Jari Askins - Best Ad So Far

By posting this, I'm sure that there will be some brainless, walking, talking drum of Massengill with legs come out and say that I'm endorsing Jari Askins.  They would be wrong, of course.  But seriously, this is one damned good political ad and is an excellent response to all the attacks being leveled at Askins by the Fallinistas.   

3 Card Monte From the Fallin Campaign

I have written blogs that went after candidates in the past and one campaign in particular has asked me to contact them if there were any questions before I published.  So, I did.  I had a question of the Fallin campaign and before I wrote a word, I received a response.

In truth, what I received was a game of 3 Card Monte with the truth.

In a story that actually broke on Demookie.com, an Askins staffer was asked to leave an event sponsored by the Regents for Higher Education because if he didn't leave, Congresswoman Fallin would not take the podium.  Who was this staffer for Askins?

A former State Senate leader, Mike Morgan.

This is what was written on the Demookie.com website:

Fallin Wont Take the Podium Until Opposition is Removed from the Room

Yesterday the Jim Thorpe Museum was host to the annual President’s Forum, a gathering of University and College Presidents, the Board of Regents, and a handful of other dignitaries and invited guests. Speaking before this distinguished audience were the two candidates for governor, Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins, and Congresswoman Mary Fallin. The format for the event was that Fallin would first deliver remarks, then take questions, and then Askins would do the same.

However, just before she was to begin, Fallin made a strange request of the event organizers; she didn’t want the Lieutenant Governor in the room while she spoke. Nor did she want any of Jari’s staff in the room. In fact, she even scanned the crowd for faces that might be unfriendly, to see who else she could have ejected. Apparently she didn’t like the look on State Senator Mike Morgan’s face, because she told the event organizers she would not take the podium until he had left the room.

Senator Morgan was a guest of the event. He was seated at a table enjoying his lunch, until he was unceremoniously asked to gather up his things and leave the room until it became Jari’s turn to address the crowed, at which point he was welcome to re-take his seat.

This kind of behavior, from a candidate for governor no less, is both paranoid and more than a little ridiculous. As a public official she’s going to have to get used to being in a room full of people who agree and those who disagree with her. To petulantly refuse to take the podium until everyone who might be unfriendly to her way of thinking has been ejected from the event isn’t the kind of behavior this blogger is willing to accept from an elected official. This isn’t Soviet Russia, it’s Oklahoma.

As a side note, if memory serves, one of the issues Fallin primary opponent Randy Brogdon was most passionate about was transparency in government. Hopefully his supporters have noticed that Fallin is no fan of transparency, going so far as to have people thrown out of a forum because they might not like what it is she has to say. For shame!

When the story broke on the Democratic forum, I sent Alex Weintz, spokesperson from the Fallin campaign, an email asking one simple question:  Is this true?

His response on September 22, 2010, 2:25pm...  "That is absolutely not true.  Who wrote this?"

This is the story in the Tulsa World (Here) (emphasis, mine): 

Askins staffer asked to leave lunch

by: BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau
Friday, September 24, 2010
9/24/2010 7:10:12 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY - Former state Senate leader Mike Morgan said Thursday that he was embarrassed after being prodded to leave an event at which U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin was scheduled to speak.

Morgan, a Democrat from Stillwater, said he was attending an event sponsored by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education on Tuesday in Oklahoma City. The event included a lunch at which gubernatorial candidates Fallin, a Republican, and Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, a Democrat, were speaking.

Morgan said he was scheduled to participate on a panel after the lunch.

Morgan, who is affiliated with the Askins campaign and has spoken on her behalf, said he was approached by a member of the regents staff and told that there was an agreement between the two candidates that no staff members from Askins' campaign would be present when Fallin was speaking and vice versa.

Morgan said he was told that Fallin would not speak if he was in the room.

"I took my sandwich and went to the lobby," he said. "I was embarrassed. I complied because I didn't want to make a scene."

Regents spokesman Ben Hardcastle said, "We simply advised him of what we were told was the agreement between the two campaigns."

Askins' campaign manger, Sid Hudson, said there was no agreement regarding opposing staff members' attendance. Hudson used to work for Morgan in the Senate.

Fallin spokesman Alex Weintz said someone with the Fallin campaign brought the issue to the attention of the regents' staff.

"We went there thinking an agreement had been made with the regents and the Askins campaign," he said. "If there wasn't, then it was a misunderstanding."

Weintz said the issue had nothing to do with the fact that Morgan might disagree with Fallin.

"We don't always have agreements like that," he said. "Sometimes, when you know you are going to speak to a group, you can address their issues and speak candidly."

Feeling as though I have been bamboozled, hoodwinked and flim-flammed, I contacted the young man from the Fallin campaign and this was Alex sent me:

You asked me earlier this week if a blog post bashing Mary was true. I obviously disagree with the spin and the interpretation of events that were conveyed in that post and I still do. 

After the Tulsa World and the Oklahoman contacted me yesterday I circled back around and tried to get all the facts straight (I was not actually at this event). I conveyed those facts to their reporters as accurately as I could and this is the first contact I've had with you since then. I did not lie to you, never have and never will.

Spin.  He didn't like the spin so his initial response was, "That is absolutely not true." He "circled back around" to get the facts straight after the mainstream media contacted him about the stories that were sourced, more than likely, from the Demookie website.  Classic establishment Republican responses from people who want us to believe the hype their candidate is pushing down our necks.

To me, this kind of crap is what was expected from the Gene Stipe-era Democrats, not from this new, bold and beautiful Republican establishment posing as Constitutional conservatives.

So, you tell ME.  Did Alex lie to me or not? 

