Tag: Oklahoma

The Story: On Tuesday, June 30, the Democratic Party in Oklahoma voted to nominate Abby Broyles for the US Senate. This pits her against the...

Nikki Sixx, co-founder of Mötley Crüe, who nearly died from a heroin overdose, joins The Beat to discuss Oklahoma’s landmark decision in the fight against the opioid crisis. Nikki hopes the money from Johnson & Johnson’s ruing goes to ‘treatment…

Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor, was the biggest outside spender aiding Democratic House candidates. Cheryl Senter/Associated Press A week before the Nov. 6 election, Kendra Horn, a Democratic House candidate in Oklahoma, received unexpected good news from her television consultant: Michael R. Bloomberg’s political action committee, a leading supporter of Democratic candidates, had purchased more than $400,000 in advertising on Oklahoma City television. Mr. Bloomberg’s organization in many ways mirrors the Senate and House majority PACs that raise and spend money to support individual candidates, focusing on close and winnable races. When the final reports are filed next month, Mr. Bloomberg’s organization says they will show that the former mayor and his organizations spent $44 million on television ads and another $12 million on digital advertising in support of House candidates. Records show that more than $30 million of Mr. Bloomberg’s spending on House races came after Oct. 22. “I had a budget,’’ Mr. Wolfson said. Ten days before the election, polling commissioned by Mr. Bloomberg’s organization showed Ms. Horn trailing by five points. There had been little outside spending in the campaign. Advertising in the Oklahoma City market is relatively inexpensive. Using those metrics, Mr. Bloomberg’s operation was able to identify successful digital ads that they could move to television.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Scott Pruitt's tenure as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency ended with his resignation, but political experts in his home state of Oklahoma say he could continue his career in public office. The path could lead him back to Washington. But even with the bad publicity, Pruitt, 50, has widely been considered a potential candidate for either governor or U.S. Senate. Ethical charges aside, many Republicans in oil- and gas-dependent Oklahoma are focused more on what they consider his accomplishments at the EPA, said Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Pam Pollard. As attorney general, Pruitt filed more than a dozen lawsuits against the agency President Donald Trump would later pick him to lead. Inhofe praised Pruitt in a statement Thursday for doing "great work" leading the agency. "I don't think that whatever things he may be accused of are things that most Oklahomans are going to hold against him if he decides to run for office in the future," Worthen said. Keith Gaddie, a professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma, disagreed. "His policy actions as administrator don't cost him in this state. ——— ——— This story has been corrected to show that university professor is not department chairman.

The curious case of Trump's scandal-plagued EPA boss continues. MSNBC's Brian Williams has the latest in this saga. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc About: MSNBC is the premier destination for in-depth analysis of daily headlines, insightful political commentary and informed…

It started over an ad for attorney general candidate Gentner Drummond. The ad accuses the current Oklahoma attorney general, Mike Hunter, of donating to liberal causes. “Hunter's twisting the truth to hide his shameful record as a Washington lobbyist, doling out campaign cash to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid,” Drummond’s campaign ad said. Hunter’s campaign fired back by sending a letter to news stations, asking them to pull the ad from the air. Mr. Drummond knows better.” An ad from Hunter’s campaign also accuses Drummond of dirty politics. But, can or should the media pull an ad because opposing sides are angry? “If a political opponent can get his political ads taken off the air simply by writing a letter, it's a very interesting way of gaining an advertising advantage,” said Bob Nelon, an attorney who specializes in television advertising. “But, the TV station has to remain neutral and it can't be the judge or censor of content. That campaign is given the opportunity to review the ad, then defend its content or make necessary changes. We are currently undergoing that process with both the Hunter and Drummond campaigns,” said Wes Milbourn, president and general manager of KFOR and KAUT.

Keating was a fitting member of the panel, then, since he served as a Republican governor with a Democrat-majority legislature. “Since then, we’ve built up walls.” The panel took on issues that are coming up at a time when Oklahoma seems to be shifting politically. Bartlett said one reason for that is there is no incumbent running. It all comes down to energizing voters. “Whenever Obama was in office, there was a lot of energy in the Republican party because they could use the president to energize their base. “One thing we’re continuing to want voters to understand is that only 20 percent of current legislature has been there more than eight years,” Pollard said. Sweeney had a similar take, saying again that the losing side has an easier time energizing its base to win these elections. I say that to say that when my kids — and not just our six — talk to me about these things, I listen. Bartlett said he believes legislators need to get back to listening to constituents. Do we want to re-elect people not responsible with that power and that vote?” But the one-sidedness has also led to some bad habits from the minority, Sweeney said.

