoman's continuing examination of tax records produced another story today: "Fifteen legislators repeatedly were late in paying their property taxes, which mostly go to fund schools. Others missed property tax deadlines just once in recent years. Some paid hundreds of dollars in late fees," the story by Nolan Clay and Randy Ellis reports.

Read the entire story at http://newsok.com/article/3229171/1208055779.

Peterson's Committee Conduct Examined

The Tulsa World's Mick Hinton today explores the anger demonstrated by House Democrats last week with their walkout, and the reasons behind it. Broken Arrow Republican Ron Peterson (pictured) has emerged as the primary sore point, as Hinton writes, "The walkout followed Wednesday's refusal by Rep. Ron Peterson, R-Broken Arrow, to allow Democratic members to ask why his committee would not let parents speak in a public meeting on an amendment to extend insurance coverage to children with autism.

"Peterson, a former insurance agent, had announced at the beginning of the committee meeting that when bills came up, each side would be allowed two minutes of discussion. But when it came time to hear a bill that could have been amended to contain the insurance coverage for autism, a Republican member moved that the panel refuse any amendments and vote on the bill. Democrats shouted that they had questions. But the vote continued.

"Peterson had come under criticism earlier in the week when supporters of a bill dubbed 'Steffanie's Law' sought a hearing to force insurers to continue coverage in cases in which a person undergoes clinical trials, often in a last-ditch effort. Peterson told senators that their bills would not be heard because he is concerned that passing more bills containing insurance mandates will raise coverage costs for everyone and freeze out some people who can no longer afford health insurance.

Columnist Finds Oklahoma 'Real Heroes'

From Choice Remarks ~ In her nationally syndicated Scripps Howard column (Profiles in education courage), Star Parker writes that at a recent speaking engagement for the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, she "discovered a couple of real heroes. ... The heroes here are two black Democrats -- Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre and Rep. Jabar Shumate. Going against the grain of their party, and against the Oklahoma union and public-school establishments, these brave souls are championing this initiative [the New Hope Scholarship Act]."

Read it all at http://okschoolchoice.blogspot.com/.

Coburn Pushes 'Coconut Road' Investigation

By Susan Crabtree/The Hill ~ Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) plans to pursue an investigation into the notorious $10 million Coconut Road earmark by offering an amendment next week to a massive bill making technical corrections to the 2005 transportation bill.

The amendment would create a special joint committee to review how the earmark was changed to develop the Coconut Road interchange, and what role Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) and his staff may have played. The Senate is expected to consider the technical corrections bill on Tuesday.

Language in the 2005 highway bill initially authorized $10 million only for “widening and improvements” for I-75, but was mysteriously changed to build up Coconut Road after Congress approved the bill but before it reached President Bush’s desk.

One of Young’s campaign contributors, Daniel Aronoff, is a developer who owns 4,000 acres along Coconut Road.

"It’s an unprecedented abuse of power,” said Coburn spokesman John Hart. “The Coconut Road issue undermines the integrity of the entire legislative process.”

The latest version of the technical corrections measure would reverse the change to the original language. Late last year, Coburn placed a hold on that bill until the Senate or House agreed to a full and open investigation into the matter.

Young has refused to say whether he initiated the change. He has argued that local residents and Florida’s Gulf State University requested the money for Coconut Road to provide hurricane evacuation routes.

But the switch surprised Florida’s Lee County Metropolitan Planning organization, which voted three times to send the money back to Washington if the earmark could not be reversed to the original language.

Coburn’s amendment would create a bicameral, bipartisan special committee of eight lawmakers to investigate “when, how, why and by whom such improper revisions were made,” according to a copy of the bill.

Two members each would be chosen by the Senate majority leader, Senate minority leader, Speaker and House minority leader. They would be responsible for two committee reports: an interim report to be publicly released Aug. 1, 2008 and a final report to be released October 1, 2008. The committee also would have the option to refer its findings to the House and Senate ethics committees and “appropriate law enforcement agencies,” according to the amendment.

To provide real investigative tools, Coburn’s bill grants the panel subpoena power to require testimony and the preservation of relevant documents and to compel offices to produce them.

Coburn maintains the investigative committee will not supplant the House or Senate ethics committees because it does not have the power to sanction any member or staff or to make recommendations to either chamber. If the panel uncovers any evidence of impropriety, it only has the authority to inform Congress and the public and to forward that information to the House and Senate ethics panels or law enforcement agencies, who would be responsible for further action.

Obama Continues Superdelegate Gains

From www.newsmax.com ~ Barack Obama is gaining steadily on Hillary Clinton among Democratic superdelegates, nearly erasing her last advantage in a presidential race where those party insiders could be the ultimate kingmakers.

In a danger sign for Clinton, Obama over the past few months has sharply cut her lead among superdelegates -- nearly 800 elected officials and party leaders free to back any candidate.

"Obama has won more delegates, he's won more votes, he's raised more money, and now you see it happening with superdelegates too," said Simon Rosenberg, head of the Democratic advocacy group NDN.

Neither Obama nor Clinton is likely to win enough pledged delegates in state contests to clinch the hard-fought battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, leaving superdelegates to decide the race. The Democratic nominee will face Republican John McCain in the November election.

