THE PEOPLE SPEAK: Senator’s defense rings hollow at best

Tom Coburn’s response (Nov. 11) to Kim Clagg’s letter (Oct. 27) qualifies him to write a Sarah Palin-type book. He could title it “Going Vague.”

He framed his no vote on the Franken amendment as opposing trial lawyers, the dreaded nemesis of conservatives (except when they need them), ignoring remarks by fellow Republican Jeff Sessions that the amendment was about “punishing Halliburton.”

It was more important for Coburn to defend Halliburton than rape victims. Rape is a crime to be prosecuted and in Halliburton’s case, financial restitution, not arbitration, was in order. So much for the law and order party.

His colleague, Sen. David Vitter, R-La., dismissed with a wave of his hand a rape victim who confronted him over his vote. But seeing as how the GOP raped the U.S. economy ...

Marinecorpstimes.com has identified Coburn as the sole senator holding up legislation on a veterans benefit bill. Thirteen military and veteran’s groups, including the American Legion, VFW, DAV, and AmVets, have urged the Senate to move forward and around Coburn’s opposition.

Coburn had a chance to serve in the military, but, coming from money, obviously his talents were needed elsewhere. So much for supporting the military.

Only a blithering idiot would defend the indefensible. Which leads me to Gary Van Antwerp of Broken Arrow. Van Antwerp’s real proficient at slapping “anti-American” and “anti-Christian” labels on things he disagrees with. In typical conservative “Christian” fashion, anybody who points out the hypocrisy, greed and sins of Coburn-style “Christians” is “anti-Christ.”

Coburn’s chief of staff claimed at the infantile Value Voters Summit that masturbation leads to homosexuality. Well, senator, brokering hush money deals between your Christian mafia brother and his mistress’ family and lying about it can lead to an ethics investigation. Van Antwerps’ defense failed to include his hero’s confession to such.

That’s to be expected from a resident of a snobbish, self-centered community like his. The Phoenix isn’t the Broken Arrow Ledger (at least not yet), where all opinions, not just comforting conservative ones, see print.

It’s enough to make a guy bitter.

Larry Parsons

Warner

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