Sullivan Gets Personal, Dodd Upset

Candidate for Congress, Doug Dodd, held a press conference today to call on his opponent, John Sullivan, to stop criticizing Dodd's children. Later, on KRMG radio in Tulsa Dodd claimed that Sullivan had been telling donors in telephone calls critical things about the Dodd children. In an interview on KRMG later, John Sullivan stopped short of a complete denial of Dodd's allegations. Dodd also complained that Sullivan had misrepresented Dodd's stand on guns to a crowd in Wagoner County. Dodd claimed to be just a cozy with the NRA as is Sullivan and blasted Sullivan for telling voters that Dodd was anti-gun. It's a shame neither of these candidates stands up against the NRA but it's also a shame that candidates bring their opponents children into the mud-slinging. It's reprehensible.

John Sullivan's tactics during the Republican primary contest with Oklahoma First Lady Cathy Keating last year were reportedly so underhanded that many of the Keating supporters couldn't support Sullivan in the general election. Many of them were rooting for Dodd when he faced off against Sullivan the first time to fill Congressman Steve Largent's vacated seat.

Years ago, when Inhofe was running against Jim Jones for Congress I went to a fundraiser for Inhofe. During Inhofe's talk I remember him telling mean-spirited jokes about Jim Jones' wife. I was so shocked at his mean-spiritedness that I not only didn't support Inhofe anymore, I've never voted for him since. We should punish this kind of candidate rather than reward them.

Despite Dodd's support of the NRA I will be voting for Doug Dodd this time.

Cockfighters State Their Case

A contact sent me a photo of a card some cockfighters left on his relative's car in an Owasso, Oklahoma parking lot this weekend. The anti-cockfighting group doesn't need to say anything. If they leave it up to the cockfighters to promote their "sport" the cockfighters will convince Oklahomans to not only ban their bloodsport but possibly go one step further and ban the cockfighters themselves.

Daily Oklahoman Wins Two Darts from CJR

As Dustbury points out, the Daily Oklahoman newspaper of Oklahoma City is awarded two of seven Darts from the Columbia Journalism Review. Seems that the Daily Oklahoman doesn't like to disclose when their owner has a financial interest in subjects they write and editorialize about.

Attacking candidate's families

Shame on JOHN M. WYLIE II who is publisher of the Oologah Lake Leader LLC. On a website for Oklahoma Democrats, Mr. Wylie posts a story with allegations against the children of governor candidate Steve Largent. I won't even go into the allegations for to do so would only play into Mr. Wylie's hands. The point to be made here is that such efforts to smear the children of candidates is reprehensible in the extreme. It's unethical, unfair and destructive of the public good. Many good people are either getting out of public service or refusing to enter public service because their families and children have become "fair game" for ruthless political hacks who will stoop very low to win at any cost - to others

You can criticize others for their beliefs, policies, and actions but don't tear down their families, especially their children - just for being related.

People With Big Brains Can't be Fooled

Further on in Mr. Wylie's post he attacks David Simpson of the Tulsa World for his political cartoon described in my October 18th post. In the cartoon Mr. Simpson shows Largent, Henry and Richardson supporters with small brains of varying sizes. Simpson's point in drawing small brains is that the supporters are not too bright (relatively speaking). However, in Mr. Wylie's post he accuses Simpson's cartoon of "stigmatizing mental illness and brain disease". This is no doubt because Mr. Wylie's candidate is shown with a smaller brain than Mr. Largent's. Any nitwit with half a brain can see that the cartoon has nothing at all to do with stigmatizing mental illness. This is an example of how partisan hacks try to tag their opponents with exagerated offenses, knowing full well that they are twisting their opponents meaning. It's a form of lying, nothing less and nothing more. Folks with Big Brains will see through it.

Tech Center Director Leaving?

Word on the street is that Dr. Randy Goldsmith, president of the state's Tech Center, is leaving the position in November. Goldsmith was a real find for Oklahoma and it's our loss that he is leaving. The street also says that the Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence and the Tech Center, both funded by the Oklahoma Center for Science and Technology (OCAST), will be combined into one organization. A group of economic developers are pushing for Greg Main, former Secretary of Commerce under David Walters and currently a venture capital leader, to take over the combined organizations.

