For Democrats, An Opportunity Lost
Oklahoma Democrats apparently have lost a golden opportunity to capitalize on the tax scandal that has shaken Republican leadership in the House as Democrats try to regain seats there and face a determined effort by the GOP to take control of the Senate this election year.
Were the skirts of House and Senate Democrats clean in the tax scandal, they could campaign this fall on the issue of "Republicans don't pay their taxes on time."
But their skirts aren't clean and any political spin they might long for seems out of reach. In the House, one of the worst offenders in failing to file personal income tax returns is leadership member Jabar Shumate of Tulsa, an assistant minority floor leader, and while Republican Speaker Lance Cargill resigned his leadership position because he hadn't paid taxes on time, and Republican Speaker Pro Tem Gus Blackwell withdrew from the speaker's race for the same reason, Shumate remains a House Democrat leader.
Other Democrat House leaders with late-to-file tax problems include Ryan McMullen of Burns Flat, who heads the Democratic Caucus' 2008 campaign operation, and Richard Morrissette of Oklahoma City, darling of the uber-liberal side of the party.
On the Senate side, leadership member Connie Johnson of Oklahoma City was among late income tax filers.
On the House side, one Democrat questions how effective McMullen can be as head of the effort to defeat Republicans when he's among the late tax filers himself: "How credible can he be?" he asked.
A crestfallen Republican consultant said, "It's been a tough week. I'm afraid all we've seen will just have voters disgusted with all of them (legislators)...but thank God it wasn't just Republicans."
Were the skirts of House and Senate Democrats clean in the tax scandal, they could campaign this fall on the issue of "Republicans don't pay their taxes on time."
But their skirts aren't clean and any political spin they might long for seems out of reach. In the House, one of the worst offenders in failing to file personal income tax returns is leadership member Jabar Shumate of Tulsa, an assistant minority floor leader, and while Republican Speaker Lance Cargill resigned his leadership position because he hadn't paid taxes on time, and Republican Speaker Pro Tem Gus Blackwell withdrew from the speaker's race for the same reason, Shumate remains a House Democrat leader.
Other Democrat House leaders with late-to-file tax problems include Ryan McMullen of Burns Flat, who heads the Democratic Caucus' 2008 campaign operation, and Richard Morrissette of Oklahoma City, darling of the uber-liberal side of the party.
On the Senate side, leadership member Connie Johnson of Oklahoma City was among late income tax filers.
On the House side, one Democrat questions how effective McMullen can be as head of the effort to defeat Republicans when he's among the late tax filers himself: "How credible can he be?" he asked.
A crestfallen Republican consultant said, "It's been a tough week. I'm afraid all we've seen will just have voters disgusted with all of them (legislators)...but thank God it wasn't just Republicans."
Labels: 2008 Legislative Elections, Tax Scandal
posted by Mike McCarville @ 9:54 AM
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