American Minute - Mar. 31 - Hawaii's First Missionaries

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

Henry Opukahai'a was an orphan raised by his uncle to be a pagan priest but he became disillusioned with rituals and chants and left Hawaii for New Englandwith a friend, Thomas Hopu.

They were befriended by Yale students and became the first Hawaiian Christians.

Henry studied Greek and Hebrew and translated parts of the Bible.

In his memoirs, which sold 500,000 copies after his death in 1818, Henry Opukahai'a wrote:

"My poor countrymen, without knowledge of the true God, and ignorant of the future world, have no Bible to read, no Sabbath."

This inspired Thomas Hopu and Hiram Bingham to be the first missionaries to Hawaii, arriving MARCH 31, 1820.

Devising a 12-letter alphabet, they translated the Bible, set up a school, a church, a newspaper and convinced women to wear dresses.

Idolatry and human sacrifice had previously been ended by King Kamehameha II and his Queen mother Ka'ahumanu.

Just prior to her death, Queen Ka'ahumanu, who had helped spread the Gospel in the islands, was presented with the newly completed version of the New Testament in the Hawaiian language.

Her last words were: "I am going where the mansions are ready."

American Minute - Lincoln's Fasting & Prayer Proclamation

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

During the Civil War, after issuing his Emancipation Proclamation, President Abraham Lincoln set a National Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer, MARCH 30, 1863, stating:

"It is the duty of nations...to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins...with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy...

The awful calamity of civil war...may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins."

Lincoln continued:

"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven...

We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.

But we have forgotten God.

We have forgotten the gracious Hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own."

Lincoln concluded:

"Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

It behooves us then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins and to pray for...forgiveness."

American Minute - John Tyler, 10th U.S. President

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

Tenth President John Tyler was born MARCH 29, 1790.

He was the first Vice-President ever to assume the Presidency when William Henry Harrison died after only one month in office.

To mourn Harrison's death, President John Tyler's first act was to proclaim a National Day of Fasting and Prayer, in which he stated:

"When a Christian people feel themselves to be overtaken by a great public calamity, it becomes them to humble themselves under the dispensation of Divine Providence, to recognize His righteous government over the children of men...and to supplicate His merciful protection for the future."

In his 2nd Annual Message to Congress, December 6, 1842, President John Tyler stated:

"The schoolmaster and the missionary are found side by side." In his 4th Annual Message to Congress, December 3, 1844, President John Tyler stated:

"The guaranty of religious freedom, of the freedom of the press, of the liberty of speech, of the trial by jury, of the habeas corpus...will be enjoyed by millions yet unborn....

Our prayers should evermore be offered up to the Father of the Universe for His wisdom to direct us in the path of our duty so as to enable us to consummate these high purposes."

American Minute - Mar. 28 - Salvation Army begins in the USA, 1885

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

On MARCH 28, 1885, the Salvation Army was organized in the United States.

It was begun in England by "General" William Booth in 1865, who conducted meetings among the poor in London's East End slums.

Originally named the Christian Mission, he designed uniforms and adopted a semi-military system of leadership.

On December 1, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson remarked to the Salvation Army in New York:

"For a century now, the Salvation Army has offered food to the hungry and shelter to the homeless-in clinics and children's homes, through disaster relief, in prison and welfare work, and a thousand other endeavors.

In that century you have proved time and again the power of a handshake, a meal, and a song.

But you have not stopped there. You have demonstrated also the power of a great idea."

President Lyndon Johnson continued:

"The voice of the Salvation Army has reminded men that physical well-being is just not enough; that spiritual rebirth is the most pressing need of our time and of every time; that the world cannot be changed unless men change.

That voice has been clear and courageous-and it has been heard.

Even when other armies have disbanded, I hope that this one will still be on the firing line."

It's Medieval Fair time !!!!!!!!!

Admission is free!

Journey to a time of kings, queens, and knights and shining armor at the Medieval Fair.

Held annually since 1976, this event relives the Middle Ages with arts and crafts, food, games, jousting tournaments, human chess games, costume contests, and more.

Entertainment for the whole family includes minstrels, dancing, theater and reenactments, jugglers, magicians, knights jousting on horseback and human chess games. Brightly costumed characters include King Arthur, mermaids, and the fair's king and queen.

