Oklahoma Governor Fallin Stands with Cuts to Agencies and Tax Cuts for the Wealthy in her Budget

The Oklahoma Governor won't stop with wanting a tax cut for donors and the wealthy.  ALEC agenda all the way.  At the same time she wants cuts to her Administration Agencies and Medicaid while refusing to take Federal funding under ACA for Medicaid.  That stubbornness of the Governor and Attorney General on ACA is costing this state big and they act like they are helping Oklahomans. Their lack of caring for citizens of this state unless it is a disaster is beyond disgusting.  Seems they love all the national exposure during disasters but day to day operation of the state -- not so much. Governor Fallin continues to protect the oil and gas industry even when some of them are now saying the tax on horizontal drilling that was cut from 7% to 1% can now be increased.  It doesn't phase her at all.  Her budget along with her 'my way or no way' attitude has a lot of us stunned from the Mary Fallin we knew ten years ago.   This email from Oklahoma Policy Institute says it all: Dear Sharon:  On Monday, Governor Fallin presented her FY 2015 Executive Budget, which included 5 percent budget cuts to most state agencies, some targeted spending increases, and a proposed cut in the top income tax rate. In a new blog post, we provide an in-depth analysis of the Governor's budget.  Under Gov. Fallin's proposal, total FY 2015 appropriations would be $7.022 billion, which is $137 million, or 1.9 percent, less than the FY 2014 budget. Her recommended spending levels would require especially painful cuts to the Medicaid program and leave support for common education well below pre-downturn levels. The prospect of cuts to most areas of state government is especially worrisome because most agencies and schools have not fully climbed out of deep budget holes from the last recession.  We write: Agencies have already spent years cutting the fat and tightening their belts. Squeezing further is more likely to cut off their oxygen than to make them leaner and more efficient.  Oklahoma families and businesses will experience longer waiting lists for fewer services. Agencies tasked with ensuring our safety, education, and public health will depend on even more overworked and underpaid state employees, working out of poorly maintained facilities. In this situation, the only responsible path is to put more revenue  on the table. Ending the $250 million tax break for horizontal drilling would be the most important and sensible step to take. Other options could  include tapping the Rainy Day Fund, ending the double deduction of state income taxes, expanding collections of online sales tax, tightening the Quality Jobs program, and modernizing the gas tax to pay for increased transportation funding. The state could  also ease the health care funding shortfall by accepting federal funds to expand insurance coverage, which would free up state-only dollars.  And it should go without saying: more tax cuts are exactly the wrong priority.  Please click here to read and share the full post. Over time I have come to realize that Oklahoma Policy Institute is one of the best places in this State to get facts.  It is non-partisan so when they go after the Governor you can be sure she is on the wrong side of history.  Once again they are pointing out Oklahoma is ranking 50 of 50 states: Oklahoma ranked last out of all fifty states for long-term budget planning, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. You can see the full report here and the Oklahoma fact sheet here. A CBPP survey identified the degree to which states use the most effective tools to chart their fiscal course accurately and make corrections when needed. Oklahoma’s score of 3.0 out of 10 on this survey gave it a ranking of 50th among the states.  How many more negative categories will Oklahoma be ranked near or at the bottom.  This is what you get when your state is ALEC owned and Republican dominated. How many years is it going to take Oklahoma to recover from a Hard Right Republican ALEC agenda? Time to start turning Oklahoma Blue -- Republicans had their chance and tanked the state in favor of social issues.  Time to return Oklahoma to common sense and away from the 'my way or no way' mindset.

Joe Dorman, Rush Springs, Officially Running for Oklahoma Governor

Today I feel like we hit a homerun in Oklahoma with Rep Joe Dorman running for Governor who when elected will represent all Oklahomans not just special interest and wealthy donors.  I want to see ALEC, AFP, and the Koch Bros try to tell him what to do -- pop some popcorn and watch him take them to the woodshed.  A wallflower Joe Dornan is not.  He is what I want in a politician running for office -- someone who will stand up for all Oklahomans who is not beholden to special interests.   
Governor Fallin's speech yesterday made me see red and still up on the ceiling the more I read the details.  If someone would have told me that Governor Fallin would ever deliver a speech like that years ago, I would have thought they were nuts, but I was dead wrong.  I was wrong to support her in 2010 thinking she was someone she was not.  Frankly she ranks right there with the elected officials I have been most disappointed/disgusted to ever have supported.  
Those days are over as I will never support the sell-outs of the Republican Party again of which Mary Fallin is their leader in Oklahoma.  She has told most Oklahomans we don't count as she curries favor with the wealthy donors.  She seems to think she is invincible and like so many Republicans rules and laws don't apply to her or the 'my way or no way' hard right Republicans.

He (Dorman) noted how the “perpetual cycle of political waste, fraud and abuse has reached its highest level in our state government.  From secret meetings and negotiations, to public construction contracts let outside the law under sweetheart deals, to violation of the Open Records Act, Mary Fallin’s administration has shown a pattern of disregard for the people and has squandered precious state resources. Whether it is trampling on the Constitution through politically-motivated lawsuits or halting much-needed corrections reforms, her actions have embarrassed our state.”  

