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August 01, 2008, 4:00 a.m. Some people, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says, “you cannot negotiate with.” Terrorists? No: Tom Coburn, the conservative Republican from Oklahoma.
Coburn has driven Reid to such a state of consternation by blocking action on 35 bills creating 36 new government programs, and costing $10 billion over five years. Lowlights include $1.5 billion to subsidize the DC Metro, $12 million to fund a botanical greenhouse in Maryland, and $17 million to enact a prohibition on the import or export of monkeys and apes. Some of the new programs have worthy goals to which Coburn is not opposed. He insists, however, that Congress should fund these new programs by eliminating wasteful and duplicative ones, not by adding new spending to the budget. To this end, Coburn identified for Reid $45 billion in possible savings. Selling off unneeded federally owned buildings could save taxpayers $18 billion. Eliminating tax credits for ethanol could save another $7 billion. Instead of working with Coburn, Reid put all the bills into one package in an attempt to steamroll over him. He forced a vote on Monday on what senators had taken to calling the “Tomnibus” bill. Reid got an assist from the media, which portrayed Coburn as an old crank pinching pennies from mothers and children. But Republicans stood with Coburn and Reid failed. Reid was furious. “We will not be able to take these up at a later time, and we’ll have to wait until a new Congress,” he whined. “And in the meantime, there will be much suffering and mental distress.” Yes, and nowhere so much as in the Senate majority leader’s office, as long as Tom Coburn’s around. We sympathize with Reid: From his perspective, a senator who actually looks out for taxpayers must look like a dangerous right-wing fanatic. |
