AG Hunter renews pardon request for fmr. Army 1LT Michael Behenna

Attorney General Hunter Renews Pardon Request for Former Army 1st Lt. Michael Behenna

Letters to Pres. Trump, AG Barr, argue that current DOJ regulations interfere with president’s pardon powers

OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Mike Hunter has renewed his call for a presidential pardon for former U.S. Army 1st Lt. Michael Behenna in recent letters sent to President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr.

Last year, Attorney General Hunter asked President Trump to grant Behenna a pardon. The Department of Justice (DOJ) subsequently ruled that Behenna was ineligible to even apply for a pardon under its regulations and that he did not merit a waiver.

In the letters, Attorney General Hunter argues that current DOJ regulations wrongly interfere with the president’s broad pardon power under the U.S. Constitution by banning significant numbers of eligible persons, including Behenna, from applying for a pardon.

The DOJ bars all individuals currently incarcerated from applying for a pardon, as well as those who have been released in the last five years and those who are on parole, probation, or supervised release. Behenna will remain on parole until 2024.

Despite the regulations being advisory only, they are used internally for DOJ personnel to determine which applications get forwarded. The rule also states that petitioners may make a written request for a waiver, but the waiver is rarely granted and only in the most exceptional circumstances. All requests for pardons must go through the DOJ.

“The U.S. Constitution gives the president nearly absolute authority to pardon people from federal crimes,” Attorney General Hunter said. “For DOJ officials to use such strict regulations in determining who can even apply, they are interfering with the president’s prerogative and eliminating the ability for hundreds of thousands of eligible people, like Mr. Behenna, to have their case reviewed. I strongly encourage Attorney General Barr to review and revise the regulations to better align with the president’s authority under the Constitution.

“Likewise, I implore President Trump to review Mr. Behenna’s case and strongly consider granting him a pardon. He courageously served his country in combat in Iraq and he has more than paid for his mistakes and misjudgments in attempting to root out terrorism.”

Behenna was convicted in 2009 of killing a suspected terrorist in Iraq while searching for individuals responsible for an IED attack that took the lives of two men under his command. He was paroled in 2014 after serving five years of a 15-year sentence.

Read the letter to President Trump and Attorney General Barr, here: https://bit.ly/2KFyFDJ.

Leaders, friends comment on Mike McCarville's passing

Mike McCarville, legendary Oklahoma journalist and political commentator, passed away early this morning after a lengthy illness.

A legend in his field, McCarville had a storied media career, ranging from newspaper to television (KWTV) to radio (KOSU, KGWA, KTOK, NRANews), was Gov. Dewey Bartlett's press secretary, and published The McCarville Report since 1980 (in print, then online beginning in 2006, I believe). Mike served in the Army from 1958 to 1961, was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 2013, and received the Ronald Reagan Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oklahoma Republican Party in 2015.

The godfather of Oklahoma political reporting, his print and later web writings have been a staple among state political movers and shakers for over three decades. His political blog inspired other bloggers, myself included, to begin writing. Called at one point the "gold standard of political blogs" in Oklahoma, and banned in Red China, McCarville's blog was the go-to site for political news in Oklahoma. Since 2015, one of his goals has been to see civil asset forfeiture reform passed in Oklahoma, and Mike strongly pushed State Sen. Kyle Loveless' efforts to do so (his words from April 29, 2015 were: "This plague on our state and nation is my 2015-2016 pet peeve project. There is a chance we can get the Oklahoma law repealed if we raise enough hell about it. Law enforcement will protest that their budgets will be cut. That is no justification for this outrageous violation of rights. That drum beat you hear is me, out here marching around with my drum sticks.").

Mike's death signals the end of an era in Oklahoma political journalism and blogging. He was 76. Read the announcement post by his co-editor Jason Doyle here.

Reactions have been rolling in all day from elected officials, political activists, news figures, and friends. Here are a few:

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe: “Oklahoma has lost a great man and conservative voice. Mike was a staple of Oklahoma political journalism for decades and was known as a voice of reason around the state. I am fortunate to have known Mike and can tell you he was driven by a love for his family and his faith in God. My thoughts and prayers are with Mike McCarville’s beloved wife Ann as well as his children and grandchildren that he took tremendous pride in.”

