From Daily Kos:

Rice Prepares Campaign Against Inhofe

by DocHoc

Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 08:37:33 AM PDT

After a few weeks on the road in Oklahoma and a whirlwind of meetings in Washington, D.C., it now seems likely State Senator Andrew Rice will soon be filing papers to challenge U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe in the 2008 election.

Since winning election to the State Senate from a diverse, inner-OKC district, Rice has already proven to be a skilled consensus builder who gets results. He offers a stark contrast to the right-wing curmudgeon, Jim Inhofe.

Rice still says he will make a formal announcement after Labor Day, but fundraising prospects have surpassed his expectations and sources close to him say he may be "all in" within the next 10 days. He has received encouragement on a draft Rice site and in meetings throughout the state. We also hear the DSCC now views Rice as a potential upset challenger in the style of a Jim Webb or a Jon Tester.

Rice lost a brother in the World Trade Center on 9/11 and believes that Bush and Inhofe took their eye off the ball by waging war in Iraq while Al Quaeda rebuilt its global terror network. Inhofe, who once called global warming a "hoax," boasts of being "one of the last true conservatives left in the Senate".

Go to www.runandrewrun.com to sign the online petition urging Rice to run.

Visit Doc Hoc's Diary for more on Inhofe.

Oklahoma Democratic Party Calls on Senator Coburn to
Denounce Hypocrisy of Republican Senator Vitter
Blind Allegiance to Republican Colleagues
Must End for the Good of the Nation

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Republican United States Senator David Vitter of Louisiana, who recently admitted his phone number appeared in the telephone records of the alleged “D.C. Madam”, Deborah Jeane Palfrey and who has been accused by the New Orleans Times-Picayune of being a client of prostitutes when he was a state legislator in the late 1990s, has found tremendous support from his Republican colleagues over the last two weeks.

Even Oklahoma’s own junior Republican, U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, who is well-known as one of the most zealous and vocal social conservatives in the U.S. Senate, has been quick to defend Vitter, despite his fondness to champion the importance of so-called Republican ‘family values’. “Have you ever done anything wrong? So have I.” said Senator Coburn, who was seen walking Vitter to and from a Republican Senate luncheon where Vitter first addressed his colleagues on the matter. Coburn went on to add, “I’m happy he’s back at work”. Senator Inhofe has continued his silence on what proves to be another Republican scandal.

“It is time for Republicans, like U.S. Senators Tom Coburn and Jim Inhofe, to denounce this immorality and stop blindly supporting Vitter because he is a fellow Republican. Republicans have fooled the American people into believing they care about family values and the sanctity of marriage, yet one after another are identified as the hypocrites they truly are,” said Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair Ivan Holmes.

What is truly ironic is that disgraced former Republican Congressman Bob Livingston of Louisiana, who was in line to be the next Speaker of the House in 1998, resigned from office after his own sex scandal, which allowed Vitter to become his successor. At the time, Vitter said that Livingston’s resignation was a “very powerful argument that Clinton should resign as well and move beyond this mess,” according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Prostitution is clearly an illegal act in both Louisiana and the District of Columbia. As a result of Senator Vitter’s disregard for the law and morality, the Oklahoma Democrat Party joins with the Louisiana Democratic Party calling for the end of this hypocrisy by asking Senator Vitter to do the right thing and resign immediately.

“We cannot allow our elected officials to break the law and continue to represent the American people. Senator Vitter is not above the law and should not remain in office,” said Holmes.

Senator Vitter is not the only Republican elected official to recently face moral controversy. In September 2006, Republican Congressman Mark Foley was caught sending inappropriate emails and instant messages to under-age male congressional pages from 1995-2006. This scandal eventually led to Congressman Foley’s resignation from his congressional seat. To add to the hypocrisy, Foley was chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children and had previously proposed legislation targeting sexual predators against children.

“Here is yet another example of ongoing Republican immorality, corruption and hypocrisy. America cannot afford the scandals of the Bush Administration, along with Republicans in Congress, like Duke Cunningham, Tom Delay, Mark Foley and David Vitter,” declared Holmes.

“The recent actions of Republican politicians are unacceptable and Americans should not have to accept members of Congress that engage in such behaviors as prostitution and sex crimes against minors. Republicans should listen to their own rhetoric by following the law, doing the right thing and resigning,” concluded Holmes.

