With the stock markets roiling and money to loan drying up, there’s no doubt that the economy, barring something unforeseen, will be the issue as Campaign 2008 moves forward.

As for Oklahoma, with energy prices falling, it’s just natural to assume that the Wall Street doings will soon affect Oklahoma’s main streets. The first casualty may be the con artists who were floating greedy plans on the waves of energy consumers’ anger over high gas prices. No doubt the propeller pushing, CNG scamming confidence plans are in serious jeopardy today. The odd stock deals, massive expansions and building plans by the local energy companies may be threatened as well.

The Wall Street mess and plunging energy prices will be a double whammy for Oklahoma. We assume that the capitol press corps will be tracking down the governor and legislative leadership to get them on record as to what they are doing to anticipate the economic impact to Oklahoma. America’s investors and consumers are worried, and Oklahoma’s budget will be drastically affected. President Bush hurried yesterday to seek to calm the fears, and we’re sure the press corps and the governor will tackling the topic as well.

Or will they? The fact is, the press corps (with the exception of the Journal Record) simply does not have the economic IQ to adequately pursue this story. There are hundreds of stories to pursue, and we’ll let you know if they even try. Press releases issued by the governor, the Speaker and senate leadership are simply not adequate leadership. Speaker Benge is also under the gun after his sell-out to the energy con artists.

Simply put, it’s prime time for the Oklahoma press and state leadership: let’s see how they do!

Meanwhile, as the economy moves to front and center, OKPNS will keep you informed of the top political/economic stories affecting you. Here’s the economic read on Obama and McCain .

Developing……..

Oh, yes, we believe the Channel 4 poll because they continue to demonstrate such high ethical and journalistic standards.

NOT!!!

Just days after a Democrat chatboard outed the now-discredited Flashpoint duo for hosting a fundraiser for a politician they had unethically pimped on their show. We have the real evidence. (Click here)

Here’s a comment from one of the disgruntled Dems:

“Why are Turpen and Stuart Price allowed to support Republicans while holding positions within our party? Hello, ODP Chairman Ivan Holmes, how about sending out one of your press releases or holding one of your town square meetings to explain this?”

So Why Is Commissioner Jeff Cloud Smiling?

KFOR released a poll showing the object of their misplaced and inappropriate affection leading in the 6-year seat for Corporation Commission. The poll shows Jeff Cloud leading Democrat Charles Gray 52-37%.

First, given his incumbency, Cloud should be embarrassed at the margin: the incumbent should be leading by a much larger margin over Gray. Second, who in this world is going to believe KFOR? Considering the unprofessional and unethical brown-nosing Turpen and Humphreys have given Cloud, we can safely assume the race is much, much closer. After all the revelations we’ve broken here about Cloud’s controversial activities, it could be Gray is leading the race. What we do know is that anybody who believes a KFOR poll is, shall we say, unwise to do so.

OKPNS has chronicled over and over the serial dissembling and brazen dishonesty of Flashpoint. Once again, we know they’re lying. How do we know? Their lips are moving!

Related:

OKPNS: (7/23/08) Rush IS Right: Helps OKPNS Expose Edwards, Cloud as Liberals

One of the unique aspects of the internet that we love is its capacity to allow every knucklehead with a computer (present company included) the ability to share their OPINIONS with a large audience. Oftentimes bloggers are right and ahead of the curve, at other times, we don’t have a damn clue! Two recent posts over at our friends okiepolitics.com fall into the latter category.

Yesterday, they questioned Senator Inhofe’s decision to debate lightweight state senator Andrew Rice:

“This decision is baffling, if not boneheaded. Inhofe should stay at home and only appear at non televised appearances. He is ahead by nearly 10%. Outspend Rice and get your ticket punched back to Washington, Jim.” Read more…

And then, feeling giddy and cocky about their pronouncement, they wrote a post today patting themselves on the back.

“It is nice to see that some logical campaign advice telling Senator Jim Inhofe to avoid debates like the plague got so much attention in the Senate.” Read more…

Sorry to rain on the parade fellas. Maybe this is why he’s not afraid to debate Rice:

From RealClearPolitics.com

A new SurveyUSA poll (Sept. 5-7, 652 LV, MoE +/- 3.9%) in Oklahoma shows McCain up 33 points over Obama in the presidential race and Sen. James Inhofe (R), running for a third term, up 22 points over state Sen. Andrew Rice (D) in the race for Senate.

The state is not considered in play for Obama, as it hasn’t voted Democratic in a presidential election since 1964. Inhofe’s re-election prospects were solidified when Gov. Brad Henry (D) decided against running. This is the third poll in the last three months to show him leading Rice by 22 points. Read more…

Related:

Election Advantage blog: (”Dedicated to a non-partisan analysis of Presidential, Senate, House, and Governor races.”) SUSA OK-SEN: Inhofe In Command

“With Rice’s strong fundraising and the fact that Inhofe can be gaffe-prone, I have considered this a possible sleeper pickup for the Democrats. I still think this one shouldn’t be counted out yet.” Read more..

Cable’s worst network, MSNBC, the official network of the Democrat National Committee, went Category 5 stupid yesterday when Dan Abrams interrupted the coverage of Gustav Monday afternoon just as the levees were being over-topped to advance a lie.

