Some of America's leading bloggers had an opportunity to talk with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) Friday morning.
For those unfamiliar, Coburn is a true conservative and straight-talker who is always a treat on these conference calls due to his hold no punches, tell it like it is style.
Beyond the agenda items of the expanding federal deficit, earmarks, and bailouts, the Senator offered participants his must-hear view of who should be recruited by the Republican Party to return it to its conservative, fiscally responsible roots (audio available here).
Ed Morrissey has a written recap here.




















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Excellent stuff
December 12, 2008 - 15:21 ET by BlondeI really liked your question, NS.
The "auto" bailout is a power grab by the UAW, and the "sick" auto companies, to have the feds take over the pension liabilities. The point made by Sen. Coburn that opening up TARP funds for private firms is a great one....every Tom, Dick & Harry will line up with their hands out. The bailout mentality has everyone doing a "what's in it for me".
N...a while back you asked who would be next, and I replied local municipalities....yep, Ft. Lauderdale wants a half a billion (to fund beaches, pools, golf courses, libraries, etc.) and the Broward County School Board is also going to put in for some bailout money.
Insanity.
And Senator Coburn's final point in the recap said it all:
The republicans in Congress must hang together, or they'll surely hang (lose their seats) separately.
JJ
December 12, 2008 - 15:30 ET by Noel SheppardJJ,
People who don't know Coburn should get to know him, because he's one of the good guys. And he is CLEARLY a favorite amongst bloggers because as you heard he's VERY engaged and VERY engaging. Really brilliant man. We need more like him.
I mean, compare and contrast the answers you heard from Tom versus the nonsense we get from Reid and Pelosi. Not even close, right? ns
Why did $1.6 Trillion surprise you...
December 12, 2008 - 15:30 ET by Gary HallHey - nice job!!
Why did $1.6 Trillion surprise you, Noel...? Teasing a bit... ... not surprising me.. felt $1 - $2 trillion was coming for several years now. The crash was inevitable. A long term recover (deleveraging, etc) is inevitable - and in addition to the massive increase in spending (tax rebates, bailouts, etc) at the federal level, tax revenue - personal income, corporate income tax (was $370 billion for '07 - imagine 2009 or '10 corporate tax revenue?), and capital gains tax will all be severely impacted. (;~> garyPS - The '06 Transparency and Accountability bill was a Coburn/Obama bipartisan effort - was always surprised that Obama and the MSM did not flaunt it.
(;~> gary
Gary
December 12, 2008 - 15:34 ET by Noel SheppardGary,
Well, I'm looking for 1.3 to 1.5 trillion. So, it wasn't that 1.6 surprised me. I was surprised how quickly he spit it out, and in such a public forum. I shouldn't have been, but I was initially shocked to hear him put such a high target even though it's close to my own.
It's been a while since he's been on with us, and I guess I forgot just how no holds barred he is. Isn't it refreshing? ns
refreshing?
December 12, 2008 - 15:38 ET by Gary HallAbsolutely..
I'm wishing he changes his mind and stays around longer. (;~> gary
i implore Sen. Coburn, as
December 12, 2008 - 15:43 ET by JIMMY1660i implore Sen. Coburn, as we move into the BHO days, someone must tell us the truth as it happens. GWB, should have been on the TV/radio letting us know, how the left was affecting our way of life. The credit crunch, banking woes, were avoidable, the left Sen & Congressman do react to phone and e-mail constructive criticism. Sen Coburn sounds the alarm, we go to work, saving the country from these crazies.
Finally a true American. Thank You Senator Coburn.
allow me to Love America
Teriffic interview
December 12, 2008 - 17:00 ET by TucsonicanOutstanding "get"!!
Coburn's take that Americans need to get more involved if they don't want to keep getting more of the same in their politicians seems like a no brainer but, based on what we've seen over the past year and a half in particular, it is still a concept lost on much of the public.
