The Gadfly On The Wall

KTOK State Capitol Correspondent Bill Bateman has resigned to take a state job with someone come January 1st.

Terri Watkins (Jeff McMahan) and Dick Pryor (Jari Askins) are going from television journalism to political flimflamery. Having gone from newshawk to flimflamerist myself 40 years ago, three words of advice times three: Don't look back. Save your money. It won't last.

Note to the powers-that-be at the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, from whence Pryor departs: How about Keith Gaddie (right, with Pryor on left) as the host of "Oklahoma Forum"? An expert. Loads of institutional knowledge. No political party baggage. Wide list of friends and acquaintances on both sides of the aisle. Gravitas.

Senate leaders Mike Morgan (D) and Glenn Coffee (R) have issued their Senate power-sharing agreement. Paper is one thing; implementation is another. Ron Black is optimistic.

Democrats of Oklahoma the blog has some compassionate users. Of the just-deceased Jeane Kirkpatrick, "Bobbie" posted this: "Dead or alive, the woman was a bitch." Look up "class" in the dictionary and you won't find Bobbie's photo.

Mark Shannon this morning: "Democrats knew about it and lied."

Media creation Barack Obama has about as much chance being elected president as does John McCain. None.

It's not over. Texan Jim Cardle's "Just The Facts America" secretly-funded attack on Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland continues to bubble beneath the surface more than a month after the failed attempt to defeat Holland.

My friend Eric at Christian Brothers Automotive at Hefner and Rockwell in Oklahoma City hosted our final "Coats For Kids" radio fundraising event last Friday, his 38th birthday. I've got sport coats older than that.

Steve Phipps, he in deep doodoo because of the ongoing FBI investigation in southeastern Oklahoma...and his wife, Brenda...graduated from Kiowa High School in 1973. Their classmate: Reba Nell McEntire. Another classmate: Roy Hatridge, who was one of Phipps' partners in that controversial proposed dog food factory.

Captain Kevin Calvey, U. S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps, departs (again) for Iraq in January about the same time as my 20-year-old Navy Seabee grandson, Colby Stuck. God speed and keep them both.

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