To join in calling for the resignation of Senator David Vitter, please sign the petition at www.ipetitions.com/petition/VitterResignation or call on Senator Inhofe and Senator Coburn to do the right thing by visiting www.senate.gov or calling (202) 224-3121.

Oklahoma Democratic Party Praises Democratic

Legislators for Standing Up for Consumer and Patient Safety

Challenges Republicans to End the False ‘Family Values’ Rhetoric

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – A recent report from the Oklahoma Center for Consumer and Patient Safety, a Tulsa-based non-profit consumer and patient advocacy organization, gave three Democratic lawmakers a perfect rating on their latest legislative report. The scores were based on legislative votes dealing with issues including extending health coverage to uninsured children, assisted living, identity theft, additional safety requirements for children, and legislation that waived liability for volunteer doctors at free health clinics. All votes were tracked during the 2007 legislative session, which ended at the end of May.

“We are proud of Senator Mike Morgan from Stillwater, Senator Judy Eason-McIntyre from Tulsa and Representative Jabar Shumate from Tulsa who all received a perfect rating in defense of Oklahoma consumers and patients,” said Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair Ivan Holmes, “and we congratulate them for working to protect Oklahoma families.”

In addition to the three perfect ratings, the report shows that Senate Democrats had a combined score of 89% compared to the Senate Republicans combined score of 75%. The House Democrats had a combined scored of 88%, compared to the House Republicans combined score of 72%. In the State Senate, nine Democrats scored over 90% and in the House of Representatives, fourteen Democrats scored over 90%, while no Republicans scored over 90% in either chamber.

Holmes went on to add, “it is disheartening, yet not surprising, that the highest score of any Republican is still lower than the Democratic average in either house. It just highlights the fact that there are no Republicans in the legislature championing these issues, which are so critical to the future wellbeing of Oklahoma families.”

“Oklahomans are tired of the false Republican rhetoric about ‘family values’ when Republican votes prove they don’t care about protecting children or the elderly when it might inconvenience their friends in big business. It is clear that the Democratic Party is the only party that will work to make Oklahoma a safer place for our families,” added Holmes.

Democrats in the Senate who voted over 90% of the time to protect consumers and patients were Tom Adelson, Sean Burrage, Mary Easley, Connie Johnson, Debbe Leftwich, Judy Eason McIntyre, Mike Morgan, Jeff Rabon and Andrew Rice.

Democrats in the House who voted over 90% of the time to protect consumers and patients were Wallace Collins, Darrell Gilbert, Rebecca Hamilton, Wes Hilliard, Scott Inman, Ryan Kiesel, Al Lindley, Jeannie McDaniel, Richard Morrissette, Bill Nations, Eric Proctor, Paul Roan, Ben Sherrer, and Jabar Shumate.

Senator Glenn Coffee, leader of the Senate Republicans, along with five other Republican Senators, received a ‘D’ rating. Republican House Speaker Lance Cargill also received a ‘D’ rating, along with twenty-three other House Republicans. In addition, Republican House member Mike Reynolds received the only ‘F’ grade in the entire legislature.

“The Democratic Party will continue to challenge Republicans on these issues, because the citizens of Oklahoma deserve more than lip service from their elected officials. Oklahomans deserve real reform that will make their lives better each day and the Democrats are the only ones working to make that happen,” concluded Holmes.

The full report can be found at www.okccps.org.

Oklahoma Democratic Party

Challenges Inhofe to Denounce Bush
What about the “moral health of our Nation” now, Senator Inhofe?

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – “I think the final truth is that this President should be held to the very highest of standards,” stated Oklahoma Republican Senator Jim Inhofe, who went on to say, “[I] get many, many letters from young children, parents, teachers, and others who are deeply distressed about the President’s behavior and its impact on the moral health of the Nation.”

These words from Senator Inhofe would be a fitting response to the July 2, 2007 get out of jail free card given convicted top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, Scooter Libby, by Republican President George W. Bush, but they are not. Unfortunately, these words were spoken in the closed-door perjury trial of former President Bill Clinton and released into the Congressional Record on February 12, 1999. Libby recently received his conviction and prison sentence after lying about national security matters to a grand jury.

Inhofe, Oklahoma’s Senior Republican Senator has remained shockingly silent on the commutation of convicted perjurer Scooter Libby, despite his four page diatribe about the importance of telling the truth, where he added, “I have a hard time reconciling the idea that there might be certain permissible exceptions to telling the truth under oath”.

