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One of the BEST 10 min speeches I have seen on the floor of the U.S. Senate in YEARS !! Tom Coburn GETS IT FOLKS !! If anyone has a better quality video of this speech to post please do so ! This is a speech that BOTH McCain and Obama need to hear !! It is exactly what WE THE POEPLE would be saying if we had a camera and mic ! FReegards, David

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZel-Hxz-VQ ICYMI -- One of the BEST 10min speeches I have heared from the floor of the U.S. Senate in a very long time !! This speech was given following a hilarious dialogue between Sen Coburm and Sen Harry Reid !! Reid was getting all flustered because Sen. Coburn was objecting to a bunch of bills creating MORE government and NEW spending without debate..etc..etc..etc.. GO COBURN GO !!! I apologize for the poor quality of the video.. I had to record it from a handheld cam on a small TV to upload it to youtube...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., says Republican U.S. vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin deserves credit for sinking Alaska's infamous "bridge to nowhere." Coburn, who first publicized the earmark from Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, as an example of pork-barrel congressional spending, said Palin was instrumental in scuttling the project as Alaska's governor, The Washington Times reported Saturday. "The bridge didn't get built because Sarah Palin had the guts to say it wasn't going to get built," Coburn told the newspaper. Palin has been under attack by Democratic critics for initially supporting Stevens' earmark for the bridge in...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Members of the U.S. Senate don't typically earn money from another job after they're elected to the august body because of concerns that they will be unduly influenced by customers or colleagues. Oklahoma pro-life Sen. Tom Coburn is an OBGYN and is coming under fire for helping his patients. When he is not in Washington, Coburn works at the Muskogee Regional Medical Center. The hospital changed from a public one to private ownership in April and, following that decision, Coburn has come under fire for working there. However, Coburn changed his practice and now delivers babies...

Frustrated by Tom Coburn's "unprecedented obstructionism," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid cobbled together a "Tomnibus" of 35 bills with "broad—virtually unanimous—bipartisan support" that Coburn had blocked. On Monday the Oklahoma Republican blocked them again.Unable to muster the 60 votes needed to overcome Coburn's opposition, Reid castigated the Republicans who had sided with the obstreperous obstetrician. "You go home and explain to...the next person you see in a wheelchair, 'I voted against you because Harry Reid was being a tyrannical guy in the Senate,'" the Nevada Democrat said. He also accused the Republicans of voting against victims of stroke, Lou Gehrig's...

August 01, 2008, 4:00 a.m. Cheers for Dr. ‘No’ By the Editors 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...

By Michelle Malkin  •  July 30, 2008 11:07 AM How afraid is the Democrat leadership of truly maverick conservative GOP Sen. Tom Coburn, who is waging war with Hapless Harry Reid over binge spending and secrecy? They’re so afraid of his effectiveness that they are trying to kneecap him with bogus Ethics Committee complaints about his practice of not charging for delivering babies at the Muskogee Regional Medical Center. Coburn continues to serve as an OB/GYN in Oklahoma.Jill Stanek read my mind: If Sen. Coburn were aborting babies for free instead of delivering them, he’d be getting awards instead of ethics...

WASHINGTON — Congress has dealt for decades with catchall bills known as omnibus legislation. Now, for the first time, comes the Tomnibus. A product of Democratic frustration with the tactics of Senator Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican and physician who has become the Dr. No of the Senate, the Tomnibus is a $10 billion collection of Coburn-blocked measures assembled by the Senate leadership in an effort to break his solitary grip on the legislative process. Engineered by Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, the bill includes 35 of the most irresistible-sounding measures stuck on the docket, including the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sen. Barack Obama has been meeting secretly with heavy industry CEOs in Washington to discuss issues that he would face as president. On the campaign trail, Obama has been highly critical of corporate executives and promised them nothing but tougher regulation and higher taxes. But the unannounced, small evening sessions with them since he clinched the Democratic nomination have been non-confrontational and cordial. Obama scheduled the meetings without any hopes of winning the captains of industry over from Sen. John McCain, but to show them they would be able to do business with him in the White...

