(Reposted from MyDD)
Ever since the New York Times suggested earlier this month that Oklahoma could be the critical 60th Democratic seat in the U.S. Senate, evidence backing up that statement has been pouring in.
First, Andrew Rice - an Oklahoma state Senator and the only challenger to incumbent/entrenched Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe - became the first U.S. Senate candidate to pick up the endorsement of the Sierra Club.
Earlier this week, we added Oklahoma's AFL-CIO to Andew's endorsement list. And Andrew was picked as one of seven top U.S. Senate challengers in Sen. Russ Feingold's "Pick a Progressive Patriot" vote.
(more below)
Not surprisingly, even though things are changing around him, Jim Inhofe isn't changing his ways. He's continuing to vote with a small minority of his party against things like health care funding for pregnant women, better enforcement of product safety regulations (such as lead paint levels in toys), and a budget that would help middle-class families and veterans.
But conventional wisdom is changing, and this week, you can keep the momentum going. Voting for Andrew Rice as the next Progressive Patriot would chip away at the naysayers. It would put Jim Inhofe on notice that it's time to retire. And it would help replace Inhofe with someone who listens to the people of Oklahoma and puts the good of the nation ahead of moneyed special interests.
This race is moving into a small set of key races for 2008. Inhofe is vulnerable - his polling numbers look like those of Conrad Burns and George Allen in 2006. Andrew Rice is gaining momentum - his recent endorsements and other high-profile groups highlighting this as a key race are starting to break this race open.
Help Andrew this week by voting for him to be the next Progressive Patriot. We have an excellent opportunity to raise Andrew's profile on a national level, convince more people that we have a great chance to win this seat, and raise $5,000 from the Progressive Patriots fund - but, between now and Monday, we need your help to do it.
Best,
Karina Henderson
Rice for U.S. Senate