Today, Dr. Ivan Holmes, Chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, called on Senator Inhofe to take the same stand on the Libby commutation and denounce President Bush for his actions. “Where is your outrage now about the moral health of our nation, Mr. Inhofe? It is time for Senator Inhofe and the other twenty-four Republican Senators who voted to impeach Clinton to stand behind their past rhetoric and denounce this Republican President, who has basically told the American people that his political cronies are above the law, even when it comes to obstructing justice, perjury and endangering the life of former C.I.A. agent.”

The Oklahoma Democratic Party has received an outpouring of calls, letter and emails from outraged citizens demanding that Senator Inhofe do the right thing by taking a stand against this corrupt Republican Administration. Senator Inhofe, who is up for re-election in 2008, will be facing a stiff challenge from any of a number of prominent Democrats eyeing the race.

According to the Southern Political Report from June 6, 2007, Inhofe could be vulnerable due to several factors, including, “The Democrats re-elected Gov. Brad Henry with ease in 2006, despite this state’s pro-Republican history. And although Inhofe has spent ten years in the Senate, he had a tepid approval rating in SurveyUSA’s last poll in November, 2006, with 46% approving of his performance to 41% who disapproved; he ranked a poor 86th among the 100 senators. Since then, national political trends have not favored the GOP -- indeed, they have gotten worse.”

“It is a sad day for Oklahoma when we are stuck with one of the worst U.S. Senators in the nation, especially considering Oklahoma has produced such greats as Robert S. Kerr, David Boren, Mike Monroney, and Fred Harris, which all just happened to be Democrats!”, Holmes concluded.

For more information please visit www.okdemocrats.org or www.okbluenotes.blogspot.com.

Democratic Party Chairman Praises
Victory for Oklahoma Workers

Republican Plot to Strip Away the Rights

of Injured Workers is Found Unconstitutional

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma -- Dr. Ivan Holmes, Chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, commended the Oklahoma Supreme Court for striking down a portion of the Republican’s 2005 Workers’ Compensation Law as unconstitutional. The provision stripped away the right of an injured worker to choose their own doctor and left it in the hands of the employer.

“The Oklahoma legislature has no right to take away an injured worker’s right to present evidence from their own medical expert regarding the extent of their injuries, so this was the only logical decision the Oklahoma Supreme Court could have made,” said Dr. Holmes.

Holmes, who was recently elected to the Democratic Party post, campaigned extensively on the issue of restoring the rights of Oklahoma workers in regard to doctor choice. “Thankfully Oklahoma workers did not have to wait on the Republican legislature to restore their rights, because Republican Speaker Lance Cargill and Republican Senate President Glenn Coffee are far too busy pandering to big corporations and wealthy donors at high-dollar fundraisers.”

“When speaking to the Senate Committee about this workers’ compensation bill I asked how many Senators would be willing to give up their right to select their own doctor and not one hand went up. Yet every Republican Senator voted to take away that right for injured workers,” explained Holmes.

“It is simply incredible that these Republican legislators would so blatantly ignore the will of Oklahomans, despite polls that show a majority of our citizens believe an injured worker should have the right to select their own doctor if injured on the job. What is also amazing is that the Republican legislators passed the bill knowing it was unconstitutional, because they would rather play partisan games with our legal system than do the real work of helping Oklahomans.”

Chairman Holmes expects Republicans to launch another assault on the rights of workers in the coming 2008 legislative session, but warned that he will visit the district of every legislator that sided with the corporations at the detriment of Oklahoma workers.

“I will stand in every town square holding press conferences to remind the voters of Oklahoma that Republicans refuse to provide answers to the daily struggles of Oklahomans, like providing affordable healthcare, finding good-paying jobs and building a strong educational system,”
concluded Holmes.

-- For more information please visit www.okdemocrats.org or www.okbluenotes.blogspot.com. --

Oklahoma Democratic Party
Announces New Focus
on Veterans Issues
All Democratic Veterans Invited to Attend Meeting

Oklahoma City, OK -- Dr. Ivan Holmes, Chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, is proud to announce the revitalization of the State Party’s Veterans Affairs Committee. Ron Wasson and Dr. Katherine Scheirman, Co-Chairs of the Committee, invite all Democratic Veterans to attend the first planning meeting on Saturday, July 21. The meeting will be held at the Oklahoma Democratic Party Headquarters in the George Krumme Center, 4100 North Lincoln Boulevard, Oklahoma City at 10:00 a.m.

