First, we’re back! And what better time to get back into the mix than a day that features two of our favorite Oklahoma politicians:  Sen. Harry Coates and Rep. Randy Terrill.

When OKPNS uncovered the truth about Coates and the pro-illegal immigration gang, the daily paper in Oklahoma City looked the other way. Now the paper has bitten the Seminole Senator. Right now the focus is on the alleged affair Coates had with the lobbyist, but insiders tell us at least one of the reporters for the paper may have had an enormous conflict of interest. We’ll be checking into that. Further, we’re told the paper had this story months ago, which leads us to wonder why the story came out AFTER a public body had awarded a contract on the new juvenile facility.

It’s fascinating that the liberal paper would turn on their former associate. Back when OKPNS was unmasking the lies and deception of the pro-illegal immigration crowd, Coates claimed we had gotten the documents as a result of being “hacked.” A sensational capitol press conference was held and an “investigation” was supposedly initiated. Not one single follow up inquiry was made by Coates’ friends in the press corps even though they knew then as now that there was no “hacking.”

Today Sen. Coates was probably reminded of the story of the frog and the scorpion. You may remember it: a scorpion approaches a frog to ask for a ride across a river. The frog is incredulous: “you’ll sting me to death,” the frog says. The scorpion counters that they would both drown, and the frog agrees. Mid-way across the river the scorpion viciously begins stinging the frog, and just before they go under the frog asks why the scorpion would do something so deadly to both. Replies the scorpion,”I kill things. I’m a scorpion.”

How’s that stinger feel now, Harry?

OK media lap dogs drop the ball on Sen. ‘Dirty” Harry Coates “stolen documents” case

“The Star, AP and St. Louis paper seek to join Blunt e-mail case” - Kansas City Star 6/11/08

This headline – and similar headlines – were front and center yesterday on the websites of all the major Missouri news organizations yesterday. Although it’s outrageous for an “objective and unbiased” press to purposely inject itself into the middle of a hot Governor’s race by joining a lawsuit by the attorney general against the governor, there are those who would argue that an aggressive press that is willing to expose corruption and inform the public is a good thing. It really all comes down to a question of motive doesn’t it? Did I mention that the Democrat attorney general is also currently running for governor?

All of the above is really just a set up for the rest of this post. We celebrated the two month anniversary yesterday of Sen. “Dirty Harry” Coate’s infamous “somebody stole my documents” press conference at the Capital. “Dirty” swore that he was going to get to the bottom of this and that somebody was going to pay! It’s been two months now and the public still has not received an accounting of the final results from the taxpayer paid investigation. OKPNS is calling for the Capital police to immediately release the videos and the results of the investigation.

More importantly, where is the Oklahoma press, the esteemed fourth estate, the defenders of the first amendment? The public has a right to know if there is a skillful Houdini out there that crept into Coates’ office unseen and unheard and slipped away with Chesapeake’s master plan to repeal HB 1804 – or as what is commonly believed – Coates simply left the documents in a Capital restroom. Either way, the public has a right to know.

Sen. Patrick Anderson

Sen. Dirty Harry Coates, fresh off ruining the promising career of a weak-minded Enid state senator this week, has marred two more reputations. Two Tulsa World reporters, attempting to come to the rescue of Coates’ toady Sen. Patrick Anderson, botched an easy story about an incident in this week’s “official English” proceedings, and now it’s the reporters who have egg on their faces.

In a piece that would have been given an “F” by a first year journalism instructor, World reporters Mick Hinton and Barbara Hoberock penned a breathless and dramatic story that defies both logic and eyewitness accounts.

The story alleges State Rep. Randy Terrill threatened Anderson with physical violence, despite denials by Terrill and an eyewitness. The setting for the alleged encounter was revealed to OKPNS readers, but ignored by the capitol reporters until today.

Further, Anderson’s statement comes one day after he told his local paper the whole incident was “a practical joke.” Anderson apparently felt so bad about his childish behavior that he sent flowers to Terrill’s personal assistant, but changed his tale when presented the opportunity by the ‘big city’ papers. Hinton and Hoberock obviously didn’t check Anderson’s story from the previous day, a journalistic faux pas so glaring that no doubt their editors will be speaking to the pair about the gaffe.

The latest incident is the third time in 3 days Anderson has changed his tale, beginning with “no comment” the day OKPNS outed his alliance with flaky Senator Harry Coates of Seminole.

“It’s not unusual to see error-filled and disjointed stories from Hinton,” one capitol observer tells OKPNS, “but it really is a very, very poorly written story with a misleading headline designed to assist Anderson, who will probably lose a primary fight over this issue if he draws a respectable opponent. I’m sure when the reporters find out how they’ve been duped, it will help them be a little less naive next time.”

While we at OKPNS consistently uncover hypocrisy in the capitol press corps, it’s simply amazing to see them confirm the stereotype time after time. Here’s the account Anderson gave his paper on Wednesday, and his radically different account only one day later.

Developing……

Click here to listen to Senator Harry Coates

Click here to listen to Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Chad Smith

State Sen. Harry Coates (R-Seminole) said he was appalled that Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, was “gaveled down” during a House committee hearing on legislation to make English the “official” language of Oklahoma.

The Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation was not allowed to share his concerns about the legislation and was treated badly. I believe he should have been given the courtesy of expressing his views in what is supposed to be the people’s house.

Smith said he found it very odd that he was not allowed to speak, but that public input was allowed later in that same committee on another bill. He also said he was offended that the measure’s author, Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, was attempting to use the “awesome power” of the State of Oklahoma to forcibly assimilate people. Smith continued:

We’ve been trying to resist forced assimilation for centuries. It’s probably one of the most patronizing and paternalistic insults that I’ve ever heard…

Coates pointed to the tremendous contribution of the Native American Code-Talkers whose ability to pass on sensitive information in tribal languages aided the effort by the allies to win World War II.

Coates said despite exemptions in the bill for languages of the 39 federally recognized tribes in Oklahoma, he’s also heard from other tribal members and leaders who oppose this legislation as divisive and discriminatory. Coates:

They remember all too well a time when Native Americans were targeted by English-only school policies that were part of an effort to destroy their culture and way of life. There are many stories of Indian children who were literally beaten as punishment for not speaking English.

Coates said he had no doubt the bill has its supporters.

I’m sure hate groups like the KKK applaud the actions taken today. Are these the people we really want to pander to?

The amended bill will now go before the full House of Representatives.

I’m certain SB 163 will pass in the House, and then it will come straight back to the Senate Floor for a final vote. But before that happens, I hope that people will think about the serious ramifications this will have for Oklahoma, putting us in an even more negative light world-wide and promoting greater discrimination against all minorities.

Smith concluded the interview by saying:

…What this has become is a badge and a brand of intolerance, mean-spiritedness, close-mindedness, cold-heartedness.