Bates on judges: YES to Goree, NO to Wiseman and the rest

Conservative Tulsa blogger Michael Bates (BatesLine) has posted his take on the Judicial Retention ballot.

Here's what he had to say about Court of Civil Appeals Judge Jane Wiseman:

I urge every Oklahoman to vote NO on Court of Civil Appeals Judge Jane Wiseman. As a district judge in 2003, Wiseman demonstrated partiality toward the rich and powerful by approving the unconstitutional logrolling in the Vision 2025 ballot. Her 2003 decision ignored her own reasoning eight years earlier when she rightly discarded a sales tax proposal for the new county jail because it included funds for early intervention programs on the same ballot item as funds for the jail's construction and operation.

Earlier this month, we saw Judge Wiseman officiate over the first "legal" "same-sex wedding" in Oklahoma, showing her solidarity not with the people who voted overwhelmingly to uphold the only definition of marriage that makes sense, but instead with the leftist fascists who seek to impose their morality on every state. Wiseman demonstrated her support for judges legislating from the bench, for seeing the voters of Oklahoma as subjects to be subdued, not a sovereign, self-governing people.

Bates plans on voting YES for Court of Civil Appeals Judge Brian Goree, and NO on all the rest.

Click here for the Michael's details on the judicial retention ballot.

Charlie Meadows' 2014 Picks

Charlie Meadows, president of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC), as is his tradition, emailed out his "picks" for the general election. As the head of one of the most influential conservative activist groups in Oklahoma, Meadows' opinion on races is sought after by many grassroots Republicans.

Due to the length, I am putting the statewide races at the top, with the legislative and others below the jump:

GOVERNOR  -  MARY FALLIN  -  Governor Fallin is not very conservative and as such has provided very weak conservative leadership. No citizen has had a tax cut take effect in the 4 years she has been in office. However, she has signed two bills that have increased taxes. This year she threw a temper tantrum and vetoed over 10 important pieces of legislation including several 2nd Amendment bills. With all that said, she would still be slightly better than Joe Dorman. If the latest poll shows her to be less than 55% I will vote for her, if the poll shows greater than 55% I will leave the governor part of my ballot blank and she will have to win without my vote.

LT. GOVERNOR  -  TODD LAMB  -  Todd is far more conservative than Governor Fallin. He covers the state talking with businessmen and workers alike, searching for any needed policy changes to make Oklahoma a more friendly state for successes. He is the best Lt. Governor we have ever had. His opponent is a liberal progressive that has pulled a number of stunts, such as living on a welfare check for a month to try and appeal to voters. She and her husband are actually successful restaurateurs.

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION  -  YOUR CHOICE  -  Most of the campaign has centered on who is, or who is not, qualified for the position or how much Mr. Cox makes. When it comes to their policies, there is very little difference. I actually give a slight edge to Cox on my agreement with policies. Unfortunately they are both dead set against vouchers, which are the only thing that might possibly improve the government schools. His campaign treasurer is from out of state and a proud activist homosexual. If the campaign is the only service provided, then that will not be so bad. However, should he join the staff if Cox wins, then that may be a real problem.

LABOR COMMISSIONER  -  MARK COSTELLO  -  Vote for the only fellow in this campaign that has a drivers license, that would be Mark. His opponent is a former teacher (God help those students) and a recent “Occupy Wall Street/Occupy Tulsa” organizer. I believe he is big time nutty. On the other hand Mark Costello is without question the finest Labor Commissioner we have ever had in the State of Oklahoma.

U.S. SENATOR  -  JIM INHOFE  -  While Jim is one of the best Senators in Washington, he could be better. He has a tendency to be a big spender. He considered not running again, but decided we needed him for at least one more term. The last couple of times I have seen him speak in person, he has a hard time staying on track and seems to lean more and more on his staff for information. He is invaluable on the “global warming / climate change” scam, but I do hope this will be his last term in office as he will be 86 at the end of this term. We have plenty of strong and younger conservatives that could step up and represent Oklahoma well by that time.