“With the erosion of military and veteran’s benefits and the loss of life in Iraq under Bush’s Republican Presidency we believe it is now more important than ever to support our military personnel, who have fought so bravely for our country,” said Wasson.

Dr. Scheirman went on to add, “We will focus on addressing the needs of our military members and veterans who have been forgotten by the Republicans. In addition, the Veteran’s Committee will be active in helping Democrats get elected in 2008 to restore the promised benefits and ensure the troops injured in Iraq and Afghanistan wars get the medical and psychological care they need and have earned”.

The Veteran’s Committee is also planning a “Support the Troops” event, which will be held on Tuesday, August 21, at 6:30 p.m. at the Oklahoma Democratic Party Headquarters. Leading up to the event the ODP will be collecting donations that will be packed and shipped to our troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Please drop off your donations at the ODP or contact (405) 427-3366 for more information. You can also visit the ODP’s blog, www.okbluenotes.blogspot.com, for a complete list of requested donations.

Dr. Holmes is also proud to announce that Dr. Katherine Scheirman has been named one of eight Senior Advisors for the national organization, VoteVets.org. The mission of VoteVets.org is to elect Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to public office; hold public officials accountable for their words and actions that impact America’s 21^st century service members; and fully support our men and women in uniform. “Dr. Scheirman’s appointment gives Oklahoma Democrats a great opportunity to take the lead on desperately needed support for our troops at both the National and State level,” concluded Holmes.

-- Please visit www.okdemocrats.org for more information. --

____________________________________________________________________

Oklahoma Democratic Veterans Affairs Committee

Support the Troops Event – 21 August 2007

Item List

Food items:

Drink mix (Kool-Aid, individual packets)

Cookies

Non-perishable snack foods

Brown sugar

Hygiene items:

Toothbrushes

Toothpaste

Dental floss

Soap/bath gel

Shampoo/conditioner

Deodorant

Baby wipes

Feminine hygiene products

Towels

Emery boards

Combs

Nail clippers

Q-tips

Disposable razors and wash cloths

Lip balm

Miscellaneous:

Magazines (sports, hunting, fishing, gaming, news, science, fashion, cooking)

Small puzzle books (sudoku, etc)

Pre-paid phone cards

Socks (white and black)

Spray and Wash solid

Blank greeting cards

Envelopes

Stationery, pens

Ziploc baggies (Large and small)

“Bush’s Arrogance is a Slap in the Face
of the American People!”

Dr. Ivan Holmes, State Democratic Party Chair, Comments

on the Commutation of Libby’s Prison Sentence

Oklahoma City, OK – Today, Oklahoma Democratic Party Chairman Ivan Holmes criticized President Bush for commuting the prison sentence of convicted top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Jr.

“President Bush’s decision to commute the 30-month sentence for Libby illustrates that the President has no respect for the law,” stated Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair Ivan Holmes.

“President Bush is telling the American people that his political cronies are above the law, even when it comes to obstructing justice, perjury and endangering the life of former C.I.A. agent Valerie Plame. This is the wrong message to send to the country and the world.”

After Bush cited his concern for the suffering of the Libby family for his reason to commute the sentence, Holmes commented, “The President’s concern for Libby’s family does not consider the pain, distress and injustice experienced by Valerie Plame and her family. Nor does he consider that Mr. Libby’s actions put many other lives in danger by outing a C.I.A. agent. These are men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect America, yet they can’t even count on their own Commander in Chief.”

“Sadly, this action is consistent with a Presidential Administration that will accept no blame for their misdeeds, like starting the war in Iraq based on false information and not being willing to withdraw our troops who are truly paying the price for Bush’s arrogance.”

“America can no longer afford the corruption that has riddled this presidency over the last seven years. Thankfully the Democrats have a strong field of candidates ready to restore honor and dignity to the White House and put America back on track.”

“By the time Bush leaves office he will have cemented his place in history as one of the worst presidents ever,” Holmes concluded.

-- ODP --

Young Democrats

Make a Difference at the Polls!

The following information is provided from YDA.org - If you are an Oklahoma Young Democrat, please check it out and register with YDA.org so we can have more people getting the news from and about YD!


*Young people are giving a 20 point advantage to Democrats when asked who they will vote for in November 2006 (56% will vote for Dems, 36% will vote for Repubs).

