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From Examiner.com:
By Christopher Arps
It was called the Reagan Revolution: a realignment of the political system away from big government and corruption and toward conservative principles and an economic system steeped in free market ideas.
However, in many solid red states over the past decade, the Reagan Principles have been left behind as Republican majorities are ironically increasing in many of those states. And at the core of that paradox is an increasing capitulation by Republican leadership to big business, pimps for the tax credit crowd and more bows to the insurance industry than the President at an OPEC meeting. In other words, the new Oklahoma Sub-Standard.
The Oklahoma Sub-Standard began to really pick up steam with the sad regimes of former Senate Leader Glenn Coffee and Speaker Chris Benge. This blogger wrote numerous times of the leadership vacuum that engulfed the un-dynamic duo. Utterly lacking in any sort of skill set that would permit them to succeed in the free-market, these two now litter the public sector landscape with Coffee remote controlling the hapless new Senate Leader Brian Bingman from his perch as advisor to Gov. Fallin, something predicted by the Oklahoma Political News Service over a year ago.
But as to the present, observers in the region are pointing to the new Oklahoma Sub-Standard as the sure-fire way to scuttle permanent Republican majorities. Let’s examine one such issue: so-called ‘tort reform.’ Read more…
OKPNS: (July 29, 2007) “Anatomy of a Scandal”
1) Larry Witt and Steve Phipps conspired to funnel corporate contributions into the 2002 State Auditor campaign of Jeff McMahan. FBI affidavits and witnesses have testified that such money was paid to them for the purpose making said contributions. Estimated totals range from $75,000-$100,000. These funds made up a large portion of McMahan’s total contributions and had a significant impact on the election results….
5) Larry Witt (Ry-son Oil) is seeking to purchase shares in several abstract companies owned by Steve Phipps. The sale of Phipps’ shares can not take place without approval of Jeff McMahan, State Auditor.
6) Witt was named in the university housing bond scandal involving Senate president Pro-Temp Mike Morgan. Morgan is also said to responsible for funneling state funds to but Stipe and Phipps’ train that is sitting and rusting in Guthrie. Read more….
hat tip:HeritageFoundation
Related:
Video: Istook: ‘Marijuana causes Mental Illness’
Rasmussen: 58% Now Favor Health Care Repeal
Is this a joke?
Related:
Examiner: The early contender for worst bill of the 2010 session
News 9 in Oklahoma City discusses the ‘right wing rift’ we saw coming a year and a half ago:
The more conservative Republicans want to focus on social issues that include abortion restrictions, immigration and fewer regulations on firearms. Steele has said the Legislature should concentrate on economic development and plugging holes in the state budget.
Steele says House Republicans are united — but Republican Rep. Mike Christian predicts there will be “fireworks” during the meetings and says some in the GOP have privately questioned whether Steele is too liberal to be House speaker. Some ultra-conservative groups also plan to travel to Bartlesville. Read more…
Oklahoma City Conservative Examiner: (8/5/09)
But conservative Republicans outside the house GOP caucus are wary of Steel’s liberal tendencies, and the liberal-leaning and indolent Oklahoma press has done nothing to expose those flaws.
“Republicans in Oklahoma aren’t going to know a damn thing about this race, and the ‘aw-shucks’ liberal ab out to become Speaker,” one political insider, an avowed Steele critic, says about the election. Read more…
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!
First, we’re back! And what better time to get back into the mix than a day that features two of our favorite Oklahoma politicians: Sen. Harry Coates and Rep. Randy Terrill.
When OKPNS uncovered the truth about Coates and the pro-illegal immigration gang, the daily paper in Oklahoma City looked the other way. Now the paper has bitten the Seminole Senator. Right now the focus is on the alleged affair Coates had with the lobbyist, but insiders tell us at least one of the reporters for the paper may have had an enormous conflict of interest. We’ll be checking into that. Further, we’re told the paper had this story months ago, which leads us to wonder why the story came out AFTER a public body had awarded a contract on the new juvenile facility.