Despite heavy courting by Clinton, most of the superdelegates who made up their minds since January backed Obama. Clinton's superdelegate lead dwindled to about 30 from 100 in that time.

A count by MSNBC gives Clinton 256 superdelegates to Obama's 225. Obama, an Illinois senator, has gained steam in the past month, winning more than two dozen new commitments, compared with a handful for Clinton, a New York senator.

Gumm Decries Legislature's 'Partisan Divide'

By Senator Jay Paul Gumm ~ With half the session gone, the seeming inability for a number of issues to cross the partisan divide is troubling.

[Senator Gumm, Durant Democrat, is pictured with his then-seven-week-old son, Jacob Taylor, in 2006.]

My bill requiring health insurance coverage for autism diagnosis and treatment and another called “Steffanie’s Law” – requiring insurance companies to continue covering patients participating in clinical trials – ran into partisan roadblocks in the House of Representatives.

In other states, both measures were enacted with bipartisan support. In the Oklahoma Senate – which is divided evenly between Democrats and Republicans – both bills enjoyed bipartisan support. Only when they arrive in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives do they fall victim to partisan politics.

Certainly, there are differences between the parties. Political campaigns are where those differences are and should be discussed. When campaign season is over, and it comes time to govern, the responsibility should shift away from winning elections and toward finding those areas of agreement on issues that affect us all.

Autism strikes Republicans and Democrats alike. Cancer strikes Democrats and Republicans alike. Partisanship should be checked at the door when we are discussing issues relating to health. Working to make Oklahoma a healthier state is in everyone’s best interest – Democrat, Republican and Independent.

On both the autism and clinical trial insurance bills, “no” is the only answer we have thus far received from the House committee chairman who is single handedly holding them up. He has never said to the media, “I am opposed to these bills, but here is another idea how to help these families.” None of us who are fighting for these families is so inflexible that we would not look at another answer. “No,” however, is simply unacceptable – for whatever the reason. These bills both make sense; both will improve the quality of life for thousands of Oklahomans – and in some cases they might even save lives.

If we cannot help families facing the most difficult health issues of their lives, then I truly do not know why we are here. The phrase “family values” often gets tossed around in political discussions, but I do not know how anyone can talk about “family values” if they do not support issues that value families.

When it comes to standing up for the people of Oklahoma, I will always employ every legislative means at my disposal. While that tenacity has been criticized on the editorial pages of one of the major metropolitan newspapers, I see it as a fundamental part of being a lawmaker.

For me, the battle comes down to this: If we cannot enact policies to help families facing health challenges like autism or cancer, then we will have a difficult time enacting policies that help us all. This battle is about Oklahoma’s soul and Oklahoma’s families, and no partisan political interest should trump either.

Obama Admits He 'Chose His Words Poorly'

Barack Obama admitted Saturday that he chose his words poorly when he told a group of California donors that small-town Americans “cling” to guns and religion and xenophobia out of bitterness over lost jobs, but for the second day in a row stood by the comments and weathered pointed criticism from Hillary Clinton.

“I didn’t say it as well as I should have, because the truth is these traditions that are passed on from generation to generation, those are important,” Obama said in Muncie, Ind., minutes before Clinton jumped in and called his remarks “elitist.”

“But what is absolutely true is that people want to feel like they’re being listened to. And so they pray, and they count on each other and they count on their families,” Obama continued.

The original remarks, made a week ago and reported in The Huffington Post Friday, drew charges of classism from the campaigns of John McCain and Clinton.

When Obama attempted to explain them Friday, the two campaigns claimed he was only digging himself deeper.

Clinton, speaking in Indianapolis Saturday morning, amplified her attack, saying Obama has no right to challenge gun owners or those who believe strongly in God.

“I was taken aback by the demeaning remarks Sen. Obama made about people in small-town America,” she said. “Sen. Obama’s remarks are elitist and they’re out of touch.”

Clinton highlighted her own working-class roots and “midwestern values,” and tried to paint herself as a humble product of middle America.

“Americans who believe in the Second Amendment believe it’s a constitutional right. Americans who believe in God believe it’s a matter of personal faith. Americans who believe in protecting good American jobs believe it’s a matter of the American dream,” she said. “People embrace faith not because they are materially poor but because they are spiritually rich.”

But as he did Friday night, Obama on Saturday morning explained that he was only speaking to an evident reality — that Americans who feel the government is not listening to their economic concerns turn to issues they can grasp, a response he said is understandable.

“It’s interesting, right? Lately there’s been a typical sort of political fight. Because I said something that everybody knows is true — which is that there are a whole bunch of folks in small towns in Pennsylvania, in towns right here in Indiana, in my hometown in Illinois, who are bitter. They are angry. They feel like they’ve been left behind. They feel like folks aren’t paying attention to what they’re doing here,” he said Saturday.

“So I said, ‘Well, you know, when you’re bitter you turn to what you can count on.’ So people, they vote about guns. Or they take comfort from their faith, and their family and their community. And they get mad about illegal immigrants who are coming into this country. Or they get frustrated about, you know, how things have changed. That’s a natural response.”

His original comments were directed mainly at small-town Pennsylvania residents.

“And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations,” he said a week ago.

