PRESIDENTIAL RACE TO START THURSDAY!

2008 is here and the Iowa caucuses will convene tomorrow. The world will be watching. We have not had such a wide-open race for president for years. On the Republican side, a Mason-Dixon poll in Iowa shows former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney with 27% and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee with 23%. Other polls had Romney on top or in a statistical tie. For the Democrats, the new polls all found the race among the top three contenders- Clinton, Obama, and Edwards- tight.

Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan got trounced in the Iowa caucuses but won their party's nomination and the White House, so does it really matter who wins in Iowa tomorrow? Many Americans would say it does not. Only about 125,000 total from both parties will caucus in a political ritual that baffles nearly everyone, including Iowans. The process is so complicated that Iowa's secretary of state goes on tour setting up mock caucus nights so Iowans can practice.

In the primary election system, voters simply go to the polling station and cast a confidential vote for their favorite candidate. But in Iowa, hardy Democratic and Republican supporters must be prepared to venture out in sub-zero temperatures on a cold Thursday night to sit through a political meeting, debating the challengers' merits for several hours before publicly putting up their hand for their candidate. And if your candidate does not attract at least 15 per cent of the vote at the precinct meeting, your neighbors and friends try to persuade you to switch votes.

According to the National Journal, “most political activists inspired by legendary movement conservatives like Morton Blackwell, prefer caucuses, rather than primaries.” “Why?” “Caucuses favor organized interests and primaries dilute them." Primaries do allow more participants, however many times those participants are not as informed or engaged in the politics as the activists.

While the cacuses have been a financial boon to the state, the political value of the Iowa caucuses has gone up and down over the years. In 1988, for example, the candidates who eventually won the nominations of both parties came in third in Iowa. In elections without a sitting President or Vice President, the Iowa winner has gone on to the nomination only about half the time
The Iowa caucus operates very differently from the more common primary election system used by most other states including Oklahoma. The caucus is generally defined as a "gathering of neighbors." Rather than going to the polls and casting ballots, Iowans gather at a set location in each of Iowa's 1784 precincts. Typically, these meetings occur in schools, churches, public libraries and homes. The caucuses are held every two years, but the ones that receive national attention are the presidential preference caucuses held every four years.

In the Republican caucuses, each voter casts his or her vote by secret ballot. Voters are presented blank sheets of paper with no candidate names on them. After listening to some campaigning for each candidate by caucus participants, they write their choices down and the Republican Party of Iowa tabulates the results at each precinct and transmits them to the media. The non-binding results are tabulated and reported to the state party which releases the results to the media. Delegates from the precinct caucuses go on to the County Convention, which chooses delegates to the District Convention, which in turn selects delegates to the State Convention. Thus it is the Republican State Convention, not the precinct caucuses, which select the ultimate delegates to the Republican National Convention in Iowa.

In Oklahoma we will have precinct meetings on Tuesday January 29th. We will hold our county conventions in February, our district convention in March/April and our state convention on May 3rd. Delegates to our county convention are selected at the primary meetings which in turn selects delegates to the District and State Convention where the national delegates will be elected. What is different in Oklahoma from Iowa is that Oklahoma holds a presdiental primary. Oklahoma’s presdiental primary is on Super Tuesday February 5th when ninteen other states will hold their primaries. GOP National Delegates are required to vote for the winner of the Oklahoma presidential primary on the first ballot at the national convention. They are released from that commitment after the first ballot.

I would urge every registered Republican in the state of Oklahoma to attend their precinct meeting on Tuesday January 29th. They will be various locations throughout the state. You can find out where yours will be held by calling the state GOP HQ at 405.528.3501. This is an opportunity for you to get involved in the process that will ultimately decide our party’s nominee for President.

HARD DAY ON

THE CAMPAIGN

TRAIL!

"I'll get you and your little doggie too!"

J.C. FOR V.P?

Oklahoma Political News Service is reporting there is a movement to link up former 4th District Congressman J.C. Watts and Mitt Romney on a presidential ticket. Read all about it at:
http://www.okpns.com/

DIRTY TRICKS

by Steve Fair

Politics has always included dirty tricks. Take for example the presidential campaign of 1828, which pitted incumbent John Quincy Adams against Andrew Jackson. This was a rematch of the 1824 election. In 1824, because none of the five candidates received a majority of the electoral votes, the election was thrown into the U.S. House of Representatives. Jackson had received more popular and electoral votes than Adams which had resulted in bad blood between the two men. The rematch in ’28 became what is perhaps the dirtiest campaign in American political history. Jackson was accused by Adams of murder, gambling, slave trading and treason. They called him a 'military chieftain,' and said his mother was a prostitute, his father a mulatto man, and his wife a bigamist. After the attack on his dead mother, Andrew’s wife Rachel found Old Hickory in tears pointing to a newspaper article and saying, “Myself I can defend; you I can defend; but now they have assailed even the memory of my mother." But Jackson’s supporters were not innocent. Adams was accused of installing gambling tables in the White House at the public expense, of padding his expense account, and even of pimping women for the Russian monarch.

According to author Joseph Cummins, politics is not getting dirtier as some claim. In his book, Anything for a Vote, Cummins says, “a rough rule of thumb is that incumbent parties tend to play the most dirty tricks, perhaps because they have the ways and means to do so." Cummins says the dirtiest presidential race was not the Jackson/Adams race, but the Johnson/Goldwater race in 1964. “President Lyndon Johnson, seeking his first elective term after taking over for the assassinated JFK, set out not just to defeat Goldwater, but to destroy him and create a huge mandate for himself.” Cummins says that Johnson had a top-secret after-hours team that planned the dirty tricks. “There were sixteen political operatives, in close contact with the White House, who set out to influence the perception of Goldwater in America’s popular culture.” “They put out a Goldwater joke book entitled You Can Die Laughing.” “ They even created a children’s coloring book, in which your little one could happily color pictures of Goldwater dressed in the robes of the Ku Klux Klan.” So dirty politics is nothing new- it’s been around since the beginning of the Republic. And it happens at all levels of politics- not just at the national level. When campaigning begin to include signs, opponents begin using dirty tricks to keep the other guys name out of the public eye.

