NOWATA — Second District Congressman Markwayne Mullin disagrees with President Barack Obama on just about everything.

On Thursday, that included the relative hazards of marijuana and liquor.

“You can be a social drinker and not get drunk,” Mullin, a teetotaler, told an audience of mostly Nowata Middle and High School students. “There’s no way you can take a drag on a joint without feeling it.”

Not, Mullin hastened to add, that he has any personal experience in the matter.

Read the full article at TulsaWorld.com

1. So what’s this NPV all about?

Under proposals drafted in previous sessions in Oklahoma, if enough state legislatures (possessing the majority of the electoral college votes) pass a bill endorsing the NPV proposal, then each of the enacting states agree to award all of their electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote.

So, as is almost always brought up, in 2008 Oklahoma would have been required, no matter the vote in the reddest state in the country, to award all its electoral votes to Barack Obama. The idea is that America should guarantee that the winner of the popular vote wins the presidential election.

2. Where does the RNC stand on this issue?

The RNC’s most recent vote on the subject was 168-0 against NPV.

3. How are state legislators being convinced that this is a good idea?

In Oklahoma, it seems some legislators have been convinced that this is somehow going to make Oklahoma more relevant in the presidential selection process. This whole relevance debate is a farce. Oklahoma is already relevant because Oklahoma awards our electoral votes proportionally. Every Presidential candidate came to OK in the 2012 cycle because they knew they had the chance–if they made the effort–to win a few delegates. Let me say that again: every single GOP presidential candidate campaigned for Oklahoma votes in 2012. I have no doubt our crop of candidates in 2016 will do the same thing.

4. Why should we keep the Elector College system?

A. It’s actually a pretty practical answer; one that was outlined by RNC Members the last time this issue was debated: the Constitution requires a successful candidate to assemble a winning coalition across a broad geographic spectrum, embracing both large and small states, rather than a narrow concentration of votes. A popular vote, in contrast, does not require the candidate to have broad appeal. It would make it possible for a candidate to win without any majority but merely a plurality of the popular vote. The compact would require the states to determine the candidate with the “largest national popular vote” – not a majority. Thus, in a multicandidate race, the “largest national popular vote” could be obtained by a regional candidate with just 35 percent or 40 percent of the popular vote.

Under such an arrangement, presidential candidates would have no incentive to campaign anywhere except the major media markets in a few states. The country would, in essence, cede our presidential elections to the largest metropolitan areas, whose concerns are different from those of other areas of the country.

5. Give me one more reason why legislators should think twice before changing systems?

Another very strong reason to keep the Elector College system is that NPV would maximize the rewards of vote fraud in large metropolitan areas. Under the Electoral College, an illegal vote only affects the outcome in one state; under the popular vote compact, an illegal vote would affect the national outcome.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, Matt Pinnell, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any particular organization. 

Politico.com
By Kenneth Vogel

A few hours after a certain former Florida governor took to Facebook last month to announce he was going to “actively explore” a presidential run, a political action committee called the Conservative Action Fund blasted out an email to thousands of recipients urging them to “help us stop Jeb Bush today.”

The email, signed by the PAC’s chairman, Shaun McCutcheon, pleaded, “If you are a conservative like me who is tired of the special interest, political elites like Jeb Bush running the GOP, then I need your immediate help to make it clear that American conservatives reject a Jeb Bush candidacy.”

Bush could be persuaded to stay out of the race, McCutcheon’s email asserted, if “hundreds of thousands of conservative, grassroots activists” signed petitions by Dec. 19 to be “hand delivered to Jeb Bush in a very public way” that would presumably shame him out of the race. “And after you sign the petition, please make a donation of $5, $15, $25 or more to help us get even more signatures?” the email concluded in underlined bold text embedded with a hyperlink that took readers to a petition landing page that asked for their emails and then their cash.

It was a slick and well-timed campaign, tapping into the angst of grass-roots conservatives who are as unhappy with GOP leaders like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House John Boehner as they are with President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats.

Read the full article at Politico.com.

In U.S., New Record 43% Are Political Independents

Gallup.com

By Jeffrey M. Jones

PRINCETON, N.J. — An average 43% of Americans identified politically as independents in 2014, establishing a new high in Gallup telephone poll trends back to 1988. In terms of national identification with the two major parties, Democrats continued to hold a modest edge over Republicans, 30% to 26%.

