I concur. Coburn made the statement as he delivered the Repulican weekly address.
Sen. Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican and personal friend of President Obama’s, on Saturday took a highly public stand against the president’s health care plan and against his intentions to “ram” a bill through Congress, warning that such a move will “divide and bankrupt America.”
Coburn, chosen as the Republican lawmaker to deliver the party’s regular weekend address to the nation, cautioned Obama against supporting the use of “reconciliation,” a legislative maneuver Democrats could execute to pass a bill through the Senate with 51 votes instead of the 60 usually required to overcome a filibuster.
The senator, himself a physician, said that the day-long health care meeting Thursday between Democratic and Republican leaders, hosted by the president, had been the beginning of a true exchange of ideas that he said have been missing for much of the last year.
“If the president and the leaders in Congress are serious about finding common ground they should continue this debate, not cut it off by rushing through a partisan bill the American people have already rejected,” Coburn said.
Congressional Republicans have played the last week brilliantly. They shined at the health care summit; Lamar Alexander was a perfect choice as a lead-off before ObamaReidPelosiCare’s death by a million paper cuts as each Republican shredded it in front of its authors. Another brilliant move was selecting Coburn for the weekly address. He is a doctor, he is well-liked and folksy and a friend of Obama’s. This one had to hurt Barry.
SPITFIRE MURPHY 