Examiner.com:

As the Oklahoma Political News Service reported in late January, Sen. Bingman was given the task of carrying SB 2298, as a political payback bill. But the unintended consequences made it in effect a pro-drug dealer bill that embattled senate leader Glenn Coffee desperately needed to get the official senate albatross, Fred Morgan, out of the building. Capitol insiders say the drug bill revelation and our previous reports last fall of Sen. Coffee’s emotional meltdown contributed to the derailment of Sen. Bingman’s bid on the first day of the legislature.

While the capitol press corps ignored the story, the Bingman defeat nonetheless leaked out through other media reports, with Oklahoma City’s News9 once again scooping the capitol gang. Two days after his Monday defeat, and with his long-term chances to succeed Coffee fading into the sunset, one observer says an obviously freaked-out Bingman, carrying a copy of the OKPNS story, shuttled back and forth feverishly to get leadership to quietly re-assigned the bill, ironically, to Sen. Anthony Sykes’ committee, which would have ensured a quiet death to this colossally-bad idea.

However, last week Bingman sought to put even more distance between himself and this controversy, withdrawing as author on February 8th. Then on Thursday the 11th, the bill was pulled from Sykes’ committee and re-assigned to the Judiciary Committee, so the Coffee-Bingman payback bill continues to attempt to find new life in the political equivalent of a witness protection program. Read more…

The Oklahoma Political News Service has learned that Sen. Glenn Coffee’s handpicked choice to succeed him as senate leader, Sen. Brian Bingman, is the author of a horrific bill that will make drug lords rejoice and gut the ability to resist foreign drug cartel influence in Oklahoma. Really.

If it were a laughing matter, SB 2298 could be called the “Coffee-Bingman-Morgan Mexican Drug Lord Methamphetamine Stimulus and Fattening of Coffee’s Political Action Committees Act of 2010.” But it’s real, and it is definitely NOT a laughing matter.

Sources inside the Oklahoma anti-drug community say Bingman’s bill effectively guts Oklahoma law enforcement’s ability to interdict illegal drugs and the profits headed to Mexico. So why in the world would a man who is a leading contender to be the next senate leader sponsor a bill that will pad drug dealers pockets and open the flood gates to a new wave of imported meth? There are two plausible answers.

One, he did this all on his own; but while we’ve heard Sen. Bingman is not the shrewdest legislator, sources tell us he’s NOT a bad man. He just consorts with a couple of them.

Second, he didn’t know what was in the bill. Now this one just doesn’t look very good either, but our money is on this excuse. Our sources say this bill likely came from the current occupant of the pro tem’s office. They further say a lobbyist for a very large international company that makes beau coup money off wire transfers is the driving force behind this travesty. Coffee exploited the opportunity, (more on that in a moment) took personal charge of this request, and handed it off to Sen. Bingman. It is incredible to think they actually thought they could get away with this affront to all that is good and decent, but they did.

Sources say this the circumstances surrounding this gutless triumph of power over principle could why some may have misinterpreted the actions of a few courageous Republican senators. Indeed, it appears Sen. Bingman’s reputation as an unsuspecting and easily-duped lawmaker is more than just a stereotype, and that objections to his elevation as senate leader stem from the fear he’ll be a gaffe machine, unable to lead and incapable of resisting the corrupt agendas of Coffee and Morgan, the right hand man who has been foisted onto the state chamber of commerce after a month of begging by Coffee.

Yes, the most likely reason is that Sen. Bingman was given the task to carry the bill in order to complete a nasty little arrangement. Here’s the scenario: a huge international conglomerate who makes enormous profits from unsuspecting drug dealer wire transfers gets annoyed at having to follow a new and effective law regulating such transfers. Putting profits before decency, this prominent member of a large liberal state lobbying entity that specializes in corporate welfare presses any and all who will listen to help them get rid of this ‘annoyance.’ Coffee gets their bill introduced at the highest level, assures them of leadership guidance and suddenly the liberal state lobbying entity makes Coffee’s problem-child disappear, despite the fact that Morgan has nothing in his resume’ to merit his hiring. Multiple sources have confirmed this scenario.