U.S. Sen. James Lankford: “I’m saddened to learn of the passing of Mike McCarville. Mike was an investigator, communicator, and he had a passion for people and politics. He loved his state and its people, and he will be missed by me and my family. My prayers are with his loved ones and many friends.”

Gov. Mary Fallin: “Mike McCarville was a skilled journalist and one of Oklahoma’s most respected commentators. He had a strong curiosity who cared deeply about Oklahoma and was intrigued especially about the politics and newsmakers of our state. He was a personal friend who I will remember as being fair, but tough in pursuing stories and tips. He worked for several news outlets throughout his career, but I remember him most during his time on the radio, in which he liked to describe himself as the ‘man with a face for radio.’ My thoughts and prayers are with Mike’s family and friends during this difficult time, as we remember his joyful and caring spirit.”

State Sen. David Holt (R-OKC): "One of the most legendary names in Oklahoma politics has passed, and it wasn't a politician. For decades, Mike McCarville and his McCarville Report set the bar for political news. His namesake web site may live on, but we mourn the loss of the man. Rest In Peace, Mike McCarville."

State Sen. Kyle Loveless: "RIP I got to really know Mike on KTLR when I was host of Tailgate Political Hour with Keith Gaddie - Mike came on once a week and I learned more in that hour than all my time in classroom- Gentleman, Father, Grandfather and Journalist you will be missed"

Mayor Mick Cornett (R-OKC): "Already missing my friend Mike McCarville. He was our most frequent guest on 'The Verdict' with more than 20 appearances through the years."

Matt Pinnell: "A trailblazer. Passionate conservative and one heck of a journalist. RIP, Mike."

Anthony J. Ferate: "Oklahoma has lost a legend with Mike McCarville's departure of this vale of tears. May peace be with his family and all Oklahomans that regarded him as I did. May his memory be a blessing."

Cam Edwards (NRA): "Mike McCarville was my friend and mentor. Please keep his family, including his wife of 55 years, Ann, in your thoughts and prayers."

Howard Houchen: "Legendary Hall of Fame Journalist/Broadcaster, Mike McCarville passed away at 4:15am this morning. I thought the world of "Sir Mike" and valued his advice and political stories over the years. He will be missed, never forgotten."

Ed Goeas: "Rest in Peace Mike. My prayers go out to both him and his wonderful family. In forty years of working Oklahoma campaigns I always found him to be one of the top “GO TO” voices of Oklahoma."

Mike Edwards: "Saddened to hear of the passing of Mike McCarville. He was a trailblazer and giant in covering Oklahoma politics for decades. Before Drudge, before the Huffington Post, there was The McCarville Report. I will truly miss reading his insight and analysis."

Josh Kivett: "RIP Mike McCarville - an Oklahoma original, conservative icon and legendary journalist."

Charles Hill (also a blog post here): "This local media scene owes much of its very existence to Mike McCarville: he was blogging before there were any such things as blogs. RIP."

OHP, Loveless comment on ERAD card reader usage

Civil asset forfeiture has been a brewing controversy over the past few years, both in Oklahoma and across the nation.

What is civil asset forfeiture? Here's an explanation from the Cato Institute:

Under state and federal law, police departments can seize and keep property that is suspected of involvement in criminal activity. Unlike criminal asset forfeiture, however, with civil forfeiture, a property owner need not be found guilty of a crime—or even charged—to permanently lose her cash, car, home, or other property.

Oklahoma is widely recognized as a state with many abuses in the civil asset forfeiture practice. Mike McCarville of The McCarville Report has posted extensively about this topic. One recent case took place right here in Muskogee County, when Burmese Christian band manager Eh Wah had over $53,000 in sales proceeds and donations seized by the Muskogee County Sheriff's Department after being pulled over for a broken tail light. Wah was never charged with a crime, and after the story hit national media Muskogee County District Attorney Orvil Loge dropped all charges and returned the money.

