Sen. Tom Coburn: Hypocrite or 'I Love Lucy' Fan? BuzzFlash 'Splains Why He's the GOP Hypocrite of the Week

Tom Coburn

Welcome back to the BuzzFlash GOP Hypocrite of the Week.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) apparently didn't like where his line of questioning was going. During his cross-examination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor at her Supreme Court confirmation hearings this week, he asked her about gun laws. To explain the line of reasoning in her answer, Sotomayor used the hypothetical situation of her going home to New York, grabbing her gun, and taking him out.

"You'd have lots of 'splainin to do!" Coburn replied, invoking the character of Ricky Ricardo from the 1950s television show I Love Lucy.

We've got to give it up to the quick-thinking, composed Sotomayor for laughing it off, however uncomfortably. Watch the video:

Had the question been along the lines of the intellectual property rights of Cuban bandleaders in Puerto Rico, Coburn's jab might have been sort of funny, or at least 'splainable. Coburn seemed so eager to say it, stepping on Sotomayor's answer to blurt it out, that it sounded like a pre-written attempt to trip up the Supreme Court nominee, who has kept her cool quite well over the past few days.

Kent Bush pointed out the double standard in the Kansas paper the Augusta Gazette:

If someone would have said "Whachu talking about Clarence?" during Justice Thomas' nomination hearings, I think it would have been understood to be insensitive.

Many around the blogosphere referred to Coburn's racist remark, tin ear or hilarious joke, depending on one's point of view. But a reference to Coburn's duplicity was tough to find. A guest blogger at IHateLouDobbs.com was one of the few who pointed out Coburn's hypocrisy:

First of all, Tom Coburn has spent the past several weeks trying to paint the country's first Hispanic Supreme Court nominee as a racist for her now infamous "wise Latina" remark. When he finally has a chance to discuss substantive (albeit simplistic) legal issues with her, he decides to invoke one of the oldest and most ridiculous Hispanic stereotypes this country has been able to come up with? Is he joking?? Apparently, not. Less than two hours after the ridiculous statement was uttered, Coburn's spokesperson had this to say:

"I suspect Justice Sotomayor will not appreciate reporters ginning up an ethnic controversy on her behalf. Judge Sotomayor was, in a light-hearted manner, discussing shooting Dr. Coburn with a gun in the context of a serious discussion about the right to self defense and the Second Amendment. If Judge Sotomayor was offended by Dr. Coburn's light-hearted response I'm sure Dr. Coburn will apologize to her."

In the above statement, Coburn's spokeperson lobs another, more subtle, hypocrisy. Coburn is allowed to make a not-in-any-way-racist joke, but Sotomayor's "light-hearted" dig about murdering the defenseless Dr. Corburn is clearly in poor taste.

In attacking Sotomayor's much more easily defensible "wise Latina" remark, but also insisting there's nothing behind his Spanglish streak, Coburn is allowing himself the leeway he won't grant to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals judge. And that's why he's our GOP hypocrite this week.

Remember our motto: So many Republican hypocrites, so little time.

Catch up with you soon.

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This is Tom Coburn's first GOP Hypocrite of the Week Award. Welcome to the club. You can see a list of all previous nominees here.

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