Most of this group of Oklahoma Republican elected officials don't care about people unless you write a big check.  Republican forte is telling us how we have to live our lives through pushing social issues to the extent we are wasting precious tax dollars on frivolous suits filed by the Attorney General and the Fallin Administration.   Still cannot believe there was a newsbreak report Monday where it was reported that the Oklahoma Attorney General was speaking to the Supreme Court against ACA on the behalf of the millionaire Hobby Lobby's lawsuit.  A private company sues ACA and Oklahoma taxpayers are on the hook for the Oklahoma Attorney General Pruitt joining the lawsuit?  Welcome to GOP dominated State Government.  
The State School Superintendent Janet Barresi, my nomination for worst in the Country, and her good friend Governor Fallin  keep cutting public education and now we are getting the answer.  They want to give the children who need help an inferior education with charter and evangelical Christian schools. Some bills have already been submitted to give more tax dollars to non-public schools while continuing to cut public school financing.  Anyone with a brain knows our charter and evangelical Christian schools are taking some bright kids and giving them a poor education because they have so few rules to follow.  It is disgusting but it keeps donations coming into Republicans.  
Today was the kick-off for Joe Dornan for Governor and thought I would post some of his kick-off speech from Red Dirt Report.  Have to admit my favorite part is to debate in all 88 counties -- almost lost my Coke over that.  Dorman's announcement has shoved my rant for the Coke commercial and against Neanderthal GOP thinking until tomorrow.

Joe Dorman at media event in Oklahoma City to announce run for Governor

ANDREW W. GRIFFIN | FEBRUARY 4, 2014Category: Red Dirt Politics 

OKLAHOMA CITY – With an emphasis on placing “people over politics” and “service above all else,” State Rep. Joe Dorman (D-Rush Springs) made a formal announcement today that he was running for governor against incumbent Republican Mary Fallin. 

With snow and low clouds providing a backdrop as he stood in front of the large window on the 35th floor of the Chase Tower, in the Petroleum Club, Dorman struck a prairie-populist tone as he talked about his working-class background, raised by a hard-working parents in his Grady County hometown, while also making it clear that Gov. Mary Fallin has been an abject disaster on every level. 

Explaining that he had thought long and hard about his decision, meeting with folks from one corner of the state to the other, many of whom insisted that he run for governor, Dorman realized now was the time to run to be Oklahoma’s 28th governor. 

“I have heard from Oklahomans from all walks of life, from all points of view, from all levels of society, from all parts of the state. The overriding theme I’ve heard is that the state of Oklahoma is headed in the wrong direction under the policies of Mary Fallin. Put simply, the voters want and deserve a new direction,” Dorman said. 

Saying that he wants to be governor so he can represent “all Oklahomans,” Dorman’s fiery speech directly attacked Fallin’s “let them eat cake” approach to the needs of everyday Oklahomans. 

Dorman, 43, noted bow the “cracks in our State Capitol have never been in clearer focus than they are under Mary Fallin’s tenure, where she and the Republican legislative leadership have passed extreme mandates aimed at dividing us along our income brackets and social status.”

He noted the recent Worker’s Comp reform that “favors negligent companies over employees injured on the job, to tax cuts for the wealthiest Oklahomans paid for by slashing essential services and necessary state funding.” 

Added Dorman: “Mary Fallin has proven time and time again that the only people with a voice in her Oklahoma are those with the largest checkbooks.”

And while Fallin is already raking in the campaign contributions, Dorman vowed to “forsake the temptation of special interests and big donors whose campaign contributions are attached to a laundry list of demands that demonize parts of our society and place politics over people.” 

“If you ask Mary Fallin about the state of our state, she is quick to paint a vision of Oklahoma that simply doesn’t square with the reality faced by too many of our citizens,” Dorman said.  “The truth about our Oklahoma is not a pretty picture. In fact, it is a horror story that finds us at the bottom of the heap.” 

The goateed Democrat set about offering a stout list of areas where budget cuts are hurting the most vulnerable in our state, a “destroyed” education system, high poverty rates, low wages and “lower taxes that benefit only the wealthiest in our state.” 

And Dorman made sure to note that he will fight to have storm shelters in every school, while Fallin “shamefully” offers a proposal that would ultimately be the largest property-tax increase in state history. Said property-tax increase would ultimately “burden every property owner, farmer and rancher, senior citizen and business owner.” And with that, he said, companies like Devon Energy and others may start reassessing whether or not the cost of having a headquarters in Oklahoma is worth it. 

“Her tax increase proposal will result in a depressed state economy, a loss of jobs, companies choosing to locate in other states – and even worse, companies that are already here fleeing Oklahoma,” he said. 

And back to the issue of school storm shelters, Dorman said: “I will continue to work to make these life-saving shelters a reality. And I’ll do so without raising taxes, creating any new taxes or cutting any program spending.” 

