Sen. Tom Coburn ripped Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday morning, calling him untruthful, unsuccessful and double-crossing.
Mr. Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, said Mr. Reid, Nevada Democrat, had promised to allow an amendment to a water bill that would have struck down a ban on carrying weapons on the property of the Army Corps of Engineers. The Senate instead said no to the amendment, Politico reported. And Mr. Coburn was stung.
“Harry Reid is a nice guy. I like him,” Mr. Coburn said on MSNBC. “But I think he has been a failure as a majority leader for the Senate in terms of keeping the history of the Senate and the progress of the Senate in line with what it was intended to be by our founders.”
He also charged Mr. Reid with lying and said the leader was much more interested in winning re-election than governing the congressional chamber.
“He has been dishonest with me, not truthful, not kept his word,” Mr. Coburn said, as reported in Politico. “He’s played games, you know? “
In response, Mr. Reid said to Politico he was “extremely disappointed” with Mr. Coburn’s statements, and the leader accused his Republican colleague of seeking press attention more than solutions to national problems.
“If he wishes to raise concerns with me … he and every other Senator knows my door is always open,” Mr. Reid said to Politico.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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