Ruth Marcus Doesn't Get Republicans: O'Reilly Clears Up the Pelosi Jail Sentence

I have sent three emails to Bill O'Reilly, one to Fox and Friends, two to Rush, one to Megyn Kelly, one to Neal Cavuto and two to Tom Coburn. I think I caught O'Reilly's attention. The issue: Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn's treatment of a constituent who asked about a jail sentence for noncompliance with the health care mandates. Then, Ruth Marcus, writing at the Washington Post just had to point out that something "weird" is going on in the Republican party. I think I can explain it to her. Readers, I know this is my fourth post on Coburn's townhall. I can't help myself.

 Bill O'Reilly

Coburn told the woman it was not the intention to put anyone in jail. And he indicated that she got her erroneous information from watching Fox News. He went on to call Nancy Pelosi a "nice lady," and when the townhall crowd groaned, he lectured them again, and again blamed it on watching Fox. He also had the audacity to ask the crowd - after the groans - if they knew her, or had met her? Well, of course they did not, or most did not. We don't live and hang on Capitol Hill. We are not quite in the Senator's league. The question was disingenuous.

What he didn't say, but should have said, is this:

The House of Representatives put a prison penalty in their bill. The Senate took it out. Nancy Pelosi tried to impose a prison penalty, but the Senate denied it.

Now that's the truth. Instead, he left everyone thinking the Oklahoma woman was just a sucker for Fox News and didn't know what she was talking about.

So, tonight on O'Reilly's Talking Points, he reported when and where the jail sentence was a part of proposed legislation. Now, both O'Reilly and Coburn know the truth. And now we can safely say that Nancy Pelosi is not such "a nice lady."

I hope Coburn is feeling a bit of shame for demeaning one of his voters. If you want to see the identifying parts of Pelosi's legislation with the prison sentence, you'll find it here.

Ruth Marcus

In the meantime, Ruth Marcus writing for The Washington Post believes "something weird" is going on in the Republican Party because Republican Senator Tom Coburn is getting some blowback about his remarks. I assure you, Ms. Marcus there is nothing weird about Republican's criticism of Coburn's rare, but not completely unusual, moment of arrogance.

Yes, Senator Coburn is very conservative. But what does that have to do with anything? Afterall, we are not Democrats. We do not march in lockstep. We are Republicans and we don't shy away from pointing out when one of our own, living in the rarified air of Washington, D.C., takes a moment to lift his chin and be obnoxious.

You, Ms. Marcus, point to Coburn's "moment of civility," but no...when you don't have the details, and your response is inadequate, and you intimate that your own consitutent just believes everything she hears, that's rude. It's not civil.

But when you say Coburn's answer was "accurate," a Democrat would see it that way. It's "accurate," but there's a backstory...an important backstory...that Senator Coburn should have known about. Afterall, his constituent knew it.

About Senator Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn being "twins," you should know, Ruth, that Coburn and Inhofe are unlikely ideological twins. Inhofe is always conservative, Coburn is generally conservative. I often praise, applaud and honor Senator Coburn. I am a fan. I vote for him. I have every right to criticize him - and remember, I am not a Democrat blindly following rubes who think they are so totally incredible - like Al Gore, Charlie Rangel, Nancy Pelosi, and Maxine Waters.

Coburn and his wife are very friendly with Democrats, including the former Senator from Illinois, Barack and his wife Michelle. They have a "friendship." So maybe he has a similar "friendship" with Nancy and hubby, and perhaps spends some quality time at the vineyards. I don't know. I don't much care (I care a little, but...).

So the story isn't that there is something weird going on in the Republican party. The story is that Coburn was not well-informed and he was patronizing of his constituent, and he needn't judge Oklahomans for watching Fox. It's just not a good idea.

The first video below is O'Reilly's interview with Tom Coburn a couple of days ago, and at this time, neither of them knew there was a jail sentence at one time. Coburn is so lame in this video. The second video is of tonight's Talking Points, with O'Reilly explaining Pelosi's "jail sentence."

Bill O'Reilly and Tom Coburn (video)    O'Reilly Discusses Pelosi's Jail Sentence