The McCarville Report Online

Palin Fans Await Her In Morning Cold

2009-12-03T05:21:00.011-06:00

Norman ~ They're already in line.

Fans of Sarah Palin (shown during a Fort Bragg book-signing event) already have been in line for hours, awaiting the opportunity to meet the former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate, who in about 14 hours will autograph copies of her book, Going Rogue, at Hastings Books on West Main.

Some are camped out in tents. It is 29 degrees. Staying warm is a priority.

In about 90 minutes, store employees will begin passing out wrist bands that certify the wearer is among those who will be allowed in the autograph line.

Demand apparently has been so great that Hastings has set these ground rules: Those who wish to have their book signed by Palin must be at Hastings in person and the wristbands will be issued to the first people at the store starting at 7 a.m. The exact number of wristbands to be handed out has not yet been determined.

The size of the crowd is expected to be in the "thousands," a Norman police officer said.

At the book signing, Palin will sign only copies of her books that have been purchased at Hastings. A receipt is required. The signing is limited to her signature only, no personalization.

Each person with a wristband is limited to two copies of Going Rogue. No memorabilia or additional items will be signed.

Cameras are allowed at the event, but not near the signing area. Guests are only allowed to carry copies of the book with them to the signing area. Hastings asks guests to leave any bags or purses in their car or be prepared to check them at the bag-check area inside the store.

Gifts or other items customers wish to leave for Palin will be collected by Hastings staff and delivered to Palin at the end of the event. The store will remain open during the event.

Here's the latest Norman Transcript report on the event by Julianna Parker:

Norman resident Chris Gregg arrived at Hastings at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and set up camp for the chance to meet Sarah Palin today.

He was the first to get in line and expected to spend the next 28 hours at the book store, all to have his book signed by a woman he described as down-to-earth. [Gregg actually is in line to get his book signed for his wife, likewise a huge Palin fan.]

"She can tell about things that make sense and relate to the things we've done," Gregg said.

He'll be the first in line when the store hands out 500 wristbands starting at 6:30 a.m. Wristbands guarantee a book signing, but there will be another standby line in case Palin can meet with more people.

Gregg wasn't alone in his enthusiasm to see the former vice-presidential candidate and Alaskan governor when she arrives at 7 p.m. today to sign copies of her memoir.

About 24 hours before Palin is set to arrive in Norman, the line of people camped out to see her stretched from the front of Hastings, 2300 W. Main St., down the sidewalk to Party Galaxy.

Some had brought tents, one brought a brazier and everyone brought warm clothes and lots of layers. Hastings' restrooms and cafe were set to remain open all night to accommodate the campers.

April Bowers of Norman got in line shortly after Gregg to see Palin. She said Palin's visit to Norman was "a historic event" that she wouldn't miss.

Annette Ehardt of Norman lined up with her sleeping bag at about 5 p.m. "I just want to come out and support Sarah Palin," she said. "I purchased her book and I want to get to know more about her."

Ehardt said the country wanted change, but isn't happy with the change that it got. She said she sees hope for America's political future in Palin. "I believe she's headed the right direction," Ehardt said.

Ted Sholette of Norman said he would vote for her, which he guessed he may have the chance to do in the presidential election in 2012. Sholette arrived at Hastings at 5 p.m. Wednesday. He waited until he got off work, but because he's self-employed he decided to cancel work Thursday in order to wait in line for Palin.

"She's very genuine," Sholette said. "I think the common person can relate to her. I think she's old-fashioned, and I think the majority of the people in the U.S. are old-fashioned."

Those who didn't camp out for a wristband Wednesday night still will have the chance to see Palin. Even those too far back in line to have their book signed will be able to see her when she arrives. She should arrive between 6:30 and 7 p.m. today. Before she enters the store, she will address the crowd in front of Hastings briefly, said Jarrod Church, assistant store manager.

Balkman Heads New Oklahoma Lawyers Association

2009-12-03T05:10:00.004-06:00

Former Rep. Thad Balkman of Norman has announced he's the executive director of the newly-formed Oklahoma Lawyers Association.

Balkman headed the 100 Ideas Initiative for former House Speaker Lance Cargill and worked in Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.

He later joined California manufacturer Phoenix Motorcars, a firm that makes freeway speed, battery-powered electric vehicles. The economy apparently took its toll on the firm.

