R.I.P. David "Coach" Myers

Day starting off on a very sad note, getting word that Oklahoma State Senator David "Coach" Myers passed away early this morning.

Senator David F. Myers serves Senate District 20, which comprised of all or portions of Alfalfa, Garfield, Grant, Kay and Noble Counties.



He was elected to the Oklahoma State Senate in November 2002. 

Senator Myers was a retired Chemical Engineer from ConocoPhillips in Ponca City, having worked in the oil refining industry for 33 years. 

He was an independent consultant for the oil industry.

Senator Myers' authored legislation:

• To help keep children safe by keeping sex offenders out of their schools.
• To help keep families safe in their homes in case of a fire.
• To help fund and improve roads and bridges in Oklahoma.
• To improve public safety by introducing juvenile drug courts.

“Today Oklahoma has suffered a significant loss.  Senator David Myers was a pillar not only at the State Capitol but also among the Oklahomans he served diligently in Senate District 20.  A hardworking man full of compassion and conviction, Senator Myers had a powerful impact on the state he loved.  Serving alongside Senator Myers in the State Senate was truly an honor and he will be greatly missed.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Sara and family.”    
Lt. Governor Todd Lamb

"The loss of Senator David Myers is one that will be deeply felt by so many at the State Capitol and across Oklahoma. He was the standard by which any public servant should be measured: humble, selfless, and dedicated beyond question. But most important of all, he was a great friend.  David's strength of conviction and uncompromising values will be remembered by all who had the honor of serving alongside him. Simply put, Senator Myers made a difference. The thoughts and prayers of the state Senate are with David's wife, Sara, and his family. He will be greatly missed."
Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman

This is a Painful 53 Seconds - Rick Perry Campaign Go BOOM (Part 3)

From the November 9, 2011 CNBC debate in Michigan.

Perry Tries to Save His Campaign

Rick Perry's painful debate stumble last night was so serious he'll appear on every morning news show in an attempt to rescue his flailing campaign. 

Howard Kurtz: "After a series of stumbling performances, the governor of Texas attempted to tick off the three federal agencies he would abolish, and was stumped at two. He paused, regrouped, and still couldn't come up with the missing one (the Energy Department, which is hardly obscure). It was the only Perry moment anyone will remember, and a metaphor for his erratic campaign."

Brad Phillips: "With his bumbling answer, Mr. Perry reinforced the now almost irreversible perception that he is not ready for prime time. That indelible moment will linger, and will likely doom his campaign."

Jonathan Chait: "And that's it for Rick Perry. His latest debate performance was so world-historically awful that it truly seems beyond all repair."

And this is on his Campaign Web Site today:

OK GOP Chair Matt Pinnell and GOP OK-2 Candidate Dustin Rowe speaking in McAlester

Dustin Rowe – a conservative with a proven record of public service
www.roweforcongress.us


Matt became Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party on June 26th, 2010, and was re-elected in May of 2011 to a full two-year term. He is the youngest State GOP Chair in the country. www.okgop.com

Dustin understands what it means to work hard and build a family business. His parents and grandparents are small business owners who instilled in Dustin the appreciation for hard work and helping others.

Dustin’s proven record began at an early age: 18. That year, he registered as a Republican and ran for mayor of his hometown. Citizens of Tishomingo liked what Dustin stood for and, even more, what he helped accomplish for their community. Dustin became the nation’s youngest mayor and served successfully for two terms.

Dustin worked for U. S. Senator Don Nickles in Washington, D.C. Later Dustin and his wife, Nicole, moved to Stillwater to work on Wes Watkins’ successful congressional campaign. At the age of 22, Dustin was named District Director for the newly-elected Republican congressman.

Dustin obtained his bachelor’s degree from East Central University in Ada and his law degree from the University of Oklahoma. For the past decade he has been practicing law on Main Street in the community where he was raised and loves to call home. He also serves as city attorney and prosecutor to several small towns in the second congressional district.

Dustin and Nicole are the parents of two children, Price and Madison. The Rowe family are active members in the Tishomingo First Assembly of God church where Dustin has attended since he was eight years old.

So you want to be a Political Operative...

This is so Funny, sad but very true...

A Friend of my and I call them 
Flying Monkey...

