Drew Edmondson for Governor of Oklahoma

Linda and I know, first-hand, the difficulties faced by military service members and their families. There are hardships that come both with shipping out and coming home, and the time in between is often unspeakable.

A lot of people seem to know a lot about our dad.
 
Over his lifetime, our father, Drew Edmondson, has earned his reputation as a man who gets things done. He is a man of integrity and humility, an unflinching advocate and a fierce adversary, a straight-shooter, someone worthy of your friendship, your trust and your vote.
Most evenings we unplugged the phone, turned off the TV and ate supper together, as a family, even when it meant Mom and Dad enduring our teenage drama.  Though a powerful public speaker, the dad we know read The Hobbit to us bit by bit each night after dinner, making it come alive for us with voices for each character.  And then he would send us to sleep with old Hogie Carmichael tunes on Willie Nelson’s Stardust album.
 
Our dad, the dad we know, is a man of unguarded laughter with a side-splitting sense of humor; but he can also quote many of his heroes from memory, and would often do so as a way of teaching life's lessons. He was particularly fond of a passage from Robert Kennedy’s 1966 speech in Capetown. 

“There is a Chinese curse which says ‘May he live in interesting times.’ Like it or not we live in interesting times. They are times of danger and uncertainty; but they are also more open to the creative energy of men than any other time in history.”

Dad prepared us to meet the challenges of “danger and uncertainty” by pushing us to succeed in school, encouraging our creativity, honing our critical thinking skills and fostering a strong sense of independence and personal accountability.  He taught us to consider others first, to tell the truth even when it’s hard, and to live our lives so that at the end of every day we can be proud of our efforts.
So this Sunday, we will celebrate our dad, Drew Edmondson, as a man who is tough but fair, thoughtful but decisive, passionate but disciplined, dedicated to his work but committed to his family before all.  Today, we will thank him for his example, and we will strive, as we do every day, to follow it.
 
Sincerely,
 
Mary Edmondson Ross and Robert Edmondson

Fifteen years ago today, I was at work in the Attorney General’s Office when the lives of 168 people were cut tragically and violently short by the bombing of the federal building downtown. Our capitol office was located just a few miles from the federal building, and the impact was, quite literally, felt both immediately and for years to come.

As you all know by now, my top priority if I am elected Governor will be to create good-paying jobs for more Oklahomans.  I thought St. Patrick’s Day would be the perfect opportunity to tell you how our state can benefit from a green economy.

The time was noon. It was Jan. 15, 1929, and as happens each day many times over, a child was born. The birth was ordinary. The life that followed was anything but.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a hero to millions, but his first label in life was simply "son." His father, Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr., was a Southern Baptist preacher - his mother, a preacher's wife. He was the second of three children, born in an ordinary family to ordinary circumstances.

I would like to begin this Veteran’s Day post by expressing my condolences to the families of those soldiers who lost their lives at Ft. Hood last week.  There are dozens more who were wounded and face long convalescences.

One year from today, Oklahomans will go to the polls to elect our state's next Governor. Between now and Nov. 2, 2010, policies will be discussed, differences debated and promises made. That's modern politics, for better or worse.

Fall is my favorite time of year. The air is crisp and cool. The leaves begin to turn, and Oklahoma is more beautiful by the day.

Well folks, it's official. The Edmondson 2010 campaign has passed the million dollar fundraising mark.