And then there are those bad categories where Oklahoma ranks high: bad nursing-home care; high gang-related violence, high infant mortality, terrible place for women, crumbling infrastructure …. 

(snip)

Dorman then noted Fallin’s State of the State address on Monday and said the governor “once again showed her desire to govern in a divisive manner, create an environment of hatred and bigotry, and promote bad policies in the old political pay-to-play approach.”
Said Dorman: “Working together, our ancestors transformed prairies into communities and shaped a future from red dirt and pioneering spirit. It’s time we join together to make Oklahoma a greater place for all of our people, not just a chosen few.” 

- See more at: RedDirtReport.com

Thought it was going to be hard to start supporting Democrats but I was wrong -- probably should have switched years ago.  I listen to Joe Dorman talk or read what he says about his vision for Oklahoma and representing all Oklahomans -- find it is a message I wholeheartedly agree.  It is not the politics of pitting one group against another that Republicans are famous for today and one of the reasons I am leaving the Party for good. 

Joe Dorman is going to need all of our help on the ground, making calls, visiting with people, signing up new voters, getting voters out to vote, and taking to social media to promote his candidacy for OK Governor.  That said we cannot forget that Gov Fallin is heavily funded by the wealthy donors including the Koch Bros and their tentacles.  We can make up for a lot of that through hard work but hard work doesn't buy campaign commercials or provide candidate handouts -- only cold hard cash will do that. Whatever spare change you donate will be put to work wisely by this man and his campaign. Joe is not taking donations from special interests so he needs our donations even more. Please click on this link and lets keep the "Big Mo" moving forward.  

Joe Dorman has my full support and think it would be AWESOME to have someone who represents all of us not just the wealthy donors, ALEC, and the Koch Bros be our next Governor.  When you read bills that have been submitted in other states, they read just like some of Oklahoma's which means ALEC has been at work!  Let's send ALEC packing from the Oklahoma Governor's Office! Elect Joe Dorman as the 28th Governor of Oklahoma!

Governor Fallin Calls for Another Tax Cut When State is Already $572M below FY 2009 After Inflation

In November 2010, the Republicans in Oklahoma got what they wished for -- total dominance of state government.  Little did most Oklahomans including this one realize just how bad it was going to be but many of us do now.  When I read the review of Governor Fallin's State of the State from Oklahoma Policy, I went through the roof.

Oklahoma has $170M less dollars to spend this year if not more then that by some estimates and the Republican Governor wants to cut taxes and Medicaid after refusing to take funds from the Federal Government from Medicaid through the ACA.  If this is not an ALEC agenda, I have never seen one.  No wonder she got the 'prestigious' award from ALEC at their convention.

Oklahoma Policy Institute speaks for me and many other Oklahomans on the Fallin budget:

STATEMENT: Governor Fallin’s budget would make bad situation worse

by Gene Perry | February 3rd, 2014 | Posted in Budget |

Oklahoma already faces a difficult challenge this year to balance the budget without harming important services. Governor Fallin’s proposed budget takes a bad situation and makes it worse. 

As Governor Fallin calls for another tax cut, the budget is already $572 million below FY 2009 after inflation. Oklahoma has jumped from a budget shortfall in a national recession to an equally serious shortfall of our own creation.

Especially troubling is that at a time when Medicaid needs new funding just to continue existing services, the governor suggests cutting state funding for Medicaid while continuing to refuse federal funds. This would be devastating for Oklahoma’s most vulnerable children, seniors, and disabled Oklahomans, as well as a blow to rural hospitals and other health care providers throughout the state. 

The only way to avoid devastating cuts this session is to preserve existing revenues and reign in unnecessary and increasingly unaffordable tax breaks, starting with those for horizontal drilling.

When you read that Oklahoma is $572M below FY 09, you realize how much having the Republicans in control of all of State Government has cost the Oklahoma taxpayer and what do we have to show for it?  The Legislature spent $5.2 million to renovate their conference rooms and offices at the state Capitol while the building's exterior continues to crumble. (OK Policy) OK is #1 in states since 2008 in percent of cuts to public education students, #49 in teacher pay of #50, #7 in handouts from the Federal Government, and now we have a shortfall of over $172M.  That means that since 2009 when the GOP became fully in control of the legislature and then took over all of State Government in 2011, Oklahoma has been losing money each year while at the same time less is being spent on education and infrastructure.

That is no way to run Government but then you also shouldn't be passing bills that you know are unconstitutional to cost the taxpayer even more tax dollars.  Oklahoma has to rank up their as one of the most poorly run states but then Oklahoma has the distinction of being the #2 state nationwide for ALEC passed bills.  That is a dubious honor.  

The most highly touted bills in this legislature once again are social issues with #1 being abortion, then more gun rights, and then should pot be legalized in Oklahoma.  Get your popcorn ready for #3!

OK already ranks #7 in what Oklahoma takes from the Federal Government but they want to be seen as refusing Medicaid help under ACA like they are self sufficient.  Gov Fallin is the same Governor who doesn't seem to get it that Federal takes precedence over State Law like on the recent fiasco in Oklahoma with gays in the National Guard trying to get spousal benefits.  Fallin's answer -- cancel spousal benefits for all!

