Norman Bates, Bates Motel (10/31/2008 7:19:27 AM)

If you don't want Chesapeake to own the Corporation Commission then vote for Dana Murphy. It's as simple as that.

One of Roth's first decisions after being appointed to the commission by Governer Henry involved a pre-application by AEP-PSO and OG+E, the two largest electric utilities in Oklahoma, to build a new coal-fired power plant at Red Rock. OCC administrative law judge Maribeth Snapp recommended approval, writing that the high-tech plant would save ratepayers over a billion dollars in utility bills over the life of the plant over a comparable natural gas plant.

McClendon's Chesapeake ran a high-profile campaign against coal plants here and in surrounding states, including TV ads proclaiming that "coal is filthy."

Given Roth's close friendship with McClendon, he should have recused himself from the vote. Instead, taking his cue from McClendon, Roth voted against the Red Rock pre-approval, killing the plant. The move makes Oklahoma's electricity consumers more dependent for upon natural gas from Chesapeake and other suppliers.

And guess who's co-chairing Roth's 2008 campaign? Aubrey McClendon. According to the daily paper, McClendon's employees and executives at Chesapeake have contributed over $100,000 to Roth's campaign. McClendon is said to have raised over a half-million dollars for Roth.

Norman Bates, Bates Motel (10/31/2008 7:20:33 AM)

McClendon was running into some trouble with his basketball team, the Seattle Supersonics. According to a May 27, 2008, Seattle Times story by Jim Brunner, McClendon's 2004 donations to an anti-gay-marriage organization "didn't sit well in the Democrat-controlled Washington Legislature, which was then considering whether to fund the Sonics' Renton arena proposal."

In an e-mail to McClendon, which emerged in a lawsuit by the City of Seattle against McClendon and his fellow Sonics owners, Roth "offered to contact Seattle media to defend McClendon against accusations of being anti-gay."

Roth's letter appeared in the March 4, 2007, Seattle Times. It read in part:

"When I was elected in 2002, I became Oklahoma's first openly gay elected official. From the beginning, Clay [Bennett] and Aubrey [McClendon] initiated a genuine kindness and friendship toward my partner and me. They have publicly and consistently supported me, even pushing back when right-wing attacks have occurred. Their support is unconditional and has helped improve the overall climate for expanding tolerance here at home."

Norman Bates, Bates Motel (10/31/2008 7:21:12 AM)

In 2005, as a county commissioner, Roth pushed for road and bridge improvements for a lightly traveled dead-end road leading to property owned by McClendon. McClendon gave the maximum contribution to Roth's 2006 re-election campaign.

Norman Bates, Bates Motel (10/31/2008 7:28:22 AM)

So, if you don't want Chesapeake to own the Corporation Commission then vote for Dana Murphy. It's as simple as that.

Webmeister, (10/31/2008 7:38:42 AM)

Aubrey McClendon's star may be on the decline. It was reported recently that he had margined his stock ownership in Chesapeake, and when the stock price severely tanked, the brokerage account Margin Calls caused a liquidation of his Chesapeake holdings.

So, reportedly, he no longer owns stock in Chesapeake.

I too came to a conclusion long ago that Corporation Commissioner Roth was already owned by the major public utilities.

For that reason, I am voting for Mrs. Dana Murphy as his replacement. She seems extraordinarily qualified in the field of energy production and regulation.

She and fellow maverick Bob Anthony should make a fine voting bloc to protect the Oklahoma ratepayer from the depradations of the Oklahoma energy monopolies.