TLO Dumpster Fire (15)

Welcome to this week’s Dumpster Fire!

Before I get to this week’s links, here are a few quick follow-ups to previous Dumpster Fire fodder…

We’re Still Waiting for That Media Exposé on John Waldron

A month or so back, I mentioned in a previous Dumpster Fire that a local media outlet was said to be working on a piece addressing rampant rumors floating around the Capitol about State Rep. John Waldron.

Well, it’s been almost a month and we’re still waiting!

That’s a shame, because the general gist of the story – Waldron being forced out as party chair after he allegedly used AI inappropriately to woo potential candidates into politics – is pretty juicy!

In addition to that, the subplots – Democrats’ internal discussions about what to do and Waldron’s decision to ignore some internal calls to step down from the House – would also make for a good read.

Anyway, I don’t know what the holdup is on the story, but I hope the whole on-the-record truth finally gets out there!

Until then…

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We Called It on Kevin Hern!

As I predicted in last week’s Dumpster Fire, Tulsa congressman and McDonald’s franchise mogul Kevin Hern became the first alpha dog to throw his name into the U.S. Senate race. Here’s his boring announcement video:

Now I guess the question is whether or not Governor Stitt will run against McHern in the primary.

According to the Ogle Mole Network, that’s the primary reason for Stitt’s visit to Washington, D.C., this week – basically using the open Senate seat to negotiate a truce of sorts with Trump and, at the very least, convince the president to stay neutral in the race. If that can be worked out, expect a kind of fun battle between the Kevins for the open Senate seat over the next six months.

Update: Unless you believe Kevin Stitt, I guess no truce was reached. So much for our Battle of the Kevins!

One person we know neither Kevin will face is Stephanie Bice...

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After Prayerful Consideration, Bice Decides Not to Lose U.S. Senate Race…

Man, it would have been fun if God had led her on a bit and convinced her to run. I was hoping we’d get a super fun election year where the gubernatorial race, U.S. Senate, and CD-5 are all up for grabs. Oh well, at least she’ll finally be able to address cord-cutting streaming reform:

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Matt Pinnell Announces He’s Getting Out of Elected Politics

According to the rumor mill, he’s the frontrunner to be the next president of ORU.

Honestly, that would be a perfect fit. Pinnell’s a churchy guy, and a long-time GOP do-gooder who has experience smiling politely while wealthy donors make questionable decisions.

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Integris Finds Good Distraction for Closing Employee Child Care Center…

Maybe I worked too closely with Integris in my lab days and know how they operate, but it’s probably not a surprise that a day or two after the shocking news that they’re closing their employee child care center, they announced they finally struck a deal with UnitedHealthcare.

I’m not saying the two things are related, but as my daughter would say, the timing is sus.

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Gordon Ramsay Visited OKC…

I’m a sucker for Gordon Ramsay shows, so I guess it’s cool that he came to OKC to try to get people to visit his chain restaurant that apparently is doing so well Gordon had to fly out to Oklahoma on the Monday after the Daylight Saving Time change to drum up business.

Naturally, Ramsay’s visit set off Mayor Holt's Celebrity Radar. He rushed to Chisholm Creek to meet the celebrity chef, selfie stick in tow:

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Report: SGA Still Good at Basketball

I was at the game last night, and there’s nothing quite like seeing something that’s never been done before in person.

In other news, I never thought I’d see a better basketball player in OKC than Kevin Durant, and I’m pretty sure SGA has already proved me wrong.

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Drillers Unveil Most Fitting Oklahoma Sports Team Name of All Time

Honestly, I’m surprised it took this long for an Oklahoma sports team to be named after ranch dressing. The OKC Chicken-Fried Steakers can’t be far behind.