Embarrassing Juxtaposition: Alabama Billboard

2009-12-02T23:54:00.001-06:00

Noted Quote

2009-12-02T19:42:00.000-06:00

"I have a message for you: You're going to die sooner." ~ Senator Tom Coburn, during debate on President Obama's healthcare proposal.

Fallin Says Jobs Number One Oklahoma Issue

2009-12-02T13:18:00.003-06:00

As the White House prepares to host a jobs summit tomorrow, Congresswoman Mary Fallin today spoke about what she says is the number one issue on the minds of Oklahomans: jobs.

Fallin noted that since the stimulus passed, unemployment is the highest its been since 1983.

"Americans know the real economic engine of our society is small business. A real stimulus will keep taxes and debt low to encourage small businesses to create new jobs."

View Fallin's remarks at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3XuTC1Q28U.

The Oklahoman Editorial Off Base, Blogger Writes

2009-12-02T11:42:00.002-06:00

Steve Fair, southwestern Oklahoma Republican Party official, blogger and columnist, writes that The Oklahoman was off base in its recent criticism of GOP Chairman Gary Jones' lawsuit against those he claim stole the 2002 and 2006 auditor and inspector elections from him.

Read Fair's column at www.stevefair.blogspot.com.

The Worst Kind Of Campaign Glitch

2009-12-02T10:08:00.000-06:00

From The Norman Transcript ~ If you got an early morning robocall on Tuesday courtesy of R.J. Harris, a challenger to incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Cole for Oklahoma's fourth district, you weren't alone.

Starting at 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, Harris, R-Norman, said robocalls made by automated calling service Robotalker began staggering out to about 3,000 Norman-area residents.

"Obviously, that wasn't supposed to happen," he said. "It was a software malfunction and we apologize to anybody who was called."

2009-12-02T07:49:00.014-06:00

It's called victory, Mr. President.

It's Called Victory

Opinion By Mike McCarville

In your Tuesday night speech from West Point, you could have stated that as our goal in Afghanistan. You did not. You couldn't even bring yourself to use the word win.

I agree with your decision to send 30,000 additional troops. They will join my grandson, Navy Seabee Colby Stuck, in that underdeveloped and ruled-by-war-lords country.

I disagree with your revelation of a time certain to withdraw from Afghanistan. Why tell the enemy our battle plan? It makes no military sense whatsover; it makes about as much sense as the almost-four-months it took you to get off the dime and make these decisions.

And I wish you had avoided the urge to pose and posture yourself at the Military Academy. What's wrong with the seat of your power for the speech, the Oval Office?

The Afghan war is now yours, Mr. President. Let us hope and pray your decisions are the right ones.

~ Text of speech: http://www.newsok.com/article/3421986

~ Red State: West Point Is 'The Enemy Camp'? http://www.redstate.com/erick/2009/12/01/west-point-is-the-enemy-camp/

~ Congressional delegation reacts: http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-delegation-reacts-to-obamas-speech/article/3421954

~ Michelle Malkin's opinion: http://www.michellemalkin.com/

~ Expert: Obama's huge mistake: http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/afghanistan_obama_/2009/12/01/292902.html

~ Gallup: Sobering news for Obama: http://www.gallup.com/poll/124520/Obama-Approval-Afghanistan-Trails-Issues.aspx

2009-12-02T06:42:00.007-06:00

Democrats had known there was an “intensity gap” between angry conservatives in the Republican Party and the unexcited Democratic base, and in a midterm election, base turnout often determines who wins the night. Yet no one suspected it was this bad.

Liberal's Liberal Cites 'Cataclysmic' Poll For Democrats

By Markos Moulitsas (Daily Kos) On The Hill

Nonpartisan pollster Research 2000 conducts a large-scale weekly poll for Daily Kos measuring voter sentiment toward key Republican and Democratic leaders and the parties (2,400 respondents, for a margin of error of 2 percent).

Last week’s edition featured the typical generic congressional ballot test, and Democrats held a 37-32 advantage, not atypical compared to most other polling on that question.

In its most recent polls, CNN had Democrats up 49-43, while Pew was at 47-42.

And while Gallup bucked the trend, with Republicans up 48-44, those exact generic congressional numbers aren’t as important for the 2010 midterms as precisely who will turn out.