U.S. SENATOR (unexpired term)  -  JAMES LANKFORD  -  It is no secret that I endorsed Randy Brogdon in the primary, but we are now to the general election and this is a no brainier. Now that James will no longer be in the House and as close to the negative influence of Tom Cole, hopefully he will govern more like some of the non-establishment Republicans in the Senate. James is very hard working, has a great memory, is a quick study and is the finest communicator in Oklahoma. Connie Johnson is currently the most liberal Senator in the legislature with a lifetime conservative score of a 12. Before being elected she was an ultra liberal staffer back in the days when Gene Stipe and company ruled Oklahoma where she  learned well the ideology of liberalism.  

Next on the ballot will be your office for U.S. REPRESENTATIVE. The only exception will be District 1 which is basically Tulsa and Bartlesville as congressman Bridenstine did not draw an opponent. I would vote for all 3 Republican incumbents, Mark Wayne Mullin in district 2, Frank Lucas in district 3 and even Tom Cole in district 4. In no case would the Democrat be better than these incumbents and with what is going on in Washington, we don’t need to do something stupid like replacing one of these fellows with a Democrat. On the other hand, I would strongly consider a quality and more conservative Republican challenger for any of the 3 of them two years from now

The one U.S. Representative seat that we must be careful about is the District 5 seat. This was the seat held by James Lankford and it has been trending more liberal. The Republican candidate is Steve Russell who turned out to be the strongest of the 6 candidates in the primary race. I don’t know that Steve will be quite as strong a congressman as Bridenstine, but I believe he has the potential to be a very good U.S. Representative. His homosexual Democrat opponent, Al McAffrey, was the second most liberal State Senator at the Capital, only a little less liberal than Connie Johnson.  VOTE  -  STEVE RUSSELL


The next area on your ballots will be the Judicial Retention area

This is the second election cycle in which the State Chamber of Commerce has used their new program called the Oklahoma Civil Justice Council to try and effect the outcomes in 2 of our judicial courts of appeals (they don’t rate the criminal court of appeals). This is an integral part in what I believe is the State Chamber’s drive for total control over the State of Oklahoma. This election cycle and in conjunction with the Oklahoma Prosperity Project, another project of the State Chamber, they have mailed out their judicial ratings published on a very slick looking bi-fold. Only they know how far reaching their mail out happens to go. They don’t tell anyone how to vote on the judges, but a low score next to a judge’s name indicates a bad judge. I don’t necessarily disagree with their suggestions in this election cycle, where if followed, the voters would VOTE NO on all but one judge (Brian Goree - court of civil appeals). I only differ on that one judge as I believe it is vital we strike significant fear into these judges on our appeals courts as I would suggest that in too many cases, they have become a law unto themselves. The Chamber with their unlimited money may eventually reshape how we treat our judges, but this can become very dangerous. The governing board of this Judicial Council has some very powerful people on it that represent some of the very large Oklahoma businesses that have to go before 2 of these 3 appeals courts. The potential for a conflict of interest here is very high.

The first area will be for the Oklahoma Supreme Court Justices.

District 1) will be John F. Reif  -  VOTE  -  NO

District 6) will be Tom Colbert  -  VOTE  -  NO

District 9) will be Joseph M. Watt  -  VOTE  -  NO

All 3 of these Supreme Court Justices are liberal activists judges that have no fear of the retention ballot as we have never said NO to one of them over the past 50 years or so since we switched to a retention ballot system. As an example, the latest abortion ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court allows the states to put some regulations on abortion providers. So far, every time the legislature passes a law to regulate abortion providers, the pro-abortion crowd files a suit and by the time it reaches our “supremes” they strike our laws down citing Roe v Wade. These 3 are all guilty of such actions.

The second area is the Court of Criminal Appeals of which there is only 1 Judge on the ballot.

District 3) will be Gary Lumpkin  -  VOTE  -  YES  -  My sources have in the past and continue to tell me Judge Lumpkin is an excellent jurist with a very good judicial temperament.

The third area is the Court of Civil Appeals which is probably the most difficult to evaluate.

District 1 - office 1)  will be Jerry L. Goodman  -  VOTE  -  NO

District 1 - office 2)  will be Jane P. Wiseman  -  VOTE  -  NO    (Of particular interest, after the federal courts overturned our ban on homosexual marriage, Judge Wiseman hopped in her vehicle and drove to Tulsa to perform Oklahoma’s first Lesbian marriage. The marriage was between the two Lesbians that worked as editors for the Tulsa World Newspaper. With her glee in performing this marriage she showed her arrogant attitude and stuck her finger in the eyes of 76% of Oklahomans who voted to amend our Constitution to define marriage as being between one man and one woman.)

