The Oklahoma Ethics Commission thinks it needs more money to investigate ethic violations by politicians.

The commission, with seven staff members, feels “stymied” without more funds. They are asking for an additional $360,000 to add five more employees.

Legislators are not too crazy about giving them the money.

Are they afraid of increased investigations?

No, the lawmakers are more concerned about wasting taxpayer dollars.

The commission wants a budget increase, but last year when it received a 30% increase in funding, most of it went to employee pay raises.

Now the commission figures they don’t have the money to investigate public officials, but on the upside they are able to take fancier vacations.

(from Foolocracy.com)

No surprises here.

A total of 23 electoral votes.

Still…losing Pennsylvania was a killer.

They seem to come in pairs of two lately, don’t they?

DNC member Lena Taylor of Wisconsin…

State Sen. Lena Taylor from Milwaukee announced her support for Obama on Wednesday afternoon. Late Tuesday night University of Wisconsin-Madison student Awais Khaleel announced his endorsement for Obama on a YouTube video.

That makes 11 superdelegates in Wisconsin for Obama with just two for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Three superdelegates remain undecided. They are U.S. Sens. Herb Kohl, Russ Feingold and Feingold staffer Paula Zellner.

…And Mike Morgan of Oklahoma…

Morgan was a supporter of John Edwards for the Democratic nomination before Edwards suspended his campaign. Edwards on Wednesday also announced his support for Obama.

Morgan says he believes Obama will be a plus for legislative candidates across the country as the Democratic nominee.

He says Obama is “creating enthusiasm from voters unlike anything we have seen in our lifetime.”

Post-Pennsylvania Delegate Pickups:
Obama – 58.5
Clinton – 14.5

Total Superdelegates:
Obama – 289.5
Clinton – 273.5

Total post-PA pickups after the jump…

Obama superdelegate pickups:
Mike Morgan (OK), DNC – May 14, 2008
Lena Taylor (WI), DNC – May 14, 2008
Awais Khaleel (WI), DNC – May 14, 2008
Lauren Wolfe (MI), DNC – May 14, 2008
Christine Schon Marques (DA), Chair – May 14, 2008
Pete Visclosky (IN), Representative – May 14, 2008
Anita Bonds (DC), DNC – May 13, 2008
Roy Romer (CO), DNC – May 13, 2008
Joe Donnelly (IN), Representative – May 13, 2008
Ray Nagin (LA), DNC – May 13, 2008
Daniel Akaka (HI), Senator – May 12, 2008
Dolly Strazar (HI), DNC – May 12, 2008
R. Keith Roark (ID), Dem Chairman – May 12, 2008
Tom Allen (ME), Representative – May 12, 2008
Crystal Strait (CA), DNC – May 11, 2008
Harry Mitchell (AZ), Representative – May 10, 2008
Dave Regan (OH), Add-On – May 10, 2008
Kevin Rodriguez (VI), DNC – May 10, 2008
Carol Burke (VI), DNC – May 10, 2008
Kristi Cumming (UT), Add-On – May 10, 2008
Joe Johnson (VA), DNC – May 9, 2008
Vernon Watkins (CA), DNC – May 9, 2008
Wilber Lee Jeffcoat (SC), DNC Vice Chairman – May 9, 2008
Laurie Weahkee (NM), DNC – May 9, 2008
Mazie Hirono (HI), Representative – May 9, 2008
Ed Espinoza (CA), DNC – May 9, 2008
John Gage (MD), DNC – May 9, 2008
Peter DeFazio (OR), Representative – May 9, 2008
Donald Payne (NJ), Representative – May 9, 2008
Rick Larsen (WA), Representative – May 8, 2008
Brad Miller (NC), Representative – May 8, 2008
Jennifer McClellan (VA), DNC – May 7, 2008
Inola Henry (CA), DNC – May 7, 2008
Jerry Meek (NC), Dem Chairman – May 7, 2008
Jeanette Council (NC), DNC – May 7, 2008
Lauren Dugas Glover (MD), DNC Vice Chairman – May 5, 2008
Michael Cryor (MD), DNC Chairman – May 5, 2008
Kalyn Free (OK), DNC – May 5, 2008
Jaime Paulino (Guam), DNC & Territory Vice Chair – May 4, 2008
Parris Glendening (MD), Governor – May 3, 2008
Inez Tenenbaum (SC), DNC – May 3, 2008
Brian Colón (TX), DNC – May 3, 2008
Paul G. Kirk, Jr. (MA), DNC – May 2, 2008
John Patrick (TX), DNC – May 1, 2008
Barbara Flynn Currie (IL), DNC – May 1, 2008
Todd Stroger (IL), DNC – May 1, 2008
Richard M. Daley (IL), DNC – May 1, 2008
Joe Andrew (IN), DNC – May 1, 2008
Bruce Braley (IA), Representative – Apr 30, 2008
Lois Capps (CA), Representative – Apr 30, 2008
Baron Hill (IN), Representative – Apr 30, 2008
Ben Chandler (KY), Representative – Apr 29, 2008
Richard Machacek (IA), DNC – Apr 29, 2008
Jeff Bingaman (NM), Senator – Apr 28, 2008
Charlene Fernandez (AZ), DNC & State Vice Chair – Apr 26, 2008
David Wu (OR), Representative – Apr 24, 2008
Audra Ostergard (NE), DNC & State Vice Chair – Apr 23, 2008
Brad Henry (OK), Governor – Apr 23, 2008