And right now, it’s looking brutal for the Democrats.

For the first time, I had Research 2000 ask, “In the 2010 congressional elections, will you definitely vote, probably vote, not likely vote or definitely will not vote?”

The results were nothing short of cataclysmic: Among Republican respondents, 81 percent said they were definitely or probably going to vote, versus only 14 percent who were definitely or not likely to do so. Among independent voters, it was 65-23. Among Democrats? A woeful 56-40: Two out of every five Democrats are currently unlikely to vote.

A look at key Democratic constituencies shows how demoralized the party’s base currently is. Among African-Americans, just 34 percent are likely to vote, versus 54 percent unlikely to do so. Republican-leaning white voters clocked in at 66-29. Only 41 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds, a key constituency for Democrats in both 2006 and 2008, are likely to vote, compared to 49 percent likely to sit things out.

If these numbers hold for the next year, it won’t matter what those generic congressional ballot questions say, nor will it matter whether Democrats can increase their performance with independent voters. If base Democratic voters don’t turn out, like what happened in New Jersey and Virginia this year, Democrats will suffer at the ballot box.

Read all the column on www.thehill.com.

Scientist Resigns As Inhofe Presses Probe

2009-12-02T06:30:00.004-06:00

From The Washington Post ~ A scientist who is one of the central figures in the controversy over hacked e-mails from the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit announced Tuesday that he is stepping down while the university investigates the incident.

Climate skeptics [including Senator Jim Inhofe] have seized on several e-mails from Phil Jones, director of the university's Climatic Research Unit, to other researchers as evidence that prominent scientists have sought to silence their voice in the debate over global warming. The e-mails were pirated and posted online last month.

[The resignation comes as Inhofe presses for committee hearings and an investigation into the "science" behind global warming.

[Matt Dempsey, spokesman for Inhofe, thinks more is still to come from the scandal coming to be known as Climate-gate. “It certainly shows that there’s more to the investigation and there’s more to come, and we’re only at the beginning stages of learning about Climate-gate," he told FoxNews.com.]

The Paper Blizzard...

2009-12-02T00:55:00.000-06:00

Social Networking New Political Power Tool

2009-12-01T18:35:00.001-06:00

If Barack Obama proved anything in his successful 2008 presidential race, it was that Internet savvy candidates can harness its power to enlist supporters and motivate them to act by registering to vote, donating money, volunteering and being reminded to vote on election day.

In the past few election cycles, the Internet has exploded as a campaign tool and the popularity of today's social networking sites is taking that explosion to new heights just as the Obama campaign did.

In Oklahoma, candidates have latched onto the signficance of the social networks to further their campaigns and there's new evidence of that in the polls on The McCarville Report Online.

One poll asks Facebook users if they follow candidates in the 5th District congressional and if so, which one. We asked a similiar question in the race for governor. We gave no pre-poll notice to any candidates; we just put the polls up and watched. Within a few minutes, the poll numbers began to climb as word spread on the networking site.

In the 5th District poll, a candidate with virtually no political name identification but with the largest Facebook following (10,000+!) of any candidate so far this year, James Lankford, rocketed to the lead by a huge margin as his Facebook followers voted for him.

In the governor's race poll, supporters of Randy Brogdon and Mary Fallin were quick to respond and the end result was, essentially, a standoff.

In just a few hours, more than 700 Facebook users responded to our polls. Now, we're asking those users who follow their candidates on Twitter to respond in a new poll, posted on the right side of this page.

The point of our polls is to measure the power of the campaigns to motivate their followers to take action. If the results of the Facebook poll (and, we suspect, the Twitter poll as well) are any indication, 2010 could be a very interesting election year and in the primaries, "conventional" perceptions of the races could miss the significance of the social networks.

Inhofe To Boxer: Let's Have 'Climategate' Hearings

2009-12-01T17:28:00.001-06:00

Senator Jim Inhofe, the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, sent a letter today to EPW Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) requesting hearings on the recent disclosure of emails between some of the world's most preeminent climatologists,emails that reveal apparent attempts to manipulate data, vilify scientists with opposing viewpoints, and circumvent information disclosure laws.

"The emails reveal possible deceitful manipulation of important data and research used by the US Global Change Research Program and the IPCC," Inhofe wrote.

