Posted by: Karina Henderson on 9/27/2008
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As I write this, hundreds of people across the state are discussing what they can do to help the Andrew Rice campaign.

In over 30 homes from Ardmore to Ponca City, Andrew Rice supporters and undecided voters gathered to discuss this campaign.  After some initial discussion, all the parties joined in on a conference call with Sen. Rice to hear a campaign update and to ask him some questions.

Sen. Rice called in from the house party in Ardmore, where 25 people came to meet Sen. Rice and plan out what they can do to help Andrew Rice win in November.  During the call, the house party host in Yukon noted that they had been making calls to voters before the conference call, and would continue to make calls for the rest of the afternoon.

Thanks to everyone who hosted and attended today's house parties - they were a tremendous success!

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 9/26/2008
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Yesterday, an Oklahoma House of Representatives study committee concluded their examination of austim issues in our state.  Though the committee examined a range of important issues regarding autism, one issue received little attention.  From the Oklahoman:

Only one person talked about insurance coverage of behavioral and therapy programs for children with autism, which frustrated many of the 30 or so parents of autistic children who attended the four-hour meeting at the state capitol.

During the 2008 session, Andrew Rice co-sponsored a bill called "Nick's Law," which would require insurance companies to cover therapies and treatments for children with autism.  Though the bill passed the Senate, a House Republican with insurance industry ties refused to hear the bill in committee.

Last week, on our People before Politics site, Sen. Rice addressed a question on autism legislation.  From his post:

Many states have already addressed the need for legislation similar to Nick's Law, but other states such as Oklahoma are lagging behind.  When I'm in the U.S. Senate, I will fight for legislation that forces insurance companies to stop holding consumers captive by denying coverage for autism diagnosis and treatment.  Treatment and diagnosis for autism will not advance unless real families can afford access to the best tools available to fight this disease.  We must do better for families whose lives are changed by autism.

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 9/22/2008
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You can make a contribution to Andrew’s campaign this week and help him win $5,000 at the same time! The Blue America PAC is holding a week-long competition between five candidates for U.S. Senate including Andrew.

The contest works like this: Blue America has a contest page on ActBlue, where every donor who makes a contribution (of any size) will be able to "vote" for who should receive an extra $5,000 contribution from Blue America.

We need you to click here and make a contribution - in any amount, even $5 - so Andrew will get enough donations to win $5,000 from Blue America.

$5,000 may not seem like a lot when we hear stories about the millions being spent by the presidential campaigns. But in Oklahoma, $5,000 can buy our campaign one day’s worth of TV ads, 5,000 yard signs, or 25,000 bumper stickers. Please help us out with a contribution so Andrew can win the $5,000 contribution.

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Posted by: Matt Tepper on 9/15/2008
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We only have 50 days to go until election day!  Between now and November 4th, we'll be relying on grassroots volunteers more than ever - putting people before politics means we need support from people like you in communities across Oklahoma.

This week we'll be holding several phone banks.  Join us in Tulsa, Norman, and Oklahoma City as we talk with voters about why they should elect Andrew to the U.S. Senate. RSVP HERE

Tulsa Volunteer Center:

Monday 5PM – 9PM
Tuesday 5PM – 9PM
Wednesday 5PM – 9PM
Thursday 5PM – 9PM
Saturday 11AM – 4PM
RSVP HERE

Oklahoma City Volunteer Center:

Monday 5PM – 9PM
Tuesday 5PM – 9PM
Wednesday 5PM – 9PM
Thursday 5PM – 9PM
Saturday 11AM – 4PM
RSVP HERE

Norman Volunteer Center

Monday 5PM – 9PM
Tuesday 5PM – 9PM
Wednesday 5PM – 9PM
Thursday 5PM – 9PM
Saturday 11AM – 4PM
RSVP HERE

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 9/11/2008
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The University of Oklahoma, the state's largest university and sixth-largest employer, yesterday declared its commitment to home-grown, renewable energy sources by announcing plans to power its Norman campus entirely with wind energy by 2013.
 