SuperSonics' Owners Helped Fund Effort

By John Estus/The Oklahoman ~ The Seattle SuperSonics's local ownership group funded nearly half of the campaign that supported a sales tax-funded renovation of the Ford Center, according to a campaign expense report filed Friday.

The report lists a $385,000 donation from Professional Basketball Club LLC to the Big League City campaign, which spent $843,007 in its successful effort to pass a penny sales tax that will pay for about $100 million of improvements to the Ford Center and construction of a $20 million NBA practice facility.

"Those owners individually, their name is on just about every big thing that happens in this city, so we don't think it's crazy out of line given their usual involvement in campaigns of this type and, obviously, their commitment to making this happen,” said Cynthia Reed, vice president of marketing and communications at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.

The chamber ran the campaign and contributed $268,000.

By comparison, the campaign supporting the MAPS for Kids sales tax, which passed in 2001, cost about $857,000, Reed said.

"It (the Big League City campaign) is pretty consistent with other big elections of this type,” she said. The Big League City campaign spent most of its money, about $529,000, on television, print and radio advertising, according to the report.

Other large donors included Cox Communications, which gave a $61,000 trade-out donation, and Integris Health, which donated $20,000.

Voters passed the sales tax March 4. The NBA's relocation committee will vote next week on the Sonics' request to move here.

Armed OKC Homeowner Stops Burglar

An Oklahoma City homeowner armed with his pistol shot and wounded a burglar who lunged at him inside his home, police say.

The unidentified homeowner shot the burglar, Alex Downing, in the buttocks, after he found Downing in his home office trying to steal items. He shot Downing after the man apparently lunged at him after being confronted and told to raise his hands. Downing apparently then realized the homeowner was armed and turned away just as the homeowner fired.

Downing is charged with first-degree burglary.

The homeowner, who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon, held Downing at gunpoint after calling police.

Obama Takes Heat For Small Town Remarks

Barack Obama is taking heat today for comments claiming that Americans in small towns "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Obama's comments were reported earlier Friday by the Web site Huffingtonpost.com. The Web site says he made them at a fundraising event in San Francisco last Sunday. On Friday evening, it posted audio of the comments that verified their accuracy.

"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them…And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not," he said.

"And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations," he also said.

“It comes off very badly,” Democratic strategist Kirsten Powers said of Obama’s small-town America remarks. “They are things that I think in a liberal world sound totally normal, and outside of that world I don’t know that he appreciates how it sounds. And it just sounds very elitist, and it sounds like he’s looking down on people.”

Pennsylvania GOP Chairman Robert Gleason Jr. even weighed in, releasing a statement saying the comments “reveal a condescending elitism.”

Political pundit and Republican campaign veteran Mike McCarville of Oklahoma City, interviewed on Sirius Satellite Radio Friday night, said Obama's comments "constitute a serious misstep. How serious will be determined by how much play they get in the mainstream media." He noted that MSNBC and CNN devoted considerable airtime to the remarks late today, "which indicates to me the story may have some legs, and that's not good for Obama."

Henry Declares State Of Emergency

In the wake of severe storms across the state, Governor Brad Henry today declared a state of emergency to exist in 38 Oklahoma counties due to tornadoes, severe storms and flooding which began on April 9.

Henry also amended a March 27, 2008 executive order by adding two counties, Hughes and Pawnee, to the list of those counties experiencing severe storms and flooding since March 17.

Today’s executive order is the first step toward seeking federal assistance. In addition, Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management officials are in the midst of preliminary damage assessments to determine the extent of damages.

“Lives and property have been lost, and our thoughts and prayers go out to those who are suffering because of these storms,” Henry said. “As usual, the response of emergency management officials and first responders has been exemplary and we are ready to do whatever it takes to help victims of these storms get on with their lives.”

The counties included in the state of emergency are: Adair, Atoka, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Cherokee, Coal, Comanche, Choctaw, Garvin, Grady, Haskell, Hughes, Johnston, Kiowa, Latimer, LeFlore, Logan, Love, Marshall, Mayes, McClain, McCurtain, McIntosh, Muskogee, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Ottawa, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Pushmataha, Rogers, Seminole, Sequoyah, Tulsa and Wagoner. More counties will be added as needed.

Immigration Law Opponents Pin Hopes On Courts

From www.newsok.com ~ Legislative efforts to repeal a contentious anti-illegal immigration law never got much support, so opponents are pinning their hopes on getting the courts to stop implementation of provisions affecting businesses.

"It looks like we are stuck with it unless we can get it thrown out by the federal court in Oklahoma City," said Sen. Harry Coates, R-Seminole, who has tried unsuccessfully to push legislation to repeal the law or provisions taking place July 1 that put new requirements on employers.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups, including chambers of commerce in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, have asked a federal court in Oklahoma City to intervene.

The business groups contend the Oklahoma law interferes with federal immigration law. They argue immigration regulation is the purview of the federal government and should not be left to a patchwork of uncoordinated state procedures.

Both sides are awaiting a decision by U.S. District Court Judge Robin Cauthron in the federal lawsuit. Cauthron could dismiss the suit, as requested by Attorney General Drew Edmondson, hold a hearing on the merits or issue an order blocking implementation.

Oklahoma Chamber official Mike Seney said he anticipated the judge will schedule a hearing "shortly."

