Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) done. The old man is retiring setting up a potential showdown in the Sunflower State.
Fox News will try to recruit Kevin Yoder to run for the seat. Rep. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and outgoing governor Jeff Colyer might consider running for the seat. Mike Pompeo could run for the seat.
What seat you may ask?
The seat being vacated by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS).
Another Republican is retiring in 2020. That means Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and now Roberts.
The old farts are no longer seeking reelection. It will set up a race that could be challenge for Republicans. Even in ruby red Kansas, Democrats hope to line up a candidate who could inspire people out to the polls.
CNN reports that the 82-year-old Roberts announced his decision at the Kansas Department of Agriculture in Manhattan, Kansas -- a symbolic location after he shepherded the farm bill to passage weeks ago.
Roberts is forgoing what could have been a difficult re-election bid. He survived a GOP primary in 2014, winning fewer than 50% of the vote. And Democrat Laura Kelly won the Kansas governor's office last year, giving Democrats hope they can compete statewide there.
His retirement is likely to create a crowded field of Republicans vying for the seat.
The national GOP is eying Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a former Kansas congressman, as a possible recruit, one Republican source said.
"Pompeo is in a league of his own. Republicans in the Senate writ large would love to see him run," the source said. "The list is him, and then there'll probably be a second list depending on where his head is at."
A source with knowledge of Pompeo's thinking said, "He's happy to be mentioned. Focused on doing his job as (secretary of state)."
"I think we have so many good people that could take over," Roberts said. He said the party has good candidates "inside the congressional delegation and outside the congressional delegation."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) troll the right. They won't apologize for being human.
Republicans shut down the government. Remember Donald J. Trump got upset that he won't get border funding for a wall. He listened to the loudest voices on talk radio and Fox News. He and the Republicans will be blamed for the government shutdown.
They are crying about freshman representatives. They are bitching about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). They are mad these women are trolling Trump and the pearl clutchers.
Now that Democrats have control of the House of Representatives, Fox News and the far-right have tried to undermine the momentum.
So instead of working to open the government, the Republicans are screaming and whining about how the Democrats are not caving. After all, Trump promised to the American people, "Mexico will pay for the wall."
So in an lame attempt to undermine the freshman lawmakers, they get riled up over trivial issues.
Someone found a video of Ocasio-Cortez dancing when she was at Boston College. The theme over The Breakfast Club. Some troll was attacking her because she is being a human being.
Here is America's favorite commie know-it-all acting like the clueless nitwit she is... ...High School video of "Sandy" Ocasio-Cortez @AoDespairpic.twitter.com/j3hTnwErib
This decade-old footage of the congresswoman dancing as a student at Boston University re-emerged on Twitter, apparently in an effort to embarrass her.
It backfired.
The troll was slammed for wasting his time focusing on a happy young woman instead of a grumpy old man and his determination to keep government closed.
Even The Breakfast Club alumni Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy both praised Ocasio-Cortez.
The newly sworn Michigan lawmaker is the first Palestine-American woman to be sworn in Congress. She along with Ocasio-Cortez are part of the Justice Democrats, a sub group of Democratic lawmakers devoted to push a progressive agenda. She is one of two Muslim women sworn to Congress. The other lawmaker is Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN).
Tlaib said openly that she hopes to "impeach the motherfucker." She spoke that in front a crowd of supporters.
Many pearl clutchers from the Republican and Democratic Party denounced her for that comment.
The agenda is clear. These newly sworn-in lawmakers aren't afraid to speak out against the far-right.
The loudest voices on the right include the folks like that old fart Rush Limbaugh, Sean "Softball" Hannity, Ann Coulter, The Drudge Report, Breitbart and Fox News want the government shutdown.
They want to push the country into a recession. When they do, they'll blame the Democrats for it.
Republicans want $5.6 billion for a meaningless wall. The billions that Trump want could feed thousands of families, fix the water system in Flint, fix Puerto Rico, build bridges and allow medicare for all.
And speak of that, didn't Trump say that he would "grab 'em by the pussy?"
You hear Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) whining about the motherfucker remark. A reporter calls him out.
In a country of 332 million Americans, 312,000 jobs were added for the month of December. Unemployment rate ticks up to 3.9 percent.
Many analysis believe that America's economy remains strong despite the stock market being volatile. Employers had added 2.6 million jobs for the year of 2018.