Sen. Coburn a true Fiscal Conservative
December 12, 2008 - 17:05 ET by PopularTechIf all members of congress had his integrity we would be fiscally sound and the Democrats would not be in control of congress. Both sides of the aisle want balanced budgets but only fiscal conservatives want lower taxes, limited government, limited government spending and free market economics.
Big Three Bailout - Give Me a Break (Video) (5min) (John Stossel, 20/20)
Don't Blame Capitalism (Peter Schiff, The Washington Post)
Economic Depressions: Their Cause and Cure (Murray N. Rothbard, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Economics)
"What is the governmental role in the cure of depression? In the first place, government must cease inflating as soon as possible. It is true that this will, inevitably, bring the inflationary boom abruptly to an end, and commence the inevitable recession or depression. But the longer the government waits for this, the worse the necessary readjustments will have to be. The sooner the depression-readjustment is gotten over with, the better. This means, also, that the government must never try to prop up unsound business situations; it must never bail out or lend money to business firms in trouble. Doing this will simply prolong the agony and convert a sharp and quick depression phase into a lingering and chronic disease. The government must never try to prop up wage rates or prices of producers' goods; doing so will prolong and delay indefinitely the completion of the depression-adjustment process; it will cause indefinite and prolonged depression and mass unemployment in the vital capital goods industries. The government must not try to inflate again, in order to get out of the depression. For even if this reinflation succeeds, it will only sow greater trouble later on. The government must do nothing to encourage consumption, and it must not increase its own expenditures, for this will further increase the social consumption/investment ratio. In fact, cutting the government budget will improve the ratio. What the economy needs is not more consumption spending but more saving, in order to validate some of the excessive investments of the boom. Thus, what the government should do, according to the Misesian analysis of the depression, is absolutely nothing. It should, from the point of view of economic health and ending the depression as quickly as possible, maintain a strict hands off, "laissez-faire" policy. Anything it does will delay and obstruct the adjustment process of the market; the less it does, the more rapidly will the market adjustment process do its work, and sound economic recovery ensue." - Murray N. Rothbard, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Economics
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is Not Pollution
Growing budget, expanding
December 12, 2008 - 17:18 ET by mattmGrowing budget, expanding deficit, earmarks, and bailouts...
Yet we're supposed to believe that the GOP's decline over the last few years is the fault of the religious right and the supply-siders....
I defend Bush on many levels, but his fiscal policy is virtually identical to the Democratic Party's fiscal policy...
And the RNC gave us McRINO as a prez candidate?
And you wonder why I say we're doomed.
I agree mattm Well it looks
December 13, 2008 - 08:52 ET by USA4freedomI agree mattm
Well it looks like our fearless leader is going to stick his finger in our eyes once.. again.. this time taking the Wall St. bailout and giving it to the big three..
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/12/business/auto.php
We get the same anal cavity search over and over..
Screw you in the base, screw the few Republicans that have the balls to stand up against this crap, it’s: I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU WANT..AGAIN.
Its just like immigration or not pardoning Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, or standing against the Texas courts (his home state) and for the Mexican courts all over again, http://hotair.com/archives/2007/10/10/the-medellin-case-what-is-bush-thinking/or http://www.murdervictims.com/Voices/jeneliz.html
Why in the hell can’t you $%#@&*^ in Washington listen to anything we have to say??
Bush and the “country club Republicans” to the base: Screw you for the 100th time.........
And the GOP wonders why we are disgusted with the party.
Ronald Reagan, 1962: I did not leave the Democratic party, the party left me.
Insert: your name, 2008, and the Republican party.
Coburn is The Man! He's
December 12, 2008 - 18:05 ET by bigtimerCoburn is The Man!
He's been one of my favorites from day one in the Senate...I've posted about him endlessly over time here...now this man is a real maverick, he was shunned by a lot on the 'R' side for his great tactics when he first came in...I loved him then, still do...along with a handful of others also.
Reid also has been so peeved at him at times he would see red..I kid you not.
This was a great half hour spent listening...great work Noel.
Thanks.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
So, once again, we will lose one of the "good ones" Darn!
December 12, 2008 - 22:15 ET by Cape ConservativeA PROUD member of the Oogedy Boogedy branch of the GOP!