From the Tulsa World:

OU officials said it is one of the largest renewable energy commitments ever made by a public university in the United States, and will make OU one of the top renewable energy-purchasing universities in the country.
 
"All of us Americans should unite in this effort," OU President David Boren said in a statement from the university.

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Posted by: Matt Tepper on 9/9/2008
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Our campaign is excited to announce the arrival of our Andrew Rice for U.S. Senate Yard Signs.  Drop by an Andrew Rice Campaign Volunteer Center today to pick up your very own yard sign.  Our volunteer centers are located in:

Tulsa (3930 East 31st Street)

Norman (330 W. Main, Suite 211)

Oklahoma City (400 NW 23rd St)

If you can’t make it to our office, you can request a yard sign HERE.

Andrew’s campaign is gaining momentum across the state with hundreds of volunteers joining our efforts.  We're grateful to have your support!

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 9/8/2008
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Kelly Crowley is a native Tulsan who has been a key volunteer for Team Rice.  At age 24, Kelly is getting involved in this campaign because she strongly believes that Oklahoma needs a change, and that Sen. Rice is the one to bring the change we need.  "My friends and family in Oklahoma deserve to have a Senator who will try hard to make their lives better," Kelly wrote.  "Healthcare in Oklahoma is a very important issue for me and something Senator Rice has proved is an important issue for him also."

Kelly has been involved since earlier this summer, when she began phone banking for the Rice Family Caravan Across Oklahoma.  She says she continued volunteering because, "I saw the momentum that was building and I knew I had to be a part of it!"  While she enjoys meeting people while volunteering, the most important reason she keeps coming back is, "knowing I'm giving my time to help change Oklahoma for the better."

Though her father, who also lives in Tulsa, is a Republican, Kelly says he is "proud of my commitment to what I believe in."  Kelly's volunteering doesn't stop when she leaves the Rice for Senate offices, though.  She noted, "I will also keep trying to convince my father to vote Democrat just this once!"

Keep watching for our Volunteer of the Week series every week on our blog, on our Volunteer of the Week page, and on our new community, People before Politics.

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 8/26/2008
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Mr. Orr is retired from the Air Force and the State of Oklahoma. His wife works at the Baptist Retirement Village.

Edward got involved in our campaign because he felt that he needed to do something to help Andrew win. Since becoming a volunteer, Ed has been busy making phone calls and helping with mailings.

Edward said he knew he was coming back to volunteer when the Rice staff showed their gratefulness for his support. His favorite thing about working at the Rice campaign is the laid back attitude of everyone in the office.

Edward plans on volunteering a lot more before November.

 

Keep watching for our Volunteer of the Week series every week on our blog and on our Volunteer of the Week page.

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 8/8/2008
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Yesterday, Jim Inhofe called on his supporters to send their gas receipts into his campaign office so that he can send them to Sen. Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader.  Apparently, Inhofe is trying to show his frustrations that Congress adjourned without bringing any relief on energy prices.

Oklahomans, though, should be more frustrated with Jim Inhofe’s decades of doing nothing to avert an energy crisis – and ready to make a change in their leadership.

Inhofe has a long record of backing oil companies, so his concern about the price of oil may seem odd.  However, it's nothing new for Oklahoma's senior senator to try to distract from our energy problems by pointing fingers and shifting blame.

Rather than taking responsibility for his own inaction on gas prices and energy independence during his 22 years in Congress, Inhofe chooses to accuse those who disagree with him of "an attempt to misinform and frighten the public" (Inhofe in a July 9, 2002 floor speech) and "fear-mongering" (Inhofe in a January 4, 2005 floor speech).  He used two hours of the Senate's time last October to discuss Leonardo DiCaprio, the Weather Channel, and his climate change denial, when he could have used that time to put forward solutions to the growing energy crisis.

During the 14 years Inhofe has been in the Senate, gas prices have nearly quadrupled.  Yet he seems content to blame others and takes no responsibility for his own failures.