It’s fascinating that the liberal paper would turn on their former associate. Back when OKPNS was unmasking the lies and deception of the pro-illegal immigration crowd, Coates claimed we had gotten the documents as a result of being “hacked.” A sensational capitol press conference was held and an “investigation” was supposedly initiated. Not one single follow up inquiry was made by Coates’ friends in the press corps even though they knew then as now that there was no “hacking.”
Today Sen. Coates was probably reminded of the story of the frog and the scorpion. You may remember it: a scorpion approaches a frog to ask for a ride across a river. The frog is incredulous: “you’ll sting me to death,” the frog says. The scorpion counters that they would both drown, and the frog agrees. Mid-way across the river the scorpion viciously begins stinging the frog, and just before they go under the frog asks why the scorpion would do something so deadly to both. Replies the scorpion,”I kill things. I’m a scorpion.”
How’s that stinger feel now, Harry?
Yesterday’s devastating tornado (our condolences to the victim’s families) outbreak began just before the Bricktown Rotary program, scheduled for 5:30. Obviously the wailing tornado sirens put an end to the much anticipated discussion about how legislative leaders should be chosen in the future.
Despite the cancellation, we discovered one important item: State Sen. Brian Bingman of Sapulpa, the member hand-picked by outgoing senate leader Glenn Coffee to be his successor, had earlier declined to attend, citing a scheduling conflict.
As we’ve reported before, Bingman shares Coffee’s penchant for high-profile screw-ups. Bingman and Coffee’s bumbling miscalculation on Day 1 of the legislative session stopped Bingman’s Pro Tempore opportunity in its tracks. Most insiders say without backroom dealing and arm-twisting, the hapless Bingman would have no chance to be senate leader. Privately, the man some are calling “Bungleman” has few leadership qualities, including losing bills in his own committee and even earlier this session on the floor of the Senate.
Thus we weren’t surprised to learn that Bingman had ducked out of a public discussion about why transparency should replace cronyism. Unfortunately, the system that produced a colossal disappointment like Glenn Coffee is grinding away to produce yet another embarrassment for state Republicans. We’re sorry the meeting was cancelled, but Sen. Bingman’s duck and cover routine speaks volumes about why those who believe in the party of Ronald Reagan need to do everything possible to stop it from continuing to be more like the party of Ronald McDonald.
Related:
Oklahoma City’s Bricktown Rotary Club is attempting to shed some light into the legislative process, especially the part that deals with picking legislative leadership.
We received this press release about their meeting tonight to discuss whether or not legislative leadership should continue to be selected behind closed doors. You will recall that the current senate leader, Glen Coffee, has stumbled through his term, bouncing from one controversy to the next. In February, Coffee failed to get his handpicked choice for his successor, State Sen. Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, elected as the next senate boss, in part due to Bingman’s own contrivance. One wonders if the process were more visible if the quality of leader might just be kicked up a notch or two.
All the major candidates to succeed Coffee have been invited. It will be interesting to see who comes to face the music. The Bricktown Rotary Club meets tonight at 5:30 at the Bricktown Brewery in downtown Oklahoma City. The public and press (fat chance) are invited.
Developing………
Filing for the Oklahoma 2010 elections is just a few weeks away. With the entire House of Representatives, half the State Senate, judicial contests, state questions, most statewide elective offices and many federal seats up for grabs, there will be thousands of opportunities to meet the candidates over the next few months.
Why not help OKPNS help the voters to meet the candidates up close and personal!
We’re gearing up for the elections by offering you a chance to inform others through the video or audio recordings you capture on your phone or video recorder. If you are attending one of the many candidate forums or speeches this year, and you record breaking news, send it to OKPNS. We’ll post it, and you’ll be helping fellow Oklahomans truly get to meet the candidates without all the spin and advertising gloss.