The Medieval Fair of Norman is the state's largest weekend event and the third largest event in Oklahoma, and was selected by Events Media Network as one of the top 100 events in the nation.

Browse through the medieval village of over 200 art and craft booths offering unique and handcrafted wares. Offerings include pottery, wood crafts, stained glass, armor, costumes, fairy wings, jewelry, leather crafts, hair garlands, and much more...

Dates: April 3,4 & 5, 2009

Hours: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Admission is free!

The Medieval Fair is located at:

Reaves Park
2501 South Jenkins Avenue
Norman, Oklahoma 73072

Norman is located in central Oklahoma, just 17 miles south of Oklahoma City on Interstate 35.

ReavesPark is located on Jenkins Avenue between Lindsey St. and HWY 9 East. From I-35 take HWY 9 East to Jenkins Avenue. Turn north (left).

Free parking is available one block from the park at Lloyd Noble Center, located just north of HWY 9 East on Jenkins Avenue. (Handicapped parking is available on the park grounds.)

Weapon Policy

All weapons must be in a sheath or peace-tied at all times. Demonstrations involving weapons are allowed only in secured and pre-approved areas. No weapons may be sold to minors. Schools are responsible to enforce and inform their students of school policies regarding weapons.

American Minute - Mar. 27 - John Adams, JQA & Henry Adams

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

President John Adams' son, John Quincy Adams, was U.S. Minister to Russia.

In September 1811, John Quincy Adams wrote from St. Petersburg to his son, Charles:

"My dear Son...You mentioned that you read to your aunt a chapter in the Bible...every evening. This information gave me real pleasure..."

John Quincy Adams continued:

"So great is my veneration for the Bible, and so strong my belief, that when duly read and meditated on, it is of all books in the world, that which contributes most to make men good, wise, and happy-that the earlier my children begin to read it...the more lively and confident will be my hopes that they will prove useful citizens of their country."

This correspondence was published after his death as Letters of John Quincy Adams to his son, on the Bible and its Teachings.

President John Quincy Adams' grandson was Henry Adams, an American historian.

From his unique perspective of being related to some of America's founders, Henry Adams, who died MARCH 27, 1918, wrote in his 9-volume work, History of the United States:

"The Pilgrims of Plymouth, the Puritans of Boston, the Quakers of Pennsylvania, all avowed a moral purpose, and began by making institutions that consciously reflected a moral idea."

Daniel Hannan KICK ASS !

Daniel Hannan, MEP for South East England, gives a speech during Gordon Brown´s visit to the European Parliament on 24th March, 2009. And KICK ASS !

The one thing people is not seeing is how new media push this, just read what Mr. Hannan has to say on his blog...






My speech to Gordon Brown goes viral
Posted on Mar 25, 2009 at 19:14:00


The internet has changed politics - changed it utterly and forever. Twenty-four hours ago, I made a three-minute speech in the European Parliament, aimed at Gordon Brown. I tipped off the BBC and some of the newspaper correspondents but, unsurprisingly, they ignored me: I am, after all, simply a backbench MEP.

How the EU throws our money away

When I woke up this morning, my phone was clogged with texts, my email inbox with messages. Overnight, the YouTube clip of my remarks had attracted over 36,000 hits. By today, it was the most watched video in Britain.

How did it happen, in the absence of any media coverage? The answer is that political reporters no longer get to decide what's news. The days when a minister gave briefings to a dozen lobby correspondents, and thereby dictated the next day's headlines, are over. Now, a thousand bloggers decide for themselves what is interesting. If enough of them are tickled then, bingo, you're news. (Huge thanks to all those who linked: Guido, Iain Dale, Tim Montgomerie, James Delingpole, Donal Blaney, Dizzy, Devil, James Forsyth, PoliticalBetting, Gerald Warner and the rest. And jumbo thanks to all the American bloggers: you chaps are way ahead of us in this regard.)

What caught their attention? To be honest, I'm slightly perplexed. I have been making similar speeches every week and posting them on YouTube for the past seven months. I made one just now: 60 seconds on how Brussels is spraying money at the European Investment Bank (see above clip). Perhaps people felt frustrated about the way Gordon Brown had carried on without once asking for their votes. Perhaps they would have loved to tell him what they thought of him, but lacked the opportunity.

