Watts, Cole endorse Humphreys in Senate race

Two powerful Oklahoma Republicans endorsed former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys in the U.S. Senate race Tuesday but denied that their support was intended to anoint a Republican candidate.

"I would expect there's going to be a primary on each side," said U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Norman. "There certainly ought to be one on the Democratic side. There certainly ought to be one on the Republican side."

Cole and former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts, R-Norman, announced their support Tuesday for Humphreys in the race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Don Nickles, R-Ponca City.

Other prominent Oklahoma Republicans who have endorsed Humphreys include U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, U.S. Rep. John Sullivan and Tulsa Mayor Bill LaFortune.

However, the early endorsement of Humphreys by so many party leaders has been viewed by critics as an effort to clear the primary field for Humphreys – something he, Cole and Watts all denied.

Prominent Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin and U.S. Rep. Ernest Istook, have backed away from a Senate race.

But Humphreys noted that five potential Senate candidates addressed members of the Oklahoma Republican Party's executive committee last weekend and said there are "numerous, formidable, good candidates in the Republican Party who have won statewide multiple times that are looking at this race."

Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony, Oklahoma City businesswoman Terry Neese, state Sen. Mike Fair, former U.S. Rep. Tom Coburn and party activist Linda Murphy are reportedly among Republicans considering the race.

"This idea that people were anointed or kept in or out just simply isn't true," Cole said. "But when you get into a race, what you do is go back to the people you know that you've helped and ask them to help you."

He said the endorsements received by Humphreys are a reflection of personal goodwill and years of party activism.

"I've worked with Ernest Istook for eight years and whatever one might think of Ernest Istook, no one ever draws the conclusion that anybody intimidates him to do anything," Watts said. "That's just not the truth and I think Ernest made the decision on his own."

Watts said claims of a coronation have been lobbed by those lacking endorsements.

"There's not a one of those people that wouldn't have liked for Don Nickles to support them, for Jim Inhofe to support them, for Tom Cole to support them," Watts said. "So it depends on who's getting the endorsement as to whether or not it's an anointing ceremony."

"If I got to clear the field for anybody and anoint somebody, that would be the guy," said Cole, pointing to his predecessor in Congress. "It wouldn't be Kirk Humphreys. It would be J.C. Watts."

Humphreys also said he would have endorsed Watts and stayed out of the Senate race if Watts had decided to jump in.

Cole cited Humphreys' experience as a businessman as a reason for throwing his support to the former mayor.

"He makes good decisions. He looks after people's money. He knows the importance of creating jobs and moving the economy forward," Cole said.

The congressman also praised Humphreys for "his ability to bring different people together from both parties and different points of view and get big things done in Oklahoma City."

As mayor, Humphreys was active in efforts to increase city sales and property taxes to pay for revitalization efforts in downtown Oklahoma City and the public school system.

"He's a strong conservative," Cole said. "He's committed to the principles of his party but he's also somebody that knows how to bring people together and make things happen that affect people's lives and improve the economy and improve the lives of people."

Watts noted that he has known Humphreys since 1978 and the two have been active in "faith circles" as well as political campaigns through the years. Watts said he would "throw whatever influence" he possesses "behind Kirk Humphreys to be the next U.S. senator from the state of Oklahoma."

"I think that in politics you can find policy wonks by the dozen, you can find international/foreign affairs policy wonks by the dozen," Watts said. "So I don't think you have to be an expert on foreign affairs or domestic affairs in order to be a good United States senator, but I do think the basis for being a good public official is decency. And Kirk Humphreys is just a very decent guy that I think provides a very stable and reliable hand at the wheel."

Watts also said Humphreys has shown a "love and appreciation for developing underserved communities" and will be a strong supporter of education, "permanent tax relief" and a strong national defense.

"The Democrats are emboldened by what happened in the governor's race last year and we have a likely Democrat opponent who's going to try to run as an Oklahoma conservative and we'll try to point out the differences between what we believe as conservative Republicans and what he stands for," Humphreys said.

U.S. Rep. Brad Carson, D-Claremore, is considered the front-runner in the Democratic primary. Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher has also announced his Senate candidacy.

Carson is considered a relatively conservative Democrat and voted to support President George W. Bush's tax cut package in 2001. The congressman also supported efforts to immediately and permanently eliminate the estate tax and accelerate child tax credits in 2003, according to a spokesman.

Given that Humphreys has supported tax increases as mayor, some officials believe Carson could position himself to the right of Humphreys in a general election.

But Humphreys defended his tax record Tuesday and suggested Carson's record will not stand close scrutiny.

