Tom Coburn, "Incorruptibly Right Wing"
"That’s extreme language. And we need more of it."
This is how Ross Douthat concludes his recent New York Times column about Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, who is a "serious man" to Douthat, a man "braver than many of his colleagues, more creative on public policy, and more intellectually honest about the consequences of popular legislation."
The "extreme language" Douthat refers to is this:
As Coburn put it last Thursday on the Senate floor, criticizing his colleagues for celebrating the tax cut deal, last week’s bargain could easily become another example of how “both parties have laid a trap for future generations by our inaction, our laziness, our arrogance, and a crass desire for power.”
To Douthat, the popular notion "that the salvation of America depends exclusively on self-described moderates and centrists" is a false conceit that "doesn’t leave much room for a figure like Tom Coburn." Douthat writes:
Last week’s tax cut deal is a case in point. In a sense, it’s a triumph for the political middle. If it passes, it will do so with the votes of Democratic moderates, while the president’s liberal caucus howls in protest.
Is the "extreme language" of Coburn, whom Douthat calls "incorruptibly right-wing" what this country needs right now? Or do we need "politically ambidextrous mavericks" like Michael Bloomberg, who's involved with the centrist No Labels organization that is launching today?
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Re: Tom Coburn, "Incorruptibly Right Wing"
Here's Bloomberg's recent Big Speech on thinking beyond Rs and Ds. No label? Or the return of the Whig party?
Nov '10
Re: Tom Coburn, "Incorruptibly Right Wing"
If Nanny Bloomberg is a centrist, then color me a right-wing extremist. And also, is it too early to impose a Campaign '12 moratorium on the word "maverick"? That was the Campaign '08 drinking word, and I think I've *still* got a hangover.
Edited on Dec 13, 2010 at 8:37amSep '10
Re: Tom Coburn, "Incorruptibly Right Wing"
My vote is "Yes." Look where not being "extreme" has gotten us.
OTOH, look how badly Goldwater lost...
Iiiiiin this corner, weighing in as a solid, articulate libertarian...Kenneth "The Trrrrenchcoat! (Cheers, boos)
Aaaaand in this corner, weighing in as the most centered and righteous of the Center-Right, Duuuuane the Brrrrrain Oyen! Oyyyyyeeeeen! (More cheers and boos)
Alright, you boys know the rules, no hitting above the level of the understanding of Dan Holmes, and separate when the CoC has been approached.
Ding!
Edited on Dec 13, 2010 at 10:58amRe: Tom Coburn, "Incorruptibly Right Wing"
The Whig Party was a noble endeavor with a clear-cut, sensible program. Michael Bloomberg is a clown. Think of his initial reaction to the news that someone had parked a car full of explosives in Times Square. Did he suspect Islamic extremism? No. The real danger, though he, comes from the Tea Party and its opposition to Obamacare. I lived in Oklahoma when Tom Coburn first ran for Congress and when he chosen not to run again -- on the grounds that he had endorsed term limits. He is an honest, decent, principled man blessed with clear vision and good sense.