The night of May 25, 2006, Gary Jones, Republican candidate for State Auditor and Inspector pulled one of his two “covered wagon” trailers to Tecumseh and left it behind Branson McKiddy Real Estate in downtown Tecumseh. Jones was locked a rematch with his 2002 opponent Jeff McMahan. The race in 2002 had been very close and the 2006 election looked to be a barnburner as well. Before Jones left, he locked the brakes on the trailer. Jones had enlisted campaign volunteers to drag the eye catching trailer in the Frontier Days parade the next day, because he was to be in another part of the state. When the volunteers, arrived the trailer was gone. It had been stolen. Tecumseh Police Detective J.R. Kidney and a sheriff's deputy found the trailer on property belonging to a City of Tecumseh employee, Justin Lewis of Macomb, on Nov. 2, six weeks after it disappeared.

In Lewis’ August preliminary hearing, Kidney testified that Lewis wouldn't say who brought the trailer to his property but commented that Kidney was “smart and could figure it out.” Lewis later told Deputy Jim Patten that he “wasn't saying anything else and would take whatever happens to me.” Evidently, Lewis was implying someone close to the Jeff McMahan campaign was involved in “trailer-gate.”

Sadly when political dirty tricks occur, there is some media coverage, but for the most part, people chalk it up to a political prank. But stealing other people’s property and concealing it is against the law. Lewis found that out this week. He pled guilty to no contest to a charge of concealing stolen property and was given a deferred sentence. Lewis got two years of supervised probation, has to pay $1,808 in restitution(which he will repay to Jones $100 a month) and do one hundred hours of community service, but no jail time. So dirty tricks don’t pay, but Lewis should have gotten more punishment for his "prank."

Vandalizing and stealing of signage is the modern mode of choice for dirty tricksters. This slap on the wrist of Lewis for the stealing of Jones’ trailer sends a message to like-minded punks. They now know that it’s OK to misbehave so long as the property they steal or deface has a political message on it. The light sentence will encourage more of the same crap in 2008.

STEVE FAIR TO SEEK

NATIONAL COMMITTEEMAN SLOT!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday December 21, 2007

After much prayer and counsel with family and friends, I have decided to seek the National Committeeman post for the Oklahoma State Republican Party. I would appreciate your prayers as I undertake this venture. Thanks to those of you who have encouraged me to run. I am humbled by your friendship and your confidence in me. The National Committeeman position is a very important one to our party. The person elected not only represents Oklahoma on the Republican National Committee but serves on every major board of the state party.

The National Committeeman must be a person that understands the party rules, has been a party official, and has effectively built the party from the grassroots up. I would humbled to have your support as I begin this race.

I would appreciate your continued prayers and please feel free to contact me if you have questions.
Sincerely,


Steve Fair
Chairman- Stephens County Republican Party
Chairman- 4th Congressional District
Rt. 1, Box 206E
Duncan, OK 73533
405.990.7449- cell
800.654.8355- work
580.252.6284- home
405.858.2219- fax
okgop@aol.com
sfair@clementsfoods.com

Giuliani released from hospital
Will resume campaigning in N.H.

December 21, 2007
ST. LOUIS - Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani was released yesterday from a St. Louis hospital after spending the night to undergo tests for flu-like symptoms. Read more at:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/12/21/giuliani_released_from_hospital_will_resume_campaigning_in_nh/

Tancredo Drops WH Bid, Endorses Romney
By MICHAEL J. CRUMB Associated Press Writer
5:45 PM EST, December 20, 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa - Rep. Tom Tancredo, who built his longshot presidential campaign on opposition to illegal immigration, dropped out Thursday and endorsed Republican rival Mitt Romney as the best man to carry on the fight. Tancredo, a five-term congressman from Colorado, has consistently polled at the bottom of the nine-person Republican field. He announced his withdrawal two weeks before Iowa begins the presidential nominating process with its precinct caucuses. He said he decided to drop out in part because of concern that staying in could split the vote for other candidates who have taken a hard line on immigration, helping those who would take a less restrictive approach. Read more at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-tancredo,0,2363065.story

Baptists Not on Board
By Robert D. Novak
Thursday, December 20, 2007

When Mike Huckabee went to Houston on Tuesday to raise funds for his fast-rising, money-starved presidential candidacy, a luncheon for the ordained Baptist minister was arranged by evangelical Christians. On hand was Judge Paul Pressler, a hero to Southern Baptist Convention reformers. But he was a nonpaying guest who supports Fred Thompson for president.

Huckabee greeted Pressler warmly. That contrasted with Huckabee's anger two months ago when they encountered each other in California. The former governor of Arkansas took issue then with comments by Pressler, a former Texas appeals court judge, that Huckabee had been a slacker in the war against secularists within the Baptist church.

The warmth in Texas and hostility in California reflects the dual personality of the pastor-politician who has broken out of the presidential campaign's second tier. Huckabee can come across as either a Reagan or a Nixon. More than personality explains why not all his Baptist brethren have signed on the dotted line for Huckabee. He did not join the "conservative resurgence" that successfully rebelled against liberals in the Southern Baptist Convention a generation ago. Read more at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/19/AR2007121901856_pf.html

DOES JOHN EDWARDS HAVE A LOVE CHILD?