It's time Oklahoma's voters held Jim Inhofe accountable, and it’s time we elected a better leader who will work toward real solutions.

In the state senate, Andrew Rice has fought for common-sense solutions to our energy problems that are both fiscally and environmentally responsible.  This week, he endorsed a bipartisan plan to diversify our resources to pave the way for a more secure, independent, and responsible energy future.  He will continue this fight in the U.S. Senate, working toward solutions that will help everyday Oklahomans.

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 7/29/2008
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Today is the primary election and, though Andrew has one opponent on the primary ballot, we're hoping for a tremendous victory tonight to keep our momentum going into the fall election.

Check back to our site at 7pm tonight.  As soon as the polls close, we plan to turn our eyes toward electing Andrew on November 4th.  I'll be posting some live updates from the campaign watch party, and we'll be launching some new elements to our website.

Also, if you are in the Oklahoma City area, come to our watch party to Andrew accept the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, if we win the election.  Whether you're at the party or not, tune in to OETA tonight around 9:15 to see Andrew live during their election coverage.

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 7/29/2008
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Andrew Rice - Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate!

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 7/29/2008
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We're liveblogging from the watch party at Daily Kos - go here, and keep up with the latest on the Oklahoma primary election and Andrew's great evening!

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 7/21/2008
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So a former vice president walks into a conference…

Not the beginning of a joke.  Day three at Netroots Nation started out incredibly.  During a discussion with Nancy Pelosi, the current (and first female) speaker of the House of Representatives, she pulls out her Blackberry to – insert air quotes – look up an email from a friend in response to a question about the environment.

Over the speakers, a booming voice begins, “Dear Nancy…” Just as the identity of the voice hits me, in walks its owner, surprise guest Vice President Al Gore.

A great discussion followed, in which V.P. Gore discussed the fallacy of solving a fossil fuel crisis by drilling for more fossil fuels.  He called it the “hair of the dog” strategy – and I think that name is going to stick.

I tried to jot down a few phrases that struck me as particularly insightful, but between typing, applauding, listening, and sipping coffee, I only got a few.  (Fortunately the entire discussion is archived here – Gore’s appearance starts at about 5:45 in the video.)  Not surprisingly, the ones I did write down had the most to do with our campaign and the important differences between Andrew Rice and Jim Inhofe.

Gore: “The defenders of the status quo are the ones who have dug us into this hole.”

Jim Inhofe has been a staunch defender of the status quo when it comes to our energy policy, protecting the oil industry (which funds Inhofe more than nearly any other legislator).

Pelosi: “The [energy] solutions we need must be done in a bipartisan way.”

Jim Inhofe blames the Democrats for $4/gallon gas, when he’s the one who has been in D.C. since 1987 and never worked in anticipation of this crisis – which we’ve known has been coming for years.  He’s looking to place blame, not find solutions.

Gore: “You are at the cutting edge of a new era of history.  You will tell your grandchildren about coming to Austin.”

I think there was more to this sentence, but I started clapping.

We are on the edge of a new time in which “big oil” is no longer big, but replaced by clean and renewable energy sources.  Some new ideas that will take us through this transition to a new energy economy are already here, and are growing – wind power is expanding, simple solutions such as CFL light bulbs are taking hold.  But much of what’s next is only in development or in the visions of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs – biofuels from high-yield switchgrass is just being tapped, geothermal power has tremendous potential, and technology for improved storage and distribution of electricity is being perfected as we speak.

So who’s better to lead us into this new era of history, to look out for our state and our nation rather than his own bottom line: Jim Inhofe or Andrew Rice?

If you answered Andrew Rice, of course, you’re right.  Inhofe’s lack of action on these issues is well-known, so take a look at our issues page to see more on what Andrew will do in the U.S. Senate to change our nation’s energy policy and economy.

