Tom Coburn's Hat in the Ring for 2012? American Thinker

I like to post articles that introduce potential candidates for President in 2012. Tom Coburn was in the forefront of the fight against ObamaCare and made a name for himself with his insightful arguments against the bill. This article makes a good case for his potential candidacy.

Looking at the current list of potential Republican candidates, I am having a hard time finding the "standout", the one with the private sector experience, the conservative small government views, the communication skills, and the moral principles necessary to shine.

Perhaps Tom Coburn will be the one that "stands out"

Excerpt: Out of all the Republicans on any list of future candidates who meet these criteria, Tom Coburn should be at the top. Like many possible nominees, Coburn has an almost perfect rating from the American Conservative Union: His lifetime voting record in the Senate is the third-most conservative and his voting record in the current Congress is perfect. Still, Coburn is widely viewed as a maverick (in the best sense of the word) and someone who makes up his own mind.

Coburn's concern about the corrupting influence of Washington -- a concern that is truly the heart of the Tea Party movement and the highly energized conservative base today -- was expressed in a book that Coburn wrote seven years ago, while Republicans still controlled the White House and both Houses of Congress. The title of the book says it all: Breach of Trust -- How Washington Turns Outsiders into Insiders. Isn't that, really, our principal concern? Well, Coburn took up our banner for that cause while Republicans still held all the power in Washington. Coburn, when he was elected in 1994 to the House, took the three-term pledge and honored it, even though his Third Congressional District was called "Little Dixie" and had been gerrymandered to elect Democrats. Coburn was willing to risk his party losing a House seat to keep his word.

Tom Coburn is a doctor whose life before Congress was devoted to healing people and, particularly, towards bringing healthy babies into the world. No one in Congress (and few people in America) is as well-equipped by training and experience to explain the pro-Life position to America. No one in Congress is better-equipped by training and experience to explain the health care system in America.


Tom Coburn is not a career politician, and he can prove it by his actions. He is not the puppet of party leaders. He is well-equipped to engage our enemies on policy issues, and he can effectively compel them to fight on only the issues. So why would he not be a candidate who would unify the conservative base and win a landslide? Read American Thinker article "President Coburn?" here.