DSCC Video: Andrew Rice: Why I’m Running

In this latest Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee propaganda video, aspiring U.S. senator Andrew Rice, gives his reasons why he’s embarked upon his suicide mission against Senator Inhofe.

If you don’t have the time to watch the entire minute and a half video, we’ll save you a little time and give you the Cliff Notes version. First 30 seconds, Rice is riding in a car talking about losing his brother on 9/11. The next ten seconds, a Democrat activist is surprised that Rice remembers his name. From what we can surmise in the short segment, the activist is going to vote for Rice because he’s a “friendly and likeable guy.” (Glad he didn’t let issues get in the way)

The last 50 seconds, Rice is speaking with another gentleman about – losing his brother in the World Trade Center on 9/11. And we thought only Republicans used 9/11 for political advantage?

Oklahoma Independents Want More Candidates on the Ballot

The Oklahoma Coalition of Independents (OKIES) wants all Oklahomans to know about the three days when they can file to run for office at the state Capitol: June 2nd to 4th. OKIES is hoping to bring more accountability to incumbents’ actions and by encouraging Oklahomans to run for political office, whatever their party affiliation.

From their press release:

The democratic process in Oklahoma is suffering. Over half of state legislative races went unopposed in 2006. So the names of most incumbents never even showed up on a ballot, yet they still “represent” the people of their district.”

Clark Duffe, OKIES Chairman, said, “Campaigning for office is a great way to get out your message and affect your community.” All that is required is having been registered with the same party affiliation for six months in your district and a $200 filing fee for most offices. Qualifications to run and a list of offices to be filled are available from the Oklahoma State Election Board.

James M. Branum, Secretary of the Oklahoma Green Party, said, “Since Oklahoma’s ballot access laws kept me from being on the ballot as a Green, I ran as an Independent for state house in 2006. It was a empowering experience. I got to speak at several candidate forums and connect with my neighbors on the campaign trail, and in the end even got to see some of my ideas be adopted by the candidate who beat me. I recommend all registered Independents to consider running, because otherwise our voice won’t be heard.”

Richard Prawdzienski, past Independent candidate for State House 39, addressed concerns about the possibility of someone winning against a candidate of an established party. “If a 19-year-old freshman at the University of Oklahoma can be elected mayor in Muskogee, imagine what anyone can do.”

Jacqueline Salit, founder and political director of the national organization, Committee for a Unified Independent Party, commented, “With 70% of Americans saying that the country is on the wrong track, the problem is not just that our policies have gone wrong. It’s that our political process isn’t working. That’s a big reason why so many people are becoming independents and why independents feel that we’ve got to change the way our political system works. It’s really a rebellion against the “divine right” of the major parties. Running for office with a message about the need for independent reform is a way to bring that challenge to a next step.”

The Oklahoma Coalition of Independents (OKIES) seeks to expand voter choice by reducing the number of unopposed races for elected office in Oklahoma. OKIES also supports structural reforms that will engage more potential voters in the political process, such as ballot access reform and redistricting reform.

Profile of “Nick’s Law” Opponent Reveals True Intentions

NOTE: Approximately 12 minutes after the following news release was issued, Rep. Ron Peterson issued a news release announcing he will not seek re-election. You may see that release by pointing your browser to: http://www.okhouse.gov/OkhouseMedia/PressRoom.aspx

A “puff-piece” profile of the lawmaker leading the fight against “Nick’s Law,” the autism insurance bill, reveals his true intentions, according to Senator Jay Paul Gumm.

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) distributed a profile of Rep. Ron Peterson, R-Broken Arrow. The profile lauds the lawmaker’s “courage” for blocking even consideration of Nick’s Law when it arrived in the House of Representatives, noting Peterson’s defense of “free enterprise.”

“There is nothing courageous about turning your back on children who have no voice,” said Gumm, who wrote Nick’s Law. “Praising Rep. Peterson’s stand against Nick’s Law for its ‘free enterprise’ implications is the moral equivalent of praising an abortionist who destroys life just to make a buck. This is a lame defense of an unconscionable stand.”