No matter what the judge rules, an appeal to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals is expected.

"Whatever happens, it is going to be appealed, but maybe we can get a little relief short term," Coates said.

Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, who introduced the legislation, said even if the judge issues an order delaying implementation of the employer provisions, he believes the law will be eventually be upheld.

Immigration Law Court Case Hearing Held

By Bill Braun/Tulsa World ~ A Tulsa County judge heard legal arguments Friday linked to a lawsuit that asserts a new state law dealing with illegal immigration violates the Oklahoma Constitution.

District Judge Jefferson Sellers issued no ruling on the matter, but gave attorneys the opportunity to submit proposed "findings of fact and conclusions of law."

Those filings are due two weeks after a transcript of the court hearing is prepared, and the transcript is projected to be ready in a week.

The plaintiff in the case filed Jan. 3 is Michael C. Thomas, identified as a resident taxpayer of Tulsa County. One of his attorneys is his father, James C. Thomas.

James Thomas and co-counsel Steve Hickman argued that HB 1804 is unconstitutional because it creates a Bureau of Immigration and allows for the appropriation and expenditure of public funds in violation of the state constitution.

The plaintiff's attorneys assert that HB 1804 embraces "multiple subjects," in violation of the constitutional requirement that every act of the Legislature is to embrace a single subject.

Among other facets, the new law makes it illegal to knowingly transport illegal immigrants, creates state barriers to hiring illegal immigrants, and requires proof of citizenship to get some government benefits.

Gov. Brad Henry, named as a defendant in the suit, is represented by State Attorney General Drew Edmondson's office.

Assistant Attorney General Daniel Weitman argued Friday that the law does not establish a Bureau of Immigration.The purpose of HB 1804, which was "overwhelmingly" approved by the Legislature, "is to protect the taxpayer and the state's resources from the adverse affects of illegal immigration," Weitman said.

U. S. Chamber Honors Inhofe

Senator Jim Inhofe has been awarded the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “Spirit of Enterprise Award” for his support of pro-growth legislation during the 110th Congress.

Gumm: Newcomers Tax Break 'Backwards'

A rural leader with a successful background in economic development says a tax break for newcomers is a “backwards way” to grow rural Oklahoma.

Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, said proposed amendments to the bill intended to help bring the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City would create a “grossly unfair” tax scheme in which current residents of the state pay more income tax than newcomers.

The proposal, advocated by some rural legislators, is called the “Come Home to Oklahoma” bill, and would give a five-year income tax exemption to people who move into some rural areas from another state and buy or build a home there. Under the proposal, individuals who already live in Oklahoma would continue to pay their full income tax bills.

“I do not know how any leader can look his or her constituents in the eye and tell them they should pay more tax than someone who just arrived in Oklahoma,” Gumm said. “We ought to call this the ‘Oklahomans Pay More Taxes’ bill.

“It is unfair, potentially unconstitutional, and nothing short of a ‘deal-breaker’ for me.”

Gumm is the former executive director of the Durant Chamber of Commerce. According to records from the last five years, Durant has attracted a higher percentage of new jobs than any community in Oklahoma. The experience of his hometown, he said, shows the newcomers’ tax break does not make sense from an economic development standpoint.

“While we need an adequate workforce to attract business and industry, jobs rarely follow people; people follow jobs,” he said. “If we attract residents to these areas before there are jobs for them, then the problem this idea attempts to solve is made even worse.”

Gumm said a better way to encourage rural legislators to support the “Sonics” bill is to make a significant investment in rural Oklahoma’s infrastructure. One way to do that would be through the Rural Economic Action Program, which provides grant money to small communities for economic development and infrastructure improvements.

“It is woefully under funded at only $15 million annually,” he said. “Pumping an additional $20 or $30 million into REAP, spread across the state to deserving communities, stands a better chance of growing small town economies.

“It doesn’t matter how many people move to rural Oklahoma if the infrastructure is not adequate and there are no jobs. Build the infrastructure, create the jobs and the people will come.”

In a recent edition of Gumm’s regular column to his constituents, the lawmaker wrote the idea behind the “Come Home to Oklahoma Act” was noble, but that proposal is “as patently unfair” as any bill he has ever seen.

“Tax policy says who we are and who we value,” Gumm said. “This wrong-headed proposal says we value newcomers more than we do the people who have already invested in our state. I cannot and will not support any plan to puts lesser value and higher taxes on the people I represent.”

Bill Clinton's Memory Is Flawed; Defense Of Wife's Sniper Story Off Target, CBS Reports

From NewsMax ~ Bill Clinton has criticized the press over its coverage of Hillary Clinton’s Bosnia visit flap, saying reporters treated her as if “she’d robbed a bank.”

Hillary acknowledged two weeks ago that she "misspoke" and "made a mistake" when she said she landed under sniper fire during a 1996 visit to war-torn Bosnia.

Speaking to a gathering in Indiana, which holds its primary on May 6, the former president said: “There was a lot of fulminating because Hillary, one time late at night when she was exhausted, misstated — and immediately apologized for it — what happened to her in Bosnia…

"What really has mattered is that even then she was interested in our troops. And I think she was the first first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt to go into a combat zone. And you woulda thought, you know, that she'd robbed a bank the way they carried on about this. And some of them, when they're 60, they'll forget something when they're tired at 11 at night, too."

