Take for example the current political campaign of Ernest Istook, a Republican member of Congress who is running to become Oklahoma's governor.

One of Istook's campaign fliers claims that Oklahoma's current Democrat governor increased state spending by 30.6 percent in the last two years.

Well, here is a reality check for Mr. Istook and his supporters.

In the state of Oklahoma, spending bills originate in the state legislature, not in the governor's office, and no spending bill reaches the governor's desk until it is passed by both houses of the legislature. Furthermore, for the past two years, the House-half of Oklahoma's legislature has been under Republican control.

So, Oklahoma's legislature is responsible for any growth in state spending, just as Congress is responsible for any growth in federal spending.

Furthermore, the state legislature, not the Governor, is the party responsible for how state tax dollars are spent.

Sadly, this little fact of life escapes the attention of some people.

For example, in response to one of my posts at Dodo World, an Istook supporter wrote the following about Oklahoma's current governor: "Brad Henry is a joke. He will not give us money for prisons, even though they are full and we are forced to release offenders way ahead of schedule. He gives all the money to his constituency (the Oklahoma Education Association) and none to law enforcement."

How is the above claim about Oklahoma's current governor a bunch of excrement? Let me count the ways.

Section IV-1 of the Oklahoma Constitution says the following (emphasis mine): "The powers of the government of the State of Oklahoma shall be divided into three separate departments: The Legislative, Executive, and Judicial; and except as provided in this Constitution, the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial departments of government shall be separate and distinct, and neither shall exercise the powers properly belonging to either of the others."

As I indicated earlier, the state legislature has the power to dictate how state tax dollars are spent, not the Governor. To claim that Oklahoma's governor gives out tax dollars is to reveal ignorance about how Oklahoma's government works.

As I see it, the mischaracterization of Oklahoma's current governor is the work of people whom Bill O'Reilly calls hyper-partisans.

Unfortunately, such hyper-partisanship isn't limited to Oklahoma, and it isn't limited to any particular political party. Throughout the USA, politicians are unconsciously hoping that voters will either turn off critical thinking or will have flunked whatever civics classes that they took while they were in school.

Sadly, some politicians will get what they are hoping for.

For the record, I am a registered Republican, and four years ago, I did not vote for Oklahoma's current Democrat governor. I write in defense of Oklahoma's current governor because I am opposed to any elected official being mischaracterized, even if an elected official is a Democrat.