*Young people are trending more Democratic for the first time in several years and are more Democratic than the overall electorate. Polls released by Young Voter Strategies show young adults give Democrats a 10 point advantage when asked with which party they identify. Young people are 41% Democrat, 31% Republican and 27% Independent (overall electorate, 38% Democrats, 34% Republican, 27% Independent).

*Young adults in 2006 are far more likely to identify more Democratic than two years ago, when the age group polled about evenly Republican, Democratic, and Independent.

*If someone votes for a Party three times in a row, they are likely to be a Party voter for life, indicating a need for the Democratic Party to invest and focus on young people.
By 2015, Generation Y (born between 1977 and 1994 and will be 18-38 years old then) will make up 30% of the electorate serving as a critical base and indicator of success for Democrats.

*The mere size of Generation X + Y is a critical mass that needs focus. Gen X + Gen Y, 18-35 year olds = 70 million potential voters.

*Contrary to early media reports, the 2004 election cycle marked the highest turnout of young people since 1972.

*Nearly half of all eligible young voters cast ballots in the November 2004 election, raising their turnout rate by more than twice that of any other age group resulting in an increase of 9 percentage points and an increase of 4.3 million voters.

*Over 20.1 million18-29 year olds cast ballots in 2004 (42 million were eligible to vote).
18-30 year olds were the ONLY age group to prefer the Kerry/Edwards ticket (Kerry received 54% and Bush received 44%). This is a significant gain for Democrats. In 2000, Gore only received 47.6% to Bush’s 46.2% of the youth vote.

*Before the November elections, 70% of young people said they received NO contact from a party or candidate. Post-election, this shrunk to below 40% indicating the intense focus on young people by political groups.

*64.4% of young people voted in the 10 most competitive battleground states. Only 48% of young people voted across all other states, proving young voters come out in higher numbers if targeted.

*The vast majority of young people are not in college. In fact only 25-35% of 18-35 year olds are in college. It is critical young voter outreach programs are as diverse as the generation and do not only reside on college campuses.

*Generation Y is politically active and volunteer at record numbers. 83% of college freshmen volunteer and 73% of 18-30 year olds plan on voting in 2006.

*Young people are swimming in debt. Unemployment rates for young people are two to three times higher than that of adults. Additionally, a male in 1972 with a high school degree was earning $42,000 annually and now is only earning $29,000.

*Young people are more likely than any other age group to be uninsured. About one in three young people lack health insurance compared to one in six Americans overall.

*Young people are diverse. 30% of children under 18 are racial or ethnic minorities. Latino young people make up 16% of all young people now (compared to 5% in 1976) and the number of young people who identify as white has decreased to 65% from 88% in 1976.

*Young people like any other demographic wants to listen to their peers and wants to be involved. Unfortunately, there is still a culture in campaigns that young people don’t vote and are too hard to find so we get knocked off voting lists that campaigns use to talk to potential voters. This is often called the “cycle of mutual neglect.”

*We see electoral politics as a vehicle for social change. We do not stop at volunteering in our communities or protesting; we connect our political views with elections and help candidates get elected who share our values.

*It’s not enough for young people to work on general campaigns or volunteer for them. We are doing our generation a disservice by not talking to young people and we are doing our generation a disservice by not demanding the campaigns we work with to target young people.

http://oklahomayoungdemocrats.blogspot.com/

You are Invited to the

ODP Central Committee Cookout!

-- Saturday, June 16 at Noon --

Please join Oklahoma Democrats for good food, great Democratic fellowship and a chance to support our State Democratic Party!

WHAT: ODP Central Committee

Cookout Fundraiser

WHEN: Saturday, June 16 at Noon

WHERE: Oklahoma Democratic

Party Headquarters

4100 N. Lincoln Blvd, Oklahoma City

DONATION: $25 per person

Thanks to the Oklahoma City Fire Fighters, Local 157 who will be grilling hamburgers, hot dogs and hot links. Soft drinks, chips and all the trimmings will also be provided.

Thanks to State Vice Chair Kitti Asberry for organizing this wonderful event!

YDO Convention Update

Hello Democrats,

We are happy to announce our State Young Democrats of Oklahoma Convention has been set for Saturday, June 16th at the IBEW Union Hall located at 1700 SE 15th Street, Oklahoma City 73129. The program will begin at 1:00 pm.