"For instance, one scientist wrote of a ‘trick' he employed to ‘hide the decline' in global temperature trends, as well as discussed attempts to ‘redefine what the peer-review literature is' to prevent papers raising questions about anthropogenic global warming from appearing in IPCC reports."

This controversy "could have far-reaching policy implications," Inhofe continued, "affecting everything from (to name a few) cap-and-trade legislation, state and regional climate change programs," and "the Environmental Protection Agency's ‘Proposed Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act'..."

These policies "will have enormous economic impacts, not least the EPA's proposed endangerment finding, which, when finalized, will lead to a torrent of new federal regulations that will destroy thousands of jobs and make electricity and gasoline more expensive for consumers and small businesses."

NASCAR Champ Johnson Helps State Schools

2009-12-01T14:22:00.003-06:00

NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson has given $922,000 in education grants to school districts in three states including six schools in Oklahoma.

The four-time series champion received more than 80 applications from schools in districts that both he and his wife, Chandra Johnson, attended in Oklahoma and California, as well as the greater Charlotte, N.C., area, where they now live.

"It was amazing to review the proposals and read firsthand about the pressing needs of our schools," Muskogee native Chandra Johnson said in a statement released by the Jimmie Johnson Foundation.

"I am particularly excited about the projects in Oklahoma as this is our first opportunity to give back in my hometown."

The grants totaling $922,000 include $347,000 toward science and technology needs, $357,000 for outdoor classrooms, playgrounds and athletic facilities and $27,000 for accelerated reading programs.

Grants went to five Muskogee public schools. Tulsa Public Schools also received an award.

Read the complete story at www.tulsaworld.com.

2009-12-01T12:27:00.004-06:00

I hope Mike Huckabee meant it when he said recently that he's not sure he wants to make a second run for president.

Does Paroled Killer End

Huckabee's Aspirations?

By Jill Lawrence In Politics Daily

Though he's right up there with Sarah Palin in polls of the prospective Republican field for 2012, his odds of success are suddenly slim to none.

You could argue that the former Arkansas governor is a victim of bad luck. You could argue that he's a victim of his own bad judgment.

What's inarguable is that Huckabee commuted the prison term of a man killed by police after he allegedly shot and killed four police officers Sunday morning in Washington state, and it's not the first time he has been in this particular spotlight.

When he ran in 2008, Huckabee received much attention for having publicly supported and privately urged the release of convicted rapist Wayne Dumond. Dumond won parole in 1999, three years after Huckabee became governor and discussed the case at a private meeting with the parole board. Dumond then moved to Missouri, was charged with rape and murder, and died in prison before trial.

In 2000, Huckabee commuted Maurice Clemmons' 108-year sentence for several felonies after Clemmons and a pastor said he had found religion and turned his life around. Now Clemmons is suspected of slaying the four officers in a coffee shop near Tacoma.

That's a one-two punch that revives longstanding questions about Huckabee's commutation policies and hands a powerful issue to prospective opponents in both parties. It also ensures he'd have at least two major battles on his hands during the primaries.

The Club for Growth mounted a full-scale attack against Huckabee in 2008 over his tax policies as governor and can be counted on to do the same in 2012 if he runs. So he'd have to fight off soft-on-taxes and soft-on-crime charges at the same time.

How do you survive a Republican primary under those circumstances?

Read the entire column at www.politicsdaily.com.

2009-12-01T09:27:00.003-06:00

As I have travelled across the country on the Tea Party Express buses, I have been struck by the similarity to the early days of Ronald Reagan.

What The Tea Party Movement

Means For Conservatives

By Sal Russo In Human Events

The explosion of interest by every-day Americans in taking their country back, as well as the biased mainstream media trying to portray conservatives as crackpots, is all hauntingly familiar.

Will the tea party movement be the beginning of another Reagan Revolution, as I think it will, or will the left-wing media be right that we are nothing but a collection of fringe players who don’t represent America -- like the Obama administration does?

I had the good fortune and good sense to temporarily abandon my college education to work for Ronald Reagan during the 1966 Primary Election for Governor of California. Stationed in Los Angeles, I was charged for bringing out crowds for Reagan’s events in Southern California. It wasn’t hard work. Crowds were huge and enthusiastic everywhere we went.

Conservatives today have forgotten how desperate we felt after the Goldwater defeat in 1964.

