BY KENNY BELFORD
After eight years of Republican Gov. Frank Keating constantly inserting his foot in his mouth we thought we’d heard enough absurdities from the Keating clan.
That was until May 9. On that date Martin Keating, brother of Frank, and a self-proclaimed “role model” had a letter to the editor published in The Tulsa World.
He said:
I have hesitated recounting this for a host of reasons, but, now, it’s time.
In 1995, my brother Frank was governor of Oklahoma when the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was blown up by an evil man. Weeks later, the two of us stood together and alone, two blocks away, when the building’s remains were imploded. Clouds of dust boiled out and enveloped us. We both cried.
President Bill Clinton telephoned my brother and asked if he could attend the initial memorial ceremony. Frank, appropriately as governor and as the gentleman he is, said yes. Frank called me and asked if I would accompany him to Tinker Air Force Base to pick up the president. I said no. Frank was silent. I told him I could not shake hands with a man who had betrayed his marriage and his country by lies and not felt any remorse. Frank said he understood.
I am not a man without faults or sins. However, I am, as the president is, a role model. I must remember that what I do sets an example for others. I hope that most of the time I make the right choice. I do not regret my decision that day.
Just in case the dates are muddled, the Murrah bombing took place in April 1995. The Monica Lewinski scandal didn’t surface until 1998, two years after Martin Keating took his bold stand.
He ended his letter with the comment, “I do not regret my decision that day.”
I wonder if he regrets his decision to make a fool of himself today.
– Kenny Belford lives in Tulsa, OK and is an occasional contributor to The Oklahoma Observer
Kenny, a real journalist and a moderately intelligent person would do a bit of research (it took me about 5 seconds) to discover that Paula Jones made her claims of sexual harassment in 1994. Now, just in case the dates are muddled in your mind, 1994 predates 1995.
For one to have a modicum of credibility, one must exercise a modicum of effort.
John the key word here is “claims”. Bet ole Martin would slobber all over himself to shake hands with W. I mean heck he only sent over 4,500 American solders to their death over WMD that didn’t exist….Oh and because I’m not a fiscally conservative Republican I almost forgot the $ 3 trillion that was wasted.
And just who asked for Martin Keating’s opinion? And will he write a rejoinder of disgust aimed the South Carolina victory of Mark Sanford, that turgid hiker of the Appalachian Trail?
The idea that Clinton showed no remorse is absurd. Of course he showed remorse and the only difference between Clinton and most of the Republican cheaters, like Sanford, Gingrich or most of the others, he was forgiven by his wife and actually stayed with her instead of marrying his mistress. Sen. David Vitter is an exception, but he had a prostitute and not a mistress.
The biggest difference between Bill Clinton and the GOP cheaters is he never, on any occasion, preached that he was a paragon of virtue and screamed his self-righteousness to the highest degree as the GOP loves doing. Gingrich didn’t preach virtue a lot, but he did go after Clinton while he was cheating on his own wife.
I really got a kick out of Sanford claiming that his election was God’s will and that marrying his mistress is also God’s will, I guess. Look out Keating, God can test a guy at any moment and in the case of the self-righteous loud-mouth elected in South Carolina they are usually found wanting. .