Matt Pinnell The New Oklahoma GOP Chair

From the June 26, 2010 Oklahoma Republican State Committee meeting.

The election of The New Oklahoma GOP Chairman Matt Pinnell.

I would like to thank Chairman Matt Pinnell, for asking me to video this.

Some background on Matt...

· Former campaign aide to Congressman Steve Largent, State Senator Scott Pruitt, and U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D.

· Worked under two State GOP Chairman: Tom Daxon and Gary Jones in the position of Director of Operations. In this role I helped the State Party raise unprecedented levels of contributions and worked with County Chairs across the state.

· Served as the "Oklahoma Victory" Director for the McCain-Palin ticket, helping John McCain win 65.4% of the vote in OK, the highest percentage in the nation.

· Former Executive Director of American Majority-Oklahoma. Helped train literally thousands of activists and conducted dozens of candidate trainings across Oklahoma.

Palin is great for the GOP, Giuliani says

Sarah Palin will visit Norman next month for a book signing at Hastings.

Hat Tip to my twitter buddy @MMStewart

A prominent, socially moderate Republican said Sunday that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has achieved iconic status with the Republican Party's conservative base, is an asset to the GOP.

"I think Sarah Palin is great for the Republican Party," former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said in an interview that aired on CNN State of the Union.

Giuliani said Palin generates a lot of enthusiasm for the party which has struggled to define itself and identify its leading voices after the McCain-Palin ticket lost its White House bid a year ago.

"She gets a tremendous reception even here in Democratic New York," Giuliani, who hosted Palin at a New York Yankees game, told CNN John King.

We're very far away from a 2012 election, Giuliani added, Right now, I like figures who are creating interest in the Republican Party.

"Given the decisions that the Obama administration is making, particularly on this area of terrorism which concerns me probably more than any other, we're going to need some pretty strong alternatives in 2012. I don't know if it'll be Sarah Palin or someone else. But right now it's [about] developing interest in a Republican Party and we need a two-party system and we need a healthy one.

Giuliani said he had not made any decision yet about whether he will seek the White House again in 2012 or run for New York governor. Asked when he had to make that decision, Giuliani told King, Not today, not this morning.

Schwartz drop out of GOP Lt. Governor race

Got this from Colby Schwartz today...

“Over the last 90 days it has become obvious to me that the current economic climate has hindered my ability to raise the needed financial resources to effectively fund a statewide race for Lt. Governor. Therefore, I am removing my name from consideration for the Republican nomination for Lt. Governor of Oklahoma.”

“During my past campaigns for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, my support has always come from everyday, hard-working Oklahomans. It is these same supporters who have felt the pinch of the economic downturn the hardest; and now have less disposable income to contribute to a political campaign.”

“I remain as passionate about Oklahoma and its future as I did when I entered this campaign; but I understand the political reality that an effective statewide bid for public office requires sufficient funds to communicate my message to the entire state.”

“I will continue to diligently serve the citizens of the Yukon and Mustang communities, as I have throughout my service to the House of Representatives. This is a humbling honor that has always remained my top priority even during the course of exploring a bid for Lt. Governor.”

“My wife Brenda and our family would like to thank everyone who has offered their prayers and thoughts throughout this process. I have made many new friends across this great state and will continue to work with them to move Oklahoma forward.”

“As a fourteen-year Republican Party activist, I look forward to fully supporting the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor, as well as the other slate of Republican candidates.”

What will be the 2009 GOP Senate Agenda ?

Oklahoma State Senate President Pro Tempore Designate Glenn Coffee and Majority Floor Leader Sen. Todd Lamb, talk about what will be the 2009 GOP Senate Agenda ?

New GOP off to bad start

Hat Tip Palmetto Scoop

SANFORD CHOSEN TO LEAD
REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR’S ASSN.

Everyone keeps talking about this “new Republican Party” that must emerge from the ashes of last week’s embarrassing national electoral defeat.

Unlike in 2006, though, when we had the same kind of talk but no action, I really think the party will get it’s act together and usher in a new generation of strong, conservative leaders who will… oh, wait, nevermind.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford was elected the new chairman of the Republican Governors Association on Friday.

Sanford succeeds Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who will now serve as finance chairman. The association has been meeting this week in Miami — and some discussions have revolved around what went wrong for the party on Election Day.

