Democratic House Leader Scott Inman thinks Republican legislator ‘hates Speaker Steele more than I do’

By Patrick B. McGuigan

Published 16-Mar-2011

 
In a speech last weekend to a training session for Democratic activists in Oklahoma, state Rep. Scott Inman of Del City said Republicans were trying to “strip every single thing” members of the Democratic party had “fought for for over a century.”
 
Inman, who is the leader of Democrats in the Oklahoma House, also said the fact his part had only 31 elected members in the state House “a depressing number,” and that “we can’t even kill an emergency without Mike Reynolds.” He added, “I think Mike hates Speaker Steele more than I do, so it’s kind of nice to have a relationship.”
 
Inman said it used to “warm my heart” to see a photograph of statewide elected Democrats, knowing that his party had “eleven statewide office holders out of the 13.” Inman said the group in the photo included one Corporation Commissioner.
 
Oklahoma elects 11 statewide officials. Prior to the 2010 election, eight of the eleven were Democrats, three were Republican, including every member of the Corporation Commission. After the election, every statewide elected post in the state is held by Republicans.
 
The YouTube video is available here. In the video (from about 6:45 to 9:01), Leader Inman said:
 
“For the first time in state history, the Republicans control everything in state government. It took them less than five weeks to try to strip every single thing we fought for for over a century. …
 
“I used to walk into the state Democratic party headquarters just a couple of years ago and there was a photo on the wall that really warmed my heart. … Jus last year, it was there. Used to warm my heart. …
 
“There was this beautiful photo taken at the state Capitol, on the fourth floor in the Rotunda. It has 11 statewide office holders out of the 13. … All eleven were Democrats. …
 
“We went from eleven folks who were elected statewide to champion our cause and be that safeguard and stopgap to protect our rights, … to zero. …
 
“So, what do we do, just sit back, shake our heads, scratch our heads and go, ‘well, this stinks, I give up.’ …
 
“We’re 31 Democrats in the House of Representatives. It’s a depressing number. We can’t even kill an emergency without Mike Reynolds. You know how tough it is to get with Mike Reynolds for help? Jeez. It’s disgusting, but I think Mike hates Speaker Steele more than I do, so it’s kind of nice to have a relationship.”
 
The video was posted by ZFidelis on March 13 and, through this morning, had 114 views.