Oklahoma U.S. Senator Tom Coburn slammed former House speaker and Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich Thursday, saying he should “keep his mouth shut.”
“If you haven’t put a plan on the table, you need to keep your mouth shut because the problem hasn’t gone away,” Mr. Coburn said “You’re elevating yourself by being critical of someone else.”
The Oklahoma Republican’s comment comes as Mr. Gingrich continues to face criticism from both Republicans and Democrats in regards to recent comments. Mr. Gingrich criticized the Republican House budget put forth by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, terming it a “right-wing social engineering.”
“You know, he used to have a little deal in his office that said listen, learn, help and lead. And he rarely followed it. He went the other way. And instead of ready, aim, fire, you got a fire, ready, aim,” Mr. Coburn said. “I think it’s unfortunate for him and unfortunate for the country.”
Mr. Coburn, a Republican, said earlier this week that we depart the gang of Six, a group tasked with examining solutions for the nation’s budget deficit.
