Speaker Shannon announces House committee leadership

Speaker Shannon Announces Committee Leadership Posts

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Speaker-elect T.W. Shannon today announced committee chairs and vice chairs for standing House committees and appropriation subcommittees.

“After careful consideration, we chose members who we believe have the talent, experience and leadership qualities to lead these committees as effectively and efficiently as possible for the people of Oklahoma,” said Rep. Shannon, R-Lawton. “I am grateful for each of these members’ willingness to serve, and I look forward to the upcoming session.”

The House committee Chairs and Vice Chairs for the upcoming legislative session include (click to view below the break):

Jim DeMint retiring to lead the Heritage Foundation

U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) has announced that he will be resigning from the Senate at the end of this year to take over the helm of the Heritage Foundation. The longtime president of Heritage, Ed Feulner, is retiring after 35 years of leading the nation's premier conservative think-tank.

The move comes as a surprise, and has sent shock waves through conservative circles and Capitol Hill. DeMint had been the de-facto leader of the conservative "resistance" in the U.S. Senate's GOP caucus, and played a major role in getting conservative members like Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Lee (R-UT), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) elected.

With his pending resignation, conservative South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley will appoint a replacement Senator, who will fill in until a special election is held in 2014.

Reactions from conservatives across the nation

Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs: "We at OCPA could not be more pleased with the selection of Sen. Jim DeMint as the next president of the Heritage Foundation. Known for his commendable courage of conviction and principled commitment to federalism, Sen. DeMint is a staunch defender of liberty with a reputation for the strictest possible integrity. As such, he is perfectly poised not just to maintain Heritage’s impeccable record as the premier think tank in the country but also to lead the organization and the entire free-market movement into a new era – one in which policy is grown from the ground up. Sen. DeMint has already indicated that he intends to work closely with state think tanks – like OCPA – to translate policy papers into concrete demonstrations of what works.

Erick Erickson (RedState): While my initial reaction was one of sadness that we are losing the clearest voice in the Senate for conservatives, the upside on Jim DeMint’s departure from the Senate is mind boggling. [...] Jim DeMint’s power in the conservative movement just grew exponentially. A man who was going to retire in four years anyway, will now be leading the conservative movement from its base of operations for years to come.

Without Jim DeMint we would still have a conservative movement that is part and parcel the Republican Party in name, word, and deed. DeMint showed the Republican Party can be challenged from within and that conservatism can be distinctly voiced from within the party moving it right, not moving with it.

The more I think about it, the more I think this is a great thing. Just yesterday, John Hayward noted Jim DeMint may just be the leader of the resistance within the GOP on the fiscal cliff deal. But DeMint has replenished the bench of conservatives within the Senate. As long as he remains there, the new conservatives will be in his shadow.

Jim DeMint is, like Ed Feulner, not indispensable. But his ideas are. It is time for the tea party senators he brought to the Senate to stretch their legs and prove they are Jim DeMint’s ideological heirs. In the meantime, he will be on the outside providing them the support and intellectual ammunition they need.

Ed Morrisey (Hot Air): Frankly, I’m disappointed by the move, although this gives Heritage a big boost.  I had hoped to see DeMint act as a conservative leader in the Senate for the next four years, especially with Democrats taking a bigger majority after this past election.  Haley will make a wise appointment, I’m sure, and other Republicans in the chamber will get an opportunity to fill his shoes. However, considering the fights ahead of us, it would have been much better to have DeMint as a stalwart on the inside rather than an activist on the outside.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY): "I thank Senator DeMint for his uncompromising service to South Carolina and our country in the United States Senate. Jim helped provide a powerful voice for conservative ideals in a town where those principles are too often hidden beneath business as usual.  There is no question in my mind that he raised the profile of important issues like spending and debt and helped galvanize the American people against a big government agenda. I am confident that he will continue to advocate for conservative principles in the next chapter of his service to the American people."

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL): "Senator DeMint is one of the main reasons why I’m in the U.S. Senate. When I ran for the U.S. Senate two and a half years ago, no one thought I had a chance to win. Jim DeMint was the first person in Washington that believed in me and invested in me, and I’m eternally grateful. Of course, we’re going to be sad that he’s not going to be with us here in the Senate every day, but we’re excited for the new opportunity that he has to lead the limited government, free enterprise movement from outside the Capitol at the Heritage Foundation. We’re just excited about that and look forward to working with him in his new capacity."

Club For Growth: “Senator DeMint has done more to advance the cause of freedom and liberty in Congress than anyone else since his election,” said Club for Growth President Chris Chocola. “Senator DeMint is a champion of economic freedom, a defender of free markets, and one of the strongest allies the Club for Growth has had in the United States Senate. We wish him nothing but the best in his new role at Heritage.”

