HERE'S an example of how quickly tides can shift in politics. It's offered by Sen. Tom Coburn, who until a few weeks ago was a member of the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate. "I was in the minority of the majority party," Coburn said. "Now I'm in the majority of the minority. It's amazing how they've changed their tone." The "they" to whom he refers are fellow Republicans who had been none too fond of Coburn's efforts to wrap a thick rubber band around the wad of cash the government spends each year. Coburn has done so by attacking earmarks, those expenditures written into bills by members for projects back home. Some are worthwhile. Many, in Coburn's view, are not. Columnist Robert Novak reported recently that before the Nov. 7 midterm election, Coburn was upbraided during a caucus meeting by Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, who said Coburn's efforts were hurting the party. Stevens, champion of the infamous "bridge to nowhere" in his home state, then removed from the Defense Department appropriations bill a measure by Coburn to have the Pentagon grade earmarks. The bill, with $11 billion worth of earmarks, received easy passage in the House. No word on whether Stevens, a six-term senator, has begun warming to Coburn's efforts after the spanking Republicans took at the polls last month. But Coburn says many others have — thus his new standing as a member of the "majority of the minority." While discontent with President Bush's handling of the Iraq war contributed to the Democrats' takeover of the House and Senate, Coburn says Republicans have only themselves to blame, largely because of their spending habits. The election, he said, "is a reminder to stand for what you say you stand for." Coburn isn't discouraged by the election results. Just the opposite. "The election was good for the country," he said. "It proves that the collective wisdom of the country is greater than the collective wisdom of those in Washington." The new Senate leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, is promising longer workdays for members. Coburn says he's all for it. "We need to work more," he said. "It needs to be more vigorous, and we need to spend more time in real debate. That's not there now." Oklahoma's junior senator clearly intends to keep working to shed light on government spending, particularly earmarks. If that rankles some colleagues, so be it. Coburn considers it his duty as a U.S. senator. "It's a structural change that has to happen for good government."
