The Panama Papers Begin To Take Down World Leaders

  The scandal can be huge. It involves the well-connected and powerful who seek to hide assets and arrangements through Panamanian banks and financial services.
  And it worked... until yesterday.

What are the Panama Papers?

A global team of investigative journalists just got their hands on some leaked documents from a Panamanian law firm which details massive corruption by business & government leaders.

RNC Rule 40b Is Self-Defeating

Reagan got ripped off in 1976 by the RNC's "super delegate" system. But he took defeat with class.
Then worked with the party to bring reforms and after that he eclipsed Ford in the history books.

  This weekend we are watching the North Dakota Republicans hold their convention. They will send a delegation to the national convention consisting of 28 "Uncommitted" delegates. Colorado is determined to do the same thing. Expect more state parties to give strong consideration to a return to this format, in the years ahead.
  Why? Because presidential candidates do not own states! Nor can they assert ownership over the issues and priorities of that state party.  Far more than a presidential preference is on the line for these state organizations. Party organizations used to be far more influential than they are now reduced to.

Cruz receives standing ovation at North Dakota GOP convention

The entire 28 member delegation from North Dakota will be heavily
courted all the way to the final balloting at the national convention. 

  Ted Cruz was the only GOP presidential candidate who bothered to appear before the state convention in Fargo yesterday, and it appears that he wowed the crowd on the eve of delegate selection.

  Mr. Cruz also dispatched Carly Fiorina, a former rival who has endorsed him, to warm up the crowd before he spoke.North Dakota’s delegates will officially be unbound, which makes it crucial for each candidate to identify and push for the selection of personally-committed political activists as delegates. And has been the pattern elsewhere, the Cruz campaign appears to have been far more methodical than its rivals at this sort of blocking and tackling.

Gary Jones Wins Award From 1st Amendment Group

Gary Jones has become a hero of liberty groups from both left & right.  

  FOI Oklahoma selected 3 recipients to honor for their work to bring transparency to government, in Oklahoma. Republican State Auditor & Inspector, Gary Jones, was among them.
  FOI Oklahoma presents its awards for individuals and organizations playing a pivotal role in promoting openness in government, as well as the award no government official should want to receive — the Black Hole Award.

"..he has spent much of his career seeking to expand accountability of elected officials and to improve the delivery of government services to Oklahomans."

 State Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones, who was presented the annual Sunshine Award, which goes to a public official or governmental body that has shown a commitment to open meetings and open records. Jones was chosen for the honor “because he has spent much of his career seeking to expand accountability of elected officials and to improve the delivery of government services to Oklahomans.”.

We Spend Millions on Prisons But a Pittance for Mental Health

By Rep. Brian Renegar, DVM

  As the old Fram oil filter commercial goes, “You can pay me now, or you can pay me later.” That, my friends, is the scenario we find ourselves in with the mental health issue in Oklahoma.

  This issue is not as sexy as, say, the Presidential race, but it is one that needs to be addressed. I have heard some at the State Capitol question whether one of government’s core functions is to even screen and treat Oklahomans who are afflicted with some type of mental illness.

  Remember: It has been widely reported that 23-25% of all Oklahomans have some type of treatable mental illness. Our Corrections Department has long been the main filtering device for far too many mental health cases. Our prison’s populations have more than 50% on psychogenic drugs. Only in Oklahoma would we lose a statewide elected official, Labor Commissioner Mark Costello, to a mental health murder by his own child – and then casually kick 73,000 people off the mental health rolls in the same 12-month period, and with very little public outcry.