The National Enquirer tabloid claims that Democratic candidate John Edwards has gotten a former campaign worker pregnant, citing an unnamed source "extremely close to the 43-year-old divorcee." Both the woman and Edwards vehemently deny the allegation. "The story is false. It's completely untrue, ridiculous," he told reporters in October, but the campaign worker has not been seen recently and is supposedly hidden away with a large tummy. Read more at http://moronsinchapelhill.com/2007/12/18/john-edwards-love-child-expose-coming-soon.aspx

THE WHINING SENATOR QUITS!

Senator Trent Lott leaves the Senate

by Steve Fair

Senator Trent Lott was one of the SINGING SENATORS- Lott, Ashcroft, Jeffries and Craig- who were the rage of the Republicans a few years back. That was when Lott was the majority leader of the Senate and before he stuck his foot in his mouth at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party. After his remarks became public, a firestorm erupted and the liberal media called for Lott's head on a platter. Instead of seeing that his own actions and poor judgment had undermined his leadership, resigning and recognizing HE WAS HIS OWN WORST ENEMY, he held on. That was until then Senator Don Nickles- R, OK, the Majority whip called for his resignation. Seeing he had lost the battle to remain at the top, Lott resigned but was obviously bitter. In his book, Herding Cats, Lott blamed everyone but himself for his troubles. If this guy would have done this- if that guy would have done that he would have remained in power. If IF AND BUTS WERE CANDY AND NUTS, WE WOULD ALL HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS. Lott is one of the reasons the Republicans don't have control of the Senate. He is petty, justifies everything he does, and whines when he doesn't get his way. The Republicans are better off without him.

Why he quit just 11 months before his term ended is a mystery? Lott's sudden resignation coincides with an FBI raid on his brother-in-law's office. Maybe that's a coincidence, and maybe it isn't. Back in August 2005, when Katrina wreaked its vengeance on the Gulf Coast. In addition to depopulating New Orleans, this unwelcome weather event had the gaul to knock down the Whining Senator's 154 year old beachfront home in Pascagoula, Mississippi. It also got his brother-in-law's home- Dickie Scruggs- who in addition to being Lott's brother-in-law was also Lott's neighbor. Lott filed a claim with his insurer, State Farm, but State Farm denied the claim, arguing that the culprit was not high winds, which the policy covered, but rather flooding, which the policy didn't cover. (Lott had separately purchased federal flood insurance, but that didn't come close to covering his losses.) Scruggs sued State Farm on Lott's behalf.

On November 28th, Dickie Scruggs and several associates, including his son Zach, were indicted on charges of conspiring to bribe a Mississippi judge with $40,000 to rule in their favor in a fee dispute related to the Katrina litigation. Perhaps Trent should learn the words to "Jailhouse Rock."

Governor Haley Barber will appoint Lott's replacement. The leading choices to replace him are Congressmen Chip Pickering- (R- Mississippi-3rd District) and Roger Wicker- (R-Mississippi- 1st District). An outside possibility is Lt. Governor Amy Tuck. The State Treasurer is a 32 year old named Tate Reeves who is another long shot. Whoever is appointed will have to run in November for a full six year term.

Barbour has announced that a special election to fill the remaining four years on Sen. Trent Lott's (R) term will happen next November, effectively ruling out the possibility of a 90-day special election next spring. "Pursuant to Mississippi law, specifically § 23-15-855 (1), of the Mississippi Code, once the resignation takes effect, I will call a Special Election for United States Senator to be held on November 4, 2008, being the regular general election day for the 2008 congressional elections," Barbour said in a statement.

In that same statement, Haley also ruled himself out as a candidate. "I will not be a candidate for Senator in the Special Election, and obviously, I won't appoint myself to fill the vacancy on an interim basis," Barbour said. Barbour will appoint a replacement for Lott within 10 days of the incumbent formally stepping down.

Coburn seeks probe of Coconut Road earmark, may opt to hold up legislation

By Susan Crabtree
December 19, 2007

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) is threatening to withhold support for legislation making technical corrections to the 2005 highway bill if it does not require a “full and open” investigation into the now-notorious Coconut Road earmark.
Coburn wrote a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Tuesday informing him that he would object to any effort to “hotline” the technical corrections bill if it did not include language calling for the appointment of a select committee to probe an unorthodox change to an earmark made after both chambers passed the highway bill but before it reached President Bush’s desk. Read more at:

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/coburn-seeks-probe-of-coconut-road-earmark-may-opt-to-hold-up-legislation-2007-12-19.html

Evidently, some changes were made in the Appropriations portion of the bill AFTER it was voted on. And a Republican Congressman was leading the charge to divert funds to a PET project. It's all allegations at this point, but it just goes to show you- YOU CAN'T TRUST POLITICIANS- at least most of them!

FIRE AT THE WHITE HOUSE!

WASHINGTON - Thick black smoke billowed from a fire Wednesday on the White House compound in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The blaze appeared to be located in Vice President Dick Cheney's suite of ceremonial offices on the second floor of the building. Cheney and President Bush were across the street in the West Wing of the White House when the blaze broke out. It appeared to be under control within an hour.

Secret Service spokesman Darrin Blackford said the Old Executive Office building was evacuated as a precaution. "Everyone has been evacuated safely," White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore said. District of Columbia firefighters poured water on the blaze and moved furniture onto a balcony. There were no reports of serious injuries, D.C. fire department spokesman Alan Etter said. One man broke a fifth-floor window to escape from the smoke and had to be rescued from the ledge, Etter said.

