Fallin/Askins Flap. This gubernatorial race has been exceptional to watch. The RGA launches against Askins, Askins responds appropriately - calling for Mary to denounce the ads, Mary goes on the attack and blames Askins for going negative. THEN, Mary's campaign says how they are running a positive campaign and will continue to run a positive campaign - at the very time that their consultants are putting together a negative ad to air. When the Fallinistas are asked about how they feel regarding their fearless leader going back on their word...they follow the talking points memo to a fault and say, "But Mary didn't have anything to do with the RGA ad." Classic avoidance. This is only going to get better. Jari Askins won't put up with the double-talk for very long and for the first time in her political career, she is facing a general election opponent who is well liked and has the money to get out her message. Jari beat Drew Edmondson in a tough race, Mary needs to be very, very careful or that whistle stop train ride she's on will land her in the caboose.
Good Lobbyist/Bad Lobbyist. I heard some talking head nutjob on Fox News the other evening talking about how bad lobbyists are and really, it's easy to hate lobbyists. But there are two sides of the coin. The NRA, for example, has lobbyists on the payroll. The National Right to Life operation has a lobbying arm. Even former governor Frank Keating is a lobbyist for the insurance industry and lest we forget, gubernatorial candidate and Congresswoman Mary Fallin's daughter is now a lobbyist - and her mom is quite proud of that fact. Lobbyists are what they are and ultimately, we get to be lobbyists too. Every time we head to the polling place, we get to decide which candidate will be wined and dined by lobbyists. Exciting, isn't it?
Wronged Man. Watched a very poorly produced film about a horrific story down in Louisiana where an African-American man (Calvin Willis) was arrested for allegedly raping a 10 year-old girl and spent 20 years in prison, only to be found innocent after the Innocence Project conducted DNA testing. It reminded me of the Jeffrey Todd Pierce case here in Oklahoma and I often wonder why there isn't prosecution of those who knowingly sent to trial and convicted a man who clearly was not guilty. How does that happen in this culture and society? Jeffrey Todd Pierce's story is much like others and frankly, underscores why I am no longer a fan of the death penalty in the state of Oklahoma. If we put to death one innocent man, it's one too many. Jeffrey Todd Pierce received a settlement from the city of Oklahoma City, but how can we realistically think that money will cover the loss of family, loss of dignity, loss of career and God knows what kind of brutality he experienced in prison? Based on what I know and have seen, Bob Macy and Joyce Gilchrist should be in prison themselves. But I digress.
More Sunday thoughts later...