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared Thursday that negotiating with Sen. Tom Coburn was a waste of time as he laid out an unusual effort to pass a number of bills held up by the Oklahoma Republican. Reid, D-Nev., told reporters that senators were assembling a package of bills, from a number of committees, that Coburn has blocked. He did not identify any specific measure but said the bills had wide support from both Republicans and Democrats. "It is going to be an omnibus bill,'' Reid said. The package would include about 40 bills, he said, adding that...

The 'Coburn Omnibus' by Brian Darling Coburn Omnibus Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has angered Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) so much that Reid is planning to force through a vote on a so-called “Coburn Omnibus” bill before the August Recess. The “Coburn Omnibus” is a package of about 100 bills. Coburn is blocking passage of them because of the million-dollar price tag and the fact that many of them would use taxpayer funds to buy up private lands and enrich developers. Much like the late conservative hero “Senator No” (Jesse Helms), Coburn seems to be the only conservative willing to...

A proposal facing action by the U.S. Senate would force National Park and National Wildlife Refuge managers to allow more loaded, hidden handguns in national parks and wildlife refuges, endangering the public as well as wildlife. "This is more of the same from the gun pushers - any gun, anywhere, at any time," said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "Why are we putting hikers, campers and families at risk by introducing loaded, hidden handguns into our national parks and refuges? This proposal is a bad idea that the Senate should reject." Senator Tom Coburn...

December 17, 2007, 6:00 a.m. Who’s Afraid of Competition?Defense earmarks undermine our military. By Tom Coburn As this year’s congressional session comes to a close, the American people should pay special attention to not just what was added at the last minute, but what was taken out. While Congress was siphoning billions of dollars from accounts that train and equip our troops to fund billions of dollars of their own pet projects, members were simultaneously, and behind closed doors, gutting an amendment that I offered to the Defense Authorization Bill (which the Senate accepted) that would force competition for...

www.gunowners.org/a101807.htmOct 2007 Senator Coburn Goes On The Offensive -- Asks Veteran Affairs to explain why they continue banning vets from owning guns Gun Owners of America 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102 Springfield, VA 22151 (703)321-8585 Thursday, October 18, 2007 Senator Tom Coburn isn't going to go away quietly. As you know from previous GOA alerts, the Republican Senator from Oklahoma has placed a hold on the noxious legislation that is being pushed by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York. Because of his actions, the Veterans Disarmament Act (HR 2640 and S 2084) has been stalled in the Senate for a...

There's no need to ask Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity, why his agency created the Defending the American Dream Summit. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. -- who actually could be president one day -- can tell you. At the NASDAQ stock market last week, Mr. Obama said the "'what's-good-enough-for-me-is-good-enough' mentality has crept into parts of the business world, while working men and women toil longer hours and still struggle to pay for health care, tuition and taxes," according to The Associated Press. "If we are honest, I think we must admit that those who have benefited from the...

TULSA, Okla. - An Oklahoma senator known for targeting what he considers to be inappropriate federal spending is now turning his sights on government mascots. SNIP Coburn's subcommittee staff has sent out a questionnaire to every federal agency asking them to compile information on mascots. "It is not about going after a particular mascot," the Oklahoma Republican said. "It is about the money." Coburn said he is trying to get a handle on exactly how much the federal government spends each year on mascots and the Web sites that support them. "On average, it looks like there's (up to) $4...

June 29, 2007, 1:10 p.m. McCain’s Courage A rare American politician. By Tom Coburn As the American people, elected officials, and commentators reflect on the heated immigration debate that came to a temporary close in the Senate this week many will ask, and have asked, why U.S. Senator John McCain (R., Ariz.) staked out a position that may, in retrospect, be seen as devastating to his presidential ambitions. I hope the American people, at least, step back from the obsessive play-by-play pre-season election analysis and reflect on Senator McCain’s actions for what I believe they were: One of the purest...

