Sources tell us that the race to succeed Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee has turned ugly.
The upcoming 2010 session will be Sen. Coffee’s last year as senate leader, and insiders say four incumbent Republican senators are vying to be the Pro Tem for the 2011 legislature: Cliff Aldridge, Brian Bingman, Harry Coates and Brian Crain. Republicans outnumber Democrats 26-22 in the Senate.
While it is unusual for an outgoing leader to inject themselves into succession fights, even more unusual is the manner in which Coffee is interfering. Sources say Coffee is not only threatening and cajoling Republican members, but is also menacing lobbyists with threats that their legislation will be DOA if they don’t support his candidate, which insiders indicate is Sen. Bingman of Sapulpa.
Our sources say Sen. Bingman is known as an amiable member, but has relatively poor leadership skills, occasionally even having difficulty getting his own bills passed in the committee he chairs. It appears Bingman’s primary value to Coffee is that he has refused to commit to major staff changes should he win the leader post, which translates into Bingman NOT firing consigliore Fred Morgan, a former minority leader in the House of Representatives. Morgan is a controversial figure within the caucus and several leading members want Morgan to follow Coffee out the door next year. Morgan is blamed for much of the bungling manner in which Coffee handled the income tax problem last year, and his abrasive style has created real enemies inside the Republican caucus.
Our sources say Coffee appears to be near panic-stricken, and is resorting to threats and intimidation in order to secure Bingman the post. They say lobbyists are being threatened with warnings not to help other contenders, and fellow senators have been treated to red-faced tirades. Multiple sources tell us that Coffee has told members he’ll “burn down the house” to keep outsiders, such as Democrats, from having anything to do with the process. Just what Coffee means by threatening the political equivalent of felony arson is anybody’s guess, but one can be relatively sure Coffee is not talking about camaraderie around a cozy campfire.
Another source goes on to say the threats to caucus members revolve around Sen. Coates’ challenge.
“Look, Coffee fears Coates will shakeup the incompetent staff, and his boy Morgan will be ousted, which means bye-bye to a lucrative post-legislative career lobbying job. When he shared power with Sen. Morgan, he was seen as a genteel and reasonable lawmaker, but since the Republican takeover he’s been exposed as a bungling legislator who can’t even keep up with this own finances, much less manage the senate. With no political or legal career possibilities ahead, lobbying is all he has left, and for that he desperately needs Morgan. The whole thing has left him embarrassed, angry and bitter. That’s why he’s freaked out,” our source says.
So why is Glenn Coffee behavior evoking images of a Richard Nixon barricaded in the White House? And just what DOES he mean when he uses extreme images to frighten and badger fellow senators and lobbyists? Regardless, strong evidence now suggests there is some curious and perhaps contemptible activity surrounding the leadership race for 2011.
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