Delivering Babies and Legislation: The anatomy of Sen. Tom Coburn's maverick practice of politics
By David Austin
Urban Tulsa Weekly
January 17, 2007
It's a common coach's saying, something of a cautionary tale: Nothing good ever happens at 2 am.
And, the saying even allows for flexibility. The time can be tweaked. Thus, 2am can give way to 3 or even 4am -- the crux of the message being that nothing good ever happens in the wee hours. Think bar fights and bad break-ups. Coaches would rather have their players tucked safely into bed.
But what of politicians? Does anything good ever happen for them during odd hours? Most would probably argue no. Think bungled break-ins and Chappaquiddick.
But then someone like Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) happens along and shreds that logic. Know what he was doing recently at 2am? Delivering twins.
Among the 100 people who comprise the U.S. Senate, there are plenty of distinguished ladies and gentlemen in the ranks. Hillary Clinton (D-New York) and John McCain (R-Arizona) are considered the leading presidential candidates for the upcoming race in 2008. Young senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) has growing star power. But even among a high-profile group, Coburn, a Muskogee native, distinguishes himself.
Soon, he will be the only person in the Senate who can claim a rather unique skill set. In addition to his senatorial duties, Coburn is also a medical doctor. Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) is an M.D. as well, but he's scheduled to retire from the Senate in January as he ponders a run at the White House.
Though he's not taking on new patients these days, Coburn still maintains a small general practice in Muskogee. He delivers an estimated 20 babies a year and has served as an M.D. for more than two decades. Most of his patients have long known him and don't try to deliver long dissertations to him concerning the way they think the country should be run.
"Politics are hardly ever mentioned," says Coburn. "The reason people still want to come see me is they have confidence in what I can do for them as far as their medical needs are concerned."
Coburn does think he knows what is ailing Washington D.C. these days, even if he doesn't share those thoughts with his patients. He grew up in Muskogee and early on worked in a family business--Coburn Optical Industries--which was founded by his father, O.W. Coburn, who had no formal high school education.
That wasn't the case with his son, who graduated from Muskogee High School in 1966. The younger Coburn went on to earn an accounting degree from Oklahoma State University in 1970 and was the president of the College of Business Student Council.
Coburn ran the Ophthalmic Division of Coburn Optical Industries in Virginia, and under his leadership, it blossomed. But at the age of 30, and two years after the company was sold, Coburn decided to pursue a medical career. His interest was piqued both by the line of work he was involved in as well as personal health issues.
"I had a bout with cancer as a young man," notes Coburn. "I had a malignant melanoma."
He beat the disease and conquered medical school as well, becoming president of his class at the University of Oklahoma before graduating in 1983. After setting up his practice back home in Muskogee, he has gone on to treat more than 15,000 patients over a span of more than 20 years. He has personally delivered nearly 4,000 babies.
After distinguishing himself in both the world of business and that of medicine, Coburn never intended to blaze a trail through the political landscape. But he had his opinions about the way things should be run and was too often dismayed by what he saw from leaders at the local, state and federal levels.
"I got into politics, because I was sick and tired of being sick and tired," says Coburn, who beat cancer again three years ago and lost part of his colon as a reminder.
"I got into it because I thought I could make a difference that others couldn't make."
Voters seemingly concurred as he went on to represent the Sooner State's 2nd Congressional District in the House of Representatives from 1995-2001. Not wanting to become a career politician -- and while still juggling as much of his medical practice as he could -- Coburn put a limit on himself. He would serve no more than three terms. Thus, he retired from the House in 2001 once that span elapsed.
He got back into the game a few years later -- and raised the stakes -- earning election to the U.S. Senate on Nov. 2, 2004.
"I got into it this time because I was begged to," says Coburn.
"I believe in trying to achieve things. The satisfaction of being a senator will come if my children and yours get the same opportunities that we have."
Again, Coburn has put a limit on himself. He vows to serve just two terms as a senator. But with a strong work ethic, perhaps that's all he'll need to press through the lion's share of his agenda. Coburn tends to squeeze every minute out of every day.
After delivering twins at 2am recently, he arrived back in his medical office some four hours later. After seeing some other patients, he boarded a 9:50am flight to Washington D.C. and arrived about 4pm local time following some stops. He made a vote on the Senate floor at 5:30pm and then worked until around 11pm that evening.
Coburn speaks with pride about his late father, O.W., who believed in hard work, honesty and integrity. He sees a lot of those same traits in his D.C. staff.
"Most of them are Okies, and they're not lazy," says Coburn. "We've been able to get a lot done that other offices weren't able to accomplish."
One of the traits of a good politician is the ability to steer a conversation toward a topic of his or her choosing. Don't answer the question asked of you. Instead, answer the question you wish had been asked of you. Thus, Coburn often gets to speak out against a pet peeve of his -- earmarks.
Earmarking is generally seen as a process through which members of Congress use legislation to funnel federal money back to their respective districts and states. Some call it "pork barrel politics," bringing home the bacon. So while a bill might look good at first blush, if it's full of earmarks, it might be best left alone. It might also lead to a conflict of interests.
"Once you ask for earmarks, you're committed to voting for a bill, even though it might be terrible for the country as a whole," says Coburn. "You've sold out for earmarks.
"Earmarks tend to take away from the integrity of the process. Everything we vote for should be about what's in the best long-term interests of the country. Am I a senator because I want Tom Coburn to look good or am I senator because I want to do what's best for the country?"
Coburn is widely viewed as outspoken and has some strong opinions. He is staunchly anti-abortion and has ruffled the feathers of gay rights activists as well. In the mid-term elections, Coburn's party -- the Republicans -- were hammered in what was widely viewed as a denunciation of many of the policies of President Bush, specifically those revolving around Iraq.
But of Bush, Coburn says this: "The biggest problem he has is they don't let him be him. If he could talk from his heart, I think he would have more support. But I think they tell him what he can and can't say."
If Coburn ever occupied the White House, it's doubtful that his handlers would dictate what came out of his mouth. In March, he actually got an endorsement in the right-leaning political comic strip "Mallard Fillmore," which praised him for his maverick tendencies, taking both parties to task for overspending.
But Coburn claims no designs on the Oval Office.
"That's not my intent," he says. "If you start thinking of that, you're taking your eye off the ball.
"There's a different skill set required for that."
Caring for the White House will apparently have to be someone else's baby.
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