MARY FALLIN, UNLIKELY TO APPEAR BEFORE OCPAC MEMBERS

++ AGENDA FOR THIS WEEK’S MEETING

++ THE HYPOCRISY OF THE OKLAHOMAN?

++ TIM POPE, FAREWELL, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN MARY FALLIN - UNLIKELY TO

++ APPEAR BEFORE OCPAC MEMBERS SUPPORT A GREAT CAUSE, MAYBE WIN A

++ SHOTGUN REPRESENTATIVE STELLE, BEWARE OF FASCISTS OCPAC MEMBERSHIP

++ AGENDA FOR THIS WEEK’S MEETING

Our 12 noon luncheon for Wednesday, February 24th will be held at Italiano’s restaurant, 4801 North Lincoln in OKC. We are one week away from beginning the interview process for candidates running for state wide races as well as congressional candidates. Therefore, we will show the particular Glen Beck program that I believe was so exceptional as far as getting to the core of the problems in America today. With the commercials removed, it will take 40 minutes, except I want to stop it and comment at 2 or 3 points. I believe they need emphasis as they are very important.

Every time I mention Glen Beck’s name, I get e-mails from the Beck detractors, people who are worried that Beck is nothing more than a “pied piper” leading the newly awakened conservatives and the disaffected Republicans back into the camp of the “neo-cons”. It is my hope that concerned conservatives, liberty lovers, and Republicans will someday mature to the point that we can glean good information when it is available from sources with whom we may have some level of disagreement. Beck is not perfect and neither are any of the rest of us. He does though, bring many important issues to the table in a format that really plants deeply into our hearts and minds, if that is, we are open to truth.

++ THE HYPOCRISY OF THE OKLAHOMAN?

On February 13th, the Oklahoman’s editorial page ran what was at least the 3rd editorial in recent weeks about what I would suggest are their priorities, and the suggestion that most other legislation is not important. The editorial on the 13th was titled “Plenty of legislative tangents”. It started with what I presume to be their priority by saying “As the state copes with historic revenue challenges, one legislator wants…” then it mentions several pieces of legislation and toward the bottom states; “It’s a waste of time and ought to be jettisoned.”

The general tone of these editorials is that the important task ahead of the legislature today is the budget crisis and the need to get the economy back on track. It appears that these issues are what matters most to the Oklahoman and much of the rest of the legislation is little more than a diversion from the important business of government. While the budget and the economy are important, I of course disagree. I believe there are many other matters that are very important, especially the 2nd and 10th Amendment issues, pro life legislation as well as others. Truth is, lawmakers dealing with these so called tangent issues will not prevent the budget from being developed and other important issues regarding the economy. They are going to be dealt with as they always are. What would the Oklahoman have the lawmakers do with their time, sit and twiddle their thumbs while they wait upon the Speaker, the Budget Chairman, and the Senate President Pro-Tem work out a deal with the Governor then vote as they are told to make it appear as it is a representative process?

Then along comes last Thursday’s issue of the Oklahoman with a picture on the front page of State Senator Todd Lamb (R-OKC) standing right next to the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA basketball team’s mascot, Rumble the Bison. Senator Lamb was taking up time presenting a resolution to Rumble in honor of his first birthday, oh how sweet. A similar resolution was also read in the House chamber. Now folks, I don’t give a flip about that little waste of time, unless it takes away from other important legislation, such as the legislation the Oklahoman thinks are tangents. What bothers me, is that I haven’t seen the Oklahoman complain about such frivolity taking up time from the important business of the legislature. Could the reason be, that the Thunder and its mascot are owned in part by one of the members of the family that owns the Oklahoman? Therefore, what might be another word for hypocrisy? Could the spelling of that word go something like this:

the OKLAHOMAN?

++ TIM POPE, FAREWELL, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN!

The large crowd that attended Tim’s funeral on Monday was a testament to the number of people Tim had inspired and touched. I believe it was one of the longer funerals I had ever attended, but people attending didn’t mind a bit as we had an opportunity to reminisce as we heard so many heart warming stories from two of his daughters, a young man mentored by Tim, his attorney Steven Jones and his pastor.

