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The Irony of Rossi's Coburn Endorsement
Conservative U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) endorsed Dino Rossi today, and the Democrats pounced with a list of Coburn's statements and positions that probably don't sit well with Washington voters.
In addition to Sen. Coburn's firebrand statements on abortion and gays (“The gay agenda is a more pressing danger than terrorists flying planes into buildings and killing allied troops in Iraq," he said in 2005, "that agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today"), the Democrats are hitting Coburn for ridiculing $1.96 billion in stimulus money for Hanford cleanup and for trying to block legislation creating the Wild Sky Wilderness Area in Eastern Snohomish County.
I don't think it's exactly fair to hold Rossi accountable for Coburn's extremism—and in fact, Rossi doesn't officially agree with Coburn's position that abortion shouldn't be allowed in cases of rape.
However, here's what's a little galling about Rossi hyping a Coburn endorsement. The Rossi camp has been bashing Sen. Murray for her connections to Wall Street, pointing out that she's gotten hundreds of thousands of dollars from the securities and investment industry during her career.
That's true. But it's also true for Coburn. While the securities and investment industry is Sen. Murray's top 7th all time contributor, they're Coburn's 6th. (Murray has taken more, $500,000 to about $300,000, but Coburn's only been a senator since 2006.)
What's more, commercial banks aren't even on Murray's top donor list while they're 10th on Coburn's, at $149,000.
In the 2010 election season, New York base leverage buyout firm American Securities is Coburn's fourth biggest contibutor at nearly $17,000. And the securities and investment industry as a whole is Coburn's tenth top contributor at $74,000. The commercial banking industry is his 12th top contributor at $47,000. (He voted against Wall Street reform).
Murray does not have any specific Wall Street interests, like American Securities, on her top ten list of contributors. She voted for the Wall Street reform bill this year.
However, like Coburn, securities and investment firms as a whole are Murray's tenth top giver this season, at $184,000. The commercial banking industry does not show up as one of her top 10.
We have a message into Rossi' camp.
In addition to Sen. Coburn's firebrand statements on abortion and gays (“The gay agenda is a more pressing danger than terrorists flying planes into buildings and killing allied troops in Iraq," he said in 2005, "that agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today"), the Democrats are hitting Coburn for ridiculing $1.96 billion in stimulus money for Hanford cleanup and for trying to block legislation creating the Wild Sky Wilderness Area in Eastern Snohomish County.
I don't think it's exactly fair to hold Rossi accountable for Coburn's extremism—and in fact, Rossi doesn't officially agree with Coburn's position that abortion shouldn't be allowed in cases of rape.
However, here's what's a little galling about Rossi hyping a Coburn endorsement. The Rossi camp has been bashing Sen. Murray for her connections to Wall Street, pointing out that she's gotten hundreds of thousands of dollars from the securities and investment industry during her career.
That's true. But it's also true for Coburn. While the securities and investment industry is Sen. Murray's top 7th all time contributor, they're Coburn's 6th. (Murray has taken more, $500,000 to about $300,000, but Coburn's only been a senator since 2006.)
What's more, commercial banks aren't even on Murray's top donor list while they're 10th on Coburn's, at $149,000.
In the 2010 election season, New York base leverage buyout firm American Securities is Coburn's fourth biggest contibutor at nearly $17,000. And the securities and investment industry as a whole is Coburn's tenth top contributor at $74,000. The commercial banking industry is his 12th top contributor at $47,000. (He voted against Wall Street reform).
Murray does not have any specific Wall Street interests, like American Securities, on her top ten list of contributors. She voted for the Wall Street reform bill this year.
However, like Coburn, securities and investment firms as a whole are Murray's tenth top giver this season, at $184,000. The commercial banking industry does not show up as one of her top 10.
We have a message into Rossi' camp.
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