Blogger’s Defense Of GOP ED Stirs Hornet’s Nest

vanTulsa blogger (SoonerPolitics.org) David Van Risseghem, in a comment defending Oklahoma Republican Party Executive Director TC Ryan, compared female abuse to “delinquent student loan payments, speeding tickets, late library book fines, rude driving habits, ugly neckties, and messy cars” and thus stirred up a hornet’s nest.

Van Risseghem’s comment, included in The McCarville Report’s story on Ryan (http://mccarvillereport.com/archives/28993), said in full:

“How about we;
report everyone’s delinquent student loan payments, speeding tickets, late library book fines, rude driving habits, ugly neckties, and messy cars?
Is this the new Republican Party ?
Is this the new conservative media?
Is this the way we vicariously replay party elections?
If someone misuses their position in public or advocates against our party’s principles, then it’s my business to become fully informed before making a prudent judgment. But right now our conservative media looks less respectable than the Tulsa Whirled. And that’s a very low bar to limbo under.”

Responded reader William Marshal: “Seriously? Female abuse is akin to ugly neckties and a messy car? If those are the values of a Republican party, then count me out.”

Reader Carl wrote: “David Van, of the items you listed, only a speeding ticket is against the law, and it is no where near as bad as beating a woman…. in front of a minor….. and interfering with a 911 call. If it was  Mr Weston in Mr Ryan’s shoes, you all would be calling for him to resign and be cast in with the sodomites. Hypocrites.”

Joan, via Voice Mail: “Oh my God…please tell me this man has nothing to do with the party and its operation.”

Linda V., via Voice Mail: “Let Mister David walk in my old shoes and tell me abuse is like an ugly necktie or a speeding ticket! His mother needs to talk to him.”

James Stevens wrote, “As a gay Republican (yes, there is such a thing), I am absolutely opposed to abuse of any kind, it’s evil. To defend it is even worse. I have read some of this guys blogs and he is awful. Does not get both sides of the story, does not do interviews, it’s pathetic. So, his lack of ethics or a moral compass here does not surprise me. What does surprise me is that he is somehow Chaplain of the Tulsa Area Republican Assembly (TARA), according to Ms Independent. I wonder how Christ would feel about his defense of domestic abuse?”

Van Risseghem has been an ardent supporter of new GOP Chairman Randy Brogdon and has joined Ryan in numerous political endeavors.


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  1. Evelyn McCoy, 06 May, 2015

    I have never read such an insensitive piece. Abuse is just that abuse. It is inappropriate and not to be tolerated at any level. 500 women gathered in OKC today in support of women who have been physically and emotionally abused. To the point of low self esteem. Many loss their homes, their children , jobs and many other social issues all stemming from abuse. So lets not condone and make light . Abuse is tragic. We see professional sports have taken a no tolerance position. Our former Speaker of the House, Kris Steele certainly a stakeholder against abuse of women. You should apologize to the women of OKlahoma for such writing.

  2. Edmond Voter, 06 May, 2015

    Wow, this is getting too weird and it’s all over a $50 fine! No, abuse is not acceptable in any form but this all has gotten way out of hand. I guess men are always blamed for the abuse regardless of what really happens. I don’t know the specifics of the charges, but the fine has been paid.

    Forgiveness is something we should all give to someone who has paid their debt to society AND then are showing through current actions that they have learned their lesson. I’m willing to forgive and move on. How about others doing the same thing.

  3. Miss Ticked Off, 06 May, 2015

    I expect nothing less from David as he told me last year (via a social media post), when condoning divorces, that God “would rather a woman die than get a divorce,” referring to me escaping an abusive relationship; that divorces were not “of God.” I had never heard such a hateful statement from someone claiming to be a Christian.

  4. Seth Rott, 06 May, 2015

    I was going to initially blow this entire karflufle off, but Evelyn makes a legitimate point. We hold our professional sports stars and politicians to a zero tolerance standard, I would hope that state GOP leadership would as well. When I read that TC didn’t respond to McCarville’s request for comment I was upset.

