Turkey Heads to Turkey, Maybe!

OKPNS FLASHBACK: 84 Days & Counting: Where’d You Go On Your Last Vacation Governor? – June 15, 2007               Image Credit: ronblackradio.com

“Most of us in this chamber are here because our constituents sent us here. They placed their trust in us, and in return we must pledge to them a government of complete openness and transparency.” Gov. Brad Henry – 2007 State of the State Address

“Henry spokesman Paul Sund says the location of first family outings are kept secret to avoid interruptions from people who want to talk or perhaps have dinner with the governor. Sund says the governor’s office will reveal the location when the governor returns…” (AP) March 23, 2007

As we all know by now, Governor Henry NEVER did reveal where he went on his secret vacation last spring, even though his spokesman Paul Sund promised to tell us after he returned. Sources told OKPNS that Henry was vacationing in Mexico at the Margarita-villa of trial attorney Terry West:

“Turns out that while leaders in the House and Senate were hammering out the details of a historic bipartisan budget agreement — the earliest in decades, it seems — Governor Henry was lounging on the beach and soaking up the rays in Cabo San Lucas at the posh vacation digs of trial lawyer Terry West.

The governor has publicly pledged to be in favor of lawsuit reform, but the reality is he’s in the hip pocket of the ambulance chasers.” Read more…

As his current trip to Turkey can attest, this governor sure seems to have a penchant for secrecy, especially when it comes to his travel schedule. From the Green County Values blog:

“Update 7/28/08: No press release has been posted to the governor’s website as of 9:20 am today. I called the Gov. Henry’s office, and was told that the server is down…no other information available.”

GCV did a little detective work discovered Henry is traveling with a group called the Institute of Interfaith Dialogue (IID). According to GVC, The IID is an anti-Jewish organization, currently based in Houston, TX.

“This trip is part of Governor Henry’s fascination with Islam. Last September, he “dedicated September 16, 2007 as the interfaith dialog day through a proclamation,” and in 2004 Henry created Oklahoma’s “Ethnic” American Advisory Council, made up of Muslims. This council distributed centennial copies of the Quran to Oklahoma legislators last year, annoying some, and drawing the ire of some Christians, who have been fighting for the continued right to share our faith in public for many years, now.” Read more…