Finally (4)!

Courtney Paris is the first 4-time AP All-American in women's basketball, and the Lady Sooners advance to the Final Four in the NCAA Women's Tournament.

Military Combat Defense Fund Aids Behenna

The Military Combat Defense Fund (MCDF) has donated to help in the appeals process for Edmond Army Lt. Michael Behenna, convicted in the 2008 death of an Al Qaida operative in Iraq.

The fund is composed of retired military personnel, most of them wounded in action in Vietnam.

Behenna was convicted of murder by a military tribunal and faces years in a federal prison. His conviction, and sentence, has angered many, including those involved in the MCDF.

Following Behenna's conviction, it was revealed that military prosecutors withheld from his defense team exculpatory evidence from a prosecution expert. That evidence calls into question the entire prosecution theory of what transpired when Behenna shot the Al Qaida operative.

Behenna's case will be appealed to the Army's Court of Appeals in Washington and a defense fund to help has been established. For more information, go to http://defendmichael.wordpress.com/.

In The Trenches: If He Runs For Governor, J. C. Watts Has Some 'Splainin' To Do To GOP Stalwarts

If former Congressman J. C. Watts, now a Washington lobbyist who operates the J. C. Watts Companies, challenges Congresswoman Mary Fallin in the 2010 Republican primary for governor, he has some explaining to do to Republicans, some of them say.

In The Trenches: Analysis By Mike McCarville

For the past week, The McCarville Report Online has asked numerous Republican workers and party officials how Watts might fare in a 3-way primary with Fallin and Senator Randy Brogdon, who has formed an exploratory committee and is expected to run.

Most agree Watts would be a formidable opponent; he generally is well-liked and those who support him note he's been on the ballot in the past, having won election to the Corporation Commission and to Congress from the 4th District. They concede, however, that his ballot experience doesn't match that of Fallin, who served as lieutenant governor for 12 years and has won the 5th District seat in Congress twice.

It is what Watts has done as a lobbyist that now raises eyebrows and prompts one longtime party official to say he "has some 'splainin' to do if he runs" and another to echo that, adding he's made some odd statements for a "conservative Republican."

"He all but endorsed Barack Obama," said a party official in northwestern Oklahoma. "He never actually did it, but he sure as hell gave aid and comfort to the enemy by what he said."

Said a party official in central Oklahoma in an email: "JC is seen as a DC person coming to OK to run against Cinderella! When JC is exposed as a lobbyist for the ACLU, an infomercial spokesman for a company helping you get money from govt programs and that he publicly stated he supported Obama but just couldn't endorse him.... When that story is told he has 0 support from every person I talked to. If the background is not told then I would say he might have 25 to 30% support."

Said a party official in southwestern Oklahoma: "If JC is gonna get in - I hear he's about 50/50 - sooner the better! He needs to get in, before people line up solid behind Mary! Makes it difficult to get them to change allegiance. And, he's been 'gone' awhile. Think it would be a tough primary! People love JC & they really like Mary! So do I! I would say.... on that scenario also....a 50/50."

Said a longtime party worker and Fallin supporter from southern Oklahoma: "Some elbowed Mary out of the governor's race for Steve Largent (in 2002) and that got us eight years of Brad Henry. Those same people, I hear, are now trying to trump her with J. C. and it's not going to work. She's in the race to stay and she'll win the primary and be elected governor."

In eastern Oklahoma, a veteran Republican who was a volunteer in Watts' campaign for the Corporation Commission in 1990 said she's confused by Watts: "He won that seat in Congress and could have stayed there forever. Then he said he needed to make more money so he quit and became a lobbyist. What's he going to say now? I've got all the money I need and I want to be governor?' He hasn't been involved in Oklahoma politics for a long time. And all that time, Mary has been fighting the fight, building her credentials and gaining experience. Over here, Mary will be very strong against anyone, even in the general election."

If Watts gets into the race, his lobbying work and list of clients is certain to be scrutinized. His website lists present clients as ACLU - Voting Rights Act Coalition; Aetna; Albany State University; AT & T; Black Farmers and Agriculturalists; Black Television News Channel; Bowl Championship Series; Cable News Network (CNN); Coalition for AIDS Relief in Africa; CompuCredit; D&B Specialty Foods; Falcon Properties; FM Policy Focus; Global Hue; Gospel Communications; Grambling State University; Hunt Building Company; John Deere; Keum Bong Construction; NASCAR; Mississippi Valley State University; National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Oklahoma Heart Hospital; Republic of Senegal; Robinson Aviation; Texas College; Turks and Caicos Islands; SAP America; Sepracor; United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee; Winn Companies.

Despite the questions some ask about Watts, others dismiss them as "just politics."

A Cleveland County party worker said Watts "isn't quite the golden boy he was a few years back, but he has lots of support here and elsewhere. I suspect it would be a hot primary and a lot of money would be spent. I think it's a toss-up as to which one of them would win and then you throw Randy Brogdon, and probably a couple of others, into it and it could be very, very close."

House Democrats Launch New Website

The Oklahoma Democratic Party has announced the launch of a new website, okhousedems.com, to spread the House Democrats' message.

“We’re proud to be launching this new project, and we believe it will help us all keep our constituents better apprised of what we’re doing at the Capitol,” said Democratic Leader Danny Morgan, D-Prague. “House Democrats want to make every effort to be as open and accountable as possible to our constituents. A website is a great way to do offer the public as much information as we can give them so they can explore it on their own time.”

Morgan noted that the website remains an ongoing project, but already site visitors can find an archive of press releases, editorials and videos from this session featuring Democratic legislators.

“I think this site will complement the resources already available to the public on the House website. It gives Democratic members a chance to really tell the public our side of the story and talk about what we’re doing to fight for everyday Oklahomans,” Morgan added.

“Not all of our members have websites of their own to keep their constituents updated on what bills they’re bringing up or what issues they’re working on, so this gives all our Democratic members an opportunity to share their news and ideas.”

Democrats Attack Coffee Over Travel Expense

Democrats attacked Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, on a new front Monday, calling into question $58,000 he claimed as campaign-related travel expense during 2008.

"We're trying to get receipts on all of that," Democratic Party Chairman Ivan Holmes said.

"Even if it's not illegal, he could be doing anything with that money."

Coffee spokesman Randy Swanson wrote in an e-mail that the three-term senator, who has been under fire for a $30,000 loan taken out to pay off a tax lien, would have no comment on Holmes' charges.

Justice Denied? Behenna Case Angers Many

Compliled From News Reports ~ While attorneys for Army Lt. Michael Behenna of Edmond plan an appeal of his military court conviction of murder in the death of an Al Qaida member in Iraq, there's growing anger over the failure of military prosecutors to disclose expert evidence favorable to him.

A military court on Feb. 27 found Behenna (pictured with his family at his Army Ranger graduation) guilty of murdering al-Qaida operative Ali Mansur Mohammed in Iraq on May 16, 2008 during a field interrogation. Behenna, 25, an infantry platoon leader in the 101st Airborne Division, maintains the shooting was in self-defense.

The seven-member panel that convicted Behenna rejected that claim, but new information indicates the court may not have heard the whole story. On the day the verdict came down, the government's own forensics expert, Dr. Herbert L. MacDonell, told Army prosecutor Capt. Meghan M. Poirier that he had changed his mind and now believes Behenna killed Ali Mansur in self-defense.

In a letter dated February 27, 2009, MacDonell told Poirier he was “concerned that I did not testify and have a chance to inform the court of the only logical explanation for this shooting.”

“From the evidence I feel that Ali Mansur had to have been shot in his chest when he was standing. As he dropped straight down he was shot again at the very instant that his head passed in front of the muzzle,” MacDonell wrote. “It fits the facts and I can not think of a more logical explanation.”

The Army lawyers prosecuting Behenna had a legal duty to reveal such “exculpatory evidence” that could clear Behenna to the defense and failed to do so, Behenna’s lawyer Jack Zimmermann said.

Behenna detained Ali Mansur Mohammed on May 5, 2008. Mohammed was a suspect in the April 21, 2008 roadside bombing that killed platoon members Spec. Steven J. Christofferson, 20, of Cudahy, Wis., and Sgt. Adam J. Kohlhaas, 26, of Perryville, Mo.

While transporting the prisoner, Behenna testified, he drove Mohammed to a secluded area to interrogate him after conferring with the local Sunni “Sons of Iraq” leader. Behenna was accompanied by an Iraqi interpreter identified only as “Harry,” and Army Staff Sgt. Hal C. Warner, his platoon sergeant.

After being forced to strip naked, Mohammed rose and tried to wrestle away Behenna’s pistol. Behenna claimed he reflexively fired, striking Ali Mansur first in the chest and again in the forehead.

Warner and Harry testified they did not witness the shooting.

The government argued Behenna shot Ali Mansur Mohammed first in the head and then in the chest while he was sitting down. The crime scene was partially obliterated when Warner placed an incendiary grenade on Mohammed's body after the shooting.

Warner subsequently pled guilty to mistreating Mohammed before Behenna’s trial and is currently serving a 17-month sentence at Ft. Sill. Before making a deal with prosecutors, he faced life in prison without parole for first-degree murder. Warner, a three-tour Iraqi veteran, testified againt Behenna at his court-martial.

During the trial, the prosecution argued that Behenna’s self defense claim was “incredible,” and “impossible,” because Mohammed was undoubtedly first shot in the head while sitting.

MacDonell, a world renowned forensic specialist, has investigated such high profile cases as the Martin Luther King assassination, the murder of Robert Kennedy, and the O.J. Simpson double murder case.

“This scenario is consistent with the two shots being close together, consistent with their horizontal trajectory, consistent with the bloodstains on the floor, and consistent with the condition of the 9 mm flattened out bullet which was tumbling after leaving Ali Mansur's head or body,” MacDonell surmised. “I do not know where this bullet was recovered but I would expect that after impact to the concrete wall it fell very close to that wall. The other bullet should have been close to the first and there should have been two impact points on the wall.

MacDonell revealed his discomfort to Zimmermann as he was leaving the courtroom after testifying against Behenna during the court martial.

“I would have been a good witness for you,” MacDonell confided in Zimmermann on his way into the court room the day before Behenna was convicted.

“Why is that?" the always laconic Zimmermann responded.

“I can’t tell you. I was retained by the prosecution. I will write you after the trial,” MacDonell replied.

The next morning Zimmermann asked the three Army lawyers prosecuting Behenna if they were aware of any evidence offered by MacDonell that could help exonerate Behenna. They denied knowledge of any exculpatory evidence, Zimmermann says.

The government “specifically addressed the forensic evidence in a manner that was completely contrary to Dr. MacDonell’s withheld exculpatory expert opinion,” Zimmermann said in his motion for mistrial.

Ironically, MacDonell testified in the federal trial of infamous Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh. Behenna’s mother Vicki, is an assistant U.S. attorney in Oklahoma City who helped convict McVeigh in April 1995 of planting a homemade truck bomb that claimed 168 lives and left over 800 people injured.

“We think the judge erred,” Zimmermann said. “MacDonell’s conclusions will be very useful in his appeal.”

Military law mandates that murder sentences be automatically reviewed in the Army Court of Appeals in Washington.

Behenna's family and friends have established a website and defense fund. For more information, go to http://defendmichael.wordpress.com/.

Among sources for this article are Newsmax, CNN, and The Associated Press.

Obama Names Beth Garrett To Treasury Post

President Obama has nominated native Oklahoman and former David Boren staffer Beth Garrett for a top post at the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Garrett served on the staff of then-U.S. Senator Boren in the 1980s. She was Boren’s legal counsel and legislative assistant for tax, budget and welfare reform issues.

In a White House announcement, the president said he intends to nominate Garrett to be assistant secretary for Tax Policy.

A native of Oklahoma City, she was graduated from Putnam City North High School. Garrett also is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and the University of Virginia Law School. Currently she is vice president for academic planning and budget at the University of Southern California.

Cole Says No To Race For Governor

By Jim Myers/Tulsa World Washington Bureau ~ U.S. Rep. Tom Cole announced Monday he will not run for governor next year.

"It was a close call. I thought about it long and hard,'' the Oklahoma Republican said. "Strangely enough at the end, I thought Oklahoma was doing awfully well.''

Cole then cited challenges on the federal level, adding that he thought he could offer more for Oklahoma by remaining in Congress. Taxes and budget issues topped his list of concerns. Cole said his philosophy has been ''you always ride to the sound of the guns.''

A new member of the House Appropriations Committee, one of the more coveted panels in Congress, Cole also reflected on the importance of that appointment as well as the seniority he has built up in his current post.

"I am pretty pleased with the candidates that are out there,'' he said.

Rep. Mary Fallin already has jumped into the race on the Republican side, and former Rep. J.C. Watts and state Sen. Randy Brogdon are considering a bid.

Cole's announcement will fuel speculation that Watts will make the race. The two men have been close friends for years.

"I certainly would never run against J.C. Watts,'' Cole said, adding, however, his decision against running was not connected to Watts' future. "I don't know what he is going to do.''

Asked if he would be make an endorsement, Cole said it would be premature for him to say.

