Ok. I'm in the mood to talk about Oklahoma Republican Senator Tom Coburn again. One reason is that he's a heartless ideologue. Number two is that I've been invited to appear on HuffPost Live today at 2.30 and the subject they want me to discuss is whether or not the Senator is a heartless ideologue or if he has a point and that there is a better way to help the victims of the recent horrible tornado other than 'more pork from Washington.'
Hopefully my regular readers can guess how I come down on this one. As to the show, my fingers are crossed-I was just asked to tel them my point of view-so who knows what they're looking for? I haven't done the show yet-but tentatively I've been asked. So try to take a listen. I'll update things when I know them.
Regarding Coburn it's not just what he did-which is bad enough-but the timing. If the classic phrase not waiting until the body is cold applies to anything, it's Coburn's conduct during this heartbreaking, terrible tragedy that has hurt so many members of his own state.
I mean he has the heart of an insurance company. I don't think this is what you want to lead off with when we're in the middle of a body count. The timing was awful. I want to say that he would only do this as he doesn't plan to run again. However, the fact is he's done this plenty of times, he even voted against aid for victims of the Oklahoma City bombing.
"According to The Huffington Post, Coburn's spokesman, John Hart, has confirmed that the senator will push for any federal disaster spending to be offset by cuts elsewhere in the budget: "That's always been his position [to offset disaster aid]. He supported offsets to the bill funding the OKC bombing recovery effort."
Hopefully my regular readers can guess how I come down on this one. As to the show, my fingers are crossed-I was just asked to tel them my point of view-so who knows what they're looking for? I haven't done the show yet-but tentatively I've been asked. So try to take a listen. I'll update things when I know them.
Regarding Coburn it's not just what he did-which is bad enough-but the timing. If the classic phrase not waiting until the body is cold applies to anything, it's Coburn's conduct during this heartbreaking, terrible tragedy that has hurt so many members of his own state.
I mean he has the heart of an insurance company. I don't think this is what you want to lead off with when we're in the middle of a body count. The timing was awful. I want to say that he would only do this as he doesn't plan to run again. However, the fact is he's done this plenty of times, he even voted against aid for victims of the Oklahoma City bombing.
"According to The Huffington Post, Coburn's spokesman, John Hart, has confirmed that the senator will push for any federal disaster spending to be offset by cuts elsewhere in the budget: "That's always been his position [to offset disaster aid]. He supported offsets to the bill funding the OKC bombing recovery effort."
"Coburn's fiscal hawkishness isn't new. Last year, he was one of 36 Republican senators who voted against sending federal aid to states affected by Hurricane Sandy."
I have no doubt that he's sincere. He's a sincere, heartless ideologue-he is actually able to muster up a good deal of righteous outrage over it:
"In 2011, when FEMA was running out of money after a spate of Texas wildfires and Hurricane Irene, Coburn called additional funding "unconscionable" — even though, according to the Center for Public Integrity, his state came in second only to Texas in the number of natural disasters that had taken place over the past two years."
Questions like this "Are pork-laden blank checks from the federal government the best way to help disaster stricken areas?" get me as what exactly does the people who ask it have in mind? It's like finding a starving man and refusing to feed him but making him listen to you give him a Bible study. It reminds me of what a moderate Republican in 1934 said to explain the GOP thumping in that year's election. 'Folks can't eat the Constitution.'
Of what use are his weasel words?
Questions like this "Are pork-laden blank checks from the federal government the best way to help disaster stricken areas?" get me as what exactly does the people who ask it have in mind? It's like finding a starving man and refusing to feed him but making him listen to you give him a Bible study. It reminds me of what a moderate Republican in 1934 said to explain the GOP thumping in that year's election. 'Folks can't eat the Constitution.'
Of what use are his weasel words?
UPDATE: It looks like I will be doing the show and here is the post that inspired the question about Coburn:
Your humble blogger has his biggest moment yet-which is cool as it's now exactly 2 years this month. My first post was about-defending Anthony Weiner.
What was it that you referred to me as Nanute-an 'obscure blogger?' Well maybe a little less so after today-LOL. Not that I want to raz Nanute-he's my benefactor. Who else is going to take me out and treat me to a bucket of Popeye's Chicken once a month? No seriously, who else is going to do that?
Feel free if you like, all my wonderful readers, to commemorate this great day-the 2 year anniversary of Diary of a Republican Hater with a small token in our tip jar. Don't make me beg on such an auspicious occasion but suffice it to say $5 would mean a lot more to me than to you right now-what economists call the composition effect.
In any case, I do love you all very much-really. It's been a great two years but it won't hold a candle to the next two, I guarantee it.
UPDATE: It looks like I'm still obscure-HuffPo has booked some other specific guest. Thanks a lot Huffington Post for getting my hopes up.
UPDATE: It looks like I'm still obscure-HuffPo has booked some other specific guest. Thanks a lot Huffington Post for getting my hopes up.
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