Fact Check: Jari Askins is Misleading Voters About Her Record (Understatement)

Last night I watched the Oklahoma Governor's debate and gave my impression at Voices from the Heartland. As I was watching the debate, I kept thinking that Jari Askins never came out opposed to Obamacare even though she accused Mary Fallin of not listening to her on the issue during the debate. Turns out Askins lied in the debate.

Have to wonder if Askins was given the Democrat Talking Point Paper that said she should distance herself from Obama in the debate. That seems to be happening in a lot of debates around the Country which makes debates pretty useless when a candidate cannot tell the truth about where they stand on issues.

Frankly after four years as Lt Governor, I have to ask what Askins has done for Oklahoma. You hear very little about her and never where she stands on issues. Putting her finger in the wind to see which way it is blowing several weeks before the election describes my impression of Askins last night at the debate.

When Mary Fallin was Lt Governor, she was an Ambassador for Oklahoma promoting the state as a business friendly environment and a great place to raise your family. Mary was right as our family was transferred here in January 1997 due to the impending closure of Kelly AFB, TX. We have found this State to be one of the friendliest of anywhere we have lived. Living in Norman, home of the University of Oklahoma, made the transition very easy to becoming an Oklahoman at heart if not by birth.

We were fortunate to move to Oklahoma when Mary Falliln was Lt Governor and watch her interaction with Tinker AFB and the aerospace industry. She put Oklahoma on the map as a place for the aerospace industry to do business during her tenue as Lt Governor.  We can only imagine what she will do as Governor in promoting Oklahoma.

Many times when watching debates, voters should watch a candidate's mannerisms. Fallin was very comfortabe in her closing remarks. Askins wouldn't look at the audience during her final remarks which I found odd and frankly irritating, but it did say that she probably was pretending to be conservative again and didn't want to look at anyone.

When she talked about Oklahoma Democrats are conservative I came to the conclusion that she has a different meaning for the word 'conservative' than most of us who are Oklahoma conservatives. To Askins being conservative for the general election is a matter of winning votes and trying to fool voters. One thing to move to the middle, but she has moved to the right trying to be like Mary who is an Oklahoma conservative.

Knew she lied during the debate -- her mannerisms gave her away even if the Oklahoman reporter didn't notice. She must think the Oklahoma voters are stupid not to remember the real facts of her support for Obama and his agenda. She wants it both ways it seems.

Fact Check: Jari Askins is Misleading Voters About Her Record

Oklahoma City – Fallin for Governor Communications Director Alex Weintz issued the following statement today responding to Jari Askins’ claim that she has been publicly opposed to President Obama’s health care reform plan and cap and trade for over a year:

“Jari Askins has finally realized that voters are rejecting her liberal positions on issues and is trying to reinvent herself two weeks before the election. It’s a desperate, last minute attempt to reinvigorate her failing campaign, and voters will see right through it.

“Oklahomans want a principled, conservative leader, not someone who arrives at a position when it’s politically convenient. That’s why conservative Republicans, Democrats and independents will all choose Mary Fallin for governor on November 2nd.”

Fact Check

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Claim: Jari Askins has opposed Barack Obama’s health care plan and “cap and trade” for over a year

“Askins said for more than a year she has publicly opposed health care reform and cap and trade policies of the Obama administration.” – Oklahoman, 10/20/10

· Fact: Mary Fallin called on Attorney General Drew Edmondson to challenge the constitutionality of the federal health care overhaul in court; Jari Askins did not. And one day after her primary election victory, Jari said she was undecided about the bill.

“[Askins] said she hasn't made a decision on the bill. ‘Honestly, I'm still reading the bill,’ Askins said." – Oklahoman, 7/29

· Fact: Askins for Governor Campaign Manager Sid Hudson is quoted in today’s issue of the Oklahoma Gazette explaining why Jari Askins does not speak out on issues like cap and trade.

Hudson: “Jari could give an opinion on cap and trade, but it’s just an opinion. I think Oklahomans would prefer she be more concerned with helping run the state of Oklahoma.” – Oklahoma Gazette, 10/20/10

There is only ONE Conservative candidate in this race for Oklahoma Governor and that is Mary Fallin who has always been Conservative.

Jari Askins, Dem for OK Governor Ad -- Down 30 Points to Mary Fallin and Reaching with this One!