On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Jari Askins has said she is running and Attorney General Drew Edmondson is scheduled to make an announcement later this year. State Treasurer Scott Meacham is considered a potential candidate

Glenn Beck Takes Cable World By Storm

From The New York Times News Service ~ You are not alone," Glenn Beck likes to say. For the disaffected and aggrieved Americans of the Obama era, he couldn't have picked a better rallying cry.

Beck, an evening host on the Fox News Channel, is suddenly one of the most powerful media voices for the nation's conservative populist anger.

Barely two months into his job at Fox, his program is a phenomenon: It typically draws about 2.2 million viewers, more than any other cable news host except Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity, despite being on at 5 p.m., a slow shift for cable news.

With a mix of moral lessons, outrage and an apocalyptic view of the future, Beck, a longtime radio host who jumped to Fox from CNN's Headline News channel this year, is channeling the feelings of an alienated class of Americans.

Read the entire story at http://deseretnews.com/article/0,5143,705293990,00.html.

Cox Questions Insurance Company's Actions

Active and retired state employees, area hospitals, and medical providers are all being harmed by the way the HealthChoice insurance company and its fiscal intermediary, EDS, are being operated, Rep. Doug Cox of Grove said today.

“They are operating like a company in financial trouble. I hope for our state employees’ sake that is not the case,” said Cox, a Republican who also works as an emergency room doctor.

Beset by inefficiencies, delayed payments, poor customer service, and conflicting answers for consumers and providers alike, HealthChoice has created a trickle-down financial hardship on patients and providers throughout the state, Cox said.

He noted that HealthChoice is holding more that $22.5 million in accounts payable to Integris Health System alone. Over $10 million of those claims are more than two months old. “In today’s computerized world there is no excuse for an insurance company not paying an electronic claim within 30 days or a paper claim within 45 days,” Cox said.

GOP Convention Faces Leadership Contest

Former congressional field representative and Norman attorney L. Don Smitherman has announced that he will seek the Vice-Chairman slot for the Oklahoma Republican Party at the Republican State Convention on Saturday, April 18.

Party rules require the Chair and Vice Chair to be of different gender. Smitherman will team with current State Vice-Chair Cheryl Williams in her campaign for chairman.

Incumbent Chairman Gary Jones is seeking reelection.

Friends Rally To Defense Of Lt. Michael Behenna

Friends of Army Lt. Michael Behenna of Edmond have established a legal defense fund in an effort to exonerate him in the death of an Al Qaeda operative in Iraq a year ago.

A Michael Behenna website with donation details (http://defendmichael.wordpress.com/) devoted to his case tells the story:

"On March 20th, 2009, 1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna was sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing a known Al Qaeda operative while serving in Iraq. The 'victim,' Ali Mansur, was known to be a member of an Al Qaeda cell operating in the lieutenant’s area of operation, and was suspected to have organized an attack on Lt. Behenna’s platoon in April 2008 which killed two U.S. soldiers and injured two more. Army intelligence ordered the release of Mansur and Lt. Behenna was ordered to return the terrorist to his home.

"During the return of Mansur, Lt. Behenna again questioned the Al Qaeda member for information about other members of the terrorist cell, and financial supporters. During this interrogation, Mansur attacked Lt. Behenna, who killed the terrorist in self-defense. The government subsequently prosecuted Lt. Behenna for premeditated murder.

"Not only is this a miscarriage of justice on the behalf of Lt. Behenna, who was acting to prevent further loss of life in his platoon, it is demoralizing to the U.S. troops who continue to fight on behalf of the freedom and security of our nation. Whether it is U.S. border patrol agents, members of the armed forces, or FBI agents, no individual who is serving on the frontlines in the War on Terror should be so blatantly mistreated.

"We urgently need your help to correct this terrible wrong against a loyal and faithful soldier. Please contact your congressman and ask them to intervene on behalf of 1LT Behenna."

Compounding exasperation over Behenna's conviction, it has been revealed the military prosecutors withheld evidence favorable to him. That's more than ironic, given that his mother, Vicki Behenna, is a prominent federal prosecutor and his father, Scott, is a respected, retired OSBI agent who now works with the FBI. He was a lead investigator in the David Walters campaign finance scandal in the early 1990s.

Palin Names NRA Director As Attorney General

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has picked an Anchorage lawyer and National Rifle Association director as the state's new attorney general.

Palin named Wayne Anthony Ross to the post.

Ross twice sought the Republican nomination for governor. He is a former NRA vice president and current director.

Poll: Pelosi's Popularity Plummets

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s popularity has fallen to a new low for the year, with 60 percent of likely voters now viewing her unfavorably according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll.

Even worse news for the California Democrat: A whopping 42 percent characterize her job performance as “very unfavorable.”

The trend looks bad for Pelosi as well. Just two weeks ago, 53 percent of those surveyed viewed Pelosi somewhat or very unfavorably, and her “very unfavorable” rating was 36 percent. A 7 point favorability decline in two weeks suggests Pelosi’s popularity is in a serious tailspin.

Nielsen: CNN's Weakest Showing Ever

From Nielsen Media Research ~ CNN is poised to finish March third in the prime-time weeknight ratings behind Fox News Channel and MSNBC, the first time this has ever happened for the channel that pioneered the cable news genre nearly three decades ago.

CNN says its overall business is healthy and it is not straying from its straight news path. But it is suffering more audience erosion than its rivals since the peak days of the presidential election, further proof that the opinionated prime-time shows on Fox and MSNBC have greater audience loyalty.

CNN's weekday prime-time ratings are relatively flat compared to last year during the primary campaign, up 1 percent from March 2008, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Fox's ratings have jumped 30 percent and MSNBC, the new No. 2, is up 24 percent.

The biggest growth in cable news is for CNN's partner, Headline News, which is up 62 percent.

Fox remains on a mountain above its two closest competitors, with its prime-time audience in March more than that of MSNBC and CNN combined. "The O'Reilly Factor" has done particularly well, keeping more of its postelection audience than anything else on CNN and MSNBC.

Realtor Files Lawsuit Against Ethics Commission

From www.tulsaworld.com ~ A man who questioned the sale terms of a lawmaker’s home located near a landfill has filed a court challenge regarding the constitutionality of a rule that prohibits divulging details of state Ethics Commission complaints.

Tom Hardgrave, a Realtor, has found himself in hot water with state officials for comments he made regarding an Ethics Commission investigation of state Rep. Rex Duncan.

Hardgrave told the Tulsa World in December that an Ethics Commission investigator had contacted him seeking information about the sale of the lawmaker’s home to American Environmental Landfill in Sand Springs.

Since making his public comments, Hardgrave has apparently been targeted by the Ethics Commission.

State Ethics Commission rules prohibit an individual from divulging virtually any information regarding a complaint or ongoing investigation conducted by the agency.

Hardgrave’s lawsuit, filed Thursday in Tulsa County District Court, challenges that prohibition.

Hardgrave, who lived in the same neighborhood as Duncan and had sold several houses there, was Duncan’s most vocal critic after learning how much money the lawmaker received from the sale of his former home.

He believes that Duncan, R-Sand Springs, received special treatment from the landfill company after he had threatened to oppose an expansion of its facility.

The Tulsa World reported in September that Duncan had threatened landfill officials at a public hearing two years earlier that he would do everything he could to stop the expansion.

Then Duncan sold his home for $270,000 to the landfill company.

Hardgrave, in his petition, claims “the evidence will show that the federally-required appraisal on the home valued the home to be worth greatly less than what (the) Landfill had paid Defendant Duncan.”

Duncan could not be reached Thursday for comment.

But the lawmaker previously has stressed that he was not successful in stopping the Osage County Board of Adjustment from granting the landfill company permission to expand, and that the company did not offer to buy his home until after it had won its case.

Hardgrave names the Ethics Commission and Duncan as defendants in his lawsuit.

The lawsuit requests a judge enter a declaratory judgment finding that the gag rules unconstitutionally violate free speech rights and find that the commission violates the state Open Meeting Act “with regard to its secrecy practices.”

The state ethics agency will not confirm or deny whether it is investigating a particular case.

Ethics Commission officials declined to comment on the lawsuit or the basis for the complaint disclosure prohibition.

Hardgrave also seeks unspecified monetary damages against Duncan “as a result of the conspiracy to gag/punish plaintiff for being vocal about Defendant Duncan’s graft.”

Steven Hickman, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Hardgrave, called the request for monetary damages “incidental.”

“What we’re really after is to bring to light what really happened,” Hickman said. “We have a governmental agency whose function is to bring that to light and they buried it. You can’t take a legislator out to dinner or buy him a cup of coffee, but you can buy his house from him at above market prices and just funnel money through him that way. Part of what we’re wanting to do is expose the corruption that is going on here.”

Hardgrave claims in his lawsuit that he was unaware of the gag rule, until the Ethics Commission launched an investigation against him.

He also claims that the Ethics Commission dismissed the complaint against Duncan on Dec. 11.

Hardgrave claims Duncan shortly thereafter filed a complaint against him, claiming Hardgrave violated the commission’s gag rule when he talked to the World and other media about the complaint against Duncan.

Hickman said Hardgrave did not file the complaint against Duncan.

The lawsuit has been assigned to District Judge Rebecca Nightingale.

Anti-Gun Legislation DOA, Says Democrat

From The Hill ~ Gun-rights supporters in the Democratic Party are putting to rest any doubt over who holds sway in Congress with a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder warning him not to try to reinstate an assault-weapons ban.

Sixty-five Democrats signed the letter, a show of force with implications for several other issues, including a bill to grant the District of Columbia a vote in the House.

“Now we know there are 65 pro-gun Democrats,” said Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.). “When you add up all the pro-gun Republicans and the pro-gun Democrats, that or any other anti-gun legislation is DOA.”

He added, “You could safely assume we’d also have the votes on the D.C. issue.”

Republicans and the National Rifle Association want to add an amendment to the D.C. voting rights bill that would wipe out most of the District’s gun laws. The bill is stalled by the fear that the NRA would go after any centrist Democrat who votes for a procedural motion to prevent the addition of the gun amendment.

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty has said District residents might accept the gun provisions in exchange for getting voting rights in the House. But that provoked a split with the District’s delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), who rejects any notion of giving in on the gun issue.

Likewise, gun-rights supporters in the Democratic Caucus have shown no willingness to buck the NRA on the D.C. bill issue, according to leadership aides.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who is shepherding the bill for leadership, has said he’s “hopeful” he can schedule a vote on the bill by the end of next week. He said including the NRA-backed gun amendment is “part of the discussion.”

But the bill would still face severe obstacles even with the gun amendment. Despite the addition, Republicans won’t vote for D.C. voting rights, which they claim to be unconstitutional. Unless Norton urged them to support it, most liberals and members of the Congressional Black Caucus would vote no. The “no” votes of Republicans, liberals and CBC members would likely sink the bill.

Beneath the surface, however, some shifts can be detected. The measure of pro-gun support in the Democratic Caucus last year was the 65 Democrats who signed an amicus brief in a lawsuit to toss out the District’s handgun ban.

Twelve Democrats who signed the amicus brief didn’t sign the Ross letter. Both were heavily promoted by the NRA. But another 12 freshman Democrats — about one-third of the freshman Democrats — replaced them on the list.

Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) sent a similar letter to Hoyer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

The pro-gun support also has implications for the appropriations process, where Democratic leaders will have to decide whether to continue Republican riders that called for the rapid destruction of information the government collects on gun purchases. And gun-control groups are interested in passing a bill that requires background checks on gun purchases made at gun shows.

U. S. Chamber Honors Boren Voting Record

Congressman Dan Boren was honored today by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with the Spirit of Enterprise Award for his voting record on behalf of Oklahoma and American businesses during the second session of the 110th Congress.

The award presentation for the 2nd District Democrat was held in Washington this morning.

House Rules Committee Passes Voter ID Bill

The House Rules Committee voted along party lines Wednesday for legislation that would require voters to provide identification at the polls in spite of objections by Democrats who warned that the measure will result in eligible voters being turned away.

The committee voted 8-4 to send the voter ID bill to the House floor for a vote.

The bill, which has already been approved by the Senate, would require voters to present a photo ID issued by the government or an American Indian tribe, but allows county voter identification cards to be used as well.

Paying The Price: McMahans Head To Prisons

Disgraced former State Auditor & Inspector Jeff McMahan and his wife, Lori, will surrender Friday at lower-security federal prison sites in Tennessee and Texas to begin serving prison terms for accepting bribes.

The couple must report by noon.

U.S. Attorney Sheldon J. Sperling in Muskogee said Jeff McMahan is to turn himself in at a satellite prison camp at the Federal Correctional Institution in Memphis, Tenn. Lori is to surrender at the Federal Medical Center Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas.

Sperling said even though doing time inside a "satellite camp" facility is less severe than a maximum-security site, it still is a prison and the couple will be far from their home in Oklahoma.

Jeff McMahan was sentenced to eight years and one month for accepting bribes from a southeastern Oklahoma businessman. Lori McMahan was sentenced to six years and six months.

Women's Hall Of Fame Inducts Seven

First Lady Kim Henry is among seven inductees this year to the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame.

The induction ceremony is at 3 p.m. Thursday in the House Chamber at the State Capitol, followed by a reception in the 4th floor Rotunda.

The other inductees are Major General Rita Aragon, Suzanne Edmondson, Edna Hennessee, Secretary of State Susan Savage and Carolyn Whitener. Lamar Looney is being inducted posthumously.

