GOP Sen. Boycotts Hometown 'Holiday' Parade

When Sen. Jim Inhofe's (R-OK) hometown parade of lights took the word "Christmas" out of the title, Inhofe had had enough. Now he's taking something else out of the parade: himself.

Inhofe annually appears in Tulsa, Oklahoma's parade of lights by riding atop his horse, but said he will not do so again until the name is changed back to the "Christmas Parade of Lights."

"Last year, the forces of political correctness removed the word 'Christmas' and replaced it with 'Holiday' instead,"  Inhofe told Tulsa World. "I am deeply saddened and disappointed by this change."

Mirroring a decision he made last year, the senator said "I'm not going to ride in a Christmas parade that doesn't recognize Christmas." He added, "I am hopeful that the good people of Tulsa and the city's leadership will demand a correction to this shameful attempt to take Christ, the true reason for our celebration, out of the parade's title. Until the parade is again named the Christmas Parade of Lights, I will not participate."

Inhofe served as Tulsa's mayor from 1978 to 1984. His decision to pull out last year went unannounced so as not to detract from the health care debate.

Inhofe's position is in contrast to Tulsa's current mayor, Dewey Bartlett, who admitted he is in essence being held hostage by political correctness.

"If it was up to me, I'd call it a Christmas parade, but I also understand that we have a diverse community, and I'm sensitive to the importance of the many cultures and traditions that make up our city," Bartlett said.