    Everything that I have read from both sides are coming from the extremes, but TC’s defenders seem ready to forgive and forget, yet I have not read anything that indicates that TC is remorseful or has asked for forgiveness. Our Lord and Savior told us to forgive not one time, nor seven times but seventy time seven, and I am willing to do so and already have, I am just concerned about the deafening silence from the offender himself.

    The Randy Brogdon that I worked for ran legislation protecting victims of domestic violence not the perpetrators of it. TC needs to come clean, release the records and publicly apologize…he wanted the spot lights of the main stage he needs to own up to the positives and negatives.

    Oh and Cheryl…I mean Edmond Voter, Domestic Violence is a serious issue and the way that you are just blowing it off makes me happy for you, you obviously have not been a victim of DV or spent quality time with a victim. The woman in TC’s case was scared enough to call 911 for help and TC hung up the phone…that is what he pled guilty to. You were and are my friend and I am glad that you have not had to go through that, but it is not a laughing matter or something to be shluffed off, if an individual is truly remorseful because of a mistake let us forgive and move on, as I said above, I have seen no indication of remorse.

  5. Ms Independant, 06 May, 2015

    Mr. Van’s entire blog is full of half truths and is most scathing opinion pieces when it comes to “holding others accountable” for their actions. Can he handle being the hot seat this time? We shall see. He doesn’t even bother to call the person he is writing about and ask for a comment or another side of the story. He’s no true journalist. Just a wanna be.

    No true gentleman of Godly man condones any type of violence towards women. And it’s even worse coming from a man with a daughter.

    I wonder if a search of his personal OSCN files might lead to some less than honest documentation of his marital status.

    Mr. Van’s comments have set women back into the dark ages. He clearly doesn’t regard women in the way the Proverbs 31 calls them to be a wife of noble character.

    What’s more interesting is that Mr. Van’s served on the Executive Committee for Tulsa County under JB Alexander (who also happens to be swift with a right hook) and even under Mike McCutchin. So this gent was clearly one that some esteemed. I would hope that this man’s reign of opinion sharing will come to an ended soon. We would be all be better off if it did.

  6. David Van, 06 May, 2015

    Mike McCarville,
    You left out a jewel of a quote, in your research.
    You clearly saw it, but somehow it didn’t add to your narrative;
    I elaborated on my point with this:
    “… I’m saying “How far are we going to go down this road?”.
    And how many times will an individual pay a price before his debt is done?
    Does each new person [who reads the news] get to add another mandatory penance?
    The way I see it, media is acting salaciously here. When a debt to society is paid, we would all do well to move on.
    The prosecutor and judge were satisfied with the result and so am I.”
    The rest of the comments regarding me are “drive by” creations from fictitious creators.
    My wife and I have given shelter and aid to both women and men who suffered from domestic violence and intimidation. We have helped sheltered mothers when their boyfriends kicked them out for not getting abortions.
    What I don’t accept is the kind of media effort that sought to run Senator David Vitter out of office. There is a time for restored humanity to throw off the shame that shackles us and let the grace of God encourage us to “go, and sin no more”.
    I love to see changed lives who not only reorder their personal conduct, but also give back to society through civic volunteerism and giving to those in need. The cowardly voices of those who seek to reattached perpetual shame are not productive to a healthy society.

  7. Ms Independant, 06 May, 2015

    And maybe TARA needs to consider a new chaplain for their organization…

  8. James Stevens, 06 May, 2015

    I have read some of this guys blogs and he is awful. Does not get both sides of the story, does not do interviews, it’s pathetic. So, his lack of ethics or a moral compass here does not surprise me. What does surprise me is that he is somehow Chaplain of the Tulsa Area Republican Assembly (TARA), according to Ms Independent. I wonder how Christ would feel about his defense of domestic abuse?