Recently, news broke that the Oklahoma Highway Patrol had acquired new technology that can be used in asset forfeiture. Enter the Electronic Recovery and Access to Data (ERAD) Prepaid Card Reader. Here's this from the Department of Homeland Security:

During arrests of criminal couriers, law enforcement officers rarely find bundles of cash wrapped in rubber bands anymore. Instead, they find stacks of plastic cards — bank credit and debit cards, retail gift cards, library cards, hotel card keys, even magnetic-striped Metrorail cards — that have been turned into prepaid cards.

The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s Electronic Recovery and Access to Data (ERAD) Prepaid Card Reader is becoming a vital tool for law enforcement seizing these cards and funds associated with criminal activity.Several credit cards, hotel key cards and other cards with magnetic strips

The ERAD Prepaid Card Reader is a small, handheld device that uses wireless connectivity to allow law enforcement officers in the field to check the balance of cards. This allows for identification of suspicious prepaid cards and the ability to put a temporary hold on the linked funds until a full investigation can be completed. The project, developed by S&T’s First Responder Group (FRG), began in March 2012.
[...]
FRG transitioned the card reader to the commercial market, and it is now available for law enforcement use.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol acquired between 15 and 20 ERAD devices from ERAD Group, Inc., in April. According to the contract (PDF link), OHP is paying a one-time implementation charge of $5,000, in addition to 7.7% of all funds seized through the readers and up to $1,500 for training.

I spoke with OHP public information officer Capt. Paul Timmons yesterday about the program. According to Timmons, "The [ERAD] readers have been used in other states across the country for quite some time; Oklahoma has had them for approximately 3 weeks." He didn't have any information about surrounding states using the readers. Due to the amount of readers purchased, only a small number of patrol cars have the devices.

I asked how many incidents have resulted in seizing of funds, and he said that "there have been no seizures of funds to date." 

He further said that two arrests have taken place as a result of OHP implementing the ERAD readers. "There have been charges filed for taking a credit card without consent, false making of credit/debit cards, possession of unsigned credit/debit cards, and possession of incomplete credit/debit cards as a result of having the [ERAD] machines. Other charges filed include possession of falsely/embossed bank cards and possession of drug paraphernalia. Total arrested so far 2 subjects with charges totaling over 260 felony charges.  Arrest warrants have been issued for two other suspects." The two individuals arrested had 129 cards with them.

When asked under what circumstances the readers are used, Capt. Timmons likened it to a DUI stop. The individual has to meet certain benchmarks before being pulled over, and if the officer determines there is enough probable cause or reasonable suspicion, they obtain consent to search vehicle and to run cards through reader. If the information listed on the card doesn't match what shows up when the card is scanned, the ERAD reader gives an error message, at which point they can pursue to an arrest and/or seizing of the card(s).

Capt. Timmons said that the biggest misconception about the readers is that they can scan bank debit or credit cards and pull banking information off. He said that is not the case; the readers only work on preloaded gift cards and similar cards. "We absolutely will not ask for your banking information" or credit card information.

According to Capt. Timmons, OHP is using the devices primarily to investigate credit card fraud and identity theft.

State Sen. Kyle Loveless, the primary legislative author of civil asset forfeiture reform, has strong concerns about the program.

Overreach by the government without any or little due process is what we fought the British over 200 years ago.

Rewind your clock a year, we were told NO innocent people's property was ever taken, and we only could use the property on drug interdiction efforts and law enforcement purposes.   That sounds great- but it is patently FALSE.

Ask the Goss family of Creek County or Chief Steven Mills of Apache, Oklahoma or the famous case out of Muskogee – of international fame because of Mr. Wah who was the manager for the Christian band that traveled around the US raising money for missions, and for orphans in Burma.

If their money isn't safe neither is yours or mine. These ERAD readers are forfeiture on steroids.

Their own promotional materials boast of taking months of wasted time and process where we can drain the funds from these cards in seconds—from months to seconds. They leave two words out – DUE PROCESS.