Oklahoma, by contrast, has stopped processing spousal benefits for everyone, apparently figuring it doesn't count as discrimination if you treat everyone equally badly in order to be allowed to treat some people badly. 

FALLIN: Oklahoma law is clear. The state of Oklahoma does not recognize same-sex marriages, nor does it confer marriage benefits to same-sex couples. The decision reached today allows the National Guard to obey Oklahoma law without violating federal rules or policies. It protects the integrity of our state constitution and sends a message to the federal government that they cannot simply ignore our laws or the will of the people. 

Actually, the federal government can and often does supersede state laws. That's not generally controversial except among secessionists. For instance, several states have laws on the books saying they don't have a minimum wage, or have one below the federal level of $7.25. Yet despite state law, the minimum wage in those states is $7.25 an hour. Or take interracial marriage. At the time the Supreme Court decided Loving v. Virginia, Oklahoma had a state law against interracial marriage; that law was effectively struck down by the Court's decision. Fallin's implication that it would somehow be unprecedented for Oklahoma to have to do something it doesn't want to do because of the federal government is twisted and moronic, and as Think Progress points out, the vast majority of funding for the Oklahoma Military Department comes from the federal government to begin with.

The hypocricy of Oklahoma Republican elected officials know no bounds when it comes to trashing the President and the Federal Government.  We have some people in this state who do not understand that Oklahoma is #7 in the line for handouts and refuse to believe the facts.  This comes from Oklahoma Policy as the Number of the day to back up the #7 for handouts:

43 cents 

February 3rd, 2014 

The portion of each dollar the state of Oklahoma spent in FY 2011 that came from federal funds, the 7th highest percentage in the nation. 

Source: Oklahoma State Treasurer

There is little hope that the anti-Obama contingent in Oklahoma will ever see the light about the GOP and the fact they are being fed lies/spin by today's Republicans.  Was told by one hard right conservative that being number 7 for Federal handouts has to be a lie pepetrated by liberals against OK -- asked them if they knew the OK State Treasurer was a Republican?  Got called a liar but what is new out of the hard right. Republicans are so mad at the judiciary for saying bills that are unconstitutional are unconstitutional that they want to eradicate Oklahoma's separation of powers.

For those not in Oklahoma, when The Journal Record writes an editorial like the one below that is picked up by AP and used as an editorial in The Norman Transcript, it is earth shattering.  You have a business journal of Dolan Media tearing into the Republican Speaker of the House which just doesn't happen.  I say Bravo to The Journal Record!

The Speaker of the House in Oklahoma is now running for the Senate seat being left vacant by Senator Coburn at the end of the year.  This editorial from The Journal Record which appeared in The Norman Transcript blew my mind:

February 1, 2014Taking giant steps backward 

Associated Press 

NORMAN — Among the thousands of bills introduced for the second session of Oklahoma’s 54th Legislature was an abominable bill filed by House Speaker T.W. Shannon, R-Lawton, that would eradicate Oklahoma’s separation of powers. 

House Bill 3380 would create a nine-member Board of Judicial Review who would handle performance evaluations of the state’s judiciary, from district court judges through Supreme Court justices. They would rate judges on everything from the clarity of their written opinions to the quality of their legal decision-making. The board would poll attorneys, litigants and others for their opinions on the judge’s handling of their case.
The members would also be required to take a “retain,” “do not retain,” or “no opinion” position when judges are on a retention ballot. Most voters would follow that recommendation, making the panelists the de facto electors. 

The governor, president pro tem of the Senate, and speaker of the House would each appoint three members to serve five-year terms. The only rule being the appointees could not be practicing lawyers or jurists. That means nine people with no legal training rating the quality of legal decisions throughout the state. 

House Bill 3380 would create a human resources department run by the Legislature to oversee the judiciary. Not only is it duplicitous of the smaller-government-is-better Shannon to create a new, unnecessary agency complete with support staff, it takes the philosophy of a constitutional democracy back more than 300 years. 

The notion of judicial independence goes back to 1701’s Act of Settlement in England, and French philosopher Montesquieu, who greatly influenced Alexander Hamilton and other Founding Fathers. An independent judiciary was critical to the Constitution’s framers. It remains critical to a free society. 

— The Journal Record

Let me get this straight -- the Republicans in State Government don't like rulings of judges so their answer is to make the judges do what they want them to do in order to keep their jobs to put it in simple language so everyone can understand how bad this is.

Time to get Oklahoma back on track where State Government is working for Oklahomans not ALEC, the Koch's and other wealthy donors.  Please consider voting for a Democrat for office because the experiement in Republicans running State Government has been an abject disaster for the Oklahoma taxpayer.

Super Bowl Sunday! Last Football Game of the Season!

On Twitter, ESPN, is having you retweet which team you think will win the Super Bowl -- the Seattle Seahawks or Denver Bronco's.  First tweet I saw to pick had Denver with Orange Crush -- too much orange for me so I didn't retweet.  The second time ESPN used more Navy with the Orange so I picked Denver.