Since 2008, the percentage of political independents — those who identify as such before their leanings to the two major parties are taken into account — has steadily climbed from 35% to the current 43%, exceeding 40% each of the last four years. Prior to 2011, the high in independent identification was 39% in 1995 and 1999.

The recent rise in political independence has come at the expense of both parties, but more among Democrats than among Republicans. Over the last six years, Democratic identification has fallen from 36% — the highest in the last 25 years — to 30%. Meanwhile, Republican identification is down from 28% in 2008 to 26% last year.

Read the full article at Gallup.com

The January 22nd Tulsa March For Life will begin with a Mass offered by Bishop Edward J. Slattery at Holy Family Cathedral at 5:30 p.m. The March itself, for pro-life citizens of all faiths, will begin at 6:30 p.m. from 8th Street and Boulder Avenue in downtown Tulsa, proceeding to Centennial Green, where the principal speaker will be veteran pro-life legislative leader Rebecca Hamilton.

By Joel J. Miller

Last week a man in Oklahoma allegedly dropped trou, peed on the Ten Commandments monument outside the state house, got into his car, and rammed the granite statue. Satan, he said, told him to destroy it. For what it’s worth, the man’s mother claims he’s a devout Christian who’s had some “breakdowns.” Apparently so.

Publicity stunt

Monuments like this have been controversial for decades now. As a publicity stunt for his 1956 movie The Ten Commandments, Cecil B. DeMille partnered with the Fraternal Order of Eagles to install large granite monuments of the Decalogue across the country. The principal stars from the movie were sometimes present for dedication ceremonies.

The effort took on a life of its own. By the time the last Eagles monument was raised in 1985 some 150 had been erected, often on public land.

These were not the only such public tributes. One widely used estimate pegs the number at roughly 4,000 Decalogue displays on government property.

Lawsuits over these monuments eventually became routine. They started in 1958, according to the First Amendment Center, but dozens churned in district courts throughout the middle 1990s. Finally, in 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court decided on two cases, none too clearly, as the outcomes hung upon the supposed secular intent of an inherently religious display.

The only monument we need

The same time the Court considered the two cases, novelist Kurt Vonnegut came at the problem from a much different angle, one perhaps more fruitful for us:

For some reason, the most vocal Christians among us never mention the Beatitudes. But, often with tears in their eyes, they demand that the Ten Commandments be posted in public buildings. . . . I haven’t heard one of them demand that the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, be posted anywhere.

“Blessed are the merciful” in a courtroom? “Blessed are the peacemakers” in the Pentagon? Give me a break! (A Man without a Country, 98)

It may come off as cynical, but Vonnegut’s complaint strikes me as not only accurate but also helpful in understanding the controversy. Reasonably enough, he’s griping about hypocrisy and misplaced focus, but there’s something else in there worth noting.

Why don’t we need monuments for the Beatitudes? Because our faithfulness is the only monument the Beatitudes require. Jesus did not say the world would know us by our monoliths and statuary. Rather, our love will identify us (John 13.35).

One imagines that erecting a monument would even give us an out. By creating something observable, it takes the pressure off our observance. See, we’re honoring Christ’s commandments. We’ve got them chiseled right here. Meanwhile, we’re hardly meek, pure, or merciful.

Just another publicity stunt?

Vonnegut is right to critique our hypocrisy. And we’re right to correct it. The issue is how.

Oklahoma’s governor says that the state will rebuild its downed monument. Why not? I personally have no problem with such displays and, within certain parameters, neither does the law. But I do think any such project should be approached only within earshot of Vonnegut’s complaint—or it’ll just amount to one more publicity stunt.

For all of our posturing, Americans are fairly ignorant of the Ten Commandments. One study found us more familiar with the ingredients of MacDonald’s Big Mac and the characters of TV’s Brady Bunch than words long recognized as anchors in the Western moral and legal tradition. No number of monuments will fix that.

Like the Beatitudes, the best way to display the Ten Commandments is keeping them. And it’s paramount as Christians that we keep both lists. We are the only monument to our faith anyone will notice. They won’t give two straws about what we display in our words, only what we demonstrate in our actions.