The legislature was never told about these purchases and when 25 states had legislation to reform their terrible forfeiture laws- Oklahoma double downed and went the opposite direction.  The timing of hearing about this after session is lost on no one.

We are hearing of how business and tourism will be effected by this unacceptable, unconscionable, un-American and the opposite of what Oklahomans want.  This is a slap in the face of every Oklahoman.  Guess who the biggest card issuer is of prepaid debit cards?  The state of Oklahoma uses pre paid cards for all kinds of reasons.

I will continue to fight, there is no left or right up or down – there is wrong and right and this is plain wrong.

According to OklahomaWatch, the ERAD readers are also in use by "a joint law enforcement drug interdiction team under the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office".

What do you think about the program? Comment with your thoughts.

Muskogee DA Drops Forfeiture Case Against Christian Orphanage, Church, and Band

Victory: Muskogee DA Drops Forfeiture Case Against 

Christian Orphanage, Church, and Band

Muskogee, Okla.—This afternoon, Muskogee, Oklahoma, District Attorney Orvil Loge indicated that his office was officially dropping all charges against Eh Wah, a Burmese refugee he had charged with possession of drug proceeds [background stories from the Institute for Justice and the Washington Post]. He also indicated that he would drop the civil forfeiture and immediately return the money Muskogee law enforcement officials took from a group of Karen Christian refugees from Burma and Thailand. The announcement comes less than a day after the Institute for Justice announced that it was representing the innocent owners in the case.

Following the announcement, Institute for Justice (IJ) Attorney Dan Alban issued the following statement:

“We are thrilled that District Attorney Loge has dropped the criminal case against Eh Wah and offered to return the money to the band, the church and the orphanage. The intense public scrutiny generated by this outrageous case led to justice being served. Unfortunately, civil forfeiture laws allows property to be seized from innocent people every day in this country. The law allows this to occur and most people do not have the media or pro bono counsel to fight it. Absent the extraordinary circumstances of this case, that property is almost always forfeited and lost for good, even if no one is charged with or convicted of a crime.”

“Muskogee has no excuse for this gross miscarriage of justice. Based on next to no evidence, what started as an ordinary traffic stop turned into a nightmare. They turned a man’s entire life upside down. It should have never come to this. This is a clear-cut case of abuse of power.”

“Not every civil forfeiture victim is a Christian orphanage or a world-renowned Burmese Christian band, but when even their money isn’t safe, no one’s money is safe from forfeiture abuse. This case illustrates that civil forfeiture laws are fundamentally unjust.”

IJ Senior Attorney Matt Miller added:

“Earlier this year, Oklahoma rejected a bill that would have reformed the state’s civil forfeiture laws to better protect property owners after law enforcement claimed that there was no evidence the law was being abused. This case shows that no one’s property is safe from a forfeiture system that incentivizes police to take as much cash and property as possible while making it difficult for owners of that property to fight back. Civil forfeiture needs to end, or be radically reformed. It cannot come soon enough.”

Finally, Eh Wah added:

“This was an experience that no one should ever have to live through. It felt like something that would happen in a third-world country, but not in the United States. I’m just so happy that this is over and I hope that no one else will have to go through something like this.”

          *          *          *          *          *

It's amazing how quickly justice can move when enough attention is brought to bear. It certainly makes you wonder about similar situations where money is wrongly seized, but this type of ending doesn't occur. Kudos to the Washington Post and others for shining light on this, and bringing this outcome to pass.

Mike McCarville (the "elder statesman" of Oklahoma's conservative blogosphere) has been beating the drum for quite some time now on changing Oklahoma's civil asset forfeiture laws. It's a shame that powers-that-be in the state legislature stopped State Sen. Kyle Loveless' attempts to bring much-needed reform to this issue.

"Not Well-Suited" for public office? Mike McCarville's platform

Mike McCarville, author of Oklahoma's premier political blog, has no intention of running for office, but his campaign platform has the makings of a winner.

The 73-year old political media veteran says that his platform "likely will offend many", but "so be it."  McCarville says he's "not well-suited", but I'll let you decide.

