Health Care Vote, and Coburn on Vote-Sellers

U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, on the floor of the Senate Thursday:



The latest news from Washington shows that the House Democrats are dropping plans to "Deem" the Senate version of the health care legislation as passed; it looks like they actually will be voting on the bill Sunday.

Currently, the vote is too close to call - Nancy Pelosi needs 216 votes, and current estimates put the 'yes' column at 210.

Not to be gloomy, but I fear the passage of this legislation poses a great threat to our liberty, and will bring a dark future for our country. Pray for guidance for the members of Congress...

Lincoln-Reagan Dinner with J.C. Watts Tonight!

The Muskogee County Republican Party is holding their annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner tonight, with guest speaker J.C. Watts. There is a photo op with Watts at 6:30pm for $100; the Dinner starts at 7:00pm. Dinner tickets are $35 each.

Festivities include a raffle for two tickets for the upcoming Hannity Freedom Concert in Tulsa, live and silent auctions, and information from over a dozen candidates for state and local offices. Two more Hannity tickets will be given away in a drawing from people who sign up as Sustaining Members (monthly bank drafts to support the party).

For more information, visit MuskogeeRepublicans.org. You can view a pdf of the invitation here - below are jpg versions of the pdf (though they aren't nearly as readable as the pdf).

Shelton Make News With Crack Pipes

State Rep. Mike Shelton (D-OKC), who recently was in the news over the portrait flap in the State House, has made the news again - this time for attempting to hand out crack pipes to legislators at the Capitol.

Sources say that Shelton carried a sack of glass crack pipes into the Capitol, and tried to hand them to other legislators, while discussing legislation he is running to 'crack down' on the selling of such drug paraphernalia.

Shelton tried to hand one to State Rep. Rex Duncan (R-Sand Springs) who is running for District Attorney, in the private House lounge, but Duncan refused. Duncan told Shelton that "it's drug paraphernalia," that he would not take one, and that "it's a misdemeanor that carries up to a year in county jail just to have one in your possession." Our sources imply that Duncan felt the meeting had the air of a set-up.

Apparently, Shelton gave, or tried to give, pipes to other legislators, including House Speaker Chris Benge. One wound up on the House Floor, placed on a Republican representative's desk.

Rep. Terry Harrison (D-McAlester) was allegedly present when Shelton tried to give a pipe to Duncan. Harrison, who is also running for DA in his home district, told FOX 25 that "there's a certain amount of shock value with what Rep. Shelton did." Despite the questionable legality of the action, Harrison furthered stated that Shelton should be "commended" for bringing the issue to the attention of the legislature.

Shelton says he bought the pipes at a local convenience store. Possession of drug paraphernalia is a misdemeanor; Shelton said that he was aware of that, but doesn't believe that what he did qualifies as a criminal act.

Capitol security did not catch the crack pipes when Shelton came into the Capitol, but Shelton laughed it off when pressed by a KOKH FOX 25 interviewer. He said that he had to "make it real" for legislators, and would not hesitate to do it again.


Shelton was involved in controversy regarding official portraits on the House floor last week. Rep Lewis Moore (R-Arcadia) switched positions of President Obama's portrait and Governor Henry's portrait on the back wall of the House chamber, to which Shelton responded by taking former Republican House Speaker Lance Cargill's official portrait from the wall and placing it on the floor.

Shelton has made the rounds with the media, decrying Moore's "childish" action. Ironically, focus has been on Obama's portrait, while leaving the rest of the story, namely Cargill's portrait and Shelton's own childish actions, untold.

McCarville Too Much for Red China

The McCarville Report is, apparently, too much for the Chinese government. Oklahoma City politico Pat McFerron reports that the conservative blog is blocked by government internet censors.

He wrote to Mike McCarville, "Thought you might like to know that apparently your site is blocked by the Chinese government. I've been in Beijing and am now in Shanghai, and yours is the only website I regularly visit that have I have not been able to access. You should wear this as a badge of honor!"

The Blogging Brief

• Travis Gearhart at KTracy.com has penned a good article about Open Carry, which is particularly relevant given recent legislation in the Oklahoma Legislature regarding the aforementioned subject.

• SoonerPoll surveyed the 5th Congressional District race during the past two weeks (February 25th through March 10th... seems to me like a very long poll timetable). Kevin Calvey came in first, with 19.9%, Mike Thompson had 8.6%, and James Lankford got 7%; 62.6% were undecided. I met Lankford here in Muskogee this weekend, and found him to be a very appealing candidate. Since it appears unlikely for any candidate to receive 50%+1, this race will go to a runoff. If Lankford can make the runoff, he could very well enter as the frontrunner, as he seems well-set to draw either Thompson's voters or Calvey's supporters, depending on whoever else is in the runoff.

