SOSU Chooses New Fight Song

DURANT, Okla. (AP) Southeastern Oklahoma State University has a new fight song.

A classical music composer from Dallas is the winner of a one-thousand dollar prize for writing the music and lyrics of the new song.

The new fight song was needed to go with the university’s new logo and new nickname _ the Savage Storm.

It was written by Jeff Lankov and was chosen by university President Glen Johnson after Johnson listened to the university band play the three finalists.

Southeastern changed its nickname earlier this year from the Savages to the Savage Storm because of a new N-C-A-A rule against mascots and nicknames considered hostile to American Indians and other ethnic groups.

EXCLUSIVE: House, Senate GOP Dumps Daxon Over “Victory ‘06”

Oklahoma Political News Service has learned that both the state House and Senate GOP leadership have split from Oklahoma Republican Party and Chairman Tom Daxon over stalemates over “Victory 2006” efforts. The legislative efforts to turn out the Republican vote will be separate from state party efforts (dubbed “Victory 2006”) in an unprecedented move, according to sources who spoke with OKPNS on the condition of anonymity.

“We are nearly two months out from Election Day and Daxon is like a deer in the headlights,” said a source familiar with the situation. “Effectively, Republican legislative leaders are setting up their own party through Oklahoma County GOP. They’ll do it on their own and they’ll get the job done.”

Despite what appear to be setbacks, an insider familiar with the split with Daxon described the election outlook as very optimistic.

“House leaders are confident in their majority, and in the Senate the sense is that a Republican majority is truly within reach if the state party doesn’t become a road block. As a result, they’ve switched to a different road.”

OKPNS will continue to monitor this situation and bring you updates as this story develops.

Coburn: "Google Government" To Fight Pork

The Senate has yet to vote on the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (S. 2590), introduced by Senators Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.). The “Google government” bill, as Sen. Coburn calls it, requires the Office of Management and Budget to run a single public website listing the names and locations of all individuals and groups receiving federal grants and contracts. Such a database would be an invaluable resource for watchdog groups, the media, and bloggers to expose wasteful spending, conflicts of interest, and other shenanigans. The bill has 29 co-sponsors and has been endorsed by groups from across the political spectrum.

Dems Bash Bush, Hiett at Fundraiser

From the Sapulapa Daily Herald

Troy was the first of several speakers who made a point to single out Hiett, and President George W. Bush and his administration also did not escape the critics at the fundraiser held at Freddie’s Steak House and Barbecue Saturday evening.

The feisty political reporter said Hiett, who has served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives the past two years, took the credit for getting the teachers the $2,500 pay raise.

Henry Hits Road In RV

Too bad they’re aren’t any college football games on the 17 city tour. I’m sure the Governor would have rather used the state airplane.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Governor Brad Henry leaves Oklahoma City today to begin a four-day campaign trip through southern and eastern Oklahoma using a recreational vehicle.

The R-V campaign swing is similar to two campaign trips Henry made in 2002 when he won the governor’s race.

The current tour lists 17 cities as campaign stops.

A second R-V tour of western Oklahoma is planned for later in the campaign.

Henry faces Republican Congressman Ernest Istook in his re-election bid.

Group Calls For John Sparks To Apologize For Campaign Tactics

A group calling itself “Citizens for Campaign Integrity” have taken out an ad in the Norman Transcript, decrying the final days campaign tactics of John Sparks. Sparks won a contentious battle with his Democratic opponent Tim Emrich. You can view one of Spark’s mailings here.

With the headline declaring “We protest the politics of personal destruction”, the group accuses Sparks of being responsible for “one of the dirtiest local campaigns in recent memory.”

They cite examples of push polling in order to “enhance whisper campaigns against Emrich.” They warn that these “Karl Rove-style tactics”, may cost him votes with voters he has “deeply offended”.

In order to correct his wrongs they insist Sparks:

° Publicly acknowledge and apologize to the voters of District 16 for
his role in his offensive runoff campaign,

° Fire Carrier Marshall & Associates, the political consulting company
that crafted his campaign and that is infamous for its smear tactics,

° Run a clean general election campaign that focuses on the serious
issues facing the voters of Oklahoma Senate District 16.

Mary Maggi, Chair
Suzette McDowell
Eric S. Anderson
Ellen Frank
Tom Fredgren
Hester Baer
Ryan Long
Carolyn and Mack Paul
Toni and Joseph Henning
Dee Crockett
Bette Mafucci
Jack Cohn
Karin Schutjer
Norma Sapp
Marybeth Langer
Cynthia Kerfoot
Joe Peters
Vickie Michener
Chris Suit
Jack and Jane Stansell
Kim Cory
Dale Wares
Michael Winston

Tulsa World: Statewide vote shows split

Scott Pruitt won overwhelmingly in Tulsa County but both Todd Hiett and Jari Askins did well in rural areas.

OKLAHOMA CITY — State Sen. Scott Pruitt swamped House Speaker Todd Hiett in Tulsa County voting in Tuesday’s Republican runoff for lieutenant governor but still narrowly lost in the statewide contest for the GOP nomination.

Pruitt, of Broken Arrow, captured 65 percent of the Republican vote in Tulsa County — 15,480 to 8,477 — but lost the race by about 2,400 votes.

Hiett now faces Democratic runoff winner Jari Askins and independent candidate E.Z. Million of Norman in the November general election.

Hiett outpaced Pruitt in Oklahoma County by nearly 2,000 votes and received much of the rest of his support from dozens of rural counties. Hiett’s advertisements repeatedly stated that he had been a dairy farmer and still farmed near Kellyville.

Hiett received nearly 1,300 more votes than Pruitt in his home Creek County.

Read more…

Inhofe has consistent message for chamber group

By Randall Turk
Transcript Business Editor
James Inhofe, Oklahoma’s senior U.S. senator, says he devoted many years to the “real world” of business before beginning his Congressional career 20 years ago.

“I spent 30 years making companies and losing companies, making money and losing money,” the scrappy Inhofe said at a Norman Chamber of Commerce gathering Wednesday. “The chief obstacle was the government,” he said. “I ran for Congress to save America and the free enterprise system.”

Read more…

Fallin Sets Sights On History

By BARBARA HOBEROCK
World Capitol Bureau

Her goal is to be state’s second woman in Congress

OKLAHOMA CITY — Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin is on the cusp of becoming the second woman to represent Oklahoma in Congress.

She defeated Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett last week for the Republican nomination to represent the 5th Congressional District, which includes Oklahoma, Pottawatomie and Seminole counties.

U.S. Rep. Ernest Istook, also a Republican, is giving up that seat to run for governor.

Fallin got slightly more than 63 percent of the vote Tuesday. Cornett took nearly 37 percent.

The three-term lieutenant governor now faces David Hunter, a Democrat, and Matthew Horton Woodson, an independent candidate, in the Nov. 7 general election. Both men are from Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma’s only woman in Congress was Alice Mary Robertson, a Republican who held the office from 1921 to 1923.

“It would be a great honor if I have the opportunity to be selected the second woman,” Fallin said. “I take those honors very seriously. I try to be a good example for other women to follow and a good role model for other women.” Read more…

Keith Gaddie at SoonerPolitics.com looks inside the depth of Fallin’s win.

ODP Chair Lisa Pryor Rumored To Resign

From okdemocrat.com

Lisa Pryor will resign as the ODP chair

Between now and the general election Lisa Pryor will resign as the ODP chair.

As I have repeatedly posted here she was in the state chair position to maneuver into an elected office. She used the party and it’s contributors to better her efforts to get into an elected office.

Can’t wait for Mac Miller to say this isn’t so.

Developing…