Sen. Tom Coburn interview transcript

The Washington Times ^ | 5-11-06 | Ed

[JZelle]

THE WASHINGTON TIMES During the past two weeks, Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, used an arcane parliamentary procedure to seize control of the Senate floor and force fellow senators to vote on individual pork projects they had inserted into an emergency spending bill for war and for hurricane relief.Charles Hurt, Capitol Hill bureau chief for The Washington Times, interviewed Mr. Coburn last week:

Q: There were a lot of Republican senators who voted to keep the $700 million "railroad to nowhere," but turned around and voted against the overall spending bill on the grounds that it was too bloated with extra spending. A: But they didn't offend the chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

[JZelle]

Wow. We need more of this guy!

[D-Chivas]

He saved $15 MILLION out of $14 BILLION in pork. It's better than nothing, although it's pretty dismal.

[theDentist]

When I first read this, I thought it said "Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, used an arcane paramilitary procedure to seize control of the Senate floor ..."

[linda_22003]

Not bad for one man out of a hundred. Imagine if he had a little help from some of his colleagues.

[SittinYonder]

Q: Given your dissatisfaction with how Congress works, did the Framers make a mistake when they formed this government?

The Framers didn't for the Senate in the way the senate now exists.

We need 55 Coburns in the Senate.

[linda_22003]

OK, he probably could have gotten more cuts if he had a rocket launcher on him, or a few grenades.

[samadams2000]

If he ran on an EXTRACT ILLEGALS platform, he would be President.

[SittinYonder]

"Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, used an arcane paramilitary procedure to seize control of the Senate floor ..."

Another fine idea. Messier, but probably it would meet with quicker results.

[theDentist]

hey, Tom Clancy!! if you're lurking out there, this would make for an interesting plot-line, doncha think?

[dov12348]

I understand it's part of a long-term thing. But he saved a tenth of a percent? Not very impressive. Must be lots and lots of pork-pressure out there.

[Just A Nobody]

Mark for later

[RasterMaster]

He makes me proud that I was part of the grassroots effort that kept the RINOs out! GO TOM!

[JZelle]

Was he the guy that caught heat during his seante race for saying his opponent looked like Saddam? That cracked me up!

[RasterMaster]

Nope...his opponent looked like a younger Gephart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Carson

[JZelle]

It was Bunning (Ky): "Bunning should have won handily, but his behavior has been increasingly bizarre of late. He said that his opponent looked like one of Saddam's sons. Then he broke the agreement to debate Mongiardo in Kentucky and did it from the RNC headquarters in Washington by satellite. It later came out that he was reading from a TelePrompTer, which led to instant speculation that he was having serious mental problems. Two weeks before the election, it became a tossup."