"We want people to rest assured that we have this under control," he said, adding that investigators were working to determine the cause of the blaze.
The Executive Office Building, a commanding structure with a granite, slate and cast iron exterior at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street, houses the Office of Management and Budget and staff of the National Security Council and other agencies.
Originally built for the State, War and Navy Departments between 1871 and 1888, the building was renamed in honor of President Dwight Eisenhower during the Clinton administration.

Huckabee and Giuliani tied in 2008 Republican race
Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:24am EST

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Mike Huckabee has surged into a virtual tie with front-runner Rudy Giuliani in the national 2008 Republican presidential race two weeks before the first contest, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.
Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas whose campaign has caught fire in recent weeks, wiped out an 18-point deficit in one month to pull within one point of Giuliani, 23 percent to 22 percent.
Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton's national advantage over second-place rival Barack Obama shrunk slightly to eight percentage points as the races for the White House tightened in both parties. Clinton had an 11-point edge last month.
The shifting numbers have changed the shape of a dynamic presidential race two weeks before Iowa on January 3 kicks off the state-by-state process of choosing candidates in each party for the November 2008 election. Read more at http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN1952159120071219

THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Straight-No Chaser is a men's A Capella group from Indiana University. This You Tube video is great for the holidays. Click on the link and enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8

COLE and the OMNIBUS!
For Immediate Release December 18th, 2007
Cole Statement on Omnibus Spending Bill

WASHINGTON – Yesterday Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following statement after voting against the behemoth, half-trillion dollar combined spending bill last night.
"When stacked up, this omnibus bill stands over a foot high on top of my desk," Congressman Cole said. "It is evident that this document, swollen with needless and wasteful spending, did not undergo adequate scrutiny in the legislative process. The bill was reported out of the Rules Committee less than 24 hours before it was voted on in the House. That is hardly enough time to consider one of the largest combined spending measures in our nation's history."
"In addition to what can be found in the bill, it is startling to discover what is not included. Remarkably, the leadership of the House saw fit to pass this legislation without providing vital funding to our troops who are serving on the frontlines in Iraq. Even with the progress that has been reported by General Petraeus and other military and civilian experts, the House leaders appear to be ignoring the needs of our troops fighting the War in Iraq. This is an irresponsible and unacceptable approach that I cannot in good conscience support." What's an OMNIBUS? This is the defination according to the C-SPAN website:

An OMNIBUS BILL packages together several measures into one or combines diverse subjects into a single bill. Examples are reconciliation bills, combined appropriations bills, and private relief and claims bills.

CORN PONE
by Steve Fair

Corn Pone: (pon), n bread made of corn meal: this word is used mainly in the South.
Websters New World Dictionary and Student Handbook

State Senator Kenneth Corn, (D-Poteau) has filed a bill that would give every high school graduate in Oklahoma two free years in higher education. Under Corn’s legislation, any Oklahoma high school graduate would be eligible to attend any of twelve two-year colleges or twenty-nine career techs located throughout the state free regardless how much their parents earn. Corn says, “it’s going to take bold action to dramatically increase the number of college graduates in Oklahoma.” Increasing the number of college graduates in the state is a worthy goal, but Corn’s proposal has a number of problems.

First, Corn’s proposal is not really new. It is already being done- in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Beginning in the fall of 2007 semester, Oklahoma City Community College and Tulsa Community College started offering free tuition to children in their areas. The “Tulsa Achieves” program gives free tuition to any high school grad from Tulsa County. OCCC is doing the same thing for Oklahoma County. The program just started in the fall of 2007 and has been very successful. It’s been so good that some of the states four-year schools are saying the program is hurting their enrollment. Corn wants to roll the freebie program statewide. He estimates doing that would cost $20 million annually. The estimate appears to be low, since it cost over 2 million annually just in the TA program.

Another ongoing program available to low income household children is OHLAP (Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program). OHLAP aka taxpayers provides free tuition for kids whose family household income is less than $50,000, but the free tuition comes with some serious academic requirements starting in eighth grade. The “Tulsa Achieves” program requires a kid only maintain a “C” average to get the free tuition. TA also requires the kids to do forty hours of community service.

Second, who is going to pay for this program? Corn says the program will cost $20 million per year, but that estimate is low. The answer is obvious- the taxpayers are going to be ones to foot the bill. Instead of Corn trying to give our money to people who didn’t work for it, why doesn’t he give it back to hard working Oklahomans? We certainly need some tax relief. Oklahomans pay a higher percent of our incomes in taxes than others in the region.

Thirdly, how does getting more of our children and education help the state? It certainly helps the child, but how does it help the state collectively? Based on last year’s data, seventy five percent of Oklahoma college graduates leave the state within five years of graduating from a state school. Why do they leave? They leave because there are no jobs in Oklahoma. Corn can thank his Democratic state legislative ancestors for creating a business environment that has Oklahomans earning $5,000 less per year than a Texan doing the same job.

Education- public and higher education- already receives a huge percentage of the Oklahoma budget and they are never satisfied. If one hundred percent of the state budget were allocated for education, the education lobby would still want more. Citizens and their leaders must recognize educating our children will not attract industry and jobs to the state. Reducing taxes, fixing our infrastructure, getting the lawyers out of workers comp, and tort reform will do much more to help our state than giving away college tuition. The teaching of personal responsibility and initiative to high schoolers instead of giving them something they didn't work for is much kinder and a wiser approach.

What Corn is really saying by proposing this NEW PROGRAM is there is twenty million of taxpayer dollars being taken from Oklahomans that is not needed by state government. Why doesn’t Ken do the moral and ethical thing and lead the charge to send me my money back?

