DEALERGATE - Oklahoma Dealerships

In a follow-up on my previous post regarding Dealergate, let's take a look at the dealerships picked for closure here in Oklahoma.

Ballard's of Clinton - Charles McKinsey, owner
Eddie Cordes Jeep-Eagle-Dodge (Lawton) - Eddie Cordes, owner
Fenton Motors of Stillwater - Travis Fenton, owner
Janzen Jeep (Enid) - Jerry Janzen, owner
Jensen's (Fairview) - Larry Jensen, owner
Crossroads Superstore (Atoka) - Robert Sullins, owner
John Thomas Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep (Cordell) - John Thomas, owner
Milo Gordon Chrysler (Lawton) - Michael Wyatt, owner
Oakley Jeep (Bartlesville) - David Oakley Jr., owner
Reynolds Autogroup (Durant) - Terry Reynolds, owner
Williams Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep (Stigler) - Buren Williams Jr., owner
Wilson Jeep (Stillwater) - Dathan Wilson, owner

Let's also examine their political contributions.

Eddie Cordes: $4,750 to the Republican Party since 2000
Jerry Janzen: $650 to state GOP candidates
Robert Sullins: $500 to Brad Carson (D), $500 to State Sen. Jay Paul Gumm (D)
Michael Wyatt: $500 to Tom Cole (R), $1,350 for state Democrats, $250 for state Republicans
David Oakley Jr. : $1,000 for state Republican candidates
John Thomas: $500 for state GOP candidates
David Oakley Jr.: donated to PACs, mostly before 2000
Terry Reynolds: $500 to Jim Inhofe (R), $250 to Dan Boren (D), $500 to Brad Henry (D)
Dathan Wilson: $100 to state GOP candidates

That comes down to $8,250 to Republican candidates versus $3,100 to Democrats. Once I get the time, I will break down the dealerships that will remain open.

DEALERGATE OUTRAGE: Chrysler Shut-Downs Politically Motivated?

Reports are surfacing the the 789 Chrysler dealerships being shut down may have had a different motive for the shuttering than one would think.

Bloggers Joey Smith, Doug Ross and others have uncovered the fact that 90% of the owners of these dealerships gave money to Republican candidates and causes, while only $450 was donated to Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

There are many instances of dealers who either gave to Republicans or did not donate anything at all being shut down, while another local dealer who had connections to the Democrats was the only dealership in the area chosen to avoid closure.

In particular, Joey Smith discovered two franchises who were chosen over their competitors in their markets: RLJ-McLarty-Landers and Lithia Motors. Thomas McLarty of the RLJ group was Bill Clinton's Chier-of-Staff, and Robert Johnson (also of RLJ) founded Black Entertainment Television; both donated and campaign heavily for Obama and other Democrats.

RLJ-McLarty-Landers has six dealerships, and all six will not be shut down. All other dealers in the area were closed. Lithia Motors has 29 dealerships; two will close, but they may gain five new franchises.

Reuters:

A lawyer for Chrysler dealers facing closure as part of the automaker's bankruptcy reorganization said on Tuesday he believes Chrysler executives do not support a plan to eliminate a quarter of its retail outlets.

Lawyer Leonard Bellavia, of Bellavia Gentile & Associates, who represents some of the terminated dealers, said he deposed Chrysler President Jim Press on Tuesday and came away with the impression that Press did not support the plan.

"It became clear to us that Chrysler does not see the wisdom of terminating 25 percent of its dealers," Bellavia said. "It really wasn't Chrysler's decision. They are under enormous pressure from the President's automotive task force."

Mark Tapscott at the Washington Examiner points out the following:

UPDATE II: White House car czar married to Democratic fund raiser

Maybe it's significant, maybe not, but a colleague here in the Examiner newsroom just reminded me that White House car czar Steven Rattner is married to Maureen White, the former national finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee. And let's not forget that before Rattner became a Wall Street mover and shaker, he was a New York Times reporter. Check out the Wiki bio here.