Here are Mike's first three planks:

1 – Elimination of the Internal Revenue Service and thus, the federal income tax.
2 – Elimination of the Oklahoma personal income tax.
3 – Removal of the federal government from the operation and/or oversight of public schools.

Sounds pretty good, huh? Read the rest here.

WaPo lists Bates, McCarville, Faught top Oklahoma political bloggers

Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post's The Fix recently compiled a list of the "best state-based political blogs" in the country, based on recommendations from readers and political junkies.

Representing Oklahoma on The Fix's list are Michael Bates' BatesLine, Mike McCarville's The McCarville Report Online, and Muskogee Politico (authored by yours truly).

I am humbled to have been included with these two fine gentlemen on this list. Blogging has been a very good experience for me, and I hope I have been able to pass along good information to my readers, and given them reason to come back often!

Brief Blogging Bullets

• 12 freshmen Republican legislators issued a press release last night encouraging the state to return or not accept any federal money associated with ObamaCare and the controversial 'early innovator' grant. This was apparently prompted by the backlash and uproar over the House passage of HB2130. Ironically, each of the twelve legislators in the press release voted for HB2130, despite the fact that many of the points made in their press release were made by opponents of HB2130 before these twelve voted for the bill.
• Oklahoma's leading political blogger, Mike McCarville, is pushing for U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn to run for president, and it has sparked a bit of discussion even outside of Oklahoma.
• The more time elapses from the announcement of the budget compromise, the worse the news gets. The CBO is now saying that in actuality, it doesn't cut $38.5 billion, it cuts $352 million.
• Newsmax.com is reporting that Donald Trump will announce his presidential candidacy a few days after the Celebrity Apprentice TV show finale. This on the heels of a CNN/Opinion Research GOP primary poll that has Trump tied with Huckabee for the lead at 19% nationwide (Palin was at 12%, Gingrich and Romney at 11%). All of this makes me wonder if Trump will just be the 2012 version of Fred Thompson.
• Gov. Mary Fallin declined to reauthorize the controversial Governor's Ethnic American Advisory Council. 'Ethnic American', meaning 'Islamic'. That was one of the most insanely ridiculous politically-correct terms I had ever heard.
• Three anonymous state legislators (allegedly two representatives, one senator) have launched a blog to discuss the race for House Speaker (2013-2014 term). In particular, they have focused on candidate T.W. Shannon, and his close ties to controversial-but-highly-successful consultant Fount Holland.

I apologize for the drop in posting lately; I've been really busy cleaning carpets. Speaking of.... if you need your carpets cleaned....

Brogdon's take on the two-year moratorium

As controversy continues over the appointment and/or hiring of ex-legislators by Governor Fallin and Insurance Commissioner John Doak, former State Sen. Randy Brogdon weighs in with his take. Brogdon, now with a job in the Insurance Department, is one of the three hires in question.

Many of my supporters have been asking what I will be doing in the future, so I want to give you an update.  I have been asked by Insurance Commissioner John Doak to serve as his Deputy Commissioner of the Fraud Division.  I am honored to serve and am excited about the opportunities to protect the citizens of Oklahoma. 

There has been a lot of discussion whether or not legislators can work for a state agency within two years after their legislative service is over.  The answer to that question is yes.  As a matter of fact there have been several Supreme Court decisions as well as Attorney Generals opinion stating the affirmative.  Following is an honest appraisal of the facts along with the spirit and the intent of the law.

The bill has three distinct provisions.  First, no member of the legislature can be appointed to an office that was created during his term of office.

Secondly, no member can receive an appointment from the Governor during his term of office.

The third provision of the bill deals with the two year moratorium which is often mischaracterized. The moratorium specifically restricts a legislator from entering into a “contract” with any state agency that was authorized during his term of office.

For example if the legislature created the “Department of Prescription Drugs” during his term of office he could not serve or contract with that department for a period of two years after his term was over.

The letter of the law and the spirit of the law are not to restrict a former legislator from working for a state agency, it is simply designed to prevent a legislator form having influence in creating a position and then moving directly in to it.

