Free Republic

WASHINGTON, DC - Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today introduced the Drive America on Natural Gas Act to promote the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) vehicles. Inhofe also introduced the American Affordable Fuels Act to relieve pain at the pump. "As Americans continue to suffer from high gas prices, we need to take advantage of our abundant domestic supply of natural gas for use as a transportation fuel," Senator Inhofe said. "The Drive America on Natural Gas Act adds flexibility to the current Renewable Fuels Standard...

One of the unappreciated casualties of the War of 1861, erroneously called a Civil War, was its contribution to the erosion of constitutional guarantees of state sovereignty. It settled the issue of secession, making it possible for the federal government to increasingly run roughshod over Ninth and 10th Amendment guarantees. A civil war, by the way, is a struggle where two or more parties try to take over the central government. Confederate President Jefferson Davis no more wanted to take over Washington, D.C., than George Washington wanted to take over London. Both wars are more properly described as wars of...

OKLAHOMA CITY - An Oklahoma City church called off plans to give away a semiautomatic assault rifle at a weekend gathering of teenagers, the church's pastor said. Plans called for Windsor Hills Baptist to give away the weapon as a way of encouraging attendance at the gathering but plans changed when one the event's organizers was unable to attend, KOCO 5, Oklahoma City, reported Sunday. The church's pastor, Bob Ross, said officials anticipated hundreds of teenagers from as far away as Canada would attend. "We have 21 hours of preaching and teaching throughout the week," Ross told KOCO 5. The...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIxK9HWideQ&feature=user

Just thought some of you might be interested in this website: http://www.nativeamericansagainstobama.com/

STILLWATER: Oklahoma State University today becomes the largest campus in the state to ban tobacco. Getting Burns Hargis to work early sure has paid off for OSU. OSU President Burns Hargis said the policy aims to make OSU a clean and healthy environment. "We have enough afflictions that affect the human condition without voluntarily adding to the problem, he said. "It sets a strong example and a consistent example of our commitment to be a healthy and attractive campus. OSU's wellness center offers cessation help and, in some cases, medication and nicotine replacement products, to students and employees. Student Charles...

June 30, 2008 -- CHICAGO -- Capt. Dan Rooney delivered a perfect strike Thursday afternoon in Wrigley Field. But, the pitch he made off the mound meant much more. The 35-year-old PGA Professional from Broken Arrow, Okla., and founder of Patriot Golf Day and the Folds of Honor Foundation, Rooney will be serving his country once again this fall by making his third tour of Iraq as an F-16 fighter pilot.

Steamed over a perceived increase in federal usurping of states' rights, Oklahoma's House of Representatives told Washington, D.C., to back off. Joint House Resolution 1089, passed by an overwhelming 92-3 margin, reasserts Oklahoma's sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and, according to the resolution's own language, is "serving notice to the federal government to cease and desist certain mandates." The Tenth Amendment states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people." Traditionally, this language has meant that...

http://www.ok-safe.com/files/documents/1/HJR1089_int.pdf the vote was 92 to 3: http://www.okhouse.gov/51LEG/Leg_Votesxx.aspx?include=okh01983.txt

STATE OF OKLAHOMA 2nd Session of the 51st Legislature (2008) HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 1089 By: Key AS INTRODUCED A Joint Resolution claiming sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over certain powers; serving notice to the federal government to cease and desist certain mandates; and directing distribution. WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads as follows: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."; and WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment defines...

STATE OF OKLAHOMA 2nd Session of the 51st Legislature (2008) HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 1089 By: Key AS INTRODUCED A Joint Resolution claiming sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over certain powers; serving notice to the federal government to cease and desist certain mandates; and directing distribution. WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads as follows: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."; and WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment defines...

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 731 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008 CASS MN- 731 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008 ...A tornado warning remains in effect until 8:00 p.m. CDT for Northern Cass County... AT 727 PM CDT...National Weather Service Doppler Radar continued to indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado. This possible tornado was located near Walker... or 12 miles West of Leech Lake moving Northeast at 33 MPH. This possible tornado will be near... 7 miles Southeast of Steamboat Lake by 735 PM... Crooked Lake and 6 miles Southeast of Wilkinson by...

WASHINGTON—Nothing personal, Sen. Obama, but our re-election comes first. Barack Obama, for all his attention and primary successes, does not go over so well in a fair number of Democratic lawmakers' home districts. So it seems there is little chance that some will endorse him for president. Some are counting on Republican votes in their re-election bids. Some are newly minted and in rematches with 2006 opponents. Some may be wary of how their constituents will react to a black presidential candidate. Some, too, have made it a practice of distancing themselves from the national party, fearing the inevitable campaign...