With his caucus bitterly divided and the Senate descending into procedural warfare, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) stayed away from the Senate floor as the most sweeping overhaul of immigration laws in 21 years hung in the balance. Facing the biggest challenge of his leadership tenure, McConnell has largely chosen to work behind the scenes and instead allow a bloc of conservatives to spar with Republican supporters of the bill. Conservatives also railed all day on the process used by Senate leaders to bring the bill to the floor. But Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) and other Democrats wasted no...

Is Sen. Tom Coburn an extreme social conservative, a libertarian hero, or both?When Tom Coburn entered the Senate chamber on October 20, 2005, he was girded for battle and ready to lose. The Oklahoma Republican had been sworn into office only 10 months earlier. He was about to take on the Alaska Republican Ted Stevens, who had been in the Senate since the Nixon years and ascended to the top of the omnipotent Appropriations Committee. In Washington, there is no drama about how showdowns between junior and senior senators will end.Coburn was going to challenge two earmarks, specific expenditures requested...

Successful adult germ line reprogramming research conducted by PrimeCell(TM) Therapeutics LLC (http://www.primecelltherapeutics.com) was acknowledged by three Members of Congress during the recent Capitol Hill debate over stem cell research. On April 10, Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, M.D., a practicing physician who has used stem cell therapies in his medical practice, alluded to PrimeCell's work when he said, "We now produce almost every cell type that man has from germ cells, research done in this country..." He emphasized the promise of the germ cell, "...which I happen to believe is going to be another great option in terms of multipotent and...

A senator has delayed submitting a resolution to honor pioneering environmentalist Rachel Carson on the 100th anniversary of her birth after a colleague signaled he would block it because of her aggressive fight against pesticides. Carson's 1962 book "Silent Spring" revealed the harmful effects of DDT and other pesticides and helped launch the environmental movement. The longtime resident of Silver Spring, Md., died in 1964. She would have turned 100 this Sunday. Sen. Benjamin Cardin (news, bio, voting record)'s resolution had intended to honor Carson for her "legacy of scientific rigor coupled with poetic sensibility." But Susan Sullam, a spokeswoman...

I don’t think it matters,” he said on a warm day in December, sitting in his office on the first floor of the Russell Senate building as the annual session came to a close. “It will be my first time in the minority party, but I’ve been in the minority the whole time I’ve been here.” For Coburn, it’s a minority of one. Since his arrival in Washington, D.C., two years ago, no other senator has paved a more solitary path, butting heads with nearly every member of his own party and most of the opposition. In fact, as the...

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) and fellow reformers on Capitol Hill have so far met with limited success in their efforts to cut government waste, but they have garnered a lot of attention from popular websites and blogs. And that's about to become the basis of their strategy. Mr. Coburn has proposed a bill to create an Internet database that would track hundreds of billions of dollars in federal contracts, grants, and other payments.

WASHINGTON, July 2 — Exasperated by his party's failure to cut government spending, Senator Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma, is seeking cyberhelp. Mr. Coburn wants to create a public database, searchable over the Internet, that would list most government contracts and grants — exposing hundreds of billions in annual spending to instant desktop view. Type in "Halliburton," the military contractor, or "Sierra Club," the environmental group, for example, and a search engine would show all the federal money they receive. A search for the terms "Alaska" and "bridges" would expose a certain $315 million span to Gravina Island (population 50)...

THE WASHINGTON TIMES During the past two weeks, Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, used an arcane parliamentary procedure to seize control of the Senate floor and force fellow senators to vote on individual pork projects they had inserted into an emergency spending bill for war and for hurricane relief.Charles Hurt, Capitol Hill bureau chief for The Washington Times, interviewed Mr. Coburn last week: Q: There were a lot of Republican senators who voted to keep the $700 million "railroad to nowhere," but turned around and voted against the overall spending bill on the grounds that it was too bloated with...