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 7/20/2008
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The second session on day two that I attended also goes into a major issue of our campaign, one I’ve learned so much about since I started working for Andrew: veterans’ issues.  The panel included several Democratic candidates who are also veterans, including Rick Noriega of Texas, Ashwin Madia of Minnesota, John Boccieri of Ohio, and former candidate Andrew Horne of Kentucky.  Also on the panel were representatives from VoteVets.org – a great organization with a mission of electing veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to public office, holding our leaders accountable, and supporting our troops.

Though VoteVets is non-partisan, all the candidates on the panel were Democrats – and for some, their military service inspired them to be more active in Democratic politics.  Andrew Horne, who was a Marine for 27 years, even stated, “I was an independent until I got back from Iraq.”

The panelists spoke about being both servicemen and citizens, and how the two play together in their roles as candidates and activists.  Rick Noriega quoted George Washington, saying, “When I picked up the sword, I did not lay aside the citizen.”

All the candidates on the panel spoke about how their military experience resonates as they speak with people and influences the policies they seek to implement.  Their patriotism and love of country is unquestionable, but they don’t agree with all of the policies and priorities when it comes to our troops and our veterans.

The panelists universally agreed – we’re not doing enough on the issues of keeping our troops safe and well equipped, and we’re not doing nearly enough to honor and support our veterans.

Democrats are coming together to take action on these issues, but these fights should not be partisan.  I was reminded of this year’s legislative session in Oklahoma when Andrew authored a bill to make health care accessible for working veterans who earn too much to qualify for low-income based VA health benefits but still can’t afford private insurance.  That bill was quashed by partisan politics.  Of all the issues that should have unified backing across party lines, supporting our troops and our veterans is foremost.

Hearing from veterans who have taken on some of the highest roles and burdens of citizenship to advocate for these important issues reinforced why troops’ and veterans’ issues are central to Andrew’s campaign.  They are central responsibilities of our government, and falling short on these issues is a critical failure.

It’s important to note that Jim Inhofe is guilty of falling short on troops’ and veterans’ issues, having voted against them two dozen times in the last five years alone.  It couldn’t be clearer that Jim Inhofe has failed our troops and our veterans, in Oklahoma and nationwide.

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 7/20/2008
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Great morning for day two at Netroots Nation.  The first sessions I attended spoke to issues at the heart of Andrew’s campaign.

The first was a discussion energy options and the need for new leadership in energy policy, laid out the energy debate in a frame of practical solutions.  Blogger A Siegel (who has listed Andrew on his Energy Smart page on ActBlue) was joined by three Congressional candidates whose respective ideas for energy conservation mean that Andrew Rice will be in good company when the next Congress attempts to jump-start the new energy economy.  They are Debbie Cook in California, Mark Begich in Alaska, and Jeff Merkley in Oregon.  They discussed not only the need for new energy solutions in our nation, but also the best approaches to solving the enormous problems that face us.

One thing that stood out was the emphasis on the need for practical and visible changes to energy policy that, as Jeff Merkley said, people can get their hands around.  For example, as mayor of Anchorage, Mark Begich changed the city’s holiday light displays to LED, and not only did the city save 80% on their electrical bills for the light displays, but they also created a demand for these energy-saving lights.

Debbie Cook made an important point, also: Changing energy policy is not going to be the undertaking of a small group of people, like the Apollo project or the Manhattan Project.  It’s going to be a large-scale, citizen-driven movement more along the lines of what we saw during World War II.  It’s in our hands.

It’s interesting to hear from candidates and activists from diverse states speaking about the same themes Andrew has been highlighting throughout this campaign.  We’ve been emphasizing that the debate over whether or not we need to take action is long past, and that we need to focus on solutions.  Even Andrew’s proposal in the legislature last year to reduce energy consumption in school districts over the next five years reflects the kind of practical, small-scale solution that could have long-term impact and inspire people in the community to change their own energy consumption.  Policymakers don’t have to continue to debate the science – they have to look forward and put together a plan of where we go from here.

