Russell Rips Napolitano Indictment Of Vets

Senator Steve Russell, a retired Army Colonel and veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan, has authored Senate Resolution 42 which demands that President Obama’s Administration retract a Department of Homeland Security report that suggests returning veterans could be a threat to the country.

Russell said the report should be withdrawn and an apology issued to America’s returning war veterans.

The department's office of intelligence and analysis distributed the report to state and local law enforcement agencies April 7. The office regularly publishes intelligence analyses of domestic and international threats to the nation's borders and infrastructure.

The report drew sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers, conservatives and veterans groups, who said it unfairly targets returning military veterans and gun rights advocates without citing specific threats.

The report said the return of military veterans facing challenges with reintegrating into their communities "could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks."

"To characterize men and women returning home after defending our country as potential terrorists is offensive and unacceptable," House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a statement. "The Department of Homeland Security owes our veterans an apology."

A footnote in the report, "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment," said that while there is no specific information that domestic right-wing terrorists are planning acts of violence, such acts could come from unnamed "rightwing extremists" concerned about illegal immigration, abortion, increasing federal power and restrictions on firearms -- and singled out returning war veterans as susceptible to recruitment.

“To suggest that we would terrorize the very nation we risked our lives for should give all Americans pause,” said Russell, Oklahoma City Republican.

“Yesterday afternoon I participated in a rally with thousands of good, law-abiding, God-fearing Oklahomans who voiced their concerns about the Federal government’s expenditures of our hard-earned dollars,” said Russell, referring to the Tea Party rally that was held on the steps of the State Capitol. “According to the Department of Homeland Security report, these people would also be considered threats to the national security.

“It is vital that we take a stand and express, in our constitutional right to peaceful assembly and our extreme displeasure and disagreement with the Administration on this important matter,” Russell continued.

“Taken at face value, this report from our Department of Homeland Security would qualify the vast majority of Oklahomans as threats to our national security,” Russell added. “If upholding traditional American values such as the sanctity of life, the right to bear arms and defending your country is extremist, then I stand so accused,” Russell concluded.

Senate Resolution 42 further states that the Oklahoma State Senate supports America’s military veterans, who have risked their lives preserving the nation instead of attacking it, and believes that the traditional American values under attack by the Obama Administration should be respected and revered by the federal government.

The resolution will likely be heard in the Senate on Wednesday.

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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.

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Russell Defeats Loveless, 67-33%

Steve Russell defeated Kyle Loveless 66.89 to 33.11 percent in today's Republican runoff primary for State Senate District 45.

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Russell Takes Early Lead Over Loveless

Steve Russell has an early lead over Kyle Loveless in their race for the Republican nomination for the State Senate in Oklahoma City's District 45.

With 8 of 30 precincts reporting, Russell had 68.7 percent to about 31.3 percent for Loveless.

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Moderate Turnout Expected In Local Races

Voter turnout is expected to be moderate today in two contested local races, one for the State Senate, the other for Oklahoma County commissioner.

In the Senate District 45 runoff, Republicans Kyle Loveless and Steve Russell seek election as the winner takes the seat, no Democrat or Independent having filed.

In the District 2 commissioner runoff, J. D. Johnston and Brian Maughan seek the GOP nomination and the winner faces Democrat Jim Dickinson in the fall.

Interest in the SD45 race, spurred in part by direct mail and personal contact by the candidates, should produce a decent turnout, observers say. Most give Russell the edge as voting started today.

Last-minute finance reports show Russell added $1,900 and Loveless added $500. Russell has raised $146,670, while Loveless has raised $101,726, including more than $38,000 of his own money.

Johnston has relied on paid media to fuel his campaign, while Maughan has conducted a "ground game" campaign that propelled him into the runoff with Johnston, former Bethany mayor. Maughan is said to be the front-runner.

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Loveless, Russell Take To TV Airwaves; Loveless Files Last-Minute Campaign Finance Report

Kyle Loveless and Steve Russell have taken to the airwaves in their quest to win the Republican nomination in Oklahoma City's Senate District 45, the two of them spending an estimated $30,000 this week on television buys.

UPDATE: "I just got off the the phone with Marilyn (Hughes), and a last minute contribution (report) will be filed today within the 24 hour window," Loveless said at mid-afternoon. "Ms. Hughes is going to talk to the staff about the conflicting and opposite instructions that were given to me." One report shows Loveless gave his campaign $23,000 yesterday, another shows an additional $15,000, for a total of $38.000.