District 2 - office 1)  will be Deborah B. Barnes  -  VOTE  -  NO

District 2 - office 2)  will be Keith Rapp  -  VOTE  -  NO

District 6 - office 2)  will be Jack Goree  -  VOTE  -  NO

On the back side of your ballots will be 3 State Questions.

I recommend   VOTING  -  YES  -  ON ALL 3 measures. None are very significant, mostly small adjustments in nature and they all deal with veteran benefits. I will say this, I believe it is very important to live up every promise we make to a military recruit when they enlist and then go on to become a veteran. I also believe we should be very careful about adding additional benefits for veterans, especially if new benefits put at risk our ability to meet the already promised benefits.

See Charlie's legislative picks after the jump...

Last SoonerPoll survey: Fallin lead cut to 8, Hofmeister up 2, Inhofe and Lankford up 30+

In the final survey conducted by SoonerPoll before the election on Tuesday, results find Governor Mary Fallin's lead slipping slightly, the State Superintendent race a virtual tie, and the GOP running away with both U.S. Senate races.

I've posted the results from SoonerPoll's previous surveys as well. The September poll is in parentheses, and the August poll is in brackets. I've also included the movement from the previous survey.

News9/News on 6/SoonerPoll surveys

Crosstabs: Oct. 29 (Sept. 29) [Aug. 30]

Oct. 29 MoE +/-3.18% (Sept. 29 MoE +/- 4.9%) [Aug 30. MoE +/- 3.99%]

Governor

• Mary Fallin (R): 48.4 (49.9) [50.3]   -1.5%
• Joe Dorman (D): 40.0 (35.8) [32.1]   +4.2%
• Richard Prawdzienski (I): 2.8 (3.2) [1.2]   -0.4%
• Kimberly Willis (I): 1.7 (3.3) (1.1]   -1.6%
• Unsure 7.1 (7.9)  (15.0]   -0.8%

Have Joe Dorman's efforts to tie Governor Fallin to unpopular State Superintendent Janet Barresi been working? Fallin lost a little bit of ground, while Dorman climbed to his highest point yet in SoonerPoll's survey. It's probably too little, too late, but this race just might end up a lot closer than expected.

U.S. Senate - full term

• Jim Inhofe (R):  62.7 (56.4) [59.1]   +6.3%
• Matt Silverstein (D): 27.8 (32.0) [27.4]   -4.2%
• Ray Woods (I): 2.6 (3.8) [1.7]   -1.2%
• Aaron Delozier (I): 1.3 (0.5) [1.7]   +0.8%
• Joan Farr (I): 1.3 (0.8) [1.2]   +0.5%
• Unsure 4.4 (6.5) [8.8]   -2.1%

Don't be surprised if Inhofe hits 70% on election night.

U.S. Senate - partial term

• James Lankford (R):  59.4 (56.2) [58.2]   +3.2%
• Connie Johnson (D): 28.1 (28.1) [28.1]   even
• Mark Beard (I): 3.5 (3.5) [3.0]   even
• Unsure 9.0 (12.2) [10.7]   -3.2%

I don't think I've ever seen a candidate draw the same exact percentage three months in a row. I'd say 28.1% is about as low as Lankford will get Johnson to go.

State Superintendent

• Joy Hofmeister (R):42.3 (38.3) [38.4]   +4.0%
• John Cox (D): 40.1 (38.0) [40.5]   +2.1%
• Unsure 17.6 (23.7) [21.2]   -6.1

This is the general election race of the cycle. In all three surveys, Cox and Hofmeister have been within the margin of error. Hofmeister has a very slight lead at the moment, but John Cox is by no means out of reach. This race still is the Oklahoma Democratic Party's best opportunity for a win.

The Democrats are trying to make the entire election a referendum on Janet Barresi's tenure as State Superintendent. However, Hofmeister's numbers grew at double the rate Cox's did, while Governor Fallin lost ground. In an ironic twist, is this "Barresi tactic" working more in the gubernatorial race than it is in the superintendent race?