Abrams breathlessly repeated an erroneous Associated Press story that indicated McCain’s Vice Presidential Nominee Gov. Sarah Palin had just hired an attorney to represent her in an ethics investigation in Alaska. Palin had actually hired the lawyer two weeks earlier, before she was offered the Vice Presidential spot, according to Abrams hurried disclaimer a short time later.

The not-so-subtle implication was that Palin was conspiring to dump more bad news into the day’s busy news cycle, a technique perfected by the Clintons during their scandal-thon days of the 90’s.

Earlier in the day, the news broke that Palin’s 17-year-old unmarried daughter was pregnant, when suddenly the liberal media, with their pro-abortion views and permissive attitudes toward public decency, suddenly became as prudish as a 19th-century schoolmarm. Even Barack Obama, the beneficiary of the fawning and obsequious coverage by the MSM, was grossed-out by the coverage.

No doubt, Gov. Palin’s daughter would have risked less press scrutiny is she’d simply had an abortion, turned lesbian, advocated CNG and wind power and starting touring with Madonnna. For his part, McCain is, shall we say, ready to open up a can of whoop-ass.

Because they are so out of touch and anxious to torch the Alaska governor, the press is missing the criticism many Republican women are voicing about Palin: should she have turned down the offer with an infant special needs child and a pregnant 17 year old at home? It’s plain to see that radical feminists will have nothing to do with Palin; after all, feminism was created only to advance the careers of liberal women But Republican women are grumbling, and Gov. Palin must prove to the base that she’s not neglecting her home to advance her career, and that’s the story to follow over the next few days. So somebody go tell Dan Abrams since he has such a hard time with news judgment.

Related: 

The McCarville Report Online: ‘Journalists’ Fail Most Basic Test: Truth

As predicted, the political news cycle changed remarkably in the last 72 hours as Hurricane Gustav slammed into the Gulf Coast.

Besides the potential for devastation to the Gulf Coast, the aftermath of the hurricane threatens to radically impact the presidential election, including altering the energy markets.  Undoubtedly, there will be shameless exploitation, including unjustified price run-ups (which started as early as Monday August 25th) by the energy industry, who although they fear him, appear to be doing all they can to elect Barack Obama with their tone-deaf handling of energy prices. But early indications are the energy traders are being cautious, since a huge price run-up would help Obama, but that situation will be volatile for several days, even weeks.

Looks like President Bush and the Administration put the lessons they learned from Katrina into effect. Another New Orleans disaster would have meant essentially an early inauguration for Sen Obama.

First, let’s start with Thursday’s prescient edition of News9’s Your Vote Counts, where the team predicted what would happen to the news cycle.  It’s no wonder why the show and its Internet version have become the most insightful political television in Oklahoma.  Rumors continue to swirl that the trio is headed for a full-fledged broadcast version, but in the meantime, watch how they foretold precisely what is happening right now. 

And with loss of life, damage to our economy and other tragedy looming, some wacky Democrats allowed themselves to look like idiots as Gustav bore down on the Gulf Coast.

Gary Casey is challenging a Henry favorite, Senator Tom Adelson.  The Tulsa Beacon clearly makes the contrast between conservative candidate and liberal incumbent.

“I believe life begins at conception,” Casey said. “I believe this position can be defended scientifically far more effectively than the pro-abortion position that life begins at birth.”

“I believe that the state of Oklahoma has a responsibility to enforce the laws currently on the books in regards to immigration,” Casey said. “I support HB 1804. I believe that immigrants should go through the proper channels and obey our laws.  Read the full story at TulsaBeacon.com.

Related:  Gary Casey bio on FreePeople.com

J. D. proclaimed,”He got more votes than me, so he deserves the job.”

From all of us at OKPNS, we’re really gonna miss this guy.

Soon to be ex-Republican J.D. Johnston performed better than expected
in the Republican runoff election for Oklahoma County Commissioner
District 2 tonight.

The ex-mayor who sold his political soul and lost a fortune to idiot
campaign consultants got nearly 30% of the vote, silencing the critics
who thought J.D. would get only 1%.

Final tally: Brian Maughan 71%, the “geniuses” 29%.

Who was it said, “A fool and his money are easily parted?” J.D. Johnston’s campaign consultants!

On the day of the run-off, sources tell OKPNS that the hapless J.D.
Johnston County Commissioner campaign received a huge blow recently when KFOR television refused to run J.D. Johnston ads because they bordered on being “libelous.”

It was a major blow to the Johnston campaign, who were apparently counting on the huge Olympic audience to lobby into voting for the now disgraced ex-politician from Bethany. If KFOR (who regularly look the other way when their own clownish ex-politician Mike Turpen pimps his clients) can’t stomach the ads, they must really, really be bad!

It’s yet another setback to buffoonish Johnston, who has been backed by political hacks of both parties at the Oklahoma County Courthouse, causing some insiders to wonder just what it is the hacks are worried about the public discovering if their boy J.D. gets whacked at the polls by Brian Maughan on Tuesday. But look at it this way: now J.D. can go re-register as a Democrat and run against some of the other RINO’s down at the courthouse next time!

Developing……….

Related:

Okiepolitics: What did J.D. do to OKPNS?