Some Country for Old Men

If you missed the Senate’s thrilling debate over health care this weekend, you missed some pretty freakin’ awesome stuff. At least we figure that’s probably the case (we didn’t watch either). Of course, when in doubt we turn to the Washington Post and their man on the streets, Dana Milbank. What’d we miss? Oh, just Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) leading a prayer that one of his Democratic colleagues wouldn’t make it to Sunday’s vote.

At 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon — nine hours before the 1 a.m. vote that would effectively clinch the legislation’s passage — Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) went to the Senate floor to propose a prayer. “What the American people ought to pray is that somebody can’t make the vote tonight,” he said. “That’s what they ought to pray.”

It was difficult to escape the conclusion that Coburn was referring to the 92-year-old, wheelchair-bound Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.V.) who has been in and out of hospitals and lay at home ailing. It would not be easy for Byrd to get out of bed in the wee hours with deep snow on the ground and ice on the roads — but without his vote, Democrats wouldn’t have the 60 they needed.

Dick Durbin went out to the floor later and asked Coburn to clarify his request. He called Coburn’s office, asked the senator to return to the floor and waited. Coburn never showed. Of course, he was probably busy praying for Robert Byrd to die, so we understand his absence.

Coburn did eventually show — nine hours later — and shockingly, he wasn’t dressed appropriately for the U.S. Senate.

From the same article:

Coburn was wearing blue jeans, an argyle sweater and a tweed jacket with elbow patches when he walked back into the chamber a few minutes before 1 a.m. He watched without expression when Byrd was wheeled in, dabbing his eyes and nose with tissues, his complexion pale. When his name was called, Byrd shot his right index finger into the air as he shouted “aye,” then pumped his left fist in defiance.