As Republicans contemplate their recent electoral woes, some have concluded that the solution is for the party to become more conservative. As a tactical matter, I suspect they're wrong, but that's they're problem, not mine. I don't know whether it's in my own political interest to root for or against the health of the Republican Party, so I do neither.

Some of these grassroots conservatives have been talking up the idea of Tom Coburn, senator from Oklahoma, as Senate Minority Leader. If Coburn does challenge Mitch McConnell for the post, I hope he wins. Yeah, I know Sen Coburn is way out on the far-right on social issues. My friends who objected to my half-hearted defense of Sarah Palin will be truly horrified by Coburn's genuinely held and frequently voiced opinions about abortion, homosexuality, and so forth.

I don't care, I like him anyway. Coburn is what a senator should be. I may disagree with his principles, but he represents them and his constituents honestly and honorably. He resists the influence peddling that dominates Washington. Even more dramatically than Palin did, he took on Ted Stevens. He's willing to work constructively with Democrats on non-partisan issues (eg, with Barack Obama on federal funding accountability).

Mitch McConnell, on the other hand, is slime.

So yeah, if it comes down to a power struggle between the two, count me with the extreme social conservative.

11:23:36 PM  [permalink]  comment []