But it was another moment six years ago that the English singer may be remembered for most on Capitol Hill.
Six days after Head Coach Urban Meyer captured his second national championship in three years at the University of Florida, Sen. Tom Coburn found himself on the wrong end of a bet — belting out Elton John’s famous tune, “Rocket Man,” with staff and CQ Roll Call there to capture the action.
“Boy, he’s good,” Sen. Bill Nelson said, as the Oklahoma Republican started to sing the classic hit.
The Florida Democrat was on hand to witness Coburn’s effort, after Florida beat the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners to win the 2009 BCS National Championship. But Nelson, who orbited the Earth for six days in 1986 on the space shuttle Columbia, could not resist chiming in for a duet with his colleague, although one chorus proved to be enough.
“And I think it’s going to be a long, long time, before I ever sing that song again,” Coburn said.
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