Despite differences between the lawmakers, Gumm said he “believed in his heart Rep. Peterson was sincere” in saying he might consider the measure upon completion of an “independent” actuarial study.

“The puff-piece – inadvertently, I would suspect – pulls the curtain back and lets us see the ‘wizard’ for what his intentions truly are,” Gumm said. “Clearly, Rep. Peterson and those in the insurance industry to whom he is beholden will never allow Nick’s Law to be heard. The profile is a puff-piece that hits families with autistic children like a sledgehammer.”

A paragraph in the profile quotes Peterson as he belittles treatment of autistic children and implies these children are hopeless, Gumm related. “He apparently thinks autistic children are throwaway, a lost cause,” he said.

Peterson said in the profile that the treatment that would be covered by Nick’s Law is clinically unproven.

“The medical profession has stated there’s no reason to believe behavioral therapy is any more effective than anything else,” Peterson said. “The results are described as marginal in any case, and these individuals will be wards of the state in any case. So you’d have the cost without any benefit, as best we can see.”

Gumm said he was shocked at the impudence of the statement. “With one paragraph, Rep. Peterson tells every parent of every autistic child that their child is not worth saving, not worth even trying to save,” he said. “I cannot imagine anyone taking so cavalier attitude toward life; it truly is fear-provoking.”

Trying to save children from an adult life as wards of the state and giving their families some hope are the key purposes behind Nick’s Law, Gumm related. “Aside from the distastefulness of an elected official apparently considering the most vulnerable among us as throwaway, let’s look at the financial end of it,” he said.

“These ‘wards of the state’ will cost untold millions in taxpayer dollars. Instead of expecting health insurance to do what families pay premiums for and help these children, Rep. Peterson is content to pass the eventual bill to taxpayers. In the meantime, his so-called ‘courage’ is keeping children locked behind the walls of autism. He is wrong on both counts.”

Oklahomans will have to assert the political power they have, guaranteed in the state Constitution, to end insurance discrimination against autistic children. To that end, parents pressing for autism insurance coverage have vowed to continue the fight – over the next eight months and back at the Capitol during the 2009 legislative session.

Gumm said the parents are the ones showing real courage. “If OCPA, or anyone else for that matter, wants to see real courage, simply look into the eyes of these parents,” he said.

“Real courage is speaking truth to powerful interests; real courage is never giving up on your children. These families have shown unwavering strength in the face of antipathy and outright hostility. There cause is righteous, and it is my honor to stand alongside them, come what may.”

Steve Russell Announces Candidacy

From press release:

Today, flanked by family and an enthusiastic crowd of supporters, Steve Russell announced his bid to run as a Republican in the State Senate race for District 45, the seat being vacated by term-limited Senator Kathleen Wilcoxsen.

A native Oklahoman, Russell retired as a Lt. Colonel after spending 21 years as an Army Infantryman. During his distinguished military career, Russell spent tours in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq where he was a central player in the hunt and capture of Saddam Hussein.

“After serving my country for so long, I now feel called to serve Oklahoma in a different way, by serving as a State Senator for Moore, Mustang and parts of South Oklahoma City,” said Russell.”

Russell believes his time away from Oklahoma has given him a unique perspective that will benefit the citizens of Oklahoma in general and District 45 in particular.

“I have witnessed firsthand the creation of a new democracy. I have seen how the rest of the world views Oklahoma, and I have developed an even deeper appreciation for the things that make Oklahoma and Oklahomans special: Love of God, love of family and an enthusiasm for individual respect and responsibility that, quite frankly, does not exist in many parts of the world.”

That renewed perspective also, he believes, sheds light on some of the biggest issues facing the Sooner State including transforming our business climate into one that rewards innovation and entrepreneurship, creating a dedicated funding stream for our state’s backlog of road and bridge projects and reforming our tort system to benefit the truly injured rather than the trial lawyers.

So Why Is Commissioner Jeff Cloud Smiling?