The program is hosted by the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women.

Established in 1982, the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame recognizes Oklahoma women who are pioneers in their field or in projects that benefit Oklahoma, who have made a significant contribution to the State of Oklahoma, who serve or have served as role models to other Oklahoma women, who are “unsung heroes” who have made a difference in the lives of Oklahomans or Americans because of their actions, who have championed other women, women’s issues, or who have served as public policy advocates for issues important to women.

How Sweet 16 It Is!

The Lady Sooners beat Georgia Tech 69-50 tonight to advance to the Sweet 16 in Oklahoma City on Sunday, joining the OU men who play in their Sweet 16 game Friday night in Memphis.

Organ Donation Bill Advances To House Floor

Lawmakers have voted to standardize Oklahoma law on organ donation so it mirrors other state laws across the country and increases the likelihood citizens’ lives will be saved through transplants.

Senate Bill 622, by Senator Glenn Coffee and Rep. Doug Cox, creates the “Uniform Anatomical Gift Act.”

Cox, an emergency room physician, said the bill will bring Oklahoma law into line with other state laws on organ donation, effectively streamlining national policy to increase efficiency.

“These situations are a bit morbid and people don’t like to think about them, but organ sharing is crucial to the survival of many citizens,” said Cox, R-Grove. “There’s no greater gift that someone who has passed away can give to those left behind than to save their life, restore their sight, or improve their quality of life.”

While most people are familiar with the success of heart and kidney transplants, Cox said medical advances now allow the use of a wide range other organs such as the eye, bone, or even tendons for knee reconstruction surgery.

“Hopefully, this will serve as a reminder for people to think about becoming donors,” Cox said. “If people make their intentions clear, it can prevent legal delays in the future and unnecessary stress on family members who must determine their loved one’s intent after the fact.”

Cox said the practices codified by Senate Bill 622 are already being employed in Oklahoma. However, the legislation will ensure those practices will withstand any potential legal challenge.

The bill also specifies that the Medical Examiner’s Office has the right to examine any body before organ donations are made in cases where foul play is suspected.

“Oklahoma law first addressed organ donations in the 1960s and those laws have been amended 30 or 40 times since then,” Cox said. “Senate Bill 622 just pulls everything together in one act and brings Oklahoma into uniformity with other states.”

The bill passed the House Public Health Committee. It now proceeds to the floor of the House of Representatives. The bill has already passed the state Senate on a 47-0 vote.

Coffee Admits 'Dumb Mistake,' Stays In Place

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee has apologized to his caucus for having a tax lien filed against him and says he will remain as the Senate leader despite calls from Democrats that he resign.

"Well, the problem with dumb mistakes is that you have to answer for them,” Coffee said Monday after a meeting with Senate Republicans. "That is what I am here today to do. I made a dumb decision, and I went into caucus today to apologize for that and answer questions from members of my caucus.”

In 2006, Coffee said, he filed an extension for his federal income taxes but let it expire before taking care of the tax bill: "I was working on filing an amended return, and by no one’s fault but my own, I didn’t get it done in time,” he said.

The IRS filed a $28,822.67 lien against Coffee and his wife, Lisa, in November. The taxes were paid, and the lien was released in December.

Coffee said he has income outside of his legislative pay. In 2006, his legislative pay was $50,764, said Randy Swanson, Coffee’s spokesman.

Services Thursday For Jarita Askins

Funeral services for Jarita Askins, mother of Lt. Governor Jari Askins, will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at First Christian Church in Duncan. Mrs. Askins, 85, died Sunday. She was a longtime Duncan civic activist and homemaker.

Change In Comp Judge Process Approved

A bill that would require Senate confirmation of workers' compensation judges has been approved by a House committee. The bill has been approved the Senate and it now goes to the full House for consideration.

Judges now are appointed by the governor from a list provided by the Judicial Nominating Commission. The bill would require appointments to be approved by the Senate, similar to presidential judicial appointments at the federal level.

Watts Disses Fellow Republicans

Former Congressman J. C. Watts is out with an op-ed column in a Las Vegas newspaper in which he says Republicans have lost their "moral authority" and are talking out of both sides of their mouths on the nation's economic problems.

Read his column at http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/41647867.html.

Louisiana Pathologist New Medical Examiner

Dr. Collie Trant, pathologist from Lafayette, Louisiana, is Oklahoma's next chief medical examiner, it was annnounced today.

Cherokee Ballard, spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office, said Trant accepted an offer to take the job and is beginning the paperwork to transfer his license from Louisiana to Oklahoma. He said he is aware of the current turmoil within the Chief Medical Examiner's office.

Brogdon Forms Exploratory Committee

By David Arnett/Tulsa Today ~ Contrary to polling data showing early support for the office at 1.3 percent, State Senator Randy Brogdon announced the formation of an exploratory committee for Governor of Oklahoma in 2010 in a late Sunday e-mail claiming the campaign was "In response to the groundswell of support."

Read it all at www.tulsatoday.com.

CQ Press: Oklahoma 16th Most Dangerous State

CQ Press is out with its annual rankings of states by crimes. Oklahoma ranks Number 16.

No. 16: Oklahoma: Oklahoma stays out of the top ten for all crime categories, except rape -- where it comes in at No. 6. Rankings in Crime (out of 50 states) (1 = Worst, 50 = Best) Assault: 11; Burglary: 13; Murder: 18; Motor Vehicle Theft: 15; Rape: 6; Robbery: 31.

The top five most dangerous states: Nevada, Louisiana, South Carolina, New Mexico, Florida. New Orleans is the most dangerous city in the nation.

Jari Askins' Mother Dies At Age 85

Jarita Askins, mother of Lt. Governor Jari Askins, died today at age 85. Mrs. Askins is shown with family in this 2008 Christmas photo.

Lt. Governor Askins said, “My brother Marty and sister Carrie join me in sharing the difficult news that Jarita Askins, our beloved mother has passed away at 85 years of age. Our mother’s life was filled with love of God, her family, and the community she dearly loved to call home.”

Mrs. Askins, one of Duncan’s most respected community leaders, died earlier today at her Duncan home following an extended illness.

Funeral arrangements will be announced on Monday.

Obama's Anti-Gun Slinger: Arne Duncan

He's a product of Chicago's liberal environment, a former professional basketball player known for his one-on-ones with rising Illinois politician Barack Obama.

Commentary By Mike McCarville

Now, at 44, former Chicago Schools Superintendent Arne Duncan is President Obama's choice as Secretary of Education and to that post, he brings a long-standing hostility toward gun ownership by law-abiding citizens and a stated desire to remove firearms from every home in America.

Duncan is viewed by some as part of Obama's stealth campaign to eliminate gun ownership in America. Teamed with Obama's new bureaucrat-in-chief, anti-gunner and wacko animal rights activist Cass Sunstein, Duncan is poised to ramrod an anti-gun agenda in the nation's educational system.

The NRA's flagship magazine, America's 1st Freedom, recently profiled Duncan in an article by well-known 2nd Amendment expert Dave Kopel.

Kopel notes that last October, the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (aka the Illinois Council Against Guns) gave Duncan its "Man Of The Year" award. He refused to accept it, saying his fight to ban guns isn't over: "We'll keep fighting the NRA, the gun makers, the gun dealers, the gangbangers aned everyone else who refuses to accept the undeniable fact that guns and kids don't mix."

His statement is an attack on the high school Scholastic Clays Target Program, "gun clubs with small-bore shooting teams for teenagers, and parents who take their children hunting," Kopel writes.

Duncan goes further: "We'll fight them in Springfield, in the courts, in the community and even in the home."

In the home. Duncan wants to bring his radical opposition to firearms ownership and the 2nd Amendment into our homes.

Writes Kopel: "You may ask yourself, 'What can the secretary of education do to prohibit the rights of law-abiding gun owners?' To begin with, he can incessantly and hysterically use his bully pulpit to promote repressive gun control as an absolute necessity 'for the children.' That's what he did as superintendent of Chicago public schools."

Duncan believes in his radical approach: "This is a public health epidemic. We are struggling to find the cure for AIDS, we are struggling to find the cure for cancer; we know the cure for this public health epidemic: getting rid of guns."

Among Duncan's running mates are the extremist Catholic priest Michael Pfleger, whose statement that a Chicago gun dealer should be "snuffed out" brought censorship from his bishop; Mayor Richard Daley, who presides over a city with stringent gun control and one of the worse crime rates in the nation; and notorious gun-grabber Jesse Jackson.

Concludes Kopel: "There is every reason to be concerned that Duncan will turn the Department of Education into a tool to promote a gun-ban agenda in America's public schools. And we can fully expect that the 'mainstream' media, which was so viciously hostile to the Bush administration, will fawn over Duncan's public demands to repress the Second Amendment 'for the children.'"

AP: Coffee Paid $28,822 Tax Lien In 2008

State Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee is named in a federal tax lien filed by the Internal Revenue Service last year that sought $28,822 in federal taxes owed for almost two years, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

The documents indicate that Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, paid off his overdue tax bill within one month after the lien was issued by the government. The lien was prepared on Oct. 27, and a certificate of release of the lien was issued on Nov. 26, according to documents on file in the Oklahoma County clerk's office.

Read the entire story at www.tulsaworld.com.

'Nuff Said (Too Much, In Fact)

The (Proud) Gadfly On His Grandsons

Teacher: Grandson Michael was 9-1/2 when he came to live with us, and one of the first things I did was teach him how to handle a rod and reel. Today, 15 years later, Mike is passing on what he learned to his girlfriend's daughter, little Kadence, shown here with a largemouth bass caught in a local pond.

Veteran: Colby, a Navy Seabee reservist, soon returns to Iraq for his second tour in support of the Marine Corps. Doesn't say much about his first tour, other than that he helo'd all over the country. He's a Yukon High School graduate and skilled carpenter.

Graduate: Kevin just finished high school (he's been home-schooled) and is shown here in a 2-seat Citabora after taking off from Clarence Page Airport for his first flight. He's a competitive marksman, helps his parents with concealed carry license classes they conduct and has multiple medals as an air pistol shooter.

Next: The granddaughters.

Congressional Democrats Oppose Obama Gun Ban

Sixty-five House Democrats said Wednesday that they would oppose any attempt by the Obama administration to revive a ban on military-style weapons that President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1994 and President George W. Bush let expire.

The pro-gun Democrats, led by Congressman Mike Ross, D-Arkansas, wrote Attorney General Eric Holder that they would "actively oppose any effort to reinstate the 1994 ban, or to pass any similar law."

They urged the administration to avoid a "long and divisive fight over a gun control issue" at a time when Washington needs to concentrate on the economic crisis.

The House letter came a day after Montana's two Democratic senators, Max Baucus and Jon Tester, wrote a similar letter to Holder saying the Justice Department should enforce existing laws before considering new gun ownership restrictions.

"We will strongly oppose any legislation that will infringe upon the rights of individual gun owners," they said.

The letters came after Holder, during a news conference to announce the arrest of Mexican drug dealers, said the drug cartels were obtaining high-powered weapons like the AK-47 from U.S. gun stores and said the Obama administration supported reinstituting the ban on the sale of assault-style weapons.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has said she plans to introduce legislation to bring back the weapons ban. Feinstein was an author of the 1994 bill, which banned 19 types of semiautomatic, military-style guns. The law expired under the Bush administration in 2004. Another long-term goal is requiring that all gun shows conduct background checks before selling firearms.

The National Rifle Association has said it is mobilizing to stop any assault weapons ban, and the opposition of 65 House Democrats, many from rural or conservative districts with strong pro-gun sentiments, probably would doom any legislative drive to restrict gun ownership.

Already this year, Republicans have stalled legislation that would give the District of Columbia a voting representative in the House by linking the bill to a measure significantly weakening D.C.'s gun laws.

House Democratic leaders have put off a vote on the voting rights bill out of concern that pro-gun Democrats would oppose it if it is separated from the gun measure.

Cole Calls For Geithner's Ouster

Congressman Tom Cole today called on President Obama to remove Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner from his post.

"The Treasury Department has been on a collision course ever since Tim Geithner took the helm," Congressman Cole said. "From the very beginning his nomination was riddled with controversy. He didn't pay his taxes but was confirmed anyway, when only weeks later other administration nominees were toppled by similar tax delinquencies. Secretary Geithner was also a major architect of the budget-busting stimulus plan that has saddled our country with debt as far as the eye can see. And now we find out that despite President Obama's insistence that he only recently learned of the outrageous A.I.G. bonus payments, they were actually authorized by his own Treasury Secretary.

"Simply put, it is clear that Secretary Geithner is in over his head and if he doesn't realize this fact and step down from his position, President Obama should remove him."

It's Durant vs. McCarville On The Lost Ogle

The Thunder's Kevin Durant has a huge lead over Mike McCarville in today's voting in The Lost Ogle's 2nd Annual Celebrity Tournament, a mock March Madness event. McCarville said he's not surprised Durant is ahead of him and added he's too proud to beg for votes: "However, I have been known to reward my friends," he added. Go to http://www.thelostogle.com/ to cast your vote.