All REGISTERED DEMOCRATS between the ages of 18 and 35 are encouraged to register and participate. All Democrats who are “young at heart” are also welcome to attend in support of our youth.

Registration will begin at 12:30 pm. Please email me at YoungDemocrats@cox.net to obtain a registration form. In order to make adequate arrangements, please register prior to the event. Although this is preferred, we will still accept registrations at the door.

If you have any questions or would like to help YDO defray the cost of this event and our upcoming National Convention please email me at YoungDemocrats@cox.net.

With appreciation,

Mandy Winton
President, YDO

P.S. Please share this information with all of the Young Democrats you know!

Democrats in Congress Protect Voting Rights

Yesterday Democrats in Congress defeated a proposal by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) that would have required all voters to show photo identification in order to vote.

Not just identification. Photo identification.

Requiring photo identification is the equivalent of imposing a modern day poll tax. A study of Wisconsin voters found that only 22% of African American men aged 18-24 have a photo ID. A requirement like this would unfairly penalize seniors, young people, minorities, people with disabilities and other groups who are less likely to have photo identification. DNC Voting Rights Institute Chair Donna Brazile said:

"The American people were the real winners last night when Democrats stood up and defeated Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s harmful amendment. The Republican Party continues to play politics with the most fundamental right in our Democracy, the right to vote. The American people went to the polls and spoke loud and clear about their desire for change in November. Just because Republicans dislike what Americans are saying doesn’t mean they can block voters’ access to the ballot box. Democrats believe that democracy works best when all legally eligible voters can exercise their right to vote. And we believe that we should be working to make it easier and not harder for Americans to vote and have their vote counted."

New evidence emerged this week about Republican efforts to suppress votes under the guise of cracking down on voter fraud. A lot of the activity is related to the political purge of eight U.S. attorneys.

Dean and DNC Women’s Caucus Chair Reiley Respond to Supreme Court Decision to Limit Equal Pay Cases

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and DNC Women’s Caucus Chair Mame Reiley issued the following statement following the Supreme Court’s decision to limit workers’ ability to hold employers accountable:

“Unequal pay has real consequences for America’s hard working families and the Supreme Court’s decision to limit workers’ ability to hold employers accountable for pay discrimination just makes the problem worse. The fact remains that women still earn 77 cents for every dollar men make. Our values tell us that men and women who do the same work should receive the same compensation. Democrats in Congress are keeping their word by taking strong action to remedy the pay gap including passing legislation to raise the federal minimum wage.”

Thank You Oklahoma Democrats

When Gov. Henry asked me to work with him for the Oklahoma Democratic Party in 2005, I was honored to accept his support and committed to running a statewide campaign for the office of state party chair.

After a vigorous campaign, I was gratified to earn an overwhelming majority in the election for chair at the Democratic Party state convention in May of that year.

The challenges we faced were substantial, but we worked hard every day and reached out to Democrats across the state to help us achieve our goals of being fiscally responsible and putting on the right track.

We worked together for two years to stabilize and expand the reach of the state party.

We worked together for two years to organize, mobilize and energize Oklahoma Democrats, making difficult, but necessary, decisions to implement our strategy for success.

We worked together for two years to develop new avenues of communication for our activists, candidates and elected officials.

We started this blog a year ago to enhance our capacity to provide meaningful information to Democrats about the state party and issues of consequence. We were one of the first Democratic state parties to establish a blog written by officers and staff.

We also expanded our email list to provide consistent contact with Oklahoma Democrats. If you are not receiving our email newsletters please let the party know you want to be added to the list.

We worked together to include more and more of our neighbors in the Democratic family. From Broken Bow to Guymon, Miami to Hollis, we reached out to all who believe in the principles of the Democratic party and invited them to get involved in our efforts.

We worked together with the Democratic National Committee through the Partnership Program that brought us three full-time staff members to assist Democrats across the state with training and winning elections.

We worked together to create new partnerships and initiatives to revitalize the party and place it on a solid foundation for the future.

We re-elected Governor Henry by an astounding margin, held our other statewide offices and gained two more.

And, we did all of this while paying our bills and dramatically reducing (by 90%) the debt the party faced at the end of 2004.

Through it all we remained true to our core Democratic values of compassion, accountability, responsibility and equality, and proved that we are a party that is fair, tough and fiscally responsible.

