OpinionJournal - John Fund on the Trail ///start quote///
Dr. Coburn, I Presume
Why does Barbara Boxer want to stop him from delivering babies?
Monday, December 12, 2005 12:01 a.m. EST
It is often said that Congress is disconnected from reality. No kidding. It funded a "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska to the tune of $225 million until Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma led a crusade to transfer the money to Katrina victims. His effort failed, but not before Alaska's Sen. Ted Stevens, a 37-year veteran, vowed to resign if his state was shortchanged. Still, Sen. Coburn's effort generated enough publicity that the bridge was quietly defunded last month, even though the money will go to other projects in Alaska.
But senators weren't happy about having their pork-addicted ways held up to ridicule. Few doubt that wasn't part of the motivation a couple of days later for refusing to allow Dr. Coburn, an obstetrician, to earn just enough outside income so he could pay the expenses he incurs in delivering babies one day a week back home. Meanwhile, other senators continue to have carte blanche to earn outside income by writing song lyrics and novels that few believe would see the light of day were it not that they were famous as elected officials....
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