It’s clear from watching this panel that Andrew will be part of a freshman class in Congress that will storm Washington and take this country in a new direction on energy policy.  I’m excited be working to help Andrew lead on these issues as a U.S. Senator.  But we all have to become a part of this conversation – and I’m inspired by the possibilities.

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 7/18/2008
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A brief story on NPR yesterday talked about the 2,000 bloggers descending on Austin this week to talk about what we do at Netroots Nation.  And you can tell we're here by looking around near the convention center - a high ratio of people are carrying coffee, tapping on computers, or wearing issue-based or candidate t-shirts - some (like me) all of the above.

The first thing to strike me is the ease of connecting in real life with people whom I know only from a backlit computer screen.  With my Andrew Rice for US Senate t-shirt on Thursday, I received cheers and smiles of excitement about our campaign from people watching our campaign both anonymously and writing out loud in the netroots sphere.

But beyond the greetings, it's clear from being here that our campaign is on many levels a part of a larger, national push for change in American leadership.  Governor Howard Dean, leader of the Democratic National Committee, came to Netroots Nation to deliver words of hope for change, from the Presidential race on down.  He summed up what's happening this election year in a very simple phrase: "We're going to win in states we haven't won in in a long, long time."  Democrats are going to open up a wider majority in the House and Senate, and our party will have the opportunity to reshape our nation.

Yet, the tone of dialogue hasn't been laced with pure partisanship. In fact, it's quite the opposite - the blogosphere allows for greater conversation on issues than the limits of soundbites and column-inches that can confine mainstream media outlets.  The discussion here reflects that.  It's about having better leaders who will listen to active citizens, such as bloggers, on issues that are important to them.  It's about forming ties so that we have a government that will respond to us individually and as a community.  More than a conference, this strikes me as a four-day town hall meeting.

Day two is promising some great sessions on issues from energy to veterans, and more from Austin is coming..

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 7/18/2008
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This election year more than any before, the netroots is playing a key role in every political campaign – including ours.

This week, bloggers, podcasters, and the like come together for the largest-ever gathering of Internet activists, at Netroots Nation.

Along with authors and activists, candidates and citizens, I’m here to connect with the netroots and see what we can achieve together to elect better leaders – including Andrew Rice.

For updates from Austin, check this blog or our netroots page.  I’ll be updating from the convention on how this all connects into our shared goal of making Andrew Rice our next U.S. Senator.

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Posted by: Senator Andrew Rice on 7/17/2008
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My older brother David Rice was a Democrat. He was killed on the 104th floor of the South Tower in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11th, 2001.

David was killed with Republicans, Independents, and Democrats. On that day, they were not members of political parties, they were Americans.

Some Americans and politicians apparently believe my brother was to blame for his own murder because he voted Democratic, which apparently surrendered our borders to those who want to kill us.

One of those Americans is Mike Meehan of Orlando, Florida.

Mr. Meehan's divisive and desperate attempt to scare Americans with his billboards urging "Please Don't Vote for a Democrat" beside an image of the burning World Trade Center is unfortunately not the example of an isolated, fringe politico, but instead is part and parcel of a trend in American politics where right-wing hacks love their extremist ideology more than their country. They care more about winning elections and achieving power, than building good government.

It would have been naive to think we could have permanently transcended our differences as Americans out of 9/11, but it is not too idealistic to hope that we could have found common ground on how to protect our country and preserve our common values.

There are those in politics who will continue down this road because they simply have nothing else to offer. They have no coherent policy to marginalize extremism in the Middle East. They show no willingness to ask Americans to commit themselves to the shared sacrifice that is needed to deal with the climate crisis and transform our energy policy. They have no message except to demonize their political opponents and, in turn pollute America's faith in our otherwise inspiring democratic process.

But there are others of us who are entering the political process to steer our country away from this pathetic and un-American demagoguery. I meet candidates and grassroots activists in Oklahoma and around the country who insist that our elections and public policy can embody more substance and visionary solutions while at the same time avoiding the lazy and cowardly political impulses of the last 8 years.