"Change doesn't happen in Washington until not change becomes more popular than change," said Sen. Tom Coburn (R.-Okla.) Wednesday at the Leadership Institute's monthly breakfast. The key to getting America on the right track is change, but "long run" change. Coburn said that freedom works only when "leadership has its eye on the long term." Covering topics from healthcare to immigration to earmarks, Coburn appeals to the "common crowd" because he himself doesn't like how D.C. politics works or the way Congress is run. He said today politics is all about getting re-elected and most public officials are selfish. "The...

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., says he expects six members of the House of Representatives and at least one fellow senator to go to jail on corruption charges related to the scandal involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Coburn declined to name names, but said, "If you've been keeping up with things, you've got a pretty good idea," according to a report in the Tulsa World. Coburn's remarks came during a town hall meeting at the Wagoner Civic Center attended by about 30 people, and were made in relation to his attempts to curb "earmarking" – the practice of inserting appropriations for...

<p>WASHINGTON -- The Senate, which fancies itself the world's most exclusive club, has its Sir John Hawkins. He was the 18th-century musicologist whom Samuel Johnson called ``a very unclubbable man.'' The very unclubbable senator is Oklahoma's Tom Coburn, 57, a freshman Republican whose motto could be: ``Niceness is overrated.''</p>

WASHINGTON -- The Senate, which fancies itself the world's most exclusive club, has its Sir John Hawkins. He was the 18th-century musicologist whom Samuel Johnson called ``a very unclubbable man.'' The very unclubbable senator is Oklahoma's Tom Coburn, 57, a freshman Republican whose motto could be: ``Niceness is overrated.'' Coburn is the most dangerous creature that can come to the Senate, someone simply uninterested in being popular. When Speaker Dennis Hastert defends earmarks -- spending dictated by individual legislators for specific projects -- by saying that a member of Congress knows best where a stoplight ought to be placed, Coburn,...

Sen. McCain and I are serious about getting spending under control. John McCain and I recently delivered a letter to our colleagues announcing our intention to challenge every individual earmark on the floor of the Senate. Many senators, staff and reporters have asked if we are serious. The answer is yes. I am convinced that forcing hundreds or, if necessary, thousands of votes to strike individual earmarks is the only way to produce meaningful results for American taxpayers. Bringing the Senate to a standstill for as long as it takes would be a small price to pay for shutting down...

WASHINGTON -- Sens. John McCain and Tom Coburn may force their colleagues to make an up-or-down public decision on proposals such as tucking $2 million for a public park in San Francisco into the nation's massive military spending bill. Last Dec. 20, this bit of pork was passed by Congress without debate and without a vote in the final version of the Defense Appropriations Act.McCain and Coburn last Wednesday proposed a revolutionary change in the way Congress has done more and more of its business over the past two decades. They announced their intention to "challenge" future earmarks as a...

When Oklahomans elected Dr. Tom Coburn to the United States Senate they knew that they were sending a man to Washington who would not dance the D.C. two-step. But Beltway types have underestimated the determination of this man not to go along to get along. Very soon, that will change. According to Senate aides, Dr. Coburn has notified his colleagues that he intends to challenge every earmark—or pork project—on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Coburn, who has been a champion in the fight against wasteful federal spending, believes that the congressional earmarking process is the genesis of the current...

Dear XXXXXX: Thank you for writing to urge me to vote and support Judge Alito in his nomination to the Supreme Court and that Alito receive a fair and speedy hearing. I am sorry for the delay in my response. I value your input which is why I take the time to read each letter I receive from my constituents. I have carefully studied Judge Alito's experience as a lawyer, judge, and his understanding of constitutional law. After a thorough review and participating in an extensive five-day hearing, I have decided to vote in support of his nomination both in...