Gary Richardson's Bad Ideas

Gary Richardson, independent candidate for governor, seems to be getting increasingly desperate as his poll numbers dip from 16% to 13% in recent days. His television ads in recent days have focused on attacking his opponents, Brad Henry and Steve Largent. Richardson's anti-Largent ad was in particularly poor taste as he sought to attack the Congressman for being on a hunting trip in Idaho on 9-11. The ad in question showed the twin towers ablaze and used music he had failed to get the musicians' permission to use. Richardson had to pull the ad when the artist threatened action. The point Richardson tries to make, that Largent should have stayed in DC for 9-11 is as nonsensical as the rest of his agenda. Was Largent supposed to put the upcoming 9-11 tragedy on his calendar?

Richardson has also called for drastic cuts in funding for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the state agency that is responsible for recruiting new business to come to Oklahoma. The 150-person department also operates a wide range of programs designed to assist Oklahoma businesses to grow, to export, and to stay in Oklahoma. The agency also oversees the funneling of federal money into communities in Oklahoma for infrastructure development. It's actually one of the better run agencies in the state and is widely reported to be doing a good job of growing the economy. What does Richardson want to do? For unknown reasons he wants to hand over the funding to chambers of commerce around the state. Richardson doesn't understand the different roles the Department of Commerce and chambers of commerce have. Chambers of commerce represent the interests of the businesses that are members while the Department of Commerce mission is to work for the economic development of the entire state, its communities and businesses. Sometimes their missions converge but sometimes they don't. Not infrequently, what's good for a small number of businesses is not necessarily good for the wider community. Existing businesses, for example, often don't want new competitors recruited to come into the state. Ironically, Richardson the populist, would hand over economic development to a minority of business interests. This is another of Richardson's plans that he has not thought through. That should be cause for concern for voters. Leaders need to be able to think through to unintended consequences.

The idea of an independent as governor is appealing and I hope someday we get a good independent non-partisan governor. Richardson isn't the right one. He would be a disaster for Oklahoma with his poorly researched ideas and shoot-from-the-hip policies.

He said, She said Diplomacy

Now that North Korea has admitted that they have already developed nuclear weapons in violation of the agreement of 1994 President Bush must decide how to handle two ends of the Axis of Evil simultaneously. The Administration is mulling over strategies to take on North Korea diplomatically while attacking Iraq with a "vast coalition" that they are cobbling together. I'm surprised the obvious hasn't occurred to them. This is actually a splendid opportunity and should be handled the way any high schooler would. Colin Powell should surprise everyone and make a trip to Baghdad to meet Saddam. After having lunch with the Iraqi dictator he should proceed on to Pyongyang to have dinner with Kim Jong-il, the alien life form that rules North Korea. While at dinner Powell should whisper in Kim's ear that Saddam thinks Kim's hair is positively the goofiest he's ever seen. And besides that, Saddam is telling all the other dictators that Kim can't keep any of his kidnapped Scandinavian hos satisfied. Powell should get Kim really pissed off before shuttling back to Baghdad to tell Saddam that Kim said that his lips were fat like a camel's and show him Kim's Little Red Book of Saddam Jokes that the CIA created in their fake documents lab. Powell should keep this up until Iraq and North Korea attack and annihilate each other. We won't have to fire a missile.

Supermarket Reading and Halloween Grocery Sacks

Who decides what magazines go on the racks at supermarkets? I want to know who this person or persons (it must be a conspiracy of at least a few) is/are. Whoever it is, they must be sex-crazed gun and auto nuts that are into planning weddings. Tonight at the Reasor's I had forgotten what I was looking for (happens often) when I found myself standing in front of the magazine racks. Well, while I'm here I might as well see if they have the latest issue of Scientific American. Ummm. Well, they have Guns & Ammo and American Metal over there. There's Rod and Steel, Soldier of Fortune, Heavy Metal, and Maxim there. No, it wouldn't be there. Up here are the women's magazines, Redbook, Home & Garden, Sixteen, etc, etc. Every one of them had a big headline about how to have super sex and satisfy their man. Who are these women who are obsessed with sex? Where are they? I know where they aren't - anywhere within sight. There must be over 100 publications before my eyes and not a one of them is the least bit cerebral in nature. Every magazine is designed to appeal to testosterone, homemaking, or the most mindless of pastimes. Forget Scientific American, they don't even carry Popular Science. Do college graduates not shop for groceries? Is there a secret food supply for the thinking part of society that I don't know about?

