Tom Coburn does something I can respect
The spurt of last-minute activity often makes the final weeks of a legislative session among the most productive. The time crunch, however, also can give a single lawmaker an opportunity to run out the clock on legislation by using procedural maneuvers. Coburn, 59, said he may do just that as lawmakers try to rush bills, sometimes without reading them, because there is a lot of pressure to pass them and go home. ... Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, said Coburn is trying to carve out an unofficial leadership post. ``He believes he should have the authority to approve everything that comes to the floor,'' said Durbin, 63. ``If each and every senator took that responsibility on themselves nothing would get done.''
The spurt of last-minute activity often makes the final weeks of a legislative session among the most productive. The time crunch, however, also can give a single lawmaker an opportunity to run out the clock on legislation by using procedural maneuvers. Coburn, 59, said he may do just that as lawmakers try to rush bills, sometimes without reading them, because there is a lot of pressure to pass them and go home.
...
Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, said Coburn is trying to carve out an unofficial leadership post.
``He believes he should have the authority to approve everything that comes to the floor,'' said Durbin, 63. ``If each and every senator took that responsibility on themselves nothing would get done.''
Sounds good to me. I'd love to see nothing get done. This republic has managed to make itself the greatest country ever seen on the face of this planet in spite of the government doing everything in its power to hobble us. I have no fear that a senate that couldn't pass a single bill all year would damage anything except the senators themselves.
And I can't see why that's such a bad thing.