"He voted against the Bush tax cuts twice this year," Humphreys said. "The tax cuts that passed the United States Senate by one vote this year and that we're enjoying right now and that led to the most prosperous third quarter in almost 20 years, Carson voted against. And if he'd been the Oklahoman senator on the Democratic side of the aisle, those would have failed and we wouldn't be enjoying those today."

Humphreys also noted that the tax increases he supported as Oklahoma City mayor were temporary.

"Taxes in Oklahoma City are at exactly the same level today – when I left office – that they were the day I came into office," Humphreys said. "In municipal government many times you do things like you have a bond issue and it keeps the tax level exactly where it is. And we did those kinds of things."

Humphreys also noted that he opposed a $35 million annual increase in the sales tax that would have funded the Oklahoma City sheriff's department.

"I opposed it and the voters agreed with me by an 82-percent-to-18 margin," Humphreys said. "I think we've been very responsible with taxes and all the good things we've done in Oklahoma City, we've done without raising taxes."

When he campaigns in 2004, Humphreys vowed not to repeat the mistakes that caused Republican Steve Largent to lose last year's gubernatorial race by a razor-thin margin after leading in polls for months.

"When you start as far ahead as Steve did, it's almost like there's nowhere to do but down," Humphreys said. "It's almost like being on the cover of Sports Illustrated. It's not all that good."

He said Largent's race "proved without a doubt that Republicans can lose statewide in Oklahoma" and that knowledge has motivated Republicans.

"We know it's not easy," Humphreys said. "The likely Democrat candidate is a good man. I think he'd make a wonderful congressman if he were to choose to stay there. But it's going to be a tough race. I think that's the lesson from the Largent campaign: We've got to connect with the voters and we can't assume anything."

"We all suffered because of the Largent loss," Watts said. "But we all learned from that and I think it told us all that you take nothing for granted, that you get out there and work every single day as though you are behind."

A somewhat troubling dynamic in this race:

Given that Humphreys has supported tax increases as mayor, some officials believe Carson could position himself to the right of Humphreys in a general election.

The GOP has united behind Humphreys already.

No way rat Carson can or would want to run to the right of Humphreys.

And just cause Humphreys backed tax inreases while mayor doesn't mean he'll vote againts tax cuts in Washington, he almost certainly will not. If Carson gets a safe 6 year term he'd move sharply to the left.

Good point. To be honest, I think that the strongest candidate the 'Rats could have chosen is Drew Edmondson, who has won three statewide elections. This election will be competitive, but I predict a Humphreys victory.

"Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony, Oklahoma City businesswoman Terry Neese, state Sen. Mike Fair, former U.S. Rep. Tom Coburn and party activist Linda Murphy are reportedly among Republicans considering the race."

Tom Coburn is still considering making the race? Maybe all of those GOP luminaries should have held off on endorsing Mayor Humphreys, since Coburn would make a great Senator. But given the fact that with the near-universal endorsement of Humphreys it may now be too late for Coburn to enter the GOP primary, I think it behooves us to convince Coburn to run for his old House seat. The district gave Bush 52% of the vote in 2000, but is traditionally Democratic, and a conservative Democrat would be favored against any Republican other than Coburn or former Congressman Wes Watkins (who is too old to seek election again).

Kirk Humphreys has been an outstanding mayor, and Oklahoma City has been spared much of the economic slowdown in part because of the policies Humphreys persued. But being a good administrator doesn't translate into political skills and electoral appeal. Perhaps the party leadership felt that his base in the state's largest city would amount to statewide name I.D.

"Let me be clear. There is only one choice for Oklahoma. Only one man I want sent to the Senate this year from Oklahoma to fully support my agenda-- Kirk Humphreys."

--George W. Bush, 2004 ad

7 posted on 12/04/2003 4:17:06 AM PST by GraniteStateConservative ("He's got to win in '04. No one else can prosecute this war like he can."- Cpt. J. Morrison, Baghdad)

"Let me be clear. There is only one choice for Oklahoma. Only one man I want sent to the Senate this year from Oklahoma to fully support my agenda-- Kirk Humphreys."

--George W. Bush, 2004 ad

With regards to the above stated from President Bush.

Let me be clear. Although the president's opinion does carry some mucho weight around here, the Republicans in Oklahoma would like to determine for ourselves the best person to represent our interests in Washington.

That's been a concern of many people, that Bush and the national GOP are interferring in primaries too much. Maybe it's uNdEmocratic of me but I think it's a good idea. It gave us Senator Coleman and others.

President Bush has to come to Oklahoma and campaign for Humphrey's. It is a must! Republicans must work very hard this year to hang on to that seat. I hope we learned well from 2002.

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