My brother was murdered alongside people who gave money to George W. Bush's 2000 Campaign and voted for him. He died among others who did the same for Al Gore. He was killed alongside Christians and non-Christians. All of the victims had families who loved them. All of the victims and our families want Americans to be safe and free. All of us.

We have a choice. We can find ways to set out as American citizens to rescue our politics and our faith in the American system so we can meet the complex challenges together, or we can continue to extinguish the dwindling faith everyday Americans have for our political parties, and thereby reduce the public policies of the future to shallow and meaningless attacks against each other.

I am proud to say that I choose to be part of a broad-based coalition of Oklahomans and Americans who take part in our political process so we can give our country the chance to meet the growing challenges we will face. And I do this with humility. I know I will make mistakes, but I also know that I will not demonize other Americans and demean our process.

We cannot afford to allow the Mike Meehans of our country to divert and distract us from achieving the great promise that lies before us. I am committed to this challenge not just in memory of my brother David, but in memory of those who he died with who I would not have agreed with about politics. What is at stake is too important for us to keep going down the road of the last 8 years.

Posted by: Karina Henderson on 6/25/2008
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But a spokesman for Smith's Democratic opponent, Jeff Merkley, said Smith canceled the event because he did not want to be associated with the political action committee's donations to "right-wing Republicans" such as Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, a well-known skeptic of global warming. [...]

The committee [Impact America] has given $10,000 to Inhofe, who has led GOP efforts to block a landmark bill - supported by most Democrats - to cut greenhouse gases and address global warming.

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Posted by: Tres Savage on 6/24/2008
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Andrew was endorsed Monday by the League of Conservation Voters, an independent political voice for the environment that has seen 80 percent of the candidates it endorses win since 1996.

The official endorsement was announced at Bergey Wind Power Co. in Norman where LCV's Tim Greeff discussed why Andrew's campaign is so important and company president Mike Bergey discussed tax credits that could help him create more jobs at his 30-year-old wind turbine factory.  .

Bergey also said he was fed up with Inhofe's refusal to help promote renewable energy in Oklahoma.

"It's frustrating that the Senator doing the most for Oklahoma's wind industry is from Colorado," Bergey said. "Sen. Inhofe is busy helping the coal industry in Wyoming."

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Posted by: Tyler Douse on 6/18/2008
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Senator Barbara Boxer's Political Action Committee, "PAC for a Change 2008", recently launched a contest to choose a Senate challenger to be featured in a fundraising email to the PAC's online community. If Andrew wins, this could potentially add tens of thousands of dollars toward his effort to spread his message for change across Oklahoma.

Go VOTE today! Then tell your friends and family about it. It's time for change in Washington and with your support, we can deliver!

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 6/9/2008
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This weekend, I attended the Oklahoma Young Democrats Convention – both as a Young Democrat and as a member of Team Rice.  With a strong turnout and many new faces, the convention itself showed that the under-35 crowd is well motivated to be active this election year.  After this weekend, Oklahoma's YDs will be hitting the ground running to work for outstanding Democratic candidates such as Andrew Rice.

But the most powerful part of the convention transcended the boundaries of age and party.  An incredible short film, entitled "Oklahoma Veterans and Jim Inhofe," was screened at the convention.  The film contains interviews with four Oklahoma veterans who discuss their experience in service and with Oklahoma's senior senator.  Few know better than our men and women in uniform the impact of Jim Inhofe's abhorrent voting record on veterans' issues and his lack of support for our troops.

The video, embedded below, is also available for viewing on the website of the film's production company, Brave New Films.  They also have tracked Sen. Inhofe's votes on issues of greatest importance to our troops and our veterans – go to their site and read about his long history of failing our men and women in uniform.

Since this video was posted and screened, it's been spreading rapidly online, as Oklahomans - and concerned people all around the country - have reposted the video and emailed it to their friends and family. I hope you'll do the same.