[The former president's memory must be slipping; he got the facts wrong.]

According to politico.com, CBS News producer Ryan Corsaro pointed out that Hillary made the sniper fire claim in mid-morning on St. Patrick's Day, and CBS has aired videotape of Clinton making the claim on at least two other occasions.

As for the Eleanor Roosevelt assertion, Pat Nixon traveled to Vietnam in 1969.

Legislature To Adjourn A Week Early?

The Oklahoma Legislature may be able to adjourn a week early, leaders say.

The Senate on Thursday Senate Concurrent Resolution 71, which sets adjournment by 5 p.m. May 23rd instead of May 30th.

House Speaker Chris Benge agrees early adjournment is likely.

Amber England, the Senate Democratic communications director, said the constitution requires the legislative session to end by the last Friday in May. Adjourning May 23 rather than May 30 allows members to return to their districts and families without having to return to Oklahoma City after Memorial Day, she said

GOP Vice Chair Responds To Allegations

The vice chair of the Oklahoma Republican Party, Cheryl Williams, has responded to rumors and allegations with an email to the editors of Red Oklahoma. Read her response at http://www.redoklahoma.org/.

Judge: Release Trentadue Death Report

Salt Lake City (AP) ~ A federal judge in Utah has set a May 1 deadline for the government to release a report on a man who died while in custody in Oklahoma.

Salt Lake City attorney Jesse Trentadue (pictured) claims his brother, Kenneth Trentadue, died during an interrogation by investigators, four months after the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

The government has denied the allegation and insisted that Trentadue committed suicide. During a hearing Thursday, U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart gave the government three weeks to release the report to Jesse Trentadue or face contempt of court action.

Kenneth Trentadue, 44, a convicted bank robber, was picked up on a parole violation in California in 1995 and transported to Oklahoma City for further proceedings.

During that time, the FBI was investigating the bombing of the Murrah federal building, which killed 168 people.

Trentadue's survivors filed a lawsuit claiming they suffered emotional distress because the government had not told them how he died or that an autopsy had been performed. They said they opened his casket and found Trentadue's throat had been slashed with a toothpaste tube and he had been hanged with a braided bedsheet.

After a 2001 trial, a federal judge in Oklahoma City ordered the government to pay $1.1 million, saying the government's conduct was outrageous and caused the family severe emotional distress. But the judge said Trentadue had committed suicide and that allegations of a conspiracy by prison officials to cover up a murder were just speculation.

Terrill Says Coates' 'Paranoia Starting To Show'

By Barbara Hoberock, Tulsa World ~ The state Senate is conducting an internal investigation into the theft of documents from the legislative office of a vocal opponent of a controversial anti-illegal-immigration law.

Sen. Harry Coates (left), R-Seminole, said printed copies of e-mails were taken from his office and posted on an Internet blog.

Coates is a vocal critic of House Bill 1804, an immigration reform law that passed last session. Efforts by opponents to make changes to the measure have not been successful.

Among other things, HB 1804 makes it a felony to knowingly transport illegal immigrants, creates state barriers to hiring illegal workers and requires proof of citizenship to receive certain government benefits. After July 1, it will require state contractors to check the immigration status of workers.

Coates believes that those who support the bill are behind the stolen documents -- which contained conversations about HB 1804 -- and phone calls made to his office and house. He also said someone posed as him to post comments on a Web site that published a story about HB 1804.

Coates called the theft and other actions an attempt to embarrass and intimidate anyone who does not agree with the immigration law. He said the phone calls contained offensive language but did not threaten bodily harm. The threats were political in nature, he said.

"The Senate is currently conducting an internal investigation in an attempt to discover who is behind this," Coates said. "Once we learn their identity, that information will be turned over to law enforcement, and we would expect it to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

The internal probe involves reviewing camera images of the hallway outside his office.

Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, said security breaches will be addressed aggressively.

"We are trying to find out the facts internally," Coffee said. "At some point, we probably would bring in the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, once we find out what has gone on."

Coates said he does not believe that any lawmakers are behind the theft of the file with the e-mails.

He said the publication of the private e-mails on a blog could stifle debate on issues. "Some of the material has been taken out of context with the rather obvious purpose of embarrassing anyone who dares to defy those who relish the thought of ridding our state of people who speak another language, legal or illegal," Coates said.

Rep. Randy Terrill (top right), R-Moore, the author of House Bill 1804, called the incidents "bizarre."

He said he doesn't believe that supporters of his legislation are behind the missing documents.

"The pressure of being on the wrong side of an 80-20 issue has apparently gotten to Sen. Coates," Terrill said. "The paranoia is starting to show a little bit."

Coates has taken a public position against a popular law, he said. "Now, he is feigning shock and surprise that he is hearing from people other than friends, family and employees who disagree with him," Terrill said.

Coates: Stolen Material 'Taken Out Of Context'

By John Greiner, The Oklahoman ~ A Senate investigation is under way into the theft of the personal e-mail file of Sen. Harry Coates, an opponent of the state's immigration law, he said Thursday.

Coates, R-Seminole, who opposed House Bill 1804 — the state immigration law — said his file on the issue disappeared from his Senate office about two weeks ago.

