Just received the October 15 issue of Kathleen’s “Free Paul Jacob” e-zine. You should subscribe too if you’re not already on the list. To sign up send Kathleen an email at kathleen@freepauljacob.com, or go to our e-zine sign-up page.

This issue quotes recent press releases by three Oklahoma lawmakers appalled by the conduct of their state’s attorney general. State Representative Charles Key goes so far as to suggest that Attorney General Edmondson might want to refresh his memory of the U.S. Constitution and the Oklahoma Constitution, seeing as how Edmondson apparently doesn’t realize that he’s trampling on the very constitutionally protected rights he has pledged to protect. Perhaps his chief of staff could schedule some study time for the attorney general?

Of course, Edmonson and his allies know perfectly well that Oklahoma citizens have a right to pass citizen initiatives; indeed he pretends to be all in favor of the exercise of this right. Fine with Oklahoma’s reactionary political establishment, really, if the right is vigorously hallowed in theory. They just would like to make it impossible to exercise in practice, that’s all. And in that regard, ambiguous technical requirements that can ooze around any good-faith attempt to obey them, combined with deliberately vindictive ex-post-facto re-interpretation of those requirements by a compliant attorney general, come very much in handy.

If you don’t like what these bad guys are doing, the newsletter offers ideas on how to help the Oklahoma Three (a.k.a. “The OK Three”): “Write letters to the editor, especially if you live in Oklahoma * Do blog searches to see who’s mentioning the Oklahoma 3 or Paul Jacob, and comment in response to these posts * Contact local radio or television talk shows about interviewing Paul on the air * Spread the word to everyone you know * Donate to the Free Paul Jacob Defense Fund. Via mail (payable to Free Paul Jacob Defense Fund): Free Paul Jacob Defense Fund, 12934 Harbor Dr., Suite 111, Woodbridge, VA 22192. To donate via credit card, Click Here or call 501-975-3650. To donate via PayPal, Click Here. Thank you for your support!”

Kathleen has gathered (here) some of the letters to the editor that have appeared in Oklahoma papers. And there’s been a fair amount of blogging on the case. The Acton Institute’s Power Blog quotes a piece by John Powers in the Chicago Daily Observer on the dereliction of duty of many reporters scribbling about this case:

It seems sort of like arresting mom for making apple pie, but it is indicative of the current low-brow nature of politics in the United States. Rather than facing an opponent on the issues, rather than campaigning on facts, rather than organizing support for a cause, there is a grand group of autocrats that would rather imprison their political foes than wage a legitimate campaign against them. It is also quite telling that outside of a few Libertarian blogs (and of course the Chicago Daily Observer), the media has completely ignored this story from any angle except day to day uninspired coverage of court issues in Oklahoma.

The asiseeitnow.com blog asks:

What have you heard about this on the mainstream media? Have the liberals come to the defense of Oklahoma 3 in the name of personal rights? Why not?

Has the ACLU stepped up to defend them? Why not?

Do we want our government to be so powerful that they can stop citizens from speaking out against the government, that the powers to be can use police force to stop ordinary citizens from signing and circulating petitions amongst themselves, that a City, County, State or the Federal government can use police force to restrain a law-abiding citizen from expressing a grievance against any level of government?

Guess it’s up to us, folks.