“I am honored and excited to become chairman of the Republican Governors Association as we work together to win a majority of governors by 2010,” Sanford said in a statement released by the group. “Republican governors are natural leaders who will find solutions to our nation’s challenges and bring back the party.”

This is great news for Republicans who like picking petty fights with other Republicans, hypocritically wasting tax dollars on environmental nonsense and personal slush funds, flip-flopping on key issues, and putting television cameras ahead of taxpayers.

For the rest of us, it’s just another sign that we still haven’t learned our lesson. But on the bright side, “Quantum of Solace” opened today and it will probably rock so hard that we’ll forget all about the demise of the GOP.

The 2012 GOP Field (First Call)

Hat Tip to Dan




What the Republican field will look like in four years. Obviously, there are many variables along the way, ranging from how beatable Obama looks to the 2010 midterms; I'm just forecasting with the known knowns we have today. As usual there will probably be 10 or so candidates, but from where we sit today there look to be four slots from which to put together a credible primary campaign:

(1) The Populist Candidate: With its Washington leadership beheaded, the GOP is likely to become more of a populist and culturally conservative party in the next four years. Mike Huckabee showed this year the power and the limitations of a pure populist campaign, far exceeding expectations with nearly no resources or name recognition (although Huck was out of step with the populists on one of the major causes of grassroots frustration with DC, immigration). Against the backdrop of a tax-spend-regulate Obama Administration, a crucial challenge will be squaring populism with the GOP's need to appeal to economic and fiscal conservatives to expand out of the Huck-size niche. Realistically, the populist candidate is likely to end up as the most moderate serious candidate in the field.

As things stand today, Sarah Palin is the obvious populist candidate and, for now, the very-very-early frontrunner for the 2012 nomination, given her now-massive name recognition (the woman's every TV appearance is a ratings bonanza), amazing talents as a retail politician, appeal to the base, and the GOP tendency towards nominating the next in line.

Granted, only two candidates in the part century (Bob Dole and Franklin D. Roosevelt) have won a major party nomination after being the VP nominee for a losing ticket (not counting Mondale, who'd already been VP), those two waited 12 and 20 years before doing so, respectively, and recent history has been unkind to those who tried (Edwards 2008, Lieberman 2004 - see also Quayle 2000).

I'll expand another day on the challenges facing Gov. Palin - the short answer is that inexperience is the easiest thing in the world to fix, but she'll have to face tougher budgetary times in Alaska in light of falling oil revenues, she'll have to withstand what is likely to be an ongoing national campaign by the Democrats to take her down or hobble her re-election efforts to cut off the likeliest threat to Obama, and she'll have to develop and sell her own, independent agenda and demonstrate a greater breadth and depth of knowledge on national politics than are required from the running mate slot.

Upside in the primaries: the socially conservative, moose-hunting hockey mom could potentially be well-suited to the early GOP primary/caucus electorates in Iowa, New Hampshire and Michigan.

(2) The Establishment Candidate: The GOP by tradition tends to fall in behind whoever is the candidate of the establishment - of country clubs and boardrooms and Beltway insiders. Part of being a Republican, of course, is having the maturity to understand that being the establishment candidate is not a bad thing. But an angry grassroots is going to take some serious persuading to pick another establishment figure.

The best establishment candidate should be Jeb Bush, for a variety of reasons, but four years won't be enough - if any length of time is - to rebuild the Bush brand within the GOP, let alone the general electorate.

That leaves Mitt Romney as the logical next step; Mitt is currently out of office and thus less equipped to get more experience, but he'll have the money and energy to spend four years staking himself out as a consistent conservative voice and putting the distance of time between 2012 and the flip-flop charges of 2008.

South Dakota Senator John Thune is also sometimes mentioned, but after 1964, 1996 and now 2008, the GOP has hopefully learned its lesson about nominating legislators for President, especially sitting Senators. Newly re-elected Indiana Governor and former Bush budget director Mitch Daniels (see here and here) will have his name come up but more likely as a VP nominee.

(3) The Full-Spectrum Conservative: The Fred Thompson role from 2008 but one that will pack a lot more potential appeal in 2012.

