Coburn's violation: Working as a doc

POLITICO ^ | 8/12/08 | MARTIN KADY II

[ricks_place]

The Senate Ethics Committee has told Republican Sen. Tom Coburn that he’ll be engaged in a “serious violation of Senate rules” if he continues delivering babies back home in Oklahoma.

Coburn’s response: So what?

“On my own time, I’m taking care of women who have a need, and I’m going to continue to deliver babies,” Coburn, an obstetrician, told Politico. “I’m not going to stop.”

Coburn would not say specifically whether he has actually delivered a baby since the June 22 deadline set by the Ethics Committee, but he made it clear that he could deliver one any day now — and thereby force the Ethics Committee to put up or shut up.

Coburn — an irascible Republican known as Dr. No — has been fighting with the Ethics Committee for years over whether he can continue to practice medicine.

As a member of the House, Coburn delivered approximately 400 babies under an arrangement with the House ethics committee that allowed him to provide medical services as long as the fees he collected allowed him to only break even on his costs.

[laweeks]

Now, if he were providing FREE ABORTIONS . . . nothing would be said . . . he’d be a hero.

[theBuckwheat]

It seems inconsistent as long as Senators are allowed to peddle the books they write (or have ghost written), especially when they accept large advances.

For example:

>>
Financial terms were not disclosed, but a publishing official with knowledge of the negotiations said the agreement was comparable to the $8 million Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton received for “Living History” and the $9 million former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will reportedly get for his planned memoir.

The New York Times reported that Kennedy received an advance of more than $8 million.
<<

from:
Ted Kennedy Sells Memoirs For $8 Million
Massachsetts Senator Signs Lucrative Book Deal Following Bidding War

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/27/politics/main3541888.shtml?source=RSS&attr=_3541888

[Dudoight]

Coburn cannot practice his profession on his on time..is that right?

But Harry Reid, et al, can manage and negotiate financial deals, probably even from his senate office on the phone...is that right?

[YouGoTexasGirl]

>> Slowly but surely, Sen. Coburn is rising on the list of “coolest senators ever.”

I’m proud of one of mine — Sen. Cornyn. He’s a reliable journeyman conservative. Not a leader and not a “brand”, but give him time. (In contrast, the other TX senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison, is kinda sorta adequate — nothing more.)

But I have to admit — Sen. Coburn takes conservative cool to a “whole nutha level”! I envy Oklahomans in the Senator department.

— Mr. YGTG

[rockinqsranch]

“The bottom line is that Ried wants Coburn (Senator NO) neutered or gone! It’s as simple as that.”

You got it. Right on. Dr. No is an impediment to the Socialist/Democrats Leftist ambitions, as well as to their “Snuffleupagus” at the Cornucopia of taxpayer forced tribute.

[manapua]

What the hell? Congressmen can go on book tours, can hold stock (even on companies that their decisions can affect; see Feinstein), but they cannot practice medicine when in their district?

[dbacks]

[Of course, if Coburn were running an abortion clinic, that would be totally acceptable.]

If he announced he was going home to suck the brains from a fetus, he would be applauded bt the dims.

[mriguy67]

I agree totally, let the public decide who is the bad guy here

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

In the meantime, Pelosi’s out hawking her pitiful book.

[Roccus]

From what I've read on this, the problem arises from the fact that the hospital where these deliveries take place is now a private hospital. It used to be a public hospital when Coburn was in the House. Once the hospital went private, the Senate Ethics Committee decided that his continued work there could be determined to be an endorsement of that hospital.

By this standard, Senators should only be allowed to pump their books at public libraries and not book stores....but that ain't gonna happen.

[Godwin1]

For the Democrats who now run the Senate, the real problem is that the Senator is DELIVERING babies. If he were killing them in late term abortions, it would be just fine with them.

[WayneS]

I envy both of you.

Virginia has become pretty pitiful in the Senator Department, what with that decrepit old RINO John Warner (soon to be replaced by the “Android Democrat” MARK Warner), and of course the the “honorable” Jim Webb (D), that purveyor of incestuous, homosexual, pedophilic “literature”.

Yeah, we’re in pretty sorry shape these days...

[magslinger]

Breathing while Republican?

[IncPen]

ping

[Slings and Arrows]

Coburn to Reid: “Oh please Br’er Harry, don’ throw me in dat dere briar patch!”

[bert]

.....The Libs are in control of the Senate......

The Rats have a majority but like the Republicans with a majority, do not have control. Harry Reid has been blocked over and over and over.

When McCain is elected, he will control the Sente through his buddies Liberman and Grahm. This triumverate will forge a majority that will prevail. It will be neither purist Republican nor Democrat but will craft legislation thet will pass. The house will be paralyzed nd forced to go along.

The Gang of 10 is the writing on the wall.

[Thermalseeker]

Harry Reid has been blocked over and over and over.

Please note I said the "Libs" are in control of the Senate. I did not say that the DemocRats were in control of the Senate. There are plenty of Liberal Republicans to go around in the Senate who are more than willing to grant any request made by the majority. Republican members of the Gang of 14 and the Gang of 10 are two prime examples, but there are many, many others.

Simply by virtue of having an "R" after their name does not make them a Conservative, nor does it require Republicans to follow the Conservative principles that gained them election to their positions in the first place. The two are not one in the same.

This is clearly evident with a variety of "decisions" that have come down from the Senate and Congress in general over the past 7-8 years. The Republicans were completely content to double the size of the Federal Gubmint, along with Federal spending, and create an entirely new entitlement boondoggle, i.e. prescription drug give-a-way, and a new gubmint agency, the Department of Homeland (in)Security, while they held their slight majority in the Senate. They didn't have to do this. All this spending and growing of the Federal Gubmint came while Medicare and Social (in)Security are going full steam ahead towards bankruptcy in the not too distant future and yet they do absolutely nothing.

It's come to the point now where party politics are no more than fodder for the masses. We have, in effect, a duopoly. It's quite apparent that you've bought into this nonsense. Don't listen to what they say, watch what they do. When the she-ite hits the fan, they protect each other like they were brothers. Party affiliation be damned.

With few exceptions, Congress has become a disgusting mess.....just like Liberalism wherever it's found.....