Senator Tom Coburn’s love fest with President Obama
Anyone who watched Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) on 60 Minutes on Sunday would likely be in shock. “My relationship with Barack Obama isn’t based on my philosophy or his,” Tom Coburn said. “It is based on the fact that I think he is a genuinely very smart nice guy. … I just love him as a man. I think he is a neat man. You know you don’t have to be the same to be friends. As a matter of fact, the more interesting friendships are the ones that are divergent.”
One must ask the question, where was Tom Coburn’s very public display of love, affection, and respect during the ‘birther’ attacks against the President? Why was he not actively attempting to temper the vile dog whistles by the Tea Party in 2009 and beyond?
“I am proud of our country that we elected Barack Obama,” Tom Coburn said. “I mean it says something about us nationally. … You know it’s kinda like crowning your checker when you get to the end of your checker board. Here is another thing that says America is special, Barack Obama, President of the United States.”
If Tom Coburn had made statements like that he would have cauterized the flow of hate from the real racist elements within the Tea Party. It would have made legislating and compromising an option instead of a Republican political death sentence.
“The President hasn’t done a great job of reaching out,” Tom Coburn said. “It is not his personality style. I mean he is not well suited to be a ‘back slapper, sit down, let me tell you this dirty story before we get down to business’. … He is not one of those kinda guys. He is a serious guy.”
The Senator first says that President Obama is poor at reaching out. In his mind reaching out is back slapping and ‘shooting the bull’. He says the President does not do that because he is a serious guy. The nation’s business is serious. Yet in that one statement Coburn implies that less serious would be better? How could the President win that one?
Tom Coburn then went on to state how his staff and the President’s staff got together and compromised to pass substantive legislation. They worked on specific issues like lowering the rates on student loans to save many Americans money.
The Senator also said that at times when the President was under attack from the Tea Party he would call him and tell him ‘Don’t let the SOBs get you down.” Maybe instead of calling the President he should have called the Tea Party. The problem is Tom Coburn was one of those SOBs at times likely for political gain.
Both President Obama and Senator Tom Coburn are big boys, political beings. They are likely good friends. This love fest on 60 Minutes is likely occurring because Coburn is leaving politics. The 60 Minutes adoration is likely a parting good gesture for his ‘friend’. What is sad is that even ‘friends’ have to play games for their political survival knowing working together would be the preferred manner to move the country forward.