My love letter to James and Markwayne in Tulsa World this a.m.

One of the responsibilities of a U.S. senator is to make annual nominations to our nation’s military academies — West Point, Naval, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine academies.

All of these great institutions have very stringent honor codes that are brief and rigorous. These codes are all similar to West Point’s code: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do.”

It is tragic and beyond irony that Oklahoma has Sen. James Lankford and Sen. Markwayne Mullin to put forth nominations of the state’s best, brightest, most dedicated of our youth. If our senators were cadets, I submit they would be expelled.

Our two senators have carried forth President Donald Trump’s big lie; both tried to cheat the American people out of a free and fair election and while trying to steal the outcome of President Joe Biden’s victory.

Even if our Oklahoma senators were to deny their involvement in the Trumpian fraud, there is absolutely no doubt that they tolerate those who do engage in treasonous, conspiratorial behavior.

Lankford and Mullin could not possibly have been selected as service academy cadets to become officers. They lacked not only the qualifications required, but, even more significant, they would not have been considered honorable. I wish we could expel both of them.