Loveless confirms he's spent about $20,000 on his buy, made earlier this week. Russell's campaign says thus far, he's spent about $10,000 on his buy.

Russell has out-raised Loveless about 2-to-1. The latest finance reports show Russell has raised more than $120,000. His report shows he's raised $40,935 since July 15th and had $25,110 on hand as of August 11th.

Russell has filed four late-contribution reports showing he's raised an additional $9,500 since his August 11th report.

Loveless reported he's raised $63,148, about $14,000 of that since July 15th. About half of that sum is in in-kind donations. He showed a cash-on-hand balance of $2,363. Asked about the source of the money for the tv buy, he wrote in an email response to the question, "In kind contributions are treated as expenditures, have talked with the ethics commission before the election and they have confirmed, as long as it is disclosed in the next report that is due as an expenditure, which it will be. In the primary I paid for personally $5,000 worth of cable TV and you can see that as an in kind contribution, but it is counted as an expenditure. I am in 100 percent compliance with the ethics requirements."

A Loveless supporter said, "He confirmed with the Ethics Commission that in-kind contributions and expenses must go on the next quarterly report. Because he did not loan the money to the campaign, but instead spent his own money, it doesn't have to go on the pre-primary report as a late receipt. He is not going to make any effort to recover that money from the campaign, so it isn't a loan."

The winner of Tuesday's primary wins the election since no Democrat or Independent filed. The seat is now held by the term-limited Republican Kathleen Wilcoxson

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Insiders See Russell Runoff Victory

Some political insiders say today they believe retired Army Lt. Colonel Steve Russell is the likely winner of Tuesday's Republican primary in Senate District 45, but they don't discount the "ground game" that his opponent, political consultant Kyle Loveless, has waged for months.

Russell topped Loveless and former Oklahoma City Councilman Jerry Foshee in the primary; Russell got 40 percent to 27 percent for Loveless. Foshee has since endorsed Russell, as have two other candidates in the GOP primary, Melinda Daughterty and Marty Gormley.

A veteran GOP consultant not involved in the race says Russell's primary margin, plus the endorsements of three of his opponents, indicates he should emerge the winner: "He ran up by thirteen in the primary and anytime we see a candidate in a multi-field with that kind of edge, it almost always turns out that candidate wins a runoff. Loveless has a really huge mountain to climb to win."

A local GOP official says Loveless has "knocked a lot of doors and walked a lot of miles, but he just hasn't seemed to generate much traction...." She added that Russell "presents a fresh face that a lot of people like," and, "of course, we still have almost a week to go, so I guess anything can happen."

One veteran observer said, "Russell is definitely favored. How close it is depends on the turnout."

Some believe a low turnout, which is likely, will favor Loveless. But several others say they believe Russell's lead is substantial and the turnout probably won't make much of a difference in the outcome.

New finance reports show Russell has raised more than $120,000, nearly twice as much as Loveless. His latest Ethics Commission report shows he's raised $40,935 since July 15th and had $25,110 on hand as of August 11th.

Loveless, former chairman of the Cleveland County Republican Party associated for years with former Congressman Ernest Istook, reported he's raised $63,148, about $14,000 of that since July 15th. About half of that sum is in in-kind donations.

The district includes portions of Canadian, Cleveland and Oklahoma counties and the winner will succeed GOP Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson, who is term-limited. No Democrats or independents filed for the seat.

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Former Opponents Endorse Steve Russell

Three of Steve Russell's opponents in the Republican primary in Senate District 45 endorsed him today.

Jerry Foshee, Melinda Daugherty and Marty Gormley all offered endorsements of Russell, whose runoff opponent is Kyle Loveless.

Jerry Foshee, a South Oklahoma City attorney and former Oklahoma City councilman, said, “Before this campaign began, I had immense respect for Steve Russell’s service to our country. After the race, I respect him even more. He was a man of his word, ran a positive campaign and refrained from lawyer bashing. He has the highest integrity and unquestioned character. I gladly offer my endorsement of his candidacy.”

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Jerry Foshee Leads Dollar Race In Senate District 45 Republican Primary

Attorney and former Oklahoma City Councilman Jerry Foshee is the top fundraiser in the Republican primary in Senate District 45, Ethics Commission reports show.

Foshee has raised $117,000 and spent $75,000, leaving him with about $40,000 on hand.