Now the Coffee crowd and his apologists in the press corps are going to dismiss this post because they’ve got no other choice. It’s doubtful the capitol press will inquire. But any reporter can in a few calls confirm this account. Let’s hope they do, but this time we doubt the press can successfully keep the information from the people because of the influence of State Rep. Randy Terrill.

You can dispute the narrative, but you cannot dispute the grave damage to drug interdiction and enforcement this bill will inflict. Rep. Terrill and Sen. Anthony Sykes (made to look foolish last year by Coffee when he lied to Sykes before sending the public safety chairman out do an interview with Dave Jordan regarding the Coffee Department of Corrections lie) authored HB 2245, which Coffee and Bingman are trying to dismantle. This brilliant bill, the first of its kind in America, is a vital tool for law enforcement in investigating and interdicting illegal drugs and drug profits. The vicious Mexican drug gangs use couriers called “mules” to move their profits, but they no longer drive the streets and highways with trunk-loads of cash. To avoid detection, they now wire millions and millions of dollars back home to the drug lords; ironically, HB 2245 placed a fee on suspected drug-related wire transactions, and those funds are being used to fund the anti-drug efforts. A law enforcement legal expert tells OKPNS that the Coffee-Bingman bill is insidious in that it attempts to “carve out every possible exception” to the original bill, effectively cutting off funding, as well as gutting, the ability of law enforcement to investigate and interdict. Unbelievably, Oklahoma Senate Republicans are carrying a bill that would make Tom Hayden proud. Ronald Reagan must be spinning in his grave.

But back to the good guys: Rep. Terrill has beaten the chamber of compromise crowd more times than a rented mule, and we hope he does so again. Try as they will, even the press corps won’t be able to keep a lid on this. Terrill has access to media, and law enforcement loves him. For Sen. Bingman to have come within a hundred miles of this bill is enormously poor judgment. To mess with a Terrill bill that protects our communities, our children and that is used a primary weapon against the drug cartels demonstrates Sen. Bingman is simply not leadership material.

This flaw is ultimately why capitol insiders say Sen. Bingman has no business being senate leader.  Simply put, Sen. Bingman’s lack of savvy is why he was picked: to unquestionably do the bidding of two bad Republicans.

While we don’t want to quarrel with our friends’ conclusions over at Okie Pundit, after today’s revelation, we don’t think those Republican senators they wrote about are behaving in a “treasonous” manner. Quite the contrary: we think stopping a political disaster for Republicans before it happens deserves another word: Patriot.

Related:

Okie Pundit: Four Senate Republicans Threaten to Join Democrats

Email we received yesterday from former ODP Chair Dr. Ivan Holmes

I read your post today on Senator Coffee. Clearly it appears that something is terribly wrong behind closed doors inside the Republican caucus. Since I am a Democratic political operative and former party chairman and you, Mr. Arps, are a conservative Republican, there are most assuredly many items in the public policy arena on which we will disagree. But there is one item on which we are in complete agreement: we despise corrupt public officials.

In 1974, I served as the campaign manager for a then-unknown college professor who traveled across Oklahoma in a crusade to sweep out corruption. I’ve never tolerated corruption. The Boren Broom Brigade lives on in the hearts of many reform minded Oklahomans. I am also a former journalism professor, and I’ve been very disappointed at the press’ nonchalant attitude toward Senator Coffee’s unethical behavior. When I read the details of the smear on AG candidate Jim Priest, and the compelling evidence that Senator Coffee was involved, a light went on for me.

Last Thursday I received a late night phone call from a man who identified himself as Sen. Coffee. This individual sounded as if he were intoxicated. Slurring his words, he said he heard I was thinking about holding a press conference on the ethics report he turned in concerning his travel, lodging, and meal reimbursement in 2008 and I better be careful of what I did or I would be sorry. That incident was consistent with the reports coming out of OKPNS these past few weeks. That incident settled in my mind the accuracy of the reports I’ve seen in your blog. While we disagree on many public policy issues, I nonetheless appreciate Republican reformers such as you and, Chair Gary Jones. Sen. Coffee offers Democrats a prime target in this year’s elections.