Stay tuned for more updates on 'Dealergate'

Media Bias, Case No. 42,719

Here's yet another example of extreme media bias, this from NBC Los Angeles on the California Supreme Court's ruling upholding Prop 8 (which stated, "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.").

At the end of the article, they say "And now for everyone's official statements," which is followed by 14 quotes by elected officials, activists and organizations. Only three are in favor of Prop 8 and the court's ruling, while an astonishing eleven are in opposition to both. This is from an initiative that was passed with 52% of the vote.

Shameful. Not even an attempt from the "equality" proponents to give some more equal coverage.

CA Supreme Court Upholds Prop 8

Breaking story from the AP:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The California Supreme Court has upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, but it also decided that the estimated 18,000 gay couples who tied the knot before the law took effect will stay wed.

The decision Tuesday rejected an argument by gay rights activists that the ban revised the California constitution's equal protection clause to such a dramatic degree that it first needed the Legislature's approval.

This is a big victory for pro-family, pro-traditional marriage proponents, as well as for the democratic process and California voters.

Muskogee Tea Party Videos... Finally

I finally uploaded (most of) the video from the Muskogee Tea Party on April 15th. I had some issues converting it in able to put it on YouTube, so it isn't nearly as good as it actually filmed.

The entire file was 30GB, and somehow I lost the final few minutes of the Tea Party putting it on my computer. However, I have the entire hour and a half on DVD, if anyone wants to buy it (proceeds would go toward the July 4th Muskogee Tea Party preparations).

Enjoy!



(The above embedded video will automatically go to the next video in line.)

Sonia Sotomayor: Next Supreme Court Justice?

Will Sonia Sotomayor become the next member of the Supreme Court? Most likely; with the large Democrat majority in the Senate, it is highly doubtful that Sotomayor will not be approved.

Memorial Day and America's Arrogance

First, a tribute to the our Armed Forces. Our church orchestra played this during our service this morning (I play second violin in the orchestra).




A friend forwarded me a link to a blog post at the blog Atlas Shrugs, and I had to share this.

America's European Arrogance

1. The American Cemetery at Aisne-Marne, France. A total of 2,289 of our military dead. We apologize.

2. The American Cemetery at Ardennes, Belgium. A total of 5,329 of our dead. We are so ashamed of our arrogance.

3. The American Cemetery at Brittany, France. A total of 4,410 of our military dead. Excuse us.

4. Brookwood, England American Cemetery. A total of 4,680 of our dead. We are such an evil country.

5. Cambridge, England. 3,812 of our military dead. What on earth were we thinking?

6. Epinal, France American Cemetery. A total of 5,525 of our military dead. Please forgive us.

7. Flanders Field, Belgium. A total of 3,680 of our military. We are so sorry.

8. Florence, Italy. A total of 4,402 of our military dead. We are a bully nation.

9. Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. A total of 7,992 of our military dead. They deserved what they got.

10. Lorraine, France. A total of 10,489 of our military dead. FDR and Truman were lying war criminals.

11. Luxembourg, Luxembourg. A total of 5,076 of our military dead. Arrogant oppression, pure and simple.

12. Meuse-Argonne. A total of 14,246 of our military dead. Just think of how many civilians they killed.

13. Netherlands, Netherlands. A total of 8,301 of our military dead. They were murderers.

14. Normandy, France. A total of 9,387 of our military dead. Baby killers, one and all.

15. Oise-Aisne, France. A total of 6,012 of our military dead. They were torturers, too.

16. Rhone, France. A total of 8,61 of our military dead. Remorseless killers doing the bidding of an evil nation.

17. Sicily, Italy. A total of 7,861 of our military dead. What can America ever do to redeem itself?

18. Somme, France. A total of 1,844 of our military dead. Arrogant war-mongers of an arrogant nation.

19. St. Mihiel, France. A total of 4,153 of our military dead. War criminals.

20. Suresnes, France. A total of 1,541 of our military dead. Oh, God in heaven, please forgive us for being such an arrogant country.

