Posted on 05/29/2008 2:55:38 PM PDT by redwill
Distraught by congressional spending, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said that Republicans have lost their courage to clamp down on waste and deserve to lose seats this year.
"Those people who are fiscally conservative, Republican or not, we don't have many years left that we better fix this, and we better be about it now," said Coburn on CNN Headline News Wednesday. "So [it's about] holding the Republicans accountable. And we're going lose some seats. There's no question about it. We deserve to."
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
"Those people who are fiscally conservative, Republican or not, we don't have many years left that we better fix this, and we better be about it now," said Coburn on CNN Headline News Wednesday. "So [it's about] holding the Republicans accountable. And we're going lose some seats. There's no question about it. We deserve to."
Coburn, a first-term senator who has crusaded against government waste, said that most Republicans in Congress are fiscal conservatives and correctly vote against spending measures put forth by Democrats. But he decried votes by "a Republican portion" to go along with the Democratic majority.
"I think they've lost their courage," Coburn said. "And I think the focus has been on short-term benefits, rather than long-term leaders of the country. And I think they have to start acting like Republicans. And they either have to believe it or not. And if they believe it, they'll vote that way. And if they don't, they really aren't Republicans."
Coburn's harsh words for fellow Republicans come after his op-ed in Monday's Wall Street Journal in which he said that GOP efforts such as the K Street Project, which sought to foster ties between Republicans and lobbying firms, and "compassionate conservatism" backfired and weakened the party.
"The fruit of these efforts is not the hoped-for Republican governing majority, but the real prospect of a filibuster-proof Democrat majority in 2009," he wrote. He called for Republicans to focus on eliminating government waste before approving more spending.
Watch video of Coburn’s interview at The Briefing Room .
so, I guess self-flagellation is in.
Well, Tom old boy, you are cheerleading for a guy who defines what is wrong with the GOP.
Yep. Might as well turn it over to the democRATS since they are the real experts at wasting taxpayer money.
“The fruit of these efforts is not the hoped-for Republican governing majority, but the real prospect of a filibuster-proof Democrat majority in 2009,”
::::::
What did these martini-sipping, country club pussies think was going to happen as they just sat around, did NOTHING, said NOTHING, never responded TO ATTACKS FROM THE LEFT AND THE ROTTEN MSM....these jerks can only blame themselves for selling out the people who gave them a mandate by sending them to Washington, with a CONSERVATIVE mandate TO FIGHT LIBERALISM, SOCIALISM AND THE POWER-MAD, TAX-MAD, SPEND-MAD LEFT, -—
They have failed miserably, screwed those that trusted them, and they must be REPLACED.
This campaign needs to come down to four issues--energy, the economy, national security and illegal immigration. These are all winning Republican issues. This is not complicated.
Funny how your eye/brain can make that seem to be moving in a clockwise manner or just alternating back and forth between only two pictures. How come your eye/brain doesn’t think it’s turning counterclockwise sometimes?
OOOOoooo, it does if you make your eyes go in that direction. NEAT!
1. Energy - Doesn't want to drill ANWR. Wants to have a cap-and-trade system.
2. The economy - voted against Bush tax cuts. Didn't want to "increase the deficit". So when all his friend across the aisle refuse to cut spending, will he just abandon his pledge to get the Bush tax cuts made permanent? I think so.
3. National Security - can't have that with wide open borders. He'll probably do a pretty good job of defending the national security of Iraq, but that's not the same as the US of A national security AT ALL.
4. Illegal immigration - McCain hasn't been on the right side of this issue in this in his adult life, and he won't suddenly get right in 2009.
What a pickle.
The problem is that the Presidential candidate for the Republican Party is against drilling and believes in global warming, he believes in the cap and trade nonsense that will kill the economy as well as doing nothing about high gas prices (i.e. drilling, building refineries). I suppose he’s for national security as far as fighting terrorists as long as they aren’t crossing from the Mexico border, which leads us to your last issue.
This is all the more reason to concentrate on these four issues. They are winning issues for Republicans and they will put pressure on McCain to do what Republicans want.
I should have read down further. You already covered my points.
Crap like "Main Street" Republicans, Republicans "for choice"...
The destruction of the modern conservative movement is, in fact, Bush’s fault. Why would anybody who campaigned for the last 30 years to bring about the GOP control of government lift a finger to support the GOP after the way the GOP has increased spending faster than any democrat since FDR ever did?
And please don’t give me the lecture about there was a war on. Even non-defense discretionary spending went up faster than under any Dem since FDR.
Flagellation of ones self for poor performance is one thing. Flagellation of the entire nation by proxy is not excusable.
No, Senator, they didn't lose their courage, it's just that they have become so greedy that they're turning a blind eye toward the many problems that Americans face. They have sold out to the big corporations! Many of them do deserve to lose! Hopefully, Lindsay Graham is one of them!!
Coburn merely repeats what is said hundreds of times a week here on FR.
I hope the Republican party can be moved to again be a party that pushes limited government...being big spenders, especially for social welfare programs, is a HUGE mistake.
I agree, Tom. You deserve to lose your seats. Don’t pull this pity party on us.
We’ve had it with all the double speak; etc.
And flagellation of anyone or anything, directly or by proxy, is a waste if the problem isn't fixed.
Absolutely noone points their finger at the correct culprit......Washington is run by lobbyists, not the people.
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