Boren To Obama: Back Off Gun Control Agenda

Washington ~ The Second Amendment Task Force (SATF) of the U.S. House of Representatives, Co-Chaired by U.S. Congressman Dan Boren and U.S. Congressman Paul Broun, issued a letter this week to both President Obama and House Speaker Pelosi in opposition to any future attempt to reinstate a ban on the sale of semiautomatic firearms, described by some as assault weapons.

Recent comments made by the United States Attorney General, Eric Holder, prompted the SATF to send the letter to House Leadership and the Administration saying that any attempt to reinstate such a ban would be absolutely unacceptable and in violation of the Second Amendment.

“As Co-Chair for the Second Amendment Task Force, I am absolutely opposed to targeting lawful gun ownership in any way especially when it entails renewing a failed policy that demonstrated no tangible impact on reducing crime in the United States. As law abiding gun owners, sportsmen, American citizens, and Members of Congress, we firmly believe that one of many responsibilities with which the American people have entrusted government is to protect their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” said Boren.

“Today, the Second Amendment Task Force sent a unified and clear message to the Administration and House leadership expressing our grave concerns with any attempt to reinstate the inaccurately described ‘assault weapons’ ban. As co-chair of SATF, we will block attempts that chip away at our constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms. I urge the Attorney General to revisit his comments about reinstating the ban and instead focus on providing law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to prevent the illegal use and transfer of firearms,” said Congressman Paul Broun.

Although advocates of reinstating the ban argue it would reduce crime, studies have shown that deaths related to the use of assault weapons showed negligible difference during the ten-year period while the ban was in place. Furthermore, though the words “assault weapons” conjure images of a specific style of firearm, in fact the weapons outlawed by the original ban functioned the same as any semiautomatic, fully legal hunting rifle.

The Second Amendment Task Force was formed this year in the House to monitor how any legislation might affect gun ownership rights and to give gun owners a strong and focused voice in the 111th Congress.

The Oval Office Takes Its Toll

While few presidents have aged as dramatically as Jimmy Carter did in his four years as president, others show the wear and tear of the office. George W. Bush is shown at left in 2000 and at right, in 2008.

DAR Chapter Honors Congresswoman Fallin

Congresswoman Mary Fallin will be honored by the Council Grove Chapter of the Oklahoma Society Daughters of the American Revolution as a nominee for the Woman in American History award on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church at 50th and Villa.

The Women in American History award recognizes women who have made a noteworthy social, cultural, religious, political, scientific or intellectual contribution to their communities. Each nominee is judged at the State level and then may be eligible to be recognized at the upcoming Continental Congress.

Obama's Gun Control Agenda Targets Pilots

UPDATE: Officials deny the substance of this story, saying there has been no effort to end the armed pilot program. While some pilots insist it is so, officials in the FAA and elsewhere say the diversion of funds for the program is temporary.

The Obama administration is taking steps quietly to shut down the program that qualifies commercial airline pilots to carry firearms in jetliner cockpits in order to ward off another 9/11-type attack.

The administration recently diverted $2 million from a program to train and certify pilots to carry firearms safely while on duty. Instead, it is using the money to hire additional field inspectors to help discipline pilots who step out of line, according to a report in the Washington Times.

A Times editorial condemned the Obama administration's action, calling it “completely unnecessary harassment of the pilots.”

Since Obama took office, the approval process for certifying pilots to carry firearms has ground to a halt, the newspaper reports. Pilots are afraid to speak out about the behind-the-scenes maneuverings, for fear of retaliation, according to the newspaper. No cases have been reported in which pilots have brandished a weapon inappropriately or otherwise abused their eligibility to carry firearms.

About 12,000 pilots have been authorized to carry handguns while flying aircraft as part of the Federal Flight Deck Officers Program. Congress authorized the program in a 310-to-113 vote following the 9/11 attacks to help prevent terrorists from turning jetliners into flying bombs that could be used to attack key sites like the White House, the Pentagon, or Capitol Hill.

Read more at www.newsmax.com.

Carey Says Lt. Governor Race Likely

Rep. John Carey of Durant says there is a "99.9 percent chance" he'll run for lieutenant governor in 2010.

The 38-year-old Democrat told The Durant Daily Democrat Tuesday he expects to make a formal announcement in June.

One other Democrat already has announced plans to seek the post — Senator Kenneth Corn of Poteau officially launched his campaign in January.

Current Oklahoma Lt. Governor Jari Askins, also a Democrat, has said she will run for governor in 2010.

Boren, Others Oppose Obama Veterans Plan

Democratic Congressman Dan Boren issued a letter to President Obama today in opposition to a provision in his proposed budget to force veteran’s with privately-held health insurance coverage to submit medical claims to that insurance plan rather than to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Boren urged the President to evaluate the ramifications of setting this precedent for the future care of veterans and reconsider its implementation.

Congresswoman Mary Fallin and the other Republican members of the delegation also announced their strong opposition to Obama's proposal.

Longtime GOP Activist Kaye Relph Dies

Longtime Oklahoma City Republican activist Kaye Relph has died at age 90.

Mrs. Relph, a former delegate to a Republican National Convention, was active in the campaigns of numerous Republicans for almost five decades. She and her late husband, Ross, were familiar figures at GOP events.

Bar Association Opposes Lawsuit Reform

From www.tulsaworld.com ~ The Oklahoma Bar Association went on the offensive Tuesday, lashing out at lawsuit-reform measures.

The group also opposes measures that it views as an attempt to inject politics into the selection of judges.

House Bill 1603 would cap so-called "pain and suffering" damages at $300,000 and require an expert witness to certify that a lawsuit has merit.

HB 1602 calls for a statewide vote on limiting attorneys' contingency fees to 33 percent of the first $1 million and 20 percent of greater than that amount.

The Bar Association opposes legislation that would "hamper the rights of ordinary citizens to have their day in court," President Jon K. Parsley said at a press conference. "It further opposes having the Legislature set the amount of damages that can be awarded in every case, replacing the constitutional right of citizens to have their case determined by a jury of their peers."

Obama Has Gone Silent On Race Issue

From Politico ~ It was a year ago today that Barack Obama, then a candidate for president fearing a divisive racial backlash over his pastor, took to the stage in Philadelphia and said it was time to have a new conversation about race.

“We have a choice in this country,” Obama said that day. “We can tackle race only as spectacle - as we did in the O.J. trial - or in the wake of tragedy, as we did in the aftermath of Katrina - or as fodder for the nightly news. . . .That is one option. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, ‘Not this time.’ "

But in the year since that speech – through campaign and convention, election and inauguration – Barack Obama hasn’t taken part in the discussion of race in America in any sustained way, the way he did that day in Philadelphia to get out of a campaign jam.

Read it all at http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20156.html.

Faces Of Change: Growing Up Griffin

Recommended reading: http://www.newsok.com/faces-of-change-growing-up-griffin/article/3354216?custom_click=lead_story_title.

Bush Refuses To Criticize Obama

Former President George W. Bush says he won't criticize President Barack Obama because Obama "deserves my silence," and says he plans to write a book about the 12 toughest decisions he made in office. Bush's speech Tuesday at a luncheon in Calgary, Alberta was his first since leaving office.

He declined to comment about the Obama administration like former Vice President Dick Cheney. Cheney said Sunday that Obama's decisions are threatening the nation's safety.

Bush says he doesn't know what he'll do in the long term but says he'll write a book that will let people determine what they would have done if their most important job was to protect the country.

Cline Named To Head Department Of Health

Former Secretary of Health Terry Cline will return to the state in July to take over the Oklahoma Department of Health, it was announced today.

Cline was head of Oklahoma’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services from 2001 to 2006, when he left to become administrator of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

During that time, Cline was appointed by Governor Henry as Secretary of Health, serving in the cabinet position from 2004 to 2006.

He's now the health attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

Cline replaces Michael Crutcher, a medical doctor who retired in January after serving five years.

Stimulus Dollars Watch Resolution Advances

A resolution that would ensure federal stimulus dollars are spent in an accountable and transparent way passed the Senate today and will soon be considered by the House.

House Speaker Chris Benge and Senate Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee said Senate Concurrent Resolution 13 requires every state agency that receives federal stimulus funds to submit a plan for the expenditure of such funds to the chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and the governor.

Further, the resolution states that an agency cannot spend the federal funds without the additional dollars being accounted for in the state agency’s budget limits put into law every legislative session.

Legislature Slates Early Adjournment

The Legislature hopes to adjourn a week early, as noted by Senate passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 12 on Monday. It calls for adjournment by 5 p.m. on May 22 instead of 5 p.m. on May 29.

"We are going to try," said Senate Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. Memorial Day is May 25. Without the early adjournment, lawmakers would have to return after the holiday weekend, Coffee said.

May The Road Rise To Meet You...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Senate Honors Reporter John Greiner

The Oklahoma Senate paused to honor former State Capitol reporter John Greiner today. The 66-year-old Greiner retired from The Oklahoman last fall.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee praised Greiner’s ethics and experience in covering the statehouse.

“John spent most of four decades covering the State Capitol. He has documented history in the making and worked diligently to ensure our citizens had access to vital information about their government,” said Coffee, author of Senate Resulting 9 praising Greiner. “But just as importantly, John stayed true to his ethics and worked to ensure his reporting was both accurate and balanced—and at all times, he was a gentleman.”

Greiner joined the newspaper in 1966 and covered seven gubernatorial administrations and more than a third of the state’s legislative sessions. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 1993 and serves on the Advisory Committee of Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.

AP's Jenkins: Richardson Eyes 2010 Race

By Ron Jenkins/The Associated Press ~ When she announced she would be running for governor in 2010, U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin didn’t seem to have a lot of Republican primary opposition on the horizon.

Only fellow Rep. Tom Cole was said to be considering the race, and Cole has not made a public comment about his political future since Fallin announced.

Now at least three other possible GOP primary candidates are testing the waters — former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts, state Sen. Randy Brogdon of Owasso and a new entry — Tulsa attorney Gary Richardson.

"I’ve been toying with the idea for a few weeks,” Richardson told The Associated Press of the possibility he will run "most probably as a Republican.”

Read the entire story at http://www.newsok.com/tulsa-lawyer-gary-richardson-may-join-race-for-oklahoma-governor/article/3353700?custom_click=pod_headline_politics.

Oklahoma Concealed Carry License Holders Toe The Line, OSBI Annual Reports Show

Oklahoma holders of licenses to carry concealed weapons appear to be among the most responsible gun owners in the nation, with just 52 licenses being revoked out of 89,642 issued or renewed since 2002. And none of the revocations, it appears, involved the illegal discharge of a firearm.

Examination of reports on the state's Self Defense Act filed by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shows that in 2008, with 18,510 licenses issued (14,273 men, 4,237 women), just four were revoked. The previous year, five were revoked with 16,426 issued. There were 35 license suspensions in the two-year period, with reinstatements for some following apparent adjudication of issues ranging from allegations of domestic abuse to failure to notify law enforcement the licensee was armed during traffic stops to being intoxicated while armed.

Last year set a new record for license approvals by the OSBI, with 18,510. The previous high was in 2004, with 17,637 approved. It is anticipated that 2009 will set another record given the interest in gun ownership, growth in firearms purchases and an increase in those taking the required class to qualify for a license to carry a concealed weapon following the election of Barack Obama as president.

The OSBI reports an 87 percent increase in concealed carry permit applications for February 2009 over February 2008.

Last year, the OSBI processed 23,166 applications and denied 697 for reasons ranging from domestic abuse to felony convictions to making false statements on the license application form. In 2007, 561 applications were denied.

By year, here's the list of license approvals with revocations in parenthesis: 2002-8,799 (9); 2003-8,228 (10); 2004-17,637 (6); 2005-10,450 (11); 2006-9,591 (7); 2007-16,426 (5); 2008-18,510 (4).

Last year, the OSBI reports, the average age of a concealed carry licensee in the state was 51.

Read last year's OSBI report at http://www.ok.gov/osbi/documents/SDA%202008%20Report%20_Jan%202009_.pdf.

Unarmed Hero Tried To End Alabama Massacre

Samson, AL ~ Many around Samson knew Bruce Maloy as their town's comedian, a goodhearted, wiry little jokester who was always boasting about hitting it big someday.

In life, he never really got the spotlight he was seeking. But in the days following the massacre that shattered their small Alabama community, some have dropped the comedian label and replaced it with another: Hero.

Read the entire story at http://www.newsmax.com/us/south_alabama_shootings/2009/03/13/191815.html.

The Gadfly On The Wall

Spare Me: The nationally-televised thoughts of the kids of Famous Politicians, from the irresponsible, immature unwed 18-year-old mother in Alaska to the "mature" daughter of the Arizona senator. Air heads should not be interviewed.

Obamadolatry: Continues on MSNBC, CNN...other places, skepticism seems to grow.

Teleprompter-Dependent: Our new president apparently has this fixation for teleprompters since they now accompany him everywhere he goes. So much for extemporaneous speaking, I suppose.

Blogayagaa: I note that some blogs apparently exist only to write about and antagonize other bloggers. Makes for pretty limited audiences.

Who's Counting? Computer geek reader emails to report he's surveyed Oklahoma's political blogs and finds TMRO the "most widely-read, by far." Don't know that that's true, but appreciate the thought.