There's 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five occupied U.S. territories. Somehow, 312,000 jobs being spread across the Atlantic to Pacific is a benefit for our economy.
Wage growth heated up last month with average hourly earnings up 3.2% cites the Financial Times.
The jobs that are hiring include: health care, food services, construction and manufacturing. These were contributions to the country's hiring.
Of course, we won't talk about GM closing up locations. We won't talk about Sears Holding Group closing up Kmart and Sears locations. We won't talk about the government shutdown that took 800,000 workers off the payroll. We won't talk about the wildfires in California. We won't talk about the hurricane damage in Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.
We continue to ignore that for every job being spread around, one area in the United States lost some.
The Midwest has lost more jobs than the Sun Belt states of Arizona, Texas, Florida and Nevada.
Those die-hard Trump supporters will say that his leadership is successful. All the while, they find that their average wages are stalling.
Food prices, energy prices, rent, city services and college education have risen over the past year.
Real Reason To Why Unemployment Rate Stays The Way It Is!
There are 104 million active body people not working in the United States. The examples of why they're not working.
1. DEAD 2. BORN 3. IN PRISON 4. IN PRIMARY SCHOOL 5. IN MIDDLE SCHOOL 6. IN HIGH SCHOOL 7. IN COLLEGE NOT LOOKING 8. VOLUNTEER 9. DISABLED 10. STAY AT HOME PARENT 11. RETIRED 12. QUIT ON THEIR OWN 13. NOT HIRING QUALIFIED 14. NATURAL DISASTERS 15. ACTIVE MILITARY 16. NOT HIRING TOO QUALIFIED 17. LAID OFF 18. FIRED FROM THE JOB 19. DESTRUCTION TO FACILITY 20. OUTSOURCING 21. IMMIGRANTS TOO AFRAID OF BEING DETAINED BY I.C.E. 22. SHAMED BY SOCIAL MEDIA
Let me remind you, that Trump and Republicans believe austerity is the key to a strong economy and job market. The Republicans are not in control of the House of Representatives. The Democrats now control the House and will push for an agenda that Trump will likely oppose. Republicans will continue to pass ridiculous laws that hurt the working class and middle class.
The Jobs and Tax Cut Act has added trillions of dollars of debt to the economy. The results of the tax cuts haven't produced the stability. It's still considered a very unpopular law.
Deregulation has made safety a top priority. Many rollbacks of regulations imposed by Barack Obama and previous presidents have also made things worse. The removal from the Paris Climate Accords and the Iranian Nuclear Deal made things worse.
Trump has created tension with trade partners.
Trump moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem isn't productive as well. It has made the Middle East reject American investments.
Trump's support for Saudi Arabia and Russia's brutal takedown of dissents has made people uncomfortable with his leadership.
Trump's reset button on North Korea will only result in potential war in the Asian Pacific region.
Trump is destroying the economy. I won't say anything positive about him. Regardless of what happens, this is short-term success.
I believe in less than three years, Trump and Republicans will once again throw us into another recession. If the Democrats take control of the White House in 2020, we're already prepared to hear the loudest voices on the right blame the Democratic president for the mess Republicans created.
I wonder how trolls feed themselves in this economy?
I am 1980s baby. I can relate that the music of the 1970s was kind of catchy. I mean hip-hop samples most of the music of the past to relate to the current generation.
The husband and wife duo known as Captain & Tennille were big with songs like "Love Will Keep Us Together," "Do That to Me One More Time," and "Muskrat Love."
The duo even hosted a variety show on ABC.
It was reported that "Captain" Daryl Dragon passed away.
The duo of Captain & Tennille were big and they had the catchy songs that made you get on the dance floor.
He was a musician, songwriter, producer and entertainer.
He and Tennille were married for 39 years. They had a divorced in 2014. Daryl was shocked to find out that his wife filed divorce papers. The Washington Post reported health insurance related to health issues might be the reasons for the divorce, as both issues had been referenced in divorced documents filed with the courts. Tennille had reported on her blog in 2010 her husband's neurological condition was characterized by such extreme tremors he could no longer play keyboards.
He had a familial tremor. The tremors debilitating his abilities to perform.
Yesterday, death happened to fall upon a handful of individuals we known for years and became a fixture of entertainment, sports and politics. Now once again, we mourn the loss of a business executive who gave us a big box store.
