Published: October 21, 2006 11:51 am      

Dunn mounts challenge

DUNCAN — James Dunn has a story to tell.

The question is, will enough voters listen?

Dunn, a practicing attorney from Edmond, has set himself the task of unseating incumbent Drew Edmondson, the popular state attorney general who has been in office since 1994, winning three terms.

And it’s those years that Dunn says are the reason he, not Edmondson, should be elected.

“He’s had 12 years. What is he going to do in the next four that he hasn’t had the time to do already? It’s time for a change. It’s time for new blood and new ideas.”

Dunn was in Duncan recently during one stop on a tour that he estimated has rolled up 3,000 miles thus far.

“I believe I can win,” he said of his race. “The polls show that I’m having an effect. The Edmondson name has been on the ballot a long time.

“But I’ve been taking my message to Chambers, civic organizations and clubs. I’ve even addressed 15 Democratic groups.

“This is a non-partisan race about people, which is just like my practice has been.

“The attorney general’s office should be non-partisan. It should not be a Democratic or Republican office.”

Dunn said he’s telling voters his platform is “clean, honest, moral government,” with an aim to restore faith in those who represent the public.

“I don’t think we have it today,” he said. “Our citizens don’t have confidence in their state or federal government.”

Yet despite that lack of confidence and a failing belief in elected leaders, Dunn said not much has happened to restore that in Oklahoma.

“We’ve had one political prosecution in 12 years,” referring to that of former state Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher. “I don’t think that’s enough.

“I don’t think we’ve prosecuted the tough stuff.”

Dunn said the AG’s office also hasn’t stood up for the citizens of Oklahoma in several high-profile cases.

“The Supreme Court has infringed on our rights to lift up our moral heritage,” he said, pointing to judgments relating to public displays of the Ten Commandments across the country and in Oklahoma.

“Nobody has the right to tell us that we can’t do that. We want our heritage, our history intact.

Dunn said AG’s office should have stepped in on behalf of the county when the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in Haskell County to stop a display of the Ten Commandments on the courthouse lawn.

“It’s the office’s duty to look out for the people’s interests.

“We need to take hold of our moral background and stand up for our rights to acknowledge God. I think that reflects Oklahoma.”

Dunn also said the attorney general’s office should be looking out for the public’s interest in cases of eminent domain under the guise of economic development. Dunn said in some cases, eminent domain is being used as “a license to steal property through the arm of the government.”

He cited his own work as an attorney “free of charge” representing families where “the people were being abused by the power of government” in several cases of eminent domain claims.

Dunn also took exception to Edmondson’s prosecution of several out-of-state poultry companies. The state has accused the companies of releasing hazardous substances and other pollutants into the Illinois River watershed and Lake Tenkiller.

Dunn said the lawsuit was misguided and called it “an attack on Oklahoma agriculture. This is just feeding the trial attorneys.”

Dunn claimed the only reason for the lawsuit by the state of Oklahoma was to benefit the attorneys involved.

He said a better result would be achieved by taking a similar approach as the OERB (the Oklahoma Energy Resource Board) that has cleaned up abandoned well sites across the state.

“By industry working with government, we can do the same for water quality as the OERB has done with its cleanup efforts.”

Dunn said each of these cases illustrate where the attorney general’s office has failed to look out for the public’s interests.

“We’ve got the staff and the talent in that office to use, if the attorney general chooses to lead.”

Dunn said he would be such a leader.

“Compare the candidates,” he said. “I will stand up for Oklahomans.”