Tulsa World: Coburn declines to elaborate on Iraq War statement

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Coburn declines to elaborate on Iraq War statement

MUM

Tom Coburn: No comment on earlier “probably a mistake” remark.

By JIM MYERS and RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writers
Published: 2/21/2008 12:45 AM
Last Modified: 2/21/2008 12:45 AM

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn's comment that going to war in Iraq was "probably a mistake" represents a significant departure from where the Oklahoma Republican started out on the 5-year-old conflict.

Coburn's comment came at the beginning of remarks at a weekend town hall meeting in Muskogee.

"I will tell you personally that I think it was probably a mistake going to Iraq," said the freshman senator, who made it clear he did not believe the U.S. could withdraw but had to stay.

What was unclear was when exactly Coburn changed his position on the controversial war, what led to that change and why he chose to reveal it at a town hall meeting back in the state as opposed to in front of a wider audience.

Coburn's comment came less than a week after he returned from his second trip to Iraq since entering the Senate.

He declined to comment Wednesday.

Coburn, who previously served six years in the U.S. House, ran for the Senate in 2004.

During both the primary and the general election campaigns that year, he repeatedly expressed support for President Bush's decision to take the country to war in Iraq.

Coburn at one point in the campaign reportedly said the war in Iraq was "absolutely not" a mistake.

Vice President Dick Cheney, a vocal defender of the war, came to Tulsa to cam paign and raise money for Coburn.

During that visit, Cheney criticized

Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry for flip-flopping on the war by voting in the Senate to go to war but voting against adequate funding for the troops.

Coburn at times has criticized the way the war was handled and funded.

Still, his comments at the town hall meeting may be the first time he has ever suggested the war was a mistake.

According to official and unofficial reports, Oklahoma has lost 60 military personnel to the war in Iraq, while nationally the death toll as of Wednesday stands at 3,965.

Coburn's latest comments on the war clearly surprised his fellow Oklahoma Republican senator, Jim Inhofe.

"No, no, he couldn't have said that," Inhofe said Wednesday when asked to comment.

A veteran member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who has made a number of trips to Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion, Inhofe is a staunch defender of the war.

"I cannot believe he said that," Inhofe said, adding a few minutes later that he disagreed with Coburn.

Even though he brought up the issue of war at his recent town hall, Coburn added: "It doesn't do any good to dwell on it because we're there."

He said the risk of withdrawal is greater than the risk of remaining, and he praised the military personnel.

"I personally think we have to finish this," Coburn said. "People who are running for president saying 'Bring our people out' are wrong."

In 2005, Coburn reportedly predicted Iraq was about two years away from becoming a working democracy and went on to say Syria would follow.

Last weekend, Coburn said "we are on a glide path in the Muslim world" to creating a sustainable democracy and warned that withdrawing would "expose 570,000 people to genocide."

"How we got there is (the) past," he said.