A big box store that was accused of profiling people of color for allegations of shoplifting last year.
Not blaming him for the actions of some, but you can tell that the profiling certain types comes straight from the corporate boardroom.
Blake Nordstrom, the co-president of Nordstrom had passed away at the age of 55. He leave behind a wife and children. He ran the company with his brothers Erik and Pete Nordstrom who were devastated that their brother had passed.
The company issued a statement.
"It is with deep sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of Blake Nordstrom."
The company released a statement last month saying that the business mogul was diagnosed with lymphoma. They at one time said it was "treatable" but it turned out it wasn't curable. Some also noted that he may have died of brain cancer as well.
He ran the Seattle-based big box department store with his family. It was a generation of fashion sense. Blake believed in family. He would often treat his employees like a part of his family.
He leaves behind a legacy of goodwill and charity towards King County, Washington.
Nordstrom was founded in 1901 by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. It became a luxury department store operating 380 stores across the United States and Canada. It also operates the Nordstrom Rack stores, Trunk Club and outlet stores for clearance deals. It also operates HauterLook.com, an online private sale site.
Many big box department stores are declining in sales. Nordstrom, JCPenny, Macy's, Sears, Belk and others are on the fence. The online retailers like Amazon are killing the malls. The companies are desperately trying to keep up with the changing demographics.
Sears Holding Group is on the verge of collapse. It will trigger a recession.
I will be following Lucy McBath, Alexnadria Ocasio Cortez, Antonio Delgado, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Lauren Underwood and Jahanna Hayes on their achievements.
As you know, we have a bunch of freshman lawmakers being sworn in. We have a well established politician who will become the House Speaker. Our dear leader takes a shot at a presidential candidate who officially declared her intentions. Yes, we're still in a government shutdown that will probably last for a while because the dear leader wants the border wall.
The RNC has a great Chairwoman in Ronna McDaniel and the @GOP has never been stronger. We achieved historic wins with her help last year! #MAGA🇺🇸
The Shutdown is only because of the 2020 Presidential Election. The Democrats know they can’t win based on all of the achievements of “Trump,” so they are going all out on the desperately needed Wall and Border Security - and Presidential Harassment. For them, strictly politics!
Mexico is paying for the Wall through the new USMCA Trade Deal. Much of the Wall has already been fully renovated or built. We have done a lot of work. $5.6 Billion Dollars that House has approved is very little in comparison to the benefits of National Security. Quick payback!
Here we go with Mitt Romney, but so fast! Question will be, is he a Flake? I hope not. Would much prefer that Mitt focus on Border Security and so many other things where he can be helpful. I won big, and he didn’t. He should be happy for all Republicans. Be a TEAM player & WIN!
For FAR TOO LONG Senate Democrats have been Obstructing more than 350 Nominations. These great Americans left their jobs to serve our Country, but can’t because Dems are blocking them, some for two years-historic record. Passed committees, but Schumer putting them on hold. Bad!
Today is the official start of the 116th Congress of the United States. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will take the helms of top leads respectfully.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) will be the youngest members sworn in. Ocasio Cortez is a progressive firebrand who has often tangled with conservative agitators and members of the Democratic establishment who believe her ideas are too extreme. She often retorts most of the right wing. She is a lightening rod.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) will be sworn on the Thomas Jefferson Koran. The two women are the first Muslim women to be sworn in to the U.S. Congress. They will join Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) as the only practicing Muslims in the House. Tlaib is Palestine-American and represents metro Detroit. Omar is a Somali-American who live in a refugee camp during her young life. She was then a state representative for Minnesota for one term before she took the spot of Keith Ellison, the first Muslim to be sworn in the House. Ellison is now the Attorney General of Minneosta. She represents portions of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) will be sworn in. He was the 2012 U.S. Republican nominee for president who ended up losing to Barack Obama. He wrote an op-ed criticizing Donald J. Trump. He also faced a backlash from his own niece. Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel blasted Romney for his op-ed.
Romney's old running mate Paul Ryan leaves the gavel to Pelosi. Nancy Pelosi is the first woman to hold the power as the Speaker of the House. She held the position from 2007-11 and 2019 to present.