Rep. Dan Boren, the lone Democrat in Oklahoma's congressional delegation, has declined to endorse Barack Obama, describing the Illinois senator as "the most liberal senator in the U.S. Senate." "Our nominee is not my first choice," Mr. Boren said in an Associated Press interview. Mr. Boren, who is seeking a third term in a conservative district, argued problems such as a stalling economy and high gas prices require a bipartisan spirit and "unfortunately, [Mr. Obama's] record does not reflect working in a bipartisan fashion." Also at source: Obama Establishes Internet War Room Plagued by e-mail rumors that he is a...

No Suspects Or Motive In Case; Best Friends, 11 And 13, Shot To Death On Rural Road TULSA, Okla. (CBS) No suspect or motive has been identified in the mysterious killing of two girls who were shot to death along a dirt road in rural Okfuskee County, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. On Sunday, the bodies of 11-year-old Skyla Whitaker and 13-year-old Taylor Paschal-Placker were found on an isolated county road near this small town, about 70 miles south of Tulsa. The pair, best friends who lived a few miles apart in an impoverished part of the...

Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama’s campaign, in an internal memo, is disputing one Democratic congressman’s characterization of the Illinois senator’s record after the member went on the record Tuesday saying he would not endorse his party’s nominee. Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.) told The Associated Press that Obama is too liberal for his district, and he does not work well with Republicans despite his rhetoric. In the internal memo, which was obtained by The Hill, the campaign lays out surrogate talking points and says that “unfortunately, Congressman Boren has his facts wrong.” The document outlines a way for surrogates to refute...

Oklahoma City (AP) - Democratic Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma said Tuesday Barack Obama is "the most liberal senator" in Congress and he has no intention of endorsing him for the White House. ... Boren, the lone Democrat in Oklahoma's congressional delegate, said that while Obama has talked about working with Republicans, "unfortunately, his record does not reflect working in a bipartisan fashion."

OKLAHOMA CITY — Democratic Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma said Tuesday Barack Obama is "the most liberal senator" in Congress and he has no intention of endorsing him for the White House. However, Boren will vote for Obama at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August and will vote Democratic on Nov. 4. "I think this is an important time for our country," Boren said in a telephone interview. "We're facing a terrible economic downturn. We have high gasoline prices. We have problems in our foreign policy. That's why I think it's important." Boren, the lone Democrat in Oklahoma's...

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla., said Tuesday he will not endorse Barack Obama for president. "I still remain very concerned about the (Obama) voting record being the most liberal of the United States Senate," said Boren, a superdelegate to this summer’s national Democratic convention in Denver. He expressed support for what he described as a "centrist" agenda, adding his party’s presumptive nominee’s record does not reflect that approach.

Ward Connerly's critics often blame the success of the millionaire businessman's anti-affirmative-action campaign on some dubious political sleight of hand. Now they'd like to make the former UC regent's controversial initiative disappear before it reaches the ballot in five states. Connerly's measure won handily in his home state of California and in Washington and Michigan, affecting race- or gender-based programs in public employment, education and contracting. Connerly spearheaded California's Proposition 209 in 1996, which amended the state constitution to outlaw race and gender-based preferences in state hiring and state university admissions. His twelve-year tenure on the Board of Regents ended...

Senator James M. Inhofe Floor Statement Climate Debate June 2, 2008  Selected Excerpts of Senator Inhofe’s floor statement: We believe that any climate legislation must offer Clean Energy Solutions. Substantial investment must be made in new, clean energy technologies which generate more energy efficiently by producing less carbon, without the government picking winners and losers.  It makes good business sense to produce energy more efficiently and American companies are at the forefront of developing new technologies.  We support investments in solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and other innovative technologies.  But we must be careful not to interfere in the free market system or...

The FBI (web) and Carter County Sheriff's Department are investigating a claim by a black Ardmore man who says a group of men tried to lynch him in southern Oklahoma. The man's name hasn't been released. Deputies say he told them he was traveling to Milo in northwestern Carter County on May 25th when he stopped to help a farmer round up stray cattle from the road. He says as helped move the cattle four white men appeared and accused him of stealing the and began trying to lynch him. The man says another man then drove up in a...

