Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) slammed Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich at Nigh University Center on the University of Central Oklahoma campus Saturday. “I can’t support him,” Mr. Coburn told his audience, according to The Oklahoman. “I’ve been under his leadership,” Mr. Coburn added.
Mr. Coburn, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 through 2001, also said that he was a fan of Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), but he knows that the former Air Force surgeon’s chances of winning the Republican presidential nomination are slim to none.
The Oklahoma senator, who will not endorse any of the Republican presidential candidates, went on to justify his dissatisfaction with Mr. Gingrich. “I don’t believe he has the moral rudder that is required to lead this country,” Mr. Coburn posited. “And that does not mean I’m saying that somebody else does,” Mr. Coburn added.
In addition to slamming Mr. Gingrich, Mr. Coburn defended his relationship with President Barack Obama. The Oklahoma senator acknowledged that he tries to maintain a good relationship with the president for political reasons.
“I want to try to be able to have an influence on Barack Obama because he’s still our president,” Mr Coburn said. “He’s not just their president; he’s our president. He is the president — that office matters,” Mr. Coburn added.
However, Mr. Coburn sought to squash the idea that he might be rejecting the positions of the Republican Party. “You have no idea the tough conversations I’ve had with him and my disagreements,” Mr. Coburn professed. “Nobody votes against him more than I do,” Mr. Coburn added.