I was awakened from my fog by loud voices from the checkout stand. A portly lady in a sweatsuit was refusing to have her groceries bagged in a paper sack adorned with Halloween bats and ghosts. It was "unholy" she was telling the checkout lady. "God doesn't like Halloween!", she squealed. The checkout lady accommodated her with a plain, blank sack. How appropriate I thought.

David Walters for cockfighting?


An Associated Press report on Saturday claims that U.S. Senate candidate David Walters is against the ban on cockfighting that Oklahomans will vote on in November. According to the AP story Walters says he is against the ban on the blood sport because it will impact poor people. Walters apparently doesn't address the matter of the gambling that is an integral part of all cockfighting. The poor generally suffer the most in gambling situations but Walters does not apparently address the matter. Dismayed Democrats are wondering why an otherwise intelligent politician such as Walters would align himself with cockfighters. Polls in Oklahoma consistently show cockfighting going down to defeat by a wide margin in Oklahoma. It calls into question the wisdom and ethical character of a politician that would support cockfighting in any way.

Simpson of the Tulsa World

In today's Tulsa World the editorial cartoon by Simpson featured three people in silhouette. One was identified as a supporter of Steve Largent, another a Brad Henry supporter, the third as a Gary Richardson supporter. In each figure we could see the brain cavity of the person, and their brain. None of the cavities were completely full but the Largent supporter had the most grey matter. The Richardson supporter had so little it was hardly visible. Brad Henry's supporter was half-full, or was it half-empty? I cringed when I saw the cartoon. Simpson is almost always good - better than most of the nationally syndicated political cartoonists - but I thought this one might go over the line a bit. If, however, he was trying to make the point that we don't really have any one candidate that a non-partisan voter with any brains can support wholeheartedly - then he was right on target.

Who is Denise Bode?


So who is Denise Bode? She is running against incumbent Edmondson for the Attorney General of Oklahoma. Here and there I had heard a few people say she was the Christian conservatives' hope to put one of their kind in this crucial job. I've met her. She seemed like a nice person. Now I hear that the National Rifle Association has given GOP attorney general candidate Denise Bode an A rating for her conservative stance on gun issues. Well, that's nothing for Bode to brag about. I thought I better look a bit deeper into this race.

According to the Daily Oklahoman Ms. Bode has been a Democrat most of her life. She worked for David Boren when he was Governor and U.S. Senator. She received a law degree from George Mason University and a masters from Georgetown. After Clinton was elected she switched to Republican and then Governor Keating (a fellow Georgetown grad) appointed her to fill a vacant Corporation Commission seat in 1997. Bode's husband, a longtime Republican, worked for President Reagan's administration. She was elected to the position in 1998.

In reading through newspaper reports in both the Tulsa World and the Daily Oklahoman it would seem that Bode has chosen the old "God, guns and gays" strategy to unseat Drew Edmondson. She has criticized Edmondson's friend of the court brief in a case heard before the U.S. Supreme Court that pitted the Boy Scouts of America against a gay scout leader. Bode says the brief advocated big government against individual rights. Edmondson sez, and the three deans of Oklahoma's law schools agree, that the amicus brief actually defended states' rights . Bode seems to have made several accusations against Edmondson that would indicate a lack of knowledge about what the job of the attorney general is. As the Tulsa World editorialized in today's paper, Denise Bode has focused on criticizing Edmondson for not doing things that the AG's office is not supposed to do. She has criticized him for not getting into law enforcement and legislation - both areas that an AG is not supposed to get into. If she doesn't know what the job really is, do we want her in that job? I don't think so. She might be a great friend to the NRA, homophobes, and religious fundamentalists but not to Oklahoma taxpayers. Her apparent ideological agenda would make Oklahoma a laughing stock and the target of lawsuits and Supreme Court challenges.

I listened to Edmondson the other day on KRMG radio. He seemed levelheaded, reasonable, articulate. He may be a Democrat (I don't care) but he seemed grounded in law and didn't seem to care about partisan politics or ideological agendas. I like that.