Many Democrats believe that Pelosi will be the scapegoat of Trump and the far-right. Pelosi promised that she will hold the gavel for at least one term.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) is the first African American woman to represent Massachusetts as a lawmaker. She was an at-large member of Boston's city council. Her surprise primary victory against Mike Capuano is a big win for progressives. She vows to be a thorn to Trump. She vows activism. She wants to wipe away the negative perceptions of Boston. Many believe the Boston Police are brutal to people of color. She wants police reform and gun reform as her platform. She beat Capuano, a white lawmaker who represented a district with a near-Black majority.
She won't be the only Black lawmaker from New England. Former Teacher of the Year recipient, Rep. Jahana Hayes will be sworn in as the first African American woman to represent Connecticut. Hayes district represents Waterbury, Hartford and Newtown. Newtown was the place where a white terrorist massacred 24 people in an elementary school. Hayes who wants to take on Betsy DeVos, the former CEO of Amway and now U.S. Education Secretary. Hayes believes that DeVos and her cronies are making education a business and not a learning institution. She believes that public schools help grow students. She opposes private school and charter school funding.
Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) will take the spot that was held by far-right lawmaker Randy Hultgren. The registered nurse ran on the issues of healthcare and gun violence to beat back a racially motivated campaign sparked by Hultgren and Fox News. They were trying to paint her as an "angry Black woman" during the election. They didn't care about the issues. They wanted to make Underwood the focus because she worked under Barack Obama. Underwood believes that if Republicans repealed the Affordable Care Act, many of Americans could be hurt by the effects. She said that she is in favor of universal healthcare, paid family leave, expanding job opportunities to felons and underclass and working to improve Illinois roads and bridges.
Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) is a Mother of a Movement. She is the mother of Jordan Davis. He was killed by a white man in Florida after a dispute over loud music. She is part of the Moms Demand Action movement. She became the first member of that organization to successful beat back a relentless opponent known as Karen Handel. The seat once held by Newt Gingrich and Tom Price swung to the Democrats for the first time in 30 years. McBath who sympathizes with the mothers of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown wants criminal justice reform, a stronger gun background check and accountability for law enforcement.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) will take the helm. Sinema beat McSally in the 2018 Midterm. Jon Kyl resigned and Arizona governor Doug Ducey appointed the defeated McSally as the U.S. Senator to replace him. John McCain passed away last year leaving Ducey to appoint Kyl. Kyl was then the senator of Arizona before he retired and Jeff Flake took the spot. Flake is considering a 2020 run for the Republican nomination. Sinema is the first openly bisexual woman in the senate. She is the first woman elected to the Senate from Arizona.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) says that if Trump "caves in" to the Democrats, his presidency could be over. The South Carolina senator who was a punching bag for Trump during the presidnetial campaign now seems quite pleased with the way Trump is governing. Although he's critical of Trump pulling out of Syria and Afghanistan, Graham has been pretty much a waterboy for the imbecile.
Graham and many Republicans went to the only place where they can get kid glove treatment. The country's most annoying conservative agitator, Sean "Softball" Hannity returned to radio and television on Wednesday. He brought back his usual routine. He started off the 2019 season with Hillary Clinton as his primary source of agitation. Softball Hannity along with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) and white extremist Rep. Steve King (R-IA) will continue to be thorns in this new congress.
Fox News has seen its best year. Although ratings are down, Sean "Softball" Hannity is the king of cable news. His reign won't be for long. Rachel Maddow of MSNBC is gaining momentum. Many folks who long await for a Hillary Clinton indictment won't see it. So some are tuning his show out.
Jay Inslee will be considering a bid for the White House. More on that later. The Washington state governor has formally announce his intention to run. He will run on the climate change and social justice platform.
Little known member of Congress, Rep. John Delany (D-MD) has announced back in July that he will take on Trump. He is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of moderate and pro-growth (corporate) Democrats.
Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) is the first openly gay member of Congress. She is a retired mixed martial artist who tried out for The Ultimate Fighter. She is the first Native American woman (of Ho-Chunk) who succeed in beating a far-right former lawmaker Kevin Yoder. The other Native American woman to hold position is Deb Haaland.
Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) is joining the ranks of Congress as the first Native American from her state to win. She took the spot of Michelle Lujan Grisham, the new governor of New Mexico. She was the former chairwoman of the New Mexico Democratic Party. She is part of the Laguna Pueblo tribal union and has degree in Indian law and social activism.
Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM) is the first Mexican American and woman to hold the position of House member. Her district once represented by Steve Pearce was a big victory. Pearce went on to run for governor of New Mexico and lost. The person who wanted to replace him was ill-prepared for the ass whooping. Yvette Herrell was a relatively unknown ran on the Pelosi-Clitnon clone nonsense. Instead of talking about issues, Herrell went to Fox News and Softball Hannity to whine about how Torres Small was this big government liberal who wanted to make New Mexico a communist state.
Dave Brat was beaten by a Democrat. Brat beat then Majority Leader Eric Cantor in 2014 in an upset primary. Brat who was part of the Freedom Caucus went to Softball Hannity begging his constituents to reject his opponent Abigail Spanberger. He called her a Hillary Clinton-Nancy Pelosi clone and couldn't stay focused on issues. Spanberger, a former CIA operations officer and retired law enforcement agent had made the issue about the Affordable Care Act. She was proud that the Congress passed the ACA (Obamacare). She told constituents that if the Republicans repealed the law, they would hurt Virginians. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) broke the Republican Party's 36 year hold on the district. Brat vows a rematch in the 2020 election.
Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY) is one to watch. Delgado was facing an onslaught of racial attacks from his opponent John Faso, a first term Republican, Faso was trying to label Delgado as a "big city rapper" who wants to be a Nancy Pelosi-Chuck Schumer clone. When he was younger, Delgado was a rapper known as AD The Voice. He rapped about socially conscious issues like Common. Delgado told constituents that Faso wanted to repeal the ACA and destroy the safety net. The New York Post and Fox News ran on the fact that Delgado was a rapper and not an attorney. They tried to race-bait throughout the election. Delgado won handily.
Now there are other members of Congress who made an impact. I cannot go through all the names but I want you to know that they will be either memorable or a distant memory.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) is a former U.S. Navy Seal who became famous after SNL comedian Pete Davidson mocked him during sketch of Weekend Update. Crenshaw went to Fox News to denounce the skit. Davidson who later apologized invited him on to roast him. Crenshaw has maintained a friendship with Davidson since. Davidson gotten calls from Crenshaw, former girlfriend Ariana Grande, rapper Machine Gun Kelly and others when he posted a cyptic message about suicide.
Rep. TJ Cox (D-CA) won his congressional seat in a surprise upset of longtime member David Vlaadao. Cox is of Asian-American decent. His father is Chinese and mother is Filipino. He represents the Fresno area and will be serving with embattled lawmaker Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA).
Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) is a former NFL star who played for the Indianapolis Colts. He won his congressional race. The former was Jim Renacci, a lawmaker who was trounced by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in the Midterms.
Hey, if I missed something. Let me know. Anyway, good luck to the new members of Congress. They're gonna need it. Donald J. Trump, Mike Pence and the voices of the right will undermine the Democrats. They will play every card from the bottom of the deck.
Please take note, that Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) is the first to launch the Articles of Impeachment against Trump.
Lets get the government open and get America on the right path.
World Wrestling Federation (WWF) was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment after it lost its naming rights to the World Wildlife Foundation.
The wrestling world is mourning the death of a legendary announcer. I am truly thankful for "Mean Gene" holding it down for World Wrestling Entertainment. He was an American treasure.
Gene Okerlund passed away. He is a legend among the wrestling fans. Bleacher Reports say that Mean Gene passed away from unknown causes. He leaves behind a wife Jeanne and two children.
His son Todd and
Not to mention he just celebrated his birthday only a few weeks ago.
Vince McMahon, his son Shane, his daughter Stephanie, her husband Triple H and many in the WWE pour their tributes to Mean Gene.
A voice and sound track to an entire era of our industry. He was the star of some of @WWE’s most memorable segments. “Mean Gene” was beloved by all who got to work with him. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. https://t.co/9ddj6372eE
Gene Okerlund was always a consummate pro. His iconic voice, personality, and talent helped so many superstars climb to the top.
I am deeply saddened by his passing. RIP Mean Gene.
Gene Okerlund was an incredibly rare talent. He made everything and everyone better. #ThankYouMeanGene for all the incredible memories. Our condolences to his family and loved ones. https://t.co/IxpjiLo9UN
Super bummed about Mean Gene. Literally JUST sat down last week to do an interview about his legacy. He was the most iconic backstage interviewer in wrestling history in my opinion. #RIPMeanGene
Just heard Mean Gene Okerlund has passed away. As an interviewer, pitch man, announcer, or host, he was untouchable. Simply the best. Total professional with quick wit, sarcasm, humor, and that golden voice.
