Egg On His Face: Tulsa Blogger Attempts Censorship

Written by the Real Mike McCarville

Tulsa blogger David Van Risseghem, a close friend of the Oklahoma Republican Party’s political director, TC Ryan, and a man who rails about journalistic ethics, is censoring stories about Republican calls for Ryan’s resignation.

Van Risseghem, an outspoken ally of Party Chairman Randy Brogdon, operates SoonerPolitics.org.

Earlier, in an effort to diffuse criticism of Ryan over his background, Van Risseghem compared domestic abuse to “delinquent student loan payments, speeding tickets, late library book fines, rude driving habits, ugly neckties, and messy cars.” The comment stirred a firestorm of emails and calls critical of Van Risseghem for his insensitivity.

In an effort to build credibility for his blog, Van Risseghem links to reputable blogs. His link to The McCarville Report was featured at the top of his site. It remained there until last week’s series of stories about calls for Ryan’s removal or resignation from the Party position.

Following those stories, Van Risseghem moved The McCarville Report’s link down his page and reduced it in size. On his own site, he ignored the stories.

When the stories continued, Van Risseghem blocked them, thus censoring The McCarville Report’s site, leaving stories about other news. We have asked that links to us and our product be removed from his site.

The Real Mike McCarville

Van Risseghem and other pro-Ryan critics of TMR have taken to social media to make irrational allegations; several allege that Mike McCarville really isn’t Mike McCarville and that this site is being manipulated by someone from the State Chamber of Commerce. That comes as a surprise to me and, I am sure, to the State Chamber. (Their favorite retort is to blame the State Chamber for just about everything they don’t like; see comment below.) He and others, including longtime Oklahoma County GOP activist and official Cheryl Williams (who is the primary “Mike isn’t Mike” advocate along with Norman activist Donna Byas and Norman videographer John Angier), also seek to divert the discussion from Ryan to others; they claim other Republicans have been involved in unseemly events but haven’t been asked to resign. None of them, however, were hired at the Republican Party. They also stress that Ryan is an “unpaid volunteer.” That, despite Brogdon’s statement that Ryan was hired with the expectation he will be paid as the Party’s bank account is replenished.

One of the critics, writing on Facebook under the name “Karen Ann,” posted this: “For those of you who don’t know, our new OKGOP Chairman, Randy Brogdon, and his political administrator TC Ryan are under constant attack by the establishment, and the Chamber puppets.”

The attempted censorship is not Van Risseghem’s first action that drew attention.

Our previous story about Van Risseghem:

Tulsa 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.