Photo: Lawrence OP. Thanks to Phil Cooke for pointing me to the Vonnegut passage.

State Education Superintendent Candidate’s District Repeatedly Cited for Failing to Follow Financial Reporting Regulations

Democrat John Cox repeatedly failed to remedy multiple audit reports showing his school district to be out of compliance with Oklahoma State Department of Education standards.

These findings were published in the Peggs school district’s annual audit for the 2011 fiscal year. In his citation, CPA Alan Chapman wrote that “the combined financial statements referred to above do not include the general fixed asset account group, which should be included in order to conform with accounting and financial reporting regulations prescribed or permitted by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.”

Following the release of the report, the district appears to have taken limited or no action to remedy the findings as Chapman incorporated a similar citation in his audits for fiscal years 2012 and 2013.

The reporting of the general fixed asset account group accounts for the property, plant and the equipment owned by the district. Without this accounting the true financial picture becomes skewed.

Deprived of this information, Chapman did not include any accounting of the district’s capital assets such as buildings, land, furniture and equipment or construction in progress leaving local taxpayers unable to quantify the true value of the district’s holdings.

This type of citation isn’t uncommon for small districts such as Peggs some of which appear to show little inclination to come into compliance with the accounting standards.

Few doubt that Cox, who has been employed as the Superintendent of the Peggs school district, for the past 20 years, represents Oklahoma Democrats’ best chance to score a victory on next month’s general election ballot.

The disclosure of the audit findings join an array of concerns which have been raised by leading Republicans and Cox’s general election opponent Joy Hofmeister.

Hofmeister and state legislators Todd Thomsen and Lee Denney are publically questioning Cox’s salary of $141,678 per year; an amount purportedly nearly twice the state average for an administrator and especially questionable considering Peggs appears to employ just 15 faculty members.

State records show Cox receiving just $115,347 per year as recently as 2011.

Those wanting to identify and hold Peggs school board members to account for Cox’s sudden rise in pay shouldn’t attempt to use the Peggs website; the names of school board members are not posted.

State Republican Party Chairman Dave Weston has criticized Cox for the failure of the Peggs website to comply with the 2001 era state law which mandates the placement of meeting agendas and the names of school board members. On October 10th, Cox responded with the defense, “While the site is live, it is still under construction. We will work immediately to get our agendas, etc. up on the site”.

At of October 25th, the site hadn’t been updated.

Records show the current Peggs site was initially registered in 2012. The first recorded content appeared on July 1st of 2013 according to the Web archiving site, The Wayback Machine.

As State Superintendent Cox would preside over a large Web presence with numerous transparency components including Oklahoma’s OCAS financial accounting system.

Voters will go to the polls on November 4th.

By Rep. Jim Bridenstine | July 30, 2014

President Obama easily motivated young people across the nation to vote in 2012. He captured roughly 67 percent of the youth vote, according to the Center for Research and Information on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University. Yet a recent study from Harvard reported that millennials only trust the government to do the right thing 20 percent of the time.

To understand the frustration of the “unemployed generation,” just look at where millennials are right now compared to where they were two years ago. Since the 2012 election, young people have been disillusioned by questionable government agency data collection programs, the failed implementation of Obamacare, continually rising unemployment, the rising cost of living, and of course, student debt. Many college students who voted for Obama in 2008 have graduated and are now stuck in a stagnant economy. Too many of them have had to move back in with their parents. They are making less money than expected, and this is affecting life decisions, including marriage and children.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds in June of 2014 was 35.2 percent. This unemployed generation is competing with more experienced, older workers for entry level jobs. BLS figures do not take into account under-employment, where a millennial is overqualified for their job. A Pew Research Survey indicated that one third of the 26-33 demographic have college degrees, constituting one of the most educated generations in American history.
Our sputtering recovery and crippled economy are directly linked to the failed policies of this administration. The employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act has incentivized employers to avoid hiring more employees and to move their employees to part time. The Federal Reserve’s Quantitative Easing policy, an attempt to print our way to prosperity, is out of control, artificially driving up the prices of groceries and other essentials. If the economy ever heats up, inflation will skyrocket. Our over-subsidized higher education system is causing the costs of a college education to explode, adding more and more debt.

