NORMAN, OK – U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) today announced that their campaigns joined forces with the University of Oklahoma College Republicans to recruit over 350 volunteers for their campaigns and the campaign of Republican presidential presumptive nominee Senator John McCain.
 
Senator Inhofe:
 
"There is nothing more important to any campaign than a strong team of volunteers to help spread a positive message for Oklahoma's future.  In recent years, a lot has changed about how campaigns are run.  However, I'm confident there's one thing that will never change: people will always be the single greatest key to victory.  Without strong grassroots support, no candidate can have a truly winning team.  I am humbled by the number of new supporters recruited at the University of Oklahoma.  College students are the lifeblood of a fall campaign's volunteer force, and I'm excited about what we'll accomplish together in the coming months."
 
"Congressman Cole is a tremendous leader for Oklahoma and a tireless campaigner.  We're honored to be sharing the ballot with him and my good friend John McCain this November."
 
Representative Cole:
 
"I am excited to see that our joint effort with Senator Inhofe has led to the recruitment of so many young voters.  Clearly ours is a message that the young voters of Oklahoma believe in.  It is imperative that Oklahomans return Jim Inhofe to the United States Senate and that we have an infrastructure that can support Senator John McCain in his bid for the presidency."
 
"I am proud to move our campaigns forward with the help of these wonderful volunteers.  There is a lot of talk right now about the strength of the youth movement empowering Senator Barack Obama and the dark times ahead of the Republican Party in November.  If our success today at the University of Oklahoma is any indication of the interest young voters have in Senator John McCain, Senator Jim Inhofe and my own campaign, then I believe we have a great opportunity to take our conservative message back to Washington D.C. in November."
 
Nathan Atkins of Senator Jim Inhofe's campaign worked with Ryan Owens of Congressman Tom Cole's campaign to coordinate a joint volunteer recruitment effort at the University of Oklahoma during Howdy Day festivities on August 27, 2008.  Tessa Breder, OU College Republican Chairwoman and the many members of that organization helped make this joint effort possible.
 
            The campaign staff members made the following comments about the volunteer-drive's success:
 
"It was teamwork that brought the two campaigns together to recruit and share volunteers, and it was spirited competition among staffers and OU College Republicans at the recruiting booth that drove up the numbers of those interested in participating," said Ryan Owens with Cole for Congress.
 
"Senator Inhofe's campaign is blessed to have such strong support from students at the University of Oklahoma.  We look forward to working closely with college students across our state to elect great Oklahoma conservatives like Senator Inhofe and Congressman Cole as we work together for victory in 2008," said Nathan Atkins with Senator Inhofe's campaign.
 
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