Why are Republicans afraid of Ryan Walters? If they believed in their own power, they wouldn't be.
Why are Republicans afraid of Ryan Walters? If they believed in their own power, they wouldn't be.
Tuesday afternoon, The Lost Ogle, the snarky online news operation with a history of being right, tweeted out this little tidbit.
“Ogle Moles are telling me two more lawyers with OSDE resigned today, effectively leaving the agency lawyer’less. If true, you heard it here first. If not, blame lawyers.”
If true, it would extend the exodus at the state department of education, an exodus that’s already alarming.
Let’s examine.
On March 22, Oklahoma City television station KFOR reported OSDE chief of staff Jenna Thomas had resigned.
On March 14, the day after Oklahoma City television station Fox 25 and non-profit newsroom Oklahoma Watch revealed a suburban Washington, D.C., firm had ben contracted to promote state superintendent Ryan Walters, who heads the state education department, Fox 25 reported David Martin, an OSDE employee who played a role in connecting Walters to that firm, resigned.
The OSDE claimed Martin’s resignation had nothing to do with KFOR and Oklahoma Watch’s story, because of course it did.
On March 8, Ryan Pieper, the agency’s executive director of accreditation, confirmed to The Oklahoman that both he and Bryan Cleveland, the agency’s general counsel, were departing the department.
And who can forget the original shoe drop, in October of last year, when Pamela Smith-Gordon, who’d just come on as the department’s grants manager, very publicly resigned with a letter, directed at Walters, that read, in part, this:
“While desperately wanting to support you, the lack of leadership and availability within our own OSDE is impossible to ignore. Superintendent Walters, your absence, and the refusal to meet with your staff sends a concerning message that we may not hold value in your eyes.
“I hope that this can be attributed to inexperience rather than a personal political agenda as this would not be in the best interest of Oklahoma's children, teachers, and dedicated OSDE employees.”
And, finally, to set this up just a little further, there’s the fact state house Democrats, led by minority leader Cyndi Munson, have for a third time called upon speaker Charles McCall to investigate Walters, specifically for his use, or misuse, of federal tax dollars, which appears way too specific.
Like, how about the state tax dollars spent to make him a bigger national star?
Oh, well.
There’s more, because there’s always more with Walters, but that’s a good start on the way to the heart of the matter which is this:
Pretend for a moment our elected leaders, from both sides, were pragmatists.
Pretend good government was their first concern, passing laws true to their core beliefs was their second, and executing their second concern free of disingenuousness was their third.
Pretend that.
The irony is, particularly on the Republican side, they pretend it already. They have to, because they don’t believe in what they’re pretending.
But if you’re reading this, pretend it for real.
Pretend the politics of power really were secondary to righteous virtue.
Because if that’s how things worked, here’s what would happen.
For one, house member Mark McBride would not simply be telling KFOR, as part of the first story mentioned above, that he’d requested a list of every OSDE resignation since July 1, 2023, yet that request had not yet been filled.
No, he’d be seeking out media to spread the word instead. He’d be screaming from the rooftops. He’d have subpoenaed Walters to appear before his education appropriation subcommittee. He’d be asking publicly if money originally earmarked to pay the salaries of since resigned OSDE personnel has instead been siphoned to spend on public relations firms to raise Walters’ profile.
For that matter, speaker McCall may have beaten him to the punch, issuing his own subpoena, opening an investigation or, maybe, threatening to begin impeachment proceedings right now unless Walters testifies truthfully right now and brings the OSDE’s books with him. Because if it really was about demanding good government from an agency designed to facilitate the education of Oklahoma’s children, one the legislature’s charged with overseeing, getting to the bottom of whatever the hell’s going on inside that department would be of paramount importance.
No ifs, ands or buts.
If Walters is chasing everybody out the door, something must be done to expedite the remedy. Something quicker than waiting on the next election.
Right?
Indeed, if it was really about good government, we wouldn’t be watching this dance of Walters’ fellow Republicans acting concerned yet ultimately doing nothing. Or even the dance of the Democrats, demanding an investigation, because the last thing the Republicans are going to do is be seen bowing to the pressure of a party they dominate.
Shame is a better option.
Some have none, but most do.
The issue is seriousness.
Are the state house and senate, each carrying 80 percent Republican majorities, really afraid of Walters’ nihilistic and narcissistic id?
Go after them like that.
Are they weak, beholden to one man who’s not even the governor?
One man who makes them appear feckless and scared?
Individual members love to rhapsodize about their beliefs, their want to do right for the salt-of-the-earth Oklahomans who elected them. Do they have a problem reining in a state superintendent who makes them look stupid every day?
Remind them they’re being made fools of by the littlest, most petty man, a man who’s demonstrated again and again he cares only about himself and not a bit about good government.
Work on McBride.
Work on McCall.
Work on senate pro tem Greg Treat.
Explain to them that attorney general Gentner Drummond’s done Walters no favors, so why are they? Why is their whole conference?
And, maybe, introduce them to the poll Human Rights Campaign carried out, the one that asked 665 likely general election voters for their thoughts on Walters, the one that found 52 percent of Oklahoma voters are in favor of Walters’ impeachment.
Maybe do that.
Because the whole department’s flying out the door and are Republicans really all right with it? Do they enjoy being made fools of?
Get them on the record.
Or make them sprint from it.
Flood the zone.
Demand their seriousness.
As a life-long John Kennedy Democrat, and native Okie, I find the gop to be totally bereft of anything even remotely connected with having any heart or soul. It would be inconceivable to think that there are zero decent humans in the gop, so that leaves us with the fact that they are all witless cowards and fools for drumpf and maga. This long-running tale about Walters and Oklahoma in general just serves to point out what a disaster of a state Oklahoma has become. I salute your efforts to continue bringing these injustices to light. Keep up the good fight.