Dan Boren displays moral fiber, lack of blind party allegiance.

[sgrizzle]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=13&articleid=20090628_13_A15_WSIGOm951999&rss_lnk=1

Boren: Biden request to attack Coburn rejected

by: CHRIS CASTEEL NewsOK.com
Sunday, June 28, 2009
6/28/2009 4:04:20 AM

WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden's office tried to enlist Rep. Dan Boren in a public relations battle against Sen. Tom Coburn after Coburn released a report criticizing some projects funded by the $787 billion stimulus bill.

Boren said last week he rejected the request because of an "unspoken rule" in the Oklahoma delegation that members not criticize each other.

"We just don't do that," Boren said. "It's just not my style to critique fellow members of the delegation. We're too small a state to get into those kinds of internal battles."

The vice president's office called Boren's chief of staff on June 16, the day Coburn's report cited 100 projects, including two in Oklahoma, as being examples of waste or low-priority items being funded with stimulus money.

Boren said Biden's office wanted him to criticize Coburn's report and tout the benefits of the stimulus bill, which Boren supported.

Boren said the call didn't come from the vice president and it was taken by his chief of staff. Biden's office did not respond to two requests for comment.

President Barack Obama tapped Biden to oversee the stimulus program, and the vice president has been promoting it almost daily.

Coburn's report got national media attention and touched a nerve at the White House, which reacted immediately, charging that some of Coburn's examples weren't being funded and that others had been distorted. The White House press secretary said some of Coburn's assertions were "flat-out wrong."

Biden's office released a point-by-point rebuttal of Coburn's report that said the stimulus program was "overall, a great success. With 20,000 projects approved, there are bound to be some mistakes. When we find them, we have been transparent about it, and worked on a bipartisan basis to shut them down immediately.

"Sen. Coburn's report, however, is filled with inaccuracies, including criticisms of projects that have already been stopped, projects that never were approved and some projects that are working quite well. If Sen. Coburn has found any problematic projects, we will address them immediately — but much of this seems to be little more than an objection to the Recovery Act itself, which Sen. Coburn opposed."

Coburn, R-Okla., responded last week with a rebuttal of the vice president's rebuttal. Among Coburn's claims was that the administration cancelled some projects only after reading Coburn's report.
Supports stimulus, Coburn
Asked why he thought Biden's office called, Boren said: "Things get really partisan here. They would assume that just because I'm a Democrat, I would toe the line."

Boren has touted some of the programs funded by the stimulus bill. A day before Coburn's report was released widely, Boren praised a stimulus program to give low-interest loans to small businesses struggling with debt.

However, Boren said, "I support what Tom is doing — not just on this bill but on all bills — in pointing out waste."

Coburn spokesman John Hart said, "It's disappointing that the vice president's office is playing politics rather than conducting oversight.

"It raises troubling questions for taxpayers. They should be focused more on managing the stimulus programs and less focused on managing the news cycle."

Boren: 1
Biden: 0

[guido911]

Here is Boren trashing cap and trade:

http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2009/07/21/dem-congressman-calls-cap-and-trade-worst-bill-hes-ever-seen/

+1 to him on this.

[Conan71]

How could anyone call Crap-N-Tax a good bill???

[sgrizzle]

I'm glad we can fix global warming by upping the earned income tax credit.

[cannon_fodder]

I'm glad we can fix global warming by upping the UN-earned income tax credit.

Fixed that for ya'.

[Chicken Little]

Gee, I'm sure there won't be any consequences for Oklahoma. 

Oh wait, there is that stimulus-funded train project from Tulsa to OKC that will be decided in a couple of weeks.  Well, we all know Biden won't be paying attention to who gets the trains.

Thanks, Boren, for gittin' Coburn's back.  How does that make any sense at all?  We have stimulus projects on the table; Obama's already sandbagged those hypocrites in Arizona just this week and he's probably looking for more idiots to make fun of; and what is Coburn in a Democratically controlled everything; even in his own party, Coburn is a noisy nobody; and if the tables were turned, he'd screw you over in a heartbeat.  Come to think of it, he already has...Coburn won't even support paygo.  Coburn is not a reasonable person.

Boren's little political calculation may get him an invite to Coburn's Christmas (praise jeebus) party down in Muskogee, but is won't really do much for Oklahoma at a time when we could really use the help.  He should turn loose of his blue dog long enough to see what's going on in the world.

With reference to the topic title, you yahoos should probably ALL eat more fiber, it may unclog you.

[TheArtist]

 The whole thing sounds silly. When Coburn said this....

"Coburn, R-Okla., responded last week with a rebuttal of the vice president's rebuttal. Among Coburn's claims was that the administration cancelled some projects only after reading Coburn's report."


