By ANDREW W. GRIFFIN

Oklahoma Watchdog, editor

Posted: June 23, 2010

andrew@oklahomawatchdog.org

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sitting in an Oklahoma City restaurant, the self-described “libertarian-leaning conservative” Kevin Calvey, one of a number of Republicans running for the 5th congressional district being vacated by Mary Fallin, appears relaxed and engaged at the same time as he spoke to Oklahoma Watchdog on a recent late-spring morning.

Calvey, who served as a legislator from Del City for eight years , addressed a number of different issues – issues that are important to Oklahoma and America.

Wars and national defense

Calvey touts his experience having served in the Army National Guard in Iraq in 2007 and 2008 during the troop surge, where, in his late thirties, he worked towards the prosecution of Al Qaeda leaders.

“I’m the only one running who has served in a combat zone,” boasts Calvey, sharing examples of when he was in harm’s way while serving in Iraq. He would later be awared a Bronze Star for his service.

Asked about America’s involvement in that volatile region, Calvey said he was supportive of the Iraq war and its goals.

“I’m convinced we were right in getting rid of him,” Calvey said of Saddam Hussein, who he thought was going to be the “next Adolf Hitler.”

“He had oil wealth and was in a violent area of the world. He was positioning himself to be the leader of the entire Arab world.”

And while thought to be a secular leader, Calvey said he recalled being in one of Saddam’s old palaces and seeing how the Iraqi leader had entwined his own name with that of Allah, indicating his religious views.

“I understand war is sometimes necessary,” Calvey said. “Some of these people will never stop in trying to kill us. Military action is sometimes necessary.”

While Calvey has worked alongside Muslims and doesn’t have a problem with them, Calvey said “the fanatics are extremely dangerous.” The conversation shifts to neighboring Iran.

“Th thought of a nuclear Iran should be horrifying to every sane person on the planet,” Calvey said. “We would be morally justified to go after Iran.”

Calvey says this, adding that the Arab world is fed up with Iran as well. He noted that Iranians are supplying Iraqi insurgents with weapons that kill Americans in Iraq.

“They are killing US soldiers,” Calvey said.

Back in March, The Edmond Sun reported that Calvey referred to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a front organization for the terrorist organization Hamas. Asked about his concerns regarding CAIR, Calvey reiterated that “they’re a propaganda arm of various terrorist groups … Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.”

Continuing, Calvey said, “They have a presence in Oklahoma. They are an evil organization, the moral equivalent of the KKK. They should be shunned by decent Americans.”

Asked whether or not he supports the building of a mosque near the site of the former World Trade Center in New York, Calvey says he supports freedom of religion but that building it so close to that site “sends the wrong message.”

Energy

Moving on to energy issues, Calvey addresses the ongoing British Petroleum oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

“It’s surprising they’re not able to cap this leak,” Calvey said. “It’s disappointing it’s lasted this long.

“Now the idea that it taints all offshore drilling is ridiculous,” he said. “

Calvey criticized the federal government for allowing the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate hydraulic fracturing for natural gas extraction. The federal government, he said, should be leading the way when it comes to utilizing natural gas, particularly in powering government vehicles.  He noted that while serving in the Department of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt saw to it that the Navy switched from coal-to-oil-powered ships.

“We need to switch the government from oil-based to natural-gas-based,” he said.

“I will make it an issue, if elected,” he said of promoting natural gas.

Regardless, hydraulic fracturing should be a state issue.

“This issue can be handled by the state,” Calvey said, adding, “I feel very passionate about energy independence in America as a national security issue.”

Calvey expounded on the security issue, noting that tyrannical foreign governments can use oil as a weapon.

“This is an issue of patriotism,” he said. “The best way to defeat an enemy is to cut their supply line. For our enemies that (line) is oil and the money they make selling it.”

Economy

“We’re going the way of Greece,” Calvey said of the United States. “It is immoral for us to put that kind of debt burden on our children and grandchildren.”

Growing government, higher taxes and increasing burdens on business is causing our once-robust economy to sputter a lot more than it should, he noted.

“I think the administration’s vision destroys liberty,” he said. “My vision for liberty is one where liberty flourishes … more than it is right now.”

“The American free enterprise system is the greatest  job creating, poverty fighting system the world has ever seen. But the Obama administration is meddling. That is the wrong thing to do,” Calvey said, adding that the economic policies of the Reagan era should be embraced.

Calvey said if the economy is allowed to work, wrongheaded methods like stimulus spending wouldn’t be necessary.

Immigration

Calvey is supportive of legal immigration. But with “so many people breaking the law” the situation in this country, particularly along the border, is “unacceptable.”

“The law needs to be enforced,” he said. “(Immigrants) need to apply lawfully.”

“I am opposed to amnesty,” he said. “I think we need to do what we can to secure the border and enforce the law.”

Related to his earlier comments about national security, Calvey said it is not entirely out of the question that “terrorists can scoot across the border.”

Asked about the tax credit law passed by the Oklahoma legislature in the past decade, Calvey, who was chairman of the House Revenue and Taxation committee, said some things were not handled well and that yes, he did get contributions from Paul Doughty, the troubled former president of the First State Bank of Altus,  during his previous run for the 5th District seat several years ago.

“I’ve not had contact with any of those people,” he said of his previous campaign donors (i.e. Doughty).

“The tax credit was passed before I was in the legislature,” Calvey said. “The rule is that it was like any other tax return. They don’t give out people’s tax returns. That’s where that came from.”

Calvey said at the time, some legislators, including himself, proposed more transparency in the law but the Democrats, who controlled the legislature in those days.

Calvey referenced the failed Great Plains Airlines that then-Sen. Brad Henry touted and was benefiting from the tax credit law.

“I led the fight against it … the planes didn’t even have the fuel capacity to get (to Washington) as advertised,” he said.

Still as reported at several places online, including the investigative Prowling Owl blog and DemoOkie, “Calvey was the author of an amendment to a bill advertised to close the tax credit loophole costing taxpayers 100s of millions per year. ”

Calvey does have his critics. Yet, talking to him about it, he seems to agree mistakes were made and that he did what he could at the time to make things right to help the state.

“I would have been happy to get rid of the program all together,” Calvey said, adding, “We would be well-served to say we’re not doing any tax credits of any sort.”

And now, Calvey is hoping to get to go to Washington and represent Oklahoma’s 5th District, someone who is, as he says, “a proven fighter.”

“The purpose of government is to secure our rights,” he said, noting the virtue of freedom and liberty.

And the Calvey campaign is going full-steam ahead leading up to the July 27th primary.

“We’re in a  very good position. I’m very thankful to all my supporters and dozens of volunteers. 20,000 volunteer calls to voters. We feel like we have the momentum in the race.”

For more information go to www.kevincalvey.com.

Copyright 2010 Oklahoma Watchdog