ARDMORE — A black man who told police he was nearly lynched by a group of white men actually ran into a clothesline after arguing with his wife, said Carter County Sheriff Ken Grace. Last week, the man whose name was not immediately available, called the sheriff and said a group of men tried to hang him in rural Carter County after he stopped to help an elderly farmer round up straying cattle. Grace said deputies and FBI agents investigated the case, and the man told officers that he made up the false claim. "He said they accused him of...

Shortly after filing paperwork for reelection, Senator Inhofe announced a brand new TV ad, highlighting his record of accomplishment and positive leadership for Oklahoma in the Senate! The ad begins tomorrow, and will help to officially kick off the Senator’s 2008 campaign!

Ardmore, OK — An Ardmore man who told authorities last week he was the victim of an attempted lynching near Milo, has admitted the story was a hoax. Sheriff Ken Grace said Glynis Davis made the admissions Monday in a formal statement that the lynching incident he had described was untrue. “His wife was with him when he made the statement and corroborated the statement,” Grace said. Davis’ admissions came when the Carter County Sheriff’s Department and FBI investigation into his May 28 report that four white men tried to lynch him indicated the story was not factual. “The injuries...

The chief of staff to a former senior member of the House Appropriations Committee pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to commit fraud, becoming the latest casualty of the scandal centered on disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. John C. Albaugh admitted to accepting gifts -- including tickets to sporting events, concerts by groups such as the Wiggles and a Disney on Ice show -- in exchange for helping lobbyists and their clients, according to prosecutors. Albaugh is scheduled to be sentenced in September. He faces as much as two years in prison and has agreed to become a cooperating witness under...

Sometimes courts make the right decision. Really. It happens. But it didn’t happen this past week in Oklahoma. Oh, we should probably be glad it’s not another petition with hundreds of thousands of voter signatures being tossed out. And no, it’s not nearly as crazy as that ruling allowing a man to photograph up the skirts of girls at the mall. This week’s decision by Oklahoma’s highest court simply means that former State Senator Gene Stipe is entitled to an $84,000 a year state pension. Sitting Oklahoma legislators get paid $38,400 a year, so I wonder about a pension that...

Come November, voters will decide on more than half a million federal, state and local officeholders and ballot initiatives. Ninety-nine percent of these decisions will matter less than will the five civil rights initiatives that might be on the ballots in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri. If the initiatives qualify for those states' ballots, all probably will pass. But the initiatives must surmount ferocious opposition from defenders of racial preferences, such as the politicians who administer and benefit from Missouri's racial spoils system. The crux of the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative (MoCRI) would amend that state's constitution to say:...

Distraught by congressional spending, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said that Republicans have lost their courage to clamp down on waste and deserve to lose seats this year. "Those people who are fiscally conservative, Republican or not, we don't have many years left that we better fix this, and we better be about it now," said Coburn on CNN Headline News Wednesday. "So [it's about] holding the Republicans accountable. And we're going lose some seats. There's no question about it. We deserve to."

In Memoriam Franklin Patric Willeford HN3 USNNAVY CROSSMarch 17, 1943 (Lawton OK) — December 14, 1968 (Quang Nam, Republic of Vietnam) Vietnam Memorial Panel 36W, Row 021 Citation The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Franklin Patric Willeford (3537852), Hospitalman, U.S. Navy, for extraordinary heroism on 14 December 1968 while serving as a Platoon Corpsman in Company C, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, in Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam. As Hospitalman Willeford's platoon was participating in a company-sized sweep through an area, the lead element...

More footage of one of several tornadoes to hit the US this weekend has emerged. Several people have died following two days of tornadoes in Kansas and Oklahoma. Video courtesy KWTV

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Jack Mildren, a former lieutenant governor and the first quarterback in the University of Oklahoma's vaunted wishbone offense, died on Thursday, his brother said. He was 58. Mildren, who had been undergoing treatment for stomach cancer, died at Integris Baptist Medical Center, spokeswoman Brooke Cayot confirmed. Mildren was diagnosed two years ago with cancer but had continued to serve as a vice chairman for Arvest Bank and host a daily sports radio show on WKY 930-AM. Legislators at the state Capitol observed a moment of silence for the former lieutenant governor, who walked the halls there in...

