Maybe he doesn't have statewide aspirations.

WASHINGTON - As a Democrat, Rep. Dan Boren is a minority in the Oklahoma congressional delegation and in the U.S. House of Representatives.

And on many key votes in his freshman year Boren has been a minority in his own party, siding with Republicans on such issues as the Patriot Act, tort reform, permanent repeal of the estate tax, energy policy, immigration, abortion, endangered species legislation, Head Start, flag burning and gun ownership.

On one controversial matter -- whether the FBI should gain access to a person's library records and bookstore purchases -- he was the only Democrat out of 200 voting to side with Republicans. Even many Republicans didn't side with Republicans on that one.

On several other votes, Boren was one of three or four dozen Democrats to break with their party's majority.

"I vote against my party quite often," Boren, D-Muskogee, said last week.

Because, you know, bragging about not being a Democrat worked so well in a statewide race for Brad Carson...