Almost fell off my chair laughing at this new ad of Askins who is running for Oklahoma Governor -- this may be more comical than the one where she tried to tell us she was a Conservative when she is an Obama supporter.   With the latest ad, logic tells you that if Mary Fallin had not left the Lt Governor's office to run for Congress to get experience at the national level in 2006, that Jari Askins would not be Lt Governor and not running for Governor. 

Mary was a very popular Lt Governor and would have been reelected in 2006 for another term if she had chosen to run again for Lt Governor.  Her decision to run for Congress has given her the national experience that comes with being a Congresswoman and has put her in a great position to use that knowledge as Governor.

Askins is right about not leaving Oklahoma. Did anyone hear of her making trips to other places to tout Oklahoma as a great place to do business like Mary did as Lt Governor? If she did, it sure wasn't talked about. It seems like all she did was take what Mary did as Lt Governor like the Turkey Hunt and the Aerospace Conference and adopt it as hers. Have heard more out of Askins since she decided to run for Governor then the past three years.

Guess being down 30 points to Mary with a month left until the election, makes you run dumb ads because this is another one of those.  At least it gave a laugh for the day! 

Jari Askins, Democrat Candidate for Oklahoma Governor, Trying to Buy Yet Another Election?

Askins Trying to Buy Yet Another Election
Sep 23, 2010

(OKLAHOMA CITY) - OKGOP Chairman Matt Pinnell released the following statement today in regard to Jari Askin's campaign loans:

"According to local news reports, Jari Askins is yet again trying to buy the election for Governor of Oklahoma by placing $1 million of her own money in the race. She bought the election to beat Drew Edmondson and she's now trying do the same against Mary. Oklahomans don't want to fund the campaign of a politician who supports amnesty for illegal immigrants, voted against gun rights and won't stand up and fight Obamacare.

Mary Fallin, on the other hand, enjoys significant support from more than 5,000 donors across all 77 counties of the state. Jari Askins is hoping her personal fortune will seal the deal for her come November 2, but every Oklahoman has a stake in this fight, and only one candidate has proven she's up for the challenge- and that's Mary Fallin."
_____

This press release says it all -- race between Mary Fallin who has over 5,000 donors from all 77 counties versus the millionaire Askins who is going to self finance her campaign once again. One candidate Mary Fallin knows what it is like to meet a household and campaign budget while the other candidate Askins just uses her personal fortune to finance her campaign.   Askins doesn't have to worry about fundraising as she runs for office as she just self finances her own campaign and saves the Democrats from having to spend their resources on her.

No wonder Askins supports the giant Obama giveaway as she has no idea what it is like to be on a budget. Askins doesn't seem to care it is taxpayer dollars including tax dollars spent for illegals.  If you never had to work hard to get what you have, you probably don't appreciate what people are going through today to make ends meet along with the resentment a lot of us have at the misuse of our tax dollars by Obama and the Democrats.

If Askins loaned her campaign $1M we would expect her campaign ads to turn nasty with some of the people she has on her staff. Why else loan her campaign $1M? Did she ever get paid back for what she spent in her Lt Governor race or the primary for Governor?

We didn't look back to when Jari Askins ran for the Oklahoma House but we know she used her own money to run for Lt Governor. Why won't Democrats donate to her? She barely beat Drew Edmondson in the primary -- we were shocked there wasn't a recount as the vote was so close. What did Askins promise Edmondson to make him concede so fast? It was so close and he didn't even wait for all the absentee ballots to come in to be counted before he conceded. Does Askins money talk when it comes to Democrat candidates? Sure looks like it to us.

Askins barely won the Lt Governor race and what has she done since becoming Lt Governor? After two pages of searching what she has done for Oklahoma as Lt Governor, the very last article on the 2nd page says she makes one trip to the Oklahoma State Fair each year to listen to voters. One trip? That's her claim to fame plus she attended five locations for the Lt Governor's turkey shoot which was started by Mary Fallin when she was Lt Governor. Reminder that Askins is for hunting but against concealed or open carry. Two entirely different issues that her campaign cannot seem to understand.

We think that Oklahoma voters are onto Askins especially when they ask themselves 'What has Askins done new for Oklahoma as Lt Governor?' All we find is that she follows what Mary Fallin started when she was Lt Governor. Mary Fallin has always been a leader in selling Oklahoma as a great place to do business and live while Askins seems to be a follower not a leader.  Askins still has not said where she stands on fighting Obamacare.  Is she afraid to get Obama upset with her?