Breaking the press monopoly is one thing. But the internet has also broken the political monopoly. Ten or even five years ago, when the Minister for Widgets put out a press release, the mere fact of his position guaranteed a measure of coverage. Nowadays, a politician must compel attention by virtue of what he is saying, not his position.

It's all a bit unsettling for professional journalists and politicians. But it's good news for libertarians of every stripe. Lefties have always relied on control, as much of information as of physical resources. Such control is no longer technically feasible.

American Minute - Mar. 26 - Richard Allen, AME founder

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

Richard Allen was born to slave parents in Philadelphia and sold with his family to a plantation in Dover, Delaware.

With the permission of his master, he began attending the Methodist meetings and learned to read and write.

Richard Allen was converted at age 16 and is said to have worked harder to prove that Christianity did not make slaves worse servants.

Richard Allen then invited a minister to visit and preach to his master, resulting in his master's conversion after hearing that on the Day of Judgment slaveholders would be "weighed in the balance and found wanting."

His repentant master made arrangements for Richard, now 26, to become free.

Richard Allen became a licensed exhorter and founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Their first church building was dedicated in 1794 by America's first Methodist Bishop, the circuit-riding preacher Francis Asbury.

By the time of Richard Allen's death, MARCH 26, 1831, the African Methodist Episcopal Church had grown to over 10,000 members. Richard Allen stated:

"This land, which we have watered with our tears and our blood, is now our mother country, and we are well satisfied to stay where wisdom abounds and Gospel is free."

Oklahoma Senate Opposes China’s Proposal to Replace the Dollar as the World’s Standard

Republican State Sen. Dan Newberry has won Senate passage for a measure opposing the creation of a new currency to replace the dollar as the world’s standard.

The full Senate approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 16 on Wednesday. Newberry, R-Tulsa, said China’s proposal to create a new currency would undermine America’s dominance in global economics.

“This outrageous proposal is set to be debated at the upcoming G20 meeting in London,” Newberry said. “This poses a huge threat not only to our nation’s economic standing but to our sovereignty. This move would benefit China, and it would be to the detriment of the United States.”
SCR 16 declares the Oklahoma State Legislature’s strong opposition to the proposal to shift the world’s currency away from the dollar.

“Despite the current economic situation, the United States remains the greatest nation on earth,” Newberry said. “Now is the time for people of Oklahoma and across the United States to let our Congress and the President know that we will not tolerate this or any other proposal that would weaken our sovereignty or our world standing.”

Statewide office holders are one legislative step away from not being able to become entrenched in office with passage of term limits legislation by a House committee today.

Senate Joint Resolution 12 by Senator Randy Brogdon, would place term limits on most statewide office holders.

The change would have to be approved by a vote of the people if passed by the Legislature.

Currently, state lawmakers are limited to 12 years in office, and the governor is restricted to serving two consecutive, four year terms. SJR 12, by House author Rep. Jason Murphey, would instead limit the governor to serve no more than eight cumulative years in office.

That same eight total years rule would also apply to the Lt. Gov, State Auditor and Inspector, Attorney General, State Treasurer, Commissioner of Labor, Superintendent of Public Instruction and Insurance Commissioner, all of whom serve 4-year terms.

The resolution also would limit anyone from serving as Corporation Commissioner for more than a total of 12 years.

“We know the Oklahoma people support the idea of term limits, and this legislation would ensure fresh faces and new ideas are continuously entering the political process,” said Murphey, R-Guthrie.

The resolution passed the House Rules Committee today and will now be considered for final passage by the full House.

House Committee Approves Voter ID Legislation

Legislation requiring photo identification to cast a ballot passed a House committee today.

Senate Bill 4 would require citizens to provide “proof of identity” before voting. Under the bill, proof of identity could be established by producing a document containing a photograph of the voter that was issued by a state, federal, county, municipal, or tribal government.

The legislation also would allow voters to cast a ballot if they showed their free voter identification card issued by the state election board.

“It has been proven that requiring a voter ID card does not suppress voting, and in fact several states with similar laws in place saw increased turnout last November,” said Rep. Sue Tibbs, House author of the bill. “This legislation will not prevent a single Oklahoman from voting, but will in fact improve the confidence voters have in the process.”

If the voter is unable to provide any proof of identity, they would be allowed to sign a statement under oath swearing to his or her identity. Anyone found to have signed the oath falsely would be subject to felony punishment.

