Author Archives: Admin

OCPAC Endorses Faught

Yesterday the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee voted to endorse George Faught in his race for the GOP nomination in CD-2.

Faught stated, "I was honored to join the group last week and listen to issues they were concerned about and answer their questions. OCPAC and its members stick to their conservative convictions and I am pleased to have their support."

Charlie Meadows, President of OCPAC said, "After appearing before OCPAC and going through an intensive question and answer session our members determined that George Faught is far better qualified to serve in the US Congress than his opponent. George has a better grasp of the Constitution and his experience will work for the benefit of the citizens in the 2nd District, particularly his consistent, principled opposition to ObamaCare."

OCPAC focuses on promoting conservative constitutional values in the Oklahoma state Legislature and holds legislators accountable through their constant involvement and communication with the voters of Oklahoma.

Staunchly pro-life, pro-business, and pro-limited government, George Faught has been endorsed by Gov. Mike Huckabee, Oklahoma State Auditor Gary Jones, Gun Owners of America, the Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association, David Barton, Family Research Council Action PAC, Concerned Women PAC, Eagle Forum and Phyllis Schlafly, Citizens United Political Victory Fund, and many other conservative groups and individuals.
 
Longtime owner and operator of a successful carpet cleaning business, Faught and his wife of almost 30 years, Becky, live in Muskogee, and are the parents of three grown children – all born and raised in Muskogee.  In 2006, Faught became the first Republican ever elected to the State House in his Muskogee-based district. You can learn more about George and his campaign by visiting his website or on Facebook and Twitter. 

Dan Boren’s humor

Staff Report

So what would be on your bucket list after serving in Congress?  Oklahoma’s own Representative Dan Boren had five things for fun.

Cloture Club’s Andrew Heaton (known for humorous interviews) recently sat down with outgoing Congressman Boren (D-OK).  Retiring in January, Boren apparently provided a list that he and Heaton then acted out – everything from racing down the halls of congress to a doorbell-ditch of another congressman and you can watch the video at the links below.

Click here for Cloture Club’s original post.

The Blaze news site picked up the fun, but wondered if the stress of being a Blue Dog Democrat had twisted Boren’s sense of propriety.   We doubt it.

Click here for The Blaze post.

As long-term observers from Boren’s Oklahoma, Tulsa Today suggests he may have a dozen more pranks he would have liked to pull, but resisted the urge.  

We may totally disagree with his party and some of his own positions, but we appreciate Boren and, after his term over a cold beer, we would love to know what other pranks he considered and if he had something specific to leave a little "Okie Attitude" in answer to the heavy-handed "Chicago Way" of politics he endured from the Obama Administration. 

Boren was quoted as saying on Obamacare, "you will have to walk over my dead body before I vote for this bill."  He said tax increases in the bill would cause more job loss and he was right.   He knows a bit of economics, the Constitution and his people in Oklahoma.

Coburn on the stump

David Arnett

U.S. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is not running for reelection.  If anything Coburn is looking forward to returning to his private life as a physician, business and family man.  Most important for you to know, he said in Tulsa, “There is not a problem in the country that we cannot solve.”

Coburn spoke in a series of Town Halls and, at the University of Tulsa’s Lorton Preforming Arts Center, Monday August 6 to a capacity crowd of 700 saying the greatest problem in the country is that we have “learned dependence rather than earned success.”

Coburn’s faith guides his service and if you love America you will be inspired by his message.

Three points Coburn says that Washington fails to understand are; 1.) Average Americans recognize that we as a people can do the hard things it takes to fix our nation, 2.) We must utilize our country’s own natural resources, and 3.) We must reform the tax code.

“We can get our mojo back; we just don’t have the leadership,” Coburn said.  “We don’t have a hundred people in Congress that have been successful as business people.”

Coburn skipped his usual preliminaries to immediately take questions from the audience.  Several were issue specific and those issues he knew were answered immediately and some he promised to research and later respond directly to the constituent.  On several topics Coburn provided background information not generally known.  Coburn said there were “many issues with specific government programs.”

Chuckles rippled through the crowd as Coburn explained his latest comments on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s leadership.  He said he used “Oklahoma Speak” which was not consistent with his faith (for the nonreligious, that means he said the truth, but brutally without grace).  The crowd appreciated the difference, but seemed more supportive of brutal truth.  

Coburn had said Reid was “incompetent and incapable” then later apologized to Reid which one audience member did not appreciate.  Coburn said Monday night, “What I should have said is that his leadership has been ineffective and bad for the country.”

Coburn said, he is able to be outspoken in Washington because Oklahomans understand and support if not help propel his positions on many issues.  He reads his email every day – about three hours per day.

Coburn said he was a big believer in a national sales tax and no income tax.  Coburn attributes the current economic disaster to taxes and regulations that, because of their uncertain impact on individual business, keeps more than $2 trillion on the sidelines of investment and employment generation.

The problem with the Federal Reserve Coburn said is the dual mandate (low inflation and low unemployment).  Coburn recommends the book "Currency Wars, The Making of the Next Global Crisis" by James Richards saying, “We are in one now.”

As a physician, Coburn has often pointed to problems in healthcare and said Monday night, “One in every three dollars spent on healthcare are wasted.” He said the basic problem is “We have not connected the patient to their own healthcare” and that “The latest [CBO] score is that Medicare is being reduced to fund state exchanges.”

“I’m the number one “gear clogger” in Washington,” Coburn said which caused laughter and scattered applause from throughout the room.