Most of us knew Tim in the context of politics, but it was evident his real priorities were the Lord, the love of his life and soul mate, LaDonna, his 3 daughters and beloved grandchildren. Jones explained his belief that the prosecution of Tim by the AG’s office was intended to destroy such a skilled consultant as Tim. But Jones was quick to add that Tim was never one to give up. With persistence, Tim was always one who kept forging ahead.

His pastor told of their many conversations and what he thought was Tim’s unusual practice of naming the farm animals of which he so much enjoyed. We were informed he named his pig, “pork n beans”, his cow “MW” for medium well and the most unusual name of all, the donkey of which Tim had named “Drew”. I rather thought the pastor was a little too politically correct as the Biblical word for such an animal is “ass”.

For those of us who knew Tim in a political context, may we be inspired to never give up, to keep fighting for the things in which we believe and to always have the kind of courage Tim had in the face of powerful enemies. That is why Tim will never be forgotten by the many who knew and loved him and considered him as a friend.

In the e-mail last week I had mentioned donations could be made to the Tim Pope Memorial fund at any branch of the Chase Bank. Because of homeland security rules, those donations could not be received before this past Friday. If you want to help his family in this difficult time, please drop by and donate to the fund. There have been so many times Tim helped people he believed in at cost or even for no charge.

This is an opportunity to return some of that help to his family.

++ MARY FALLIN, UNLIKELY TO APPEAR BEFORE OCPAC MEMBERS

My first contact with the Fallin campaign occurred at the state convention last year. I explained we had to have the interviews done before filing date as we would be busy working on the conservative index and interviewing candidates from filing date through the first week in October. I was told the congressional calendar for 2010 wasn’t available as yet and that is certainly understandable. I had hoped we might have Mary last Wednesday as she was in town. However, she had appointments during noon of last week. I was told she might be able to come sometime in March or perhaps during the Easter break, which could have been either March 31st or April 7th.

However, I received a call last week that Mary could only come sometime late in July. Unfortunately that is unacceptable to us. I was then told maybe June 2nd, which would be the Wednesday before filing.

However, that date couldn’t be guaranteed. Sorry folks, I schedule people all the time. If a date is open you put it on the calendar and that is it, done, finished. I have to believe the Fallin campaign simply doesn’t want to come for an interview process before the members of OCPAC. I had already agreed that she wouldn’t have to appear at the same time as Senator Brogdon.

In a related matter, I have previously mentioned attending for the first time the State of the State speech by Governor Henry, given on February 1st. I ended up sitting next to a young lady that turned out to be the campaign chairman for Drew Edmondson’s effort to become the next Governor. I asked the lady several questions, one of which was the following:

I mentioned that Steve Largent resigned his seat in Congress so he could campaign all over the state meeting the people of Oklahoma. Then I mentioned that Congressman Istook decided not to resign and therefore did not devote full time to the election effort. Therefore I asked, did the Edmondson campaign consider it an advantage for them since Mary has decided not to resign? I thought her answer was interesting. She indicated that since Mary decided not to resign, it sent a strong signal that she isn’t very interested in meeting the people of Oklahoma. If on the other hand, she did resign this late in the race, it would indicate she didn’t take her responsibilities as a U.S. Representative seriously, something she was elected to do. The Edmondson campaign manager indicated it was a choice she would not want to have to make.

At first I didn’t know what to think about such an answer, but as I have pondered it for a while, it does seem that Mary is more interested in meeting in scheduled appointments with potential donors rather than getting out and appearing in public meetings, especially if Senator Brogdon is to be at the same location. Whether it be the recent Second District GOP meeting, the Tulsa Rally, Clouds Over America, the Liberty Conference last weekend, the state committee meeting or at the OCPAC meeting, she just doesn’t seem to want to be around the grass roots Republicans in Oklahoma.

That strategy may be costing her support. At the recent rally in Tulsa, in the straw poll for governor, Senator Brogdon received 68 percent of the vote while Representative Fallin received only 23 percent according to a front page article in the Tulsa Beacon. One must take into consideration that Brogdon is from the Tulsa area and that was not a scientific poll. However, it is a measure of the support of grass roots activists, who often do the leg work in campaigns.