While we were gratified in taking over the GOP from the Rockefeller, me-too wing in favor of “bold colors,” many activists felt we faced a hopeless task. You couldn’t go to a conservative gathering without someone handing out brochures about Australia or New Zealand becoming the next hope for freedom-loving people.

At one rally in Orange County a gentleman asked Reagan what would we do if he lost? Reagan without missing a beat said, “I’ll come back to Orange County and we will secede.”

That brought thunderous applause -- not unlike what you hear in Texas today. It was many years later before I realized that Reagan was only joking. He was convinced that we would take our country back.

The people that turned out for Reagan were by-and-large new to politics. They brought the vigor and determination to succeed without the negative attitudes of conservatives who had fought and lost in the past. Those newly empowered political activists saw America declining, but were determined to reclaim the American dream. And they saw Reagan as the leader who spoke the truth and could rally the people.

The media, of course, had a field day with Reagan. They painted a picture of this ignorant actor who could only read the lines his speech writers had given him. They said he would destroy every good government program and the poor and hungry would be abandoned in the street. This nonsense pretty much continued with Reagan until the time he left office, and the reality has struck even liberals that he was one of the greatest presidents in American history.

Over the last three months I have participated in 75 rallies in 30 states plus the massive DC rally on September 12th. Nearly 2 million Americans have turned out for these Tea Party Express rallies. The remarkable thing about the attendees is that they are just like you and me. They are Americans who believe in their country and see that it is terribly off course, much like those early supporters of Ronald Reagan.

Amy Kremer, who is as close to the founder of the tea party movement as there is, has been on the tours.

She starts her comments off by saying, “I am just like you. I am nobody special, just a mom who was tired of yelling at my TV or radio over what they are doing to our country.”

And that is exactly what the crowds are like -- just full of solid Americans who believe deeply in our “shiny city on a hill” as Reagan use to say.They are decent people.

Our rallies are positive and patriotic with a moving tribute to our military heroes, past and present.

There is no hateful mob, just patriotic Americans.

When we returned from our first tour, singer-song writer Lloyd Marcus (author of the Tea Party Anthem) was talking to his 82 year old dad who said he saw on TV how our rallies were full of people who wanted Obama dead. Lloyd said, “Dad, I bet you saw that on CNN.” His dad said, “[Y]es.”

How irresponsible for a major news network to portray millions of Americans who are trying to get our government to adhere to constitutional principles as vicious thugs. But ideas matter more than biased media coverage.

The tea party movement has captured America’s attention, and it isn’t going away.

There are a few nuts that have attached themselves to the movement, as some did to Reagan also; there are some bad leaders, much as we have had mixed in with good ones in the past. But the heart of the tea party movement is to get America back to the principles that made her great. I think Ronald Reagan would have been a proud tea partier too.

Russo is a long time conservative activist and political consultant. He is the organizer and chief strategist for The Tea Party Express.

Flanigan Opposes MAPS 3 Proposal

2009-12-01T05:06:00.000-06:00

A third candidate for Congress in the 5th District has taken a stand on the MAPS 3 proposal that faces voters next week.

Rick Flanigan joins Kevin Calvey in opposing the issue. Jeff Cloud supports it. All three are candidates for the Republican nomination.

Flanigan announced his opposition on Mark Shannon's KTOK show Monday afternoon.

2009-11-30T16:45:00.000-06:00

Presidential politics is about storytelling. Presented with a vivid storyline, voters naturally tend to fit every new event or piece of information into a picture that is already neatly framed in their minds.

Seven Stories Obama Doesn't Want Told

By John F. Harris/Politico

No one understands this better than Barack Obama and his team, who won the 2008 election in part because they were better storytellers than the opposition.

The pro-Obama narrative featured an almost mystically talented young idealist who stood for change in a disciplined and thoughtful way. This easily outpowered the anti-Obama narrative, featuring an opportunistic Chicago pol with dubious relationships who was more liberal than he was letting on.

A year into his presidency, however, Obama’s gift for controlling his image shows signs of faltering. As Washington returns to work from the Thanksgiving holiday, there are several anti-Obama storylines gaining momentum.

The Obama White House argues that all of these storylines are inaccurate or unfair. In some cases these anti-Obama narratives are fanned by Republicans, in some cases by reporters and commentators.

But they all are serious threats to Obama, if they gain enough currency to become the dominant frame through which people interpret the president’s actions and motives.