Clinton superdelegate pickups:
Vicki Harwell (TN), Add-On – May 14, 2008
Arthur Powell (MA), Add-On – May 10, 2008
Ciro Rodriguez (TX), Representative – May 9, 2008
Chris Carney (PA), Representative – May 9, 2008
Brad Ellsworth (IN), Representative – May 7, 2008
Heath Shuler (NC), Representative – May 7, 2008
Theresa Morelli (Dems Abroad), DNC May 5, 2008
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (MD), Lt. Governor – May 3, 2008
Jaime A. Gonzalez Jr. (TX), DNC – May 2, 2008
Andrew Cuomo (NY), DNC – May 1, 2008
Thomas DiNapoli (NY), DNC – May 1, 2008
C. Virginia Field (NY), DNC – May 1, 2008
Carmen Arroyo (NY), DNC – May 1, 2008
John Olsen (CT), DNC – May 1, 2008
Luisette Cabanas (PR), DNC & Territory Vice Chair – Apr 30, 2008
William George (PA), DNC – Apr 30, 2008
Ike Skelton (MO), Representative, Apr 29, 2008
Mike Easley (NC), Governor – Apr 28, 2008
Kathy Sullivan (NH), Add-On – Apr 26, 2008
John Tanner (TN), Representative – Apr 23, 2008

Clinton superdelegate losses:
Kevin Rodriguez (VI), DNC – May 10, 2008
Donald Payne (NJ), Representative – May 9, 2008
Jennifer McClellan (VA), DNC – May 7, 2008
Arlene P. Bordallo (Guam), DNC & Former Territory Vice Chair- May 4, 2008
Joe Andrew (IN), DNC – May 1, 2008

Get ready for a lot of posts like this, because there really aren’t a ton of superdelegates left and this math matters now more than ever.

From NewsOK:

Gov. Brad Henry, who said earlier he would not endorse a Democratic presidential candidate until this summer’s national convention, announced this morning he is supporting Barack Obama.

The endorsement means Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois who finished second in Oklahoma’s presidential primary earlier this year, picked up one more superdelegate.

“Senator Obama is uniquely positioned to unite our nation and move beyond the divisiveness and partisan skirmishes that too often characterize politics as usual in Washington,” said Henry, who is in the middle of his second term.

“Senator Obama and his positive message reflect the best of America,” Henry said.

What Hillary needs now to help change this inevitability narrative Obama has going is to pick up 2 superdelegates for every 1 he gets. Or at the very least pick up 1 to his 1. Because he’s only 28 behind her at this point (256/228) and if he can’t catch her in that total too, well, it’ll be pretty devastating.

More as it develops…