What kind of message does this program send to the guy who just graduated from one of the two year schools, but now he has student loans to pay off? This is the Corn response “Too bad- you were too late.” What will really make the self starter/personal responsibility advocate feel better is when we tell him we are going to use his tax dollars to pay for the other guy’s tuition. Not good- I suspect.

Corn’s real motivation is not educating children. Ken is termed out in a couple of years and the rumor is that he is already planning his future. He’s looking at “higher” elective office. So Ken is trying to use our money to buy him some votes in the future. Not a bad strategy if you are only concerned with yourself, but Oklahomans shouldn’t let him get away with it. It’s our bread and not corn pone.

Why Ron Paul's Followers Will Cost Him the Election
Written byDave Nalle - Published December 14, 2007

I've written previously about some of the problems the Ron Paul campaign faces, but apparently my explanations were too subtle or people just chose not to pay attention. There is a large element of self-righteous fanaticism among Paul followers which seems to make them completely incapable of seeing that the powerful gale of enthusiasm which is driving the campaign may crash it hard on the rocks of reality if they don't do something.If they want to save the campaign, they need to get over their egotistical attachment to the idea that Paul's unimpeachable principles and honesty trump all other considerations, and face up to the fact that to win a party nomination you have to make some effort to play the game the way the party leaders–from the lowliest precinct workers to the national leadership–expect it to be played. Read more at:

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/12/14/033154.php

Rollins to serve as Huckabee’s national chairman
By Sam Youngman Posted 12/14/07 2:14 AM [ET]
December 14, 2007

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee scored a major victory Thursday when he secured the support of prominent GOP insider Ed Rollins, who will serve as national chairman of Huckabee’s campaign. Rollins, who has struggled with recent campaigns, was known as the campaign manager behind Ronald Reagan’s landslide reelection in 1984. Read more at:

http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/rollins-to-serve-as-huckabees-national-chairman-2007-12-14.html

THIS IS BIG! STEVE

HOW IS YOUR MONEY BEING SPENT?

The federal government has made it easier to find out where taxpayer dollars being spent as well as what Congressional District is benefiting from federal spending. (it even ranks the Cong. Districts from 1- 435) Taxpayers can see who the top 100 contractors with the federal government have been in the past seven years. Searches can be done on specific contractors and Congressman. Great site!

U.S. Senator Tom Coburn R- OK said that bloggers were the "key group" who helped spearhead this effort, and he said he hopes now that it is operational they will use the site to expose Congress. "I think this is going to be a wildfire," he said. Let's hope so. You can assess the site by clicking on the link below:

http://usaspending.gov/

George Porter is an active member of the Stephens County Republican Party. He writes a weekly column in The Duncan Banner. George's articles are well thought out and well written. He has granted permission for this weeks article to be posted on the blog- enjoy!

Understanding Human Behavior

Al Gore and the media cascade

by George Porter

Daniel Kahneman won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002 for his work with Amos Tversky in understanding human behavior and common human error and biases. Kahneman, an Israeli-American psychologist, was born in 1934 in Tel Aviv, Israel, received a B.A. from Hebrew University in 1954 and a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in 1961. He won the Nobel for his pioneering work on behavioral finance and hedonic psychology. His ideas and terminology have become main-stream today. An example is the op/ed column by Holman Jenkins that appeared in the Dec. 5 Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Al Gore and his motivation. Jenkins refers to Kahneman and defines the terms "availability bias" -- the human propensity to judge the validity of a proposition by how readily it comes to mind. "Availability cascade" is used for the way a proposition can become irresistible simply by frequent media repetition. "Informational cascade" is used for the tendency to replace one's judgment with the crowd's beliefs; and "reputational cascade" for the rational incentive to do so. Enter these terms in your search engine to see the range of current issues being discussed using these terms. Fortune magazine on Nov. 13 reported in an exclusive interview that Al Gore last month joined the venture capital firm of Kleiner, Perkins, to assist in promoting alternative energy investments. Gore three years ago started in London the $1 billion investment firm Generation Investment with David Blood, the former head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Fortune quotes Gore that to halt global warming "What we are going to have to put in place is a combination of the Manhattan Project, the Apollo project, and the Marshall Plan, and scale it globally…It'd be promising too much to say we can do it on our own, but we intend to do our part… We want to give a big shout-out, though that's not the corporate term, to every inventor and entrepreneur and idea generator in the micro, macro, systems-integration level to create with this alliance a clearinghouse for the identification and selection of the most promising ideas on the planet for quickly solving this climate crisis...We all believe that markets must play a central role." This is no small deal. Venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins has in the past backed start-ups like Google, Netscape, Sun Microsystems and Amazon, among others. Gore has effectively created an "availability cascade" on his thesis of a man-made global warming crisis. He estimates that he personally has shown his slide show on global warming over 1,000 times, and the documentary version "An Inconvenient Truth" won the Oscar. A Kleiner, Perkins spokesman recently told a Senate hearing "One does not need to believe in climate change to support climate change legislation….Many executives would prefer to deal with known legislation even if unwarranted." He was referring to the carbon tax proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives that would have more than doubled the home heating costs for the majority of American homes. (It didn't pass.) Global energy currently is a $6 trillion business. Jenkins comments that if Congress were to mandate a one-half replacement of annual U.S. gasoline consumption by a carbon-neutral alternative, it would be a $400 billion annual business opportunity for the green energy lobby. Yet it would have a minimal effect on global carbon emissions. The U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, ends today. The 180 nations in attendance are trying to forge an agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol expiring in 2012. President Bush has stated the U.S. will not sign unless it applies to all major countries including China and India. China recently said it will not sign any multinational U.N. protocol on global warming. I agree with the many scientists who believe man-made global warming is a myth. World temperatures were both much colder and warmer than they are in today's industrialized world with its seven billion people. The WSJ article concludes with the statement that current global warming politics will certainly end with a whimper once a few consecutive years of cooling are recorded as they have been in the past. Quoting Michigan's representative John Dingell "the world…is great at having consensuses that are in great error."