Too busy rounding up the pigs to build the fence

During the last two weeks as the murderer/sniper that has terrorized the Washington DC area has killed one innocent person after another, no one seems to be asking why there are so many weapons floating around and why its so easy to get such guns in America. Sure, the main reason this is happening is because there is an evil person willing to do it. But it wouldn't be possible if it wasn't so easy to obtain weapons in our country. And it wouldn't be so easy for the murderer to escape capture if the police had no idea where to begin searching because we are awash in weaponry. There is no reason why we should accept this deplorable situation. Is it more important thay gun enthusiasts have their toys or is it more important that we be free of fear of being offed by irate drivers, angry spouses, or insane terrorists?

Here again, we Oklahomans and Americans are not treating the root causes. We rightfully try to catch Al Quida but we do not address the causes of the terrorist problem (blind support of all that Israel does, tyranny in Islamic countries, + misinformation about America). We try to catch murderers at home but we fail to address root causes (free-flowing guns, hate, and lots of people unable to handle anger).

Allah the taste, Allah the time

Many Muslims in the Middle East are calling for a boycott of American products and Coke, Pepsi, McDonalds, Nike, and Starbucks are taking the brunt of the boycott.

The Raven notes: "The big deal, naturally, is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, whereat sales of bottled water and yoghurt drinks are astronomical—and Coke and Pepsi have traditionally been big players in the market. Zam Zam has done so well, in fact, that other entrants are scrambling to get into the picture, with French Muslim entrepeneur Tawfiq Mathlouthi leading the herd with his Mecca Cola that promises to give "10 per cent of the profits" to a Palestinian children's charity. Hard to compete with that."

On BBC radio tonight Mathlouthi was interviewed spewing his anti-American advertising and calling on everyone to boycott American products - and buy his lousy immitation of the real thing. Of course, this French citizen stands to become rich taking advantage of the Arab boycott of Coke and Pepsi. He is targeting the millions travelling to Mecca for the annual Ramadam pilgrimage to the Saudi Arabian city that bars all non-Muslims. If there is a hell there must surely be a corner of it reserved for those humans, who like Mathlouthi, use religion, faith and their God to make a buck or get votes by stirring up or playing off hatred.

Jim Inhofe Promises Christian Conservatives Rewards from the Lord

The Christian Coalition's annual Road to Victory conference in Washington DC gave both President Bush and Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe top billing. According to the Associated Press, Senator Inhofe exhorted the crowd to vote liberals out of office. "If you don't do it, it ain't gonna be done," he said. "You will be doing the Lord's work, and he will richly bless you for it." Note: This is not a parody, he really said that. That we have a US Senator that says and believes this is sad. Is the Lord taking sides? Is the Lord political? I guess our junior Senator thinks so. Or could it be that he is using the Lord as a political tool? Wouldn't the Lord be really pissed about being used to manipulate voters?

Senator Inhofe will also appear in Tulsa tomorrow at the Victory Church to lecture on the Christian marketplace. I guess David Walters, candidate for Inhofe's seat, doesn't make the grade as far as Victory Church is concerned. Sure, he's a devout Catholic but he's a moderate. To garner the Christian fundamentalist's support you can't just dedicate your life to Christ, you also have to be politically conservative.

To see how outrageous Senator Inhofe's and the Christian Coalition's position of linking faith and politics is look at the Senator's statement above and read it as if it were a Muslim cleric calling for tossing liberals (eg. infidels) out and promising them that Allah will reward them for it. Shouldn't we be disgusted? Perhaps Senator Inhofe will soon start promising conservative Christian voters 72 virgins when they get to Heaven.

Speaking of disgusting. Goobernatorial candidate Gary Richardson attended the Gamefowl Breeders Association (the cockfighters and gamblers) meeting in Oklahoma City today. As mentioned in earlier postings Richardson is opposed to banning cockfighting statewide. Wouldn't it be great to have him out there recruiting businesses to Oklahoma? Gheez.

Bush Issues "Regrets" after U.S. Attack On Oklahoma

WASHINGTON DC - In the wee hours of Sunday morning President Bush held a press conference to issue a statement of regret about the invasion of Oklahoma by U.S. troops. Just hours after crack Black Division units had been withdrawn from positions around Norman, Oklahoma the unusual midnight press conference was carried on WB and UPN. U.S. troops had begun the invasion within two hours after the University of Oklahoma's Sooners had defeated the Texas Longhorns for the third straight year. At 6:49 P.M. Eastern Time wire stories alerted a shocked nation that the Bush Administration had placed Oklahoma on the "Axis of Evil" list with Iraq, Iran, and North Korea.