Here are seven storylines Obama needs to worry about:

He thinks he’s playing with Monopoly money Economists and business leaders from across the ideological spectrum were urging the new president on last winter when he signed onto more than a trillion in stimulus spending and bank and auto bailouts during his first weeks in office. Many, though far from all, of these same people now agree that these actions helped avert an even worse financial catastrophe. Along the way, however, it is clear Obama underestimated the political consequences that flow from the perception that he is a profligate spender. He also misjudged the anger in middle America about bailouts with weak and sporadic public explanations of why he believed they were necessary. The flight of independents away from Democrats last summer — the trend that recently hammered Democrats in off-year elections in Virginia — coincided with what polls show was alarm among these voters about undisciplined big government and runaway spending. The likely passage of a health care reform package criticized as weak on cost-control will compound the problem. Obama understands the political peril, and his team is signaling that he will use the 2010 State of the Union address to emphasize fiscal discipline. The political challenge, however, is an even bigger substantive challenge—since the most convincing way to project fiscal discipline would be actually to impose spending reductions that would cramp his own agenda and that of congressional Democrats.

Too much Leonard Nimoy People used to make fun of Bill Clinton’s misty-eyed, raspy-voiced claims that, “I feel your pain.” The reality, however, is that Clinton’s dozen years as governor before becoming president really did leave him with a vivid sense of the concrete human dimensions of policy. He did not view programs as abstractions — he viewed them in terms of actual people he knew by name. Obama, a legislator and law professor, is fluent in describing the nuances of problems. But his intellectuality has contributed to a growing critique that decisions are detached from rock-bottom principles. Both Maureen Dowd in The New York Times and Joel Achenbach of The Washington Post have likened him to Star Trek’s Mr. Spock. The Spock imagery has been especially strong during the extended review Obama has undertaken of Afghanistan policy. He’ll announce the results on Tuesday. The speech’s success will be judged not only on the logic of the presentation but on whether Obama communicates in a more visceral way what progress looks like and why it is worth achieving. No soldier wants to take a bullet in the name of nuance.

That’s the Chicago Way This is a storyline that’s likely taken root more firmly in Washington than around the country. The rap is that his West Wing is dominated by brass-knuckled pols. It does not help that many West Wing aides seem to relish an image of themselves as shrewd, brass-knuckled political types. In a Washington Post story this month, White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina, referring to most of Obama’s team, said, “We are all campaign hacks.” The problem is that many voters took Obama seriously in 2008 when he talked about wanting to create a more reasoned, non-partisan style of governance in Washington. When Republicans showed scant interest in cooperating with Obama at the start, the Obama West Wing gladly reverted to campaign hack mode. The examples of Chicago-style politics include their delight in public battles with Rush Limbaugh and Fox News and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. (There was also a semi-public campaign of leaks aimed at Greg Craig, the White House counsel who fell out of favor.) In private, the Obama team cut an early deal — to the distaste of many congressional Democrats — that gave favorable terms to the pharmaceutical lobby in exchange for their backing his health care plans. The lesson that many Washington insiders have drawn is that Obama wants to buy off the people he can and bowl over those he can’t. If that perception spreads beyond Washington this will scuff Obama’s brand as a new style of political leader.

He’s a pushover If you are going to be known as a fighter, you might as well reap the benefits. But some of the same insider circles that are starting to view Obama as a bully are also starting to whisper that he’s a patsy. It seems a bit contradictory, to be sure. But it’s a perception that began when Obama several times laid down lines — then let people cross them with seeming impunity. Last summer he told Democrats they better not go home for recess until a critical health care vote but they blew him off. He told the Israeli government he wanted a freeze in settlements but no one took him seriously. Even Fox News — which his aides prominently said should not be treated like a real news organization — then got interview time for its White House correspondent. In truth, most of these episodes do not amount to much. But this unflattering storyline would take a more serious turn if Obama is seen as unable to deliver on his stern warnings in the escalating conflict with Iran over its nuclear program.