George Porter is a retired insurance company executive. He may be contacted at geormrty@wmconnect.com

CORN IS VERY GENEROUS!
by Steve Fair

State Senator Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau has filed a bill that would give every high school graduate in Oklahoma free higher education. He wants to give every grad two years free at either a community college or at a career tech school. Corn says, “my legislation will also provide grants equivalent to the average tuition cost of community colleges for students who want to attend a regional college or comprehensive university their freshman and sophomore years.” There are a number of problems with Corn’s proposal.

First, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Somebody has to pay the bill for this “free” tuition and that task would fall to Oklahoma taxpayers. Oklahomans are already overtaxed when compared with other states in the region. We pay income tax, grocery tax and other taxes and fees other states in our region don’t have. We can ill afford the increase in taxes Corn’s proposal would cost.

Second, giving people something normally doesn’t help people. It’s not human nature to appreciate what you don’t work for. If you invest in something, you take equity or ownership in what you’ve invested in.

Third, how does this help Oklahoma? Educating young people is a worthy cause, but what will they do with that education? Most will have to leave the state because there is a shortage of high paying jobs in the Sooner state. Corn can thank his Democratic predecessors for that problem. They stonewalled right-to-work, workers comp reform, and tort reform until they created a business environment in Oklahoma that doesn’t attract companies to our state.

Ken is planning on being awfully generous with my money. If he is truly concerned with how to get Oklahoma moving, he should consider giving back the money he plans to fund his proposed bill to the people whose money it is- the taxpayers.

Letter to the Editor of The Lawton Constitution
by Steve Wilkinson

Reprinted with permission of author

Why Christians Should

Not Vote for Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney sounds very Christian in his recent speech he gave to defend his faith. Romney said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the savior of mankind.”

Again, this sounds very Christian, however, the Mormon definition of “Son of God” and Savior of mankind” is very different from the Christian definition of the same terms. In the Mormon definition, the “Jesus” mentioned is not Almighty God, but merely the son of “a god.” This “Jesus” did not die on the cross for our sins, but only for Adam’s transgression. Thus, in Mormonism, this “Jesus” cannot save any of us from our sins.

Like other Mormons, when Mitt Romney calls Jesus “savior” or speak of him as such, they only mean that “Jesus” saved them from spiritual death. Since, Mitt and other Mormons do not believe that Jesus’ blood can save them from their sins, they obviously are not really saved. Mormons deny fundamental Bible doctrine
Mitt Romney is talking about another Jesus.

When Mitt and other Mormons call Jesus the “Son of God,” what do they mean? Mormons believe that Jesus is the Son of God in two very unbiblical ways. First, it is important to know that the Mormon God is not the God of the Bible. The Mormon God is a man they call Elohim that became a god. They believe this god is now on a planet near the star Kolob, with his wives having spiritual children. In their two-fold meaning of “son of God”, Mormons mean that Jesus (and also Lucifer) was born to Elohim and one of his goddess wives in a preexistence, as a spirit child, and raised in a family unit until it was his time to come to earth and fulfill his calling on earth. They believe Jesus was then physically conceived again by Elohim and Mary, born, and raised the second time. The Mormons do not believe this was a virgin birth. They believe that God the Father through physical sexual relations with Mary physically fathered Jesus. Mormons believe that we are all “sons of God” in this same way. The Bible clearly shows that Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God.

Believers in the true Jesus Christ of the Bible are children of God by adoption, but only Jesus is God’s natural Son. This is essentially what Jesus being the Son of God means. It is a unique term for the most unique Man who ever lived.
Although the Mormon Church has been insisting that it is Christian lately, it is obviously not, and Mitt Romney knows it. The “Jesus” of the Mormon Church is not the true Jesus of the Christian Bible.
Mitt Romney is a Temple Mormon that is bound by a blood oath to obey Mormon Church leadership over U.S. Law and the Constitution. This oath binds Mitt Romney to “consecrate himself, his time, talents, and everything he now has, or will have in the future,” for advancing the physical earthly organization of the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Mitt Romney cannot be trusted. He will literally say whatever needs to be said in order to become President. This includes lying about his commitment to the Mormon Church over the U.S. Constitution and laws.
Steve Wilkinson,
Lawton, Oklahoma

MORALITY IS NOT ONE OF DREW’S ATTRIBUTES!
by Steve Fair
mo·ral·i·ty (m -r l -t , mô-) NOUN: pl. mo·ral·i·ties 1. The quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct. 2. A system of ideas of right and wrong conduct: religious morality; Christian morality.3. Virtuous conduct. 4. A rule or lesson in moral conduct.

“It was my obligation to defend this (HB 1804).” “I only have to argue the legality of it.” “I’ve very grateful I do not have to argue the morality of it.”
Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson in 12/4 edition of The Oklahoman

Drew Edmondson, Oklahoma AG, is between a rock and hard place. He says he has to legally argue for a law that he believes is immoral. Edmondson is an attorney, so it’s difficult to believe he hasn’t faced these dilemmas before. It's a good thing Drew doesn’t have to argue the morality of HB #1804- or any law for that matter. Edmondson’s morals and ethics have been questionable for years. Consider the following examples:

In November 1998, Edmondson and seven other state A.G.s announced they had negotiated a historic settlement with big tobacco. The settlement imposed sweeping bans on tobacco advertising, stopped the tobacco companies from targeting children, allocated funding for tobacco education efforts and pays the states about $206 billion in recovery funds. But Edmondson benefited from the Tobacco Settlement by reaping major campaign contributions from the lawyers who got big fees in the tobacco suit.