Super Bowl is great to watch even if you are not a big football fan as the commercials sometimes have been better then the game.  Advertisers go all out with Super Bowl commercials.  Beer commercials are usually my favorite even though I don't drink beer.  My favorite Christmas commercial is the Clydesdales of Budweiser. and last year when the Clydesdale came running to find the trainer who had trained him was AWESOME.  Everyone who has watched Super Bowl remembers the three frogs saying Bud - Weis - Er.  

Coming back to Norman this afternoon listening to Sports Talk radio, the majority of the callers were picking the Broncos.  The central theme seemed to be that the Broncos had the better offense with Seattle having a better defense, BUT Seattle under Pete Carroll keeps the same defense for everything.  I said to myself how is that going to work with Peyton Manning who can change up a play at the drop of a hat?  Next thing you know the caller was saying the same thing.

As I was thinking about putting this post together I was wondering if I was picking Denver because Norman is a lot closer to Denver then Seattle, I really John Fox and his coaching staff and my two daughters live in Denver.   Like Seattle colors better but I really don't like the coach who ran out on USC as they were about to go on probation, Pete Carroll,  so as far as coaching goes, I give the edge to Denver.

On quarterbacks I give the edge to Denver because I think Peyton Manning is the best quarterback in the NFL today and has been in plenty of big games over the years.  At the same time I think Russell Wilson has done a better job then I expected this year but he has never been on a stage like this and not sure the offensive coaching staff of Seattle is as good as Denver's.   Having Manning on the field is like having a coach out there.

On defense, the Seahawks have been the best this year but can they handle the various looks and hurry up Denver offense?  Not sure anyone knows what is going to happen in that match-up -- everyone that talks seems to have a different take.

Hurry up offenses can cause problems for defenses as we saw when our Oklahoma Sooners beat Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl when all the powers at be at ESPN and other networks had Alabama blowing us out.  I picked the Sooners to win as I knew how mad our players were at being dissed.  Our team took it personally and played lights out at the Sugar Bowl and now we have the Sugar Bowl trophy added to the Switzer Center and Alabama replaced some coaches.

Is that what is going to happen with Denver?  Their defense has been maligned as not matching up with Seattle -- heard people say they cannot stop Seattle and just think I wouldn't bet on that and have to wonder if the Denver defense will rise to the occasion.

Decided to check out what the Las Vegas odds makers were saying and seems I am not only one who doesn't see a clear cut favorite as they are having trouble picking a clear favorite as well.  Does that mean this is going to be a blow out or a close game?   Linemakers had this to say:

The Linemakers on Sporting News reached out to sports book operators, pro bettors and journalists throughout Las Vegas for their Super Bowl 48 picks. Our own Vegas-based experts offered their predictions as well. 

A few themes that stand out – most of the guys currently running the books are on the underdog Seahawks; those who used to run the books – i.e, The Linemakers crew – are inclined to lay the short number with the Broncos. Also, the majority of our prognosticators, no matter which side their money is on, is predicting a close game, with one calling it “one of the more difficult Super Bowls to handicap in recent memory.” 

Onto the picks from the sports books .... 

Marc Nelson, Aliante sports book director – Seahawks 24-20. I think the Seattle D will prove to be too much for Denver. 

Tony Miller, Golden Nugget sports book director – Seahawks 20-17. Defense comes up big in this game, with Seattle's defensive front putting pressure on Manning throughout the game. Seattle grinds out a close win. 

Aaron Kessler, Golden Nugget sports book supervisor – Seahawks 23-13. I’m predicting the Seattle defense shows up, and once again, Peyton sees all the cards are on the table and folds, throwing three picks. Seattle’s offense bogs down for the most part, but a big day from Lynch (125 yards plus, one TD) and a pick-six (we’ll go out on a limb and call it for Byron Maxwell) prove to be enough, as Denver only holds the ball for three minutes in the fourth quarter. 

Jay Kornegay, LVH SuperBook VP – Broncos 23-20. Seattle is a physical/aggressive team. Manning will turn this into a chess match, make them think, and slow their D down. #Omaha! 

Ed Salmons, LVH SuperBook manager – Seahawks 27-10. Manning gets to face AFC defenses again next year.

Click Here to read more from the sports books 

As for me, I don't bet because I hate to lose money and don't want to jinx a team I favor by putting money on them.

My bottom line is I pick Denver to win 28-21!

Enjoy the Super Bowl this Sunday with all the food, drink responsibly, and root for your favorite team to win.   Good Luck to both teams and their fans and here's hoping the refs don't become part of the outcome!   Want to see a hard hitting football game and enjoy the last game of the season.

GOP so Fractured it Needs Four Replies to President's State of the Union?

This video link came in my email this morning from MSNBC with Ari Melber describing the Hispanic response to President Obama's State of the Union which was one of four. Get that four responses for one speech as the GOP could not get together to agree on one. Even the Hispanic reply which was supposed to be the same turned out to be different.