There is only one choice in Oklahoma and that is Mary Fallin who has the most experience we have ever seen in a candidate running for the first time for Governor and is not afraid to stand up for Oklahomans against the Federal Government mandates.


Mary Fallin on her whistle stop tour through
Western Oklahoma

Democrat Obama Supporter Jari Askins Running for Oklahoma Governor Declares She is a Conservative

We saw this ad on TV and couldn't quit laughing. Jari Askins who is an Obama supporter declares she is an Oklahoma 'Conservative' -- yeah right. We have the same swampland for sale in Arizona that we offered Alex Sink in Florida. Would hate to be as dumb as these Democrats think we are.




Mary Fallin's campaign through her spokesman, Alex Weintz, was quick to respond to this ridiculous claim by Askins that she is conservative.

As Jari Askins' new commercial hit the airwaves, Mary Fallin's spokesman, Alex Weintz, responded with this statement: "Jari's new attack ad claims she's a conservative. We think we have a very different definition of ‘conservative’ than Jari does. A conservative is someone who opposes tax hikes, who supports gun rights, who speaks out against reckless spending and who does not sit on the sidelines while dangerous and wasteful big government policies are being forced on Oklahomans. Mary Fallin is a conservative, and she has spent her career as a state representative, lieutenant governor and a United States Congresswoman fighting for conservative policies. Jari Askins, on the other hand, has either fallen in lockstep with the Obama administration or has chosen to remain silent on issue after issue. She hasn't taken a position on the health care bill. She opposes simple gun ownership rights like conceal and carry permits. She won't stand up and fight illegal immigration here in Oklahoma. That's not conservative, and it's not leadership."

What's with these Democrats who are NOT conservative trying to pretend they are? Guess it was 2006 and 2008 when the Democrats under Rahm Emanuel decided to make their candidates more conservative in name only even though they were closer to liberal in voting. It worked then so candidates like Alex Sink and Jari Askins are trying the same thing in 2010. One slight problem -- voters have caught on to the bait and switch of the Democrats after this last Congress who strongly supported Obama after running as conservatives.

When Askins was running for Lt Governor, Barry Switzer, the OU Football Coach (who should stick to football) endorsed her opponent and now he gushes about Askins? What has she done to gush about? Very seldom has she taken a stand since she has been Lt Governor. In fact, we have a hard time remembering anything she has done to promote Oklahoma around the Country. She also spends a lot of her own money to win races. Are Democrats not contributing to her campaign?

In the latest primary her tactic was to reach out to women voters about what she is going to do for their equal pay plus other women's issues. She is somewhere between pro-life and pro-choice this year but when she was in House she voted against outlawing partial birth abortion (see below) which is as far from Conservative as you can get. Askins primary campaign was right out of the Democrat playbook -- take both sides of an issue or don't take a position.  Looks like she is doing the same thing in the general election except this time she is up against Mary Fallin who is a conservative. 

After we saw the ad, we decided to take a look at the 2006 campaign when she ran for Lt Governor and found this to show she is NO Conservative -- at least not by Oklahoma standards:

October 31, 2006
Askins’ Pro-Abortion Stance
Jari Askins’ liberal record continues to come to light in the final days of the campaign. Following close on the heels of Jari Askins’ liberal stance on gay marriage during a town hall meeting last week — there’s new information about Askins’pro-abortion stance.

Askins has repeatedly tried to represent herself as a conservative. However,last week during a KFOR town hall forum debate, she avoided making a clear statement on the gay marriage issue — now a more relevant issue than ever with last week’s New Jersey Supreme Court decision.

Now new information has come to light showing Askins’ pro-abortion stance. Records show clearly that Askins and other House Democrats rejected an attempt to pass a partial birth abortion ban in Oklahoma in 1997. In a floor vote on HB 2175 during the 1997 legislative session, amendments were offered to ban the barbaric practice of partial birth abortions in Oklahoma.

Democrats, who controlled the state House at the time, voted along party lines 59 to 41 to advance the bill without hearing the amendments. Askins was one of those Democrat votes — effectively supporting partial birth abortions and snubbing attempts to stop this heinous procedure.

Bottom Line: Jari Askins is no conservative no matter how much she says she is a conservative -- the FACTS say otherwise!  We are also wondering if our local media will go after Askins the way they went after an ad against Askins from the Republican Governor's Association?  We have our doubts.