Sen. Tom Coburn Finds Newt Gingrich’s Leadership ‘Lacking’
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Republican Senator Tom Coburn R-Okla. has some harsh words for his former boss Newt Gingrich who is currently the frontrunner in the 2012 GOP bid for the White House.
“There’s a lot of candidates out there I’m not inclined to be a supporter of Newt Gingrich’s having served under him for four years and personally experiences his leadership,” said Coburn said today on “Fox News Sunday.”
Coburn served under then Speaker Gingrich after being elected to the House of Representatives in 1994 as part of the great Republican revival brought on by Gingrich.
“There’s all types of leaders. Leaders that instill confidence, leaders that are somewhat abrupt and brisk. Leaders that have one standard for the people that they’re leading and a different standard for themselves. I just found his leadership lacking,” Coburn said.
This isn’t the first time that Coburn has spoken critically of Gingrich’s leadership style.
Coburn described the former speaker as someone who is brilliant but divisive while speaking on C-SPAN in March.
“We need someone who’s eye is critical but is not harsh in their manner,” he said.
Coburn has previously announced his decision not to run for re-election in 2016.
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” I just found his leadership lacking,” Coburn said.”
Amen.
Posted by: Searambler | December 4, 2011, 11:17 am 11:17 am
Yes!! Finally a sane, rational voice from the GOP itself. Newt would be a disaster, and those that know him know that. Just look at his personal and professional history — unfit for POTUS!
Posted by: Dr. Bubba | December 4, 2011, 11:19 am 11:19 am
Or, we can stay with the brand of “leadership” we have with the majorly inept Obama. I’d take any of the Republican candidates (except Ron Paul) over the clown we have in the Oval Office.
Posted by: s | December 4, 2011, 11:36 am 11:36 am
S: Your position on the politics of the day are 180 degrees different than mine. I would take Ron Paul over any of the other Republican candidates and, if Gingrich becomes the Republican nominee, I will vote for Obama.
Posted by: john locke | December 4, 2011, 12:16 pm 12:16 pm
Coburn described the former speaker as someone who is brilliant but divisive —-what exactly is brilliant about him? That he can string two sentences together? Is the bar set so very low in the rpeublicna party. He writes book after boring book and they all say the same thing. “We’re at a crossroads! The path we take now is critical!” he’s been saying that for 30 years! I guarrentee you’ll hear him say those EXACT words in a speech very soon. IMPACT CROSSROADS WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY…blah blah blah, he’s been a one tune pony FOREVER . THere is NOTHING briliant about him. He is in fact, boring as all heck and sooooooooooooooooooooo full of himself. He created grid lock and did a horrid job in the Clinton years. He is the LAST person we need when there is so much division in this country. You want the government shut down again? Social security, military people not getting paid? Then Gingrich is your man. He’s an idiot. A hot air balloon…he talks and talks and talks and talks and says NOTHING. When you actually dissect what he says (because believe me, the first thin you want to do is tune him out) you realize, he’s talking completely out of his bum. To fact check this guy is exhausting he’s so inaccurate in SOOOOO many ways. Republicans choosing him is just their way of saying they actually really want Obama back. Admit it. You can’t possibly put this man in a general election and think for a nanosecond you have a shot, can you??? really??
Posted by: GrannyNosBest | December 4, 2011, 1:10 pm 1:10 pm
Newt would be a disaster– — Ireally wouldn’t worry about it. He does not have any chance, none, in winning a general election. If this is their man, they might as well just use the campaign money to pay down the deficit and call off the election. It’s that much of a done deal. Do you remember the 90s??? I do. Do you realize how much video we have of this man? of radical things he’s said, how extreme he is? Nevermind how much of a bad job he did back then. His personality is like fingernails on a chalk board, without even going into how abysmal his job performance is. This is absolutely, the republican partry crying “uncle!”
Posted by: GrannyNosBest | December 4, 2011, 1:13 pm 1:13 pm
However, the Newt does take top honors for philandering, unless you consider the Pizza Man.
Posted by: usa8888 | December 4, 2011, 1:22 pm 1:22 pm
Grannynosbest, do tingles run up your legs and tears come to our eyes when Pres.Obama speaks.
Posted by: Lizzie | December 4, 2011, 1:29 pm 1:29 pm
Tom Coburn is a stooge for Abu Dhabi. The advent of hydrogen fuel eliminated his relevance.
Posted by: dustin83v | December 4, 2011, 1:39 pm 1:39 pm
The polls are wrong…the paid for polls are right…he is not in the lead with the Republicans…and he is not worth voting for. Newt lacks integrity; he lacks vision, he lacks the ability to work with both houses of congress….lacking leadership is the least of his inabilities…this guy is a crook with an Arrogant EGO!
Posted by: Not Newt | December 4, 2011, 1:50 pm 1:50 pm
Today, on Fox Sunday, Coburn said, “He would have a hard time supporting Newt for President”. So I guess he means, if Newt is the Republican Nominee, he will support Obama. Well, since I am moving to Oklahoma, I am very glad Coburn has previously announced his decision not to run for re-election in 2016.
I promise you, Coburn has some reason and it is not the in the best interest of this country for the stand he is taking in opposition to Newt being the Republican Nominee.
Posted by: Hawk11B | December 4, 2011, 2:48 pm 2:48 pm
Suddenly Democrats and their supporters change their minds about those lying, cheating, power-hungry idiots? Now they believe this Republican speaks only the truth for the good of the country? Is there anything sadder than a partisan who abandons all dearly held beliefs when it’s convenient?
Posted by: MizFW | December 4, 2011, 4:47 pm 4:47 pm
Senator Coburn is a C Street “Family” member; I suspect Coburn also isn’t a fan of Gingrich’s history as it diverges from their Evangelical game plan.
My favorite Gingrich proposal was to take poor kids away from their families and place them into orphanages. No mention about “big government”, so maybe he’s thinking the program could be privatized for profit, kinda like prisons.
Never thought I’d be agreeing with Coburn, but he’s right – cannot envision Gingrich leading the country.
Posted by: green.goddess | December 4, 2011, 5:08 pm 5:08 pm
“Suddenly Democrats and their supporters change their minds about those lying, cheating, power-hungry idiots? Now they believe this Republican speaks only the truth for the good of the country? Is there anything sadder than a partisan who abandons all dearly held beliefs when it’s convenient?
” Funny and true! Most liberals are undereducated with delusions of intelligence.
Posted by: jonny | December 4, 2011, 5:15 pm 5:15 pm
Gingrich Presidency = disaster
Posted by: Plantain_11 | December 4, 2011, 7:01 pm 7:01 pm
I’ll take Ron Paul. Go to you know where Coburn.
Posted by: Ben | December 4, 2011, 10:35 pm 10:35 pm
Any true republican should vote for Paul. He is the only candidate who upholds the party values. If you want to fix the budget, end the rule of the FED, bring our troops home, reduce spending, decrease national debt, decrease the needless spending on other countries and focus on ours, give us back our rights by repealing the “Patriot act”, uphold a pro-life stance (not just in name), and focus on America instead of the world vote Paul. If you are confused about our involvement in the world or why Paul does not support war in Afghanistan (now that Bin-laden is dead) and Iraq or the potential for war in Iran, read Ferguson’s Colossus or Williams Appleman Williams or many other sources that cover our over involvement in the world.
Posted by: luke | December 5, 2011, 11:00 am 11:00 am