• This past week was very contentious in the Oklahoma Legislature. Tempers flared over texting-while-driving bans, open carry legislation, and the moving of President Obama's portrait.

• House Democrats are apparently considering using the "Slaughter Solution" to pass ObamaCare without actually voting on the bill. Larry Jackson has more information here.

• The Texas State Board of Education has recommended new changes to state curriculum, specifically as it relates to social studies. Here's a very biased AP article on the issue, complete with historical errors, such as referring to John Calvin (one of the great Reformers of the 16th Century) as a "Puritan theologian". Calvin preceded the Puritan movement, although his teachings did influence aspects of it.

The Conservative View: Open the Gate

This week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner Russell Turner (R-Stilwell).

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Open the Gate

A wise man once said that any government is a burden and expense to the citizens. I feel that the burden should be as small as possible; every effort should be made to make the government involvement into our lives simple and efficient. Anyone who has ever started a small business knows the runaround from our government just to obtain the proper licenses and permits to do business. From personal experience I know how frustrating it can be when you start calling different agencies; when you ask questions invariably the answer will be “I don’t know”. If you are lucky, after a dozen or so calls you might start to make some headway in getting your question answered. From my experiences the most useful information was to talk to other business people who had gone through the same process. I have often said that there should be some agency that an inexperienced entrepreneur could go to that could help them through the process. Fortunately a bill has passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives that has the potential to make the burdens for our business people much lighter.

House Bill 2310, by Rep. Jason Murphey, establishes a pilot program to integrate several licenses and permits with a one-stop Web site administered by the Department of Commerce. The bill would encourage a real-time environment where business owners can receive instant license and permit approval. The business one-stop site was established by legislation initially approved in 2007. The goal of the 2007 initiative was to provide potential business owners a single location they could visit in order to help them start a business.

We Americans seem to have forgotten that the entrepreneurial spirit of our citizens is the driving force of our economy. Government programs very seldom have a lasting positive impact upon our economy. I have observed people that would want to start a business, when they saw all of the hassle and paperwork they would decide to forget their desire to start a small business. I feel that the American people are a lot like a pen full of fine racehorses, they are just waiting for the gate to be opened so that they can stretch their legs. I say open the gate and let the American people grow our way out of the financial troubles we are experiencing. House Bill 2310 passed the House with a vote of 66-33 and will now proceed to the Senate for consideration.

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.

House Dem Leaders on Stupak Amendment: More children born, millions more in health care costs

Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI) in an interview with National Review regarding the health care bill:

Stupak notes that his negotiations with House Democratic leaders in recent days have been revealing. "I really believe that the Democratic leadership is simply unwilling to change its stance," he says. "Their position says that women, especially those without means available, should have their abortions covered." The arguments they have made to him in recent deliberations, he adds, "are a pretty sad commentary on the state of the Democratic party."

What are Democratic leaders saying? "If you pass the Stupak amendment, more children will be born, and therefore it will cost us millions more. That’s one of the arguments I’ve been hearing," Stupak says. "Money is their hang-up. Is this how we now value life in America? If money is the issue — come on, we can find room in the budget. This is life we’re talking about."

Stupak has led the pro-life Democrats in fighting against federal funding of abortions in the health care reform legislation. A fair-sized contingent of Democrats are opposing the legislation because of the abortion funding in the bill.

Lincoln-Reagan Dinner with J.C. Watts - March 18th

The Muskogee County Republican Party is holding their annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner on Thursday, March 18th, with guest speaker J.C. Watts. There is a photo op with Watts at 6:30pm for $100; the Dinner starts at 7:00pm. Dinner tickets are $25 if pre-paid, $35 at the door.

Festivities include a raffle for two tickets for the upcoming Hannity Freedom Concert in Tulsa, live and silent auctions, and information from over a dozen candidates for state and local offices. Two more Hannity tickets will be given away in a drawing from people who sign up as Sustaining Members (monthly bank drafts to support the party).

For more information, visit MuskogeeRepublicans.org. You can view a pdf of the invitation here - below are jpg versions of the pdf (though they aren't nearly as readable as the pdf).

Brogdon: Tax Credits Not The Solution To Job Creation

Tax Credits Are Not The Solution To Job Creation

Overspending of our State budget has many politicians looking in the wrong place to solve the problem. They are talking about borrowing more money from our children's and our grandchildren's future by robbing the state's emergency savings account.

