Premium Sponsor

Featured Sponsor

Our Sponsors

Ad Networks

Buy an ad on all of the top liberal blogs with just one click.

Site Stats

OK-Sen: Coburn Will Run for a Second (and Final) Term

by: DavidNYC

Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 4:13 PM EDT

Scratch one off the open seat watch, Senate version:

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn said Monday he will seek a second and final term in 2010. ...
No opponent has stepped forward to challenge Coburn, whose approval ratings consistently top 60 percent, in 2010.
Coburn said the most difficult part of his decision was "whether I could continue to sacrifice my family." He said he will keep his 2004 pledge not to seek more than two terms in the Senate.

Even if Coburn had stepped down and Gov. Brad Henry had run, I think our odds would have been crummy. Unless I'm mistaken, Oklahoma was the only state that didn't give a single county to Obama last year. Whatever the reasons may be, this state is just deeply hostile territory for us. The good news is that Coburn, a .45 caliber lunatic, says that a second term will be his last. It'll be good to have him gone pretty much no matter who replaces him.

DavidNYC :: OK-Sen: Coburn Will Run for a Second (and Final) Term

Tags: Tom Coburn, OK-Sen, (All Tags)

Print Friendly View

Send As Email

OK-Sen: Coburn Will Run for a Second (and Final) Term | 25 comments

Warm up a state Senator

or city council member as sacrificial lamb.

by: tommypaine @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 16:28:53 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

To quibble

Obama didn't win a single county in Alaska either...

by: MichiganLiberal @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 17:25:14 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

well

I think that had more to do with Palin

If I remember Alaska was a swing state for this election till Palin jumped in.

Whereas Oklahoma did not have any natives running on the top of the Ticket

Oklahoma's been cruising to the Republicans side so fast. I think the 2004 senate race speaks the best on this issue.We gave our best conservative Dem the shot at an open senate seat (Brad Carson)
Despite Carson being almost as conservative as his Republican opponent (Tom Coburn) and the fact there were way more registered Dems in the state(yellow dogs), he still lost 53-42

by: lordpet8 @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 18:07:53 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Agreed

We wont be winning in Oklahoma at the federal level except for OK-2 with its deeper roots. But even then, didn't Coburn hold that seat for a period? I read that he held OK-2 but maybe the numbering was different or something, anyone verify?

by: Andrew @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 18:33:04 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

yes its true

Coburn held the second 2nd district for 6 years (1995-2001)
Brad Carson succeeded him when he retired(2001-2005)

by: lordpet8 @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 20:41:23 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Slight Redistricting

Oklahoma lost one seat as result of 2000 census. One R rep retired in 2002. Rather than force two incumbents against each other, OK redistricted to make OK-2 (Carson's and, before him, Coburn's, district) a little more Democratic and also protect the other, remaining R reps as well.

by: sicembears @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 22:07:45 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Are you sure?

I can't even find election results by borough (Alaska's rough equivalent to Counties). It seems plausible at least that he won a couple of the Native-heavy rural ones, maybe even Fairbanks?

by: Nico @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 18:19:11 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

He must have won Juneau at least

by: skaje @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 18:33:07 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

I haven't seen

Alaska results by borough anywhere. Not sure they exist.

by: DavidNYC @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 18:41:25 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

I think that Alaska has Judicial districts

They used to report the data, but I guess the news industry got lazy or something and just decided that Alaska's not important enough to care about the tiny areas or something (no offense to any random Alaskans reading this ;))

Your go-to source for great sarcasm

by: DGM @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 20:13:21 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Yeah I cannot find Alaska info anywhere

On any kind of local level for 2008 Presidential results.

Check out Georgia's best progressive political blog

by: fitchfan28 @ Tue Jun 02, 2009 at 00:56:47 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Did find some interestning stuff in the exit polls

Apparently Obama did not win any of the "regions" that CNN came up for the state but did the best in Anchorage getting 44 percent there compared to 40 percent statewide.

Check out Georgia's best progressive political blog

by: fitchfan28 @ Tue Jun 02, 2009 at 01:07:33 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Alaska uses electoral districts

He won quite a few. Go here: http://www.uselectionatlas.org...

There's got to be a map somewhere of the districts.

Follow the elections in Georgia at the 2010 Georgia Race Tracker.

by: TheUnknown285 @ Tue Jun 02, 2009 at 01:39:30 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I hate that he's only gonna serve one more term...

Senator Coburn is the gift that keeps on giving. Everytime he opens his mouth he reminds everyone why NOBODY identifies as a Republican anymore.

by: NWGAdem @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 19:38:01 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

But he's also a very effective obstructionist.

Perhaps more than any other senator, so there's that. At the same time though, we can take the time now to build the party from the ground up in Oklahoma-focus on the local level and the state legislature and strengthen are party for an eventual senate race.

Stop complaining and whining and get to work.

by: ARDem @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 20:04:53 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Coburn

I actually think he's rather likable and is effective at conveying the "not just another politician vibe". I'll be happy when he shuffles off the political stage.

by: zac @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 20:24:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

This being Oklahoma...

...he could run around wearing tights and a cape proclaiming himself "Super Senator" and he'd STILL be the sane senator compared to Inhofe.

by: Taget @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 20:24:58 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

And sadly, Inhofe still isn't the most insane Senator

I think that distinction belongs to Jim "I took a few too many baseballs to the Head" Bunning.

Your go-to source for great sarcasm

by: DGM @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 20:32:19 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Depends on one's definition

If we're talking about foot-in-mouth disease in general, it's Bunning. If we're talking politics and ideology, Coburn, Inhofe, and DeMint (on economics) win a three-way tie with Inhofe getting the distinction of Environmental Idiot of the Century. But, possibly the craziest thing said on the Senate floor belongs to Coburn. I forget the exact words, but it went something like "Lesbianism is becoming such a rampant problem in parts of southeastern Oklahoma that teachers are forbidding girls from pairing up to go to the bathroom."

by: Tiger in BlueDenver @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 21:39:37 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

You're both wrong...

it's Vitter.

by: benjso99 @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 21:42:50 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

It was Coburn

Coburn did say something like that. But, it wasn't on the House floor (unless he repeated it); it was during the campaign in 2004.

by: sicembears @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 22:10:03 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

I remember now

Minor gaffe on my part. MAJOR gaffe on then-Rep. Coburn's.

by: Tiger in BlueDenver @ Tue Jun 02, 2009 at 18:14:22 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

He did say that, but not on the floor of the Senate.

Because it was an issue in his first election campaign for Senate.

Yes, I have been reading Daily Kos for that long.

He theoretically could have said it on the floor of the House, although I'm pretty darn confident he said it off the cuff to a reporter in Oklahoma somewhere.

Not out to defend Coburn, I'm just sayin. If it had been on the floor of the Senate, then Jon Stewart would have sent his writers home and just improvised on that video clip for a week.

by: texas dem @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 22:09:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

It looks like...

Coburn made those comments to a group of supporters (potential donors?), and the Carson camp got a hold of the tape and released it.

by: BruinKid @ Wed Jun 03, 2009 at 05:57:03 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Are you sure?

The good news is that Coburn, a .45 caliber lunatic, says that a second term will be his last. It'll be good to have him gone pretty much no matter who replaces him.

I take a look at his colleague, and I must warn you about tempting fate.

Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...

by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 23:14:19 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

OK-Sen: Coburn Will Run for a Second (and Final) Term | 25 comments