Senator Coburn seeks re-election

[sgrizzle]

And as I've said before, I have no more respect for him than I do any of the other Republicans who have suddenly rediscovered their opposition to spending now that a Democrat is in the White House.

Your ability to revise history is admirable.

[Conan71]

Oh, so when you wrote "he's raised America's conscience about waste in government and the shenanigans we are paying for," you meant he's "able to single-handedly hold up a bill that has provisions [he doesn't] believe in."

I guess I'm the fool for responding to what you actually wrote. Not that you responded to what I wrote, either.

He may arguably be an effective obstructionist, but that doesn't mean he's done one iota to make the country as a whole aware of anything.

And as I've said before, I have no more respect for him than I do any of the other Republicans who have suddenly rediscovered their opposition to spending now that a Democrat is in the White House. In fact, he and his ilk have arguably done the most damage possible to our country, what with allowing enormous deficit spending when the economy was doing reasonably well and only now that deficit spending is actually needed do they bother to oppose it. They are completely at odds with economics.

I guess that makes sense, as most Republican Congresspeople are also completely at odds with physical science.

I do agree that Inhofe is the greater threat to rational thinking in Congress. Coburn does at least have the budget hawk thing going for him, after all.

Here you go Nathan, a tid-bit of historical perspective from his HOR career, there's plenty more:

"But in Washington, Tom Coburn's former colleagues in the House of Representtives remember a maverick conservative who in 1999 almost single-handedly forced Congress to cut nearly $1 billion in spending. The Republican vows to be just as tight with taxpayers' money when he returns to Capitol Hill as a senator in January."

(Yes, I know, what's $1bln in DC these days?  Point being, he's done what he's been capable of as one in 535 legislators)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/vote2004/2004-11-03-coburn-profile_x.htm

If you are interested in breaking down your filtered or pre-concieved paradigms about "Dr. No", Google is your friend.  He was one of the very few who truly believed in the Contract For America and stuck to it best as possible, including it's term limit pledge.  I have little respect for out of control spending in DC, and little respect for members of the GOP that voided their "contract".  The only picture I have of Newt Gingrich has been in the center of my dart board, FYI.

I don't agree with a lot of his "moralism", but his heart's in the right place when it comes to fiscal issues.

[Conan71]

Your ability to revise history is admirable.

You noticed that too, did you?

[rwarn17588]

I don't agree with a lot of his "moralism", but his heart's in the right place when it comes to fiscal issues.

Except for that monster bailout package in late 2008, of course.

[nathanm]

Your ability to revise history is admirable.

Thanks. Conan's ability to revise it when it's all laid out in this thread is even more impressive.

As I wrote before, Coburn may well have his heart in the right place (I doubt it, but let's presume he does). He may have even single handedly trimmed a billion dollars from the budget when he was a member of the House. That doesn't have any bearing whatsoever on my initial assertion that he's been ineffective at "rais[ing] America's conscience about waste in government and the shenanigans we are paying for."

Given that America's conscience has not been thus raised, Coburn could not possibly have been effective in raising it.

I'm not commenting about whether he has been effective at other things.

Someone do some research for me. Has Coburn said one word about the biggest money waster in Government? Has he taken on the Pentagon? If so, my opinion of him may improve slightly.