Biden should simply say something like.... "Thank you Mr Coburn for pointing out those programs that needed to be stopped.  With 20,000 projects approved, there are bound to be some mistakes. Some projects people may disagree on, but some projects may slip past our efforts and are ones which we would indeed agree are completely inappropriate.  We appreciate your vigilance and assistance. "

[FOTD]

Gee, I'm sure there won't be any consequences for Oklahoma. 

Oh wait, there is that stimulus-funded train project from Tulsa to OKC that will be decided in a couple of weeks.  Well, we all know Biden won't be paying attention to who gets the trains.

Thanks, Boren, for gittin' Coburn's back.  How does that make any sense at all?  We have stimulus projects on the table; Obama's already sandbagged those hypocrites in Arizona just this week and he's probably looking for more idiots to make fun of; and what is Coburn in a Democratically controlled everything; even in his own party, Coburn is a noisy nobody; and if the tables were turned, he'd screw you over in a heartbeat.  Come to think of it, he already has...Coburn won't even support paygo.  Coburn is not a reasonable person.

Boren's little political calculation may get him an invite to Coburn's Christmas (praise jeebus) party down in Muskogee, but is won't really do much for Oklahoma at a time when we could really use the help.  He should turn loose of his blue dog long enough to see what's going on in the world.

With reference to the topic title, you yahoos should probably ALL eat more fiber, it may unclog you.

POST OF THE DAY!!!!!!!

[Chicken Little]

Boren may think he needs to appease a few crazies at home, but he's gonna be even lonelier on the Hill if he doesn't straighten up and remember what party he joined.  He're what others in this country are saying this morning about Blue Dogs like Boren:

Watching the centrist Democrats in Congress create more and more reasons why health care can't be fixed, I've been struck by a disquieting thought: Suppose our collective lack of response to Hurricane Katrina wasn't exceptional but, rather, the new normal in America. Suppose we can no longer address the major challenges confronting the nation. Suppose America is now the world's leading can't-do country.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/21/AR2009072102712.html

[sgrizzle]

Chicken Little and FOTD sittin' in a tree...

[Chicken Little]

Chicken Little and FOTD sittin' in a tree...

Yeah, thanks, Grizz.  I have a new fan.

I know you are a politician now, but you don't have to leave your brain on the hat rack...not yet, anyway.  What's up with that headline?  "Moral fiber"?  How about Boren shows the fortitude it takes to say "no!" to hypocrisy?  Or say "no" to people like Coburn who don't have a game plan and don't make any sense?

Millions of dollars of stimulus are potentially at stake; as is Oklahoma's standing in national politics for the next 4 years (or more...up to forever); and we may have just lost our opportunity for rail transit. 

But Boren really stuck it to the man...kind of a pyhrric victory, don't you think?  Or do you anymore?

Yeah, I'm mad. 

[Conan71]

CL,

I can understand your disappointment at this. 

Maybe Boren has too much of a conscience to serve in Congress in today's world.  Unsustainable spending cloaked as befriending the common voter isn't a great proposition, and perhaps our delegation has too much integrity to vote for that.  A logical solution on healthcare and the economy can't possibly done near as quickly as the administration is trying to ram these bills through the HOR and Senate.

I'm rather proud that our Congressional delegation is trying to treat taxpayer money as if it were their own.  Using President Bush and Congress' irresponsible prior spending sprees as an excuse to spend even more money now is the poorest excuse of all.  The list of "stimulous" spending beneficiaries reads like a list of DNC and RNC contributors, coincidence?

[Chicken Little]

Unsustainable spending cloaked as befriending the common voter isn't a great proposition, and perhaps our delegation has too much integrity to vote for that. 

Yeah, we're all real proud of their new-found integrity...eight years of Bush and $11.5 trillion later.

They're a bunch of hypocrites.  I'm just saying it's got nothing to do with conscience...it's just pure politics.  They don't have any solutions.

[Conan71]

Dubious numbers in the op-ed piece you posted.  I'm not anywhere close to defending President Bush's spending record (nor the "conservative" led Congress up to 2006), but out of that $11.6 trillion cited, part of that is "guarantees" for Fannie & Freddie ($6 trill) and investments in other securities (which the article admits might turn a profit for the gov't some day) and the $3 trillion tab for Iraq and Afghanistan is speculation by a couple of college profs.  Actual deficit was, what, $1.2 trillion. Still nothing to be proud of, but it drives home the point that Bush II has ZERO chance of having a decent legacy in the media.

There's danger in treating op-ed as news.

[rwarn17588]

Still nothing to be proud of, but it drives home the point that Bush II has ZERO chance of having a decent legacy in the media.

Outside of his Africa policy, what "decent" legacy do you have in mind?