He sees America as another pleasant country on the U.N. roll call, somewhere between Albania and Zimbabwe That line belonged to George H.W. Bush, excoriating Democrat Michael Dukakis in 1988. But it highlights a continuing reality: In presidential politics the safe ground has always been to be an American exceptionalist. Politicians of both parties have embraced the idea that this country — because of its power and/or the hand of Providence — should be a singular force in the world. It would be hugely unwelcome for Obama if the perception took root that he is comfortable with a relative decline in U.S. influence or position in the world. On this score, the reviews of Obama’s recent Asia trip were harsh. His peculiar bow to the emperor of Japan was symbolic. But his lots-of-velvet, not-much-iron approach to China had substantive implications. On the left, the budding storyline is that Obama has retreated from human rights in the name of cynical realism. On the right, it is that he is more interested in being President of the World than President of the United States, a critique that will be heard more in December as he stops in Oslo to pick up his Nobel Prize and then in Copenhagen for an international summit on curbing greenhouse gases.

President Pelosi No figure in Barack Obama’s Washington, including Obama, has had more success in advancing his will than the speaker of the House, despite public approval ratings that hover in the range of Dick Cheney’s. With a mix of tough party discipline and shrewd vote-counting, she passed a version of the stimulus bill largely written by congressional Democrats, passed climate legislation, and passed her chamber’s version of health care reform. She and anti-war liberals in her caucus are clearly affecting the White House’s Afghanistan calculations. The great hazard for Obama is if Republicans or journalists conclude — as some already have — that Pelosi’s achievements are more impressive than Obama’s or come at his expense. This conclusion seems premature, especially with the final chapter of the health care drama yet to be written. But it is clear that Obama has allowed the speaker to become more nearly an equal — and far from a subordinate — than many of his predecessors of both parties would have thought wise.

He’s in love with the man in the mirror No one becomes president without a fair share of what the French call amour propre. Does Obama have more than his share of self-regard? It’s a common theme of Washington buzz that Obama is over-exposed. He gives interviews on his sports obsessions to ESPN, cracks wise with Leno and Letterman, discusses his fitness with Men’s Health, discusses his marriage in a joint interview with first lady Michelle Obama for The New York Times. A photo the other day caught him leaving the White House clutching a copy of GQ featuring himself. White House aides say making Obama widely available is the right strategy for communicating with Americans in an era of highly fragmented media. But, as the novelty of a new president wears off, the Obama cult of personality risks coming off as mere vanity unless it is harnessed to tangible achievements.

That is why the next couple of months — with health care and Afghanistan jostling at center stage — will likely carry a long echo. Obama’s best hope of nipping bad storylines is to replace them with good ones rooted in public perceptions of his effectiveness.

House To Hold Hearings on Budget Shortfall, Cuts

2009-11-30T15:07:00.001-06:00

The House Appropriations subcommittees will meet over the next two weeks to have a public dialogue about the ongoing budget shortfall and possible ways agencies can find savings to help diminish the impact of ongoing budget cuts, House Speaker Chris Benge said today.

Benge and House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Ken Miller said they hope the hearings will be a productive discussion between agency directors and House members as solutions to the current budget shortfall are sought.

Lawmakers Want To Ban Unsolicited State Mailers

2009-11-30T13:53:00.002-06:00

Given the serious budget shortfall, state agencies should end the practice of sending unsolicited mailers to thousands of Oklahomans, two state legislators said today.

“It’s clear that a significant amount of money is spent each year printing and mailing paper versions of newsletters, journals or other publications,” said Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken Arrow. “Often these documents – which are often glossy mailers – have not been requested by the recipients and money must be saved by suspending this practice. It makes far more sense to make the documents available online or to only send them when requested.”

He noted the Oklahoma Historical Society mails a monthly “Mistletoe Leaves” publication and the Health Department routinely sends mailings unsolicited to healthcare professionals, and said other agencies do similar mailing.

“Oklahomans expect their taxes to be used for important functions such as schools or roads, not to send glossy mailers out to people who didn’t ask for them,” said Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City. “These mailers are a waste of taxpayer money in a normal year, but at a time when budget cuts are being implemented it is absolutely inexcusable to continue squandering money on this frivolous exercise.”

He noted the Department of Public Study no longer prints driver’s manuals for students preparing to take their first driver’s test.

“If the state no longer prints manuals for students who clearly need the document, it makes no sense for other agencies to spend money printing materials that are not even sought by Oklahomans,” Reynolds said.

Poll: Limbaugh Most influential Conservative Voice

2009-11-30T10:45:00.001-06:00

New York (AP) ~ By a wide margin, Americans consider Rush Limbaugh the nation's most influential conservative voice.