I may not agree with Colin Powell's current political standpoints, but this quote of his from 1998 is powerful.

"The world remembers well that several times in the course of this century, the United States was at the height of the world, the height of power. After World War I, or World War II, or even at the end of the Cold War, we could have imposed our will on the world but we didn’t. All we ever asked for was the opportunity to raise up our former enemies, and to get back to the business of peace and democracy. The only other thing we ever asked for was enough land to bury our dead. We never wanted anyone else’s land or sovereignty over anyone. No other nation on the face of the earth possesses that kind power, possess that kind of power today in such abundance." - General Colin Powell speaking at West Point on Sept. 15, 1998

American "arrogance" has saved Western civilization time and time again. Europe and our president would do well to remember that.

BREAKING: J.C. Watts Won't Run for Governor

From 1170 KFAQ:

OKLAHOMA CITY - Former U.S. Congressman J.C. Watts says he will not run for governor in 2010. Watts released the following statement:

"After much prayer and deliberation with my family and friends. It is with a heavy heart that my wife and I have decided not to run for governor in 2010."

"I have observed with great interest and pride the progress my state is making under the bold and innovative leadership of the state legislature. Nothing would give me greater joy and satisfaction than to go work with these leaders to grow and prosper Oklahoma."

"However, my current business and contractual obligations create hurdles that I cannot overcome at this time."

"Oklahoma has much to offer both nationally and internationally. I would challenge the candidates running for governor to put their best foot forward to advocate for us on both stages. The new Governor must aggressively pursue and promote the virtues of our state. I would cherish that opportunity, but unfortunately that will not be in 2010."

"Many Oklahomans, Republican and Democrat, red, yellow, black, brown and white, from all walks of life encouraged me to make the race. I am deeply honored, humbled and grateful for the confidence they have shown in me."

"I'm sorry we won't fulfill our goals together. I will continue to work for a prosperous and thriving Oklahoma, this glorious place we call home and the rest of the world calls America."

J.C. Watts, Jr.

This certainly does change the landscape for the 2010 election. Speculation now turns to whether Watts is eyeing the Senate seat currently held by Dr. Tom Coburn (R-Muskogee). Coburn has not made clear his plans for re-election, but says he will announce his intent on June 1st. Former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating has said that if Coburn does not seek re-election, he would take a hard look at running.

What are your thoughts? Will Coburn run for re-election? Will Coburn announce that he is stepping aside on June 1st, and endorse J.C. Watts for his replacement? Will someone else get into the Gubernatorial race?

John Wright Lt. Governor Announcement Video

Here's video from State Rep. John Wright's announcement for the 2010 Lieutenant Governor's race:

State Rep. John Wright to run for Lt. Governor

State Rep. John Wright (R, Broken Arrow) has decided to run for Lieutenant Governor, and will officially announce his candidacy this afternoon at 2:00pm.

His website went live this morning; you can view it here.

He joins State Rep. Colby Schwartz as the Republican candidates for the Lieutenant Governorship. State Senator Kenneth Corn (D, Poteau) is the only officially announced Democrat in the race; State Rep. John Carey (D, Durant) is said to be considering jumping in. The current Lieutenant Governor is Democrat Jari Askins, who is running for Governor.

Rand Paul Announces for Senate... on Rachel Maddow?!

Rand Paul, son of former Presidential candidate and Texas Congressman Ron Paul, announced his intention to form an exploratory committee to run for the Senate seat currently held by Jim Bunning (R-KY).



He announced on the Rachel Maddow Show. Seriously, what conservative goes on such a liberal show to announce for office?!

Gallup: Pro-Life Majority for First Time

A new Gallup poll shows that more Americans now call themselves "pro-life" than "pro-choice" for the first time since Gallup began polling the issue in 1995.