Retired Army Lt. Colonel Steve Russell, an Iraq war veteran who received the endorsement of former Governor Frank Keating, has raised about $80,000 and spent $46,000, leaving him with about $33,000 on hand.

Political consultant Kyle Loveless, endorsed by the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee, has raised about $29,000 in cash and spent $24,000, leaving him with about $4,000 on hand. Loveless reported about $20,000 in in-kind contributions, putting his total raised at about $49,000.

Observers say the race is a tough one to call; they foresee a runoff. Foshee's advantage, they say, is his name ID after years in the spotlight. Loveless' advantage, they add, is his ground-game approach, during which he's walked the district and knocked on doors. Russell's advantage is said to be his networking and personal contact with voters. All three candidates, they say, bring something to the table that makes the race one to watch next Tuesday.

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Gun Shop Owners Endorse Steve Russell

Three Oklahoma City-area gun shop owners have endorsed Steve Russell in the Senate District 45 Republican primary.

Russell faces former Oklahoma City Councilman Jerry Foshee and GOP consultant Kyle Loveless in the race. The seat is now held by Republican Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson, who is term-limited.

"It is critical that we get Steve Russell into the State Senate. While many will support the right to bear arms, Steve understands the 2nd Amendment and has put his life on the line to defend our American freedoms," the three owners wrote in their endorsement.

The owners are Miles Hall of H&H Gun Range in Oklahoma City, Mike Blackwell of Big Boys Guns & Ammo in Wheatland and Mark Loeffler of Brigadoons in Del City.

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OCPAC Endorses Loveless

The Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee has endorsed Senate District 45 Republican candidate Kyle Loveless.

"I am thrilled to have their seal of approval," said Loveless. "This group is the conservative’s conservative, and when going door to door, I get asked what makes me more conservative than the other guys, well now it is official," Loveless said.

OCPAC Chairman Charlie Meadows said, "It takes a majority of votes to get our endorsement, and the members are not even required to endorse someone at all, but it was obvious, with his understanding and clarity on positions along with his strong convictions, Kyle Loveless is THE most conservative of the candidates and won our endorsement with overwhelming support."

Other Republicans in the race are Jerry Foshee and Steve Russell.

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Foshee Files; Loveless, Russell Expected

Former Oklahoma City Councilman Jerry Foshee filed for the Senate District 45 seat today. He is expected to be joined in the Republican primary by consultant Kyle Loveless and retired Army officer Steve Russell.

Foshee, 61, held the Oklahoma City Council's Ward 5 seat for 14 years before choosing not to run last year so he could seek the seat, now held by term-limited Kathleen Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City.

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Steve Russell Makes It Official

Retired Army Lt. Colonel Steve Russell today officially announced he will seek the Republican nomination for the State Senate in District 45, the seat being vacated by term-limited Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson.

Former Oklahoma City Councilman Jerry Foshee and consultant Kyle Loveless also are candidates in the GOP race.

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GOP Lincoln Day Dinner Honors Military

The Oklahoma County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner on April 14th will honor the military with former State Rep. and Iraq war veteran Kevin Calvey (shown on the firing range) as keynote speaker, Chair Pam Pollard said.

A reception begins at 6 pm, followed by dinner at 7 pm in the Petroleum Club in downtown Oklahoma City.

"We will be honoring all men and women who have served in our Military. The '3 Colonels' as they have become to be known, Lt. Colonels, Stuart Jolly, Hopper Smith and Steve Russell will begin our event with the Prayer, Pledge and the National Anthem," Pollard said.

The program will begin with retired Major General Rita Aragon, Oklahoma's first woman general, relating her experiences in the Oklahoma Air National Guard.

Kevin King, USS Oklahoma webmaster, has prepared a video of all the sailors of the USS Oklahoma, featuring the survivors and their families reflecting on December 7, 1941.

The keynote address will be given by Calvey, an Army captain who just returned from serving a year in Baghdad helping prosecute Iraqi terrorists.

Tickets for the event are $50/person for dinner, $100/person dinner and reception.

For more information, contact Elayne at 946-1494 or email chair@okcountygop.com.

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Foshee Honored By South OKC Chamber

State Senate candidate and former Oklahoma City Councilman Jerry Foshee recently was recipient of the South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce's "Ambassador of the Year Award" as a result of his work helping the South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce promote and develop South Oklahoma City.

Foshee's also been recognized with the "Bulldog Award" as well as the "Champion of South Oklahoma City Award."