Bobby Jindal is the best of the lot, but while he's already got an impressive resume, Jindal's so young (he's 37, which makes him the age Romney was in 1985), so he can afford to wait out several more election cycles; he's up for re-election in 2011, which makes running in 2012 very problematic; and he really and genuinely wants to stay in Louisiana long enough to make real changes in his beloved home state's legendarily corrupt and dysfunctional political culture.

The other main contender for this slot is South Carolina's Governor Mark Sanford, now in his second term as Governor after 3 in Congress. SC is the most favorable turf for a candidate of this type among the early primary states, so with Sanford running as a favorite son he could basically block out any other challengers, and if he doesn't run for re-election in 2010 (offhand I don't know whether he's term-limited), he'd have a logistical advantage over Palin, who will presumably still be in office as governor of a geographically remote state.

(4) The National Security Candidate: After four years of Obama, there's also likely to be strong sentiment for adult leadership on national security. Traditionally, the GOP has tended to prioritize this issue (in 2008, both McCain and Giuliani ran primarily as national security candidates).

But especially with Senators in disfavor, the supply of candidates with more national security credentials than a typical Governor is short - most of the Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld types in the party will be past their prime by 2012, and I continue to doubt that Condi Rice could be a viable candidate for a multitude of reasons.

The name you're likely to hear is CENTCOM commander General David Petraeus, but Gen. Petraeus - who I assume will remain on active duty for another year or two, at least, and who President Obama dare not fire - has no political experience and no known domestic-policy profile (we don't even know if he's a Republican). My guess is that if we nominate a governor in 2012, Gen. Petraeus will be much in demand as a running mate. After that, I'm not sure who will even try to fill this slot in the primaries.

Sorry, but that's the list; the no-more-McCains sentiment among the base will make it impossible for someone like Tim Pawlenty to mount a credible campaign as a moderate, nobody will bother trying to re-create the crippling damage inflicted on Rudy Giuliani from running with a record as a social liberal, and no Ron Paul type candidate (especially Ron Paul) is ever going to make a serious dent. It's those four slots or bust.

And I, for one, am definitely not committing yet to who I'll support as between Palin or a Sanford or Jindal run or maybe somebody else (obviously I'm not a Mitt fan). There's two long years ahead of us before that choice begins to arise.

Saw this on a car in
Moore, Oklahoma USA

Oklahoma State Senate GOP designated leader

State Senate Republicans, as expected, voted Thursday to designate Glenn Coffee of Oklahoma City as the first GOP president pro tem in state history.

Sen. Todd Lamb, R-Edmond, was picked to be majority floor leader.

Republicans seized a 26-22 majority in Tuesday's election, the first time since statehood that Republicans have controlled the 48-member chamber.

Before the election, Democrats and Republicans were tied with 24 members each and operated under a power-sharing agreement the past two years.

Designation by the majority's caucus is tantamount to election. Coffee will be formally installed by the entire 48-member Senate during an organizational meeting in January.

Republicans grabbed control of the Senate when their candidates ousted one incumbent from Tulsa and won the seat Morgan is vacating.

Republican Dan Newberry of Tulsa defeated Sen. Nancy Riley, who switched from Republican to Democrat after she was an unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor in 2006.

Her switch prevented Republicans from becoming the majority party that year and she was targeted early for defeat by the GOP leadership.

Coffee pledged that Republicans will "work nonstop to enact pro-jobs economic reforms, to make government more accountable to the people, to improve education and to protect the public safety."

"I am honored to be elected by my colleagues to be the first Republican to lead the Senate," he said.

Coffee was elected to the top GOP post for the third time. Before Coffee, Republicans had passed around the No. 1 leadership post every two years.

Lamb is best known as the principal sponsor of a bill to require a woman planning to have an abortion to undergo an ultrasound. The measure required the ultrasound monitor to turned so a woman could view it and required the doctor to describe the dimensions of the fetus.

Gov. Brad Henry's veto of the bill was overridden, but an abortion rights group has won a court order preventing the law from taking effect.

Lobster, anyone?

I'm Voting Democrat

Hat tip to my friend Daniel @ Vertical Blu

Sen. Obama, I Have One Question...