51% identify as pro-life, while only 42% say they're pro-choice; a significant swing from just a year ago. The movement has largely come from conservatives and moderates,

Important Meetings for Muskogee Residents on Tuesday

There will be two important meetings for Muskogee-area resident on Tuesday. First, from the Muskogee Phoenix:

Muskogee voters are invited to attend a public question-and-answer forum concerning the three sales tax increase proposals on the June 9 city ballot.

The town hall meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Roxy Theater.

City Manager Greg Buckley and other city officials will be there to answer residents’ questions concerning the three proposed increases that would total .75 percent or three-quarters of a cent on a $1 purchase if passed.

The taxes are proposed to address a series of Muskogee needs, including replacing a city sewer line and water lines, repairing streets and a training center for police and fire.

The forum is sponsored by the Phoenix, and if you have questions regarding the meeting, call 684-2920.

And now the second one:

National organizations Americans for Prosperity Foundation and American Majority are proud to announce a series of joint grassroots town halls around Oklahoma called

“The Barnstorming Tour for Liberty!” to build awareness of local and state issues amongst citizens around the state and communicate to them how they can be more involved in their community. This tour is a “do not miss” event for all Oklahomans who love their freedom and want to be an active participant in the fight for liberty.

Over the course of these three days, events will be held in eight cities at the following locations and times:

Enid on Monday, May 18th, at 7:30 a.m. at Wee Too, located at 4002 N 4th St.

Ponca City on Monday, May 18th, at 12:00 p.m. at Head Country BBQ, located at 1217 East Prospect

Bartlesville on Monday, May 18th, at 6:00 p.m. at Montana Mike’s Steakhouse, located at 3825 SE Adams Rd

Claremore on Tuesday, May 19th, at 7:30 a.m. at Eggbert’s, located at 900 South Lynn Riggs Boulevard

Tahlequah on Tuesday, May 19th, at 12:30 p.m. in the “H Room” of Cherry Springs Restaurant, located at 704 East Ballentine Road

Muskogee on Tuesday, May 19th, at 6:00 p.m. at Cowboy’s BBQ, located at 401 North York Street

Lawton on Wednesday, May 20th, at 8:00 a.m. at IHOP, located at 1060 NW 38th St.

Altus on Wednesday, May 20th, at 12:00 p.m. at Val’s Restaurant, located at 800 N Main St.

The cost of attendance is FREE and includes training and training materials. (Meal not included)

In reference to the upcoming tour, American Majority Deputy State Director said, “Each of these events will be an outstanding opportunity for Oklahomans to hear from two great organizations in AFP and American Majority. Our hope is that the folks we talk to can first find out what is happening in their community, state, and country and then discover the role they can play in our ongoing pursuit of freedom.”

Set to kick off on Monday, May 18^th and go through Wednesday, May 20^th in cities throughout Oklahoma, the tour will cover 8 cities across the state over the course of 3 days.

AFP State Director Stuart Jolly said: “These stops are meant to highlight and answer the ‘What’s next?’ question posed at the recent tea parties in order to make a real difference in real peoples’ lives.”

Each stop along the way will feature information about Americans for Prosperity Foundation and American Majority and the function each organization plays in the cause for liberty. This tour will highlight current issues facing Oklahomans. There will also be a time for discussion regarding the ongoing efforts at the local, state, and federal levels of government to renew free market and limited government principles.

I highly encourage you to try to make one or both of these events.

Missouri Homeschool Alert

The following is a legislative alert from the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) for Missouri homeschoolers.

Missouri–Emergency Rally Tomorrow, May 14 in Jefferson City–Urgent!

Dear Missouri Homeschoolers,

We urgently need your attendance at a rally today on the steps of the Capitol in Jefferson City at 1 p.m. to stop an extremely serious threat that has emerged with literally no warning. There is no time for phone calls or emails to be effective. We need thousands of homeschoolers physically present today!