“This legislation is important to protecting our democratic process and ensuring that every voting Oklahoman is eligible and can know with certainty that their vote will count,” said House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa.

The bill also extends the state’s early voting, allowing Oklahomans to start voting at 1 p.m. the Wednesday prior to a general election. Currently, Oklahomans can vote early on the Friday, Saturday and Monday prior to an election.

“The extension of early voting will ensure that all Oklahomans who wish to vote, and are eligible, have ample time to do so,” said Tibbs, R-Tulsa. “This bill is about protecting the process, pure and simple.”

Senate Bill 4 passed the House Rules Committee today and will now move to the full House for consideration. Senate Bill 692 also passed the committee, which would send similar language to a vote of the people.

Legislature Honors Fallen Volunteer Firefighter

The state Legislature this week approved a resolution praising volunteer firefighters and mourning the loss of John Adams, a volunteer member of the Silver City Fire Department.

The 45 year-old Silver City resident died on duty, after fighting a 12-hour wildfire west of Mannford. The fire covered 600 acres and required a total of nine fire departments, 23 brush trucks, three tankers, a Blackhawk helicopter and 60 firefighters to contain. Senate Concurrent Resolution 14 was authored by Sen. Brian Bingman and Rep. Skye McNiel to honor Adams.

“We can never do enough to thank John Adams for his years of volunteer service, and the example he set for his family and community,” said Bingman, R-Sapulpa. “He had a passion for serving his community and laid down his life for those he loved and those he did not know. His leadership and selflessness should serve as an example to all of us.”

Adams, his wife Marcie Adams and their son Drew all trained to become fully qualified for wildland firefighting, structural firefighting, vehicle firefighting, rescue and extraction and medical response. John Adams had been a Silver City Volunteer Firefighter for the past three years and was a board member of the Fire Department. He was a 1981 graduate of Sand Springs High School and was a manager at Lowe’s.

“John Adams is a real Oklahoma hero, and so is his wife, Marcie, who continues to serve as a volunteer firefighter,” said McNiel, R-Bristow. “She has actually fought several fires since John’s passing and it is my honor to recognize her and all of John’s family as well.”

American Minute - Mar. 25 - "Old Hickory" Andrew Jackson

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

"Old Hickory."

During the Revolution, young Andrew Jackson refused to polish the boots of a British officer and was slashed on the arm with a sword and jailed.

His mother died of prison fever while caring for captured American soldiers.

Jackson carried a bullet in his body from a duel defending his wife's honor.

In the War of 1812, General Andrew Jackson defeated over 2,000 British in the Battle of New Orleans.

On January 30, 1835, President Andrew Jackson survived an assassination attempt when Richard Lawrence fired two pistols at him at point blank range. Davy Crockett, who was with the President, disarmed the assailant.

On MARCH 25, 1835, Andrew Jackson wrote in a letter:

"I was brought up a rigid Presbyterian, to which I have always adhered.

Our excellent Constitution guarantees to every one freedom of religion, and charity tells us (and you know Charity is the real basis of all true religion)...judge the tree by its fruit.

All who profess Christianity believe in a Saviour, and that by and through Him we must be saved."

Andrew Jackson concluded: "We ought, therefore, to consider all good Christians whose walks correspond with their professions, be they Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Baptist, Methodist or Roman Catholic."

American Minute - Mar. 24 - Rufus King & the Anti-Slavery Movement

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

William Jay, son of the First Supreme Court Chief Justice, helped found New York City's Anti-Slavery Society in 1833.

His son, John Jay, was manager of New York Young Men's Anti-Slavery Society in 1834.

Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story helped establish the illegality of the slave trade in the 1844 Amistad case.

Salmon P. Chase, appointed Chief Justice by Lincoln, defended so many escaped slaves in his career he was nicknamed "Attorney-General of Fugitive Slaves."

Cassius Marcellus Clay, diplomat to Russia for Lincoln and Grant, founded the anti-slavery journal True American in 1845 and helped found the Republican party in 1854.

Rufus King, born MARCH 24, 1755, was one of the youngest signers of the U.S. Constitution, only 32 years old.

A Harvard graduate, Rufus King was an aide to General Sullivan during the Revolutionary War.

Rufus King later served as U.S. Minister to England and was a Senator from New York.

