Tom Coburn has largely stayed out of politics in recent years, but he just jumped back in.
On Monday Coburn, the former Oklahoma senator better known as “Dr. No” for his spirited opposition to government spending projects like the infamous Bridge to Nowhere, endorsed Mike Braun in the Indiana Republican Senate primary.
“I am pleased to support and endorse Mike Braun, Indiana Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. Like myself, Mike is a social & fiscal conservative who supports term limits,” Coburn said in a statement.
“As a successful businessman, Mike brings the very knowledge and background that is badly needed in our U.S. Senate today. Mike’s opposition to deficit spending and pork barrel projects together with his proven leadership abilities will make him a highly effective U.S. senator,” he continued.
And that’s a big deal.
The Indiana Senate primary is crowded and brutal. Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita slash at Braun, and he slashes back, in a three-way knife fight where candidates accuse each other of everything from drunk driving and swindling to carpetbagging and elitism. In this bloody scrum, none of the three have been able to break away.
But with the Coburn endorsement, Braun may be able to march under insurgent populist conservative colors. Coburn was the Tea Party before the Tea Party. He is old school, principled populism minus the Big Government tendencies exhibited by the current president. By winning over the champion of those hardcore conservatives, Braun has won a small but very significant victory.