This dramatic threat would massively increase government control over homeschooling. Every homeschooled child (except those in St. Louis City)–whether 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20–would be subject to compulsory school attendance until they could prove to the state’s satisfaction that they had completed “sixteen credits towards high school graduation.”

This would suddenly give the state power to control and define what a homeschool “credit” is. It would immediately give the state power to control what is required for homeschool graduation. This would destroy liberty for homeschoolers in Missouri on an unprecedented scale and cause unimaginable problems.

ACTION REQUESTED
We need 5,000 homeschoolers today at 1 p.m. on the steps of the Capitol in Jefferson City to send a message: VOTE NO ON S.B. 291. Car pool if possible to make parking easier for others. Forward this to other homeschoolers.

BACKGROUND
The legislature closes this Friday. This bill could be voted on late Thursday or Friday. S.B. 291 posed no threat to homeschoolers until it was very recently amended to add the credit and graduation provision. Immediate action is required. Families for Home Education (FHE) joins HSLDA in calling for this rally. Brad Haines of FHE will lead the rally.

This is our hour of need. Can you set everything else aside for freedom and be ready in a minute, like the minutemen of old?

Thank you for standing with us for freedom!

Sincerely, Scott Woodruff

The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of:
Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. Box 3000 Purcellville, Virginia 20134 Phone: (540) 338-5600 Fax: (540) 338-2733 Email: info@hslda.org Web: http://www.hslda.org

I took the liberty to update the language of the email, which was sent out yesterday from HSLDA.

Dry Bones Cartoon: When Bibi Meets Obama

Here's a great cartoon from Yaakov Kirschen at the Dry Bones Blog (click for a larger version).
Hilarious, yet sobering at the same time.

WRS 2010 GOP Gubernatorial Poll Analysis

Wilson Research Strategies 2010 GOP OK Gov Primary Poll (Link)
(Poll details and crosstabs - PDF)

• J.C. Watts - 39%
  
• Mary Fallin - 36%
  
• Randy Brogdon - 5%
  
• Undecided - 21%
  

Poll of 501 Likely Voters, May 7-9, with a MoE of 4.4%.

J.C. Watts has a slim lead over Congresswoman Mary Fallin, with Randy Brogdon pretty far back. This is still very early, but it does appear that it will be a close race.

The details get interesting (albeit a little confusing), when you dig into the crosstabs and break it down by congressional district.

First Congressional District

• J.C. Watts - 52%
  
• Mary Fallin - 19%
  
• Randy Brogdon - 8%
  
• Undecided - 21%

2nd Congressional District

• J.C. Watts - 41%
  
• Mary Fallin - 17%
  
• Randy Brogdon - 14%
  
• Undecided - 29%

3rd Congressional District

• J.C. Watts - 37%
  
• Mary Fallin - 42%
  
• Randy Brogdon - 2%
  
• Undecided - 19%

4th Congressional District

• J.C. Watts - 34%
  
• Mary Fallin - 43%
  
• Randy Brogdon - 1%
  
• Undecided - 22%

5th Congressional District

• J.C. Watts - 29%
  
• Mary Fallin - 53%
  
• Randy Brogdon - 2%
  
• Undecided - 16%

Watts clobbers Fallin in both the 1st and 2nd Districts. Brogdon shows surprising strength in the 2nd District, neck-and-neck with Fallin, with practically non-existent support in the other 3rd, 4th and 5th Districts. Fallin edges out Watts in the 3rd and 4th Districts, and rather unexpectedly beats Watt soundly in her home 5th District.

We will keep you updated on this and other races.

Obama Thinks Calling Rush Limbaugh the "20th Hijacker" is Funny

Video from the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, with 'comedian' Wanda Sykes.



Notice that the President seems to enjoy the 'jokes'. I find them to be offensive. Imagine if a conservative had said these things; imagine the uproar that would ensue! Yet Wanda Sykes gets a free pass, and so does President Obama. Shame on them both.

What Do Gay Marriage and Jim Crow Laws Have in Common?

