Democratic Party infighting took center stage on the national stage last week. Presidential aspirant Sen. Hillary Clinton called for Sen. Barak Obama to apologize for disparaging remarks made by an Obama contributor towards the Senator and her husband. The over-reaction by the Clinton campaign was coupled with a report that Sen. Joseph Lieberman is considering changing parties due to his party's position on the war. Now it seems that same intraparty squabling is occuring withing the ODP as well. In another "can't see the forest for the trees" piece, The Tulsa World reports that Attorney General Drew Edmondson claims Claremore Sen. Sean Burrage had a "conflict of interest" when he voted last week for a bill declaring that animal waste is not hazardous. Sen. Burrage's law firm has had Tyson Foods as a current and former client. The attorney general is correct in his assertion of a conflict of interest, but his action of throwing a fellow democrat under the bus on behalf of the poultry suit; and the World still ignoring alleged charges of corruption and harrassment within the attorney general's office, only produces more questions of conflicts of interests between the World and the attorney general. Chairman Pryor used the Utilitarian philosophy for damage control in an aptly named post today called, "The Greater Good" on the ODP blog:

"Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson has repeatedly taken the position that his job is to protect the citizens and resources of our great state --- his position is a personal conviction and is inherent in his constitutional oath of office. I am very pleased that his walk matches his talk and that he continues to pursue every option available to protect our water resources for the greater good of the people of Oklahoma. Let's make sure that anyone who personally benefits from or directly represents the poultry producers does the right thing and abstains from this vote on the floor...."

Labels: AG, Decision '08, Drew Edmondson, OK Media, Tulsa World

Posted at 2/26/2007 12:29:00 PM