Forget Arnold. Obama "seeking help" from Senator Coburn is more troublesome

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama often says he will be a candidate that will bring both parties together and Saturday he named a few of the Republicans he would reach out to if elected.

“There are some very capable Republicans who I have a great deal of respect for,” Obama said in an interview with The Associated Press. “The opportunities are there to create a more effective relationship between parties.”

Among the Republicans he would seek help from are Sens. Richard Lugar of Indiana, John Warner of Virginia and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Obama said....

“I would also seek out people like Tom Coburn, who is probably the most conservative member of the U.S. Senate. He has become a friend of mine.”

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=070826_1__KEYBI24770

COBURN:
Voted NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines.
Voted NO on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives.
Voted YES on banning 'partial-birth abortions'.
Voted YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion.
Voted YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration.
Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.
Voted YES on banning gay adoptions in DC.
Voted YES on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions.
Voted NO on repealing tax subsidy for companies which move US jobs offshore.
Voted YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC.
Voted NO on factoring global warming into federal project planning.
Voted NO on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR.
Voted NO on $3.1B for emergency oil assistance for hurricane-hit areas.
Voted NO on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%).
Voted NO on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Voted NO on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol.
Voted NO on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D.
Voted NO on implementing the 9/11 Commission report.
Voted NO on preserving habeus corpus for Guantanamo detainees. (
Voted NO on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods.
Voted YES on extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision.
Voted NO on restricting employer interference in union organizing.
Voted NO on increasing minimum wage to $7.25.
'We didn't go to Iraq for WMD's.'
Voted NO on redeploying US troops out of Iraq by March 2008.
Voted NO on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007.

how much he decries "pork".

That's what they worked on together.

Even DK will tell you the Republicans can be your friends sometimes.

Next.

I really thought this was an Onion piece. I really did.

Tom Fucking Coburn, Barak? You been smokin' that wacky tobacky?

three are Democrats compared to Coburn. At least Obama didn't mention Coburn for cabinet, thank God, or I'd have to reconsider my support for him.

those are what pass for "sane, rational Republicans" today.

Whereas Coburn is the guy who was whining about "rampant lesbianism" in the schools. I've often heard him referred to as the stupidest living man in the Senate. His voting record is about as appalling as it gets.

I don't care if Barak thinks he's a swell guy to talk to--this sounds utterly tone-deaf, and I can only hope it blows over and nobody notices. Seriously.

Hate that he was the head or close to it of a voting machinery company and ran for office letting himself benefit as victor in the race.
But he wants out of Iraq and does not tolerate fools like Bush.

Please don't take this as the fact that I am a Repug. But to some extent, both parties need to find common causes, and common people that they can work with.

Obama is talking about his work on earmark reform and on budgetary transparency. The OP probably knows this, but would rather stir up a shitstorm by trying to tie Obama to Coburn's unrelated social policies.

My husband was stationed at Ft. Sill for awhile and so Coburn got some correspondence from me. All that I can say about him is YUCK. Although, now I have Mitch McConnell to deal with so......

ALL military families serve, down to the last member of the family :hi:

My hubby is in Iraq right now, spending another all expense paid trip to the cradle of civilization for 15 months thanks to Bush and Co. I can't wait until it's time to vote I want Biden for my Pres., but I'll be happy as long as it's not any of the Republicans (although I do think that McCain would make a good Commander in Chief and at least wouldn't let us torture anybody!).

Thanks for the welcome, I appreciate it.

I have some republican friends myself. Gasp!

When Obama talks about working with Tom Coburn, he isn't saying he agrees with him on stem cells, Gitmo, the Patriot Act, or any of the other issues you cite.

he's talking about earmarks and budget reform. For all of his many faults, Coburn has been an adamant opponent of the sleazy earmark process and pork politics in general. Obama, a fiscally responsible progressive, knows that on this isue, he can find some common ground with a hard-line conservative.

I hate to breal it to you, but this is how you get things done in the political world.

Evidently that's a task beyond the capabilities of the Fir Street Irregulars.

Obama has discussed this many times. I've seen him mention it in person, I've seen him discuss it on television, and I've read about it in numerous print articles. Unfortunately, you would rather dredge up a bunch of completely irrelevant votes and try to hang them around Obama. It's a childish, intellectually dishonest move on your part.