Contents of the file are being "leaked online a few pages at a time,” Coates said.

"Some of the material has been taken out of context with the rather obvious purpose of embarrassing anyone who dares to defy those who relish the thought of ridding our state of people who speak another language, legal or not,” Coates said.

{Christopher Arps of the Oklahoma Political News Service which published the emails, said, "If Senator Coates thinks the documents are quoted out of context, then I implore him and everyone else who is interested, to go to www.okpns.com and read Senator Coates' comments for themselves."}

He said he's concerned this is an attack at those in business and at the capitol who question whether HB 1804 is going to cause more harm than good.

In February, a lawsuit was filed in federal court over the immigration law by several business groups including The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The State Chamber and Oklahoma City and Tulsa chambers of commerce. They claimed the law undermines federal immigration law and places unreasonable burdens on state businesses.

Coates said he doesn't think any legislators are involved in taking the file. Instead, he said he believes a small group of fanatics are responsible for leaking the information.

Coffee Says OSBI May Join Stolen File Probe

From www.okinsider.com ~ A Senate investigation into the matter (of a file stolen from the Capitol office of Senator Harry Coates) is currently under way, and the matter has been reported to the Attorney General's Office. Coates said that they are reviewing surveillance footage to see if anything turns up.

In a separate press conference on the same day, Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, said that Coates had "asked that we make some internal investigations to find out what's going on, and I believe he has also spoken with the attorney general."

"I absolutely am concerned if we have security issues within members' offices," Coffee said. "That's not something that we take lightly, and we will certainly address aggressively."

Coffee stated that, for the moment, he and President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater, are just trying to figure out what has happened internally, though he suggested that the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation might get involved.

Poll: McCain Ties Both Clinton, Obama

From AOL News ~ Republican Sen. John McCain has erased Sen. Barack Obama's 10-point advantage in a head-to-head matchup, leaving him essentially tied with both Democratic candidates in an Associated Press-Ipsos national poll released Thursday.

Benge Casts Rare Committee Vote

House Speaker Chris Benge cast a rare vote in committee today and you can get the details at the blog Choice Remarks, http://okschoolchoice.blogspot.com/2008/04/keep-hope-alive.html.

Eagle Forum Honors Sally Kern

The Eagle Forum has named Republican Rep. Sally Kern as "Eagle of the Week because of her tremendous courage over the last couple of weeks," the group announced today.

"Her strong stance for family values stirred the hearts of the nearly 3000 who turned out to support Rep. Kern in a time of great pressure. Thank you Rep. Kern for not backing down and for standing for truth even at a high cost to your family and personal safety. You have Eagle Forum's support."

Campus Gun Carry Measure Fails

Another effort has failed in the Senate to advance a proposal to let some students, including military veterans, carry guns on college campuses.

Rep. Anthony Sykes offered an amendment on Thursday to revive the gun bill after the original proposal died in a Senate committee.

Sykes' bid was blocked, however, when senators approved a motion to cut off consideraton of amendments. That motion was lodged by Sen. Patrick Anderson, an Enid Republican.

Obama-Clinton Race Claims New Casualty

The race for the Democratic nomination for president claimed yet another personality today and, like others, this one had nothing to do personally with Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.

The new casualty is Randi Rhodes, the radio talk show host who was suspended last week from Air America after going on an obscenity-laced tirade against Hillary Clinton and one of her prominent supporters. Rhodes has resigned after refusing to apologize on-air to Clinton.

Mark Green, president of Air America Media, told FOXNews.com that Rhodes terminated her contract Wednesday after she refused to apologize on air for her remarks.

Rhodes is known for her obscenity-laced public appearances.

Rhodes used obscene language during a March 22 event sponsored by an affiliate station in San Francisco. During what was an apparent stand-up routine, Rhodes attacked Geraldine Ferraro, the former vice presidential candidate, for saying that Clinton rival Barack Obama has benefited in the Democratic presidential race because he is black.

“Geraldine Ferraro turned out to be the David Duke in drag. Who knew?” Rhodes said to laughter. “What a whore Geraldine Ferraro is, she’s such a f*****g whore.”

A few minutes later, Rhodes said, “Hillary is a big f*****g whore too.”

She then suggested Clinton was trying to force her way into the Democratic nomination by manipulating pledged delegates. “Oh, f**k you, okay, f**k you,” she said.

Supporters of both Obama and Clinton left their campaigns after making controversial remarks.

OSBI Could Assist Senate Probe

Capitol sources say today the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation could be asked to help investigate the apparent theft of a file from the office of Republican Senator Harry Coates of Seminole.

Email documents in the file, which contained materials involving the state's controversial new immigration law, appeared this week on a Missouri-based political blog and Coates said today the Senate has launched an internal investigation. He said the investigation could eventually involve law enforcement officials.

Harry Coates: Senate Investigation Underway Into Disappearance Of File From His Office

Senator Harry Coates said today he is outraged that his private correspondences had been taken and used online without permission. He said an internal Senate investigation is underway in an effort to determine who removed a file from his office.

Coates, R-Seminole, said he has also been the target of blogs posted fraudulently using his name, as well as numerous phone calls to his office, home and to other relatives, of an abusive and sometimes obscene nature.

