Representative Tom Coburn of Oklahoma is moonlighting at a second job.
It’s not really that he needs the money. But Coburn wants to stay in touch with his real career. You see his career isn’t being a politician in fact, he’s pledged to serve no more than 3 terms and will step down from office in 2000.
Tom Coburn is a doctor. He delivers babies. A year ago Coburn threatened to quit the Congress if the professional politicians continued, through the internal rules of Congress, to try to prevent him from working with his medical patients. He certainly wasn’t going to shut down the family medical clinic he runs in Oklahoma. He would leave Congress before doing that.
Coburn fought back, recognizing that the rules were designed to cut ties with your vocation and push people into making politics their career. Said Dr. Coburn, “They’re really killing any idea for representation outside the clique of good old boys. It suggests people can’t believe in term limits and serve in Congress.”
Tom Coburn won his fight to continue to practice medicine, and is now in his final term. Some of the old-timers suggest you can’t accomplish much in six years, but just recently the House leadership turned to none other than Dr. Coburn to help them make sense out of the array of legislation on healthcare. Real world experience is important, and thank goodness there’s a doctor in the House. Dr. Coburn knows that bringing new life into this world is more important than politics.
That’s why voters will always be glad he took the time to moonlight in the Congress.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.