Ivan Holmes

Embattled Senate Leader Glenn Coffee today announced that his own personal millstone, consigliore Fred Morgan, is leaving his post to head the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce, the largely impotent voice of liberal big business and cradle for Oklahoma corporate welfare.

Coffee has been under fire in his caucus over personal and professional missteps. Morgan has drawn the ire of many Republicans for bad advice and bad manners. Coffee had been fighting to keep Morgan by installing weak lackey Sen. Brian Bingman, which would have preserved Coffee and Morgan’s access to potential lobbying jobs.

The most likely casualty of this development is Bingman, who refused to commit to firing the irascible Morgan in order to get Coffee’s blessing to be the next leader. Insiders say the weak Bingman has been increasingly frustrated with having to swallow the Morgan deal, and he had complained to sources recently about the Morgan “albatross” hanging about his neck.

The selection of Morgan is ironic in that he has never been successful in the private sector, with only an interest in a mediocre law firm specializing in bill collections.

One insider says the Morgan selection is particularly rich in that Morgan has been living on a state salary since he termed out of the legislature and finished last in the 1996 Republican primary for the 5th Congressional District. “Couldn’t hack in politics, barely hacks in the legal field and now going to the left-leaning state chamber of commerce,” he says. “Nice pairing, since both are experts in what it takes to make businesses fail.”

Coffee has tabbed former State Sen. James Williamson, R-Tulsa to succeed Morgan.

Now if the senate’s other well-known bad apple will follow Morgan, Republicans can get back to the regular type of business, instead of the monkey variety.

Developing…..

Related:

Okie Pundit: Breaking Story: House and Senate Republicans Implicated in Questionable Financial Dealings

Since the beginning of our news service, we’ve shown the hypocrisy of the Oklahoma news media. We’ve broken more investigative stories than anybody over the past few years, important stories the news media won’t dare touch. Our readers appreciate that. We’re not a press release service/news aggregator disguised as a blog and we don’t attempt to be non-partisan. We’re proudly pro-Republican and conservative. But there is one thing in particular we really, really dislike: unethical politicians. And given the choice between exposing a dirty Democrat and a dirty Republican, we’ll go after the bad Republican because we believe a cancer in our house is worse than a cancer in theirs.

Which leads us to today’s post: according to OKPNS sources, the politician behind the Jim Priest smear could be none other than embattled Senate Leader Glenn Coffee. If he’s not, it’s a heck of a coincidence!

Here’s what we predicted, and here’s the smear, and now we explore the Coffee angle.

According to our sources, Coffee was overheard on December 16th in an Oklahoma City restaurant talking to a political operative analyzing the various candidates running for attorney general. Insiders say Coffee, who lusted after the open AG seat despite a dismal record as a private attorney, is bitter because last year’s tax cheating and assorted other foul-ups cost him any chance at winning the post. During the conversation, our sources say Coffee spoke on a variety of topics, including the attorney general race. In the most telling aspect of his careless conversation, Coffee said Priest’s biggest hurdle was that “Priest is representing his church in a case where a youth pastor diddled some kids.”

Coffee’s cavalier attitude toward sexual assault aside, his filthy and obscene characterization of Priest is a lie. According to court records, Priest has never entered an appearance as a lawyer for the case. But it helps add drama and filth to the smear, right?

About two weeks later, the character assassination was underway, now with an ally in the press; coincidentally an ally in desperate need of newspaper sales. On New Year’s Eve, new motions were filed in the case that mentioned Priest several times. In the original filings, Priest was barely mentioned. In what we are sure is simply a coincidence, courthouse insiders tell OKPNS only about a week later the case was being “amped up” by the plaintiff’s counsel, which is approximately the same time the daily newspaper reporter began to ask questions. When the inaccurate and poorly-written report was finally published, the reporter used a distorted headline to indicate that Priest had “obstructed justice.” The basis for that assertion was a police officer’s deposition. Sounds like at least one reporter needs a little orientation on precisely who usually makes determinations as to what constitutes “obstruction of justice.” Note to newspaper hack: it isn’t cops, but it is a nice technique for advancing a smear.