It was so great to see this report done with humor because all you can do is laugh at how screwed up the GOP has become. GOP Senate responses were Senators Mike Lee and Rand Paul -- nothing mainstream about them -- not even a little. The funniest was Rep Cathy McMorris Rogers claiming she supports equal pay for women when she has voted against it four times. Did she think we wouldn't notice a little detail like that? Then McMorris-Rogers and Senator Mike Lee vowed to continue fighting to repealing the federal healthcare law.   Where has the GOP found these people?


This video cracked me up because Melber's delivery was just perfect for the content and his understanding of Spanish made the difference IMHO.  It was a  home run by Melber on The Last Word.  Since receiving this link in my email, I have been sent it several more times from friends who speak Spanish who are laughing at how stupid the GOP was to do another outreach to their community but changing what was said.  It flopped big time if my email is any indication.  
The GOP was prepared for Obama to come after them in a bombastic way so they could show how mean he was.  That didn't happen so they have been making things up that were not said which has become the normal in the GOP today.  President Obama really got to Republicans with the tinge of humor in his speech and left them with using narrative not facts.  GOP threats to impeach him if he signs Executive Orders makes me laugh as he has used them less then any President.  GOP hypocricy knows no bounds today as facts don't matter to this group.  
Not one of the four responses made much sense as they were going in different directions kind of like the Republican Party today.   

Lee, a youthful 42-year-old freshman, appeared at the National Press Club,delivering a response sponsored by the Tea Party Express, a political action committee.His speech, which was broadcast live on the group’s Web site, underscored his ascent as a rising star of activists and followed in the footsteps of Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) and Paul, who have delivered past tea party responses. 

Lee hit chiefly on economic issues and imparted his broadsides against the Obama administration with a tinge of exasperation, expressing disappointment with the president’s positions on federal spending, regulatory policy and taxes. Calling on Republicans to articulate a “conservative reform agenda,” he said that the GOP will struggle to win a mandate unless it makes better arguments. 

Sal Russo, a Tea Party Express adviser, said that Lee delivered the speech directly to a camera, with only a handful of aides as his audience. “It’s not a dinner or cocktail party,” he said. “We were looking for someone who is identified with the tea party to articulate our issues.” 

Lee rose to prominence last year during the 16-day government shutdown when he worked alongside Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), urging Republican leaders to be more combative during deliberations. 

Paul, who is considering a presidential run, also issued a Web rebuttal Tuesday, putting out a 10-minute pre-recorded speech on his Web site, YouTube and Facebook. Paul’s response, given from his office, echoed Lee’s barbed tone and economic focus. 

A running theme for both conservative responses was the desire for a more robust Republican anti-poverty program, looking to combat Obama, who spent much of his speech addressing economic opportunity.

Leadership of the GOP told many of us to get lost if we supported Obama but Romney was so bad I never would have supported him at any level.  I refused to support him in Florida in 2008 and my dislike for him increased in 2011/2012.  Sad part is that he acts like he is running again.  He has this notion he is destined to be President and if they just package him better, he can win.  Not happening but with Christie going down, the field is pretty well cleared. 
Would put the chances of Romney running again at over 50/50 which is a little more then Rudy Guiliani gave Gov Christie today when he said there is a 50/50 chance Christie knew what was happening.  IMHO Rudy knows something.  If Christie is out of the race, who do Republicans have?  A very weak bench so do the Koch's go for Romney again?  
Or does the Party split like Hannity is predicting?  A split would ensure the Democrats win big in 2014 or is that what Hannity and some other hard right want so they can blame them for whatever they come up with as part of their narrative in 2016.  Common sense has left the GOP to be replaced by mean, angry white guys for the most part.  Still having a hard time figuring out why any woman would be out in front supporting the GOP today with the ongoing War on Women.  
Can remember on websites, 'conservatives' talking about it doesn't make a difference if they win elections as long as they stand on principle and women should not be allowed to vote.  This isn't new, but the hard right have now taken over the GOP and are calling the shots with the narratives they send out.  Don't be fooled about the Tea Party imploding as they have become a liability to the Koch Bros so they are getting dissed but it is pure propaganda as you saw in the responses to the State of the Union, two of those reponses from the Republicans were representing the Tea Party.  
Don't believe what you hear about the Tea Party as these people are going no where except to shift their venom under another name if even that.  They were the hard right before the Tea Party.   GOP hasn't changed much since 1994 when they took over the House with the Contract with America which contained no social issues but they knew the people getting elected were big social issue people so that would evolve over time and anti-abortion/anti gay marriage would be front and center.  
Is the hard right that mad at the GOP they will tank them for years to come and split like Hannity and others want?  I think would cut off their nose to spite their face and could care less as long as they stand on principle.  A lot of us have already left with the hard right takeover and not going back to work with such negative people who are in the GOP today.  I am a positive person and enjoy being around positive people which the Party of NO does not have.  
Hope you enjoy the video as much as I did -- love my new found home in politics around people with positive outlooks and humor.  Left the negativity of the GOP behind and feels great!  
There is one way out of this mess in DC and that is to vote out the GOP from power -- only answer.   

