RedState.com editor-in-chief Erick Erickson took on Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) on Wednesday in the escalating battle on the right over an effort to defund Obamacare.
Coburn made it clear late last week that, although he’d “love” to gut Obamacare, he’s opposed to the effort by some Republicans to block any continuing resolution that funds the new health care and risk a government shutdown. The effort was spearheaded by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and has drawn support from the likes of Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rand Paul (R-KY). Along with Coburn, Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Bob Corker (R-TN) have spoken out emphatically against the defunders.
In his latest column, Erickson lamented that Coburn had lined up on the opposite side of Lee, Rubio, Cruz and Paul.
Coburn is willing to wage a holy war against wasteful pork barrel spending, but on Obamacare these days (and other issues outside of government pork) Coburn toes the leadership line — held up as the “reasonable” conservative by leadership.
On Mike Lee’s defund strategy, Senator Coburn says it is impossible. He says it will not work. He says the GOP should accept defeat because of 2012. He, like the Republican leaders he has increasing resembled, surrenders in advance and broadcasts the terms of surrender.
The system corrupts and converts outsiders to insiders. I wish Tom Coburn would join the fight with Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio. He seemed softened on the floor of the Senate yesterday. But having spent so much time with Senate Republican leaders peddling “can’t” instead of “try”, I give up hope he can change in the twilight of his Senate career.
