Cheek To Jowl

Oh, God. Like there's actually room in the GOP presidential sweepstakes for another pretender:

Senator Tom Coburn is mulling an entry into the Republican presidential primary, according to sources inside and outside the Senate. Coburn, a senator from Oklahoma, is believed to be receiving encouragement from a small group of wealthy businessmen and philanthropists in the Oklahoma-Kansas-Texas region of the country.

"He's all about faith, lower taxes, and staying the course in Iraq," says an adviser outside of the Senate who has been speaking to Coburn.

Coburn had been mulling a run earlier this year, but with what appeared to be a crowded field, including two sitting Senators (John McCain and Sam Brownback), along with another seriously looking (Chuck Hagel), Coburn appeared to pull back.

Somebody take that "advisor" putting the bug in Coburn's ear and use an icepick to shove it out the other ear, please. If this foolishness keeps up, these so-called "debates" are going to need a bigger stage.

This must be the political equivalent of runaway negative feedback. How uninspiring must the Republican field be if every conservative and his brother think that s/he just HAS to jump into the race? What in blazes does Coburn think he would accomplish? From whom would he lure away support? Aren't there already three or four in the race (Brownback, Huckabee, Tommy Thompson, Duncan Hunter) just like him? What on Earth could he possibly add? Does he want to be Brownback's running mate or something? Besides, Joe Biden already has the spot locked up. Or maybe it's Brownback who'll be Biden's veep. I forget. What day is it again?

Maybe Coburn just wants to rub salt in "Sailor" McCain's self-inflicted wounds. But really, even John Edwards served a whole senate term before he indulged his delusions of grandeur. Can Coburn really have come down with "senatitis" that quickly? Or does being in the minority suck as badly as it looks from the outside?

Now THAT I could understand. But there are other ways of coping with it. I'm sure Uncle Teddy could pour Coburn a few of them, if his still is, er, still functional. At least that'd give the Oklahoma freshman senator an alibi.

UPDATE: Now here is an entrance that will generate some enthusiasm....