Most politicians desire to "raise" revenue to match the current spending levels. My goal is to cut spending to match the current revenue without indebting our future or draining the state's savings account. The solution to the overdrawn budget is to cut spending and lower taxes.

Over $5 billion dollars has been taken in the past several years from the citizens of Oklahoma. This great amount of money has been filtered through state government to be redistributed to "favored" business. All in the form of so-called "Tax Credits". These "Tax Credits" are nothing more than government subsidies, and always cause higher taxes to be taken from the masses to profit a select few.

Based on my understanding of the Constitution and free market principles, I have been a long-standing proponent of eliminating "Tax Credits". After seven years of debating and voting against government subsidies, we are seeing a change. Finally other legislators and even the governor this year are following my leadership and asking for some "Tax Credit" reform.

"Tax Credits" are a government subsidy program which gives politicians the power to manipulate approved behavior, by giving special tax benefits to their selected friends at the expense of all other citizens. This is the reason why I vote against government subsidies. Eliminating subsidies and controlling the #1 issue of over-spending will set in motion a dynamic economy to create thousands of jobs in Oklahoma.

Over the last two decades, there has been a proliferation of corporate welfare in Oklahoma. Politicians have discovered they can financially support selected businesses in their districts by giving away large chunks of taxpayer dollars. Much to the chagrin of we who are capitalists, it was recently expressed on the Senate floor regarding economic development that: "Government's role is to set policy which will encourage proper behavior."

In other words, the senator who emphasized this believes it is government's responsibility to artificially control prices through tax credits. Lower prices would compel the consumer to purchase from government-favored companies rather than from its competitors who do not receive subsidies.

The Oklahoma Constitution clearly states, "Government is instituted for our protection, security, and benefit." It is not government's role to manipulate corporate behavior with tax dollars. Confiscating taxes from one and redistributing it to another, then calling it Economic Development, is not a proper function of government and is immoral at the least.

Beside the unconstitutional aspect of government subsidization of business, redistributed tax credits are diametrically opposed to the capitalist free enterprise system. Thomas Jefferson said, "The aim of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits."

Entrepreneurial ingenuity and personal productivity are the keys to success and the secret to the American dream. Government intrusion, over taxation, and regulation are sure to stifle prosperity and turn the dream into a nightmare. But if not hindered, any individual wishing to succeed has an equal chance to compete in the marketplace.

My solution to the budget problem is simple. It is based on free market principles and will have a profound positive impact on job growth. We should cut $1.3 billion dollars in spending and stop the tax credit subsidy programs which continue to plague our state budget with bigger deficits. By doing so, we place the money back in the hands of individuals and allow the market place, not politicians, decide who the winners and losers will be.

Dedicated to Liberty,

Randy Brogdon

State Sen. Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso) is running for Governor. To learn more about him, visit www.RandyBrogdon.com. Three other Republicans are running for governor: Congresswoman Mary Fallin (R-OKC), Yukon businessman Robert Hubbard, and retired Oklahoma City businessman Roger Jackson.

Press Release: Edmonds Leads Republican Pack

Congressional candidate Daniel Edmonds issued the following press release today.

Edmonds Leads Republican Pack in District 2 Congressional Race

MORRIS, OK – Daniel Edmonds, Republican candidate for Oklahoma’s Second Congressional District offers the best chance for Republicans to defeat current Democrat Congressman Dan Boren, according to Public Policy Polling, a national political polling firm. Results of the recently released poll show Daniel Edmonds as the leading Republican candidate and the best candidate to run against incumbent Boren. Edmonds received a significantly higher vote percentage than any of the other Republican candidates. He also kept Boren’s vote percentage substantially under 50% which was the lowest in the poll. Daniel Edmonds is leading the way with the highest name recognition of the Republican candidates as well.

“Our message of liberty, limited government, respect for the Constitution, respect for life, and personal responsibility resonates with individuals who care about our country, our heritage, and our legacy,” Edmonds said. “We are excited about the support our campaign is receiving as I believe I have the education and background to best represent District 2 Oklahomans in Washington.”

“The Republican primary election will be held July 27 and we are working to meet with as many constituents as possible. We are pleased with the results at this point in the campaign, but winning the primary in July and ultimately the general election in the voting booth is our goal. Over the next few months, we will be working hard to tell the Second District who I am and where I stand on the issues pertinent to our district and our country.”

To view poll results, visit http://www.publicpolicypolling.com. To learn more about Daniel Edmonds and his current campaign for Oklahoma’s U.S. Congressional District 2 Seat, visit http://danieledmonds.org.

You can view the PPP poll results in our post here, and you can read my analysis here.