Michelle Byte over at GetRightOK.com alerted us to a new website she’s started. It’s called www.appointgaryjones.blogspot.com. She says the site will have a link for reader’s to send a message to the governor and she will post “stuff I find elsewhere.” She also plans to occasionally write a few of her thoughts on the site.

“This website is all about doing what is right in this case, and to right the wrong that was done to Gary Jones and to the Oklahoma voters.”

Click here to listen to the OPEA Podcast

Someone once said that as long as there are tests in school, there will be prayer in the public schools. Apparently this also applies to state employees recovering from a payroll tax scandal, hoping for raises in light of a state budget shortfall.

In this podcast, from the Oklahoma Public Employee Association online “Break Room,” Dr. Ivan Holmes talks with Scott Berger about Democratic Party Fundraising, how the Democrats hope to take back the Oklahoma legislature, the employment rate in Oklahoma, the disconnect between the Oklahoma legislature and the voters and between the larger newspapers and the small-town newspapers.

Sources are telling the Oklahoma Political News Service that OKGOP Vice Chair Cheryl Williams was introduced by Senator Clark Jolly at last night’s precinct meetings as the “next OKGOP Chairman.”

Many insiders believe that after State Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan’s multi count indictment, a third Gary Jones’ candidacy is an eventuality. Insiders believe Williams is finally making her true intentions public after many months of quiet speculation among those who are in the party know.

The source says to count current party chairman Gary Jones as one of those who is wary of Williams. His distrust of her has created a relationship that can be described as “icy at best.”

Readers will recall Williams embarrassed Oklahoma at the National Convention in 2000 when she was ejected from the RNC Platform Committee by Governor Ridge. The media trumpeted her behavior as proof of “Dissension” within the ranks of the Party faithful

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OKPNS will continue to investigate.

OKGOP activists inquire on the Chairman’s recent travel itinerary:

In an example of true grassroots leadership, OKGOP Chairman Gary Jones spent Friday in federal court watching his nemesis, Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan, plead not guilty to felony charges of conspiracy, mail fraud and state bribery. In fact, Jones did not attend last night’s Helen Cole Republican of the Year dinner in the GOP stronghold of Cleveland County, because he overnighted in Tulsa to be closer to Muskogee, the location of today’s court proceedings. Not sure the Republican faithful in Cleveland County would appreciate his reasoning, but such is the motivation and focus of Gary Jones.

This unusual step was just the latest installment of Jones’s “I told you so” campaign of gloating and chest-thumping. Not sure exactly how Jones’s presence in federal court today helps the Republican party as it approaches the November elections, but it seems more and more obvious Jones views his position as OKGOP chairman as nothing more than a stepping stone to another campaign for state auditor.

The Okie Campaigns blog is having a little difficulty believing OKGOP Chairman Gary Jones explanation that he wasn’t aware that he was attending a fundraiser at a controversial Dallas businessman’s home last month. Below is an email Chairman Jones sent to us last Friday:

Chris

I saw the story on me. I have attended events for Romney, Guiliani, Brownback, Tancredo and now Huckabee.

I was invited to the event in Dallas because when I asked the Huckabee campaign about seeing Huckabee and seeing if he could come to Oklahoma I was invited to the Dallas event. So I took them up on the offer.

I drove there myself at my own expense. It was very nice event. I had a chance to visit with Governor Huckabee which I had met before last year when he came to Oklahoma to help the state party and some of the OKGOP candidates and one other time at the Southern Republican leadership conference in 2006 in Memphis.

I have not endorsed any candidate nor have I contributed money any yet. I don’t plan on committing to a candidate until after our February 5th primary.

Gary Jones, Chairman

Oklahoma Republican Party

Hat tip:You can hear it all…Thru the GRAPEVINE!

From the Tecumseh Countywide News & Shawnee Sun:

The case of the stolen campaign trailer was laid to rest Tuesday when a City of Tecumseh employee pleaded no contest to a charge of concealing stolen property and was given a deferred sentence.

The charge against Justin Lewis of Macomb will be dismissed if he successfully completes the five-year deferred sentence, including two years of supervised probation, $1,808 in restitution, 100 hours of community service and some court costs.

District Judge Doug Combs went against the recommendation of District Attorney Richard Smothermon in granting the deferred sentence. Smothermon, who handled Tuesday’s appearance himself, said he had, “from day one, recommended a three-year suspended sentence if he would disclose who actually did it.” Read more…

State Republican Chairman Gary Jones announced a new web site today detailing the extreme liberal positions of State Senator Andrew Rice, the only announced opponent to Republican Senator Jim Inhofe.

Using a Halloween theme, Jones started AndrewRicesWeb.com calling Rice’s liberal connections “the spookiest fright of this Halloween.”

State Republican Chairman Gary Jones announced a new web site today detailing the extreme liberal positions of State Senator Andrew Rice, the only announced opponent to Republican Senator Jim Inhofe.

Using a Halloween theme, Jones started AndrewRicesWeb.com calling Rice’s liberal connections “the spookiest fright of this Halloween.”

Message from Chairman Jones:

Last week in downtown OKC there was a small rally in support of a bill that would expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The rally was held in front of Rep. Mary Fallin’s office. Nathaniel Batchelder, speaking for the groups behind the rally, said, “we need Rep. Fallin to override Bush’s veto and stand up for our kids.”

It seems like everyone’s motto these days is “it’s about the kids.” If this SCHIP program were really about our kids’ future, however, we wouldn’t expand government spending and put our children further in debt.

As Congresswoman Fallin put it: “ I don’t know of anyone that doesn’t agree with the basic premise that poor children should have access to quality medical care… the conflict is over how great an expansion of SCHIP the federal government can responsibly sustain.”

The real facts back up Fallin’s stance:

The proposed SCHIP expansion would allow and strongly encourage States to provide government health coverage for children in families making 300% of the Federal poverty level, or almost $62,000 for a family of four. Furthermore, Congress’ bill would enable SCHIP to cover children in some households with incomes of up to 400% of the Federal poverty level (about $83,000 per year).

Of the 5.8 million enrollees Congress’ legislation would attract by 2012, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that 2.0 million would drop private insurance to enroll, moving us closer to a nanny-state government that Democrats envision.

Democrats would like to point the finger at Republicans and make the outlandish claim that we are against children if we don’t support this bill. Unfortunately for Democrats, the facts just aren’t on their side.

Related:

Community Action Project: SCHIP Issue Brief

The Collegian: SCHIP veto a democratic disaster