Idiocy: It is the belief of the gun-grabbers, now hysterical over horrible mass murders committed here and abroad, that prohibiting the ownership of firearms by law-abiding citizens will end the carnage. The killings, however, will stop only when we are able to enter the minds of those intent to kill and alter their thoughts. It has been ever thus. Only the armed, law-abiding citizen can prevent an act of such madness at the time it is occurring. Sadly, no such law-abiding, armed citizen was present during this week's massacres.

The Innocence Project: Having considerable experience with the criminal justice system as a reporter covering criminal courts and the Oklahoma Pardon & Parole Board, and having covered numerous felony trials, I am aware of the frailties of the system. Thus, I have for some time been a sustaining contributor to The Innocence Project, which undertakes to correct the system's mistakes by working to free the convicted innocent. This is especially important with the new developments in DNA technology, responsible in part for freeing dozens of innocent men and women. I recommend The Innocence Project to you. For more information and to contribute, go here.

Focus On Women: President Obama has named a special panel to work on women's issues. Jean Warner has the details at Oklahoma Women's Network Blog.

Tulsa Talk Station Drops Local Host

Tulsa radio station KFAQ-1170AM today dropped local afternoon talker Chris Medlock and replaced him with a syndicated national talk show.

A Journal Communications officer told the blog Roemerman On Record, "The economy has forced many businesses to make choices. With our move at KFAQ, we've had to make a difficult choice to stop working with someone we really care about by canceling the Chris Medlock Show."

Is The Obama Bloom Fading?

OFRG Critizes Henry's Stimulus Committee

Oklahomans for Responsible Government today criticized Governor Henry for naming a committee to oversee the spending of federal stimulus dollars and a spokesman said the group believes that more bureaucracy is not the answer to making sure stimulus funds are spent correctly.

“The governor’s original plan was to have the State Auditor oversee the process and now there is a formal council with 15 members,” said OFRG Executive Director Brian Downs. “A more troubling aspect of the council is that it is solely made up of cabinet members and agency heads that will be spending the tax money. Taxpayers and the legislature don’t seem to have a voice.”

Back on March 2nd, the governor issued a press release stating that “State Treasurer Scott Meacham has worked closely with a number of public and private sector leaders, including leading state lawmakers, to determine how the stimulus funds may be applied to the state budget.” But now the legislature is absent from the council.

OFRG’s stance has been and continues to be that the legislature has the ultimate responsibility over spending state tax dollars and should have oversight of the federal stimulus as well; especially since some strings attached to the federal money could mean future use of state tax dollars to fill gaps once the stimulus money is gone. “Any stimulus money accepted should be for one-time expenses only, not for expanding government programs,” said Downs.

Bolton Headlines OCPA Citizenship Dinner

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) will hold its Citizenship Dinner on Monday, March 23rd at the Cowboy Hall of Fame with former UN Ambassador John Bolton as the speaker.

Bolton was appointed as United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations on August 1, 2005 and served until his resignation in December 2006. Prior to his appointment, Bolton served as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security from May 2001 to May 2005.

With 87% Increase In Gun Carry Applications, Demand For Firearms, Ammo Remains High

By Kelly Bostian/Tulsa World ~ Four months after the election of President Barack Obama, firearms and ammunition sales in Tulsa remain at a fever pitch.

Popular self-protection ammunition is often sold out at local stores, weapons are flying off shelves and the state reports an 87 percent increase in concealed carry permit applications for February 2009 over February 2008.

"People are hoarding. They're creating a shortage," Jim Prall at Sports World on 41st Street said of ammunition sales. "We've sold more ammunition in the last three months than we sold last year."

Real it all at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090313_11_A1_ARuger442781.

Pollsters: Obama's Falling Approval Rating

By Douglas E. Schoen & Scott Rasmussen/Wall Street Journal ~ It is simply wrong for commentators to continue to focus on President Barack Obama's high levels of popularity, and to conclude that these are indicative of high levels of public confidence in the work of his administration.

Indeed, a detailed look at recent survey data shows that the opposite is most likely true. The American people are coming to express increasingly significant doubts about his initiatives, and most likely support a different agenda and different policies from those that the Obama administration has advanced.

Polling data show that Mr. Obama's approval rating is dropping and is below where George W. Bush was in an analogous period in 2001. Rasmussen Reports data shows that Mr. Obama's net presidential approval rating -- which is calculated by subtracting the number who strongly disapprove from the number who strongly approve -- is just six, his lowest rating to date.

Read it all at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123690358175013837.html.

Gumm: The Fight For Autism Insurance

Regular readers of my column know I am fighting to help children with autism. The effort has taken the form of “Nick’s Law,” which would require health insurance in Oklahoma to cover autism spectrum disorders. Last year, we enjoyed bipartisan support in the Senate on this issue.

By Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant

Not everyone supported it, and I understand that, but senators from both parties joined hands to pass “Nick’s Law” in the Senate numerous times. In the House of Representatives, it quickly became partisan, with the majority Republicans denying the bill even a hearing.

This year, House Republicans shot down “Nick’s Law” very quickly – in hopes of washing their hands of a sticky political issue early in the session. Now, it appears Senate Republicans have decided to be as partisan as their House brethren as two separate votes – right down party lines – suggest they fear even discussing the issue.

The first vote was on a bill about the Oklahoma High Risk Insurance Pool. The pool is the “insurer of last resort,” a creation of the Legislature to provide coverage for those Oklahomans who cannot get health insurance elsewhere. It seems a perfect way to provide autism coverage.

I proposed requiring the pool to cover autism consistent with “Nick’s Law.”

The one change I made was to lower the annual cap to $36,000, the same as the Republican-sponsored Louisiana law that requires health insurers in that state to cover autism.

Instead of allowing the amendment to be considered, the author of the bill moved to “advance” the bill beyond the ability to amend. The motion to advance was approved on a staight party-line vote with Republicans voting “yes” and Democrats voting “no.”

The second vote – again, down party lines – was on a bill to create a Health Insurance Mandate Review Task Force. This task force would be horribly tilted in favor of big insurance and against consumers.

Republican legislative leaders would have eight of 10 appointments to the task force. The governor would have two appointments; the state Insurance Commissioner would be the 11th member.

I proposed an amendment to give the governor two more appointments and require they come from the consumer side of the equation. Legislative leaders and big insurance still would have enjoyed a two-to-one advantage on the task force under my amendment.

That wasn’t good enough; the author of that bill moved to advance the measure beyond amendment, which was approved on a partisan vote. Given the composition of the task force, the results it would propose are a foregone conclusion.

There will be other chances to vote on variations of “Nick’s Law” as I refuse to give up on Oklahoma’s children with autism. The question is: Will Republican members – many of whom have voted for “Nick’s Law” in the past – have the courage to vote their conscience or will they cower under pressure from their leadership?

The Hill: Early Look At 5th District Race

By Aaron Blake/The Hill ~ Already, three candidates from the 2006 Republican primary have set their sights on the 2010 race, with the big question being whether Congresswoman Mary Fallin’s runoff opponent, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett (R), gets in the race.

Another question is whether Democrats can make good on some big talk about making the race competitive.

The district went 64 percent for President Bush in 2004 and easily for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in November, but Democrats say trends in Oklahoma City-based Oklahoma County have pushed the 5th district into the realm of possibility.

Read it all at http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/contest-for-fallins-seat-a-familiar-scene-2009-03-11.html.

Ritze Measure Requires Birth Certificate

Legislation requiring candidates filing with the Oklahoma State Election Board and any county election board in Oklahoma to provide documentation of their citizenship has been approved by the House.

House Bill 1329, by Rep. Mike Ritze (pictured), would require prospective candidates to provide a birth certificate showing U.S. citizenship, a non-birth U.S. citizenship certificate, a certificate of naturalization or a passport in order to file. U.S. presidential and vice presidential candidates would not be able to use either certificate of naturalization or passport. It would also make those documents subject to the Oklahoma Open Records Act.

Senate Gets Ten Commandments Monument Bill

Legislation allowing the placement of a privately funded Ten Commandments monument at the Oklahoma Capitol is headed to the Senate.

House Bill 1330, by Rep. Mike Ritze (R-Broken Arrow), would create the “Ten Commandments Monument Display Act.” The bill would allow for a Ten Commandments monument to be displayed on the Capitol grounds in accordance with existing U.S. Supreme Court rulings.

House Passes Anti-Home Invasion Bill

Lawmakers voted today to increase the penalties for home invasion by approval of House Bill 1030, by Rep. John Wright (pictured). The bill now moves to the Senate for action.

The bill makes “home invasion” a specific crime subject to Oklahoma’s “truth in sentencing” law requiring those convicted to serve at least 85 percent of their sentence.

Under the bill’s provisions, individuals convicted of home invasion would serve a minimum 10-year prison sentence and as many as 20 years in a correctional facility.

“Few things are more frightening to the average citizen than violent criminals who will brutally attack you in your home,” said Wright, R-Broken Arrow. “This legislation will increase the penalties for home invasion and hopefully deter some criminals while ensuring those who do commit the crime are removed from society for a long time.”

House Bill 1030 defines “home invasion” as a crime involving “two or more” armed persons who enter a dwelling while the owners are present “with intent to commit some crime."The bill defines a home invasion as a crime that involves “forcibly bursting or breaking the wall, or an outer door, window, or shutter” at a home.

Last December, Fox 23 in Tulsa reported that 16 home invasion robberies had occurred in Tulsa in that month alone.

“Unfortunately, the Tulsa area has experienced a rash of this type of criminal activity,” Wright said. “It’s a growing problem that needs to be addressed immediately.”

Because home invasion is a more serious crime than simple burglary, Wright said the penalty should be greater than the seven-year maximum handed down to those convicted of burglary.

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Henry Names Stimulus Oversight Panel

Governor Henry has announced the creation of a panel to help oversee Oklahoma's use of federal stimulus funds.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Coordinating Council includes state agency and executive branch leaders who already have been working on various aspects of Oklahoma's response to the stimulus funds.

Henry will be chairman of the council.

"We've been working on Oklahoma's role in the stimulus package for many weeks now, but I felt it was important to formalize the process and create an official entity to ensure that every base is covered and every stimulus dollar is used in the most effective and efficient manner possible," the governor said.

"The council will help keep the public informed about the process and interact with legislative leaders and other stimulus stakeholders as federal funds are received and allocated to important projects."

The council will hold its first meeting at 3 p.m. Friday in the Governor's Large Conference Room in the Capitol. Earlier this month, Henry appointed state Auditor and Inspector Steve Burrage to review, monitor and audit state stimulus efforts and spending

Inhofe Opposes Deputy AG Nomination

Senator Jim Inhofe today expressed his strong opposition to the nomination of David Ogden to be United States Deputy Attorney General.

In a speech on the Senate Floor, Inhofe outlined his opposition, noting that Ogden has repeatedly represented the pornography industry and its interests, and supports using taxpayer money to fund abortions.

Senior Citizens Tax Exemption Bill Passes House

Oklahoma’s 109 Non-Profit Senior Citizen Centers may soon be exempt from state and local sales tax on all purchases thanks to passage of House Bill 1802.

The legislation, by Rep. Steve Martin (R-Dist 10), has received unanimous approval from the full House and now moves forward in the legislative process.

OFRG: Ballot Access Laws Advance

From Oklahomans For Responsible Government ~ Measures aimed at opening up Oklahoma's ballot access laws passed in the House and Senate this session and Oklahomans for Responsible Government today commended Senator Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso) and Rep. Randy Terrill (R-Moore) for working to get them through the first stages of the process.

“Oklahoma has some of the strictest laws in the country when it comes to allowing citizens putting their own ideas on the ballot,” said OFRG Executive Director Brian Downs. “Giving voters the opportunity to choose their own laws is the purest form of democracy and should be encouraged.”

Brogdon’s Senate Joint Resolution 13 changes the calculation which determines how many signatures are needed to get a referendum or constitutional amendment on the ballot. Right now, it’s based on either the last presidential election or the last gubernatorial election, whichever was most recent. SJR 13 bases it solely on the last gubernatorial election, meaning the number of signatures needed won’t fluctuate every two years.

Terrill’s House Bill 2246 increases the amount of time to gather signatures from 90 days to a year. It also requires that any challenges to the title or gist statement happen early on in the process instead of waiting until the end. A Senate version of the bill, SB 852 also by Sen. Brogdon passed today with similar language as Terrill’s House bill.

“By giving more time to collect signatures, this measure will open up Oklahoma’s process to more than just groups with a lot of resources,” said Downs. “Taking care of legal issues at the beginning of the petition process will also mean that those resources won’t be wasted on a technicality that could have been cleared up earlier.”

Politico: The New Left-Wing Conspiracy

By Ben Smith/Politico ~ The vast new left-wing conspiracy sets its tone every morning at 8:45 a.m., when officials from more than 20 labor, environmental and other Democratic-leaning groups dial into a private conference call hosted by two left-leaning Washington organizations.

The “8:45 A.M. call,” as it’s referred to by members, began three weeks ago, and it marks a new level in coordination by the White House’s allies at a time when the conservative opposition is struggling for a toe-hold and major agenda items like health care reform appear closer than ever to passage.

The call has helped attempts to link the Republican Party to radio host Rush Limbaugh, and has served as the launching ground for attacks on critics of Obama’s policy proposals. It springs from a recognition of what was lacking in the Clinton years, said Jennifer Palmieri, the senior vice president for communications at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, one of the groups hosting the call.

