Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) appeared today on Fox & Friends, to elaborate on his decision to not attend the local “Holiday Parade Of Lights” in Tulsa, on the grounds that the organizers had officially removed “Christmas” from the table.
“But you know, this is a bigger picture,” said Inhofe. “You look around the country, you see the atheist billboards, you see the New York school board saying you can’t have a nativity scene but you can have a Muslim star, the North Carolina school board taking Christmas off the calendar.
“You know, I would expect it some other places, but not here in Oklahoma. So my decision was a personal decision. I’m not really boycotting it — I’m just not gonna be there. To me, last time I checked, Gretchen, Christmas meant the birth of Jesus Christ, and that’s what we’re celebrating, that’s what I’m celebrating, that’s what my 20 kids and grandkids are celebrating.”
Gretchen Carlson then wondered why Christianity keeps getting picked on, while other religious occasions are tolerated and accepted. Inhofe responded by citing the opinion of a prominent Democrat who appears frequently on Fox News.
“You know, your good friend who’s been on your program many times, Lanny Davis,” said Inhofe. “I was on a program with him last week. He’s Jewish. He’s very liberal. He’s from the Clinton White House. And he agrees with me. So I don’t know why that is. I think there are a lot of people in other states who wonder also: Why do they always pick on the Christians?”
As the Tulsa World reported last week, Inhofe explained why he has made this decision:
“I did not do so last year because I’m not going to ride in a Christmas parade that doesn’t recognize Christmas,” he said. “I am hopeful that the good people of Tulsa and the city’s leadership will demand a correction to this shameful attempt to take Christ, the true reason for our celebration, out of the parade’s title. Until the parade is again named the Christmas Parade of Lights, I will not participate.”
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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