TURNS out all those things we hear legislators say about using their position to do the people's business, about working to make Oklahoma a better place, are just empty rhetoric. Life at the Capitol is first and foremost about power — trying to get it, and trying to keep it.
That truth — not terribly surprising, really, but disappointing nonetheless — was made crystal clear recently in a letter state Rep. Don Armes, R-Faxon, sent to fellow Republican House members. It was distributed shortly after The Oklahoman reported that he and four other legislators had received warnings from the state Tax Commission for failing to file state income tax returns.
In the letter, Armes blamed "the liberal media” for trying to destroy the Republican majority in the House. The reason? Because "they hate everything we represent.” He said he had served under three speakers — Democrat Larry Adair, and Republicans Todd Hiett and Lance Cargill. The media worked diligently against Hiett and Cargill, he said, but, "I don't seem to remember them working over Democrat Speaker Larry Adair. Hmmm. Wonder why? Members, the enemy is clear.”
But the goal of fellow GOP House members, as spelled out by Armes, is even more clear: prime real estate.
He encouraged newer members of the caucus to visit the small offices on the fifth floor of the Capitol, which are now occupied mostly by House Democrats. He suggested they visit the "Fish Bowl” — a cramped area of offices on the third floor, where Republicans were situated before the GOP became the majority party in 2002.
"It would be a shame to lose our position now, especially as close at (sic) the Senate is to changing,” Armes wrote. "That is when the fun really starts. Please try to put aside our differences and remember that we MUST not let the media tear apart our caucus. ... we have to put our egos aside and fight like crazy to make sure the bigger goal is realized.
"We are all elected officials, rock stars, big dogs, whatever. ... ,” he wrote. "But I can promise you won't feel like a rock star in the fish bowl. Or on the fifth floor. I've been there and I'm not willing to go back without a fight.”
Armes told caucus members not to be fooled by the fact some Democrats also were named by The Oklahoman in the tax story, because "they will throw a couple of them under the bus just to make it look good.”
"The attacks are not going to stop,” he wrote. "So again I urge you to ‘Saddle up' and ‘dig in your spurs' we have a tough one to try to break this year. Oklahoma is at stake here.”
And nicer offices, too.
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