BatesLine on Truth in Focus podcast

Truth in Focus Media in Tulsa has launched a podcast covering a variety of issues, including state and local politics. Truth in Focus is headed by and the podcast is hosted by David McLain, pastor of Heartland Church. McLain has also served as chairman of the Tulsa County Republican Party and the Oklahoma Republican Party. McLain took up the work begun by the late Bruce DeLay, who hosted the weekly Heartland Nation broadcast on KFAQ 1170.

The TIFMedia podcast and channel is quite new; McLain has also interviewed State Superintendent candidate James Taylor, who made it into the August runoff.

Recently I sat down with David to talk about my background, the history and focus of BatesLine, and why citizen journalism matters. We also talked about:

• the impact of data centers,
• corporate welfare and economic development,
• the implosion of the Jackson Lahmeyer campaign and Mark Tedford's win in the open 1st Congressional District primary,
• Craig Hagin's downfall and whether a ministry and calling is heritable,
• massive campaign spending in the Republican primary for governor,
• bait and switch in the legislative process,
• dark money in the Tulsa County District Attorney's race,
• George Soros's efforts to elect district attorneys across America,
• what happened in the 2024 Tulsa Mayor's race and how the local Republican Party could have made a difference,
• Tulsa's homeless crisis and the mistaken view of humanity that shapes Tulsa's philanthropists.

Here's the talk that I mentioned which Mark Tedford gave to Patriot Pastors before the primary. Tedford spoke about his background and his spiritual journey, his decision to get a master's in Christian apologetics and the Christian view of vocation and work.

I didn't mention this in the conversation, but the logo on my shirt is from my 40-year college reunion, which I attended at the beginning of June. The logo features MIT's Great Dome, with three raindrops to recall the steady drizzle that fell on us as we listened to the world's most boring commencement speaker and waited to receive our diplomas.

BONUS: In looking for my Truth in Focus episode, I came across a short interview that Pete Ingemi, DaTechGuy, did with me at the US Capitol back in 2010, the first BlogCon sponsored by FreedomWorks.