A South Dakota man who drew national attention in the mid-1990s when he paid money from his own pocket to keep the lights on at Mount Rushmore National Memorial during a federal government shutdown has died.Keystone's Art Oakes and Rapid City's Bob Ellis were expected to travel to Colorado to march with Phred Phelps and his Tea Party patriots, the Westboro Baptist Church, after its congregation announced plans to protest memorials for God's victims in Aurora.
Doug Wiken is correct: Art Oakes is among the ugliest of americans helping fascists in America to win the cap and trade war.
Peter Gunn nailed it at the old Mount Blogmore:
Who is John Galt?Kevin Woster banned Oakes from the old Blogmore citing a medical condition in which the head becomes permanently wedged in ones anus resulting in death.
The Antichrist.
What is Art Oakes to the John Galts of the world?
Soylent green.
If none of the links open to the archives of the Rapid City Journal it's because the paper has morphed into a ra-ra tabloid for the South Dakota Republican Party. Woster and Mary Garrigan fled the Lee-owned rag for other pursuits.
The above photo has been stolen from Bill Fleming and the Decorum Forum.
The "man who re-lit Mount Rushmore" story during the '95 government shutdown (by the Gingrich-led Repukes) is getting old.
ReplyDeleteAs one of the few that worked through the shutdown, I witnessed Art posturing for an up-link truck and reporter in the pre-dawn hours - to say nothing of the countless interviews he made with his two-hunderd buck splash.
Art was "affectionately" known among the staff at Rushmore after these performances as: Art, I don't want no publicity, Oakes.
It is what it is.
Art was lots of fun to argue with. After the Rapid City paper died I just never saw much about him until this. I'll say one thing for Mr. Oaks, he never ever changed his mind once he gave his opinion.
ReplyDeleteArt was at least conncestant,
Art was conncestantly an ass.
RIP Art. Ps when you get to wherever your going, ask the person in charge the question I always asked you, she'll know the answer.
The Blindman
It didn't surprise me that Oakes passed: assholes like he was are prone to early deaths.
ReplyDeleteAlways nice to read you guys.