BY RICHARD L. FRICKER

Gov. Mary Fallin is already touting her acumen as governor, claiming she has met with two “major corporations” since Jan. 10. The Gov told friendly ears at the Oklahoma City Rotary Club there was a possibility of 800 to 1,000 jobs. This would be great news, if true.

Oklahomans have heard all this brouhaha about corporations lined up to move in before. We heard it from the last Republican governor, Frank Keating – remember him? You might also remember that he soiled his political britches by taking money from the mutual fund magnate Jack Dreyfus and tried to pawn it off as a school fund for this kids.

Keating got crosswise with Karl Rove by making demands for a spot in the Bush II administration and was sent into political never-never land. There’s a lot of Keating missteps that can be recounted.

But, in the current context, Keating refused to reveal who had been on the state plane. Remember, these were hush-hush business deals too sensitive for public consumption.

This week Gov. Fallin tells us of “major corporations that are looking at adding big jobs in the state.” She didn’t identify these corporations. Things are in the “preliminary stages.” Keating all over again.

She also told of inviting a “big business prospect” to the state digs. Again, Keating also had the pot on, just waiting.

Keating managed to pass “right to work” on the promise that companies would be pouring over the state line as soon as Oklahoma became union proof. None of the faceless, nameless, mythical companies every came, of course.

Therefore, as Fallin stands in the Keating shadow, it might be best to take her jubilation with a grain of salt. We’ve heard it all before.

– Richard L. Fricker lives in Tulsa, OK and is a regular contributor to The Oklahoma Observer, providing both essay and video commentary. His latest book, Martian Llama Racing Explained, is available at http://www.richardfricker.com.