Posted at 6PM on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 OWASSO, OK Police are seeking the help of residents to identify a woman. http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19686350&BRD=2754&PAG=461&dept_id=597380&rfi=6 "The Owasso Police Department is seeking the public's assistance in identifying the person shown in this photograph. This person is not a suspect in a crime, but needs to be identified as soon as possible so her well being can be established," said Owasso Police Chief Dan Yancey. Anyone with information about the identity of the woman should contact Detective Jason Woodruff at 272-COPS (272-2677). ©Neighbor Newspapers 2008

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) - A 19-year-old freshman at the University of Oklahoma was elected mayor Tuesday of Muskogee, a city of 38,000 in the northeastern part of the state. With all precincts reporting, John Tyler Hammons won with 70 percent of the vote over former Mayor Hershel Ray McBride, said Muskogee County Election Board Secretary Bill Bull. "The public placing their trust in me is the greatest, humbling and most awesome experience I've ever had in my life," said Hammons, who is from Muskogee but attends the university in Norman. The two candidates squared off in a runoff election for...

May 10, 2008: Jim Bishop and MaryLeigh Sanders documented at least two violent tornadoes in Oklahoma and Missouri. One tornado, a violent wedge/stovepipe, destroyed Picher, OK. Another tornado was a long-track wedge across southwestern Missouri. Sadly, 19 people lost their lives on this day a result of this deadly tornadic supercell.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City officials want Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz to know they expect the Seattle SuperSonics to relocate, regardless of who owns the team. An assistant municipal counselor sent a letter on behalf of Mayor Mick Cornett and other city officials informing Schultz, the team's former owner, that Oklahoma City's lease with the SuperSonics will be enforced no matter how pending lawsuits in Seattle are resolved. "We expect that any subsequent owner or owners would join hands with the city, and its citizens, and honor the OKC NBA agreements, made in good faith, and perform as good corporate...

A tornado that spun across the Oklahoma-Missouri border killed several people as severe storms raked the nation's heart Saturday, taking at least 11 lives, mangling buildings and trapping people in rubble in the storm-weary region. At least six people were killed as the tornado flattened the northeastern Oklahoma town of Picher before the funnel struck about 15 miles away near Seneca, Mo., and killed at least three, authorities said. The death toll in Oklahoma could climb, said state Emergency Management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten. The tornado in Picher — a depressed and pollution-scarred mining town that many residents had already fled...

here is the leatest info. Picher, OK Several people have been reported killed in Picher after at least five tornadoes reportedly touched down Saturday in eastern Oklahoma, officials said. The south end of the city has been completely destroyed. Medical examiners are on their way to the area, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol dispatcher said. Troopers are helping local authorities with search and rescue operations in the area. 2) At least 3 dead in SW MO 3) Major damage reports coming in on the SE side of Stuttgart AR

DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 0710 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 VALID 101300Z - 111200Z ...THERE IS A MDT RISK OF SVR TSTMS ARKLATEX AND MID SOUTH REGION EASTWARD ACROSS THE GULF COAST STATES TODAY AND TONIGHT... ...THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS SURROUNDING THE MDT RISK FROM THE SRN PLAINS EWD TO THE ATLANTIC COAST AND NWD TO LOWER OH VALLEY... ....WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDING TORNADOES EXPECTED FROM THE LOWER MS VALLEY EWD ACROSS GULF STATES AND WRN TN VALLEY... A COMPLEX AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION WILL DEVELOP TODAY...

Tornado blows vehicles off highway in N. Carolina, kills 1 By JAY REEVES – 3 hours ago A damaged vehicle sits in the Mississippi Department of Transportation parking lot surrounded by twisted metal after a line of sever weather moved through the area Thursday, May 8, 2008, in Tupelo Miss. A number of northeast Mississippi counties and portions of northwest Alabama were under tornado watches or warnings until midafternoon Thursday. (AP Photo/Ryan Moore) Mississippi Department of Transportation road crews work to clear downed trees and power lines from streets in Tupelo Miss. after a line of sever weather moved through...

More and more Oklahomans are carrying concealed weapons these days. In fact, there are so many new requests the state Bureau of Investigation can barely keep up. Last year, there was a 45-percent increase in new licenses -- the largest jump since the concealed carry law went into effect. It is legal in the State of Oklahoma to carry a handgun in your purse on your belt if you have a license. It's been that way for more than a decade. Some laws have made it easier. The governor signed legislation expanding gun rights in 2006. Some of the fees...

