RUSH: This is interesting. ‘Tom Coburn, a staunch conservative from Oklahoma’ this is a CBS News story ‘is doing what seems almost unthinkable in this polarized political climate: Defending his Democratic colleagues from critics at Fox News. At a town hall meeting, Coburn suggested that a woman who said ‘they can put us in prison’ for not obtaining health insurance under the health care reform bill is misinformed. ‘The intention is not to put anybody in jail,’ he said. ‘That makes for good TV news on Fox but that isn’t the intention.’ He also defended House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the architect of the House version of the health care legislation that he fiercely opposed. ‘I’m 180 degrees in opposition to the speaker — she’s a nice lady,’ he said. The crowd could be heard responding unfavorably to his characterization.’
Well, who cares if she’s nice?
I’m sure Obama is nice.
(interruption) I know that Obama called it ‘Cominskey’ Park back in July. It’s like that pitch yesterday, folks. There’s nobody that throws like that. Not even a Special Olympian which Obama once made fun of. Nobody throws that way. Girls don’t. That was a parody of how girls throw. I don’t know what this guy’s game is but he knows it’s not ‘Cominskey’ Park. Al Capone was a nice guy. Hitler had friends, for crying out loud. Does that mean we should discard what Pelosi’s policies are all about? So Coburn says, ‘There’s no intention of putting anybody in jail.’ No, no, no. Well, let’s go back to the sound bite November 9th last year in Seattle, Pelosi was asked, ‘Do you think it’s fair to send people to jail for not buying health insurance?’
PELOSI: For a long time now people who haven’t had health care or provided it have placed the burden on others. Everybody is paying the price for uncompensated care. I don’t need to tell you that in a hospital. And so what this is is to say we all have to do our part, and that is the point of the bill.
REPORTER: But Madam Speaker, I’m just trying to understand. If you don’t buy health insurance, you go to jail?
PELOSI: Well the point —
REPORTER: You didn’t answer my question.
PELOSI: There is — there is — uh, uh, I think the legislation is very fair in this respect.
RUSH: So somebody tell Tom Coburn she was specifically asked about possible jail time, and she said ‘the legislation is very fair in this respect.’ Now, some people might say she dodged the question, but she did answer it ultimately when it was put back to her in a direct fashion.