"I was just kidding," said Bush. "Okay, I lost my temper and made a few statements I shouldn't have but an over-anxious aide took me more serious (sic) than I had meant it to be taken." Unnamed sources at the White House identified the over-anxious aide as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The Secretary was reportedly at an "undisclosed location" and was not available for comment.

The President refused however to back down on his demand for regime change in the coaching staff at OU. "Bob Stoops is an evil man." Bush went on to warn the OU coach ,"and others of his ilk", that if he did not allow UN inspectors to come to OU to search his play books, then the USA would resort to military actions against the ruling regime in Norman. “We want to know if he is creating plays of mass destruction or not. He claims he is not; let the world know about it,” Bush said. Bush went on to predict that "the wind will blow away foreign threats as the noise of an evil covetous tyrant, the enemy of Bevo will eventually be cast to the winds in the mother of all battles".

While troops had been withdrawn Saturday night, Dan Mahoney, Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating's press director reported that a bombing campaign apparently aimed at removing the coach from power was continuing. "Apparently, the President has not heeded our calls to cease the air assault," Mahoney said. "This marks the first military action taken against Oklahoma since 1908."

"This is a confusing policy," said Todd Furman of the Cato Institute. "Bush issues a statement of regret but then continues bombing the Sooners. Just who is in control of our military strategy?" "Strange though it seems, these dueling positions actually make sense when you consider the two competing priorities of Bush's policy ever since he was elected president. One priority is protecting Texas, about which the president and many administration officials have spoken warmly. The other priority is prosecuting America's own war on terrorism. In the fall, that meant recruiting Middle Eastern members for the coalition against the Sooners; today, it means finding Arab support for the unexpected war against Bob Stoops. In either case, Texas is the loser."

A salad state?

The English have a long tradition as accomplished travel writers. So it was with some eagerness that I discovered a book by Peter Biddlecombe (don't you just love those English names?) entitled "The United Burger States of America". As I wandered the bookstore my eye landed on the cover of this paperback. It featured a cartoon cow in the shape of the USA and sliced up into states. Oklahoma was in the center.

I was familiar with this writer. He is the English version of Jay Cronley. The back cover said:

"The United States is many things to many people: to Peter Biddlecombe it's food. America, he argues, is nothing less than a Great United Bumper Burger: from the meat state of Connecticut, where the hamburger was invented in a New Haven car park .... to the french-fry state of Texas, where potato-head politicians as "Is our children learning?"

Texas the french fry state? Connecticut the meat state? Ok, so Biddlecombe doesn't seem to have in-depth knowledge of America or our food. That naivete is what makes travel writing so much fun to read. I bought it for 6 quid.

Once home I couldn't wait to read the part about Biddlecombe's travels through Oklahoma. The author had divided his book into sections based on food types: the burger states, bun states, cheese states, bacon states, salad states, french fry states, relish, ketchup, salt, fruity (yes, California), and finally, the drink states. Silly? Yes. The classification system was contrived and meaningless. Oklahoma was a "salad state", along with New Mexico, Hawaii, and North Dakota. Go figure.

On page 199 Biddlecombe gets around to Oklahoma: "And finally, of course, there is Oklahoma. Poor, innocent Oklahoma. I defy anyone to read, see or hear anything about the famous Trail of Tears and not shed a tear for the poor Indians and their families." Then in three short paragraphs Biddlecomb dispenses with poor, innocent Oklahoma by saying that we are famous for the worst race riot in American history (1921) and Timothy McVeigh and the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City (1995). That is all there is to Oklahoma according to this Englishman who obviously didn't set foot in our state. Did that stop him from slandering our 3.3 million inhabitants? Of course not. Like so many, the author probably spent 5 minutes on the internet and 2 minutes writing about his indepth research on Oklahoma.

It's lamentable that those who have never been to Oklahoma dismiss it with outdated generalities. To be dismissed is bad enough. To be dismissed out of ignorance is doubly hurtful. To have that ignorance published and distributed worldwide is literary criminality.

