Oklahoma lawmakers should stop acting like brats! Understatement!

In Oklahoma when Republicans are referred to as centrist it means conservative in other states. We have some legislators who are so far right most reasonable people cannot believe their agenda or their attitude. We agree with the Oklahoman editorial they are acting like brats. Republicans are supposed to be for individual liberty but this one group is all about telling everyone how to live and how to think.

They are so anti-gay that one of the Reps said that the gay agenda is worse than terrorism and refused to back down when confronted by a teenager whose mother was killed in the Murrah bombing and who escaped the same fate because he was sick that day and did not go to day care in the Murrah Building.

Before the new Speaker took over in the Oklahoma House, Speaker-Elect Steele and Gov-elect Fallin held a meeting in the NE part of the state to discuss how the economy was going to be the #1 priority in the state. The far right caucus decided to demonstrate because they wanted their social issues front and center again. How many bills on abortion can you have that are overturned by the court? Unfortunately, some of the far right State Reps come from my County. One of them is my Rep who I don't claim. Term limits cannot come fast enough for some of these Reps.  Another reason not to attend a County or State Convention.  Our last State Convention went for hours and hours as this far right group tried to take over -- that was two conventions in a row.  I will find something to do those weekends if it is washing windows.

Two Republican Representatives were reprimanded this week by the House -- one for interrupting a minister who was speaking to the members of the House and another one for threatening some people including the Speaker through an aide but that is not surprising. The first one apologized for interrupting a minister, but the second one is arrogant and believes rules don't apply to him. He is also currently under indictment for trying to bribe a State Senator not to run.

Then my Rep decided to take on an OU Professor and some people at her meeting threatening them with arrest and said he had called the police as he said they were demonstrating against a meeting he attended when they were outside another room after their meeting talking. He had not called the police but then put out a press release that was 180 degree different than what happened. Given a choice between my State Rep and a University Professor and people with her, I will take the professor any day of the week as there is no reason for her and others with her to be against my Rep. We already know he is a bully so that is nothing new. Didn't put any yard signs out this fall so I didn't have to have the Rep's signs in my yard who claimed Conscientious Objector status twice while the Oklahoma Guard was paying his way through college.

Being bullies is nothing new to this group. Bunch of spoiled brats that got their way in the past because we had weak Speakers. Now with a strong Speaker who believes the economy and jobs should come first, they have their noses out of joint and are doing everything possible to cause problems for the Speaker.

If you are in a state and want a social conservatives as your rep, you had better be careful what you wish for as they are the most narrow minded people I have ever met and rules only apply to the rest of us.

The Tea Party in Oklahoma is made up of some of the most far right people who some of us have trouble believing are Republicans. As the editorial states, two Tea Party candidates for the Oklahoma City Council got less than 30% of the vote so most common sense Republican Conservatives want nothing to do with this group. Their candidate for Governor was one of the far right and some of his ideas were flat out scary.

Then there is the Democrat that is out of step with Oklahoma Democrats and can see no reason to work with the Republican controlled legislature submitting dumb bills.

We agree with the editorial -- spoiled brats!

Oklahoma lawmakers should stop acting like brats

The Oklahoman Editorial Oklahoman
Published: March 18, 2011


Finding the center in Oklahoma politics is easy if you look past the headlines. Finding the fringes of Oklahoma politics is easy if you read only the headlines.

Divisions within the Legislature are far broader than the traditional Republican-Democrat and urban-rural splits. The most conservative House Republicans are behaving like brats as the centrist GOP House leadership tries to focus on economic growth and reform.

The most liberal Senate Democrats are also behaving like brats. Chief among them is Sen. Tom Adelson of Tulsa, whose juvenile stunt to eliminate the personal income tax (something that Adelson vigorously opposes) earned him a slap from editorialists at the state's largest newspapers. Despite that, Adelson presses on in his bitter, sophomoric attempts to pass legislation that he opposes.

The House ideologue caucus has found a demon in state chambers of commerce, which is usually the whipping boy for Democrats. These conservative House members have framed the battle as an Us vs. Them, David vs. Goliath struggle. They're essentially fighting the same battle as two tea party-backed candidates for Oklahoma City Council, neither of whom could manage even 30 percent of the vote.

