To Comfort The Afflicted
And Afflict The Comfortable

To Comfort The Afflicted And Afflict The Comfortable

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Observercast

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

on

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

 

4 COMMENTS

  1. 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.

  2. 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. .

Arnold Hamilton
Arnold Hamilton
Arnold Hamilton became editor of The Observer in September 2006. Previously, he served nearly two decades as the Dallas Morning News’ Oklahoma Bureau chief. He also covered government and politics for the San Jose Mercury News, the Dallas Times Herald, the Tulsa Tribune and the Oklahoma Journal.
Mark Krawczyk
Mark Krawczyk
March 9, 2023
Exceptional reporting about goings on in my home state as well as informative opinion pieces that makes people think about issues of the day...........get a SUBSCRIPTION FOLKS!!!!!!!
Brette Pruitt
Brette Pruitt
September 5, 2022
The Observer carries on the "give 'em hell" tradition of its founder, the late Frosty Troy. I read it from cover to cover. A progressive wouldn't be able to live in a red state without it.