Nobody knows better than Oklahoma GOP Chairman about the damage that results from the press failing to inform the public of corrupt politicians at election time. Could it be another similar pattern is emerging in this year’s election between Corporation Commissioner Jim Roth and challenger Dana Murphy.

The media screw-job by a man Jones kept repeating was a crook points out that a crooked politician’s best friend is a press corps that looks the other way. This past week, we watched as the media breathlessly examined every detail of the now-discredited slime Jim Roth threw against Dana Murphy, but they’ve been struck deaf, dumb and blind to Roth’s misbehavior, and the suspect gang surrounding Roth that was once connected to McMahan.

Readers will remember the 2006 auditor and inspector race was stolen from Jones by the convicted Jeff McMahan despite Jones making virtually all the information available the press during that campaign. The lazy and indolent (and liberal) press ignored Jones’ evidence, and McMahan was re-elected. Witnesses in the trial testified that they had “stolen” the election from Jones, and most observers believe the press was negligent since they ignored Jones and the allegations later proven to be true in court. Incredibly, last week the central figure in the McMahan corruption probe said he could implicate at least 34 more people in the political corruption probe. But the press still is looking the other way regarding the crowd that surrounded McMahan and that now surrounds Roth.

One need to look no further for evidence of press neglect than KFOR’s Sunday television program in which both Roth and Murphy were interviewed. Murphy was repeatedly questioned about the details of a divorce that occurred in the early 1990’s by Roth and the clownish Mike Turpen, a co-host of the program who is connected with organizations and individuals that support Roth. Turpen’s outrageous behavior and journalistic prostitution continues unabated: none of Murphy’s allegations were given any hearing, and nobody in the Oklahoma press has complained. As usual, viewers weren’t not told of Turpen’s multiple conflicts of interest, and Murphy’s points about Jim Roth’s personal and professional misbehavior were ignored, especially the details of Roth’s DUI arrest, which has been virtually hidden by the press from the public with the press’ contrivance.

With time running out, voters must go elsewhere if they want the truth about Roth. In 2006, the voters didn’t have the luxury of so many blogs and other internet news outlets, and the people of Oklahoma paid the price. So once again in 2008, with very few exceptions, the main stream Oklahoma media is in the tank for a politician with a highly questionable background, and the ’see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil’ press corps is working hard to elect another politician who was on the ropes until the press ran in to help him.

The Corporation Commission races are heating up and the mudslinging has started. Is any of it true, and does anyone care?  Hat tip: NEWS9YourVoteCounts

EXCLUSIVE: Commissioner Jim Roth Arrested for DUI in ‘95; Resolution of Case a Mystery

From The Lost Ogle:

We try not to get too political here at The Lost Ogle, but after watching Dana Murphy’s most recent campaign ad, we figured the time was right to endorse her for Corporation Commision. Granted, we don’t know what a “commisioner” does, but as long as spelling isn’t a prerequisite, we figure Murphy is well qualified. Read more…

Oklahoma Corporation Commission candidates Dana Murphy & Jim Roth speak at the 4th Oklahoma Political Forum.

Hat tip: JimRothCampaign

Roth says he is ready.  Murphy received many endorsements in her primary against Rob Johnson but now the stakes are higher.

William F. O’Brien
The Edmond Sun

Today’s Republican primary between Dana Murphy and Rob Johnson for Corporation Commissioner may not be determined until early tomorrow morning: it’s that close.  The real test will be against incumbent Roth.

(Oklahoma City, OK) Dana Murphy has received the endorsement of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee for her candidacy for Corporation Commission.

“I’m truly honored to receive the endorsement of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee. It is very humbling to be supported by my fellow Conservatives,” said Murphy.

Murphy spoke to the committee on Wednesday, and besides her speech, spent 30 minutes taking in-depth questions from the audience. Afterward, the committee voted to give her its endorsement, spotlighting her conservative credentials and significant experience in the race for Corporation Commissioner.

“Her depth of knowledge, passion to serve in this office, and the belief by our members that she would be a fair Corporation Commissioner, and one who is above reproach, influenced our members to overwhelming vote to endorse her,” Chairman Charlie Meadows said of the committee’s vote.

“She earned it,” Meadows added.

The Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee has built a reputation in Oklahoma as being a stalwart supporter of conservative ideology.

We just received this in our inbox from the Murphy campaign:

There are three questions that are yet to be answered by Rob Johnson.

First, did he transfer funds from his House account to his Corporation Commission account?

Second, what was the amount of that rollover?

Third, did he vote for the ethics reform package that would have prohibited this very practice (HB2196 Sec. J.)?

“Desperate candidates say desperate things when they find themselves lagging far behind their opponents, but Dana Murphy should at least get her facts straight.” - Rep. Rob Johnson

Literally, as soon as we posted the Dana Murphy piece, we received a press release release from the Johnson campaign refuting her claims. Saying that Murphy is playing “loose with the truth” and is trying to explain away her “fundraising failures” by “fabricating the facts.” Johnson says in his release that he showed nearly twice as much cash on hand as Murphy when he filed his fundraising report yesterday with the Oklahoma State Ethics Commission. Johnson had $251,981 to Murphy’s $128,458.

From the release:

“Dana Murphy’s campaign is using funny numbers and funny dates to make bogus claims,” said Keili Hicks, a spokesperson for the Johnson campaign. In an attempt to strengthen her own fundraising shortfall, Murphy argued that Johnson’s campaign had rolled over his State House account on April 30th.

Hicks said Murphy’s facts were clearly wrong. She says that Johnson launched his Corporation Commission account January 30, nearly three months earlier than Murphy falsely claimed.

“If there’s someone playing a shell game, it is clearly Dana Murphy who actually violated state ethics rules when she filed her report several days late during the January reporting period,” Hicks said.

“The biggest disappointment is that Murphy has violated Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment once again, which was to not attack a fellow Republican,” Hicks said.

“Dana Murphy should spend more time focusing on the needs of Oklahoma voters and less time on false negative attacks. Perhaps conservative Republican Party leaders should remind Murphy that our battle is with the liberal Democrat incumbent and not each other.