Sen. Coburn gives tribute to chief-of-staff Michael Schwartz

Senator Tom Coburn recently spoke on the Senate floor to recognize Michael Schwartz, his longtime Chief of Staff. Schwartz, who has served as chief of staff during Coburn's time in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, is no longer able to work on Capitol Hill due to health issues related to ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

Before serving with Coburn, Mike had extensive involvement with national pro-life organizations and conservative groups.

Kaye Beach: Warning to Oklahoma Activists about Al Gerhart

A Warning to Oklahoma Activists about Al Gerhart

by Kaye Beach

“This would be a good time to take your medicine and remain silent about anything i do or say”

That is the message I received from Al Gerhart this morning.

Although I loath to have to write about this on my personal blog, I feel I have no choice because I have realized that some of my friends that have not had to spend time at ground zero with Al Gerhart, do not know the extent of his abusiveness towards other grassroots activists and this is why I have chosen to make my remarks on the situation both clear and public, so that they will know.

The grassroots activists in Oklahoma has a poison in their midst. The poison is Al Gerhart of the Sooner Tea Party.

I do not want to make a public logbook of all each and every harm caused by the man so you can take my words of caution for what you believe they are worth and you are welcome to contact me privately if you have any questions.

I tolerated Gerhart far longer than I should have.  It was some months ago when I knew for certain that he invariably destroys nearly everything he touches and that there is no tolerating of him.  At that point I pointedly and  publicly severed ties. But that did not free me from the damage caused by Gerhart.  Without fail people and projects that I love have crossed paths with the man since causing damage and heartache to all touched by him.  He also will not refrain from exercising  a vendetta against any and all that he feels have crossed him in some way making my first choice of a peaceful parting of ways impossible.

Click here to read the rest of Kaye's post on her blog, 'AxXiom for Liberty'.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I have a lot to be thankful for this year: salvation through Jesus Christ, family and friends (new and old), a roof over my head (brand new, to boot!), a job, good health, freedom like no other country on earth.... but this Thanksgiving in particular I'm thankful for Kristen, my wonderful wife of now 75 days.

What are you thankful for?

Oklahoma Presidential Results Map: 2008 vs. 2012

This map shows the trends in voting when comparing the 2008 presidential race and the 2012 presidential race in Oklahoma. Counties colored a shade of red trended more Republican, and counties colored a shade of blue went more Democrat when compared to the 2008 results.

Jefferson County had the greatest increase for Republicans, at 11.64%. Adair County had the greatest increase for Democrats, coming in at 3.85%. All told, 14 counties had higher percentages for Obama in 2012 than in 2008.

Oklahoma General Elections Results Map - 2nd District

Here is a map of the 2nd District general election results.

Oklahoma General Elections Results Map - President

Mitt Romney once again carried all of Oklahoma's 77 counties, most with larger margins than before, and some with rather extreme percentages. His best county was Cimarron County, where the GOP nominee received 90.39% of the vote. As in 2008, Obama's best performance came in Cherokee County, where he took 42.95% (in 2008 he got 43.92%).

For reference, here is the 2008 map:

Four More Years

As of 10:15pm CST, President Barack Obama crested the critical 270 mark in electoral votes. Throughout much of the evening, the big states of Ohio and Florida bounced between Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney, but Ohio appears to have finally landed in the Obama camp's tally, pushing the President across the finish line.

Ironically enough, Mitt Romney currently leads in the popular vote - a reversal from the 2000 election, when George Bush won the Electoral College but lost the popular vote to Al Gore.

Election 2012: My Endorsements

After months of being bombarded by political materials and advertisements, Election Day is almost here. I wanted to take a moment to go through the various races in Oklahoma (primarily eastern Oklahoma), and give my thoughts and/or recommendations, for any who might be interested.


PRESIDENT/VICE PRESIDENT: Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan
Obviously, we desperately need a change in the White House. Romney was not my top choice in the GOP primary (not my second, third or fourth, either), but even so, he will be a *MUCH* greater improvement over the disastrous Obama/Biden administration.

CONGRESS (1st District): Jim Bridenstine
Jim Bridenstine is a great candidate - genuinely conservative, and extremely intelligent. He will serve Oklahoma well in Congress. I have met Jim, and am thoroughly impressed with him as an individual, and expect great things out of him.

CONGRESS (2nd District): Markwayne Mullin
Markwayne Mullin (again, not my first choice in the GOP primary, or my second, third, or fourth) will line up on the conservative side in Congress on a consistent basis. The same can't be said for his Democratic opponent, Rob Wallace, who will caucus with the Democrats, and be just conservative enough every now and then to appease his conservative constituents.

