GOP Group's Director Faults Biden Pick

Barack Obama doesn’t have the experience necessary to lead the country and his pick of a vice presidential running mate who is a "consumate D. C. insider" proves he recognizes that, a Republican leader said today.

Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, who was named Obama's running mate early Saturday, has been a critic of Obama’s foreign policy, said Matt Pinnell, director of Oklahoma Victory 2008.

"It is painfully clear Obama is trying to compensate for his lack of experience by selecting Biden," Pinnell said.

Biden, who twice failed in his bid to become president, is serving his sixth term in the U.S. Senate.

Said Pinnell: "For a candidate preaching 'change,' this pick makes no sense at all. Senator Biden is the consummate D.C. insider. How can anyone take seriously Senator Obama’s campaign rhetoric?"

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GOP, Dems Battle Over Donations

Republicans and Democrats battled today over contributions from the secretive Working Oklahomans Alliance, whose donations from injured workers and donations to political candidates were revealed in The Oklahoman on Sunday.

Oklahoma Victory 2008, a GOP group, was first out today with a challenge to Andrew Rice, Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, challenging him to "return thousands of dollars in tainted campaign contributions" he received from the trial lawyers alliance.

Next up today was Rep. Al Lindley, D-Oklahoma City, who said the "recent inquiry regarding contributions to the Lawyers for Working Oklahomans Political Action Committee has resulted in a barrage of harsh remarks and demands from Rep. Trebor Worthen, R-Oklahoma City. The article in question alleges that their investigation uncovered a secretive organization of lawyers who route portions of the workers' compensation award money of clients who are unaware of their donation. This organization...adheres to disclosure rules ensuring complete transparency. They receive voluntary contribtions marked by signature consent from donators.

The Oklahoman revealed that the Working Oklahomans Alliance PAC has raised nearly $1 million over the past decade from injured workers, many of whom said they were not aware they had made a contribution to the PAC. The Oklahoman also said many of the donations made to the PAC, which is controlled by workers’ compensation attorneys, may be illegal.

Matt Pinnell, speaking for the GOP group, said Rice’s U.S. Senate campaign has accepted $4,600 from Richard Bell, a leading fund-raiser for Working Oklahomans Alliance PAC, as well as $1,000 from PAC board member Joseph C. Biscone II. During his 2006 state Senate campaign, Rice took $5,000 from the PAC, $2,000 from Bell and $350 from Biscone.

Said Lindley: "Representative Worthen, who is completing his final term in office as he as is not seeking re-election, also works as a paid political consultant on behalf of Republican campaigns. Per the Tulsa World, Representative Worthen said 'I demand that members and candidates who receive donations from this unethical PAC return this tainted money.'

“It is not surprising that Representative Worthen would latch onto an outlandish investigation that without merit made allegations of illegality, and that he would demand the return of campaign funds of Democratic candidates.

“One of his primary concerns as a paid political consultant is to ensure Republican seats in the Legislature, and these unsubstantiated claims against the LWO is merely a political convenience towards that end. I am surprised at Representative Worthen’s newfound concern of injured workers, however, as during his tenure in office he has systematically voted in favor of insurance companies and against the interests of injured employees.

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Rice's New Campaign Manager Tied To Ultra-Liberal Gun-Grabber George Soros

Andrew Rice's new campaign manager has been an employee of ultra-liberal gun-grabber George Soros and has worked for the Democratic Party's most liberal candidates, a Republican group's spokesman said today.

“Bringing in the hired guns to run a nastier campaign tells me he’s in a tough spot and will stop at nothing to win," said Matt Pinnell, director of Oklahoma Victory 2008. "The addition of two former Clinton for President staffers is just the first of what we expect to be many extreme makeovers in Andrew Rice’s campaign. His message was rejected by members of his own party, so no doubt the next makeover will be a refining of his personal image: new issues and new values.”

Pinnell said the addition of Geri Prado and Phil Singer by Rice to his top campaign spots won't help Rice following his "lackluster" primary showing, in which he got 59 percent against an opponent who didn't campaign and spent no money.

Singer, Rice's new communications guru, Pinnell said, "is a veteran of personal attack politics, serving on Senator John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign and as spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee before joining Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful presidential campaign. During his time with the Clinton campaign, Singer made headlines for tying Senator Barack Obama to members of terrorist organization Weather Underground, which some observers called an attempt at 'swiftboating' Senator Obama.

Prado, Pinnell said, served as John Kerry’s New Mexico state director in 2004 and has a background in union organizing, having worked as the political director for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 105 in Colorado.

Said Pinnell: "Prado also worked in New Mexico for billionaire George Soros’ America Coming Together (ACT), which was recently fined $775,000 by the FEC for illegally financing its field activities, the third-largest fine by the FEC ever."

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GOP Group: Rice 'Off to a stumbling start'

Democratic nominee Andrew Rice's November challenge to U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe is off to a stumbling start following a lackluster primary performace yesterday, a spokesman for Oklahoma Victory 2008 said Wednesday in a news release.

"Rice, who has been campaigning for the Democratic nomination for months, won the Democratic primary Tuesday night with 59.65 percent of the vote," the release says. "That's a far cry from the nearly 80 percent tallied by Brad Carson in his failed U.S. Senate race in 2004."