We have set up April 14th for the day Senator Brogdon and Robert Hubbard, the other Republican running for governor to appear before OCPAC members. If the Fallin campaign can re-arrange their schedule, I will keep April 21st open or try to re-schedule any other previous Wednesday for her to appear. I really do want her to come. We will not extend a date beyond April 21st. If she doesn’t appear, she will NOT be eligible to receive any campaign donations from OCPAC in the general election, even if she didn’t receive our endorsement. The irony of it all, if our members voted to contribute, the amount might be more than she is able to raise by missing one of our luncheons.

++ SUPPORT A GREAT CAUSE AND PERHAPS WIN A SHOTGUN

I keep forgetting to mention a membership promotion for the newly formed Second Amendment organization known as OK2A. The basic membership is only $17.76. Well well, that membership amount reminds me of an important date in American history. Of course they have some higher membership levels of which you can check out by logging on to www.ok2a.org If you log on and join by the end of February, you will have an entry ticket thrown into a hopper for the drawing of a New England Firearms 12 gauge, 3 inch turkey gun.

The drawing will be on March 1st. The winner must be a resident of the state of Oklahoma, present a valid Oklahoma Driver’s license, and be legally eligible to purchase a firearm. There are a couple of higher levels to join which come with additional entries. Now please pay close attention as this is the most important part. If you join at any level, tell them “Charlie sent you” as that will create an entry for me as well as the one for yourself. I sure would like to win that shotgun.

++ REPRESENTATIVE STELLE, BEWARE OF FASCISTS

In the news on Monday were stories about some group of doooo-goodie egalitarians who are pushing the state legislature to pass laws prohibiting smoking in all public places. While it is a strong word, I shall refer to them as the smoking fascists. In recent years the legislature has passed ever more restrictions upon restaurants and other places regarding where people can and can’t smoke.

If we understand the proper role of government in regulating behavior, government should stay out of the regulation business when it affects only ourselves, except for cases of immorality. Therefore, I would have no problem with government regulating smoking in public places where people of necessity had to be such as government buildings or public use places where all people have access. However, when it comes to regulating smoking on private property or in places of business where people have an option to access them, then government begins to abandoned liberty and starts practicing fascism.

In recent years the legislature has made it illegal for people to smoke in restaurants or government has required a restaurant to spend thousands of dollars to enclose special sealed off smoking areas with separate ventilation systems. I eat out a lot and can only think of two restaurants that have these separate rooms. Now, this group of fascists wants to not only eliminate these places to smoke, but they want to eliminate smoking in bars which have so far been left alone.

Enough is enough already.

I dare say, if all these laws regarding restaurants were removed tomorrow, most would stay non-smoking as the majority of the public wants a smoke free place to eat. I personally have never smoked and very much dislike the smell associated with the practice. However, I am opposed to government passing these kinds of laws and taking away a person’s liberty to smoke on private property if the property owner wants to allow it. If a restaurant wants to allow smoking, I can take my business elsewhere, to a restaurant that won’t allow it.

Perhaps as a compromise Representative Kris Steele, soon to be Speaker Steele, has offered legislation to provide tax credits (subsidies) for businesses to eliminate smoking in their places of business.

Representative Steele, please understand you don’t have to bow your little head and placate every unreasonable special interest control group that comes to the Capitol. Furthermore, many of the people paying taxes don’t want you to give our tax dollars away to some business or bar owner to satisfy a bunch of radical smoking fascists.

If you are not giving our tax dollars away, then you are exempting those business people from paying for their share of the cost of government.

We are not going to stop people from smoking. If we continue with this foolishness we will drive ever more people away from patronizing privately owned restaurants and bars to eating and drinking in the tribally owned casinos. Not only will the state lose the revenue from people spending their money in these non taxed business locations, more may pick up the habit of gambling and then the temptation will be for the state to spend money to fix their gambling addictions.

Representative Steele, please don’t placate fascists.

++ OCPAC MEMBERSHIP

While the pace of new members has slowed down, we are continuing to grow and increase our numbers. By joining with us at OCPAC we have an opportunity to increase the quality of lawmakers in Oklahoma, at least from a conservative point of view. If you have not joined as yet, please consider doing so. Instructions on how to join will follow the sign off.

I look forward to seeing everyone this Wednesday.

Charlie Meadows

Charliemeadows7@gmail.com