Yes, it’s real. Apparantly some people involved have some big money and influence.
For most of us in the urban areas, it all seems totally surreal.
Hey, at least the Turnpike Commision isn’t involved.
If it were not for the bit about how the guy was a “long-time defender of cockfighting”, I would have assumed this was a cunning piss-take designed to show that advocates of the sport were really into the cruelty aspect of it.
It almost seems like something straight out of a Seinfeld episode.
Otto
January 27, 2005, 2:06pm
5
Oh, more than one OK legislator is insane. Did you see who they sent to the Senate ?
“Republican Senate candidate Tom Coburn called his race against Rep. Brad Carson ‘a battle for the culture of America’ and ‘the battle of good versus evil.’” [AP 9/2/04]
“Coburn has a history of uttering inflammatory words that he later has to eat. On Friday, the local media reported that the family doctor said that Oklahoma is lagging in business development because ‘you have a bunch of crapheads in Oklahoma City that have killed the vision of anybody wanting to invest in Oklahoma.’ His spokesman was at a loss to explain to whom Coburn was referring.” [Washington Post 9/12/04]
"All right, listen, I know the tribal issues. I was a congressman where most of the Indians are in this state. The problem is that most of them aren’t Indians. The average Cherokee quantum is 1/512. All right, most people in this room have more Cherokee in them than the Cherokee…” [Altus Town Hall, 8/21/04]
Coburn Said He Favored The Death Penalty For Abortion Doctors; Admitted Performing Two Abortions Himself: The Associated Press State & Local Wire reported, On the death penalty, he said: “I favor the death penalty for abortionists and other people who take life.” [Associated Press State & Local Wire, 7/9/04]
Coburn Condemned NBC for Broadcasting Schindler’s List; Said Movie Polluted minds of Children: In 1997, Tom Coburn issued a press release condemning the broadcasting of ‘Schindler’s List’ on network television, taking offense at what he described as “full frontal nudity, violence and profanity” and “irresponsible sexual activity.”
Coburn, co-chairman of the Congressional Family Caucus, said the airing demonstrated that the new television rating system “only encourages the airing of more sex and violence.” While the show was given a rating for mature adult (TV-M) audiences only, Coburn said the “fact that it aired on public television on a Sunday evening during a family time should outrage parents and decent-minded individuals everywhere.” "Less than two months into this new rating system, the airing of this program raises the question of the sincerity of the networks in their purported effort to restore decency to television programming. "I cringe when I realize that there were children all across this nation watching this program. They were exposed to the violence of multiple gunshot head wounds, vile language, full frontal nudity and irresponsible sexual activity. It simply should never have been allowed on public television. Coburn said public outrage may be the only way to stop the networks “from polluting the minds of our children.” He said, however, that he continues to consider (sic) legislative ideas. [Press Release, Rep. Tom Coburn, 2/25/97]
And to think some of you say our lawmakers are wasting time and money. We need legislation like this, or the economy may never recover!
I, for one, welcome our new cockboxing entertainment overlords
Thank Ghod for Oklahoma.
They distract the gaze of the World from Tennessee’s warts & carbuncles.
Wow, Oklahomian (Oklahoen?) politicians are a crazed bunch!
A touch of trivial irony to this whole story-
The community that State Senator Shurden is from, Henryetta used to have as their school mascot the hen. They were the Henryetta Hens named after the old Disney character. They changed it in the late ‘70s (at least I seem to remember it was the late ‘70s) because the boys’ teams were embarrassed to be called the “Hens” (the girls’ teams for some fondness for redundency were called the “Lady Hens”).
Anyway, this guy and that community will forever be tied to poultry, apparently.
D_Odds
January 27, 2005, 4:17pm
10
As a fellow NYer, W.E. , we need look no farther than our own distinguished representatives in Albany for a lesson on dysfunctional state legislatures. You and I also have some colorful characters in our city government. His name eludes me, but do you remember the black councilman who took out an ad in the local newspapers defending his asian girlfriend? I believe he was the same one who recently started hurling debris at a reporter trying to ask him questions.
Zebra
January 27, 2005, 7:15pm
11
Oklahoma outlawed cockfighting in 2002 ?
D_Odds:
As a fellow NYer, W.E. , we need look no farther than our own distinguished representatives in Albany for a lesson on dysfunctional state legislatures. You and I also have some colorful characters in our city government. His name eludes me, but do you remember the black councilman who took out an ad in the local newspapers defending his asian girlfriend? I believe he was the same one who recently started hurling debris at a reporter trying to ask him questions.
That’s true, we do have some pretty wacky people ourselves. I’m not familiar with the NY pol and the asian girl fiasco.
/off to google
D_Odds
January 27, 2005, 7:30pm
13
So cockfighting in Oklahoma is “no glove, no love?”