President Obama gave a Masterful State of the Union Speech with a Lot of Slam Dunks!

Last night while sitting here at the computer, I am reflecting on what brought me to support President Obama in 2012 after years as a Republican activist and supporter at all levels from Presidential campaigns to county campaigns and non-partisan Mayor's races.

As I listened to the President,  I was reminded that I first started supporting him because he truly cares about all the American people not just members of his party.  He is a huge believer in education and so am I. The cuts to education by Republicans are a sin in my book.  Have yet to figure out how cutting arts and humanities which take up such small parts of the budget are a target of the GOP members of Congress and State Legislatures.  Makes no sense to me.  To deprive any child of a first rate education is flat out wrong and should get the people who vote in the cuts fired from office.

Charter schools have become vogue in GOP circles with most being run by big donors and follow no standards.   Evangelical Christian schools here where parents send their kids sometimes because they can make better grades and not worry about flunking are providing an inferior education and one where everyone is taught to think alike.  Teachers do not have to be certified and in once instance north of us some of the teachers have no degrees but who cares as they are members of the same family.

Then there are the home schoolers -- we have some in our neighborhood and many of us are wondering when they do their lessons as they are always outside during the school year.  Their parents are not qualified to be teachers but that doesn't make any difference because they can teach creationism and the earth is 7,500 year old theories instead of real science courses.

Cheered the President when he said that we need schools that teach our children the various trades and skills to get jobs.  He is so right that we have to spend more money on vocational training and the two year college programs because many kids are not 4-year college material and need to know that they can get good paying jobs by developing the skills they need.   Manufacturers are looking for skilled employees and are willing to bring back jobs from overseas which has been a nightmare in some instances if they are guaranteed a skilled workforce.  We need to give manufacturers that skilled workforce and get the jobs back in this Country with better quality control.

You would never watch or hear this speech from today's Republicans who are so much into limited government that it hurts people in disasters but then the GOP in Congress doesn't believe the Federal Government should be helping during disasters.  Today's GOP has the least empathy I have ever seen out of politicians and probably the rudest.  Speaker Boehner looked like he was sucking on a lemon last night as did Cantor and Rubio.  The Majority Leader of the House turned his back on the President last night.  Cantor has the class of a gnat.  On second thought a gnat probably has more class.

It took four GOP to answer the President's State of the Union and all were failures.  Rep Cathy McMorris Rogers was a joke saying Republicans support women on healthcare when that morning the GOP House passed another anti-abortion/contraceptive bill.  Reading her speech left me cold.  All four were billed as answers to the President's State of the Union and obviously they didn't know what he was going to say because none of the four were on the same page and didn't answer what he was talking about.  More of the GOP following a narrative with little facts.

Thought the President was masterful last night as he zapped Republicans in a nice way but left no doubt what he was doing.  I compared him a basketball player getting slam dunks.  It was so funny to watch Vice President Joe Biden enjoying himself and Boehner looking like he was sucking on that lemon. Even on parts of the speech like bringing our troops home from Afghanistan or no more long term commitments of our troops overseas fighting with no end game, the GOP just sat there.  Their lack of reaction to making sure our veterans get everything they deserve was met with the same blank stares -- lot of lemons being sucked on the GOP side last night.

Many of the President's ideas were about a better America and how we get there by working together but with Republicans who will give this President no credit for anything, that is a steep mountain to climb.  The American people could see what he is up against last night and the GOP loses.  They lose on having four responses with none of them making much sense.  They lose on no new ideas by regurgitating their old smaller government for economics but big government for social issues.  That flies in the face of most Americans.

Last night at the end of the speech I said it has been a long journey going from Republican to Democrat but I am at home with the Democrats and have quit being in dust-ups since leaving the hard right GOP behind. I am on the same side of people who believe education is important, our water and air should be clean, renewable energy sources should be explored, our veterans should be a priority as well as a decent wage for everyone.  I believe that infrastructure needs fixed across America which will bring good paying jobs.  Anyone who has traveled I-40 from the east going west knows when they cross into Oklahoma with the accordion road.  Parts of it have been fixed but it needs a total redo.  Bridges are in bad shape across the Country although Oklahoma is near the top for bad bridges and roads.

As an American, a wife, a mother, and a grandmother I feel that we owe our children and their children the same opportunities we have had over the years.  For every rough spot, there has always been the belief that better days were ahead and sure enough they always came.  Want our children and grandchildren to have that same belief and be able to make their dreams come true in the years ahead. We do that by working together not having a major political party be a bunch of obstructionists and defeatists.  We are to the point in DC that either GOP is with the President in getting the job done for all Americans or get the he** out of the way.  No more can the American people allow the GOP to hold our Country hostage for their flawed agenda.  Time to jump on board to help elect people who will get the Country moving forward not back in time.

Together, let's make this the biggest Get Out the Vote effort ever in 2014 to give the President a Congress who has his back instead of stabbing him in the back.