Endorsees include more than 100 organizations ranging from Americans for Prosperity and Taxpayers for Common Sense to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and Greenpeace.

http://obama.senate.gov/press/060908-senate_passes_c/

Imagine that, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force signing onto a piece of Coburn-inspired legislation.

Now you can go back to screaming about McClurkin.

Now you can go back to screaming about McClurkin.

You are right, screaming about McClurkin is way cooler than this.

:rofl:

You're going to ruin the anti-Obama crowds fun.

I guess we won't be going to vote together lol.

This is not "fun" to us. Those of us who are worried about Obama's actions regarding ex-gays coupled with "seeking help" from ultraconservatives don't see this as a fun topic, unfortunately.

Which one of Chairman Ray's flunkies are you, anyway?

Hotheaded idiot.

I've lived in New Hampshire most of my 40 years. I've been working for Democrats since the 1980s. I've never taken a check from the Obama campaign, and I'm not going anywhere.

When you close up shop on Fir St., will your pals on the Clinton campaign be maintaining their bogus Manchester residencies?

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

It may not be fun to *you* bluebear, but some on this board seem to take great joy in bashing him. I think Im just growing more jaded with every snarky, hateful post.

I didnt mean to direct my comment toward you personally bluebear! I dont put you in that group.

How about this snow today?!

:hug:

Im so sick of this damned snow. We have a 7' snow bank in our front yard already and its only December! Ahhh! Every winter I wonder why I still live here. :) Im just glad I work at home and dont have to drive in this crap.

immigration (Lugar), SCHIP (Grassley, Collins, Snowe), pork (Coburn and McCain), torture (McCain, Graham and Hagel), the war (Smith and Hagel)--but some Repubs are overall worse than others. Coburn is worse.

Or wiener. :hi:

:hi:

And the Homophobic Gospel Trio? Obama, I do like listening to you and you have a very nice smile and way about you but I have never supported you and it is getting less likely I will ever change my mind. I do understand what you are saying and I think it is commendable to try to get people to work together but why start with the bottom? ACK!

I just don't trust this man.

but these gotchas are stupid. Senators ALL work together in some ways. It's the way the Senate works, and unless a candidate said "I want Tom Coburn to be my Sec of HHS because I agree with all his social policies" then trying to paint Obama with his lunacy as a surrogate is nuts - same as it is with Hillary and Murdoch or whoever people are using as the loon du jour to bash her.

to soft-pedal his complicity with the repugs, has shown that he will not really represent the true values of the Democratic party.

He is appealing to the repugs and DLCers who he thinks will help him win. Real progressives know that sleeping with the enemy will only lead to further betrayal of the party and the country.

Fuck him.

Waste is good? Backroom budget deals are good?

If you took 30 seconds to find out what Obama is talking about, you'd figure out that this is about budget procedures. But no, it's much more fun to bellow like a baboon on roid rage.

What is it? Did the asylum institute a Christmas furlough?

Between the "Obama is homophobic", "Present", and "Republicans in the Cabinet" thread, we've got enough slime to stock half the ponds in Minnesota.

I've been being a very good girl all holiday season, but I might just have to go to Starbucks now and see if they have any Danish in their pastry case. It's times like these I miss Germany. I could so go for a pain au chocolate.

Actually, I cribbed the line from Bucky Katt from "Get Fuzzy".

Because that's what they created together.

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/9/7/224041/4628

Obama-Coburn bill passes
Searchable database of government expenditures to be created
Posted by David Roberts at 10:40 PM on 07 Sep 2006
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The Obama-Coburn pork tracking bill, which will create an enormous, searchable database of government spending, passed in the Senate this evening. It was held up for a while by a single mysterious Senator, who finally gave up the ghost today. Now each and every Bridge to Nowhere can be surfed.

I wonder if it has an open API.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-newmark/sunlight-foundation-gets-_b_76776.html

And here's the database:

http://USASpending.gov/

If Obama was the guy who got it implemented, it must be bad.

If Hillary came up with it, it must be good.

Remember that or else!

Waah.

bunker together.

I wonder what post he will hold?

Dude! Good one... Very clever double entendre... :rofl:

:shrug:

Somebody needs to tell Obama that he's running for the Democratic Party, not for the other side and not for a combination of the two parties either. Either he has lost his fucking mind or he simply hasn't done his homework. His arrogance and inexperience are really showing.

to foist Nuclear power plants on us!

It used to happen all the time until the last few years of bitter partisanship in Congress.