(Are you sick and tired of U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe's bizarre comments on global warming and the Iraq occupation? Then click here to elect State Sen. Andrew Rice, a progressive Democrat who is running against Inhofe in the 2008 election. Let's send Inhofe into retirement.)
Even Oklahoma's corporate power structure believes the state needs more college graduates, but do not count on U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe to help out.
Inhofe was one of just twelve U.S. Senators who recently voted against a bill to expand federal aid for college students. President George Bush has said he will sign the bill, which passed the Senate 79-12 and the House 292-97. The extra funding will be financed by cutting fees to banks on loans provided to students.
Oklahoma lags behind the nation in the number of college graduates. The state's corporate media outlets often bemoan the fact the state's two major metropolitan areas, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, do not have enough educated, highly-skilled workers to attract or sustain businesses. This bill provides better access to loans for students and will increase the state's business viability.
So why did Inhofe vote against the bill, even though many Republicans supported the measure?
Inhofe is a shill for big corporations, including major banks and oil companies. He has completely lost touch with ordinary Oklahomans, who have faced skyrocketing college tuition in recent years. He has "gone Washington." He rewards big corporations as he denigrates ordinary Oklahomans trying to go to college.
Inhofe is a highly partisan extremist who fails to take into account Oklahoma's particular needs and issues.
According to Oklahoma Democratic Party Chairperson Ivan Holmes, "Inhofe continues to paint himself as a 'true' conservative and deficit hawk, but his rhetoric doesn't match his actions and this vote once again proves it. Inhofe could have voted to reduce the deficit and help average families, but instead he sided with the banking industry. The latest Federal Election Commission report indicates that Inhofe received $10,000 from the American Bankers Association PAC so far in 2007."
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