Senator Nancy Riley must go!!!

NEWS RELEASE ***

HIGH ENERGY COSTS --
RILEY WAS BEFORE THEM BEFORE SHE WAS AGAINST THEM
Tulsa Senator Now Emulating John Kerry and Barack Obama

OKLAHOMA CITY – Just last weekend, Tulsa Senator Nancy Riley expressed her thanks for high gas prices because "That is what is helping sustain the state's economy" (Broken Arrow Ledger, July 5, 2008). Now, just four days later, Riley is quoted in another suburban Tulsa newspaper lamenting high energy prices because of their impact on local school districts.

According to the Sand Springs Leader (July 9, 2008), she bemoaned high energy prices, saying "They (local school districts) will now have to balance their budgets on the backs of our kids."

“So, it appears Nancy Riley was for high gas prices before she was against them,” said Randy Swanson, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Republican Senatorial Committee. “Another John Kerry moment from Nancy.”

Swanson’s reference to “another” refers to Riley’s vote against a pro-life bill which would have prohibited state-owned facilities from performing abortions (SB 714) in 2007, and twice to sustain Governor Henry’s veto of the bill -- only to later vote in favor of a similar bill (SB 139), which became law. This flip-flop came after she had signed a pledge to vote against any taxpayer funding of abortions when she first ran for the Senate.

Riley has also flip-flopped on lawsuit reform legislation over the past years. See was for lawsuit reform before she was against it.

“Nancy Riley can’t decide who she is or what she stands for,” said Swanson. “But it’s very clear who she patterns her political career after.

“First she runs for office as a conservative Republican, and then switches to become a liberal Democrat, much like Hillary Rodham Clinton.

“Then, she follows Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lead in supporting higher energy prices -- but then bemoans the high cost of energy. She was before it before she was against it, a la John Kerry,” he continued.

“Throw in Barack Obama’s flip flops on the important issues of the day, and one clearly see can whose campaign playbook Nancy Riley has been studying.

“Does Nancy Riley have any core values? The voters of Senate District 37, and indeed the citizens of Oklahoma deserve to know,” Swanson concluded.