Tom Coburn's WasteBook

[MorGrendel]

Wastebook
http://www.coburn.senate.gov/public/ind ... 22c7e1a40e

[Berserker]

Smells like politics to me.

For example he claims that congress has an all time low approval rating, but then promptly blames the senate and directly blames the democrats. Last I heard, the people had a 11% approval rating of the entire congress, not just the senate, or the democrats in it.

Still, it is good that he points some of this stuff out like that unused airport that gets money from the feds for the state. Now the real question is, what is he going to do about it?

Perhaps this can be used as a means to cut some of the spending when making a budget?

[Berserker]

In all fairness, as I go deeper into his book it's not politically charged like the beginning. I guess he figured most people will read just the beginning.

[MorGrendel]

For example he claims that congress has an all time low approval rating, but then promptly blames the senate and directly blames the democrats. Last I heard, the people had a 11% approval rating of the entire congress, not just the senate, or the democrats in it.

I didn't find this that charged, and I'm not sure what you saw. I thought it read pretty balanced albeit near to irrate at times. "With the House and Senate controlled by opposite parties, partisans point fingers of blame at the party in control of the other chamber." It seems to me he weighs blame at both doors.

Still, it is good that he points some of this stuff out like that unused airport that gets money from the feds for the state. Now the real question is, what is he going to do about it?

So it may be worth mentioning that Coburn is not well liked. It might also be worth pointing our the the airport is in Oklahoma, where Coburn is a Senator from. Maybe the first step is awareness.

I think the point of the WasteBook is to point out some of the more riducous expenses, the tip of the overspending iceburg. He mentions a few of the "closed" accounts, but those don't make the splash of RoboSquirrel or Million Dollar Cucakes.

[Berserker]

The reason why I thought the congress bit was politically charged was because he mentioned Harry Reed by name, and all those comittes he mentions are democratic lead. But perhaps I read too much into that.

Either way, as i mentioned before, once you read deeper into the book, it seemed straigh forward. The robo squirrel was one of my favorites ;)