“I know there are those who favor HB 1804 who sincerely believe their efforts will protect American jobs. They are frustrated with the federal government for failing to address illegal immigration,” Coates said. “However, recent events have shown a handful of fanatical supporters are willing to do anything they can to intimidate those who speak out against a bad law. That right, to question or even criticize our government, is the very basis of our democracy.”

Coates said after he came out in opposition to HB 1804, he started receiving hateful and even obscene anonymous phone calls at his Senate office and his home. Other family members were also targeted. Last Friday, someone using Coates’ name blogged on a newspaper website in response to a Tulsa County District Judge’s denial to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the immigration law.

Within the last two days, someone has been posting private emails from Coates online, after a file containing those messages disappeared from his office.

Emails apparently in the file have appeared on a Missouri-based blog which has repeatedly attacked Coates and others opposed to the state's new immigration law.

“Again, this is an overt attempt to embarrass and intimidate anyone who does not agree with the immigration law,” Coates said. “The Senate is currently conducting an internal investigation in an attempt to discover who is behind this. Once we learn their identity, that information will be turned over to law enforcement, and we would expect it to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Cash Payments To Mass, Erwin, Hefner Stopped After Publicity, Gambling Company Owner Testifies

Muskogee (By Tony Thornton/The Oklahoman) ~ A southeast Oklahoma gambling machine owner instructed his general manager to stop paying cash to three legislators in 2005 amid newspaper reports detailing how the businessman benefited from state taxpayer money, jurors in a corruption trial heard today.

Mike Stokes, who was the top employee of Indian Nation Entertainment, said cash payments were common until that point to then-state Reps. Mike Mass, Randall Erwin and Jerry Hefner.

Company owner Steve Phipps described the legislators as "investors" in the company, Stokes recalled. Their payments came from cash that the United Keetoowah Band Casino in Tahlequah routinely delivered to Indian Nation Entertainment as the company's share of money from machines the casino leased.

In late January 2005, The Oklahoman published a story tying Phipps to then-state Sen. Gene Stipe on another venture, a McAlester dog food plant that was built on land Stipe sold at an inflated price using taxpayer money.

A few months later, Phipps ordered the payments to the legislators stopped "until things cooled down," Stokes said.

Read Thornton's entire story at http://www.newsok.com/.

Spears: Stipe Had Secret Interest In Plant

Muskogee (By Susan Hylton/Tulsa World) ~ Former state Sen. Gene Stipe had 30 percent interest in a dog food plant that received more than $400,000 in taxpayer money, his former longtime secretary testified in federal court Wednesday.

And his ownership was never put in writing because he was a senator at the time, former secretary Charlene Spears said.

The trial of Francis Stipe is the result of a four-count grand jury indictment against him and his brother, Gene Stipe. Francis Stipe is charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, witness tampering, and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction.

Spears said she and Gene Stipe, D-McAlester, with whom she worked closely for 29 years, talked about National Pet Products on numerous occasions.

About $190,000 went to purchase an auction house Stipe owned that was going to be refurbished to be used for NPP, records show. Spears said Stipe owed more on the property than it was worth and didn't like making the payments on it. At the property closing, Spears said Steve Phipps, who also had 30 percent interest in NPP, was trying to urge Francis Stipe to persuade his brother to keep quiet about his ownership of the property to be used by NPP.

"Francis said, 'That's the worst kept secret in McAlester,' " Spears said.

Records show Francis Stipe signed the check at the closing as president of the McAlester Foundation, which received the state funds to buy the property.

"Francis signed the check but said he wished someone else would sign it since his brother was getting money out of it," Spears said.

Also at the closing was former legislator Mike Mass. Spears said that Phipps told her previously that Mass, a Democrat, would also get a check at the closing, but she said she never wrote checks to anyone until Gene Stipe told her to.

A common practice was to write "loan" on the memo line when it was never intended to be paid back, Spears said.

The check was written for $48,000 and Mass testified that he accepted it in return for his steering of state monies to NPP.

He testified that his finances weren't very good at the time and he was battling a "horrible gambling addiction."

Mass said he became disillusioned with NPP when he found out that Phipps was building slot machines there. Part of his disappointment was because Phipps was receiving profit from the machines and he thought Phipps was cutting him out after he had secured state money in that venture, Mass said.

Mass said that in 2000, Stipe loaned him and his wife, Suzanne Mass, $32,870 to pay off debts. Mass said he told Stipe he didn't know if or when he could ever pay it back.

"(Gene Stipe) put his arm around me and said he never intends for us to pay him back, he just wanted to help us," Suzanne Mass testified.

Stipe and the Masses signed a real estate mortgage in connection with the loan but records show the $32,870 document was never filed against his home until August 2006.

Mass testified that he found out when Francis Stipe bought the original note on his house and was trying to insure the property. Mass said he called Francis Stipe who informed him that he didn't expect Mass to make house payments to him, he wanted the entire lump sum owed -- about $150,000. Mass said he was in bankruptcy at the time and was getting ready to sell the property to former legislator Joe Hutchinson, which killed the deal.

"I was devastated," Suzanne Mass said. "We were just very hopeless after that." In fear he would lose his home, Mass said he asked a friend to plead his case to Francis Stipe.

But Mass testified that he never felt Francis Stipe pressured him to not cooperate in the grand jury investigation.

