Cushing Rotary Club members were treated to the wit and wisdom of Mike Turpen at Thursday's meeting. Turpen, former Attorney General of the State of Oklahoma, spoke about politics, law and life.
Introduced by his friend Bill (Billy) Ahrberg as a "nationally sought after speaker" and a guy with a "soft spot for the underdog," Turpen kept the crowd in stitches as he shared antecdotes about his days in office, things he learned from his "momma," as well as some good-natured jabs at his former co-host Burns Hargis.
"Burns Hargis is a great friend of mine," Turpen said. "We may disagree politically, but we have a lot of respect for one another."
That respect, along with their humorous bantering, made them a popular duo for many years on Flashpoint. However, Hargis had to step down after becoming president of Oklahoma State University.
Turpen seemed to take much delight in words - he even has a penchant for poetry - sharing other quips and tips such as:
"Don't ever walk past an old friend to meet a new friend."
"People are like books - if you take the time to read them."
"Politics is show business for ugly people."
"You must turn your theology into biography."
Perhaps his most well-known - the slogan he used when running for Attorney General - "It's time for Turpen - it's Turpen time!"
"People said it was stupid," he said, "but I won!"
To see video of Turpen speaking at Cushing Rotary Club, visit the video page of this website.
Flashpoint airs Sunday mornings at 9:30 on Channel 4.
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