We have shown what the Oklahoma Democratic Party can do when it unifies around the guiding principle of electing Democrats - without prefix, suffix or qualification. For in the end, majority matters and Oklahoma will be a better place with Democrats leading the way.

Time and space do not allow all the thank yous that should be made so this last blog entry from me will have to suffice as A GIANT THANK YOU to all who assisted us in establishing a stronger Oklahoma Democratic Party and electing Democrats.

So THANK YOU, Oklahoma Democrats and best wishes to the new leadership of the Oklahoma Democratic Party!


Lisa Pryor
Chair, Oklahoma Democratic Party
2005-2007

Hoskin: Affordable Healthcare for Oklahomans and Small Businesses Receives Approval


Representative Chuck Hoskin, D- Vinita, released a statement today regarding the passage HB 1225, which expands the ‘Insure Oklahoma’ program.

“The passage of this bill is truly a victory for hard working Oklahomans and small businesses across the State,” said Representative Hoskin. “Senator Sean Burrage, D- Claremore, and I have been working on this issue extensively since the beginning of Session. Not only is the Insure Oklahoma Program essential to relieving the high cost of healthcare insurance premiums from Oklahoma’s families and small businesses, it also provides health insurance to a group of people who can’t afford health insurance.”

Currently, an estimated 600,000 Oklahomans do not have health insurance coverage.

The Insure Oklahoma, or O-EPIC, Program helps small businesses with 50 or fewer employees pay for health insurance coverage for workers. Participating employers and employees pay a portion of their health insurance premiums with the state picking up the rest of the tab. The federal/state government pays 60 percent of the cost, employers pay 25 percent and employees pay 15 percent.

House Bill 1225 expands the program to cover employees earning up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level. Currently, the premium assistance program limits eligibility to employees earning no more than 185 percent of the federal poverty level. The bill also expands the Program to include businesses with 250 or fewer employees eligible for assistance.

“I am committed to providing access to affordable healthcare to all Oklahomans,” said Hoskin. “This is a step in the right direction and allows small business to free up revenue to invest in themselves and Oklahoma’s economy. This bill will go a long ways towards ensuring that Oklahomans who work hard and play by the rules don’t have to worry about losing everything because of an illness or injury.”

42,000 Kids

The State Senate passed the "All Kids Act" Monday to provide healthcare for 42,000 uninsured Oklahoma children. Senator Tom Adelson, D-Tulsa, says that Oklahoma children deserve at least the minimum care that is provided to the state's prison inmates. Read about it here and here.

State Convention Resolutions

On Saturday the delegates to the 2007 Oklahoma Democratic Party State Convention adopted resolutions developed through a process that began with the precincts in March and moved through county and district conventions and committees to the state resolutions committee in May. The state resolutions commitee prepared the resolutions and presented them to the convention delegates in Oklahoma City on May 19th. The delegates approved the resolutions package without amendments.

To read the resolutions visit the State Convention blog here.

Senate Moves Immigration Bill Forward

For a review of yesterday's action in the US Senate on the issue of immigration read today's story in the Washington Post here. The action comes weeks after the Oklahoma Legislature passed an immigration bill that some say will be dwarfed by the federal bill if it passes through Congress and lands on the President's desk.

Congratulations to New ODP Officers

Congratulations to the new Oklahoma Democratic Party chairman Ivan Holmes, elected Saturday at the 2007 State Convention in Oklahoma City. Holmes will be working with newly elected vicechair Kitti Asberry who recently completed a third term as Oklahoma County chair. Jana Harkins was elected as treasurer. Delegates re-elected state secretary Walter Jenny, Jr. for a second two-year term.

Democratic National Committee Chair Governor Howard Dean delivered the keynote address to enthusiastic applause from te 600+ delegates. Dean said the next elections will be won by speaking simply and from the heart to the voters about our Democratic values ---- especially fairness, toughness and fiscal responsibility.

If you were there let our readers know your thoughts about the convention.

State Convention Updates
Click here for State Convention Updates.

Boren Will Host Telephone Town Hall Mtg

Constituents of the Second District are invited to join U.S. Congressman Dan Boren for his first-ever telephone town hall meeting. It is being held tonight, Thursday, May 17, at 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. Dial toll-free 1-866-447-5149 and enter 12913 when prompted to participate in the meeting. Participants will be able to discuss local, state, and national issues. They will also be able to submit their own questions as well as answer questions by way of the touchpad.