Burned Cup of Coffee?

Sources tell OKPNS that the race to succeed Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee has turned ugly.

The upcoming 2010 session will be Sen. Coffee’s last year as senate leader, and insiders say four incumbent Republican senators are vying to be the Pro Tem for the 2011 legislature: Cliff Aldridge, Brian Bingman, Harry Coates and Brian Crain. Republicans outnumber Democrats 26-22 in the Senate.

While it is unusual for an outgoing leader to inject themselves into succession fights, even more unusual is the manner in which Coffee is interfering. Sources say Coffee is not only threatening and cajoling Republican members, but is also menacing lobbyists with threats that their legislation will be DOA if they don’t support his candidate, which insiders indicate is Sen. Bingman of Sapulpa.

Our sources say Sen. Bingman is known as an amiable member, but has relatively poor leadership skills, occasionally even having difficulty getting his own bills passed in the committee he chairs. It appears Bingman’s primary value to Coffee is that he has refused to commit to major staff changes should he win the leader post, which translates into Bingman NOT firing consigliore Fred Morgan, a former minority leader in the House of Representatives. Morgan is a controversial figure within the caucus and several leading members want Morgan to follow Coffee out the door next year. Morgan is blamed for much of the bungling manner in which Coffee handled the income tax problem last year, and his abrasive style has created real enemies inside the Republican caucus. Read more…