Jim Myers (202) 484-1424
jim.myers@tulsaworld.com

Randy Krehbiel 581-8365
randy.krehbiel@tulsaworld.com

By JIM MYERS and RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writers

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	Report Comment JWS, Tulsa (2/21/2008 1:28:53 PM) NO RIVER TAX!!!
	Report Comment Fred, Tulsa (2/21/2008 1:52:27 PM) And Sen. Jim Inhofe says Sen. Colburn couldn't have said that the Iraq invasion was a mistake. I still remember Sen. Jim Inhofe saying that the U.S. intervention into the Serbian ethnic cleansing of Albanians was a mistake. Or Sen. Jim Inhofe's statement that he was surprised that so many Federal Workers were killed in the Oklahoma City bombing, because it was 9;00 in the morning. I think one loose cannon deserves another. Such fine examples of Statesmen. With Sen. Colburn having voted for an end to the National Endowment for the Arts, in 1997 when he was Rep. Colburn, and with his daughter Sarah Colburn starring in Tulsa Opera's performance of "Lakme" this Saturday and next week, I'm wondering if he will have the gall to show up. Tulsa Opera did get a grant from NEA this year for $75,000 because it is an important part of the Arts. The Art of Opera is his daughter's pay check and I have heard her sing. She is fantastic. Beautiful to hear and beautiful to see. I hope she has equally beautiful acting skills.
	Report Comment wack, tulsa (2/21/2008 12:53:30 PM) sweet! it looks like maybe i'm not the only one in okieland who thought/still thinks it was a massive error to go there and waste our treasure and take and destroy lives! that whole "thou shalt not kill" thing isn't just talking about abortions is it dr. c????
	Report Comment but what do I know?, Chandler (2/21/2008 12:45:54 PM) Maybe, just maybe, Bin Laden planned everything that is happening. "All I have to do is crash 2 planes into the WTC, then watch as America destroys itself." Think about it. Because of 9/11 we are in a war that we cannot win and which is costing billions of dollars that we don't have. New very expensive government departments have been created, again with money we don't have. Some of our personal freedom has been eliminated. Etc., etc. Our country and our lives are much different than before 9/11, and not for the better. Bin Laden just needs to stay in hiding, while he's probably chuckling at how his act of terror worked so good. He doesn't need to do anything else, it's all falling into place for him.
	Report Comment Ray, Duluth (2/21/2008 12:39:13 PM) You Oklahoma people are completely frightening!
	Report Comment M, Tulsa (2/21/2008 12:03:29 PM) Isn't he allowed to change his mind?
	Report Comment eyesopened, (2/21/2008 11:31:49 AM) As a Independent voter it was probably...no make that definitely my mistake to vote for Bushcos rubber stamp Coburn. Never ever again. Hey Tom... do you still deny the existence of the Downing street memos and the false intel that lead us into borrowing 343 million dollars a day to pay for this war that was "probably" a mistake?
	Report Comment crowbird, seattle (2/21/2008 6:49:10 PM) probably the smartest, most truthful thing coburn has said since entering politics?
	Report Comment patriot, tulsa (2/21/2008 10:39:36 AM) Coburn Breaking Ranks! Inhofe in denial! There's no black and white, it takes a little discerning to accept the shades of grey and judge, for the corporate donors trying to "McKinney" Kucinich in Ohio, throwing out ALL is not the answer anymore than expecting every Dem OR Rep. to tow the party line no matter what. Back to Honeymoon over between Inhofe and Coburn on the Iraq Occupation, At least we have Andrew Rice running against Inhofe! He was delivering signatures of Oklahomans *over 30,000 of them in 2004, over 3,000 military families speaking out. He was ignored just as others of us were. Now he's running Against Delusional Inhofe, That's American Politics as it was meant to be!
	Report Comment Tulsa Native, Tulsa (2/21/2008 10:30:58 AM) Jim: I was coming in here with my own diatribe, but have decided to adopt yours as my own. I couldn't have said it any better. Obama '08!!!!!
	Report Comment James, Weatherford (2/21/2008 10:11:56 AM) Is Coburn lying now or was he lying in the many letters he sent in response to my many complaints about the Iraq war? It does not matter to me, he's a liar either way. No wonder he "refused to elaborate." Tell that to the families of our dead soldiers, Senator. Tell that to the families of the wounded. You deserve nothing but eternal shame.
	Report Comment Sid, (2/21/2008 9:51:52 PM) What a total idiot. Stand up for YEARS defending this stupid, pointless war and NOW admit it was a mistake.
	Report Comment SARGE , (2/21/2008 9:42:48 AM) Dam right the Iraq war was a big mistake.It takes huge amount of resources away from the American, in both lives, money, arms and legs. Saddam was selling oil on the black market, undercutting every one else,The reason for the war just follow the money. Saddam had nothing to do with 911.The republicans had to goose step in line just to keep in office.
	Report Comment Haskell Cherry, Tulsa (2/22/2008 12:40:09 AM) What's the matter wasn't there enough T.V. Cameras there to feed 'Ol Doc Crock's Ego??? He had to shoot his mouth off again to get his picture in the paper? Hey Doc, Tell me again where the Militant Lesbian High School is again I can't seem to find it on the map.
	Report Comment OneActivist, Tulsa (2/21/2008 9:30:50 AM) Interesting...12 comments and 12 against the war. I would like to suggest that the war was NOT a mistake. Bush and Cheney knew there were no WMDs. They knew if they offered enough money along with a bit of patriotic noise, enough have-nots would sign up to fight and secure the oil fields for the haves. Like Woody Guthrie said," Plenty of rich folks wants to fight. Give them the guns." I say.. IMPEACH THE SOBs!
	Report Comment JH, PV (2/21/2008 9:29:02 AM) Looks like Okies are finally waking up to what they have for so called representation in D.C. Pitiful, ain't it... Replace them ALL!
	Report Comment Haskell Cherry, Tulsa (2/22/2008 9:36:42 AM) #37, This ain't Burger King and you Can't have it your way??? Tell that to King George and his No-Bid Puppet Masters at Halliburton.
	Report Comment git yer guns, (2/21/2008 8:41:25 AM) #8, CG. ROFLMFAO!!! Every good Okie knows hispanics and gays are trying to take down this country from the inside by spreading open mindedness and foreign made US flags.
	Report Comment Dissatisfied Republican, Oklahoma (2/21/2008 8:36:16 AM) This is why he's been turned down for the VP nomination. Be aware people!!! A vote for McCain is a vote for 8 more years of Iraq war and a $150 billion per year price tag!! he'll also open our borders to all who want to just walk right in. -- I hate to say it, but anyone but McCain!!!
	Report Comment Chuck Liddell, Tulsa (2/22/2008 1:22:23 PM) I wish some troop can come over here and shoot coburn big head
	Report Comment Lawrence, Tulsa (2/21/2008 8:30:55 AM) we all know it was a mistake, finally we get a repugnant-can slip out the truth
	Report Comment jw, canadian (2/21/2008 8:22:26 AM) C'mon Coburn, you can't be for the war, it cost money. You block every thing that comes up that cost money, block the frigging Iraq Halliburton money pit.
	Report Comment OK Veteran, Tulsa (2/21/2008 7:52:09 AM) Coburn is a chickenhawk. He wants other people to fight for him. He got six draft deferments during the Viet Nam war. What a coward.
	Report Comment Larry Combs, Council Hill (2/21/2008 7:51:20 AM) Speaking of the enormous amount of money that the Iraq war is costing, I read recently that the Iraqi people are being given grants of $2500 each to reopen/start businesses. One recipient said that with the money he could now afford to buy a house and reopen his business. He also planned to apply for another grant so that he could open another business. When you look at the Economic package for the citizens of the US that is supposed to bolster our economy you kind of wonder about which country our government is more concerned about.
	Report Comment Graychin, Eucha (2/21/2008 7:39:33 AM) Senator, if you don't lie in the first place it makes it easier to keep your story straight later on. Of course invading Iraq was a mistake. But Bush's puppydogs can't go around saying that, can they? Circle the wagons, guys, and close up that huge breach which is Dr. Tom's mouth.

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