The story was clearly a filthy hit job: if Priest did something illegal, opposing counsel should have complained to the authorities. They did not. If paper boy thought Priest had done something illegal, the reporter would have sought expert opinion on this matter. He did not. But the paper boy got his distorted headline and the smear was complete.

We don’t know if Sen. Coffee orchestrated this smear job, but if there’s a list of suspects he’s right at the top. The fact that Jim Priest is a Democrat is of no consequence: according to several sources, the threatening, badgering, menacing Glenn Coffee is situation normal at the state capitol these days. We do know Coffee’s recent behavior leaves many capitol insiders shaking their heads in amazement, and in this particular situation we know he was overheard in public talking about the case, while adding salacious and false aspects to his description. If it walks like a duck and threatens to burn down your house like a duck, it’s probably a big fat duck arsonist!

It may be that it is entirely a coincidence that a well-orchestrated effort to defame a good and decent man was underway only days after this careless public conversation. Or it could be that Jim Priest is one of the “houses” Sen. Coffee has promised to “burn down” if he doesn’t get his way.

Regardless, if Sen. Coffee is behind this smear, he should be held accountable by right-thinking Republicans and the press as well. But both groups stand mute. Further, a bitterly contested effort is underway in the senate to determine who will succeed Coffee. Our sources say ethical lines are being crossed, but other Republicans stand by doing nothing. When good Republicans stand idly by while corrupt Republicans run amuck, it is indeed a sad day.

The great Irish politician Edmund Burke said, “All that’s necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” So far in Oklahoma, Republicans have got the “doing nothing” part down cold.

One other item worth mentioning: our source indicated that the man identified as Sen. Coffee mentioned another candidate in the AG’s race in less than flattering terms. He is reported to have said he couldn’t “support” this candidate, so if you’re reading this, Ryan Leonard, it would pay to watch your back if you know what we mean.

Related:

Examiner.com: 8 questions press corp should ask Glenn Coffee

We told you last week about the smear job that was percolating between a powerful legislator and a lazy, willing reporter at the state’s main newspaper. well the smear job has come to light. We know the newspaper and reporter and now we know the candidate being maligned. The one piece missing in the puzzle is the identity of the powerful legislator?

Developing….

After performances like today, it is easy to understand why rank and file Republicans continue to be disgusted by conniving RINO’s, and little wonder why thinking conservatives continue to abandon our party and head to the Tea Party movement.

Oklahoma is the reddest of Red States, but continuing to turn a blind eye to venal and corrupt leaders is an unwise way to build for the future. After last session’s revelations, Coffee has no political future as an elected official: even the indolent press corps knows that. We know Coffee is always worried about another attempt to send him packing. He has to keep his core gang of “consultants” in place to keep their money machine humming, and his future employment prospects as well.

So perhaps Oklahoma voters should turn their attention to the Republican senators who are helping him hold on to power. Perhaps the press corps would attempt to get every Republican senator to go on the record about their own support or opposition to Coffee. Perhaps monkeys will nest in the Capitol rotunda. Asking the press corps to do their job? It’s not going to happen. What IS possible is for the voters to ask their own senators if they support Coffee. If they do, it’s time to replace them in the next primary with Republicans who won’t tolerate corruption.

Related:

Examiner.com: No crystal ball, but close

Examiner.com:

Oklahoma Senate Republicans get the ball rolling today in the run-up to the legislative session. They’ll be talking about their agenda: it’s believed job creation, energy stabilization and government reform will headline the GOP effort.

But here’s what everybody really wants to know: will Glenn Coffee come unhinged this session? Read more…

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…

Examiner.com:

Like a snowball rolling down hill, the advocates of abortion that are tied to Sen. Coffee’s lawsuit reform bill have unwittingly “outed” themselves less than 24 hours after a Oklahoma Political News Service report tied pro-abortion doctors to the process.

State Rep. Pam Peterson, R-Tulsa, is blasting Oklahoma’s three largest chambers of commerce after they began lobbying Gov. Henry to veto a stem cell research bill that pro-life groups say defends innocent human life. Read more…