Do Senate Democrats Want To Give Riley Back To The Republicans?

State Senator Nancy Riley, who switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party in a fit of pique after running third in the GOP primary for lieutenant governor, reportedly is now irritating the Democrats just like she irritated a lot of Republican colleagues. Here's the deal, as our mysterious and unnamed Capitol sources tell it: When Senate President Pro Tem Mike Morgan and a few others decided to endorse Pete Regan (the loser) in his lieutenant governor primary with State Rep. Jari Askins, Morgan didn't consult Riley or any female Democrat in the Senate. And Riley reportedly was offended, almost as offended as she certainly was by the in-print lashing she got from the Sand Springs Leader when she switched parties. The newspaper's editorial said Riley's complaint that she didn't get money or endorsements from the GOP during her race simply meant "there were more qualified candidates." And the editorial added: "She also whined that she wasn't taken seriously because of her gender. That type of comment is offensive to women who are successful in government. Just look at the state's current lieutenant governor, Mary Fallin (Ed's Note: Or Brenda Reneau...or Sandy Garrett on the Democrat side). She's a fine example that competent, articulate females will be taken seriously by male counterparts." The editorial describes Riley as a "turncoat" and asks, "What was she thinking?" Only she knows.

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