Thankfully, the mindset of America’s youth is changing. A recent survey from Wells Fargo showed that millennials have a rather conservative view on saving. They are less likely to rack up personal credit card debt, and they see the pitfalls of not having a long term savings plan. These financial trends are spilling into their changing worldview on the role government should play in intervening in the market. They understand, perhaps better than anyone else, that a nation 17 trillion dollars in debt is negatively affecting the America they are inheriting.

Read the full article at RedAlertPolitics.com

By Steve Fair

On Saturday, the Stephens County Republican Party will hold their tenth annual Fish Fry.  It is an annual fundraiser to benefit the local GOP.  The local county Republican headquarters is possible because of this fundraiser.  The SCGOP Fish Fry has evolved into the largest gathering of Republicans in Oklahoma annually, outside a state convention.  That is quite an accomplishment when you consider that just twenty years ago, Stephens County Republicans could hold their meetings in a phone booth.

The first SCGOP Fish Fry was held in 2005 and the speaker was Congressman Tom Cole.  Through the years, the event has featured both politicos and entertainers.  Keynotes have included a Will Rogers impersonator, a John Wayne impersonator, and Prayer Force One, a bus painted like Air Force One.  For the first couple of years, it was held in the Territory Hall at the Fairgrounds, but the last five years, the event has been held in the Stephens County Fairgrounds Rodeo Arena.  Last year U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe spoke to over 750, the year before, Senator Anthony Sykes to a similar number.  In 2010, Senator Tom Coburn spoke to over 850.  The largest crowd in the event’s history is expected this year when Governor Mary Fallin is the keynote speaker.  Republicans will travel from all over the state to be at the largest gathering of Rs before the June 24th primary.

This event is unique for a variety of reasons.  First, it is completely and totally planned and executed by volunteers.  There is no caterer, decorator, event planner, or professional fundraiser.  Local GOP volunteers clean, bread and fry the fish.  Local candidates and elected officials serve the fish and everyone helps clean up.  It is a complete team effort.  The local Party owns two large ‘Cajun Cooker’ fish fryers, and borrows two others.  Each of the fryers has four frying baskets.  The huge crowd is served hot fish with all the trimmings in less than thirty minutes.  The logistics itself is impressive.  Why would volunteers invest their time and energy on an event that requires hours of sacrifice?  Quite simply, because they believe they are making a difference in their government.  They know the money raised will be used to help elect solid conservative candidates to office.

The second reason the event is unique is because it features only one keynote speaker.  Unlike most political events, where everyone who is an elected official or a candidate gets to speak, on Saturday night only Governor Fallin will speak.  There will be literally dozens of elected officials in attendance.  Nine of the twelve statewide elected officials in Oklahoma are expected to attend.  More than a dozen state legislators will be there.  There will be at least three candidates for the open U.S. Senate seat and both candidates for the Corporation Commission seat.  And none will get to speak from the platform other than the keynote speaker.  They are encouraged to campaign and engage those in attendance person to person, but this event is a fundraiser for the local Party, not a candidate forum.

The final reason this event is unique is because it is fun.  Most political events can’t be categorized as fun. The Stephens County GOP Fish Fry features clowns (real ones, not just the politicians) for the kids, fun videos and there is an informal causal festive atmosphere.  It’s readily apparent the organizers of this event don’t take themselves seriously even though they take the cause very seriously.  There is laughing and joking and the live auction becomes entertainment in and of itself.  This year, the auction will have a pair of George HW Bush’s socks, a Browning 28 gauge over and under, and a Henry Golden Boy 22!  This event is special simply because it is different than a normal political event.

The Stephens County GOP does present the Dr. Gerald Beasley Jr. Memorial Award at the Fish Fry.  It is an award given annually to a local volunteer activist who has demonstrated a true grassroots spirit of changing their government from the bottom up.  The late Dr. Beasley was a long time Duncan physician whose passion was politics.  The recipient of the award is not publically disclosed until the time of presentation.

