Posted on 07/26/2005 12:13:52 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55
The New Sheriff in Town
By: Josh Johnson
Wastewatcher, July 2005
Picture Washington D.C. as the setting for an old western film. A familiar hero that has been out of town for a time rides back in on his horse with the intention of running out all the, no-good varmints; that have taken over. This man is well known by all the no-goods in the town, so they set out to take him down before he can interfere. As our hero walks into the local saloon, we flash forward to the present day and find a junior senator entering the Senate chamber: Dr. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).
After serving in the House of Representatives from 1995 to 2001, Dr. Coburn returned to Oklahoma to practice medicine. He was elected to the Senate in November 2004 to eliminate, as he calls it, the ;the inside-the-Beltway entitlement society. Many of his colleagues knew of Dr. Coburn's reputation for sticking to his principles and rocking the boat. For example, in 1999, he tried to add 130 amendments to an agriculture appropriations bill because of its excessive cost.
Traditionally, junior senators are expected to keep their mouths shut and follow orders from party leadership. But Sen. Coburn refused to adhere to that custom and immediately began to criticize the Senate for its waste and spending. As happened with our hero at the beginning of this story, senators accustomed to taxpayer-financed spending binges did not take to Sen. Coburn's approach. Soon after his arrival, the Senate Ethics Committee attempted to cite him with ethics violations for being a member of the Senate and continuing to return home to deliver babies. Sen. Coburn pointed out that he spends 60 to 70 hours a week on his Senate duties. He also noted that other senators spend as much time at home as he does, except with the sole aim of campaign fundraising.
Using his role as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information and International Security as his six-shooter, Senator Coburn has set out to round up and terminate any and all unnecessary federal spending. On June 23, Dr. Coburn introduced the ;Stop the Raid on Social Security; bill (S. 1302) that would dedicate the Social Security surplus to voluntary, personal retirement accounts. His bill would keep Congress from wasting Social Security taxes on pork projects and general expenses. His subcommittee has held hearings on improper payments by federal agencies, as well as on the Bush Administration's proposed Sunset and Results Commissions to review and eliminate wasteful programs.
Dr. Tom Coburn has entered the Senate with his guns blazing. He also has promised to be a citizen legislator and serve no more than two terms. With Dr. Coburn acting as the new fiscal sheriff in Washington, taxpayers have in important ally in the fight against big government and wasteful spending.
I'm not sure if there's a specific rule. Just "Senate Rules"
But nothing stopped Hillary from writing a book. I would consider that 'substantial' outside income wouldn't you?
Dr. Tom BUMP!
Bump right back at ya!
Thanks!
Yes, well.... we all know the rules for conservatives are different than those for everyone else.
Coburn for President.
Yep!
Instead of having Voinavich in charge..Dr. Coburn should be in charge.
Coburn for President! It has a nice ring to it!
Ping
Thanks for the ping!
"He also has promised to be a citizen legislator and serve no more than two terms."
I hope this is one promise he breaks...or at least that he gives the good people of Oklahoma the chance to elect him again after his two terms.
Then again...that puts us out to what....2016? Interesting year, don't you think? Assuming either that in 2008 we (or the other party) elect a Prez who serves two terms, then he could run for an open seat.
Or we elect a Prez in 2008 who serves one term, then we lose the White House to a challenger in 2012, then under either of those scenarios, Coburn could run.
Under a third scenario, where the other party elects a one-termer in 08, and we put in a replacement in 12...Then in that scenario he couldn't really run in 2016.
However, even under that scenario, he could wait it out and run in 2020. He was after all four years between his House and Senate careers.
As of right now, Coburn is one of the few true conservatives out there. He is not as polished as say, Mike Pence, and therefore doesn't have that Reaganesque-ness about him. BUT....the man is a true, fearless conservative. I would be delighted if he ran for PRez.
Run him in 08! Whoo hoo!
We need to start a Draft Coburn movement!
Signed up today to tell us that?
He might be a troll...lol.
Lets zot him to see if he melts!!
Prez candi mat'l, maybe? '08?
Wow, 08. That's pretty soon!
Then again, I guess he did get drafted for his Senate duties.
And he wouldn't have to give up his Senate seat.....
There is a lot of merit in this. Now, having watched GOP politics for a LONG time, one thing we can say is this. You don't win the first time you go for the nomination. GWB was an exception.
Even Reagan ran three times (Briefly in 68, full force in 76, successfully in 80).
I am thinking that Coburn should run in 08. He's not ready in that he's not very polished....he would step in it a lot. But so what? This is a building process. If nothing else, he would push the field to the right. He would bring a lot of the libertarians in....he would motivate the religious right. He would get the true-believing conservative support. He would be a factor. He would learn a lot.
And next time....whether in 12, or 16, or 20...he might just win.
He is an extremely smart man.
I've been in meetings with him..you can ask him anything!!
He'll admit if he doesn't know the answer...but he'll go study up on what you asked him..and then come back with an answer the next time you see him.
What happened to Amendment One? LOL!!!
If you have been in meetings with him, then you are the point man to start the draft Coburn movement. Consider yourself drafted.
The rest of us, or at least me, are just flap-jawing. You can actually get this done!
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