Can Republicans in Congress get any Dumber with their Comments?

The answer to that question is yes!  A short time ago, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), made a fool of himself once again which seems to be happening more and more since being challenged for his Senate seat by the left and right.  What more can he ask for, he has Rand Paul on his side now. McConnell better not turn his back.  His comments about ACA made me almost laugh they are so ludicrous.  What a waste of floor time to grandstand and show America your loony agenda.

Mitch McConnell had the nerve today to demand on the Senate floor that President Obama use the State Of The Union to announce that he is ditching Obamacare:

Actually, Mitch, this isn’t the kind of reform that Kentuckians want. The Republican proposal that McConnell is touting as bipartisan reform would take away healthcare from 116,000 Kentuckians. A new poll by the Foundation For A Healthy Kentucky found that nearly 80% of Kentuckians favor the Medicaid expansion that the Republican healthcare bill would end. 60% of Kentucky Republicans support the Medicaid expansion that McConnell is trying to end. 

Mitch McConnell’s ridiculous demand that President Obama uses his State Of The Union address to announce that he is killing Obamacare is what happens when a desperate incumbent senator who is fighting for his political life puts all of his eggs in the repeal Obamacare basket. 

The Republican alternative to the ACA would raise taxes on the 150 million Americans who get their health insurance from their employer while throwing nearly 10M people off of their current health insurance.

Not to be outdone by the Minority Leader, Speaker Boehner had his moment in the limelight today which also did not go as planned:

On Tuesday morning, at a breakfast discussing the State of the Union address later in the evening, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) told reporters that President Obama is on dangerous ground on his use of executive orders. Essentially, Boehner issued a veiled threat stating that if the President thinks he can enact more change by circumventing Congress and utilizing executive orders, then Obama could be facing a backlash from Congressional Republicans. While he did not overtly state it, it seemed pretty clear he was talking about impeachment. 

“We’re just not going to sit here and let the President trample all over us. This idea that he’s just going to go it alone, I have to remind him we do have a constitution. And the Congress writes the laws, and the President’s job is to execute the laws faithfully. And if he tries to ignore this he’s going to run into a brick wall.” 

The new talking point among Republicans now seems to be that the President is mad with power and is looking to trample on the Constitution by ignoring Congress. Nevermind that the President is well within his rights to issue certain executive orders. Or that House Republicans have pretty much refused to work with the President since he was elected to his first term. It doesn’t matter. If the President has the audacity to try to get something done without the express written approval of the Party of No, then it is time for him to truly pay. 

Also at the breakfast, Boehner made an embarrassing gaffe and said that he felt that the President’s executive order that was issued earlier in the day raising the minimum wage for federal contract workers would help nobody. After the meeting with reporters, Boehner’s aides had to clarify to the press that Boehner really meant that it would not help anyone right away, as this was only for new hires and would go into effect in 2015. Of course, it seems abundantly clear that House Republicans want nothing to do with raising the minimum wage for all workers anyway, so Boehner doesn’t really care if it helps anyone or not.

For the rest of the day, Boehner has been dealing with his gaffe which a lot of people like me say it is what he really believes.  Guess Boehner forgets all the Executive Orders signed by President Bush because he was a Republican and that's okay.  Not being able to function as the President with full powers seems to only apply to Democrat Presidents.

Question is whether the GOP members of Congress will be rude to President Obama like they have in the past or will they at least treat the Office of President with respect.  My guess is that the GOP will sit there like bumps on a log or make a fool of themselves.  GOP already looks petty with the three State of Union replies they have for the President's speech.  One isn't good enough as they need three. GOP can have 50 for all I care as you couldn't pay me to watch one GOP response.  It is not hard to see they operate on narrative not on facts so why would anyone expect them to change for their Response?

At the White House Day in the Life, Dan Pfeiffer has taken over the White House Instagram account for today with the State of the Union Speech tonight:

A Day in the Life: Inside the State of the Union with Dan Pfeiffer:

Dan PfeifferJanuary 28, 2014
09:47 AM EST

After months of meetings, piles of memos and dozens of drafts, it’s gameday — and I'm taking over the White House Instagram to give you a look inside the West Wing as the President gets ready for his 5th State of the Union. Thanks for following, and be sure to watch the speech tonight at 9pm ET on WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU. 

My favorite picture from the Day in the White House for the State of the Union needs no introduction -- speaks for itself:

The cutest little bundles of fur are set for a walk!  Priorities!  Follow along at Instagram to see more pictures from the day.  Partial to pets who love you with all their heart and only asks you to love them back and if like our dog Chewie, wants spoiled all the time.

Looking at tonight's State of the Union is like our Sooner basketball game last night against our pesky rival OSU -- OU won big even though the media has over ranked and overhyped OSU.  Kind of what the inside the beltway media has done to the GOP in Congress -- overhyped their ideas and almost everything they say against this President.  Predicting the President is going to dunk on the GOP tonight and win the end game!  Will be sitting here cheering the President on and booing the GOP if they decide to be rude.   Once a sports fan always a sports fan.