The ideologue caucus is small but its members make a lot of noise — and headlines. Most Democrats in the Legislature want to work with the GOP majority where possible. But not Adelson. He can't accept the fact that a majority of Oklahomans want Republicans to control state government for the first time in history.

Why can't we all just grow up?

Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-lawmakers-should-stop-acting-like-brats/article/3549577#ixzz1H6grT9dY

No More Boycotts -- Be Thankful to be an American!

There is a disturbing trend happening on the Internet now from the far right non-Republicans who some are sounding more like the far left by the day. My email this morning is filled with emails from websites attacking stores and wanting me to boycott because some store is not going to decorate for Christmas to using XMas for Christmas. The emails are trying to tell me what to think, what to say, and what to do. As a side note this mentality is nothing new. Was at a Republican Women's Meeting several years ago where one of the leaders said "If you don't go to church twice a week, you are not a Christian." Never been back to that group.

This boycott trend is getting annoying. When it first started out it meant something because boycotts would start over major items like some programming on television that was way out of mainstream. Some cable news outlets sponsors were targeted because of information the the cable networks were putting out was false. Took part in many of the efforts trying to get the cable networks to report facts not spin by joining in those boycotts but now the boycotts are happening routinely and have lost any clout they had.

A lot of it seems to be someone who perceives something is against their religion not to mention trolling for dollars to help the fight. Just maybe a company that is on the edge doesn't have money to decorate or decided not to do it this year. It is their choice as a business owner to observe or not observe a holiday. As long as they don't observe any, I don't have a problem. If they decide to observe a holiday other than Christmas, then I have a problem.

There are a lot of thin skinned people right now in the 'my way or no way' crowds from both parties. To those I would say step away from computer and interact with family and friends and get a perspective on life and what is important. Telling the rest of us what to do, what to think, and what to say is not going to work. Calling people names has to end.

Thanksgiving is coming up next week, and we have a lot to be thankful including the fact that this past election showed America truly is a center right country and that is how it should be governed -- not from the far left or the far right.

Economic issues are at the forefront of most people's concerns. Many don't know if they are going to be laid off during the holidays or not as companies continue to scale back partially because of Obamacare and what is around the corner in costs. Another is the Bush Tax Cuts that need to be approved -- we would like them to be permanent but we don't expect this President to go along and we consider it a win if they stay in place for three more years.

Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks for the many blessings we have received living in America. Many of us feel so fortunate to have been born in America and give thanks every day that we live here. We are Americans by birth while many are Americans by choice. What other Country in the world do people strive so hard to come here to live and have a better life for their family?

Each of us has a right to worship in our own way -- some in churches, some in their homes, and some not at all but that's their right. The Freedom of Religion we have been granted keeps America from having a state religion. All our freedoms as so eloquently stated are 'endowed by our creator.' No one group is going to take our freedoms away without a fight. This idea that you can be told what to write or what to say or be called names has to stop. Who gave either side the position of judge and jury over anyone.

There is one thing I always admired about President George W. Bush and that is when he recognized on abortion "you can't change the law, you have to change the hearts and minds of the country." You don't change hearts and minds on any issue by getting in someone's face and giving threats if they don't follow what you say. That's not the way it is done.

As Republicans, we should be thankful the American people woke up and gave us another chance to lead on the economy and healthcare -- two issues which were high on people's minds when they went to vote. I have complete faith in the leadership of the new Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and others of the Republican leadership team and Conference that they will do everything possible to stop the march toward socialism of Obama and Pelosi. It is not a time of celebration in the House, but a time to roll up the sleeves with ideas on how to get this economy moving forward and putting America back on her feet.

With the Senate uniting I have the same hope. What people need to realize that Senators support what their states want or should in a perfect world. Sometimes they might vote for something the rest of our states wouldn't like, but they have to answer to their state not to me or others who don't live in their state.

We are faced with a lot of problems in America right now that have gotten worse the last two years, but Americans have always had a 'can do' attitude and this is no different. The men and women we have elected to the People's House are our voices in Washington. They don't need threats if they don't do something that some group wants, that they are going to be challenged in the next election when they haven't even been sworn in for the 112th Congress yet. What they need is full support unless they prove they don't deserve that support.

