Quote

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

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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
Five
Compromise
Abandoning
Ability
Principle
Exhibit
Political
Commitment
Commitments
Truth
Keys
Spin
Power
Courage
Exhibits
Give
Principles
Statesmen
Without
Politics
Cowardice
Giving
Term
Willingness

More quotes by Tom Coburn

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Everybody in America is going to have to sacrifice to help us rebuild the Gulf Coast. Every government program, every individual, we are all going to have to sacrifice
Tom Coburn
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My relationship with Barack Obama isn't based on my political philosophy or his.
Tom Coburn
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It is easy to see how after receiving this adoration for a term or two most members become convinced they are indispensable.
Tom Coburn
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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
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Expose widespread waste and duplication in federal spending.
Tom Coburn
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There will be no insurance industry left in three years.
Tom Coburn
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Senator [Sam] Brownback talked about those with disabilities that are destroyed in the womb because of a genetic test that is sometimes wrong. I would put forward that we all have disabilities.
Tom Coburn
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I can't see the country electing another Bush, i love Jeb Bush - I think he's a nice guy. I just can't see it.
Tom Coburn
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I'm proud of our country that we elected Barack Obama. I mean, it says something about us nationally. You know, it's kind of like crowning your checker when you get to the end of your checker board. Here's another thing that says America's special: Barack Obama, president of the United States.
Tom Coburn
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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
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I believe all life has value, from conception to natural death. And I believe the intentional taking of human life, except to save lives, should be a capital offense, as it is in most states in America today
Tom Coburn
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A super-legislator body is not what the court was intended to be, When I ponder our country and its greatness, its weakness, its potential, my heart aches for less divisiveness, less polarization, less finger-pointing, less bitterness, less mindless partisanship.
Tom Coburn
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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
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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
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Welfare reform happened with reconciliation half the Democrats voted for it. The Bush tax cuts happened with reconciliation twelve Democratic Senators voted for it. You didn't have a real partisan issue on those times that it was used
Tom Coburn
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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
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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
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You have to be courageous to not spend money, ... and we don't have many people who have that courage.
Tom Coburn
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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
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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