Those are the results of a poll conducted by "60 Minutes" and Vanity Fair magazine and issued Sunday.

The radio host was picked by 26 percent of those who responded, followed by Fox News Channel's Glenn Beck at 11 percent.

Actual politicians - former Vice President Dick Cheney and former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin - were the choice of 10 percent each.

Asked to choose from among seven presidents, Americans tapped John F. Kennedy as the one they'd like to see added to Mount Rushmore. Kennedy polled 29 percent, with Ronald Reagan second at 20 percent.

With all the talk on the news about whether Americans should have the choice of a government-run health insurance plan in any health care reform, only 26 percent of those who responded said they felt confident explaining the "public option" to someone who didn't know about it.

Half of Americans chose laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as a ceremony in which they'd most like to participate. That swamped the other choices: lighting the Olympic torch, tossing the coin to open a Super Bowl, starting the race at the Indianapolis 500, ringing the opening bell at the stock exchange and throwing out the first pitch at the World Series.

Huckabee Paroled Washington Cop Killer Suspect

2009-11-30T08:49:00.002-06:00

By Michelle Malkin ~ A deadly ambush at a coffee shop near Tacoma, Washington on Sunday morning left four police officers dead. A vigil attended by an estimated 700 mourners and well-wishers was held Sunday night for the fallen at Champion’s Center church in Tacoma. Read about the lives, loves, and dedication to service of the fallen officers here.

The man being sought by police was granted clemency by former GOP Arkansas Mike Huckabee despite his violent history and vehement protestations from prosecutors and victims’ family members.

Hastings Gears Up For Sarah Palin Visit

2009-11-30T07:56:00.001-06:00

By Julianna Parker Jones/Norman Transcript ~ In expectation of large crowds Thursday, Hastings has released a list of rules for those attending Sarah Palin's book signing event.

The former vice-presidential candidate and Alaskan governor will be in Norman 7 p.m. to sign copies of her memoir Going Rogue: An American Life.

Word of Palin's visit spread quickly and there will be crowd control measures in place because of the expected popularity of the event at Hastings, 2300 W. Main St., said Rob Wood, store manager.

Those who wish to have their book signed by Palin must be at Hastings in person Thursday, according to rules for the event provided by Hastings. Hundreds of wristbands will be handed out that day to guarantee the wearer will have their book signed. Wristbands will be issued to the first people at the store starting at 7 a.m.

The exact number of wristbands to be handed out has not yet been determined, Wood said.

At the book signing, Palin will sign only copies of her books that have been purchased at Hastings. A receipt is required. The signing is limited to her signature only, no personalization.

Each person with a wristband is limited to two copies of Going Rogue. No memorabilia or additional items will be signed.

Gifts or other items customers wish to leave for Palin will be collected by Hastings staff and delivered to Palin at the end of the event.

The store will remain open during the event.

Cloud Endorses MAPS 3 Proposal

2009-11-30T07:48:00.004-06:00

Corporation Commission Jeff Cloud, a candidate for the Republican nomination for Congress in the 5th District, said today he endorses the controversial MAPS 3 proposal that Oklahoma City voters will decide a week from Tuesday.

Cloud's declaration on Reid Mullin's KTOK morning show today follows a statement on the station by fellow Republican congressional candidate Kevin Calvey that he opposes the proposal. Calvey made his statement on KTOK afternoon host Mark Shannon's show last week.

Other candidates in the 5th District GOP race have yet to take a position.

Palin Book Tour Due In Norman Thursday

2009-11-30T06:42:00.000-06:00

The whirlwind that has become Sarah Palin hits Norman on Thursday to sell and sign copies of her new book, and a huge crowd is expected.

Palin has drawn huge crowds on previous book tour stops. At Fort Bragg, more than 4,000 fans lined up. Smaller but as enthusiastic crowds have been reported elsewhere.

The former vice-presidential hopeful and governor of Alaska will sign copies of her memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life. The event occurs at 7 p.m. at Hastings Books, 2300 West Main Street. It's expected that Palin fans will begin lining up long before the signing time.

The book, being promoted nonstop by the popular conservative site Newsmax, became a bestseller before its release. The publisher has pushed the number of copies printed to an astronomical 2.5 million.