If you want to meet a lot of elected officials, have some great fish and a fun time; come join the Stephens County Republican Party on Saturday night at the Stephens County Fairgrounds.  It all kicks off at 6pm, but rest assured the candidates and the clowns will be there early. For ticket information, call 580.656.7951 or email leon@wpmonline.com.

Steve Fair is National Committeeman for the Oklahoma Republican Party.  He can be reached by phone at 580.252.6284 or by email at okgop@aol.com.  His blog is stevefair.blogspot.com.

Yesterday, while trekking through the rubble from Monday’s horrific tornado in Moore, Okla., CNN’s Wolf Blitzer stopped to interview a survivor holding her young child in her arms.

After the woman recounted the last-minute escape that saved her family’s life, Blitzer said, “I guess you got to thank the Lord, right?” The woman hedged and looked down at her baby.

“Do you thank the Lord? For that split-second decision?” Blitzer pressed. CNN cut to a close-up of the woman’s face.

“I’m actually an atheist,” the survivor said politely. There was a moment of silence, then the two laughed awkwardly.

Read full article here

2013 graduation to feature Lt. Gov

by Kaylea M. Hutson

It’s not unusual for Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb to speak at a commencement ceremony. It is unusual, however, for the request to come from a member of the graduating class.

But that’s just what happened.

When Lamb takes the stage at Ridgerunners Stadium, during Friday’s graduation ceremony, it is because of Ellise Crawford and McKenzie Duff.

The pair contacted Lamb’s office after hearing him speak at last summer’s Girls State event.

Read full article here

Oklahoma is likely to become the second state in the nation to allow employers to opt out of its workers compensation system.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said Tuesday that S.B. 1062 — the measure that the state House approved Wednesday on a 74-24 vote — is among bills she looks forward to signing.

The legislation now returns to the Senate for final approval before going to the governor, Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman said in a statement about the legislation that he introduced.

Read more 

With Supreme Court rulings pending, the fight for equal marriage rights has bubbled up once again. Make no mistake, the issue is always there…even in Oklahoma.

Joe Fairbanks, the Cleveland County Young Republican Chairman, came out with a blunt editorial in the Oklahoman a few weeks ago in support of gay marriage.

Fairbanks: “Gay marriage is controversial. It shouldn’t be. Distilled to its basic elements, advocating equal rights for gay Americans is about properly protecting each individual’s right to self-determination, free from government interference. On this issue, young Republicans and conservatives will lead the older generation of Republicans out of the wilderness — or push them over a cliff of irrelevance.”

This set off a firestorm within the state, culminating with the three youngest Republicans in the House- Josh Cockroft, Elise Hall and Justin Wood- issuing a rebuttal editorial:

“As the three youngest members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Republican caucus, we continue to believe that the push for a new definition of marriage is an attempt to carve out a special right that has no basis in the traditions of our country. We believe that all Americans deserve to be treated with dignity, but that equal treatment has no bearing on the question of how marriage is defined.”

Fairbanks shot back on his Facebook page, calling for a debate: “I’ve extended a friendly invitation to publicly debate the Honorable Representatives Josh Cockroft, Justin Wood, and Elise Hall on their op-ed in The Oklahoman. GOP vs. GOP. I haven’t heard back yet, but I hope to soon.”

Needless to say, this is an issue that stokes passion on both sides. Further, the political ramifications are potentially a game-changer.

Mitt Romney received 78 percent of the evangelical vote in 2012- and it wasn’t enough. Will even more stay home in 2016 if the GOP walks on traditional marriage? If so, can the GOP court others to fill the gap? Time will tell. In the meantime, sounds like a debate is brewing in the buckle of the Bible-Belt.

Combined Income Tax Rate Roughs the Passer’s After Tax Pay

As reported this week, Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a six-year, $120.6 million contract making the star quarterback the highest-paid player in NFL history, earning an estimated $20.1 million per year. But being the “highest paid player” and earning the most after tax pay are two very different things.

By choosing to remain a Raven, Flacco is now set to pay a combined marginal income tax rate of 51.98 percent. This overwhelming tax rate is composed of the federal, Maryland, and Baltimore County income tax rate, as well as the Medicare tax. And that’s excluding his “jock tax” liability for away games – play the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, pay Massachusetts income tax on earnings for that game – and other taxes levied against him such as Maryland’s property tax.

