Bloodless Coup

The Latest on Tom Coburn

I suppose I fear no possible new freshman senator more than Dr. Tom Coburn, the Republican nominee in Oklahoma. It's not that the Democratic nominee there is a real prize (I find a lot of his policy positions odious right-wing hackery, though he's a good politician), it's more that Coburn is simply scary - thinking that gays are the biggest threat to American today (what are those who think it's terrorism, nuclear proliferation or even structural poverty thinking?), advocating killing doctors who perform abortions, sterilizing women without their consent (to be fair, the doctor has denied this, but it has been publicly claimed by the woman involved). And I can't say that his performance today on Meet the Press has calmed me at all. First there was the culture war good vs. evil talk (though for the record, he did not say his opponent was evil), and then there was this on a question about how to cut the deficit:

Dr. Coburn: We need to have, first of all, a freeze on any increase in government spending except homeland defense and defense. We need to look at every government program.

Mr. RUSSERT: So a freeze on Social Security and Medicare?

Dr. COBURN: No, I said government programs; not Social Security and Medicare.

OK, so maybe here he's tripping over words and thinks that a freeze on discretionary spending would cut the deficit - which of course it would only do marginally at best. The deficit would still be there, and be pretty damn big. But the bigger head-shaker here is ... does he not realize Social Security and Medicare are government programs? As a doctor and a former member of the US House I presume he does ... but it's a bizarre misstatement ... and yet another sign of Russert's wacky priorities that he didn't press Dr. Coburn for a clarification (I mean he wouldn't want to cut into the time Kate O'Beirne has to praise Bush after all).

Anyway, I haven't gotten to the best part yet. The next Coburn question dealt with why Coburn supported ALAN KEYES for president in 2000 (you know, when our dear leader George W. Bush was running at the same time). Sadly he simply said that Keyes was a great communicator, then went on to praise Bush. But I had no idea - Oklahoma may elect a US senator who thinks Alan Keyes should be president. Wow.