Why Coburn Is So Popular…

Editorial
The Oklahoman

WATCHING Sen. Tom Coburn interact during a town hall meeting this week, it was easy to understand why he’s so well liked in Oklahoma. And he offered a template for what a good politician should be.

Coburn’s town hall Monday night at Oklahoma City Community College started on time. Attendees weren’t made to wait 10 or 15 minutes or longer for things to get under way, which is so common with politicians. The program was advertised to begin at 6. It did.

Coburn was direct. There were no prepared remarks, only a few opening comments, including an explanation for why he’s leaving the Senate with two years remaining on his second term. “It really didn’t have anything to do with my health,” said Coburn, who is fighting prostate cancer. “I think I can have a greater influence outside the Senate than I can inside.”

He had a sense of humor. One man who mentioned his own health issue during his question told Coburn he hoped that 25 years from now, the two could still be talking politics. “I don’t. I hope I’m on the other side,” Coburn said. “Don’t you hurt already?”

Regarding pensions for elected officials, he said his pension will be about $28,000 per year. “And my life expectancy isn’t all that great, so it’s a good deal (for taxpayers),” he said.

One man, in introducing his question, said he doesn’t always agree with Coburn, R-Muskogee. “Neither does my wife,” Coburn replied. “I’ve got a mother-in-law who’s never voted for me.”

Coburn answered the questions asked of him. He didn’t do any two-stepping. A few examples:

“I don’t believe marijuana should be legalized for anything. … People in Oklahoma who really want marijuana legalized, Colorado is open. Go there.”

What about the U.S. House of Representatives suing President Obama? “I think it’s absolutely appropriate.”

What about the government’s ability to collect metadata? “We’ve had all this talk about how terrible the NSA is. The NSA has kept us free. … I’m glad we have an NSA and a CIA. Have they made mistakes? Yes. Have they been intentional? In most cases, no. Are your rights 99.999 percent protected? Yes.”

Social Security and Medicare? “We have to do reform, and the reform principle is ‘everybody shares’ (in the sacrifice). … I think it’s cowardice that Congress won’t fix it.”

How to manage $17.5 trillion of national debt and $122 trillion in unfunded liabilities? “I think you can talk and say ‘sacrifice is what’s needed if we’re going to get out of this.’ How is it we’re not addressing that right now?”

Coburn also said the media have overblown just how gridlocked things are in Washington. He gets along well with Democrats in the Senate, he said (Coburn and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, polar opposites ideologically, recently teamed up on a bill), and suggested most members agree on about 95 percent of what they want to see happen. “It’s the 5 percent we get hung up on that causes us to divide.”

But there’s also this problem. “The one thing you said,” Coburn told a questioner, “is what is completely lacking in Washington, and that’s common sense.”

It’s hard not to like that sort of candor. Oklahomans should enjoy it while they can.


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  1. Castor, 07 August, 2014

    One of the great senators of all time. Peerless integrity. Gee, I’ll miss him.

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