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Tom Coburn: Wait, I’m a RINO now because I disagree with Ted Cruz on tactics?
Hotair ^ | 09/26/2013 | AllahPundit

Posted on 09/26/2013 4:51:12 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Alternate headline: “RINO surprised to discover he’s a RINO.” No, no, kidding. It’s a testament to how much goodwill Coburn has earned with grassroots righties that he remains a minor player in the RINO/true conservative squabble over defunding despite having been one of the first big-name Republicans to publicly criticize Cruz’s tactics. Or maybe I’m wrong and he’s simply being ignored because a more attractive target for right-wing wrath has inserted himself into this. Coburn gets a pass vis-a-vis McCain, I think, not just because of differences in their record but because Coburn takes no obvious personal pleasure in rebuking the wacko birds. When he tells you it’s too bad that Cruz is doomed to fail, you believe him. Not so Maverick. In fact, there’s an odd symmetry between Coburn as low-key opponent of trying to defund and Mike Lee as a (comparatively) low-key supporter. Both of them are being overshadowed on their respective sides by guys who are lightning rods for criticism. The left (and Peter King) will come away from this declaring Ted Cruz some kind of terrorist but Lee will sail on undamaged.

I think Coburn’s right, though, that confusion about what’s possible here risks disappointment and demotivation next year. Tactically, things have reached the point where even some grassroots conservatives who are following this closely aren’t sure what’s going on. Here’s something one of Orrin Hatch’s staffers posted yesterday:

Callers into our office very confused after that 100-0 cloture vote

— Antonia Ferrier (@ahrferrier) September 25, 2013

The confusion over cloture is understandable, but it comes on top of the earlier confusion about Cruz wanting to filibuster the House bill that actually defunds ObamaCare and on top of the broader uncertainty about which side would suffer more from a shutdown over defunding and how badly. Ironically, I think the more convoluted the tactical debate becomes, the easier it is to simply choose a side between the RINOs and true conservatives and start hammering the other as sellouts/grandstanders. Democrats insist that Cruz’s filibuster will achieve nothing; Coburn, whatever his feelings about ObamaCare, agrees with them on at least that much. If he’s not willing to risk a months-long shutdown in a quixotic bid to pressure the other party into defunding the biggest “accomplishment” of the Obama presidency, then he’s kinda sorta “with” the Democrats, isn’t he? QED.

Update: If Tom Coburn’s the new president of the RINOs, Rick Perry must be his VP.

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO



TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: backstabbercoburn; coburn; coburn4obama; coburn4obamacare; coburn4romneyagenda; coburn4romneycare; coburnvsamerica; cruz4america; cruz4americans; cruz4freedom; cruzfilibuster; obamacare; patriotcruz; rino; rinocoburn; tedcruz; tomcoburn
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To: Logical me

It’s going to be Suicide by Voter.


21 posted on 09/26/2013 5:14:52 PM PDT by DeWalt
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To: SeekAndFind

If you fund it, you own it.

RINOcare.


22 posted on 09/26/2013 5:15:10 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.)
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To: St_Thomas_Aquinas

I usually don’t read stuff if it’s written by Allahpundit. He just plain bugs me.

The Daily Caller had an article which quoted Cruz. It pointed out that the strategy is to threaten (and make good on the threat) to keep ANY vote from happening until Reid promises they will get a chance to vote on the House’s CR with the Obamacare-defunding measure intact. The point of putting the vote on indefinite hold is to make Reid realize he gets NOTHING unless he allows the House’s CR to stand. It will rest firmly on Reid, who knows exactly what it will take to get the government funded, except Obamacare.


23 posted on 09/26/2013 5:22:06 PM PDT by butterdezillion (Free online faxing at http://faxzero.com/ Fax all your elected officials. Make DC listen.)
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Yes you are dum bass!

The first flurry of activity that even comes close to Conservatism in Washington, D. C., and you pick it apart.

Yep, you’re a RINO dip stick.


24 posted on 09/26/2013 5:24:26 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (This post coming to you today from behind the Camelskin Curtain. Not the Iron or Bamboo Curtain...)
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To: SeekAndFind

Actually Mr. Coburn, yes! NEWSFLASH!!!! Yes, you ARE a RINO


25 posted on 09/26/2013 5:24:44 PM PDT by Blue Highway
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To: SeekAndFind
A vote FOR cloture is a vote FOR Sh!thouse Harry and FOR the Kenyan Commie and FOR the ultimate destruction of freedom and liberty in America.

But hey, Tom, if that's who you want to vote with that's who you are going to side with!

