Coburn Slams Gingrich And Military Spending
Tulsa World reports on critical comments made by Sen. Tom Coburn about the high cost of military spending and Newt Gingrich's presidential ambitions:
"The real problem is that America is asleep," Coburn said, speaking mostly in response to questions from an audience of about 65 people at the Wagoner Civic Center. "America is not involved. I think this election they'll be more involved than they ever have been, and the reason is they're scared."
The audience generally seemed to find comfort in the potential for a Republican takeover of Congress, but Coburn warned that that alone would not necessarily yield the desired results.
"If the conservatives in Congress gain control and don't live up to expectations," he said, "the Republican Party will be dead."
Coburn also expanded on his recent criticism of arms spending, echoing President Dwight Eisenhower's 1961 warning against the "military-industrial complex."
"I'm not capable of telling you, because I don't have the training, whether we have the forces we need," he said. "I can tell you that if you add our forces and compare them to the next 19 nations, ... we're stronger."
He continued: "The problem is, we have allowed the military-industrial complex to make things unaffordable. There's no choke chain. We need a choke chain. When the cost of an F-35 triples during development, something's wrong."
Coburn made it clear that he won't be on Newt Gingrich's 2012
presidential bandwagon.Gingrich "is a super-smart man, but he doesn't know anything about commitment to marriage," he said of the thrice-married former House speaker. "He's the last person I'd vote for for president of the United States. His life indicates he does not have a commitment to the character traits necessary to be a great president."
Click here to read more.