A great post from Race42008's Mike Devine:

What Do Gay Marriage and Jim Crow Laws Have in Common?

They only win popular support where blacks don’t vote and after all, its only a regional thing.

Since the GOP is fast becoming an insignificant regional party of only white male southerners?

That is the refrain liberal Democrats and their useful idiots in the Republican Party have sung since the 2006 election to suggest that conservatives must move left to be a relevant national party once more. No matter that the Democratic Party regained majorities in Congress primarily by running to the right in Southern and other “blue dawg” districts.

Since when did contiguousness of the like-minded matter so much and doesn’t the size of the region matter more? Is truth confined only to appeals affirmed by diaspora?

Or is the claim anti-Southern bigotry disguised? See recent attacks on dreaded white, male Southerner, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL).

Yet, we are told that national gay marriage is inevitable based on its recent recent successes primarily confined to a puny region of the Lower Forty-Eight (pictured in green) where sitings of black folks are more rare than UFOs.

Given the size of the Southern region (pictured in red), wouldn’t it be more prescient to say that tea drinker opposition to government bailouts and tax hikes on businesses are going the way of the dinosaur?

And let’s look more closely at these New England (and other blue state) “successes”:

States where gays may marry now: MA, CT, and IA

Judicially imposed gay marriage: Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut

The number of states where gay marriage has been approved by votes of the people: 0

Prominent Blue states where the people have rejected gay marriage when given the chance: California, twice and Massachusetts

State Legislatures that have approved gay marriage not yet overturned by referendum: NH, VT, and ME

Pretty puny evidence of an inevitability especially when compared to this evidence:

States with laws prohibiting same-sex marriage: 45

30 states have constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage most of which have been passed within the last 15 years.

What is inevitable is that the Drive-by media will continually tell us that universally recognized and accepted gay marriage is inevitable.

But its not.

Another inevitability is the ObamaDem Left’s ongoing effort to criminalize speech opposing gay marriage.

Beware.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer, Examiner.com and Minority Report columns

“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson

Originally published @ Examiner.com, where all verification links may be accessed.

Howard Houchen: A GOP Candidate Against Boren

From the Hugo Daily News:

Howard Houchen considers bid for 2nd District Congress

HUGO - Howard Houchen of Hugo, has confirmed that he is "seriously considering a run for the U.S. Congress" in 2010.

Houchen, a Republican from Hugo, has a Bachelors degree in Political Science and a Masters in National Security Studies with an extensive international and small business background.

At present, Houchen says he is discussing a possible run for the District 2 Congressional seat presently held by Dan Boren, and will consider making a formal statement at a later date.

Houchen can be contacted at: houchen2010@gmail.com

Houchen has a Twitter account, which you can follow here.

There are several rumored and/or announced GOP candidates for Boren's congressional seat (among them Dan Arnett of Okmulgee, and Lewis Spring, also of Hugo). I have personally spoken with potential candidates as well.

Whatever happens, there will be an active primary for the Republican Party when it comes to the 2nd Congressional District.

Follow-up to 'Media Still Fawning Over Obama'

In a follow-up to yesterday's 'Media Still Fawning Over Obama' post, here's today's example (not written by Christine Simmons; Ben Feller was the reporter this time).

Obama, Biden wait in line to buy hamburgers

ARLINGTON, Va. – It's like this: When you want a burger, you have to have a burger. In this state of mind, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden took a short — but wholly noticeable — motorcade ride from the White House to Virginia and pulled into a small, independent burger joint called Ray's Hell Burger.

The two leaders went right up to the counter where the meat was being grilled and ordered.

Each fetched cash from his pocket and paid, and then the pair stood like the rest and waited for their number to be called before going to a table.

The restaurant, which prides itself on premium aged 10-ounce burgers, sits in a small strip plaza. The burgers sell for $6.95.

First of all, most peoople do wait in line to order food - no surprise. Second, do we really care that POTUS and VPOTUS went to a burger joint?