President Bush gave his Radio Address today from Crawford TX. The focus of the speech was the economy. Friday evening, VP Cheney attended a fundraiser in Tulsa, Oklahoma. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice returned to the Middle East on Saturday to provide a badly needed shot in the arm for the Middle East peace process ahead of a visit by President George W. Bush. Commemorative items for the upcoming wedding of first daughter Jenna Bush and her fiance Henry Hager are now on sale at The Red Bull in Waco, Texas.

Senator Inhofe Excerpt: "Despite this gloomy EIA analysis, proponents of Lieberman-Warner are still claiming the bill will not impose economic harm to America. Only in Washington could higher energy prices be characterized as not negatively impacting the U.S. economy. If Democrats have their way, Americans will pay significantly more at the pump, in their homes, and in many cases, with their jobs, all to accomplish an undetectable impact on the climate. "The question now is which U.S. Senator will dare to stand on the Senate Floor a month from now to vote in favor of significantly increasing the price of...

Inhofe Demands ‘Dramatic’ Action to Address Food vs. Fuel Mandates WASHINGTON, DC – Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Environment & Public Works Committee, delivered a floor speech today calling for “dramatic” action to address global food difficulties caused in part by current biofuel mandates. “I come to the floor today to demand two dramatic and necessary actions to help mitigate our current biofuel policy blunder,” Senator Inhofe said. “First, Congress must revisit the recently enacted biofuel mandate, which can only be described as the most expansive biofuel mandate in our nation’s history. The mandates were part of...

Climate modelers see modern echo in '30s Dust BowlApril 29, 2008 Goodwell, Oklahoma, June 4, 1937. Climate scientists using computer models to simulate the 1930s Dust Bowl on the U.S Great Plains have found that dust raised by farmers probably amplified and spread a natural drop in rainfall, turning an ordinary drying cycle into an agricultural collapse. The researcher say the study raises concern that current pressures on farmland from population growth and climate change could worsen current food crises by leading to similar events in other regions. Recent studies indicate that periodic droughts in the western United States are...

EDMONTON - TransCanada Corp. alone plans to ship more than one million barrels a day of oilsands production to the United States with an expanded pipeline construction program unveiled today. The Alberta oil and gas delivery mainstay added a second leg to its new Keystone export service that would more than double the system's capacity and extend it to the Texas coast of the Gulf of Mexico. TransCanada president Hal Kvisle said the added route is a companion instead of competition for projects underway by Enbridge Inc., which is also advancing more than one million barrels daily in new oilsands...

Unemployment rates are rising across the United States, except Oklahoma. That state is experiencing the most dramatic reduction in unemployment since 2007, an improvement many in Oklahoma attribute to the passage last year by the state legislature of a strong employment-focused immigration reform law. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday reported unemployment in Oklahoma had fallen to 3.1 percent "The bottom line is illegal aliens will not come here if there are no jobs waiting for them," Terrill said. "They will not stay here if there is no government subsidy, and they certainly won't stay here if they...

MUSKOGEE — A Muskogee County sheriff's deputy was fired for using a county fuel card to purchase gasoline for his lawnmower, Sheriff Charles Pearson said Friday. Today This Week Sports Today 1. Police discover remains in missing... 2. How sex, obsession fueled city murder... 3. Oklahoma City actor, radio host dies... 4. Ex-wife charged in 28-year-old slaying 5. Oklahoma City murder-for-hire plot... 6. Missing woman's car found; a body inside 7. Police searching for missing woman 8. In Oklahoma: Henry backs Obama 9. Winning Powerball ticket about to expire 10. NBA says Seattle is harassing... 1. OU's mascot makeover 2....

Unemployment rates are rising across the United States, except Oklahoma. That state is experiencing the most dramatic reduction in unemployment since 2007, an improvement many in Oklahoma attribute to the passage last year by the state legislature of a strong employment-focused immigration reform law. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday reported unemployment in Oklahoma had fallen to 3.1 percent in March, down from 4 percent in March last year, while unemployment nationwide was 5.1 percent, up from 4.4 percent in March last year. "Oklahoma is no longer 'OK' for illegal aliens," said State Rep. Randy Terrill, who sponsored...

Armed only with a screwdriver, a 95-year-old woman in a wheel chair kept a burglar from breaking into her home by repeatedly stabbing his hand. It was 3 a.m. when a 95-year-old Bartlesville woman heard somebody break the glass on her front door and push the door open. When a hand came inside and tried to unlock the door, she stabbed it. Again and again. She stabbed that hand many times over the next hour, say Bartlesville Police. The woman would not leave the door for fear the man would break in while she was calling for help. Eventually, the...