In 2000, Edmondson involved the state of Oklahoma in a U. S. Supreme Court case by supporting a New Jersey court decision ordering the Scouts to reinstate a homosexual scout leader. The Boy Scouts of America is a private, non profit organization engaged in instilling its system of values in young people. It asserts that homosexuality is inconsistent with those values. James Dale was an adult whose position as assistant Scoutmaster of a New Jersey troop was revoked when the Boy Scouts learned that he was openly gay and a gay rights activist. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court where the lower court’s decision was overturned. In the majority opinion, written by the late Chief Justice William Rehquist, “Forcing a group to accept certain members may impair the ability of the group to express those views, and only those views, that it intends to express. Thus, "freedom of association ... plainly presupposes a freedom not to associate." Edmondson’s involving of the State of Oklahoma in the Boy Scout case proves he doesn’t understand biblical morality and is completely out of touch with the average Oklahoman. The defeat in the Supreme Court reveals he doesn't understand the law.

In 2002, Edmondson wrote the Securities and Exchange Commission on behalf of an Oklahoma company- Pre-Paid Legal, an Ada, Oklahoma company. He asked the SEC to investigate those who were “short selling” Pre-Paid. In the 2002 election cycle, Edmondson had twenty-eight campaign contributions from Pre-Paid employees and executives. Edmondson said he was comfortable acting on behalf of Pre-Paid because it appeared they were being targeted for illegal manipulation.

In August of 2003, Edmondson filed the first criminal charges against former WorldCom Inc. chief Bernard Ebbers. The complaint accused Ebbers, and other executives of breaking state securities laws by giving false information to investors in 2000. WorldCom collapsed into the nation's largest bankruptcy in 2002 amid an accounting scandal that grew to $11 billion."It is rare that we name a company in a criminal complaint, but in this case it is justified," Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson said at the time. The WorldCom collapse cost the state pension fund $64 million. The indictment of Ebbers brought Edmondson a great deal of publicity. He was lauded as a hero for making corporate America accountable to taxpayers, but was that Drew’s motivation? It would appear not.

Verizon and SBC Communications did their best to insure that MCI did not get out of Chapter 11. After all, the three companies were competitors in a growing the growing cellular phone market. SBC was and is one of Edmondson’s largest campaign contributors. Edmondson denies the campaign contributions influenced his decision to go after Ebbers, but the timing and the enthusiasm Edmondson exhibited for that case doesn’t pass the smell test.

In 2006, Edmondson came under attack for his violations of Oklahoma’s Ethics rules. He used over $2,000 of his campaign’s money to contribute to other campaigns- a direct violation of the ethics rules. He has repaid his campaign for some of the ethical lapses- others he disagrees with. Edmondson was in the middle of the “straw donor” scandal involving former State Senator Gene Stipe and partner Steve Phipps. He donated $3,000 from his campaign after it was revealed that Stipe and Phipps conspired to funnel illegal campaign contributors into several Oklahoma Democratic elected officials, including Edmondson.

“We are sometimes called to defend the state.” “On some occasions, we enter into those defenses with a great deal of enthusiasm,” Edmondson said in Tuesday's Oklahoman. He went on to say, “In some cases, we enter into those defenses because we are required. “In this case, we are defending the law because we are obligated.” Taxpayers deserve an Attorney General that is motivated, prepared, and will effectively argue their position. "The attorney general is not only under a legal obligation to defend House Bill 1804, but also an ethical obligation as an attorney,"said State Representative Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City. "Typically, attorneys don't publicly undermine their client's position by making disparaging statements about them." Reynolds said the State Bar Association should look into Edmondson’s questionable ethics.

The State Attorney General is supposed to be a servant of the people, yet Edmondson has operated the A.G.’s office like a private law firm. Legal fees are collected in the form of campaign contributions. For Drew ,with his track record on ethics, to invoke morality into any conversation is laughable. Reynolds is right about bringing him up before the bar. Edmondson’s statements and actions reveal an unwillingness to be the “People’s Lawyer.” If that's the case, he should leave office.

REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON SUPPORTS 1804!
Yesterday's article in The Oklahoman quoted State Representative Dennis Johnson- R-Duncan. Since that time, he has received a variety of inquires as to whether he SUPPORTS or OPPOSES HB 1804 aka the immigration bill. To clarify his position on the issue, Representative Johnson released a PRESS RELEASE this afternoon.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: State Rep. Dennis Johnson
Capitol: (405) 557-7327