Other Oklahoma bloggers have been discussing this topic as well. Mike McCarville posted a poll asking if the appointments violated the spirit of the "no hire" law; 60% said that it went against it. Ron Black agreed with McCarville's poll respondents.

I'll be posting more on this issue later. The section of the Oklahoma Constitution in question is here.

Switzer and Miller: 'Spy' Cams and Tax Credits

There is a common thread between two controversies covered by prominent Oklahoma bloggers and watchdogs.

Ken Miller and Barry Switzer - the InsureNet 'Spy' Camera Controversy

Mike McCarville, of the prominent and widely respected McCarville Report Online, has covered the InsureNet "Spy Cam" controversy very thoroughly in the past few months. His work uncovered several individuals who played key roles in the process.

Former football coach Barry Switzer has been involved in a nationwide move with InsureNet to land contracts for highway cameras designed to scan license plates. The first step in the process here in Oklahoma was to get the system moving through legislative means. Entering the scene here is State Rep. Ken Miller, who is now running for State Treasurer. Switzer has donated the maximum contribution of $5,000 to Miller's Treasurer race.

McCarville has many posts on this particular issue, but there are two specific posts that detail the involvement of Switzer and Miller. The first post is here, and the second is here.

Ken Miller and Barry Switzer - Controversy over Tax Credits

There is another tie between Miller and Switzer, dealing with tax credits.

From Andrew Griffin at Oklahoma Watchdog:

Investigative researcher and writer Nick Baker who goes by the handle “The Prowling Owl” and runs prowlingowl.com wrote a story in 2009 headlined “Tax credit fraud details found in Foxborough prospectus.” Involved in Foxborough, reported Baker, was Foxborough board member Barry Switzer, a figure, the researcher believes is involved in a program “to steal public funds, through tax credit scams.” This prospectus, Baker notes, is basically saying: “Our goal is tax credits,  we don’t want companies with employees. We only want companies that don’t need money and have the free and clear assets to borrow the money to give us on paper so we can give it back, call it an investment and get tax credits.”

In another post, headlined “OTC (Oklahoma Tax Commission) gives Switzer’s and partner’s $48 million in tax credits for investing $5 million,” Baker writes: “The fraud is executed in the Oklahoma Tax Commission, which comes under the supervision of the state treasurer. Barry Switzer just had a fundraiser for Rep. Ken Miller, running for state treasurer. Miller is currently chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, one of the most powerful positions in the legislature, while tax credit fraud runs rampant and ignored. While Switzer and cronies pillage the state treasury.”

The rest of the OW story is here. Nick Baker, of ProwlingOwl.com, has written extensively about hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credit fraud, which, in addition to Switzer, Miller, and numerous other individuals, also implicates 5th District congressional candidate Kevin Calvey.

Happy Birthday, Mike McCarville!

Widely read and respected Oklahoma policical blogger, Mike McCarville, is turning 70 today.

Read his post here.

From the Muskogee Politico and his readers: happy birthday, Mike!

Brogdon Misquotes, Misrepresents McCarville in Campaign Email

In his latest campaign email, Republican gubernatorial candidate Randy Brogdon speaks about his latest television commercial. You know, the one I was critical of, and called 'deceptive'.

His email says the following:

I find it extremely important that voters are presented with all the facts before they go into the ballot box July 27th.  I have been very open and honest with my record of promoting smaller government, protecting your freedom, and lowering taxes. Unfortunately, my opponent has been dodging her record of voting for the bailout over the last year.

Watch our latest T.V. advertisement now!

The bailout vote gave one TRILLION dollars of YOUR money to bail out financial institutions and gave the federal government control over certain private businesses.  This was not small government, fiscal responsibility, nor Oklahoma values.  So, I find it very important Oklahoma Republican voters are aware of Representative Mary Fallin’s voting record.

McCarville, an Oklahoma political reporter, recently wrote:

" Republican gubernatorial candidate Randy Brogdon's campaign warchest is thin compared to opponent Mary Fallin's and some observers say Fallin should give thanks for that. They point to this Brogdon commercial, which some believe would resonate with voters if Brogdon had enough money to saturate the television airwaves with it."