Fallin, Dorman hit each other on TV

Governor Mary Fallin and her Democratic opponent Joe Dorman have both hit the airwaves with ads critical of their opponent. Dorman ties Fallin to outgoing State Superintendent Janet Barresi, while Fallin associates Dorman with President Barack Obama.

Personally, I find this commercial of Dorman's to be very effective -- perhaps the best thing that's come out of his campaign to date (an opinion shared by well-known Republican officials and activists I've spoken to). The problem for him is that it's likely too-little-too-late to make much of an impact.

Dorman's ad:


Fallin's ad:

Tulsa Beacon: Don't retain Judge Jane Wiseman

Don't retain Judge Jane Wiseman

Editorial (link)

As the majority of Oklahomans watched in disgust, Judge Jane Wiseman officiated the first legalized homosexual marriage October 6 and called it a "joyous occasion."

Wiseman is on the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals. She jumped into the contentious issue of homosexual marriage because she is an ultra-liberal in a conservative state.

Wiseman gleefully officiated over the wedding of two Tulsa World lesbians, the first time that two homosexuals were married in this state. Inaction by the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a federal appeals court decision to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act – an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution approved by more than 75 percent of the state's voters.

In other words, one federal judge, Judge Terrance Kern, got to overthrow the will of the people and permitted homosexual marriage.

Kern is a federal judge and is not voted on by the good people of Oklahoma.

Wiseman is.

In fact, Wiseman will be on the Nov. 4 ballot and subject to a retention vote.

Any Bible-believing Christian in Oklahoma should vote "no" on Wiseman.

Any conservative in Oklahoma should vote "no" on Wiseman.

Anybody who thinks that marriage apart from one man and one woman is a perversion should vote "no" on Wiseman.

Anyone who believes that judges should not legislate should vote "no" on Wiseman.

The liberal Tulsa World, employer of the lesbians who filed the lawsuit against holy matrimony, has endorsed Wiseman. The arrogant World editorial staff wrote, "Judges handle hundreds of appeals annually but none of the nine judges (including Wiseman) faces any organized opposition or is the subject of any controversies. Each deserves a yes vote."

Wiseman deserves a "no" vote.

If Oklahomans vote her out of office, it will be a message to the other liberal, activist judges to start following the law and the will of the people.

As the majority of Oklahomans watched in disgust, Judge Jane Wiseman officiated the first legalized homosexual marriage October 6 and called it a "joyous occasion."

2020 UPDATE: the Tulsa Beacon reminds voters in 2020 of these facts once again.

Tulsa Beacon draws attention to Wiseman retention vote

The Tulsa Beacon, a conservative weekly newspaper, highlighted the controversy surrounding Judge Jane Wiseman in their latest edition:

Wiseman officiated first homosexual wedding

Some grassroots groups in Tulsa and Oklahoma are upset by the actions of Judge Jane Wiseman of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals. Wiseman made a special effort to come to Tulsa to officiate the first homosexual marriage (between two lesbians from the Tulsa World). Wiseman is on the Nov. 4 ballot on a retention vote.

Wiseman plus all the other statewide judges up for retention have been endorsed by the liberal Tulsa World.

"A lot of Christians are angry about this judicial activism," said a group spokesman. "We can't get rid of a federal judge, but we can successfully vote to not retain Wiseman in office."

He said the group has several strategies to rally the Christian vote against Wiseman.

Coburn issues his final "Wastebook" report

Gambling monkeys, dancing zombies and mountain lions on treadmills are just a few projects exposed in Wastebook 2014 – highlighting $25 billion in Washington’s worst spending of the year.

Wastebook 2014 — the report Washington doesn’t want you to read —reveals the 100 most outlandish government expenditures this year, costing taxpayers billions of dollars.

“With no one watching over the vast bureaucracy, the problem is not just what Washington isn’t doing, but what it is doing.” Dr. Coburn said. “Only someone with too much of someone else’s money and not enough accountability for how it was being spent could come up some of these projects.”

“I have learned from these experiences that Washington will never change itself. But even if the politicians won’t stop stupid spending, taxpayers always have the last word.”