  9. Carl W, 06 May, 2015

    David Van, still deflecting, not taking responsibility and blaming others.

  10. Richard Engle, 06 May, 2015

    I tire of these calls for a public apology when the purported offense was not against the public or even a group of people. It seems he accepted blame for an action and paid the price required of him legally. He owes me nothing but to do well in his position.

    If he violated anyone’s body or rights then he may have questions to answer as he steps into party position (which he is doing at zero salary, I think) and he needs to secure that Republicans share Chairman Brogdon ‘ s confidence in his abilities or this will be a distraction to our important work.

    Unlike most, I will neither dismiss the matter nor blow it out of proportion. I have known TC for a few years. We have not been close, but friendly. He has a significant commitment to the principle of liberty which includes personal liberty, private property and individual rights. An abusive action would violate the principles I understand he holds dear.

    Was this event at a time before his epiphany toward liberty? Was it a one time, emotion based violation of what he knows to be correct? Perhaps it was an overblown and overstated event that he plead to in order to avoid further problems even though they didn’t really happen? Or, does he actually feign respect for liberty and have a significant emotional/psychological problem? I am fairly confident that the last of these is not the case, but can any of us really know the mind of another?

    A simple explanation in written form is likely proper. Then we can all move on.

  11. Evelyn McCoy, 06 May, 2015

    Many of you have missed the point of my comment. I do not have an issue with Mr. Ryan or Mr. Brogdon. I have a problem with the minimizing of Abuse and the comparison of abuse to a parking ticket or bad neck tie. This is a great opportunity to stand up and say abuse is not to be tolerated whether women, men , children or seniors. Enough said!

  12. James Stevens, 06 May, 2015

    Yeah, I never said any of that or wrote any of that, quit lying.

  13. mikes1voice, 06 May, 2015

    Different James Stevens based on email address.

  14. Edmond Voter, 06 May, 2015

    Seth Rott, no one said domestic violence was something to laugh off. I said, and stand by my statement, that when one has paid their debt to society AND their current actions show they have changed their ways… THEN we need to forgive and move on.

  15. Michael E, 07 May, 2015

    Edmond voter, would you (and others) be saying the same thing if it was one of Dave Weston’s employees? I highly doubt it.

  16. Michael E, 07 May, 2015

    Also, I love David Van’s comment, “drive by creations from fictitious creators.” Dismissing other people’s opinions just like he always does.

  17. mikes1voice, 11 May, 2015

    An allegation (“drive by creations from fictitious creators”) disproved by the different computer IP numbers of those making the comments. David’s defense of his friend is understandable; his unsubstantiated allegation is not.

  18. Jamison Faught, 07 May, 2015

    I have this funny feeling that some of the commenters on this post (and the other post on this topic) may, in fact, be one individual under different names/emails.

  19. mikes1voice, 07 May, 2015

    Jamison, to the best of my knowledge, that is incorrect…unless they have many computers with a lot of different email addresses. Why do you “have this funny feeling?” Do you know something I don’t?

  20. mikes1voice, 07 May, 2015

    I should add, Jamison, that the IP addresses are all different.

  21. mikes1voice, 07 May, 2015

    A new one just came in with a repeat IP, different name; it was deleted.

  22. mikes1voice, 08 May, 2015

    Jamison Faught, still await explanation of your previous comment.

  23. mikes1voice, 11 May, 2015

    I’ve asked Jamison Faught for evidence that his comment here is true and he has failed to produce any while our own evidence shows clearly that the many comments are from different readers with different computer IP numbers. I see other assertions like Jamison’s based on nothing; the difference is that Jamison knows better and his comment is made to defend, not enlighten.

  24. Jamison Faught, 13 May, 2015

    Mike, some of the writing styles/comments seemed similar to stuff I’d seen elsewhere. I can’t prove it, obviously, and meant no offense.

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