Hat Tip to my Friends @ VerticalBlu

Mary Fallin 1st 2008 TV ad

U.S. Representative Mary Fallin (OK-5) 1st 2008 TV ad

27 SARAH PALIN RACIST? BARACK OBAMA SUPPORTER PLAYS RACE CARD! WHY NO QUESTIONS IN DEBATES ABOUT ABORTION AND GUN RIGHTS? OBAMA'S TERRORIST FRIEND'S

27 SARAH PALIN RACIST?
BARACK OBAMA SUPPORTER PLAYS RACE CARD! WHY NO QUESTIONS IN DEBATES ABOUT ABORTION AND GUN RIGHTS?
OBAMA'S TERRORIST FRIEND BILL AYERS!

Paris Hilton Gets Presidential with Martin Sheen

Paris seeks the advice of the
most esteemed fake president of our generation.

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Palin Power

Sarah Palin is the right person to be Vice President.

Head of the LA chapter of NOW has endorsed Gov Palin

Hat Tip to my friend Velvet Hammer @ Ironic Surrealism IIFrom: Gomez, Serafin
To:
Sent: Sat Oct 04 18:05:43 2008
Subject: Head of NOW. LA chapter Endorses Palin

Carson, CA-

The head of the LA chapter of National Organization for Women has just endorsed Gov Palin @ campaign rally. Not speaking NOW or her chapter she said but as an individual. ” This is what a feminist looks like,” she just before handing it over to SLP.

What is the Media Saying About Palin Post Debate?

The New York Times’ David Brooks: “I thought she was every bit his equal. I thought she was fluid, confident, she struck her theme, just the regular old mom. But she handled the foreign policy issues. She did fine with Iraq. She did fine with Iran. She certainly hit energy often enough.

The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza: “Palin to Biden: ‘Can I call you Joe?’ GENIUS.”

NBC’s Matthew Berger: “Those who have seen Palin debate in Alaska say she is very efficient, and you’re seeing that now. She’s taking Biden on directly, speaking at him and then turning to the camera to make her points.”

The Atlantic’s Mark Ambinder: “Palin is adept at keeping Biden on the offensive.”

Commentary’s Jennifer Rubin: “Sarah Palin takes us back to the Bush-Cheney energy plan and reminds him that Obama voted for it. Then she goes back to her own record of getting tough with the oil company. Forget expectations, she might just be winning this.

The Wall Street Journal’s Peggy Noonan (She originally panned the choice of Palin in an off the cuff remark on MSNBC): “She killed. It was her evening. She was the star. She had him at, ‘Nice to meet you. Hey, can I call you Joe?’ It was very interesting to me, for Palin tonight, for an hour and a half, I think America saw her for a really long time, and she became a star probably on a new level. Gwen Ifill was not there for Sarah Palin. Joe Biden was not there for Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin was there with a camera. It was classic go over the heads of the media and everybody else, talk straight to the American people. She hit every populist chord. It is amazing to me that 15 minutes in, she had Joe Biden on the defensive on the subject of Obama and taxes. … She killed.”

1984 Democrat Vice Presidential Nominee Geraldine Ferraro: “I really wanted her to get up there and do a good job, and I think she did. … I think it was a good evening for — certainly for Governor Palin. … I think she showed she is certainly capable of going toe to toe with a man who is more than qualified to be vice president, if not president of the United States. The thing about it is she held her own, and that for me, from a historic viewpoint, I wanted my granddaughters to be able to look at this debate — I hope they’re in bed right now. I wanted them to look at this debate and see that a woman could go toe to toe with someone who has had tremendous experience in the Senate and someone who is an incredible candidate for vice president of the United States. That to me is very very important.”

The Associated Press’ Jim Kuhnhenn: “Under intense scrutiny, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin stood her ground Thursday night against a vastly more experienced Joe Biden, debating the economy, energy and global warming, then challenging him on Iraq, ‘especially with your son in the National Guard.’”

NBC’s Chuck Todd: “Governor Palin proved very adept at being a good debater. … In many ways, she was a better surrogate for her top of the ticket than Joe Biden was for his.

The Hill’s Walter Alarkon: “One theme Palin keeps hitting tonight is the idea that Biden and Obama are looking backward. After a riff by Biden on how McCain’s policies are the same as President Bush’s, Palin pounces. ‘Say it ain’t so, Joe,’ she said. ‘There you go again, pointing backwards. Now doggone it, let’s look again and tell Americans what we plan to do for Americans in the future.’”