Insane over Hussein

The Congress on Thursday authorized war-making powers for President Bush, giving him the extra muscle he needs is his determination to free America and the world from what he says is the growing threat of Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe that my country is thinking of attacking a country without certain knowledge that they intend to harm us directly. Saddam is an evil man for certain, but there are a lot of evil leaders in the world today. Are we going to attack North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Sudan, and Zimbabwe next? China might be in the sights as well. Can we start attacking countries whose leaders are cruel despots? I don't think we can. We are powerful but if we try to take on all the world's bad guys by ourselves we will destroy our economy and abandon the moral highground.

The idea of us being so cocksure of ourselves and in such a rush to unilaterally attack Iraq in order to obtain "regime change" makes me wonder if the saying that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" can apply to the good old USA? Bush's advisors, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, seem determined to apply their extreme ideology to US foreign policy at all costs. Bush is in need of some level-headed advice. Hopefully, Powell will stay in there to fight for a pragmatic and principled approach to foreign policy and the Iraq matter.

I considered writing to Senators Nickles and Inhofe to let them know how unwise Bush's strategy (if he has one) is but why waste two stamps? Our two Senators are so party-loyal and right wing that I can't even think of them listening to the voices of moderation. They'd never dream of going against President Bush's position, no matter how flawed it is.

Dinosaurs & Bagels
I had a look at the new Natural History Museum at the University of Oklahoma today. It is first rate in every respect. The dinosaur and fossil exhibits are at least the equal of any museum in the country. The exhibits on Native American culture and environmental habitats in Oklahoma are excellent. It costs just $4 for adults. Unfortunately, the signage getting to the museum is inadequate. Although the museum is only about three miles from I-35 I could find no sign on I-35 to tell me which exit to take. Going south from Oklahoma City towards Dallas you take the fourth Norman exit. The museum is a jewel for Oklahoma and OU.

After the tour of the museum I stopped in at the NY Bagel cafe at Campus Corner for a bagel sandwich. This is one of the few bagel eateries left after the bagel boom of the late 90s. A couple of years ago most of the bagel places went out of business. One chain called the New York Bagel was headquartered in Stillwater but had shops all over Oklahoma and beyond. The chain became involved with a burrito chain, started phasing their shops from bagels to burritos and then to no bagels. What a loss to civilization that was. Those of us who learned to like bagels had to turn to the grocery stores for the packaged variety. $2.70 for four lousy bagels? New York Bagels please come back.

Mr. Richardson. Goodbye.

I was looking for clues to Gary Richardson's thinking and decision-making processes. As I mentioned yesterday, Richardson said he could not support a ban on cockfighting on a statewide basis. Richardson said he would handle it on a county-option basis because he did not think it right for the urban areas to tell rural counties what to do. If we carry this thinking to its "logical" conclusion we would have to ask Mr. Richardson if he believes it fair that the urban areas subsidize education in rural areas - as is currently the case. What if we extend this flawed line of thinking to the other issues the State Legislature and the Governor must deal with? Will abortion, gambling, speed laws, etc all be handled on a county option basis? Why not just abdicate all state law-making matters to the county level? Why would we need a Governor or a State Legislature at all?

Of course, anyone with the slightest sense sees Richardson's position on cockfighting as a cop-out as well as a lack of moral fiber. What do we need with such a candidate for Governor? Mr. Richardson, you are the weakest link. Goodbye.

Brad Henry, the Democrat candidate for Governor, says he can't support the ban on cockfighting because the penelties are too harsh. Of course, the penelties for dogfighting are exactly the same as the proposed penalties for cockfighting. Is Brad Henry also against the ban on dogfighting? Anyone with sense also sees Henry's position against the ban on cockfighting as a disingenuous cop-out. We don't need a Governor that can't manage enough spine to take a real position or one that is so loathsome as to cuddle with cockfighters.

As uncomfortable as I am with Steve Largent's extreme social conservatism, his love of the NRA, and his desire to put his religion in policy, I have to admire his principle-led decisions and his clear positions. I'm impressed with his clear opposition to the cockfighters.

My computer is back in order and we can continue our blog. It's been a week since I could get online.

The Tulsa World reports today that of the three candidates for Governor in Oklahoma only Steve Largent supports the ban on cockfighting that Oklahomans will vote on in November. Brad Henry and Gary Richardson did not support the ban. That's all I needed to know about Richardson, Henry and Largent. There is no way in the world I'd vote for Richardson or Henry now. Any "statesman" that supports cockfighting is an embarrassment to Oklahoma and to humanity.