“[CAP President John] Podesta’s and my experience was in the White House during the Clinton years, and we didn’t have a coordinated echo chamber on the outside backing us up,” she said. “There’s a real interest on the progressive side for groups to want to coordinate with each other and leverage each other’s work in a way I haven’t ever seen before.”

The call is hosted by Progressive Media, a project of the CAP Action Fund and the Media Matters Action Fund.

The project began last year as a launching pad for attacks on John McCain, but failed to raise money for television advertisements, and served in the later days of the presidential campaign as a platform for disseminating opposition research critical of his policy plans.

White House officials do not take part in the calls. The calls are led by its top staffer, Tara McGuinness, who will also head Progressive Media's "communications research and analysis war room" to wage spin and policy wars throughout the day, Palmieri said.

The call has proved particularly effective at coordinating attacks on critics, said Jacki Schechner, the national communications director for Health Care for America Now, a labor-backed alliance of groups that support Democratic efforts to expand health care.

Read it all at www.politico.com.

Term Limits Measure Clears State House

Statewide office holders would be term limited if a resolution passed by the House today becomes law.

The change, which would place term limits on most statewide office holders similar to those on legislators, would have to be approved by a vote of the people if passed by the Legislature.

The Gadfly Climbing The Wall

Wasted Days, Wasted Nights: A hospital emergency room is no place to be at midnight. Allergy-induced acute bronchitis. ("You cannot rake leaves!" said the doctor with emphasis. "And no more shell fish!" added Mrs. McC. Asked a daughter: "Are you allergic to everything?") Better living through pharmaceuticals: antibiotics and 'roids.

I Feel Good: Get ready, Kevin Dooooo-rant of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although I'm half your size (if that), I'm ready to slam-dunk you in The Lost Ogle's mock match-up pitting me against thee in their Ogle Madness pseudo-basketball head-to-head competition, the "Oklahoma Celebrity Tournament." The voting in my bracket hasn't started yet, but the brackets can be viewed at The Lost Ogle. (And if you beat me...well, that's to be expected.)

Only You: Ann and I just marked 47 years together. Three more and she's a keeper. (Or is it vice-versa?)

Fly Me To The Moon: Nancy Pelosi, on an Air Force jet. Please.

Send In The Clowns: Way too much Nanny State legislation being debated here, and in Washington.

Pipes And Drums: There is reason to believe that the origin of the bag-pipe must be sought in remote antiquity, but all that matters to me is that the bags and pipes come sweeping through Bricktown Saturday afternoon during the 27th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade (1 p.m.). It's my 13th (I think) parade as co-master of ceremonies. I'll be the little guy wearing the green bowler.

Swift Deportation Of Illegal Aliens Seen

Rep. Randy Terrill says today that legislation approved by the House could result in the swift deportation of illegal aliens in state prisons, saving the state millions of dollars.

House Bill 2245, by Terrill, R-Moore, would allow the Department of Corrections to send illegal alien inmates to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The bill’s provisions apply only to criminals who are incarcerated for nonviolent crimes who have served at least half their sentence in state prison.

Jolley's Education Reform Bill Clears Senate

A measure to provide greater accountability and transparency in public education passed the State Senate with bipartisan support today.

Senator Clark Jolley is principal author of Senate Bill 1111, the “Educational Accountability Reform Act.”

The measure would restructure Oklahoma’s education system to create better transparency and accountability on data and testing, Jolley said. The current Office of Accountability would be restructured into the Educational Quality and Accountability Office.

“There is a problem nationwide with states being forthcoming about student achievement, because those achievement levels can directly impact public office holders,” said Jolley, R-Edmond. “By moving testing oversight to an impartial third party, we can get objective numbers and begin to enact reforms that will truly improve student achievement.”

Democrats Jerry Ellis and Judy Eason McIntyre joined Republicans in supporting the bill.

Democrat's Allegation Refuted

Rep. Al McAffrey, D-Oklahoma City, said today that, "Only weeks after pay raises for staff in the Senate President Pro Tem’s office raised a public outcry, one staffer, former legislator Fred Morgan, actually received an additional 37 percent pay increase, bringing his current salary to over $186,000."

But Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee's director of communications, Randy Swanson, said McAffrey apparently miscalculated Morgan's pay: 'They took Fred’s one-month salary and multiplied it by 12. He’s paid more during session, and less during interim. He has not gotten another raise."

Diva Pelosi Treats Air Force As 'Personal Airline'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has repeatedly requested military aircraft to shuttle her and her colleagues and family around the country, according to a new report from a conservative watchdog group.

Representatives for Judicial Watch, which obtained e-mails and other documents from a Freedom of Information request, said the correspondence shows Pelosi has abused the system in place to accommodate congressional leaders and treated the Air Force as her "personal airline."

The e-mails showed repeated attempts by Pelosi aides to request aircraft, sometimes aggressively, and by Department of Defense officials to accommodate them.

"I think that's above and beyond what other members of Congress are doing and what is expected of our elected officials," said Jenny Small, a researcher with the group.

The group reported that Pelosi was notorious for making special demands for high-end aircraft, lodging last-minute cancellations, and racking up additional expenses for the military.

In one e-mail, aide Kay King complained to the military that they had not made available any aircraft the House speaker wanted for Memorial Day recess.

"It is my understanding there are NO G5s available for the House during the Memorial Day recess. This is totally unacceptable ... The Speaker will want to know where the planes are," King wrote.

In another, when told a certain type of aircraft would not be available, King wrote: "This is not good news, and we will have some very disappointed folks, as well as a very upset Speaker."

Domestic Violence Abuse Bill Passes Senate

Senate Bill 1103 by President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee unanimously passed the Senate today, providing protections for pregnant women subject to domestic violence abuse. Senate Bill 1103 creates the “Use of Force for the Protection of the Unborn Act.” The provisions in Senate Bill 1103 include circumstances under which a pregnant woman is justified in using force or deadly force against another to protect her unborn child. This includes reasonable beliefs that the unborn child is threatened and the use of force is immediately necessary for the child’s protection.

Meacham: Tax Revenues Plunge 30%

State Treasurer Scott Meacham said today that general fund revenues plunged 30 percent below projections in February, led by a steep decline in income tax collections.

Overall revenues were $65.4 million, or 21.6 percent below February 2008.

Income tax collections were down 80 percent from a year ago.

“Collections in each of the four major tax categories were below the prior year and the estimate," said Meacham. "February collections are typically light, but this February’s collections were significantly lower.”

Meacham said the state will probably be able to meet its budget projections for the fiscal year ending June 30.

Brogdon Unveils Governor Campaign Website

From The Musings Of A Muskogee Politico ~ In another indication that the 2010 gubernatorial race will be a heated one, a new website has started up devoted to "drafting" State Sen. Randy Brogdon into the contest.

DraftBrogdonForGovernor.com went live in the past few days.

Coale, Hand, Courtney Paris Win Top Lady Awards

Oklahoma racked up the Big 12 Conference women’s basketball postseason awards, led by Courtney Paris, who was named Player of the Year for the third straight season, and Sherri Coale, who was named Big 12 Coach of the Year for a fourth time.

OU’s Whitney Hand was named the Freshman of the Year, desite missing the last two weeks of the season with a broken finger, and Sooner forward Nyeshia Stevenson shared the Sixth Man Award with Baylor’s Melissa Jones.

Courtney and Ashley Paris and point guard Danielle Robinson gave OU three players on the All-Big 12 first team. Hand was an honorable-mention selection.

Oklahoma State point guard Andrea Riley was also a first-team All-Big 12 selection.

Pelosi's Talk Radio 'Stealth Effort' Revealed

U. S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is supporting legislation that will force the Federal Communications Commission to “promote diversity” on the airwaves – a move many see as a stealth effort to regulate conservative-dominated talk radio without bringing back the controversial Fairness Doctrine.

Pelosi, D-Calif., has thrown her support to an amendment in a Senate bill that directs the FCC to explicitly “take actions to encourage and promote diversity in communication media ownership and to ensure that broadcast station licenses are used in the public interest,” according to CNS News.

The amendment has become known as the Durbin amendment, after its sponsor, Senate Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

“Certainly, I support Mr. Durbin in most things,” Pelosi told CNS News. “Diversity in media ownership is very, very, important.”

The amendment is clearly an attempt to revive the Fairness Doctrine – an unpopular FCC regulation removed in 1987 that forced broadcasters to grant equal airtime to opposing political viewpoints, Republican Rep. Mike Pence told CNS News.

“Its clear to me that Democrats, having failed in their frontal assault on talk radio in America through the Fairness Doctrine, are now shifting strategy to a form of regulation that is essentially the Fairness Doctrine by stealth,” Pence, R-Ind., a former radio broadcaster, told CNS.

Ethics Violation? No Pension!

Oklahoma politicians forced from office due to ethical violations would lose their state pensions under legislation approved today by the State House.

House Bill 2175, by Rep. Jason Nelson, would force public officials to forgo a state pension if they are convicted of a crime related to abuse of office. The bill applies to any felony for bribery, corruption, forgery, perjury or any other crime related to the duties of office, or related to campaign contributions or campaign financing.

Weather Service Issues Tornado Watch

From The National Weather Service ~ A tornado watch has been issued for the rest of the day for Oklahoma County and other counties across the state.

Cole: Big Government Back Via Obama

By Congressman Tom Cole

Coming on the heels of a $789 billion stimulus package, and a $410 billion Omnibus spending bill, President Obama has now presented the nation with the largest federal budget in our nation's history. The staggering $3.5 trillion budget proposal will raise taxes, grow the size of government and increase our deficits over the next ten years.

The President's budget will increase taxes by $1.6 trillion over the next ten years. Marginal income taxes will be raised - hurting the very small businesses America needs to pull us out of recession. The marriage penalty will return, as will the death tax. And the tax deductibility of home mortgage interest and charitable donations will be severely restricted.

Remarkably, despite the massive tax hikes, President Obama's budget spends every penny - and more. Today's national debt level is over $10 trillion. Under the President's budget the national debt will balloon to $23.1 trillion by 2019. To put this in perspective, the amount of debt proposed by this budget is more than the total amount of debt the United States has acquired from 1789 until today.

This unprecedented growth in the size and expense of the federal government is truly stunning. And what makes it all the more stunning is the absolute disconnect between the President's rhetoric and his actions. He and his liberal allies who control both houses of Congress pay lip service to fiscal responsibility, government transparency and ending government waste. These are all principles which members of both parties should be happy to work together to achieve. Unfortunately, the President's actions demonstrate that he has no such intentions. His actions make it abundantly clear that the failed economic policies of high taxes and limitless deficits are once again the order of the day.

Indeed, the era of big government is back with a vengeance.

Abraham Lincoln once said, "You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." Those are wise words for Congress to consider as action is taken to get the economy moving. In the coming weeks the House and Senate will begin taking up portions of President Obama's budget proposal. This will be a new opportunity for members of Congress to push back, cut waste and trim the taxpayers' burden. I am willing to work with the President and those on the other side of the aisle to make sure the interests of American taxpayers are given first priority. Hopefully, they will play ball too.

High Court Rules For Firearms Industry

WASHINGTON (AP) ~ The Supreme Court has turned away pleas by New York City and gun violence victims to hold the firearms industry responsible for selling guns that could end up in illegal markets.

The justices' decision Monday ends lawsuits first filed in 2000. Federal appeals courts in New York and Washington threw out the complaints after Congress passed a law in 2005 giving the gun industry broad immunity against such lawsuits.

The city's lawsuit asked for no monetary damages. It had sought a court order for gun makers to more closely monitor those dealers who frequently sell guns later used to commit crimes.

But the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that federal law provides the gun industry with broad immunity from lawsuits brought by crime victims and violence-plagued cities. The Supreme Court refused to reconsider that decision.

The lawsuit was first brought in June 2000 while Rudy Giuliani was New York mayor. It was delayed due to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and because of similar litigation in the state courts.

The city refiled the lawsuit in January 2004, saying manufacturers let handguns reach illegal markets at gun shows in which non-licensed people can sell to other private citizens; through private sales in which background checks are not required; by oversupplying markets where gun regulations are lax, and by having poor overall security.

The city said a state nuisance law makes it a crime to knowingly or recklessly create a condition endangering the safety or health of a considerable number of people. But the appeals court said New York's law does not qualify as an exception to federal law. It agreed with U.S. District Judge Jack B. Weinstein that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, signed by President George W. Bush in 2005, is constitutional.

Henry Signs First 2009 Bill Into Law

Governor Henry today signed legislation to maintain the Oklahoma State University medical program and the OSU Medical Center in Tulsa.

House Bill 1127, by House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa, and Senate Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, provides $5 million to the OSU Medical Authority to keep the facility operating.

Proper Gun Control

Credit: Firehand

World: ODOT Employees Get Huge Raises

Nearly 90 percent of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's 2,400 employees received pay hikes in recent months, including more than 50 who received pay increases of at least $10,000, according to a published report.

The Tulsa World analysis of Office of State Finance Data shows 51 ODOT employees received a pay boost of at least $10,000 since June, and nearly 600 workers got raises of at least $5,000.

