Coburn Makes Nice
Trying to move two of the measures that were included in the package of bills that he initially blocked, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) offered Monday night to agree to pass them by unanimous consent. Coburn, a fiscal hawk, offered to pass the child pornography and hate crimes language that was included in a bill that Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) packaged in response to Coburn’s hold on the two bills along with some 30 others. However, Reid objected, complaining that Republicans were trying to cover themselves for voting against the “Coburn Omnibus,” which was defeated Monday evening. Reid said that the GOPers that voted against the measure wanted to have it both ways. This is not a genuine effort to resolves the issues. This is a genuine effort to obfuscate what were trying to do on the floor, Reid said. Coburn replied that he has too many holds to cover anybody and his actions were, in fact, a genuine attempt to pass the bills.