My Gawd, if we had fought WWII like this, the East Coast would today be speaking German and the West Coast would be speaking Japanese!

26 posted on 09/26/2013 5:32:22 PM PDT by Gritty (This war against Islamism is being lost because it cannot even be acknowledged- Mark Steyn)
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To: SeekAndFind

Does he know what giving aid and comfort to the enemy mean?


27 posted on 09/26/2013 5:33:28 PM PDT by 4rcane
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To: SeekAndFind

That’s exactly right, Mr. Coburn.


28 posted on 09/26/2013 5:35:41 PM PDT by lu shissler (ecause)
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To: 4rcane

Those WDC cocktail parties, country club parties and lobbyist parties can be very inviting, huh, tommie?


29 posted on 09/26/2013 5:35:52 PM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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To: SeekAndFind
No, you're a RINO because your ‘tactics’ are indistinguishable from the democrats tactics.
30 posted on 09/26/2013 5:36:51 PM PDT by skeeter
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To: Logical me

It’s already history!


31 posted on 09/26/2013 5:37:05 PM PDT by lu shissler (ecause)
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To: SeekAndFind

Yes


32 posted on 09/26/2013 5:37:29 PM PDT by bmwcyle (People who do not study history are destine to believe really ignorant statements.)
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To: marron

I say the sooner the GOP-e party implodes, the sooner America can start the slow climb back into greatness, with conservatives leading the way! I how I wish this would have started in 2008 but most mainstream Republicans drank the kool aid from the RINOs running against Fred Thompson.


33 posted on 09/26/2013 5:40:45 PM PDT by Blue Highway
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To: SeekAndFind

Coburn lied about Newt during the election and I remember well how Fox News used his interviews to attack Newt. I smelled a rat then. He furthermore may disagree with Cruz but he attacked him in such a manner that there is no way to attribute anything except self servicing ill motives.


34 posted on 09/26/2013 5:41:08 PM PDT by sheikdetailfeather (Yuri Bezmenov (KGB Defector) - "Kick The Communists Out of Your Govt. & Don't Accept Their Goodies.")
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To: SeekAndFind

Dr. Coburn, you became officially a RINO early in 2008 when you embraced John McPain before it was necessary to do so. Ever since then, you have moved steadily left. I wouldn’t vote for you in a primary if I were an OK voters. But as I understand it, you are not running again in 2016.


35 posted on 09/26/2013 5:41:26 PM PDT by Theodore R. (The grand pooh-bahs have spoken: "It's Jebbie's turn!")
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To: bmwcyle

It is interesting the Coburn and King and others of the same stripe don’t realize that their opportunity for leadership has passed. There is a mass of us that have lost patience with any tactic that sniffs of compromise. We want political war.

Man up Senator. Lead, follow or get out of the way.


36 posted on 09/26/2013 5:42:23 PM PDT by KC Burke (Officially since Memorial Day they are the Gimmie-crat Party.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Coburn, with his “good friend of Obama” schtick has given cover to Obama and made him seem reasonable to low-info types. Coburn has been a useful idiot to portray Obama as reaching beyond the aisle and seem reasonable. Gee, if he is buddies with such an “arch-conservative” as Coburn, he can’t be all bad. Coburn has been a perfect tool for Obama and his gang.

Coburn has strangely given Obama a pass for all his lying and corruption and thug tactics. The perfect useful idiot. Not a Rino but a Dupe with a capital D. Coburn has continually trashed other conservatives and Fox News at key moments and seems a regular for establishment cesspools like Morning Joe, Msnbc etc.


37 posted on 09/26/2013 5:46:49 PM PDT by Moorka
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To: DaveyB
Surrender is not a tactic!

No, but it's all these folks know.

38 posted on 09/26/2013 5:50:38 PM PDT by EternalVigilance (The GOP establishment never learned the First Rule of Holes.)
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To: EternalVigilance

Mark Levin: Tom Coburn sounds like a “jerk” (2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tNw5i0-Kfo


39 posted on 09/26/2013 5:52:55 PM PDT by sheikdetailfeather (Yuri Bezmenov (KGB Defector) - "Kick The Communists Out of Your Govt. & Don't Accept Their Goodies.")
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To: SeekAndFind

Tom Coburn Calls Newt Gingrich’s Leadership ‘Lacking’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3imK5OEH8s


40 posted on 09/26/2013 5:55:57 PM PDT by sheikdetailfeather (Yuri Bezmenov (KGB Defector) - "Kick The Communists Out of Your Govt. & Don't Accept Their Goodies.")
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