In this election year, Jim Inhofe will try to claim steadfast support for our troops and our veterans, but his dismal voting record and his reputation among veterans precede him.  He may try to say the right things to try to win in November, but Andrew Rice and our veterans will send a message to Jim Inhofe that his actions have spoken louder than his hollow words.

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Posted by: Tyler Douse on 6/5/2008
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Today as I was going through our campaign email, I came across a message from Facebook. It was a friendly warning because, apparently, we had been "over-using" our account. I guess we've just had so much activity going on this week that we've just about reached our limit.

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 6/4/2008
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During a week when Jim Inhofe is working to block legislation that will help America transition to the new energy economy, companies back home are already seeing the benefits of the growing demand for renewable energy sources.

Inhofe, who has vowed to block any legislation “that would impose controls on carbon emissions,” has tried to hold Oklahoma back by pouring more federal tax dollars into fossil fuels while starving developing energy sources such as wind and biofuels from switchgrass.  Meanwhile, a Tulsa company is proving the tremendous job and economic potential Oklahoma has in the wind energy sector alone:

Increased demand from the growing wind energy industry has pushed up expansions at a Tulsa wind power manufacturing plant that only began production last December.

DMI Industries, based in West Fargo, N.D., announced Tuesday it will expand both its Tulsa and North Dakota plants immediately, increasing capacity by 100 percent in Tulsa and 40 percent in West Fargo.

And the company plans to add 200 more jobs in Tulsa. […]

At the 500,000-square-foot Tulsa plant near the Port of Catoosa, between $10 million and $11 million will be spent to add more equipment and use about 200,000 square feet of unused space, said general manager Kevin Ishmael.

While Inhofe continues his increasingly lonely fight and tries to hold Oklahoma back from becoming a leader in the growing new energy sector, Oklahoma is moving forward without him.  And our state will be better poised to move forward with Andrew Rice in the U.S. Senate; Rice will be a leader on new energy opportunities and will advocate for Oklahoma’s economic future.

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 5/28/2008
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Yesterday, the DSCC released a video in which they spoke with Monty Collings about his daughter Steffanie's life and the fight to pass "Steffanie's Law," a bill authored by Sen. Rice that would require insurance companies to retain coverage of routine medical costs for patients enrolled in clinical trials:

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Posted by: Sen. Andrew Rice on 5/26/2008
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Today, we all take time to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the preservation of our country and for the protection of their fellow citizens.  Though Memorial Day is for many a day of rest and relaxation with our families, I ask all of you to take a moment to reflect on the lives that passed before us to allow us to live as a free nation.  Apple and I wish to honor those who have given their lives in war, thank those who now serve or have served our country, and pray for peace.

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 5/22/2008
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The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) sent a representative to Oklahoma a few weeks ago to see what was going on with our race for the U.S. Senate.  The result of her trip?  Several videos that show just how ready Oklahomans are for a change, how out-of-touch Sen. Inhofe has become, and how Andrew Rice is connecting with voters across our great state.

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Posted by: Karina Henderson on 5/19/2008
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First, it is easy to point the finger at oil companies. That is the easiest "out," because everyone has this perception that all oil companies are doing great.

[F]or all the good work of entrepreneurs and inventors in finding cleaner and better technologies, the fundamental incentives of the market are still on the side of carbon-based energy. This has to change before we can make the decisive shift away from fossil fuels.

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Posted by: Team Rice on 5/12/2008
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Sen. Rice made this statement today on the tragic losses this weekend in northeastern Oklahoma:

"Too many Oklahomans have lost life and property to severe storms and now we have to add the community of Picher to that legacy.  The thoughts and prayers of Apple, me and our entire campaign community go out to the individuals and families of Picher who suffered through the devastating tornado last Saturday. As we hear about the tragic moments and courageous acts during and after the storm, I am reminded of the enduring resilience that Oklahomans have relied on over the years to live and prosper.  As a State Senator, I have assured Governor Henry th