“Aspen (Institute) is one vehicle whereby left-wing billionaires like George Soros work to influence politicians on Capitol Hill by bringing them to luxurious places, hotels and resorts, and listening to mostly liberal and left-wing speakers.” - Accuracy in Media 4/7/08

It could be that he’s thinking of just how much money he’s going to make after he successfully concludes his job negotiations with a company he’s currently regulating. Or it could be that he’s thinking that the indolent Oklahoma press hasn’t bothered to check out the political leanings of the ultra-left liberal think-tank that sent him around the world and gave him a chance to pose for this picture in front of the pyramids.

Seriously folks, what in the world could Cloud have been thinking when he joined up with the liberal Aspen Institute, headed by former Clinton News Network President Walter Isaacson? Even a simple search of the internet reveals the effete and haughty notions behind the organization, whose major contributors include left-wing crazy and billionaire George Soros, who used the Aspen Institute from which to stage his effort to defeat President Bush in 2004. The Aspen Institute housed and “re-educated” (against capitalism no doubt) little Elian Gonzalez after former Attorney General Janet Reno kidnapped the little Cuban shipwreck survivor from his uncle. What so-called conservative would join an organization that helped force a little six-year old boy to leave the United States and go back into a brutal communist dictator’s regime? And why would Cloud, as rumors persist, be headed to Beijing in August with Aspen to observe the Olympics in another brutal communist country?

Some political insiders, when contacted by OKPNS, expressed dismay when informed of Cloud’s participation in the organization. “Obviously Cloud didn’t do his homework. I can’t believe he would knowingly join if he knew. It’s just not the type of thing you do if you really are running for re-election,” one expert told us. “You just know that somebody is going to figure it out, so he’s not running or he’s incredibly imprudent.

The speculation running rampant is that Cloud is close to making a deal to leave to work for what insiders say is a ‘natural gas company’ but that Cloud’s opinion of his worth differ greatly from his potential employer. There is no confirmation as to which company he is negotiating with, but stories from Cloud’s last election indicate Chesapeake Energy was the primary financial driver in his 2002 campaign, an arrangement that fellow Corporation Commission Bob Anthony found at the time to be questionable and possibly illegal.

Regardless, Jeff Cloud’s opponents now have a potent campaign issue if he abandons his rumored job search, and now it is too late to resign his membership in the Aspen Institute, which would be a tacit admission he was wrong to join.

OKPNS will continue to follow this story.

Video: J.C. Watts at TCU

The Tandy Executive Speaker Series hosts prominent business leaders to disseminate leading-edge thought to Metroplex business professionals, Neeley MBA students and faculty in order to improve the practice of business. Mr. Watts gives his thoughts on this year’s elections.

Sources: Fallin to Run for Governor in 2010

Sources tell OKPNS that Congresswoman Mary Fallin, R-Oklahoma City, is making aggressive moves in what appears to be the beginnings of a campaign for governor in 2010.

The former three- term Lt. Gov and two-term state legislator was elected to the 5th District seat in 2006 and has announced she will run for re-election for another congressional term this year. She is expected to easily win re-election. Observers say Congresswoman Fallin is already putting together a team designed for but one thing: a run for governor.

Fallin’s move comes as talk of Congressman Tom Cole’s name as a potential gubernatorial candidate is being floated. Cole is currently head of the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC), but is being roundly criticized, some say unfairly, for recent GOP loses in some key special elections. If the GOP suffers significant losses in the fall elections, Cole will receive blame, unfairly or not, and some observers can see the Congressman coming back to Oklahoma to run to succeed two-term Gov. Brad Henry. Fallin’s moves could be designed to head off a Cole challenge.

Developing…….

Ghost Commissioner, Gay Commissioner: What You See Is NOT What You Get!

Judging by the information we at OKPNS are receiving, it’s the two corporation commissioner races that will present the most drama this summer and fall, especially when considering the intrigue surrounding the two incumbents: Democrat Jim Roth and Republican Jeff Cloud.