Johnson: Oklahoma’s Immigration Law Moves State in Right Direction

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma’s new omnibus immigration law placed Oklahoma at the forefront of an important national debate and should not be weakened, state Rep. Dennis Johnson said today.
"House Bill 1804, the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act, drew a line in the sand on the issue of illegal immigration. By enacting this law, we sent a message across the nation that Oklahoma taxpayers will no longer subsidize illegal activity," said Johnson, R-Duncan. "I was proud to vote for the bill and continue to support it."
In a recent article in The Oklahoman, Johnson discussed the need for new federal immigration reform. Unfortunately, the article made it appear Johnson was calling for repeal of portions of House Bill 1804.
Johnson said he will oppose any effort to weaken the law during the coming legislative session.
"House Bill 1804 was approved because of the complete failure of the federal government to enforce existing immigration laws," Johnson said. "That failure has affected millions of U.S. citizens and is costing this country billions of dollars. Something had to be done and Oklahoma was one of the first states to take a stand by denying most taxpayer subsidized benefits to illegal aliens and by targeting corporations that illegally exploit them."
State Rep. Randy Terrill, a Moore Republican who authored House Bill 1804, said Johnson was a key ally in the fight to approve the legislation.
"Representative Johnson was an integral part of the team that got House Bill 1804 passed in the Legislature," Terrill said. "No one should doubt his commitment to cracking down on illegal immigration."
Johnson noted that approximately 30 other states are now considering legislation modeled on Oklahoma’s law and said that trend should serve as "a wakeup call" for federal legislators.
"I am not in favor of amnesty or legalization for people who are here illegally," Johnson said. "However, I do support efforts to simplify the federal process for law-abiding people to legally obtain U.S. citizenship. I also support temporary work permits that allow people to work here legally while being tracked by the federal government."
Johnson said modern technology would make it simple for the federal government to process citizenship applications and cull criminals and other undesirable elements from the applicant pool. Currently, the process takes years, "which makes no sense."
"If federal lawmakers create an efficient citizenship process, there will be less temptation for people to break the law and enter the country illegally," Johnson said. "It’s easy to understand why so many people want to come to America and improve their lives and care for their families. But that doesn’t mean the U.S. should have open borders with no way to know who has entered our nation or why they are here. It’s time for the federal government to act."

WHO IS ENDORSING WHO?
The Hill has a list of what presidential candidates the members of Congress are throwing their support behind. As expected, the Washington crowd is endorsing their Washington brethren. For a complete list, click on the link below:
http://thehill.com/endorsements-2008.html

IMMIGRATION NOT AN EASY ISSUE
Appropriately 1.1 million illegal immigrants entered the United States in 2007, most from Mexico. Since about three million illegal aliens gained legal status in the amnesty of 1986, the flow of illegal immigration has increased, and today that population is estimated at between nine and eleven million illegal alien residents in the United States.

Immigration overhaul has been divisive for years, as some say the borders need to be closed and illegal immigrants should be sent home, allowing for more job opportunities and better wages for U.S. workers. Others argue that illegal workers here now should be given some sort of amnesty and be allowed to apply for citizenship and continue working as an integral part of the nation's work force. This issue is not an easy one but there are several reasons why countries have immigration laws.

First, no single country can support an infinite number of immigrants, especially those that enter their country illegally. Mexico, for example, has harsh restrictions on immigration. No country in the world has open borders with no restrictions on immigration. Controlling immigration is a function of government.

Secondly, contrary to popular belief, Amnesty will not fix the illegal immigration issue. As cited about, after Amnesty, even more illegals entered the U.S., thinking we were a soft touch and would grant them Amnesty at some point in time. The argument that we cannot stop illegal immigration is like saying we can’t stop crime because no matter what we do, a criminal will still commit crime- so why bother making and enforcing laws? If we are unwilling to enforce our immigration laws, perhaps we should abolish them and start letting people who have been trying to enter the country legally, but are stuck on a waiting list at least a chance to immigrant to the U.S.

There are those who want to make illegals legal citizens. That means that people who lie to the government, falsify documents, disregard our laws and our borders should be rewarded for their deceit? Illegals who say they want to be “good citizens” started by ignoring our laws. If we just grant blanket Amnesty, we would be teaching our children that obeying the law doesn’t matter. We are a nation of immigrants, however the vast majority of those immigrants entered the country legally. Immigrants cannot chose to obey our laws “cafeteria style.” What other laws are they willing to break if they are willing to break the law to come to America? If they want to be a part of our country, they should enter it legally.

Third, every country has the obligation and responsibility to their citizens to know who is entering their country. National security is at stake. That’s way most countries have very well controlled borders and strict immigration laws. America has a border control problem. Both our northern and southern borders are fluid. To not recognize that is to jeopardize our own national security.

Fourthly, illegal immigration has an impact on our country’s schools and social services. It costs money to educate the illegals and their children and the taxpayer foots that bill. It’s one thing to give a “hand up” to an American who is downtrodden, but it’s quite another for taxpayers to do that for those who chose not to obey our laws. According to Dr. Donald Huddle, a Rice University economics professor, the cost to taxpayers is over $70 billion dollars each year.

Controlling our borders is a federal issue. But last year the Oklahoma legislature took action and passed the toughest illegal immigration enforcement law in the country. HB 1804 denies drivers licenses and public services to illegals. It makes it a crime to transport, conceal and harbor illegals from detection.

Now State Representative Randy Terrill- R,Moore, has filed a “Son of 1804” bill. The most controversial tenet of that will would deny birth certificates for children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrant parents- the so-called anchor babies. The fourteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizenship to anyone born in this country. This provision of Terrill’s bill is clearly a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

HB #1804 is one that has Oklahoma employers up in arms. Mike Seney of the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce, says, “We never said we supported that bill.” But according to Terrill, the Chamber did not come to the table to discuss 1804 until well into the process. “I asked for their input, but they were not interested until it became apparent the bill was going to pass,” Terrill said.

It’s unrealistic to think we can herd up eleven million people and deport them back to Mexico, but we can process them. As GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani says, “The organizing purpose should be that our immigration laws should allow us to identify everyone who is in this country that comes here from a foreign country. They should have a tamper-proof ID card. It should be in a database that allows you to figure out who they are, why they're here, make sure they're not illegal immigrants coming here for a bad purpose, and then to be able to throw out the ones who are not in that database. We can do that. Credit card companies take care of data that is greater than that.”

Rudy is right- American Express could find Osama if he owed them money. Privatizing the process to locate all the illegal immigrates would be a good first step. It should be done at the federal level, but if not, perhaps “Son of 1804” should include that provision.