Read the entire story, with more details, at http://www.tulsaworld.com/ or www.newsok.com.

Fallin, Askins Top TMRO Governor's Race Poll

Congresswoman Mary Fallin and Lt. Governor Jari Askins topped The McCarville Report Online's straw poll of potential candidates for governor next year.

Republican Fallin got 28.3 percent of the overall vote, Democrat Askins 20 percent.

Askins topped Attorney General Drew Edmondson among those who voted for the two Democrats. Askins got 67.2 percent to 32.8 for Edmondson.

Among Republicans, Fallin got 40.4 percent, Brogdon 29.8 percent, former Congressman J. C. Watts 18.2 percent, Congressman Tom Cole 10.2 percent and Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee 1.5 percent. Fallin has declared she's running, Brogdon has signaled he may, Watts is known to be considering the race as is Cole, while Coffee has not indicated any interest.

Brogdon's support rose dramatically after a blog asked its readers to vote for him.

There's nothing scientific about our poll; anyone could vote.

The total vote count was 391.

Fallin, Edmondson At Front Of Governor Pack

Democrat Drew Edmondson and Republican Mary Fallin lead the possible primary elections for governor next year, a new survey out today shows.

The SoonerPoll, conducted by Keith Gaddie and Bill Shapard, shows Edmondson leading Lt. Governor Jari Askins 41.9-28.7 percent, and Fallin leading Congressman Tom Cole 53 to 31.1 percent; Senator Randy Brogdon drew 1.3 percent.

Said Gaddie: "We direct your attention to several interesting elements of the survey, including the strong name familiarity and positives of Rep. Fallin, her strength in the trial heat across geography and especially among core conservatives and high-propensity voters, and her strong support across men, women, married and single voters.

"In the Democratic primary, note the strength of AG Edmondson but also the notable degree to which many high-propensity voters are not familiar with any of the aspirants. My initial reaction is that Randy Brogdon is definitely smoking something if he thinks he has any shot at all to become governor.

"Second, it is evident that Cole's ID is weak even among Republicans, and his favorables (36.3 to 12.7 unfavorable) are weaker among those core GOP voters who are the most likely to vote. If you run this primary, Cole has to pull down Mary's favorables (never been done before) (56.7 to 18.9 percent unfavorable) and also pump up his ID and his own favorables outside the district.

"Askins can overhaul Edmondson, but its the same kind of problem -- displace the longest-serving DEM who has strong favorables in the party (44.6-20.6 versus 32.3-20.7 for Askins).

"The biggest shock for Rep. Brogdon will be that NO ONE KNOWS OF HIM (3.8 percent favorable, 3.6 perent unfavorable).

"The biggest shock for Cole, even with his polling experience, will be his lack of name ID. These numbers are not as good as Istook's in 2005. Fallin-- strong with core conservatives. Can run hard against Cole on his get-along approach, failure in 2008 US House races, ouster as RNCC chair," Gaddie concluded.

Senator Glenn Coffee: Coffee Talk

Public safety should be the first priority in government—failing to meet that responsibility can literally mean the difference between life and death. That’s why it is important to find effective means for keeping violent offenders off the streets, and common-sense approaches to dealing with non-violent offenders that still hold them accountable for their crimes.

Back in the 1990’s, one of the things crime victims, their families, and other law-abiding citizens found most frustrating was the fact that a person could be convicted of a serious crime and only spend a fraction of their actual prison sentence behind bars. Often, those same convicted felons would be out only a short time before they had claimed more victims and again found themselves in prison. It was a revolving door. We changed that in 1999, by passing a minimum sentencing law for specific crimes, which meant those criminals must serve at least 85 percent of their sentence before they can even be considered for parole.

In the years that followed, we also have pumped resources into alternative programs like drug courts, community sentencing, and most recently, mental health courts. These systems give us an alternative way of dealing with nonviolent offenders, ensuring we can devote our prison beds to those individuals who are the greatest threat to our communities.

This past week, the Pew Center released a new study criticizing the size of Oklahoma’s prison population. The report was done in conjunction with the Vera Institute of Justice, which is a liberal organization known for endorsing leniency toward criminals. In my opinion, this report is neither factually up-to-date nor objective.

The truth is, that since adopting many reforms during the administration of former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, incarceration rates in Oklahoma have actually dropped, while many other states have increased in that same time period. Furthermore, recent data proves Oklahoma’s Department of Corrections is now among the most efficient in the nation.

Oklahoma is one of only 12 states whose incarceration rate has dropped since 2000, declining by nearly 25 inmates per 100,000 residents. The national average is a growth rate of 28 inmates per 100,000 residents. In addition, Oklahoma ranks 41st in the country in the daily cost of housing an inmate. Our costs are 33 percent before the national daily rate.

Being tough on violent offenders—murderers, rapists and child molesters—is nothing we should apologize for, and I believe most Oklahomans would agree.

Congressman Frank Lucas: Frankly Speaking

Yesterday, Congress passed H.R. 1106, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act. Supporters hope this legislation will restore liquidity in the housing market and assist those homeowners who are in foreclosure. While this is a lofty goal, the bill just passed may not achieve it.

There are certain aspects of the bill that I can support. For example, permanently raising the FDIC insurance limit from $100,000 to $250,000 will provide additional assurances that our banks are safe, which will encourage investment.

On first blush, it may appear that giving judges this power will be helpful, however the long-term results are unsettling. The most troublesome provision grants bankruptcy judges the power to write down the principle on a mortgage while lowering the interest rate and extending the terms. Known as “cramdown,” this provision would cause mortgage interest rates for the average American consumer to skyrocket, making homeownership harder for all Americans. Compounding this problem, cramdowns will be costly to investors who have invested in mortgage-backed securities and will cause them to demand a higher interest rate on all further mortgages. The result is grim: in a time when we need to restore confidence and liquidity to the housing market, this bill will actually discourage investment and decrease lending, perpetuating the current freeze on credit.

I am sympathetic to those Americans who are struggling with their mortgage payments. However, approximately 90 percent of homeowners are paying their mortgages on time. The federal government cannot continue to bailout the irresponsible choices of a few at the cost of many. Americans are suffering from bailout fatigue. It is time for Congress to come up with serious solutions to the serious problems we are facing instead of continuing to throw money we don’t have at every problem that presents itself.

Gaddie's Opinion: Winking Foxes, Dark Towers

The old adage goes, “never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel.”

The internet has evidently blurred the distinctions a bit, as the guys who buy electricity by the megawatt, Sinclair Broadcasting’s KOKH 25, aired a classic Nick Winkler piece on the price hike and content shrinkage of the venerable Oklahoman.

By Keith Gaddie

The Oklahoman responded, buying a one-page ad in its own Sunday edition that ripped into the brand quality of what it termed “the lowest-rated local network news.”

Why would Fox 25 report on the Oklahoman’s financial decision?

Well, first of all, it is news. Newspapers around the country confront increased costs. Declining readership, diminished ad revenue, and increased publication costs require that papers lay off quality journalists and cut content and circulation to balance ledgers.

Here at home the Tulsa World and The Oklahoman are forced to acknowledge each other by now sharing reporting resources to save money. Some papers are folding, including the historic Rocky Mountain News, and the possibly the San Francisco Chronicle.

Second, they are Fox, and the reporter is my antagonistic friend Nick Winkler. This is the same Fox affiliate where Andrew Speno broke the “bull***” story that sank Steve Largent’s gubernatorial campaign in 2002.

Having Winkler on a story is like finding Mike Wallace in your reception area – it won’t be pleasant for the subject of the inquiry.

Third, they are now direct news competitors.

The long history of journalism in America is that journalistic opponents criticize each other, berate each other, and attack each other.

The Oklahoman jumped on the internet and has its own video reporting. They do breaking news.

Fox 25 and the other television stations have, for some time, put stories on the internet in print form.

Fourth, they are direct competitors fighting for ad revenue, and this competition will only increase.

Fox is leaving a technology that makes it easy for them to integrate to the internet from a revenue standpoint, because people still watch TV. The Oklahoman, moving from a failing ad revenue model, has to reinvent its revenue stream on the web with less of a safety net.

The folks up at the Dark Tower are sufficiently justified to be sensitive to coverage about their sales and circulation model.

But now, feelings are hurt. Whatever to do? My initial inclination -- sending Billy Sims over to see the folks at OPUBCO and Fox with a platter of Boomer-Q -- is inadequate to the task.

Adversity is the only solution. Leveling of the playing field is in order. Sinclair needs to buy a newspaper and move it to Oklahoma City to go head-to-head with The Oklahoman, working under the same handicap of printing an edition. And, there is a perfectly good paper up for sale, and an Oklahoma City solution looms: buy the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and move it to the OKC. Seattle-based industries now know the way to Our Fair City, so its an easy move to make.

Schwartz Confirms Lt. Governor Race Interest

Rep. Colby Schwartz (R-Yukon) confirms that he may seek the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor next year.

Schwartz served in the lieutenant governor's office for Mary Fallin, was Chairmen of the Canadian County Republican Party from 2000-2006, a Board Member for the Oklahoman Republican Party Budget Committee and served as a Presidential Elector for George W. Bush in 2004.

Schwartz currently represents District 43 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Obama Administration Attacks Energy Producers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ~ U.S. oil and natural gas producing companies should not receive federal subsidies in the form of tax breaks because their businesses contribute to global warming, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told Congress on Wednesday.

It was one of the sharpest attacks yet on the oil and gas industry by a top Obama administration official, reinforcing the White House stance that new U.S. energy policy will focus on promoting renewable energy sources like wind and solar power and rely less on traditional fossil fuels like oil as America tackles climate change.

"We don't believe it makes sense to significantly subsidize the production and use of sources of energy (like oil and gas) that are dramatically going to add to our climate change (problem). We don't think that's good economic policy and we think changing those incentives is good for the country," Geithner told the Senate Finance Committee at a hearing on the White House's proposed budget for the 2010 spending year.

The Obama administration's budget would levy an excise tax on oil and natural gas produced in the Gulf of Mexico, raising $5.3 billion in revenue from 2011 to 2019. This new 13 percent tax on all oil and gas production in the Gulf would only affect those companies enjoying a loophole that allows them to avoid paying royalties on the energy supplies they drill. Companies already paying royalties would get a tax credit. Obama's budget would also place a $4 per acre annual fee on energy leases in the Gulf that are designated as nonproducing. The budget proposal projects the fee would generate $1.2 billion from 2010 to 2019.

Senator John Cornyn of Texas criticized the tax increases, saying they would hurt independent energy companies that provide a large share of U.S. oil and gas supplies.

"My view is that higher taxes on small and independent producers here in America will make us more dependent on imported oil and gas while we transition to cleaner energy alternatives, a goal we all share," said Cornyn. "And it will also hurt job retention and job creation in the energy sector, which provides an awful lot of jobs in this country."

Geithner said the additional taxes "can be absorbed" by the oil and gas companies, given the billions of dollars they have earned from high energy prices. "The impact of these subsidies are very small relative to revenues produced by U.S. oil and gas producers," he said.

Women's Council Honors Denise Bode

WASHINGTON ~ The Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment today named Chief Executive Officer of the American Wind Energy Association Denise Bode as its Woman of the Year. Bode is recognized for her leadership and accomplishments in advocating for clean and affordable energy.

Bode is a former member of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.

Calvey Seeks To Succeed Fallin In 5th District

Former Rep. Kevin Calvey officially announced today he again seeks the 5th District congressional seat being vacated by Congresswoman Mary Fallin. Fallin announced last week she's running for governor.

Calvey sought the GOP nomination in 2006; he lost in the primary.

Calvey deployed with the Army National Guard to Baghdad, Iraq during the 2007 troop surge. Calvey’s mission was to present evidence against al Qaeda leaders and other terrorists in the Iraqi court system. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service in Iraq.

Before deploying to Iraq, Calvey, a Republican, served from 1998-2006 in the Oklahoma Legislature, where he represented Del City and southeast Oklahoma City. In 2003, as the budget representative for the state House Republicans during a revenue shortfall year, Calvey successfully negotiated 7% cuts in state budgets. In 2005, Calvey authored House Bill 1547, the largest tax relief law in Oklahoma history.

“The politicians in Washington are moving our country in a dangerous direction, with record spending and debt, higher taxes, and one bailout after another. The greatness of our country is not found in bigger government in Washington. It is found in the hard working men and women who pay the bills. That’s who I want to look out for in Congress,” said Calvey.

Calvey’s honorary campaign chairman is former astronaut Lt. Gen. (Ret. USAF) Tom Stafford.

Calvey received numerous awards as a legislator, including “Legislator of the Year” by the Disabled American Veterans; “Legislator of the Year” by the Oklahoma Rifle Association; and awards from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), State Chamber of Commerce, Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, and the Oklahoma County Republican Party.

Calvey’s candidacy is endorsed by numerous 5th District leaders. He also begins his campaign with endorsements from organizations, including the Oklahoma Rifle Association, the state’s NRA affiliate; Chris Simcox, President of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps; and the Club for Growth.