Dedicated to Liberty,

Randy Brogdon

[emphasis as in original]

However, there is a huge inaccuracy in the attribution of Mike McCarville's statement that I, as a "brother" blogger, feel compelled to correct.

On Thursday, July 8th, Mike McCarville wrote two posts about Brogdon TV commercials.

At 1:59pm, he posted about Brogdon's attack ad. In the post itself, there was no commentary - just the YouTube video of the "Mary Fallin Compromise" advertisement.

Again, let me reiterate. He wrote no commentary about the ad. You can see for yourself here.

But, that was not his first post of the day about a Brogdon commercial. At 5:27am, he posted about Brogdon's excellent "Freedom" ad.

It was about that ad, a positive commercial about Randy, that McCarville made the following commentary:

Republican gubernatorial candidate Randy Brogdon's campaign warchest is thin compared to opponent Mary Fallin's and some observers say Fallin should give thanks for that. They point to this Brogdon commercial, which some believe would resonate with voters if Brogdon had enough money to saturate the television airwaves with it.

Again, here is the link to this particular post by McCarville.

As you can see with your own eyes, McCarville did not make that statement about the attack ad, but about the previously released positive ad.

This was a blatant misquote and misrepresentation by the Brogdon campaign. The implication in the campaign email is that Mike McCarville, the most widely read and prominent political blogger in Oklahoma, posted that particular quote about a widely criticized ad. Unfortunately for the Brogdon campaign, that was absolutely not the case, and they have been caught in something that cannot be explained away. There is no excuse, there is no justification for such blatant untruthfulness.


Oklahoma Values have been a topic that has been much discussed by the candidates for governor.

One of the premier Oklahoma Values is that of Honesty.


**UPDATE**: Mike McCarville now reports, "Randy Brogdon has apologized. He said the error is his."

License Plate Camera Controversy

There is a controversy brewing over plans in the recently announced state budget agreement to install cameras on Oklahoma highways to check for insurance verification.

Click here to get the whole story from Mike McCarville.

This issue involves current and former members of the legislature (including a certain state house member who is running for statewide office), Barry Switzer, Brad Henry, and a host of other participants.

Be sure and read all about it at the McCarville Report.

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!"

McCarvilles Celebrate 48 Years of Marriage

Respected Oklahoma blogger Mike McCarville and his wife Ann are celebrating their 48th year of wedded bliss today.

So, from one blogger to another, congratulations and happy anniversary, Mike!

Coffee Refutes ODP/OKPNS Smear

From the McCarville Report:

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee today refuted a claim by former Democratic Party Chairman Ivan Holmes in which Holmes alleges an intoxicated Coffee called him at home last week and threatened him. Coffee's comments came in response to an inquiry from The McCarville Report Online after a Missouri blog posted a story in which Holmes infers it was Coffee who called him last Thursday night, but then says the caller "claimed to be" Coffee.

[...]

"This (blog) is absolute sleaze," said one infuriated former Oklahoma Republican Party official. "Did Holmes pay to have this printed? I know blogs don't follow journalistic guidelines, but this one seems intent on constantly printing lies and attacking Republicans with lies."

Click here for the rest of the story.

I agree with the unnamed Republican official. Oklahoma Political News Service likes to tout themselves as a reputable blog, but most of their material is just political sleaze and unproven smears. Ironically, OKPNS isn't even based in Oklahoma - it's run out of Missouri. Unfortunately for the blogger at OKPNS, he has discredited himself too many times to be taken seriously.

Congrats to McCarville on 30 Years

The McCarville Report Online, what I consider to be Oklahoma's premier political blog (and conservative, to boot), is celebrating its 30th year in existence today.

Originally in newsletter form as The McCarville Report, TMRO has undergone name and format changes in its thirty-year life.

TMRO is probably the most widely read and most influential political blog in the state. I highly recommend putting TMRO on your must-read blog list.

So here's a big congratulations to Mike McCarville on this milestone, from the Muskogee Politico and his readers!