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Apparently, an Oklahoma U. S. House staffer doesn’t like our editor, as this comment left this morning on one of our posts seems to indicate. Because the Senate and House all use the same IP addresses for their computers, we thought it would be impossible to trace which Congressional office this was sent from. But we talked with a former Senate colleague this afternoon who was our office’s IT guy and he said yes, it can be traced and he’ll look into it for us. Developing….
The “Teflon Glenn”
Okie Pundit is reporting that the race to succeed Glenn Coffee as Senate Speaker Pro Tempore has taken an unexpected turn. We predicted problems back in December.
Related:
NEW Top Ten Coffee Enemies List; Rep. Terrill Added
Examiner.com: 8 questions press corp should ask Glenn Coffee
Nothing yet on The McCoffeeville Report Online about the latest headache for the Speaker Pro Tempore. Only informative and intriguing stories like this.
We called our friend Mike McCarville over at The McCarville Report Online/press release service/news aggregator and thanked him for today’s post. Apparently, Mr. McCarville’s criticism of our editor stems from us “needling him over the last two years.” Like most journalist types, they can dish it out, but apparently can’t take it themselves. We apologize Mike if our “needling” took you over the edge. We were always taught to respect our elders and If you’ve been slighted in any way Sir (tongue firmly planted in cheek) then we apologize.
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 received this via the tipline earlier this week. okpns_editor@hotmail.com
You will see that on his very first report he shows a $2000 loan from a Mr. Brett Farley – I think he is a financial consultant of some kind – - loans from private individuals are illegal under Oklahoma ethics laws – banks are okay but not an individual loan.
He does report the loan on the front page of his report but it strangely disappears on his next report with no record of paying the loan back!
Related:
Okie Pundit: Tad Jones Campaign Immediately Takes Low Road
Okie Campaigns: REESE RESPONDS TO SCURRILOUS, BASELESS ATTACK
Front Row: state Rep. Anastasia Pittman; Annie C. Kirk, president of the central Oklahoma chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction and sponsor for the Teens of America Inc; Traveno Carter, president of the Langston College chapter of the NAACP and of the state conference for the youth and college division; Nina Ellison, partnership specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau; and Anthony R. Douglas, president of the Oklahoma State Conference for the NAACP.
*Also in picture is state Rep. Mike Shelton; District Judge Tammy Bass LeSure; Vice President of the Oklahoma City NAACP Branch Garland Pruitt and students from Teens of America Inc., NAACP and of the state conference for the youth and college division and Oklahoma City Youth Council division
OKLAHOMA CITY —State Rep. Anastasia Pittman helped sponsor the statewide NAACP youth and college-division membership training in the House Chamber recently, which focused on preparing the students for leadership roles and assist with the Census 2010 project.
Traveno Carter, president of the Langston College chapter of the NAACP and of the state conference for the youth and college division, was the facilitator for the event.
“Training young leaders to establish new chapters and revive pre-existing chapters is essential to our growth and our national goal of reaching over 20,000 active members by March 2010,” said Carter.
Pittman said the main focus of the meeting was to prepare the youths of Oklahoma to be ready for the 2010 Census and to get the community involved to help develop community partnership with all organizations involved with sponsoring the youth of Oklahoma.
“Next time the census comes around this year, it’ll be youths filling it out, and we want to make sure they are trained on how to correctly enter information plus be able to show others. It is important this census is as up-to-date and accurate as possible and that all young individuals are counted.”
From Examiner.com:
The liberal think tank OKPolicy.org has released an issue brief that proposes policy options to manage Oklahoma’s budget downturns. Their four suggestions are: Read more…
We have terrorists boarding airplanes with explosives in their underwear, and now we learn that more stimulus money is going to non existent areas. And these people want to run our healthcare?
OKLAHOMA CITY – A non-existent ZIP code in Oklahoma received nearly $12 million in stimulus funds under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
According to Recovery.gov, 74443 received $11.9 million. But the United States Postal Service has no record of it.
It’s a problem nationwide. Earl Glynn, reporter for Kansas Watchdog in Overland Park, Kan., compiled more than $375 million in 170 ZIP codes that do not exist. This includes stimulus funds designed for grants, loans, and government contracts.
In Oklahoma, information compiled by Kansas Watchdog and by Bill McMorris at Watchdog.org show that a St. Louis, Mo.-based company, Hartman-Walsh Painting Company, received stimulus funds for “rehabilitation and painting gates (at) Fort Gibson Dam” east of Tahlequah on the Wagoner-Cherokee county line. It also notes that a dam in Kansas is to be painted as well.
The nearest community, Okay, Okla., has a ZIP code of 74446. The nearby town of Fort Gibson has a ZIP code of 74434.
The dam project has not proceeded because “bonds submitted, waiting for notice to proceed.” Read more…
From Examiner.com:
By: Reggie Whitten
President, Oklahoma Association for Justice
As you might have heard by now, Gary Jones, the Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party, has filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Logan County against 12 different individuals and entities alleging a number of causes of action. Chairman Jones’ lawsuit stems from his failed 2002 and 2006 campaigns for the post of State Auditor. Even though he did not receive enough votes to win these elections (and it’s unclear whether he would have), Chairman Jones alleges these 12 defendants committed fraud and caused him damages, including mental anguish, emotional distress and punitive damages.
Some have called Chairman Jones’ lawsuit “frivolous.” The Oklahoman even editorialized that both the Chairman of the Republican Party and the Oklahoma courts have “better things to do.”
It seems to me somewhat ironic that the Oklahoman would throw stones at Chairman Jones for filing a lawsuit. The Oklahoma Publishing Company or “OPUBCO”, the entity which operates and distributes the Oklahoman, certainly has no problem seeking relief in the court system when it feels it has been wronged, which is precisely what Chairman Jones did. Read more…
Federal Recovery Act funds are helping to bring a fresh water source to a small town in Southeastern Oklahoma.
Hat tip:OklahomaHorizonTV