In a speech made before the Senate at the time Missouri was petitioning for statehood, Rufus King stated:

"I hold that all laws or compacts imposing any such condition as slavery upon any human being are absolutely void because they are contrary to the law of nature, which is the law of God."

Senator Brogdon Announces Formation of Exploratory Committee for Governor of Oklahoma

In response to the groundswell of support calling on him to run, State Senator Randy Brogdon announced the formation of an exploratory committee for the Governor of Oklahoma in 2010.

“As State Senator, I have tirelessly worked to improve the lives of all Oklahomans,” said Brogdon. “From protecting our constitutional freedoms from Washington-style politicians to reducing our incomes taxes, I have always put the needs of all Oklahomans above the wishes of any lobbyist or special interest group.”

Brogdon continued, “And as a native Oklahoman, I think it’s time we have a Governor who believes in right and wrong, not just right and left. That’s why I am proud to announce the formation of my exploratory committee for Governor of Oklahoma.”

When asked for the timeline of his official announcement for Governor, Brogdon replied, “There are several actions that need to take place before we make the official announcement. Until then, we are currently raising money and laying down the groundwork for my upcoming campaign.”

Randy Brogdon is the State Senator for District 34 which covers Northeastern Tulsa County and portions of Rogers County. He and his wife of 37 years, Donna, currently reside in Owasso, OK. For more information about Randy Brogdon, please visit www.RandyBrogdon.com

American Minute - Mar. 23 - Give me liberty or... - Patrick Henry

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

Britain imposed the 1764 Currency Act, 1764 Sugar Act, 1765 Stamp Act, 1765 Quartering Act, 1766 Declaratory Act, 1767 Townshend Act, 1773 Tea Act, 1774 Boston Port Act, 1774 Justice Act, 1774 Massachusetts Government Act, 1774 Quartering Act, 1774 Quebec Act, and 1775 Proclamation of Rebellion.

On MARCH 23, 1775, Patrick Henry spoke to the 2nd Virginia Convention, which was meeting in Richmond's St. John's Church due to British hostilities:

"I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery...

We have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated...We have prostrated ourselves before the throne...

Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence."

Patrick Henry continued:

"There is a just God who presides over the destines of nations...who will raise up friends to fight our battle for us.

The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave...

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!

I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death."

American Minute - Mar. 22 - Jonathan Edwards & grandson Timothy Dwight

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

On MARCH 22, 1758, Princeton University President Jonathan Edwards died from a smallpox inoculation.

Valedictorian of his class at Yale, Jonathan Edwards' preaching began the Great Awakening, a revival so widespread history credits it with uniting the colonies prior to the Revolution.

Of the awakening, Ben Franklin wrote:

"It was wonderful to see...From being thoughtless or indifferent...it seemed as if all the world were growing religious, so that one could not walk thro' the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in...every street."

Jonathan Edwards' grandson was Yale President Timothy Dwight.

On July 4, 1798, Timothy Dwight explained how Voltaire's atheism inspired the French Revolution's Reign of Terror, 1793-1794, where 40,000 people were beheaded:

"The...ends proposed by the Illuminati...are the overthrow of religion, government and human society...Murder, butchery and war...are declared by them to be completely justifiable...

No villainy...can be named which was not vindicated...Satanic lips polluted the pages of God...inundated the country with...immorality...

Where religion prevails, Illumination cannot make disciples, a French Directory cannot govern, a nation cannot be made slaves."

Timothy Dwight concluded:

"To destroy us therefore...our enemies must first...seduce us from the house of God."

American Minute - Mar. 21 - Johann Sebastian Bach

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

Johann Sebastian Bach was born MARCH 21, 1685.

By age 10 his parents had died.

At 18, Bach was a church organist, followed by positions in royal courts.

Once Bach was imprisoned because a duke did not want him employed elsewhere.

Widowed with 7 children, he remarried and had 13 more.

Considered the "master of masters," Johann Sebastian Bach's works include Passion According to St. Matthew, and Jesus, Meine Freude (Jesus, My Joy!).

Johann Sebastian Bach stated:

"The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul. If heed is not paid to this, it is not true music but a diabolical bawling and twanging."

On February 22, 1990, President George H.W. Bush stated:

"The Bible has had a critical impact upon the development of Western civilization. Western literature, art, and music are filled with images and ideas that can be traced to its pages."

Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson wrote in McCollum v. Board of Education, 1948:

"It would not seem practical to teach either practice or appreciation of the arts if we are to forbid exposure of youth to any religious influences.

Music without sacred music would be incomplete, even from a secular point of view."

American Minute - Mar. 20 - Sir Isaac Newton

American Minute
wiith
Bill Federer

Sir Isaac Newton died MARCH 20, 1727.

With his mother widowed twice, he had been raised by his grandmother before being sent off to grammar school and later Cambridge.

Newton discovered calculus, the laws of gravity and built the first reflecting telescope.

Using a prism, Newton demonstrated that a beam of light contained all the colors of the rainbow.

President of the Royal Society from 1703 till his death, Sir Isaac Newton wrote in Principia, 1687:

"This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent Being...

All variety of created objects which represent order and life in the universe could happen only by the willful reasoning of its original Creator, whom I call the Lord God."

In Optics, 1704, Newton wrote:

"God in the beginning formed matter."

Regarding the Bible, Newton wrote:

"The system of revealed truth which this Book contains is like that of the universe, concealed from common observation yet the labors of the centuries have established its Divine origin."

In A Short Scheme of the True Religion, Sir Isaac Newton wrote:

"Atheism is so senseless and odious to mankind that it never had many professors."

State Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee named in a federal tax lien filed by IRS

State Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee is named in a federal tax lien filed by the Internal Revenue Service last year that sought $28,822 in federal taxes owed for almost two years.

The documents indicate that Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, paid off his over IRS due tax bill within one month after the lien was issued by the government. The lien was prepared on Oct. 27, and a certificate of release of the lien was issued on Nov. 26, according to documents on file in the Oklahoma County clerk's office.

"I think he should step down as pro tem of the Senate," Sen. Richard Lerblance, D-Hartshorne, said Friday.

Coffee, an attorney, knows the importance of paying personal income taxes on time, said Lerblance, assistant Democratic floor leader in the Senate.

"He's the elected pro tem of the Senate and he hasn't paid his taxes on time," Lerblance said. Although the taxes have been paid in full, there was a period of time in which Coffee maintained a tax debt with the federal government, he said.

"I think he still has an obligation to make sure it gets paid on time. The responsibility lies with the taxpayer."

Coffee, the first Republican leader of the Senate in state history, declined to comment on whether his private tax issue should reflect on his public leadership.

"That's for others to decide," Coffee said.

Coffee, who is affiliated with the Phillips Murrah law firm in Oklahoma City, said he takes responsibility for the matter.

"I did owe the money. There were extenuating circumstances. I borrowed the money to pay it off," said Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

The lien was filed the same year that former House Speaker Lance Cargill resigned from the House's top job following a series of embarrassing revelations that included submitting late property tax payments and not filing state personal income tax returns.

A lien is a legal claim on property that makes it collateral against money that is owed. Property that carries a lien can be forced into sale in order to collect.

The tax lien lists Coffee's residence and names himself and his wife, Lisa. It is for the tax period that ended on Dec. 31, 2006. The taxes were assessed in November 2007.

Coffee, who cannot run for re-election next year due to term limits, said he sought an extension of time in which to file his income tax return but that the time lapsed before the taxes were paid.

"Taxes are due on April 15," Coffee said. "I got an extension and it didn't get done on time."

He said he was attempting to secure a bank loan to pay the $28,822 tax bill when the lien was filed.

Coffee indicated he works with an accountant to prepare his taxes but that he takes responsibility for the tardiness.

"I am always personally responsible for my own taxes," Coffee said.

The Senate's Democratic caucus chairman, Sen. Kenneth Corn, said Coffee's tax problems reflect on his leadership of the Senate.

"I think it calls into question the standard of leadership which he offers," said Corn, of Poteau. But Corn stopped short of calling for Coffee's resignation.

"We do have a responsibility as policymakers to set an example for the rest of the state. But we are human and make mistakes," Corn said. "It sounds like Senator Coffee tried to correct it."

Several Democratic senators declined comment. Senate Democratic Leader Charlie Laster of Shawnee said he would withhold comment until he gets all the facts.

"That's the first I've ever heard of that," Laster said. "Sometimes there are tax disputes and the IRS files tax liens."