Sen. And Dr. Tom Coburn Goes Back to being Mr. Hyde

Is It Permanent and Can It Be Treated?

One of the great mysteries of the U. S. Senate is Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma.  Mr. Coburn goes back and forth, one day he is the rabid Conservative the next day he sounds like a reasonable center right politician eager to govern rather than to score political points.



Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or
Sen. Coburn and Sen. Coburn



At this time Mr. Coburn is the Mr. Hyde of the dual personality.  This transformation may come not like the real Mr. Hyde, who is created when Dr. Jekyll drinks a concoction, but when Mr. Coburn returns to speechify in Oklahoma.  Here are some of his choice bits

"Show me where in the Constitution the federal government is responsible for your health care?"

Well ok Mr. Coburn, you are a medical doctor.  Show us where in the Constitution the government was supposed to provide you with an education to become a doctor. [Sen. Coburn has an undergraduate degree from Oklahoma State and his medical degree is from the University of Oklahoma.  When he finishes his current Senate term he will have spent 18 years on the public payroll where for 18 years the Federal Government was responsible for his health care]

"You can't tell me the system is better now than it was before Medicare,"

Well The Dismal Political Economist would say that the 80% or so of Americans that approve of Medicare can tell you that the system is better.  But if they had that great health care insurance that you have as a government employee, maybe they would feel differently.



Medical Care Before Medicare (Way Before)



Coburn agreed that some people received poor care - or no care - before Medicare was enacted in the 1960s, but said communities worked together to make sure most people received needed medical attention.

He also conceded that doctors and hospitals often went unpaid for their efforts, or accepted baked goods or chickens in partial payment.

Well Dr. Coburn, how many chickens did you usually charge for a baby delivery?  Oh, you never did that.  Well no wonder the system worked for you.

He described his colleagues as "a class of career elitists" and "cowards," and at one point, talking about his frustrations, said, "It's just a good thing I can't pack a gun on the Senate floor."



How Sen. Coburn Dreams  of His Senate Career



Real men name names Mr. Coburn, so how about a couple.  Who exactly do you think are “career elitists” and “cowards”.  The Dismal Political Economist can think of a couple of Senators who meet this criteria.  Let’s hear your list and see if we agree.  (Probably not).

Obama's "intent is not to destroy, his intent is to create dependency because it worked so well for him," he said.

"As an African-American male," Coburn said, Obama received "tremendous advantage from a lot of these programs."

What Sen. Coburn Would See When
He Asks for ID From the President

Well, let’s just end with the “race card”.  And how about a list of the "tremendous advantages" Sen. Coburn received for being a Caucasian male.  How many of  your classmates were female or non- Caucasian in medical school Mr. Coburn?  Do you think you would have done better as an African American? 

And in case anyone is wondering, yes Mr. Obama considers that he has a good relationship with Mr. Coburn.  Which tells a lot about the quality of the relationship he has with the Republicans who don’t like him.