Congress actually forced federal agencies to waste billions of dollars for purely parochial, political purposes.

For example, lawmakers attached a rider to a larger bill requiring NASA to build a $350 million launch pad tower, which was mothballed as soon as it was completed because the rockets it was designed to test were scrapped years ago. Similarly, when USDA attempted to close an unneeded sheep research station costing nearly $2 million every year to operate, politicians in the region stepped in to keep it open.

Examples of wasteful spending highlighted in “Wastebook 2014” include:

• Coast guard party patrols – $100,000
• Watching grass grow – $10,000
• State department tweets @ terrorists – $3 million
• Swedish massages for rabbits – $387,000
• Paid vacations for bureaucrats gone wild – $20 million
• Mountain lions on a treadmill – $856,000
• Synchronized swimming for sea monkeys – $50,000
• Pentagon to destroy $16 billion in unused ammunition -- $1 billion
• Scientists hope monkey gambling unlocks secrets of free will –$171,000
• Rich and famous rent out their luxury pads tax free – $10 million
• Studying “hangry” spouses stabbing voodoo dolls – $331,000
• Promoting U.S. culture around the globe with nose flutists – $90 million
  

Read the full report here.

Watch the Wastebook 2014 videos here and here and here.

Vote against Judge Jane Wiseman

Among the statewide judges up for retention in this year's general election is Judge Jane P. Wiseman.

Wiseman is a liberal judge on the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals, and is up for "retention" this year. Wiseman officiated the first same-sex marriage in Oklahoma, calling it a "joyous occasion". Her liberal record stretches much further back, but this is the icing on the cake. I've been given some yard signs to distribute in the Muskogee area, so contact me if you want one. There are also folks in the Tulsa area who will be distributing these signs as well.

Judge Wiseman is up for retention, meaning if she receives a majority of votes cast, she will stay on as judge. If a majority of votes are cast 'against retention' -- something that to my understanding has never happened -- the Governor appoints a new judge.

Get the word out -- vote against retaining Judge Jane P. Wiseman!

2020 Update: the Tulsa Beacon reminds 2020 voters about this issue once again. Read more here.

Sandy Garrett joins education leaders endorsing Faught for State House

Faught endorsed by Sandy Garrett, other educators

Muskogee, OK –  George Faught, candidate for State House District 14, today announced that he has been endorsed by several prominent state and local educators, including former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sandy Garrett.

"As former State Superintendent and a teacher, I had the opportunity to work with many leaders across this State. George Faught is one of those leaders who works hard and has earned people’s trust. As a State Representative, George worked tirelessly for local schools and teachers," said Sandy Garrett, who served as State Superintendent from 1991 to 2011. "George is committed to helping the next generation succeed with a quality education. Join me in helping re-elect my former student, George Faught, to the State House." Garrett taught in Muskogee for 15 years, and was Faught's first-grade teacher.

"George Faught will be a great representative who listens to the people of his district. He is a strong and proven leader. George supports local control of education and will work to give teachers more time to teach by stopping the excessive testing of students," said Linda Murphy, former Education Advisor to Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating.

"George Faught has the experience needed to be the voice of House District 14. He cares about Oklahoma’s children and will ensure they receive the best possible education. George possesses the moral compass we need in Oklahoma City," said Muskogee teacher Lorie Alexander. "Deeply devoted to his family and directed by his faith, George is a man of integrity you can trust with your vote." In 2013 Alexander received recognition as the top Elementary Teacher in the state by Professional Oklahoma Educators and was given the 'Elementary Educator Merit' Award.

Jenni White, president of Restore Oklahoma Public Education (R.O.P.E.), also endorsed Faught's campaign for re-election. "I support George Faught for State House District 14 because of his strong stance on local control of education and the rights of parents to educate their children in the way they deem best for that child. In 2012, Rep. Faught sponsored Parental Rights legislation that clearly delineated the role of parents as the primary decision makers for their children. We need more Representatives at the state level willing to guard and protect the rights of parents - especially today, as we continue to fight to keep Oklahoma 'Common Core' free."