Condolences to his friends and family.
He was the greatest interviewer in wrestling history. He taught me SO MUCH about how to do a wrestling promo. He was a great guy, with a glint in his eye and a joke in his heart. He was… https://t.co/NpocBUExaj
I was always a big mean gene fan, as a character and much more importantly, as a person. We should say positive things about good people more often. never know when you won’t get another chance. #RIPMeanGene
Very seldom does an interviewer become just as popular, and at times even more popular than the superstars he/she interviews. Gene Okerlund was that person. Im saddened to hear of Gene’s passing. It was an honor to know you Gene! #RIPGene
Of the very few regrets I harbor in my career, one was never getting to scream "Mean Gene" when answering the queries of a man who presence was larger than life and ingrained in the better memories of my childhood.
RIP Mean Gene.
My condolences to the Okerlund family.
The best partner I ever had,we never rehearsed or did anything scripted from a writer,Gene would ask me “hay big man what do u want to do?”, I would always answer “just follow you brother” and it worked for from 1980 - 2017 ,RIP my brother HH pic.twitter.com/UJeWkueFv9
RIP MY BROTHER GENE MEAN. YOU PUT ME OVER LIKE NOBODY. I LOVE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SINCE THE MINNESOTA. GIVE MY BROTHER NIKOLAI BUG HUG. GOD BLESS YOU. CAMERA MAN ZOOM IT. pic.twitter.com/5k0VRXbKMI
Teared up to the news this morning on the passing of my dear friend and legend Gene Okerlund. He was one of the most amazing human beings I’ve ever met and so supportive of me.
You will be so missed 🙏🏽 my condolences to your family.
Very sad to say goodbye to Mean Gene Okerlund, a true legend. I always enjoyed being interviewed by Mean Gene, he was the best! He had an amazing personality and a great sense of humor. I was blessed to see him just 5 weeks ago at WrestleCade. He will be greatly missed. pic.twitter.com/pFd9mYIaJu
One of the CLASSIEST Men I’ve Ever had the opportunity to meet and know. Always told me how proud he was to have me in the wrestling business and appreciated what I stand for. Yes I like many others Was a Huge Fan Of His “Work” But I was more Honored to see His WORTH to Everyone https://t.co/biOKHr2OPt
This one stings. RIP “Mean” Gene Okerlund. As a young fan, he was the only backstage interviewer that mattered. He is the man with the golden voice who is SO synonymous with the culture of pro wrestling. I’m fortunate to have met and shared a beverage with him. Godspeed sir 😢
One Of My Closest Friends Since 1972 Until This Very Sad Day In 2019. Not Only The Greatest Voice And Personality In The History Of Announcing, But A Man Who Touched Everyone’s Life Who Were Fortunate Enough To Know Him. Rest In Peace Knowing No One Will Ever Replace You. pic.twitter.com/i7illbxQgw
Okerlund joined WWE in 1984 after spending nearly 15 years in the AWA. He remained with WWE from 1984-1993 and then worked for WCW from 1993-2001 and became the most notable interviewer in professional wrestling history in the process.
His contributions were celebrated in 2006 when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
After WWE bought WCW in 2001, Okerlund returned to the company as a jack of all trades and announced the gimmick battle royal at WrestleMania X-Seven alongside fellow Hall of Famer Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.
Mean Gene with the Hulkster.
While he didn't appear regularly on weekly programming, Okerlund showed up sporadically and acted as a host and narrator for many WWE side projects, including DVDs and WWE Network content.
More recently, Okerlund was among the stars on the WWE Network reality series Legends' House, which aired in 2014 and featured other WWE Hall of Famers, including "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan.
The South Dakota native will be remembered for several unique traits, including his signature mustache, horseshoe-pattern hair and velvety voice.
Mean Gene was present throughout the rise of Hulkamania in WWE, and he was an underrated aspect of Hogan's enormous success.
Few non-wrestlers have made an impact on the business as big and long-lasting as Okerlund's, and there will likely never be another backstage interviewer as beloved and appreciated as him.