Today in 5 Lines The Senate confirmed Jim Bridenstine, a Republican congressman from Oklahoma, to serve as the new NASA administrator. Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, the first sitting senator to give birth while in office, brought her newborn baby to the floor to cast her “no” vote. The Justice Department’s inspector general reportedly referred its findings on former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to the U.S. attorney’s office for possible criminal charges. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s official portrait will cost taxpayers $85,000, which is more than his three predecessors combined. Today on The Atlantic The Buck Doesn’t Stop There: Dumping President Trump won’t actually get rid of the GOP’s problems. (Conor Friedersdorf) Why Do Trump’s Defenders Assume He’s Guilty? : Allies of the president have made some peculiar comments over the past few days. (David A. Graham) A Shared Problem: The focus on James Comey, Michael Cohen, and Stormy Daniels might pose a serious threat to Republicans in the midterms, but Trump’s personal dramas could hurt Democrats, too. (Ronald Brownstein) Snapshot What We’re Reading ‘The Fatalist Conceit’: The frustration many liberals feel about President Trump is a byproduct of the left’s unreasonable expectations: They think they can change the country through politics. (Mary Jordan, The Washington Post) -Written by Elaine Godfrey (@elainejgodfrey)

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt is under increasing pressure over a rental arrangement he had with a leading energy sector lobbyist. Veterans affairs chief David Shulkin says he was fired: 'I did not resign' Read more Leading opposition figures went on the offensive on Sunday, the Democratic Alabama senator Doug Jones saying Pruitt was in “real trouble” and “may be on his way out” over the deal, which was first reported by ABC, Bloomberg and the Associated Press. The Vermont independent Bernie Sanders said the former attorney general of Oklahoma was “nothing more than a front man for the fossil fuel industry” and should appear before the Senate environment committee. Pruitt was already one of a number of Trump appointees dogged by controversy over the use of public money for travel and other expenses. Nonetheless, as a professed climate science skeptic he has thrived in the Trump administration, slashing environmental regulations often established under Barack Obama. Over about six months in 2017, the AP reported this week, Pruitt paid $50 a night to stay in a Capitol Hill condominium in which three units belong to a corporation co-owned by the wife of J Steven Hart, chair and chief executive of lobbying firm Williams and Jensen. The firm’s clients include Exxon Mobil and liquefied natural gas exporter Cheniere Energy, both with billions at stake in decisions over which Pruitt presides. At least once while renting the room, Pruitt met a lobbyist from Hart’s firm at the EPA. Veterans affairs secretary David Shulkin, who faced controversy over travel taken with his wife but opposed privatisation of his department, left his job this week. Shulkin said he was fired.

Oklahoma officials are blaming the Trump administration for rising health-care premiums in the state after the administration missed a deadline to approve a key waiver for the state under ObamaCare. In a letter addressed to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price, Oklahoma's health commissioner rips the administration for missing a final deadline for a State Innovation Waiver, which would be used to lower premiums around the state. The waivers provide federal funds "to implement innovative ways to provide access to quality health care that is at least as comprehensive and affordable as would be provided absent the waiver," according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Oklahoma health commissioner's letter said that approving the waiver would have helped more than 130,000 Oklahoma residents and reduced premiums by 30 percent. "After months of development, negotiation, and near-daily communication over the past six weeks, the State and your departments agreed that waiver approval must be received no later than September 25, 2017," the letter from Oklahoma's Commissioner of Health Terry Cline reads. "As late as last Friday, September 22nd, an agreed upon approval package had been circulated with the state expectation, and federal department promise, that waiver approval would be forthcoming on Monday, September 25," the letter continues. But on Monday, the letter says, Oklahoma officials learned that approval would not be issued that day, and received no timeframe for the waiver to be approved. "Three days later, beyond health plan commitment and rate filing deadlines, Oklahoma is forced to withdraw our waiver request due to the failure of departments to provide timely waiver approval." "The lack of timely waiver approval will prevent thousands of Oklahomans from realizing the benefits of significantly lower insurance premiums in 2018."