Tulsa Chamber Backpedals, Apologizes To Inhofe

The Tulsa Metro Chamber plans to issue an apology Tuesday to U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe for what it called misinterpreting his remarks concerning a defense bill and a provision on gays in the military, according to a letter obtained by the Tulsa World on Monday night.

"In working with Senator Inhofe's staff, we now understand Senator Inhofe's remarks were made in an attempt to clarify a legislative matter associated with the repeal of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy,'' Chamber President and CEO Mike Neal stated in the letter, which was intended for release as a Tulsa World letter to the editor on Tuesday.

"He provided examples of constituent communication in an effort to refute speculative fears about certain sections of the repealed National Defense Authorization Act.''

Neal said the chamber misunderstood Inhofe's message during an appearance at a chamber event last week. That misunderstanding, he wrote, led to a misrepresentation of Inhofe's intentions.

"Senator Inhofe is a steadfast supporter and champion of business issues and we apologize for misinterpreting his remarks,'' he wrote. "We appreciate all that he has done for the Chamber, Tulsa, Oklahoma and the Nation."

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