While we know the U.S. Senate race between incumbent U.S Sen. Jim Inhofe and State Sen. Andrew Rice, D-Oklahoma City, will be entertaining, the musical chairs theater that is developing over at the commission promises multiple story lines.

Roth became the first openly Gay person to hold a state-wide elected office when he was appointed by Gov. Brad Henry in May of 2007, replacing Commissioner Denise Bode. Per the Oklahoma Constitution, Roth is running for the last two years of Bode’s term.

Cloud was elected to a six-year term by the voters in 2002, and according to reports is running for another six years.

The only problem is, what you’re hearing about these races is just not true.

Electing Roth is the number 1 priority for Chesapeake Energy. Chesapeake championed Roth’s appointment in the first place, and their officials have made it clear that they want Roth in the six-year seat that Cloud now holds. Cloud, like Roth, supported Chesapeake’s successful campaign that stopped construction a coal-fired power plant and is seen as such a good friend to Chesapeake and the petroleum companies that he has a standing job offer from an unnamed natural gas company. According to sources, the sticking point has been the salary: Cloud wants in the neighborhood of what Bode took to become CEO of the Clean Skies Foundation, but his potential suitor believes Cloud is nowhere near as valuable as former Commissioner Bode, a national energy policy expert who headed the Independent Petroleum Association of America prior to her ten-year run at the corporation commission. Further, Cloud has gained a reputation as being so uninspiring and lethargic that insiders tell OKPNS that Republican Commissioner Bob Anthony’s pet name for Cloud is the “ghost commissioner.”

It’s a good bet that the puppeteers over at Chesapeake do not want two of their favorites running against each other, so based upon what Chesapeake officials are repeating, their expressed desire to have Roth in the six-year seat would indicate Cloud is in the way. Some are suggesting to OKPNS that Cloud knows he is leaving, but using time as leverage to increase the value of his compensation package. “Chesapeake would much rather have Roth than Cloud: he’s sharper, harder working and has become an extraordinary ally for them, and besides, they have a much more energetic person than Cloud ready to put into the two-year term,” one corporation commission insider tells OKPNS, “so while Cloud is a friend, Chesapeake has others they want on the commission that simply will work harder than Jeff.”

So where does that leave the other announced candidates? Until Cloud divulges his intentions, or is forced by his potential employer to make finally make a move, the others are forced to wait. “It’s not even out of the realm of possibility that Cloud and Roth will eventually reach an accommodation, and that Roth will file against Cloud, who would then drop out AFTER filing to thwart others,” says another political observer familiar with Chesapeake’s concerns.

So while Roth and Cloud are different in every conceivable way except their allegiance to Chesapeake, it appears that the two are very dependent on each other to get what they want. So even after filing is over next Wednesday, we may still have no clue how this drama is going to play out. OKPNS will keep following this developing story.

CBS News Video: Coburn On USDA Conferences

Sen. Coburn is interviewed by CBS News on the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s wasteful spending. He is particularly critical of the conferences USDA officials have been attending lately. He lists for example, officials attending Crayfish conferences in Australia, and trips to Hawaii to study the U.S. Congress.

Quote of the Day: "Energy Crisis is Here, Warns Denise Bode" (2/8/2001)

Clean Skies CEO Denise Bode was warning the nation before 9/11 and the Iraq War, that our dependence on foreign oil and bans on domestic drilling would eventually lead to “price hikes.” This excerpt was taken from a 2001 piece in Energy Houston magazine.

If the U.S. does not open up federal lands to exploration and production and support the rebuilding of the nation’s energy production, refining and delivery systems, we can expect more price hikes and curtailments for energy, warns Denise Bode, vice chair of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and former president of the Independent Petroleum Association of America.

Writing in the new issue of Energy Houston magazine, Bode says, “America’s energy infrastructure and resource base is being shut down, and that is in turn causing a crisis from the gas pump to the electric meter.” America is approaching being 60 percent dependent on foreign energy, up from 42 percent 10 years ago. Read more…