"Andrew Rice failed to generate the kind of momentum Democrats gave Brad Carson in 2004. It must be worrisome that Rice's general election campaign is off to such a stumbling start," Oklahoma Victory Director Matt Pinnell said.

Rice spent more than $717,000 in his primary campaign, compared with Jim Rogers, who didn't even raise or spend enough to file a financial disclosure report.

Rogers spent only $1,000 in filing fees yet garnered more than 40 percent of the primary vote.

Pinnell said, "Rice criss-crossed the state campaigning and spent tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars on TV and radio advertising in an attempt to introduce himself to voters. It's clear by his performance in the primary that Oklahoma voters are not buying what Rice is selling."

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Rice Challenged To Return Reid Donation

U. S. Senate candidate Andrew Rice was challenged today to disassociate himself from U. S. Senator Harry Reid, Democrat who yesterday attacked the vital-to-Oklahoma energy industry.

Matt Pinnell, Director of Oklahoma Victory 2008, called on Senator Rice to stand up for Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry after Reid declared on national television yesterday, “oil makes us sick.” Pinnell also said Rice should return a maximum campaign donation from Reid.

Majority Leader of the United States Senate, Reid said that “coal makes us sick, oil makes us sick” on the Fox Business Network. (Video available at http://list-manage.com/track/click?u=512354e730a88fee4fcc330f7&id=735a8bce27&e=8b3e9d2ca4)

“The oil and gas industry is a core part of our economy, providing one in seven Oklahoma jobs,” said Matt Pinnell. “We’re calling on Rice to declare independence from his party’s anti-energy leadership, who show no hesitation launching dishonest attacks on Oklahoma’s economy and the thousands of men and women who serve our state in the oil industry.

“Senator Rice has the opportunity to take a stand and prove he puts Oklahomans ahead of Washington rhetoric by returning the contribution he received from Senator Reid on May 5 of $5,000 (http://list-manage.com/track/click u=512354e730a88fee4fcc330f7&id=c69b264686&e=8b3e9d2ca4) and repudiating these remarks.

“If Senator Rice is in fact in Senator Reid's camp and doesn't repudiate his remarks, then we call on Senator Rice to pledge not to accept coordinated campaign funding from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which itself has raised over $500,000 from the oil and gas industry this election cycle.”

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Oklahoma Victory Challenges Rice

Oklahoma Victory 2008 today issued the following statement: “Andrew Rice’s record on gun control is pretty clear, and it doesn’t match the Supreme Court’s ruling today” said Victory Director Matt Pinnell.

“If Rice is so committed to our 2nd Amendment rights (as he alluded to in a statement today), why was he one of only 6 senators to vote against concealed carry for judges in their own courtrooms (SB 145), voting against it on February 6, 2007 and May 8, 2007?

"If he’s so committed to our 2nd Amendment rights, why did the Oklahoma Rifle Association give him a “D” grade in its 2006 General Election Ratings? Those who earn a 'D' are described as ‘An anti-gun candidate who has frequently voted for restrictive gun control legislation or made strong statements in opposition to Second Amendment rights and regardless of public statements can definitely not be counted on in key votes.’

“If he’s so committed to our 2nd Amendment rights, why didn’t he return this NRA questionnaire in 2006, an indication of “indifference, if not outright hostility, to gun owners’ and sportsmen’s rights?

"If he’s so committed to our 2nd Amendment rights, why was he only one of 7 Senators to vote against allowing district attorneys to carry a loaded concealed firearm on or about his person anywhere in the state for personal protection (SB 763 March 12, 2007)?”

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Daily Kos Poll Finds Rice Unlikely To Win

Democrat Senator Andrew Rice’s viability against incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe is already being called into question by even the most loyal of his supporters.

Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, founder of the leading liberal blog Daily Kos, commissioned a poll of Oklahoma likely voters June 9-11 and published the results today.

The poll tested opinions surrounding the U.S. Senate race, asking if voters would vote for Jim Inhofe or Andrew Rice if the election were today.

Unfortunately for Rice, even Zúniga had trouble finding a silver lining in the results, concluding: “Tough? Obviously. Likely? Nope.” He adds that it is possible, however, for Rice to win.

The poll results show Inhofe in a commanding lead with 53 percent and Rice with 31 percent.

Nonetheless, the poll analysis claims it shows Inhofe is vulnerable provided Barack Obama runs well in Oklahoma and claims as well that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has pledged to send up to 10 field representatives into the state for the Rice campaign. That alone should raise half a million or so for Inhofe.

But DSCC Chairman Chuck Schumer didn’t even include Oklahoma in the “long shots” category in a recent interview with DC publication Roll Call (“Schumer Sees Big Nov. Gains,” Erin Billings, 6/12/2008). Just months ago, Schumer was calling Rice a candidate who would “surprise people.”

“Whether it’s fighting for lower prices at the pump, supporting our men and women in uniform, or representing our shared Oklahoma values, Senator Inhofe is someone who we can be proud of in the U.S. Senate. I believe that as the campaign continues, he will earn even more support as Oklahomans hear his positive message and vision for the future of our state,” said Matt Pinnell, Oklahoma Victory 2008 Director.

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