BREAKING: McCain picks Palin

From the McCain campaign:

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain today announced that he has selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate and to serve as his vice president.

Governor Palin is a tough executive who has demonstrated during her time in office that she is ready to be president. She has brought Republicans and Democrats together within her Administration and has a record of delivering on the change and reform that we need in Washington.

Governor Palin has challenged the influence of the big oil companies while fighting for the development of new energy resources. She leads a state that matters to every one of us -- Alaska has significant energy resources and she has been a leader in the fight to make America energy independent.

In Alaska, Governor Palin challenged a corrupt system and passed a landmark ethics reform bill. She has actually used her veto and cut budgetary spending. She put a stop to the "bridge to nowhere" that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars.

As the head of Alaska's National Guard and as the mother of a soldier herself, Governor Palin understands what it takes to lead our nation and she understands the importance of supporting our troops.

Governor Palin has the record of reform and bipartisanship that others can only speak of. Her experience in shaking up the status quo is exactly what is needed in Washington today.

For more information on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, try these links:

Draft Sarah Palin for VP
Sarah Palin for VP
Palin for America
That’s The Ticket! Reform-Reform ‘08

The Non-Existent Biden Bounce

Gallup Daily: No Bounce for Obama in Post-Biden Tracking

PRINCETON, NJ -- It's official: Barack Obama has received no bounce in voter support out of his selection of Sen. Joe Biden to be his vice presidential running mate.

Read more here. (Click on the image to see larger)

Veep Stakes

My thoughts on McCain and Obama's VP picks:

Obama taps Sen. Joe Biden (D, Delaware) to build some foreign policy credentials.

McCain chooses Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R, MN). A safe pick; no major disadvantages, and doesn't alienate the base.

Muskogee City Council Rejects US Mayor's Global Warming Agreement

John Tyler Hammons, Muskogee's young mayor, brought to the City Council tonight the "U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement" for consideration. This was the only new business on the agenda.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors first invited Mayor Hammons to sign the Agreement three weeks ago. Over 850 mayors nationwide have signed since 2005. Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor became the 500th signer in May of 2007.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Center states that:

Under the Agreement, participating cities commit to take the following three actions:

- Strive to meet or beat the Kyoto Protocol targets in their own communities, through actions ranging from anti-sprawl land-use policies to urban forest restoration projects to public information campaigns;
- Urge their state governments, and the federal government, to enact policies and programs to meet or beat the greenhouse gas emission reduction target suggested for the United States in the Kyoto Protocol -- 7% reduction from 1990 levels by 2012; and
- Urge the U.S. Congress to pass the bipartisan greenhouse gas reduction legislation, which would establish a national emission trading system

(You can read the Agreement in full here.)

After the mayor opened up discussion on the issue, City Councilman James Gulley was the first to speak. He noted that the city already is doing several of the points mentioned in the Agreement, such as emphasizing public transit and energy efficiency. Gulley also questioned whether Muskogee needed to do this, and said "I'd like to pass on this, frankly."

Councilman Bob Luttrull was next, pointing out the mention of carbon credits. He wondered if people would have to buy them if the mayor signed on, causing Mayor Hammons to interject that there is no obligation if the document is signed. The mayor said that it is "a show of support" for energy efficiency and environmental issues.

Shawn Raper, Ward II Councilman, mentioned that the U.S. Senate rejected the Kyoto Protocol , which figures highly in the Agreement, by a vote of 95-0. The topic of global warming, said Raper, is highly controversial. He considered this to be "way out of bounds" for the city of Muskogee to address. He advocated that the Council and the Mayor pass on the document, to focus on the matters involving Muskogee, not the world.

Jim Ritchey pointed out that over 31,000 American scientists, 9,000 of which hold PhDs, had signed a petition rejecting man-made global warming. Over 500 of the scientists were from Oklahoma, Ritchey noted. "Let's focus on capitol improvements, wastewater, streets... and not the world's problems." he said.

Mayor Hammons said that he appreciated the dialogue; and noting the Council's opposition, opted not to sign the Agreement.

The Blog Roll

On the right-hand side of this page, you will find a list of the blogs I most often visit. If you wish to keep up with the current political news, both national and in Oklahoma, I would highly recommend that you visit them as well.

The McCarville Report Online: I consider this to be Oklahoma's premier conservative political blog. Mike McCarville has been covering Oklahoma politics since 1980.

BatesLine: This blog deals mainly with Tulsa politics, although Michael Bates does delve into state and national issues as well. He is an excellent resource for readers in the Tulsa area. Mr. Bates also writes a column for the Urban Tulsa Weekly.

Oklahoma Political News Service: The editors at OKPNS take investigative journalism very seriously. This blog is sure to be among the first to break the latest political scandals (i.e. ethics violations, Gene Stipe-esque schemes, etc.) and other political news.

Race42008.com: I have found this blog to be among the most comprehensive websites covering the presidential election. All the latest developments appear here almost as they happen. This site is a must if you wish to stay up-to-date on the swiftly changing election scene.

I will be adding more worthy blogs as I discover them, so keep an eye on that sidebar.

Border patrol agent held at gunpoint by Mexican soldiers

Washington Times: Border Agent held at gunpoint by Mexican military

"A U.S. Border Patrol agent was held at gunpoint Sunday night by members of the Mexican military who had crossed the border into Arizona, but the soldiers returned to Mexico without incident when backup agents responded to assist."

Further down in the article: "Since 1996, there have been more than 200 confirmed incursions by the Mexican military into the United States."

"It was unclear what the soldiers were doing in the United States, but U.S. law enforcement authorities have long said that current and former Mexican military personnel have been hired to protect drug and migrant smugglers."

Keep an eye on Politico's 'The Crypt' blog (covering Congressional news). The Republican members of the U.S. House are to continue their energy protest through the end of this week, at least.

House Minority Leader John Boehner is also be live-blogging the protest, with links to other GOP congressmen who are updating on Twitter.

Oklahoma U.S. Senate Poll
Tulsa World/KOTV
July 19-23, 750 likely voters
MoE +/- 3.66%

Jim Inhofe 52%
Andrew Rice 30%
Don't Know/Refused 18%



After Andrew Rice's Poor Showing, more grim news for the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.

Polls find McCain, Inhofe up in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Presidential Poll
Tulsa World/KOTV Poll
July 19-23, 750 likely voters
MoE +/- 3.66%

Who would you vote for?

Sen. John McCain 56%
Sen. Barack Obama 24%
Don't Know/Refused 20%


By all appearances, John McCain will carry Oklahoma by an overwhelming percentage.

Pelosi Shuts Down the House; GOP Stays

Congress has left for their August vacation, but the House Republicans have stayed. Speaking from the House floor with (at times) no lights or microphones, the GOP members are determined to talk about America's energy crisis.

House Dems turn out the lights but GOP keeps talking

Dems turn out the lights but GOP won't go home Part II