Quote

When I came to Washington, I was troubled to observe so many similarities between the behaviors of drug-addicted patients and my political colleagues. In Washington power is like morphine.

Tom Coburn

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Tom Coburn
Age: 72 †
Born: 1948
Born: March 14
Died: 2020
Died: March 28
Obstetrician
Physician
Politician
United States Senator
Casper
Wyoming
Thomas Allen Coburn
Politics
Patients
Term
Colleagues
Political
Observe
Morphine
Power
Washington
Similarities
Many
Patient
Behaviors
Like
Drug
Similarity
Behavior
Troubled
Came
Addicted

More quotes by Tom Coburn

Image
We're gonna put $456 million to go to an island of 50 people? You know... The bridge to nowhere. And this is right after Katrina happened. And so I offer an amendment to take that money from Alaska and repair the stuff in Louisiana.
Tom Coburn
Image
Republicans should simply focus on first principles and give the American people what they want - an honest party dedicated to common sense, fiscal responsibility and limited government. If we govern to save the country, we'll do well as a party.
Tom Coburn
Image
Few things infuse a member of Congress with more courage than self-imposed term limits or an imminent retirement. The issues they choose to focus on in their final months say a great deal about what are really the most important issues in the country.
Tom Coburn
Image
I would like to believe I would not have behaved differently had I not made a term limits pledge, but my own frailties and human desire for prestige and position tell me my term limits pledge did make a difference in how I approached my job in Congress.
Tom Coburn
Image
The danger of what's happening right now in terms of using reconciliation is, the purpose of the Senate is going to be defeated. And that is to bring consensus to big issues in this country.
Tom Coburn
Image
When we have heartbeat and brain waves, we refuse to accept it as the presence of life - this lack of logic of which we approach this issue because we like and we favor convenience over ethics. We favor convenience over the hard parts of life that actually make us grow.
Tom Coburn
Image
An easily accessible and transparent database of contract information will bring sunshine into the confusing and sometimes shadowy practice of government contracting.
Tom Coburn
Image
The founding fathers never once rationalized getting in power and having control so they could stay in power.
Tom Coburn
Image
It is a real issue, a measurement of our society, when we say it's fine to destroy unborn life who has a heartbeat at 16 days post-conception.
Tom Coburn
Image
It is inexcusable for the White House and Congress to not even make the effort to find at least some offsets to this new spending, ... No one in America believes the federal government is operating at peak efficiency and can't tighten its belt.
Tom Coburn
Image
It is easy to see how after receiving this adoration for a term or two most members become convinced they are indispensable.
Tom Coburn
Image
Statesmen exhibit five key commitments: 1) A commitment to principles above politics 2) An ability to compromise without abandoning principle 3) A commitment to truth over spin 4) A commitment to courage over cowardice and 5) A commitment, or willingness, to give up power.
Tom Coburn
Image
I still believe that term limits is the best way to ensure that the next generation, not the next election, is the central concern in our elected bodies.
Tom Coburn
Image
How is it that we have sodomy protected under that due process but prostitution unprotected? It's schizophrenic.
Tom Coburn
Image
Careerism: the self-centered philosophy of governing to win the next election above all else.
Tom Coburn
Image
My relationship with Barack Obama isn't based on my political philosophy or his.
Tom Coburn
Image
The career politicians in Washington had transformed a government for the people into a government for themselves and for special interests.
Tom Coburn
Image
There will be no insurance industry left in three years.
Tom Coburn
Image
You have to be courageous to not spend money, ... and we don't have many people who have that courage.
Tom Coburn
Image
I'm very disturbed at the picture that was painted by Senator Ted Kennedy that Samuel Alito is not a man of his word, that he is dishonest. The implication that he is not reliable I don't think is a fair characterization of what I've read.
Tom Coburn