The following is Sen. Tom Coburn's (R.-Okla.) opening statement at the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Judge Alito, welcome. I know you're tired of this and I'll try to be as brief as possible. One of the advantages of going last is to be able to hear what everybody else has said. And as I've listened today, we've talked about the unfortunate, the frail. The quotes have been "fair shake for those that are underprivileged." We've heard "values, strong, free and fair, progressive judiciary." We've heard "the vulnerable, the more vulnerable, the weak, those who suffer."...

Human Events is expected to name their 2005 Man of the Year some time next week and I thought we would take a look at some of the possible contenders who helped shape the past year.2005 was very much a nascent turning point for the conservative movement and with 2008 seemingly getting closer everyday we must finsih what was started in 2005.Almost all of the candidates for Man Of the Year were part of the beginning stages of a revitalized conservative movement that was begun in 05 but will have to be finished in later years. Henry Hyde After thirty...

Dr. Coburn, I Presume Monday, December 12, 2005 12:01 a.m. EST [snip] Dr. Coburn, who delivered about 65 babies a year while he served in the House during the 1990s, wanted to continue serving his patients after he won a Senate seat last year. He noted that the House Ethics Committee had allowed him to earn just enough money as a physician to cover his medical malpractice premiums and other expenses. [snip] The most curious "no" vote came from Barbara Boxer of California. [snip] She is the proud author of a new political novel called "A Time to Run." [snip]...

Wednesday, October 26, 2005 Allen took a Conservative Stand on October 20th A telling vote was taken on Capitol Hill last Thursday. At issue - a massive spending bill before the Senate. Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn (R) placed an amendment before the Senate wanting to kill a few earmarked items (aka pork-barrel projects) in an effort to help fund the rebuilding in the Katrina aftermath. Sounds fiscally responsible to me - it's what my wife and I do with our own checkbook, we make tough decisions between what we NEED and what we want. You too, eh? If only Congress...

What Congress did is disgusting.You heard what the Senate did to Tom Coburn's attempt to impose some sanity on spending.How do they live with themselves?Years ago, interviewing economist Walter Williams for a show ABC News called "Greed," I was perplexed when Williams said, "a thief is more moral than a congressman; when a thief steals your money, he doesn't demand you thank him."That was silly hyperbole, I thought, but watching Congress spend, I see that I was naive and Williams was right.When the Democrats held power, I confronted Sen. Robert Byrd about wasting our money on "Robert Byrd Highway"-type projects...

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a clash of generations and political philosophy, 37-year Senate veteran Ted Stevens of Alaska told a freshman colleague that he would resign and "be taken out of here on a stretcher" if the Senate killed funding for two Alaskan bridges. "It is an offense, a threat to every person in my state," the 81-year-old Stevens said of the proposal by fellow Republican Tom Coburn of Oklahoma to eliminate some $450 million in federal funds for Alaskan bridges and shift $75 million to a Louisiana bridge damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The dispute temporarily brought the Senate to...

Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn says he needs to hear more from Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. before he's ready to decide whether to vote for his confirmation. Coburn is a Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He says Roberts ducked a couple of his questions Friday during a 45-minute meeting. He says Roberts wasn't comfortable talking about how his Catholic faith influences his life and work. Coburn says he plans to ask the questions Roberts wouldn't answer again at their next meeting. He says he thinks it's inappropriate to ask a judge how he would rule in...

Dr. Coburn's Statement on Nomination of John Roberts to U.S. Supreme Court (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) today released the following statement regarding President Bush’s nomination of John Roberts to the United States Supreme Court. “It is imperative that the next Supreme Court justice help restore the Constitutional balance of power between the branches of government and leave legislating to Congress and the states,” Dr. Coburn said. ”Judge Roberts is entitled to a thorough, fair and civil confirmation process. I look forward to the opportunity to interview Judge Roberts and I support the right of Senators...

