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We couldn’t help but be amused that another figure who put OKPNS on the map is back in the paper. Rep. Terrill has had a better time with the Oklahoma City daily paper: each and every time he takes on the paper he wins.
The Moore representative is back in the legislature despite a steady drumbeat of propaganda against him initiated by the paper, and the irony of Terrill and Coates being in prominent stories in the paper on the same day was simply too much to resist.
The Oklahoman:
Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, said the fracture between conservative House Republicans and Speaker-elect Kris Steele is widening after he said last week he would ask fellow Republicans to focus on economic issues.
“I was offered a position but declined,” Terrill said. “I simply felt that it would be inappropriate for me to accept a position when I may not fully share Speaker-elect Steele’s vision in what needs to take place in terms of our caucus agenda.
“I reached the point in my legislative career where I don’t need a title to be relevant. Read more…
Thanks to all of you who have written and called to urge us to get back into the Oklahoma political scene. You were right: there is just to much going on/being ignored for us to stay out any longer!
From The Lost Ogle:
“Let’s say you’re Glenn Coffee. You just watched the former Republican Speaker of the House, Lance Cargill, go down in flames due to a scandal involving unpaid taxes. Knowing that your party was in great shape to take over control of the state senate, and that you, as the highest ranking Republican in the chamber, were in position to be the president pro temp, what would your first priority be prior to the elections?
If it’s me, I head over to my accountant (in my case, me) and make sure that I have my taxes in order. That’s the difference between me and Glenn Coffee, though. He waits until the IRS puts a lien on his house for two years worth of unpaid taxes.” Read more…
Related:
The Oklahoma Observer: Coffee’s Double Talk
“Even long shot Oklahoma state Sen. Andrew Rice (D) rivaled his incumbent opponent’s totals, raising slightly less than Sen. James Inhofe’s (R) $910,000. Inhofe still maintained a $2 million-to-$450,000 cash advantage.”Read more…
From Stan Geiger – An Oklahoma Blog:
According to SEC filings, V. Burns Hargis bought 10,000 shares of Chesapeake stock on September 15th.
Chesapeake Energy, a top nat gas producer, has been particularly active in the political arena of late. It, along with super OSU benefactor Boone Pickens, has been pushing nat gas as a transportation fuel. Hargis, in addition to being president of state-funded OSU, is a longstanding Oklahoma political operative. Immediately upon getting hired as OSU prez he got appointed Chesapeake director, and now, all of the sudden, he’s a sizable shareholder in the company.
Well now, this makes for an interesting game of connect the dots. Read more…
From the perpetual sour grapes department.
Washington Post Investigations:
“Two former Republican governors, Frank Keating of Oklahoma and John Engler of Michigan, accuse Cheney of leaking closely held information from Keating’s questionnaire in order to damage his bid for a cabinet post. “Dick Cheney coming into my life has been like a black cloud.”
“The more they (national media) pile on, the stronger Governor Palin’s support among conservatives will be,” former GOP consultant and broadcaster Mike McCarville told a national satellite radio audience Monday night. “The politics of personal destruction by liberal Democrats, the intrusion into family life by the national news media…by the time they leave Minnesota, she’ll be a national hero to the conservative base, and McCain needed that.” – Keith Gaddie
Here’s a fine example of over the top and grasping at straws commentary from the left side of the Oklahoma blogosphere. From the “Sinister” blog:
Bristol Palin: 17.
Her boyfriend: 18.
That’s statutory rape.
Current Palin scandal count: 12342345368942.
Ron Black: PROFOUND GRASP OF THE OBVIOUS AWARD GOES TO…KEITH GADDIE! “Congrats, Keith. To say that Palin will be well liked in Oklahoma is tantamount to saying that Obama will be liked in San Franciso. You win today, buddy!“
Right On! Children as political targets
From Politico.com
“In spite of the fact that I might disagree ideological or politically, I think it’s helpful for my daughter. My 8-year-old daughter asked me during my second term, when we were getting sworn in, she asked me, ‘Daddy, do you have women congressmen?’ So, I think there is a psychological benefit.
It is good to see an African-American nominee for major political party. Now it’s not going to shock us as much. No more than to see the female reporter or black quarterback or black Republican or the Hispanic head coach.” – J.C. Watts, former Oklahoma Republican congressman from 1995 to 2003
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee on the Rush Limbaugh Show today discussing Sen. McCain’s possible VP picks: (via My Take blog)
“He may throw the long ball and pick somebody like a Frank Keating, somebody that hadn’t even been talked about because everybody’s focused on a handful of names and, you know, McCain just might shock the daylights out of all of us.”
Dustin McGowen, former candidate for House District 54, released this statement last night on his ill fated run against Rep. Paul Wesselhoft. The popular Wesselhoft is founder of the annual “Skunk Master Award” for legislation which best “exhibits the pugnacious, stagnant smell of governmental greed.”
It’s considered anathema to run against an incumbent if he or she is of the same political affiliation. I got calls from party leaders and legislators trying to bully me into withdrawing my candidacy. I’m sure they figured I was some punk kid, just running to see his name on the ballot. My campaign showed, however, both to the Oklahoma Republican Party and to my community, is that I am serious about honest and capable representation at the State Capitol.
While this campaign allowed me to get my feet wet, I am not just a ripple in the pond.
I ran a smart campaign that stuck to the issues of fiscal conservatism and family values. I also tried to reveal a possible conflict of interest with Rep. Wesselhoft’s concurrent position in a tribal government, even though I was called an “anti-Indian” polemic for doing so. I showed voters my opponent’s record of misguided legislation, and told them where I would stand if elected.
I’m glad to have run this campaign. If for nothing else, I know that Rep. Wesselhoft will be mindful that he can be challenged in the future. Forcing incumbents into a campaign keeps them honest, and keeps them in contact with their constituency.
This will not be my last political campaign. I’m going to spend some time with my family, finish my undergraduate degree at Northeastern State University and gauge my options. I’ve dreamed for the last decade about representing a constituency, and this setback will not dash my hopes. Now that I know how to lose – winning comes next.”
The Stillwater NewsPress asked a few legislators this question last week. “What would be the biggest challenge if you were a legislator 100 years ago?’ Sen. Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater brought us this gem which is our quote of the day.
“Thinking about my ancestors, it was adjusting to wearing shoes.”