The Foshee for Senate Campaign, a spokesman said, has added dozens of volunteers who are more than familiar with all of the candidates as well as the issues relevant to Senate District 45 and the Foshee campaign will be announcing key endorsements within the next 30 days.

The spokesman said, "Jerry continues to focus on issues of importance to the residents of Senate District 45 - infrastructure improvements, accountability for the Department of Human Services, preserving parks and dramatic reductions in government spending."

Foshee is one of three seeking the Republican nomination in the district. The others are political consultant Kyle Loveless and retired Army officer Steve Russell. The incumbent is term-limited Kathleen Wilcoxson.

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Steve Russell Defends 'Surge,' Troops

Steve Russell, the retired Army officer and Iraq war veteran who is a candidate in State Senate District 45, has been making headlines across the country recently defending the troops and the surge.

"The latest attacks in newspapers and magazines about the failure of the surge and returning veterans as criminals are shameless," Russell said.

"They must be countered," added Russell, whose latest opinion piece on the war in Iraq appeared in the New York Daily News with a second piece published in over two dozen papers across the country.

He has also been invited to appear on the Montel Williams show in February and has done dozens of radio spots across the nation in the last week. "Everywhere you turn it seems that the media wants to assault our integrity and honor," said Russell, who is running for Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson’s open Senate seat. "With our own National Guard deployed, our state has an even greater stake in this debate. My sister’s son is there now with the 45th Brigade."

In his Senate campaign, Russell said, he's been meeting voters at the door, making calls and raising money. His campaign announced that it had reached the $30,000 dollar mark shortly after the fourth quarter of 2007.

After retiring from the Army and returning to Okahoma City, Russell founded and chairs "Vets for Victory" to put the soldiers’ voice into the national debate about the war.

Other Republicans seeking the Senate seat are Jerry Foshee and Kyle Loveless.

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Loveless Knocks SD 45 Doors

Republican State Senate candidate Kyle Loveless says that by month's end, he will have knocked 10,000 doors in Senate District 45.

The consultant-turned-candidate said, "Going door-to-door is one of the oldest, most conservative, most effective, and most interactive forms of campaigning."

Also seeking the GOP nomination in the district are attorney Jerry Foshee, former Oklahoma City councilman, and retired Army Lt. Colonel Steve Russell.

Senate District 45 encompasses parts of Yukon, Mustang, Southwest Oklahoma City, and parts of Moore.

The Republican primary is July 29th.

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Foshee Tops Senate Race Fundraising

Former Oklahoma City Councilman Jerry Foshee is the top fundraiser in the 3-way race for the Republican nomination for the State Senate District 45 seat, Ethics Commission records show.

Foshee reported he raised $26,100 in the reporting period that ended September 30th; he reported spending $26,466 and has $18,830 in cash on hand. He has raised a total of $45,296 for his campaign, including a $19,000 loan from himself.

GOP consultant Kyle Loveless reported he raised $6,426 in the 3-month period and $16,231 in total, including $8,300 in-kind, much of it from himself. He reported he spent $3,639 in the period and has $2,482 in cash on hand.

Retired Army Lt. Colonel Steve Russell reported he raised $10,204 in the first three weeks of his campaign (he announced in early September) and spent $8.50, leaving him with $10,091.50 on hand.

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Steve Russell Files In Senate District 45

Retired Army Lt. Colonel Steve Russell, as expected, has filed as a Republican candidate for the State Senate in Oklahoma City's District 45.

Russell's statement of organization was filed with the Ethics Commission on September 1oth.

Veteran Oklahoma County Republican leader Al Snipes is listed as campaign chairman. Julian McNeely is listed as treasurer.

Other declared Republicans in the race are former Oklahoma City Councilman Jerry Foshee and consultant Kyle Loveless.

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Russell Ready To Enter Senate District 45 Race

UPDATED ~ Retired Army Lt. Colonel Steve Russell, head of "Vets For Victory" and best known for leading the unit in Iraq that captured Saddam Hussein, will enter the Republican primary for the Oklahoma Senate in District 45 soon.

He will join former Oklahoma City Councilman Jerry Foshee and GOP consultant Kyle Loveless in the race. Foshee and Loveless have announced, formed committees and are raising money. Loveless has embarked on a walking tour of the district.

Russell, a graduate of Del City High School, was honored by the Oklahoma Legislature as its first "Veteran of the Week" earlier this year.

The District 45 seat is now held by Republican Kathleen Wilcoxsen, who is term-limited.

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