Dr. Coburn Holds Hearing Exposing Vast Waste from Improper Payments Says GAO has found only “the tip of the iceberg” (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, today held a hearing on improper payments in the federal government. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) study estimated that improper federal payments, which mostly consist of overpayments, consume at least four cents of every federal tax dollar. “At a time when our nation is fighting a war, facing mounting deficits and struggling to shore up Medicare...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) -- US Senator Tom Coburn has introduced a bill that would require parents be notified before contraceptive drugs and prescription devices are distributed to minor children by certain public health clinics. The Oklahoma Republican and practicing physician says he disagrees with the federal policy that allows children to make reproductive decisions without their parent's knowledge. He says the policy contributes to a growing problem of sexually transmitted diseases and unintended teen pregnancies and abortions by discouraging parental involvement. A companion bill was introduced in the House by Representatives by Missouri Republican Todd Akin.

Doctor's Role Benefits Coburn By J. Steven Hart After reading "A senator first; Coburn has plenty to do as lawmaker" (Our Views, April 26), it seems the newspaper's argument comes down to this: Being a U.S. senator is a 24/7 job and seeing patients is a terrible distraction to other important senatorial activities like foreign travel, public forums, speechmaking and talk show appearances. The Oklahoman, however, makes several curious assumptions about life inside the Beltway that undercut its claims. Having spent nearly 30 years in Washington since leaving Edmond, I qualify as an expert on this topic. First, the newspaper...

Dr. Tom Coburn, a U.S. senator from Oklahoma for less than four months, last week was up to old tricks he started playing in the House a decade ago. He was making colleagues' lives miserable by exposing wasteful, unnecessary spending that is supposed to stay hidden. The Senate establishment, like its House counterpart, has retaliated by bringing ethics charges against the obstetrician-senator for going home to Muskogee, Okla., to deliver babies. In a legislative body where members spend much of their time off the Senate floor begging for money, it is worthy of Kafka that the only pending ethical proceeding...

Senate's Dr. Pain April 28, 2005 WASHINGTON -- Dr. Tom Coburn, a U.S. senator from Oklahoma for less than four months, last week was up to old tricks he started playing in the House a decade ago. He was making colleagues' lives miserable by exposing wasteful, unnecessary spending that is supposed to stay hidden. The Senate establishment, like its House counterpart, has retaliated by bringing ethics charges against the obstetrician-senator for going home to Muskogee, Okla., to deliver babies. In a legislative body whose members spend much of their time off the Senate floor begging for money, it is worthy...

Dr. Tom Coburn, a U.S. senator from Oklahoma for less than four months, last week was up to old tricks he started playing in the House a decade ago. He was making colleagues' lives miserable by exposing wasteful, unnecessary spending that is supposed to stay hidden. The Senate establishment, like its House counterpart, has retaliated by bringing ethics charges against the obstetrician-senator for going home to Muskogee, Okla., to deliver babies. In a legislative body where members spend much of their time off the Senate floor begging for money, it is worthy of Kafka that the only pending ethical proceeding...

On KFAQ 1170 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dr. Coburn said there would be things coming out about the Terri Schiavo case that would, "shake some people up". He said he could not reveal that info. just yet. That is a direct quote from him. I just wanted to let my fellow Freepers who prayed for Terri daily to have a heads-up.

For years, Republican Tom Coburn juggled his duties as a House member and a family physician back in Oklahoma, where he delivered dozens of babies annually. But since winning a Senate seat last fall, Coburn has clashed with Senate ethics committee members over whether he could continue to do double duty as a lawmaker and an obstetrician. Now, Coburn says, the ethics committee has ruled that his private practice constitutes a potential conflict of interest with his work in Washington, and it has given him until Sept. 30 to close his office in Muskogee, Okla. An outraged Coburn is vowing...

Hey go here: http://www.surveysaintlouis.com/marchmadness/sweet16.php and support the real conservative Tom Coburn over Bill Frist. That site is doing a cool ncaa-style bracket tournament about the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. Go support the hardcore conservatives!!!