Given that Flacco is coming off of his best season, the franchise quarterback could have commanded a similar contract from any other team in the league while keeping a greater percentage of his contract. Four of the nine no-income-tax states have professional teams in need of the Super Bowl MVP’s caliber and skill.

Read more…

Jesse Jackson Sr. to attend Hugo Chavez funeral in Caracas

Cook Co. to begin posting photos of unclaimed bodies online

Angry McCain ups ante, calls Paul, Cruz ‘wacko birds’

Rand Paul: ‘Seriously’ weighing 2016 bid

Former Obama campaign chairman denies selling White House access

By Paul Bedard February 27, 2013

Human Events, for decades the lone national conservative newspaper before the Fox era, on Wednesday announced that the grim reaper killing off print publications around the nation has reached its door on Capitol Hill. The Feb. 18 issue currently on the stands will be its last.

But Human Events, Ronald Reagan’s fave, like the Christian Science Monitor, U.S. News and Newsweek before it, will live on via the Internet , where it receives 1 million visitors a month.
“This was a difficult decision, and one we did not make lightly,” said publisher Joe Guerriero. “As everyone knows, the newspaper business is a very tough business. Contrast that with the explosive growth of digital media, which we’ve seen with our own websites, HumanEvents.com and RedState.com.”

Guerriero told Secrets that the surprise decision will also mean staff cuts. By the end of Wednesday, it was a blood bath–virtually everybody associated with the small newspaper was gone, including the editor in chief and famed political reporter John Gizzi. Columnists such as Ann Coulter and Patrick J. Buchanan will likely stay part of the website’s bench.

Read more…

By Michael McNutt

The fight to stop what some legislators call the federal government’s intrusiveness into Oklahoma’s and individuals’ rights is raging in a small state Capitol meeting room.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives States’ Rights Committee, taking up its first bills Tuesday, approved a resolution to let voters decide whether some parts of the Affordable Care Act can be implemented in the state and also a bill that prohibits Oklahoma doctors from asking patients about gun ownership, which the measure’s author says is required by the national health care law.

House Joint Resolution 1026, by Rep. Gus Blackwell, R-Laverne, would send to a vote of the people a proposed constitutional amendment that would prohibit any person or entity from being forced to provide coverage for abortion, contraception or sterilization in a health plan if doing so is contrary to the religious beliefs or moral convictions of the person.

Committee member Rep. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, argued against the measure, saying a lawsuit filed by Hobby Lobby already is challenging a mandate that is part of the health care law that requires the company to cover the cost of emergency contraceptives such as the morning-after pill for its employees through its employee health plan.

Read more…

BY ANDREA EGER World Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Twenty-five superintendents from across Oklahoma are asking that State Superintendent Janet Barresi issue a formal response to the A-F school report card study by researchers at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University.

In an email sent Tuesday, the school administrators said they hope to see a “planned response to meet any or all of the recommendations within the report,” which was issued a month ago.

“It is clear that the recommendations meet the expectation (and can be incorporated as a part) of the A-F legislation currently in place,” wrote Sapulpa Superintendent Kevin Burr.

“Our mutual interests are in developing a system of statistically, accurately and fairly analyzing schools and reporting that information to multiple stakeholders. I look forward to receiving your response and to the multiple improvements to a system that currently does little to achieve our mutual goals.”

Read more…

BY RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 20, 2013

BIXBY – House Republicans have been “caving too much” on budget issues and must not buckle under pressure in the weeks ahead, 1st District U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine said during a town hall meeting here Tuesday.

“My concern,” he said, “and I think the concern of a lot of Republicans in Congress, is that once the sequester takes effect, people are going to be screaming for a deal, and that deal ultimately is going to be what the president wants – to raise taxes.

And if there’s enough pressure, (Speaker John Boehner) will bring it to the floor and 200 Democrats and 30 or 40 Republicans will vote for it. And once again you have the speaker caucusing with the Democrats.”

Asked what kind of compromises he would accept, Bridenstine said he thought there would be some on immigration, then added, “My beef is not that we aren’t compromising enough. My beef is that we’re caving too much. If everything you do is what the president wants, then there is no compromise.”

Read more…