You can take it to the bank that these House Republicans from leadership on down are going to govern on our behalf. They did an amazing job in the 111th Congress to slow down the progress of the leftists in their march toward socialism by using every tactic they could find. We expect to see many good things come out of the 112th House starting on January 3, 2011, when Republicans led by the new Speaker John Boehner, who was unanimously elected by the Republican Conference, assumes the Speaker's Chair. We predict that John Boehner and Eric Cantor, new Majority Leader, along with their Leadership team will be the hardest working group we have ever seen the House. We have elected some Republicans with some great ideas that will be coming out in the days ahead.

As Governor-Elect Rick Scott said in Florida along with many other Governors, on January 3rd, the new Speaker John Boehner can join the chorus and declare "America Open for Business!"

God Bless our elected representatives and God Bless America!

Jim DeMint: “You can’t be a fiscal conservative and not be a social conservative”

The statement comes around the 3-minute mark




My jaw dropped last night when I saw this on Hot Air with the commentary by Allahpundit:

That’s the money line from tonight’s Fox News “12 in ’12″ presidential profile; skip ahead to 3:00 if you don’t want to watch it all. He made this same point, albeit in a more elaborate way, at the Values Voter Summit in September. Let me gently suggest that this bumper-sticker version is doing him no favors, since it can’t help but alienate every last libertarian who sees it....

Originally, I thought this message was just something DeMint was pitching at Christian conservatives to convince them that the tea party’s libertarianism is overblown, that they’re still a cherished constituency despite the reordering of conservative priorities to favor spending over “values.” But now I think he means it, which makes me wonder. For instance, last I checked, Glenn Beck’s a fiscal conservative (and notably a fan of the idea of Americans turning back to God) but also … fine with gay marriage....

That is so presumptuous of DeMint to even say that. I am one of many fiscal conservatives in the Republican Party that do not consider themselves a social conservative along with most of my friends. Never have and never will.

You can put me in the State's Rights camp for social issues and other issues that should never have been at the federal level. Until a person walks in another person's shoes, they should think twice before condemning others on lifestyle choices. That is between the person and God -- no individual has the right to become the judge and jury on social issues IMHO. Still think Gay Marriage is pushed by the trial lawyers who do divorces as they see their pockets being lined with dollars.

If you leave it up to the state, a person has a choice to live in that state or not. There is one exception I make to the State Right's issue and that is Partial Birth Abortion which is abhorrent to almost every American where a baby is murdered who could survive. With modern technology there are no exceptions and frankly should be considered murder IMO.  Never will understand how any person could give their support to Partial Birth Abortion like Obama did in the Illinois Senate. Would never support a candidate who supported Partial Birth Abortion.   That crosses the line from a social issue into a criminal issue.

Believe you have to change the hearts and minds on other types of abortion, but also believe strongly in the exceptions and encouraging adoption. This falls in my category of not walking in someone shoes at the time the decision is made.

Part of the trouble in this election cycle is that some of the candidates won the primary where their stances on social issues were too extreme for the general election in their states. A good example is Buck in Colorado who came out and said no exceptions on abortion in a state that is not very conservative. This idea where you elect the most conservative in the primary who is going to have a hard time winning or no chance to win is self defeating for the conservative agenda. You need to vote for the candidate who can win in the general or your agenda goes no where.

The other part is the 'my way or no way' crowd who will stay home if they don't have a candidate on the ballot that reflects their views has never made any sense.  With that mentality you are going to get someone very liberal who you don't agree with 100% of time versus the person you agree with 80% of the time.  That is one reason you will never find me in the social conservative camp because that is usually who comes up with the idea to stay home to teach the rest of us a lesson.

Now to have a Senator who says they are running for President tell all of us that if we are a fiscal conservative we are also a social conservative makes him unelectable in most states. Not sure that would fly with a lot of voters in Oklahoma except the far right.  Beginning to see more and more reasons there are Senators who want nothing to do with him. DeMint along with Palin didn't do the Senate a lot of favors with some of their endorsements and support along with the Tea Party Express in the primaries and it showed in the general election.

Just put me down as a Common Sense Conservative Republican who believes in candidates with integrity and ethics who support less taxes, smaller government, strong defense and homeland security, state's rights, and strict constructionists judges. That is all I ask from any candidate running for federal office including President.