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State Senator Andrew Rice and his brother David
State Senator Andrew Rice – who doesn’t miss many chances on the campaign trail to talk about his brother who was killed in the 911 attacks (like here and here) – received another opportunity this week. A self described Republican businessman in Orlando, Florida has put up despicable billboards with the image of the burning World Trade Center towers that implores people not to vote for Democrats.
Universally condemned by both political parties, it is highly offensive to use this tragedy to try and score political points. That being said, it is equally disturbing that Rice has seemed to make his brother’s death the central focus of his campaign. We’ve noted several instances of Rice talking about the tragedy in his campaign material and videos. It’s a fine line and we know this, but has Rice begun to cross it?
From Daily Kos:
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 politicans (sic) apparently believe my brother was to blame for his own murder because he voted Democrat, which apparently surrendered our borders to those who want to kill us.
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. Read more…
A Democrat Blog named “A Hick Tiger” posted the following letter to U.S. Senate aspirant Andrew Rice. Seems this fellow has some issues with Mr. Rice’s church and his Christianity. This campaign video – where Mr. Rice discusses his faith – has mysteriously disappeared from his YouTube account. The video was added on May 31st.
Just because you say you are a Christian, that does not mean your values are aligned with mine, nor does it mean that your values are aligned with other Christians from the state of Oklahoma.
I agree that senator Inhofe is not doing our state many favors, but I, as a Democrat cannot and will not vote for you in the upcoming election. I have studied the values, beliefs, and doctrines of your church and denomination… read more
In this latest Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee propaganda video, aspiring U.S. senator Andrew Rice, gives his reasons why he’s embarked upon his suicide mission against Senator Inhofe.
If you don’t have the time to watch the entire minute and a half video, we’ll save you a little time and give you the Cliff Notes version. First 30 seconds, Rice is riding in a car talking about losing his brother on 9/11. The next ten seconds, a Democrat activist is surprised that Rice remembers his name. From what we can surmise in the short segment, the activist is going to vote for Rice because he’s a “friendly and likeable guy.” (Glad he didn’t let issues get in the way)
The last 50 seconds, Rice is speaking with another gentleman about – losing his brother in the World Trade Center on 9/11. And we thought only Republicans used 9/11 for political advantage?
On her second day in Oklahoma, Ann Rubin (?????) joins Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Andrew Rice, on a trip to Rush Springs, Oklahoma where they visited a couple of ranches.
Day One of Amy Rubin’s (Who the hell is Amy Rubin????) Road to Victory trip to Oklahoma. The video is produced by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
“Sustaining our dependence on fossil fuels is an untenable fix; the environmental, economic, and national security issues related to our oil dependence are too great for us to continue down that path.
The opportunity to position Oklahoma as a leader in new sources of energy – such as wind, solar, and biofuels from switchgrass and animal products – has been there for a long time.” – State Sen. Andrew Rice
What an idiot! And he wants to represent an oil producing state in the Senate. Rice wrote this nonsense while live blogging yesterday on the radical and leftwing Daily Kos blog.
…from the OKGOP:
On March 8, 2008, State Senator Andrew Rice, the lone opponent of U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe, was in Venice, California collecting large campaign contributions from a “Who’s Who” list of the most liberal Democrat’s in California.
Rice didn’t advertise his Saturday out-of-state fundraiser on his campaign calendar, just as he failed to mention another recent fundraiser at a celebrity-only club in New York City with liberal activist Janeane Garofalo as one of the listed hosts. Instead, Rice hopes to keep Oklahomans in the dark about the liberal special interests bankrolling his campaign.
Saturday’s fundraiser in California included liberal notables such as:
“You can learn a lot about a person by the company they keep,” said State GOP Chairman Gary Jones. “The cast of characters Andrew Rice is taking money from tells us all we need to know.”
“Senator Rice owes it to Oklahoma voters to be clear about his values. With host committees comprised of pro-abortion, anti-Second Amendment, and anti-traditional marriage liberals, one would think Rice was running in California not Oklahoma, because these values are not shared by a majority of Oklahomans.”
Submitted via the OKPNS confidential Tip Line
“Is it just me, or is the top-of-the-ticket candidate for Oklahoma Democrats curiously silent on Sally Kern’s hurtful remarks?
“Where is Andrew Rice’s condemnation of hate speech? Where is his call for elevated debate and civil discourse? Why hasn’t Rice called upon Sally to take back her remarks?
“Certainly he wouldn’t be alone if he did. Even Governor Henry chided Kern, saying her words were not the kind of thing good Oklahomans who love each other would say. Henry even offered some parting advice, telling her to think before she spoke.
“And yet the candidate who accepts the contributions of Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats, who supposedly stands proud with those in the Cimmaron Alliance Foundation, and walks in parades, and says he supports our cause … is completely silent at a time when some of the most shameful words are being said.
“Now I understand he’s running for U.S. Senate and he no doubt is in a political juggling act. But to be completely, deafeningly silent? Andrew, I don’t understand.”
Natural Gas, that is. The state’s push toward using alternative fuel is moving forward, with the Senate’s majority vote for all state vehicles to be converted. Andrew Rice (D-OKC):
Individual consumers across Oklahoma and the nation are being forced by economic pressures to reduce their energy costs. Many are also finding ways to cut down on harmful emissions that scientists have concluded are accelerating global warming. These bills offer modest ways that Oklahoma’s public institutions can do the same thing. Natural gas is one of Oklahoma’s most plentiful natural resources. Rice said. If we can convert our state agency fleets to this clean-burning fuel while reducing hydrocarbon emissions at the same time, it’s a win-win for Oklahomans.
Rice’s fleet conversion bill, S.B. 1771, is co-authored in the House by State Rep. Weldon Watson, R-Tulsa. It requires the 35 state agencies with at least ten vehicles in their fleet to either purchase vehicles that utilize CNG or convert existing vehicles to CNG in order to increase fuel efficiency by 50 percent by June 30, 2012. The Oklahoma City Democrat said he is amending his original bill to include other alternative fuels when compressed natural gas is unavailable.
Other vehicle fleets which have converted to CNG have reported fuel cost savings ranging from 25% to 50%, Rice said. He also cited findings that show CNG reduces hydrocarbon emissions by 50 percent and carbon monoxide emissions by 90 percent. Rice’s bill requires that all state-owned fueling stations provide CNG by no later than July 1, 2009, provided the cost of the fuel is not 10 percent higher than conventional fuel.