Oklahoma
Posted at 3:35pm on Jun. 19, 2008 Tom Cole Is Doing Something. Just Not Winning.
By Erick
Doesn't Tom Cole have better things to do? Like winning?
The head of the NRCC is seeking a Congressional apology to Indians for their treatment by the white man.
Cole offered his proposed apology as an amendment to H.R. 1328, the "Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2007." That multibillion-dollar proposal, introduced by Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and 57 other members, has not been scheduled for a vote yet.
I will reprint the entire amendment here because it's a fascinating, and noteworthy, proposal. I will point out that Cole specifically states that nothing in the amendment authorizes reparations to Native Americans from the U.S. government.
Can we further amend the legislation to apologize to the American people for the deaths of all the children due to Roe vs. Wade?
Can we also get an amendment from Tom Cole apologizing for his crummy handling of the NRCC?
How about an amendment letting me gamble at Indian Casinos with free room and board? Hey, I'll contribute some reparations at the blackjack tables?
This is pathetic.
Posted in Congress | NRCC | Oklahoma | Tom Cole — Comments (13)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 1:32pm on Jun. 19, 2008 Enumerating the Power of Congress
By Erick
John Shadegg (R-AZ) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) are at it again on behalf of constitutional principles.
On a blogger call this afternoon, they announced that they are introducing into the House and Senate the Enumerated Powers Act; a worthy piece of legislation that will cause Congress to slow down and think before passing legislation. Nonetheless, the legislation is fatally flawed because of the length of the bill. At only two pages, the rest of the Congress is going to spend the next year looking for the other three thousand pages before considering it.
But should the legislation make its way through the legislative process and get to the President, the nation would be better off.
Introduced several times over the past few years by Congressman Shadegg, but never in the Senate, the Enumerated Powers Act (H.B. 1359) would require Congress specify, in each piece of legislation, which one of its Article I, Section 8 powers the Congress is using to legitimize the law.
Right now, many people think Congress has near plenary power under the "general welfare" clause of Article I. However, as James Madison, the author of the constitution, made clear, "With respect to the words general welfare, I have always regarded them as qualified by the detail of [enumerated] powers connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution into a character which there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators."
Likewise, even Thomas Jefferson noted that, "Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated.
Right now the legislation has 52 co-sponsors in the House and 23 in the Senate, the most it has ever had. No Democrats have signed on.
The GOP would be wise to make this a red meat issue for the base.
You can see an overview of the legislation here. The text is here.
Posted in Arizona | Congress | Enumerated Powers | John Shadegg | Oklahoma | Tom Coburn — Comments (7)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 8:29pm on Jun. 10, 2008 Compare and Contrast
By Erick
Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK) will not endorse Barack obama. Why? He says Obama is too liberal. In fact, he told the Associated Press that Obama was "the most liberal senator" and he wanted to respect the wishes of his constituents.
Of course he'll vote for Obama, but at least he respects his conservative constituents.
Contrast that behavior with Nick Lampson (TX-22), the most endangered Democrat in Congress. He's all aboard the Obama train. He does not really care about his constituents. Lampson just wants to stay in Washington.
[UPDATE by Moe Lane]: I would also like to note this post - specifically, the update - by Jake Tapper. While I understand the need to push back on potentially embarrassing statements made by others, it's just a little odd that the Obama campaign feels the need to do it to those on Obama's own side. Particularly now that he's been declared the nominee, and everything.
Posted in 2008 | Dan Boren | Nick Lampson | Oklahoma | Texas | TX-22 — Comments (7)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 4:07pm on Jun. 10, 2008 Curtailing Kelo
By Rep. John Sullivan
Most RedState readers know about the infamous 2005 Supreme Court decision, Kelo v. City of New London, where the court broadened the government’s authority to take your home, farm, business or place of worship.
Previously, the U.S. Constitution specifically limited government taking of private property through a relatively narrow exception for “public use.” Public use has historically referred to roads, schools, firehouses, etc. The negative effects of the far-reaching Kelo decision places millions of private property owners nationwide at risk.
Some states are trying to correct this injustice and have enacted restrictions on the use of eminent domain (which, in this case, is when the government seizes private property), with varied effectiveness. However, Congress has not taken action to restore private property rights and the abusive use of eminent domain has continued.
That is why I introduced H.R. 6219, the Private Property Rights Protection and Government Accountability Act of 2008, along with the House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Joe Barton. This bill will restrict certain federal economic development funds for 10 years to any state or locality in which eminent domain is used to take private property for a private purpose. It will also allow private property owners the legal recourse they deserve to fight baseless private property takings by state and local governments.
No family, business operator or place of worship is safe if the government decides that their property does not measure up, and that “public purpose” would be better served if it were torn down and replaced by something bigger, glitzier and more taxable.
I hope you will support us as we try to stop the local and state governments from taking your property.
Posted in Congress | Eminent Domain | Kelo | Oklahoma — Comments (14) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 4:12pm on May 20, 2008 Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain
By Erick
National Democrats continue to claim they are going to expand the field and work towards a 60 seat majority. Amazingly the states the DSCC claims they will be competitive in are truly foreign to them.
Take Oklahoma for example, in their blog reports from the state they make numerous mistakes about farming and even the name of their location.
Perhaps national Democrats think a left-wing liberal can win statewide in Oklahoma because they are clueless when it comes to the Sooner state.
Posted in 2008 | Oklahoma — Comments (15)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 7:42pm on May 2, 2008 Proud to Be an Okie From Muskogee: OU Freshman (R) Leads Mayor's Race
By Vladimir
H/T University of Oklahoma Alumni Newsletter
A 19-year-old college freshman placed first in the April 1 primary for the office of Muskogee, a city of 38,000 in eastern Oklahoma.
John Tyler Hammons snagged 42% of the vote in the primary, to 38% for his nearest rival, 70-year-old Herschel McBride, who has previously served the city as mayor.
Posted in Oklahoma | State Politics — Comments (19) / Email this page » / Read More »