White continued, "Though not a member of the House when historic HB3399 (the repeal of Common Core in Oklahoma) was passed, Rep. Faught voted against the initial legislation in 2010 that led to Common Core, and supported our fight to stop Common Core. We will need his advocacy as our new standards are written and the federal government continues to bribe states to educate Oklahoma kids their way. Please help me elect George Faught to the Oklahoma State House of Representatives." White and her organization played a key role in advocating for the successful repeal of Common Core in Oklahoma.

"George Faught has been an advocate for National Board Certified Teachers and achieving excellence in our schools. He has supported teacher pay increases and common sense reforms. George Faught has a strong conviction to do what is right for Oklahoma," said Alicia Rodgers, Fort Gibson teacher.

"I am honored to have the endorsement of these outstanding educators," said Faught. "It shows that Education isn't about partisan politics, but about preparing the next generation of Oklahoma's leaders. We must work together to make it happen. The investment we make in Education today will determine the future of our state tomorrow."

Learn more about George Faught and his campaign by visiting his website.

Current AoSHQDD Senate Forecast: GOP 53, Dems 47

Here's where the U.S. Senate battle currently stands, according to the Ace of Spades HQ Decision Desk, a prominent national conservative site dedicated to collecting election data.

Of the 35 Senate seats up for grabs, if the election were held today the projection is that Republicans would win 22 seats, and Democrats would win 13, putting the GOP in the majority with 53 Senators.

For more details, see the AoSHQDD post here.

Democrat Labor Commissioner candidate has no Driver's License

Oklahoma Democrat's candidate for Labor Commissioner, Mike Workman, recently conducted an........ interesting interview with David Arnett of TulsaToday.com, in which Workman sort of admitted that he has no Driver's License. By the way, Workman drove himself to the interview.

Watch below a short segment below, then see the rest of Arnett's article and interview:



Ouch, Oklahoma Democrats. Is this the best you can do?

Coburn features in ad for Josh Brecheen

U.S. Senator Tom Coburn features in a new television ad for State Senator Josh Brecheen, who is in a tight re-election race in Senate District 6 (Atoka, Coal, Bryan, Johnston and Marshall Counties).



This follows the firestorm caused by State Chamber's endorsement of Brecheen's Democratic challenger, Joe Hill. Mike McCarville has covered the issue very thoroughly on his blog, the McCarville Report.

LIVE: Lankford and Johnson debate on OState.tv

Watch the U.S. Senate debate on OState.tv between GOP nominee James Lankford and Democrat nominee Connie Johnson here.

Gov. Fallin criticizes SCOTUS gay-marriage decision

Governor Mary Fallin Responds to SCOTUS 

Decision to Allow Gay Marriage

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today released the following statement in response to the United States Supreme Court’s decision to reject the appeal of a lower court ruling striking down an Oklahoma constitutional provision defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman. The Oklahoma amendment passed in 2004 by a vote of the people, with over 75 percent of voters supporting it.

“The people of Oklahoma have the right to determine how marriage is defined. In 2004, Oklahomans exercised that right, voting by a margin of 3-1 to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

“The will of the people has now been overridden by unelected federal justices, accountable to no one. That is both undemocratic and a violation of states’ rights. Rather than allowing states to make their own policies that reflect the values and views of their residents, federal judges have inserted themselves into a state issue to pursue their own agendas.

“Today’s decision has been cast by the media as a victory for gay rights. What has been ignored, however, is the right of Oklahomans – and Americans in every state – to write their own laws and govern themselves as they see fit. Those rights have once again been trampled by an arrogant, out-of -control federal government that wants to substitute Oklahoma values with Washington, D.C. values.”

Sole Fallin/Dorman debate airs tomorrow night

OETA: Watch the Gubernatorial Debate

Watch the sole gubernatorial debate between Republican incumbent Mary Fallin and Democratic challenger Joe Dorman on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m., as part of the OETA’s Oklahoma Votes 2014 statewide election coverage.

OETA will air the debate live across the state and stream online at www.oeta.tv, with viewers encouraged to join the conversation on their social media platforms by using the hashtag #okvotes14.

A panel of Oklahoma journalists, including OETA managing editor Dick Pryor, will ask the candidates questions, plus there will be questions from OSU students. Dr. Brandon Lenoir, a visiting OSU assistant professor in political science, will moderate the debate and OSU students will help facilitate the event.