Jeff Cloud: The Dumbest Republican Politician in Oklahoma?

We read it, but we can’t believe it.

Jeff Cloud, the incumbent Corporation Commissioner seeking re-election for another six-year term, has been a favorite topic for OKPNS because he’s so, well, entertaining.

We’ve documented his penchants for, shall we say, a lax work ethic. And we’ve criticized him for cozying up to apostate Republicans and trying to leverage his position into a high-paying, low workload position with a company he regulates as a commissioner. Cloud’s done pretty well for himself serving in a variety of jobs that he gained for being a trusted aid to folks like J.C. Watts, Kirk Humphries and Frank Keating. But then he lost track of his conservative roots and began voting with Jim Roth to screw ratepayers.

For most of the campaign, Cloud has led in the polls. But now, the heat has been turned up, and it appears Cloud is trying hard to blow his lead over Democrat challenger Charles Gray. The wheels began to come off when Gray’s sleuthing caught a frantic Cloud getting caught passing the hat at an AT&T fundraising event for Cloud in Dallas recently, and the video has been a hit on OKPNS and on YouTube. In response, Cloud has just plain freaked-out.

In a state with such mental giants as Senators Harry Coates, it’s difficult to imagine what we’re about to announce: Jeff Cloud must be the dumbest Republican politician in Oklahoma.

Okay, be seated before you read this: Cloud went on the Gwin Faulconer-Lippert show on KTOK in Oklahoma City Sunday night and announced that THERE WAS NO FUNDRAISER! That’s right, he denied it happened. No, we’re not kidding: see for yourself. And he goes on to say that the video is a doctored-up version of a basement tape concocted by the mad doctor, Charles Gray. That’s right, it never happened, it’s all camera tricks!!! You know, like the Bigfoot tape and the doctored-up Zapruder film.

But there’s more: Cloud goes on to say he doesn’t take money from those he regulates. That’s right. And the mouthed that roared doesn’t stop there with the insanity. He goes on to say he hadn’t seen Gray on the campaign trail, when virtually everybody familiar with politics knows Gray has been caring for his wife, former state legislator and current Oklahoma County District Judge Twyla Mason Gray as she recovers from several major surgeries resulting from her decades-long battle with breast cancer.

Several sources tell OKPNS that Gray has dropped a bundle on TV time for the last 7 days, and Cloud has been caught unprepared for the charges. So in a fit of pique, Cloud goes on the radio and lies about a fundraiser and about the money he’s taking from those he regulates. Not happy with that fine piece of strategy, he opens the doors to more criticism by insulting women, cancer survivors and care givers.

But all may not be lost for Mr. Jeff Cloud. Remember, it would take follow up by the capitol press corps to make this story grow legs, and of course, we all know how inquisitive that group of “journalists” are, don’t we?

Related:

Examiner.com: Roth Gets Free Ride On “Flashpoint” Program

“Your Vote Counts” Video: The countdown is on to election day  “[Cloud's] voting record frankly isn’t much different than Jim Roth’s.” – Rep. Terrill