How did the story change so significantly in the last 24 hours?  I know I'm just a former talk show host, blogger and all around annoying guy...and I probably don't deserve the truth from a spokesperson from the Fallin campaign.  I'm just a regular guy like you.  I don't work for the Oklahoman nor do I work for the Tulsa World. 

But if Alex is willing to put some serious spin on a story like this, imagine what the campaign will do when the rest of us regular Joe's ask some questions...

But, I suppose this is what statewide campaigns have come down to, haven't they? 

Askins A-Million

News Radio 1000, KTOK, is reporting that Jari Askins has loaned herself $1 million for her gubernatorial bid.  Some politicos are finding it a point of contention.  I find it to be laudable.

The fact that Jari Askins has that kind of money to loan her campaign shows that she is self-made, has made wise investments and after all, isn't that what we "conservatives" really desire?  Aren't we all trying to reach that financial brass ring on the carousel of life? 

Contrasted with Congresswoman Fallin, Jari Askins is exceptionally wealthy.  Which would explain, in part, why the attacks against Askins have been so aggressive.

RGA Ad Backlash?

Mike McCarville posted an attack ad earlier this week, bought and paid for by the Republican Governor's Association (RGA) that attacks Lt. Governor Jari Askins on the issue of illegal immigration.  Some would say it is a smart move because illegal immigration is an 80 percentile issue.  80% of the Oklahoma population believes there to be a serious illegal immigration problem.  And they would be correct.

Unfortunately, the RGA fails to recognize that under the United States Constitution, immigration is largely a federal problem - one that Congresswoman Mary Fallin vowed to tackle back in 2006 when she was elected.  Much like Ernest Istook arguing that Brad Henry was soft on illegal immigration, Henry pointed out the fact that after 14 years in Congress, Istook failed to accomplish anything about the issue he himself trumpeted.

The bill under scrutiny by the RGA ignores the reality that even Representative Randy Terrill's HB1804 protected the policies regarding illegals and their education status.  Let's not forget that many of Mary Fallin's supporters in the business community have very loudly opposed HB1804, but Mary has said nothing about it.

Neither has she done anything about illegal immigration in her four years in Congress.  Constitutional Conservatives should ask Congresswoman Fallin about her position on both HB1804 and what the proper role of the federal government is regarding immigration and why she didn't author any legislation relative to challenging the interpretation of the 14th Amendment (birthright citizenship) - as she promised to do back when she was elected to Congress in 2006.

Here is what Mary DID say about illegal immigration:  "We must insist on assimilation." 

Will there be backlash?  Probably.  The Democratic Blue Dogs who may have leaned toward Fallin will more than likely be ruffled over the ad and will support Jari as a result.  Particularly in Southwest Oklahoma where Jari is very well known and very respected.  Let's not forget that Askins was the House Representative in a District where Halliburton was/is headquartered.

To me, it's just more negative "gotcha" politics but in this case, it is without substance or without justification.  It sickens me and more than likely, there will be others sickened by it as well.  But Mary has an "out" - she can simply say that she had nothing to do with the ad and is not responsible whatsoever for the content therein. 

Unless the Askins campaign kicks it into high gear very soon, Mary's victory will be a fait au compli.  Of all the statewide races where a Democrat has a chance against a Republican, this is it.  Jari has been liked and appreciated by people on both sides of the aisle, but if she isn't more vocal and aggressive, it's done.  She can plan her trip back to Stephens County.

UPDATE FROM THE FALLIN CAMP:   The following was received via email regarding what Mary has done on the issue of illegal immigration.  Still, doesn't answer the question about Mary's promise to deal with birthright citizenship, but does say that she supported HB1804.  Neither does the email address the RGA ad.

I am a cosponsor of the bipartisan SAVE Act, legislation that offers a practical solution to the problem of unchecked illegal immigration. I continue to support this bill and push for the measures outlined within it. These measures include:

• The creation of physical barriers like walls and fences on our Southern border
• The addition of thousands of new Border Patrol agents
• The use of advanced technologies like aerial surveillance at our borders
• The creation of an employer e-verification system used to confirm the legal status of employees

If we embrace the solutions outlined in the SAVE Act, we can successfully control the flow of immigrants into the U.S. and discourage employers from hiring workers who have come here illegally. Moving forward, we should ensure that the rule of law always prevails and those who have broken our laws intentionally do not receive amnesty. Additionally, special privileges, like in-state tuition, should not be offered to those living in this country illegally.

Herein lies the problem:  These "solutions" Mary has proposed clearly do not work - and sending the National Guard to the border isn't part of the solution.  Were the National Guard to be fired upon, they cannot respond in kind - that is the role of the regular Army, not the STATE militia (i.e., National Guard).  The National Guard could protect the Oklahoma border against invading Texans, but not foreign nationals.

Sorry.  Answer insufficient.  Please drive through.

Let's address these:
"Physical border."  Where is it?  Where is the all-important fence?  Did Congress fail yet again?  And what about our northern border?  Granted, it's not like we've had a sign

"New Border Patrol Agents."  Why not authorize the use of our active duty military?  Is that not what they are trained to do?  Because we have tied the hands of Border Patrol (thank you, Congress), the only solution (if we're serious) is to allow our active duty military to protect our border which, by the way, is Constitutional.

"Advanced technologies."  Again, where are they?  A couple drones here and there has really helped hasn't it?  (Sarcasm alert.)

"E-Verification."  Teeth.  Where are the teeth?  How about punishing businesses who knowingly hire illegals?  A slap on the wrist and removal from Chamber dinner party invitations aren't enough.

The bottom line is that America deserves better and deserves more from elected officials who tend to talk out of both sides of their necks every two years - or when higher offices become available.