The Gadfly: Benge's Rock And A Hard Place
By Mike McCarville
He's refused Open Record requests from KTOK, The Oklahoman and Fox 25 News to view videotapes that would show who removed President Obama's portrait from the House chamber wall.But will Benge refuse to make the tapes available to fellow House members? We're told several (in both parties) have asked Benge to make the tapes available. Apparently, Benge thus far has refused to do so. Ergo, we have the specter of the leader of the House refusing to even let fellow House members know what occurred.
This is a dangerous slope Benge is sliding down.
If he continues to refuse to turn the tapes over, he faces further ridicule and, some suggest, rebellion among some House members. If he does turn them over to House members, we'll see them on the television news and on websites within hours, I guarantee. Thus, the secret(s) would be out.
The baffling thing here is exactly what Benge thinks he is accomplishing by refusing to release the tapes. He says he's simply trying to prevent embarrassment of members other than Rep. Lewis Moore, who admits moving the portrait once.
But his refusal has resulted in speculative hallway talk, the most prominent of which is that the tapes show several GOP House members whose reelection bids this fall could be in danger if their constituents see them removing Obama's portrait. This suggests the members are from urban areas where Democrat registration and Republican registration is fairly even. If that is true, this becomes a pure political issue Democrats would be certain to pursue.
Another rumor is that Benge is protecting some young Capitol pages who got carried away and took down the Obama portrait.
And another rumor has it that the tapes show members of Benge's leadership team taking the Obama portrait down.
Whatever the case, Benge has gotten himself into a no-win situation. Continued stone-walling will just exacerbate it. He should release the tapes and end this drama.