"I don't think anyone could threaten me enough not to tell the truth," Mass said.

Mass testified that he is still in the same home.

The government is expected to wrap up its case Thursday. The defense team plans to call several witnesses. The jury is expected to get the case Monday.

Claim: Emails Show Intent To Move Sonics

Seattle, WA ~ There are reports today claiming that emails obtained by the city of Seattle for its lawsuit against the Oklahoma City owners of the Sonics show the owners were planning to move the franchise to Oklahoma City last April at a time they publicly said they were interested in keeping the team there.

The emails reportedly were circulated when the owners were still telling the public they were interested in keeping the franchise in Seattle.

The Seattle Times reports the city cited the emails in a motion in federal court in New York seeking to subpoena records from the NBA. The city is suing in an attempt to force the Sonics to play out the two years remaining on its Key Arena lease.

A spokesman for Sonics owner Clay Bennett, Dan Mahoney, and NBA spokesman Tim Frank declined to comment.

Seattle City Attorney Tom Carr says the emails show Bennett's group never intended to keep the Sonics in Seattle.

Angry House Democrats Stage Walkout

Angry House Democrats today walked out of the chamber to protest the refusal of Republican committee chairmen to allow those with whom they disagree to speak.

Rep. Chuck Hoskin, head of the House Democratic caucus, said it was bad enough that members of the public were not allowed to speak, but elected representatives also are being denied the right to ask questions in committee and on the floor.

Thursday morning, Rep. James Covey, D-Custer City, asked to be recognized on the House floor because he wanted to speak with House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa, about how committee meetings are being conducted. But he was not recognized.

"That was the straw that broke the camel's back," said Rep. Eric Proctor, D-Tulsa.

House Minority Leader Danny Morgan, D-Prague, huddled with Benge and others in the speaker's office. Morgan said Benge agreed to review committee rules and will have an answer on Monday.

Morgan (pictured) said his members also are angry over the the refusal by Rep. Ron Peterson, R-Broken Arrow, to let supporters of a measure that would require insurance companies to cover costs associated with autism speak before his committee.

About 30 supporters showed up the past two weeks to speak to Peterson's committee, but Peterson killed the measure and denied supporters a chance to speak.

Last week Chad Smith, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, was not allowed to speak before a House committee that took up a bill that would make English the official language of the state. The chairman of that committee, Rep. Guy Liebmann, R-Oklahoma City, restricted comments to House members. The measure passed out of committee and is awaiting action on the House floor. House Speaker Chris Benge later apologized to Smith and said he should have been allowed to speak.

NRA Finds Trouble With McCain's Positions

By Sam Youngman/The Hill ~ If Sen. John McCain expects the support of gun owners in this year’s presidential race, the Arizona Republican must make an effort to overcome some decisions the National Rifle Association (NRA) has found troubling.

“John McCain still has some work to do to give them a comfort level,” Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA, said during an interview with The Hill. “Truth be told, he’s not there yet.”

Cox said McCain and the anti-gun control group have endured some “high-profile disagreements” in the last several years that have left many gun owners concerned about his candidacy.

Specifically, McCain played a leading role in crafting the campaign finance reform law that bears his name and that also enraged many lobbying groups. The NRA was one of the most outspoken.

At the group’s national convention in 2001, NRA President Wayne LaPierre vocalized that dismay. “Is it possible that John McCain thinks you have too much freedom?” LaPierre asked, before adding: “I don’t know what’s happening to John McCain.”

The Arizona senator also ran afoul of the group when he pushed for tighter restrictions on buying guns at gun shows.

To be sure, McCain has often been a friend on issues dear to the NRA, Cox said. But Cox added that his members intend to scrutinize the candidates’ entire legislative records, and not just the points of agreement.

“We owe it to our members and our supporters to tell the truth about all of [the candidates], and we’re not going to sugarcoat it,” Cox said.

A key question among members that surfaces when Cox travels the country is this: “What’s the deal with John McCain?”

Cox said that members have expressed “a lot of borderline resentment in some circles” over McCain. But because of the outright disdain for both of the Democratic candidates’ past positions on gun control, the NRA is actively seeking a way for McCain to directly address its members and smooth over past troubles.

“He will be asked about gun shows. He will be asked about campaign finance reform,” Cox said. “Can he help himself? Yes. Can he hurt himself? Yes.”

McCain may be on his way to winning these critics over. As the Supreme Court considers the landmark Washington, D.C., gun ban, McCain was one of 55 lawmakers to sign a “friend of the court” amicus brief.

Both Democratic candidates, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.), did not.Tucker Bounds, a McCain spokesman, said the senator has a strong record on gun owners' rights, which is in "sharp contrast to his potential rivals."

"Senators Obama and Clinton have recklessly supported some of the most controversial attacks on the Second Amendment, and that’s going to make a major difference with voters this fall,” Bounds said.

The NRA expects to spend between $18 million and $20 million this year on campaigns ranging from state legislative races to the presidency. But the group has yet to endorse McCain, and in the absence of an incumbent, likely won’t do so until after the summer conventions.

Additionally, the group is launching an ambitious “seven- or eight-figure” voter registration drive, something it has never done before.

“This is arguably the most important year in NRA history,” Cox said.