Tom Coburn The Worst Possible Choice

A Bubbaworld Editorial Tom Coburn

Dr. Tom Coburn

The Worst Possible Choice for US Senator From Oklahoma

Republican and former U.S. Congressman Dr. Tom Coburn is running against 2nd District Congressman Brad Carson, a Democrat, for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Oklahoma Senator Don Nickles.

Dr. Coburn is in the opinion of this writer the worst possible candidate for the office and with just a few examples, I'll show you why.

Example #1:

Dr. Coburn proudly proclaims he is 'pro-life' and that 'all life is sacred'.
He also advocates the death penalty for abortionists.

As a family practice and Gyn physician Dr. Coburn admits he has performed abortions.
Evidently Dr. Coburn has no problem with claiming 'all life is sacred' even while advocating the death penalty for those that perform abortions.

Example #2:

While representing Oklahoma's 2nd District in Congress in Coburn protested NBC's airing of the historically significant movie "Schindler's List". Coburn said in airing the movie NBC had taken television "to an all-time low, with full-frontal nudity, violence and profanity". He also said the broadcast should outrage parents and decent-minded individuals everywhere.

Conservative super-stars William Bennett and Jack Kemp took Coburn to task for those remarks, with Kemp calling Coburn's remarks "a huge mistake" and Bennett calling them "very unfortunate and foolish".

Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, Republican Senator from New York said of Coburn:

"To equate the nudity of Holocaust victims in the concentration camps with any sexual connotation is outrageous and offensive. I'm particularly embarrassed they were made by a member of my own party."

Example #3:

During a debate with opponent Brad Carson on KRMG radio in Tulsa Coburn played the "God card", labeling the race as simply a matter of "a battle between good and evil" with himself portrayed as the "good" and evidently by default casting Carson in the role of "evil".

As a firestorm of controversy developed over Coburn's "good against evil" gambit his opponent Brad Carson was quoted as saying:

"The battle with al-Qaida is a battle of good versus evil. Osama bin Laden is evil, not your political opponents. This isn't a political jihad; this is an election."

Carson also went on to state:

"As a Christian and a family man, I'm deeply offended by being referred to as evil. I have been called a lot of things in my political life. No one has ever referred to me as evil.".

Example #4:

During a town meeting in Altus, Oklahoma Coburn was tape recorded saying:

"You have a bunch of crapheads in Oklahoma City that have killed the vision of anybody wanting to invest in Oklahoma."

A spokesman for Coburn says the candidate was referring to the state legislature not to the residents of Oklahoma City. If that is the case one can only wonder why Dr. Coburn didn't use the term "Oklahoma legislators" rather than painting an entire city's residents as "crapheads".

Example #5:

At the same town hall meeting in Altus, OK Coburn was tape recorded saying:

"All right, listen, I know the tribal issues. I was a congressman where most of the Indians are in this state. The problem is that most of them aren't Indians. The average Cherokee quantum is 1/512. All right, most people in this room have more Cherokee in them than the Cherokee..."

Coburn also went on to say:

"I mean this is a joke. It is one thing for us to keep our obligations to recognize Native Americans, but it’s a totally different thing for us to allow a primitive agreement with the Native Americans to undermine Oklahoma’s future…"

Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, in response to Coburn's views stated:

"I’m a Republican and it is hard to understand why Tom Coburn takes pride in dividing Oklahoma and ridiculing people. If you disagree with him, you are evil. There’s no discussion, no room for understanding.".

Bill Johnson, Tulsa and Washington county representative on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council said:

"I’ve been a Republican all my life and Tom Coburn is an embarrassment to the Republican party. Comments like these are why I keep seeing ‘Republicans for Carson’ signs popping up everywhere.".

In reply to Coburn's claim that the Cherokee Nation had given $150,000 to his opponent's campaign, Cherokee spokespersons stated that the Cherokee Nation has not given a single dollar to Carson's campaign.

Cara Cowan, who represents Rogers County on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council stated:

"But the way Coburn is talking, (giving money to Carson) doesn’t sound like such a bad idea. This is a race for more than just a Senate seat. This is about equal treatment for all Oklahomans."

The official Cherokee Nation response to Tom Coburn in its entirety is available on-line at Cherokee Nation News Release .

Thanks to the Cherokee Nation web site you can also listen to Coburn's own words at The Town Meeting In Altus

The are above are but a few examples of why Tom Coburn is the worst choice possible to represent Oklahoma in the U.S. Senate.
There are more, many more reasons to reject Dr. Coburn and his radical views.
If the voters of Oklahoma can not understand why they should not vote for Tom Coburn, they are going to get the type of senator they deserve.

And that's the very last thing that Oklahoma needs now or in the future.

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