“I have never in my adult life seen a greater disrespect for the Rule of Law than in this administration,” Coburn said in a blistering analysis of Attorney General Eric Holder and President Obama.

“Respect for the law is what holds this country together.  This administration has set about to destroy that – that’s how anarchy starts,” Coburn said.  Specifically, Holder is an “inappropriate person” and would prove to be “one of the worst U.S. Attorney Generals in our nation’s history.”

“You cannot be young and have the experience you need to run this country,” Coburn said adding, “The president has not provided solutions.”

Throughout the town hall, Coburn spoke directly without notes, but with passion and conviction.  “We all know something is not right,” he said.  “I didn’t run to be a senator, I ran to fix stuff.”

 

For more of Senator Coburn in action, click on the links below:

August 2, Sen. Tom Coburn appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and blasted the show’s panel for misrepresenting the principles of the Tea Party, saying they just don’t “get it.” He also gave the panel a solid history lesson on the Constitution after at least one panelist admitted he was unsure in which section the enumerated powers were located.  Click here for the video from The Blaze.

July 17, in an interview with Reason.TV Sen. Coburn said, "Both parties have equally participated in abandoning the limited role of the federal government." Click here to see the interview on Reason.TV.

Click here for Coburn’s new book, "The Debt Bomb: A Bold Plan to Stop Washington from Bankrupting Our Economy," which argues that Republicans and Democrats together have brought the U.S. to the brink of fiscal calamity.

Readers joining Committee

David Arnett, Founder

Readers of Tulsa Today are responding in multiple ways to our call to reconstitute the Committee for Clear Communications.  In short, there will be a Creative Conservative Christian media platform for our community and it is highly likely that will include broadcast and print.

Tulsa Today readers are great!  Advertisers are stepping up, regular readers calling and emailing, and video and social media professionals are beginning conversations to chart the future of Tulsa Today.  We will announce our plans in early September.

Critical in this effort is to find another to assume the role of publisher.  As Founder, I am humbled and honored to have written for you and served as publisher online since 1996.  Yes, I will continue to contribute, but not as publisher.

A publisher is responsible for both the business and content sides of the media.  In many instances, when I would be engaged in business conversations, people would want to talk about content – specifically local, state and national politics.  I have written on those fields for decades, but my first piece of advice to my replacement is to focus on management of content and business and write less.  The publisher should not be the organization’s most prolific writer.

It is fun to work the reigns of a media platform, but that requires managing people more than some might suspect.  Writers are an eclectic opinionated bunch consistently critical and without a great love of authority.  They need that standoffishness – for lack of a better term.  A good writer will focus with independence on a subject and must have the ability to turn it over and around and upside down to see from multiple angles – to report what is new(s) and develop fresh editorial perspectives.

This reminds me, I have other stories to write today.

You may join the Committee for Clear Communications by emailing editor@tulsatoday.com or call 918.592.6397.  The Committee will guide the growth of Tulsa Today, LLC and www.TulsaToday.com.

Assistance to wildfire victims

Staff Report

The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) is working with other state agencies and charitable organizations to provide assistance to wildfire victims.
 
“This is a major disaster,” said Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak. “It will take a coordinated effort, over a long period of time, to help these communities get back on their feet.”

Doak, along with officials from Oklahoma Emergency Management (OEM), the American Red Cross, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and insurance industry executives, held a news conference Tuesday to update the media and the public on the response effort.

“We know that at least 340 insurance claims for wildfires have been filed statewide,” said Doak. “But many victims didn’t have home insurance. We want to make sure both the insured and uninsured get all the help they need, as quickly as they need.”
 
The OID has Consumer Assistance teams in the following locations:
 
     Noble – Twelve Corners Baptist Church, 15601 E. Etowah Road
     Mannford – LakeChurch, intersection of Hwy 51 and Hwy 48

     Oklahomans can also reach the OID Consumer Assistance team toll-free at (800) 522-0071 or online at oid.ok.gov.
 
Several insurance companies have setup their mobile operations units beside the OID consumer assistance booth in Mannford, allowing them to quickly meet with customers and begin the claims process. The program was initiated by the Oklahoma Catastrophe Task Force.
 
“Our task force is helping keep Oklahoma insurance consumers better informed before a loss and giving them more resources to help after a loss,” said John Wiscaver, Vice President of Public Affairs for Oklahoma Farm Bureau and task force member.
 
Victims without insurance may be able to get some help from the American Red Cross.
 
“This disaster has affected so many communities across the state,” said Ken Garcia, regional director of communications. “The Red Cross is offering assistance to alleviate human suffering and need.”
 
The Red Cross is currently assessing the needs of wildfire victims. Once the assessments are complete, the organization will determine who is eligible for financial assistance and who should be referred to other relief organizations. Victims need to meet with a Red Cross caseworker at one of the Red Cross Service Centers to get an assessment.
 
The Southern Baptist Disaster Relief team is also offering to help wildfire victims. The group is equipped with chainsaws, Bobcats and other tools to help sift through ashes and remove debris.
 
“We want to do all we can to help these people salvage what they can and eventually rebuild,” said state director Sam Porter. He said victims should request help through their local Baptist church.
 
Many victims have asked about assistance from FEMA. OEM director Michelann Ooten reminded the public that all damage has to be documented before the state can submit a FEMA request.
 
“Here in Oklahoma, we know how to handle disasters,” Ooten said. “So we know how to fill out the paperwork and get that process going as quickly as possible.”