STATE SENATE (District 5): Howard Houchen
Howard Houchen is a good friend of mine, and will make a *tremendous* conservative state senator. Howard is well known in Oklahoma for his outspoken support of legislation which promotes economic freedom and protects Life, Liberty, and Property while being very active in informing and resisting, and even defeating, legislation that threatens the freedoms of all Oklahomans. This will be a close race.
Senate District 5 covers all of Choctaw, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties, and portions of Atoka and LeFlore counties.

STATE SENATE (District 9): Barney Taylor
Barney Taylor is running against incumbent State Senator Earl Garrison. Garrison likes to act conservative at home, and vote more liberally in OKC. Barney is a conservative, and while not expected to come close, had the courage to place his name on the ballot and campaign. In Muskogee County, where Republican candidates can be few and far between, this needs to be rewarded by Republican voters.
Senate District 9 covers most of eastern and central Muskogee County (excluding Fort Gibson), and central Cherokee County (Tahlequah city limits, and south of Hwy 62 towards Muskogee).

STATE HOUSE (District 12): David Tackett
David Tacket is a staunch conservative (although I disagree on a few issues with him, such as tort reform), waging an uphill fight against incumbent Democrat Wade Rousselot, largely without help from the GOP establishment (whom he has fought with on numerous occasions).
District 12 covers most of central and eastern Wagoner County.

STATE HOUSE (District 14): Arthur Hulbert
This is the seat my dad has held for the past six years. Arthur Hulbert is a conservative who will stand up for family values and free-market principles. District 14 has only gone Republican once (George Faught, 2006-2012) - Arthur is a good choice to continue conservative representation.
House District 14 covers eastern Muskogee and western Cherokee counties.

OKLAHOMA SUPREME COURT: vote NO
In Oklahoma, we vote on retaining judges, as opposed to a judge vs. judge race. As far as I know, never has a state judge not been retained in Oklahoma history. HOWEVER, I will be voting against ALL Oklahoma Supreme Court justices. The Oklahoma Supreme Court is rather liberal, with most of the justices having been appointed by Democrat governors (all OSC justices on the ballot were picked by Brad Henry), and in recent years has struck down many pro-life bills or petitions. Given those reasons, I strongly encourage you to vote NO on all Oklahoma Supreme Court justices.

OKLAHOMA COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS: vote NO
As with the Supreme Court, all of the Criminal Appeals judges were appointed by liberal Gov. Brad Henry (D). I encourage you to vote against all of them.

OKLAHOMA COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS
P. Thomas Thornbrugh - appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin (R). Vietnam veteran. (YES)
William C. Hetherington, Jr. - appointed by Gov. Brad Henry (D).  (NO)
Kenneth L. Buettner - appointed by Gov. Frank Keating (R). Involved with his Catholic Church in various capacities.  (YES)
Robert Bobby Bell - appointed by Gov. Brad Henry (D). At one time was the youngest sitting judge in Oklahoma.  (NO)
E. Bay Mitchell, III - appointed by Gov. Frank Keating (R).  (YES)

Since I know next to nothing about the courts, judges and justices, and finding out information about them is so very difficult, I tend to vote for the those appointed by Republican governors and against those appointed by Democrat governors. The other option is to vote against them all; if by chance one of them was not retained, their replacement would be appointed by the sitting governor (in the case, Republican Mary Fallin).

Tulsa Vision2 - AGAINST
Tulsa residents would be wise to reject this major tax extension. Michael Bates of BatesLine.com has excellent commentary and resources on why to vote against Vision2.

STATE QUESTION 758 (info): YES
STATE QUESTION 759 (info): YES
STATE QUESTION 762 (info): NO
STATE QUESTION 764 (info): NO
STATE QUESTION 765 (info): YES
STATE QUESTION 766 (info): YES
State Rep. Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie) has an excellent page on the state questions, found here.

That about sums it up. If you have any questions or comments, or want to see what I think about something else, let me know!

Danny Beck Chevy runs 2nd District parody ad

As 2nd Congressional District candidates Markwayne Mullin (R) and Rob Wallace (D) slug out the final days of the election, Danny Beck Chevrolet of Tulsa is out with a new commercial that indirectly refers to the race. A piece of political parody, the Danny Beck ad makes allusions to several television spots run by the Wallace campaign (in particular, Wallace's ad on water).




See the resemblance? I am told that another Wallace/Mullin ad is in the Danny Beck commercial, but I can't find the original spot online, and don't watch television enough to have seen it myself.

Rain or Shine

Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, during ongoing Hurricane Sandy.

(photo credit: Tom Dell'Omo)