Calvey is a member of the downtown Oklahoma City Rotary Club; Leadership Oklahoma; Leadership Oklahoma City; Christian Legal Society; the American Legion; Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW); the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB); the National Rifle Association; the Oklahoma Rifle Association; and the State Chamber of Commerce. Calvey is a church youth class teacher, and volunteers to represent victims of domestic violence in court. Calvey is a graduate of McGuinness High School in Oklahoma City; the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas; and the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. Calvey is a small businessman who lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, Toni, and their baby daughter, Anastasia.

The Gadfly Mourns Loss Of Mentor, Friend

Ed Montgomery died Tuesday in Norman at age 91. My longtime mentor and friend was an icon in Oklahoma journalism, given the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalist's Lifetime Achievement Award for 2008. I first met Ed in 1961 when I returned from military service and joined The Daily Oklahoman-Oklahoma City Times in its Norman bureau as I attended classes at OU. When I joined the newspapers as a fulltime reporter in 1962, Ed and our friend the late Jack Bickham, and others, took me under their professional wings. By 1963, Ed and Jack and I were playing golf together and commuting together from Norman, where we all lived, to Oklahoma City. Ed and Jack were both launching careers outside their journalistic duties, with Ed writing hilarious stories for The Saturday Evening Post and Argosy and Jack writing the first in a book store full of novels for Doubleday. I left the newspapers and after stints at the Del City News, The Oklahoma Journal, The Tulsa Tribune and The Norman Transcript, reunited with the two of them when, in 1966, Jack hired me as a reporter at The Oklahoma Courier, the Catholic Diocese newspaper, where he had been named editor, and once again, the three of us shared commuter driving duties. In the following years, Ed's reportorial skills became legendary, as did his marvelous penchant for connecting with people; he had that aw-shucks persona that made him an everyman, and those of us who knew him were blessed by his presence. I mourn his passing, but revel in the memory of him. ~ Mike McCarville

Belief: Obama Wants More Gun Control Laws

From Rasmussen Reports ~ Forty-three percent (43%) of Americans say it is Very Likely that the Obama Administration will try to implement stricter gun control laws even though 47% see no need for such laws. Another 28% say the administration is somewhat likely to seek tougher gun control. Among gun owners 49% see stricter gun controls as Very Likely.

AG Probes Possible Canadian Oil Dumping

The Oklahoman's Randy Ellis reports today that, "The Oklahoma attorney general’s office has opened a preliminary inquiry into concerns that oil from Canada possibly is being dumped on Oklahoma markets in potential violation of state and federal antitrust laws, Attorney General Drew Edmondson confirmed Tuesday."

It's a story with important ramifications; read the entire story at http://www.newsok.com/ in the Business Section.

Inhofe Warns Against Anti-Free Speech Effort

WASHINGTON (From Senator Inhofe's Office) ~ Yesterday evening, U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) issued a warning on the Senate Floor about the dangers of Democrats’ latest attempt to stifle free speech through their efforts to promote diversity in communication media ownership and promote broadcast localism.

Though the Senate last week passed legislation (S.Amdt.573) that prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reinstituting the fairness doctrine, it also approved an amendment by Senator Dick Durbin (R-Ill.), “encouraging and promoting diversity in communication media ownership,” which is really just a new means of censorship on the airways and will give the FCC unfettered authority to interpret the language of the legislation in any way they please.

The following are excerpts from Sen. Inhofe’s floor speech:

“Last week’s vote was the first nail in the coffin of the fairness doctrine, but it was not the end of the attempt on the part of liberals to regulate the airwaves,” Senator Inhofe warned. “I have long been outspoken on this issue, and it gives me great satisfaction that so many of my colleagues voted in favor of free speech over government regulation last week, but the debate has changed. In a straight party-line vote, Democrats chose to adopt Senator Durbin’s amendment 591, which calls on the FCC to ‘encourage and promote diversity in communication media ownership and to ensure that broadcast station licenses are used in the public interest,’ and essentially makes an end-run around the fairness doctrine.

“This legislation is so incredibly vague and so potentially far-reaching that I can’t say with any certainty what the end result will be. This is not good governance and it is not good legislative practice to cede such authority to any agency of our government, especially when the right to speak freely over the airwaves will most certainly be impacted.

“Not only do I continue stand firm in my opposition to the fairness doctrine, but I am adamantly opposed to any attempt aimed at regulating the airwaves, such as broadcast localism, more stringent licensing requirements, and vague diversity regulations aimed at an industry whose authorizing authority is the First Amendment to the Constitution. I intend to fight against the regulation of free speech, not just the Fairness Doctrine, but in all its various forms. Let this be a warning, just as the Fairness Doctrine has always been a loser for the left, so too will any infringement upon the free speech of the American people.”

White House Orchestrates Limbaugh Attacks

Top Democrats believe they have struck political gold by depicting Rush Limbaugh as the new face of the Republican Party, a full-scale effort first hatched by some of the most familiar names in politics and now being guided in part from inside the White House.

Read the entire behind-the-scenes story at http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19596.html.

House Approves Covenant Marriage Bill

Legislation creating a new type of marriage license its sponsor said has been successful in reducing divorce in other states was approved by the House on Tuesday.

House Bill 1026, by Rep. John Wright, would allow Oklahoma couples to voluntarily choose to enter into a “covenant marriage,” which legally requires a greater level of commitment and preparation than traditional marriage licenses.

House Approves Office Vacancy Bill

The House voted today to change the way vacancies in statewide offices are filled.

House Bill 1322, by Rep. Mike Reynolds, would allow Oklahoma voters, not the governor, to choose the person who fills any vacated statewide office.

Reynolds filed the legislation to prevent any scandals from occurring similar to the one experience recently in Illinois, where Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was accused of trying to “sell” an appointment to the then-vacant U.S. Senate seat.

Houses Passes Anti-Gang Measure

Rep. Paul Wesselhöft said he applauds his fellow House member for passing his legislation to crack down on gang activity. House Bill 2080, by Wesselhöft, would make committing a crime as a member of an organized gang in attempts to benefit that gang a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for up to 90 days, or by a fine of up to $1,000 or both.

Senate Approves Information Officer Bill

The State Senate today approved one of President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee’s government reform measures, SB 980, which provides for a state Chief Information Officer, overseeing and consolidating state information technology services under one roof.

Armes, Cox Criticize Edmondson

Attorney General Drew Edmondson’s recent actions indicate he has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on frivolous litigation, two lawmakers said today.

Reps. Don Armes and Doug Cox said Edmondson’s recent announcement that he was re-testing water wells in the Locust Grove area for bacteria show that Edmondson is “lacking evidence in support of his long-running lawsuit against the poultry industry and the use of poultry litter as a fertilizer on farmland.”

“After three years of litigation and reportedly spending $25 million on experts, Mister Edmondson has failed to come up with any evidence that poultry producers are violating state environmental regulations,” said Armes, a Faxon Republican who chairs the House Agriculture & Rural Development Committee. “He has not provided the court with any evidence that anyone’s health has been affected by the use of poultry litter on farmland in the Illinois River Watershed."

“I was disappointed that Attorney General Edmondson would make accusations based on apparent assumptions, rather than operating on the scientific evidence used by the Health Department investigators,” said Cox, a Grove Republican and medical doctor.

The two legislators noted that a federal court ruled last year that Edmondson had not proven that bacteria in the waters of the Illinois River Watershed are caused by the application of poultry litter rather than by other sources, including cattle manure and human septic tanks.

Now, only seven months before Edmondson’s case against the poultry industry is scheduled to go to trial, they noted Edmondson is suddenly claiming Oklahoma poultry farms have made people sick and even killed one person.

Edmondson recently announced his agency would test well water near Locust Grove, claiming it was contaminated with bacteria from chicken waste and led to the August death of Chad Ingle and the illnesses of more than 300 other people who ate at the Country Cottage Restaurant in Locust Grove.

However, the Oklahoma Department of Health had already tested those wells and ruled them out as the cause of the illness.

SPR: Governor's Race Could Be Crowded

By Hastings Wyman/Southern Political Report ~ Last week second-term US Rep. Mary Fallin (R) announced her candidacy for governor of Oklahoma. Speaking to the Oklahoma County Republican Convention, the former lieutenant governor said she would seek the governorship, prompting cheers from the delegates. Fallin, 54, who has served in the legislature, as the state’s first woman -- and first Republican -- lieutenant governor, and in Congress, enters the race as a very strong contender for the GOP nomination and for the General Election.

In her remarks, Fallin said she wanted to use her experience to help Oklahoma during this recession “and lead us into a prosperous economy.”

Fallin “is in the catbird seat,” says long-time Sooner State political commentator Mike McCarville. “She’s never lost a race. She’s solid in the 5th District (Oklahoma City, etc.) She will be awfully tough.”

Another factor that will help her in the primary is that during her nearly 20 years in elective office, including 12 as lieutenant governor, “she did every rubber chicken dinner for everyone who asked,” says University of Oklahoma political science professor -- and pollster -- Keith Gaddie. “She has collected tons and tons of support for that.”

But even if Fallin is the early favorite, at least on the GOP side, she could well face a contested primary. US Rep. Tom Cole (R) has hinted that he might be interested in the governorship, and has yet to say yea or nay on the 2010 race.

Former Congressman J. C. Watts (R), once the only African-American Republican in Congress, has also expressed interest in running. Observers, however, doubt he would leave his lucrative lobbying work in Washington to re-enter Oklahoma politics.

There are several less well-known political figures who could run. One is state Sen. Randy Brogdon, who has strong ties to the more conservative wing of the Oklahoma GOP. Brogdon might have an opening against either Fallin or Cole over their support for President Bush’s stimulus package. Cole voted for it initially and on final passage. Fallin first voted against it, but supported it on the second vote. “None of this stuff is particularly popular in Oklahoma,” says Gaddie. Both, however, opposed President Obama’s stimulus legislation.

Another possible Republican contender is Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, a powerful influence on state government. “He’s running the policy agenda right now,” notes Gaddie. And businessman (oil) Bob Sullivan, who got 31% against Ernest Istook, in the 2006 GOP gubernatorial primary, has also been mentioned.

On the Democratic side, interest in the governorship is almost as strong. With incumbent Gov. Brad Henry (D) term-limited, last year, Lt. Gov. Jari Askins announced she would run for governor in 2010.

“She’s pretty dog-gone strong,” says McCarville, noting that she is wealthy and “has shown no hesitation to spend it in the past.” He adds, “We could end up with female nominees in both parties. That would be a first.”

Another Democrat, state Attorney General Drew Edmondson, is also a possible gubernatorial candidate. He would be formidable, but his interest in the race has been known for some time and didn’t prevent Askins from entering the race.

Projecting a General Election winner at this early stage is risky at best. One private poll, however, shows either Fallin or Watts, both Republicans, leading Democrats Askins and Edmondson by more than the margin of error. Neither GOPer, however, exceeded 50 percent.

Don't Ask About Guns Measures Advance

From The Tulsa World ~ Measures moving through the Legislature would ban employers from asking job applicants whether they own a gun.

The Senate passed Senate Bill 793 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, on Monday by a vote of 43-1. The measure now heads to the House.

Employers found guilty of violating the proposed law could be fined as much as $1,000 and/or jailed for as long as 90 days. It would apply to all employers, private and public.

The House voted last month to pass House Bill 1025 by Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, which also would ban employers from asking whether a job applicant owns a weapon. The vote was 85-15.

Sen. Tom Adelson, D-Tulsa, questioned the necessity of what he called a "silly" measure. He was the only senator to vote against the measure. Adelson asked whether it provided an exemption for an employer who determined through a background check that an applicant had a criminal history and needed to know whether the person might be a risk to employees.

Sykes said the measure provided no exceptions. But Sen. Steven Russell, R-Oklahoma City, said felons are prohibited from carrying weapons. Adelson said employers have freedom of speech and should be able to determine whom they will hire. "Isn't it a free country?" he asked. Adelson said the bill appeared to be designed to show that someone is more American than someone else.

Russell, noting that employers can't ask about an applicant's race or religion, said they shouldn't be able to ask about gun ownership, either.

Watts Visit To Capitol Fuels Speculation

A State Capitol visit today by former Congressman J. C. Watts has fueled speculation he may be considering the 2010 race for governor, sources report.

Watts, who left Congress to start his own Washington-based consulting firm, has been mentioned as a potential candidate along with his mentor, Congressman Tom Cole, and others.

Whether Watts' visit today was prompted by Congresswoman Mary Fallin's weekend declaration that she will seek the GOP nomination for governor is unknown.

Rowland Resigns From ME's Staff

Kevin Rowland resigned as chief investigator in the Medical Examiner's office as the agency remains under pressure from lawmakers to restructure how the Medical Examiner's office is overseen.

Before he resigned, Rowland was placed on paid leave, said Cherokee Ballard, spokeswoman for the Medical Examiner's Office.

The office has been in turmoil because of sexual harassment accusations against Rowland and other issues. Rowland has denied the allegations.

Henry Names Burrage To Oversee Stimulus

Governor Henry today named Auditor & Inspector Steve Burrage to oversee spending of Oklahoma's portion of the federal stimulus package.

Noted Quote: Ivan Holmes

"There is no democracy going on at the Capitol in Oklahoma City," Holmes said. "Our House and Senate people are getting so beaten down, the Republicans are almost dictatorial. They're blatant about it and they don't care." ~ Democratic State Chairman Ivan Holmes, as quoted by Randy Krehbiel in the Tulsa World.