Third, how much taxpayer money was spent so that Pres. Obama and Vice Pres. Biden could go get a hamburger and a photo-op at the same time?

Chris Medlock Show Podcast Begins Today

Chris Medlock, former talk show host on 1170 KFAQ, will be launching an online version of his old radio show this afternoon at 2:00pm.

The show will be download-able in in .mp3 form; no live streaming at this point.

You can visit Medblogged.com for more information.

Media Still Fawning Over Obama

This is getting disgusting. When will the media stop drooling over the Obama's?

Obamas take a walk, holding hands in the evening
By Christine Simmons

WASHINGTON (AP) - The first couple took full advantage of the cool spring night.

After a date night out on Saturday evening, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama decided to take a stroll when their motorcade arrived back at the White House.

So they began walking on the driveway of the White House South Lawn while holding hands. First they passed the West Wing, then their children's swing set. They kept walking, swinging their hands together.

There were no Secret Service agents right behind them - the agents stood off, in one of the rare moments that the Obamas had private space outside the White House walls.

As the Obamas walked behind shrubbery and out of sight, the unscripted moment left reporters guessing where they were going. To the vegetable garden? The basketball court? No final word, but they eventually came back the same way from where they started, rounding out their 8-minute walk.

The walk wrapped up one of their first date nights in the District since they've lived at the White House. Before arriving home and taking the stroll, the president and first lady dined out for nearly two hours at a posh Georgetown restaurant.

The stroll was a quiet contrast to their dinner outing. The Obamas' visit to Georgetown attracted thick crowds of onlookers who were held back by police tape, while sirens occasionally wailed and a protester chanted outside the restaurant.

Must we know every intimate detail of the life of the First Family? Does the American public really care that the President and First Lady took a stroll in the yard?

It gets better. Apparently, this reporter (Christine Simmons) almost exclusively covers every aspect of the Obama's daily lives. Take a look at these headlines, all written by Christine Simmons.

"Obamas attend daughter's extracurricular event"
"Obamas spend Saturday evening at friends house"
"Obamas attend parent-teacher conference for Sasha"
"After watching pro hoops, Obama takes to court"
"Obama and family enjoy a night out"
"Obama family visits Lincoln Memorial"
"Obama takes a break for some chili and sausage"

There's really not much I can add to this...

A Blogging Milestone: 5000 Visits

At 5:44pm yesterday, this blog reached another milestone - 5,000 visits.

From its inception on July 31st, 2008, we have covered a wide variety of issues, some of which are listed below.

• The 2008 Election, including our series of Oklahoma-based polls, and our Bought and Paid For: Jim Roth series
• Muskogee-area Politics
• The RNC Chair Race
• The Israeli Parliamentary Elections
• The Continuing Israeli-Arab/Palestinian Conflicts
  
• The OKGOP Chair Race and Caucus Vote
  
• Global Warming, and the rising prominence of Czech Pres. Vaclav Klaus
• KFAQ's Firing of Chris Medlock
  
• The 2010 Gubernatorial Election
• The 2009 Tea Parties

I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for reading my blog. Due to your visits, this blog has been ranked as high as 3rd on the BlogNetNews.com/Oklahoma Influence Index, and is currently ranked 10th on the 12-week rolling average - a pretty good accomplishment. You as readers have also left 138 comments.

None of this would have happened without you, and I thank you all again. I hope that you will continue to read this blog in the future.

Sincerely,

Jamison Faught
The Muskogee Politico Blogmaster

Justice Souter to Retire

Liberal Supreme Court Justice David Souter will be retiring. The following is his resignation letter (according to the AP):

Dear Mr. President. When the Supreme Court rises for the summer recess this year, I intend to retire from regular active service as a justice.

Yours respectfully, David Souter

Who will Obama name as Souter's replacement? That remains to be seen. The makeup of the Court will not change, as Souter has been consistently liberal since he was appointed by Pres. George H.W. Bush, and Obama is sure to appoint another liberal.