Coburn Spoiling for Health Care Fight: "An Opposition Within The Opposition"

New York Times:

Senator Tom Coburn's office is the rare Capitol Hill work space without a "me wall" -- the display of photographs of a lawmaker standing beside presidents, foreign leaders and other dignitaries, all illustrating How Big a Deal he is. [...]

"I've always considered myself an opposition within the opposition," said Mr. Coburn, whose willingness to block, delay or neuter bills through an array of procedural measures has made him an effective nuisance during his five years in the Senate.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[tbone99]

Coburn needs to say NO to his government provided insurance that will continue even after he leaves his job, his pension to come, to the care he can get at Walter Reed , the congressional gym, and cafeteria and the $174,000 K salary he gets a year -

We can just place a NO sign on the seat he vacates

[VegasWolf]

These religious people scare the cr*p out of me!

[SamKnause]

I'm with you on that!!!!

[Dude77007]

It's been a game from the start. The PO has been so been neutered so badly it is meaningless. This is not the PO the public was led to believe it was going to be. They polls for the past 10 months, favoring the PO did not ask "do you favor a PO for the UNINSURED?" This is a bait and switch. The public should not stand for this, but sadly, they will. It's all been a game. We knew where the Republicans and the Blue Dog Democrats stood from the very beginning, but we foolishly thought the rest were actually interested in giving us reform. The delay in getting to where we are now was only their dilemma as to how to disguise this sell-out as healthcare reform.

They have handed thirty to forty million currently uninsured over to the insurance companies at some sort of negotiated premium subsidized by the taxpayer and protected the insurance compainie's base of 200 million currently insured against any premium reduction. The Democrats will tell us what a deal they have made for us. They threw in some bones like portability and pre-existing conditions.

There was never was even any intention of reforming healthcare. Even Obama is in on this make believe Public Option. Where is the outrage? If any one thinks that there is going to be serious reforms coming for the financial section regulation, the same game is in the works.

[Iccarus]

Unbelievable, this guy is a total disgrace. We're "waterboarding" his grandchildren by trying to give them decent health care? He's for the death penalty for legal medical procedures. This guy is a nut!

“If we wiped out the entire Congress and sent common people who have no political experience, we would get far better results than we have today,” he said in a remark typical of how he views the institution.- Sen. Coburn

So tender your resignation you piece of human garbage. You have the mental capacity of Forest Gump and none of the humility or downhome charm.

[jwredd]

Having Coburn in the senate is like having John Bolton in the UN. They both fundamentally despise the institutions they want to work in. It's the antithesis of productivity and for Coburn to claim that he's being fiscally responsible while gumming up the works and actually wasting our tax dollars is laughable, dishonest and arrogant. The man is there to serve his own ego.

[SamKnause]

People like this man could not be elected legally. He must have bought his seat as a Senator. Who in their right mind would vote for such an outrages person. Abortion is legal, but he would like to see the death penalty for people who perform abortions. The people in our capital are becoming frighteningly more bizarre everyday. He is a Dr. but he doesn't want us to have health care reform. He is an ordained Minister and has no place in government decisions.

[JeanPaulSatire]

Coburn is, indeed, a stopper in the bunghole of progress.

[Bpeirce]

I guess spending 2 Billion dollars a month in Iraq For Dr. No was Fiscally OK....Right Wing Hypocrite

[PandJonB]

Doesn't he have any conscience. My goodness, no wonder he doesn't practice medicine full time. He is compassionless! heartless! a real blue meanie!

[Cyndy Keith]

Wonder if he has anything against the single-payer system, which would be paid for by our own taxes, instead of government? Or at least would be a lot less for gov to pay out -

[rubygreen]

Hope he is being investigate for brokering the payoff between Ensign and his mistress' family and his membership in CSTREETCULT_.

[blackmouth]

This guy is supposed to be so religious, but only for show. If he really believed in God and Jesus he would be for health care for all and not a Republican.

[msgirlintn]

"When someone is sick do you not try to help them get well or do you say you're sick goodbye?" I guess that only counts for Republicans and those who have health care already? Doesn't matter if you're sick and have no health insurance. I find it really strange that doctors can be against health insurance.

He and his 'C" Street buddies arre trying their best to make sure the sick don't get well.

[MThomasNC]

I want to know why so many of the republican congress folks are doctors. Aren't they needed back home in their communities. They talk of a shortage of family physicians, hey they to drag these clowns out from congress. What's up with this...

[Colmore]

Probably not very good doctors. Remember Frist, diagnosing Terry Schiavo from a 30 second tape? Coburn is better at "counselling" other politicians when they commit adultery, and arranging payoff for the families. He is the "father confessor" for Ensign and Sanford, probably Vitter too.

[PandJonB]

Doctors take a narrower than usual perspective of common sense. They spend so much time with their heads buried in books that they find little time to come up for air.

[sviolette]

He makes more money off the insurance companies as a senator than he did as a doctor. He is also guilty of legislative malpractice. Too bad we can't bring a law suit against him for that.

[MadeandBakedintheUSA]

Such a busy fellow!

Deacon-Doctor-Senator-Farmer-Advisor-

[Arrech]

And pimp

[Arrech]

And pi mp