The forces of careerism have finally gotten to erstwhile cincinnatus the Honorable retired
Representative Tom Coburn (R-OK).
The retiring Sen. Nickles's sentate seat comes open this year and the leader in the polls is Rep. Brad Carson (D-OK). But Rep. Coburn is very popular in OK and is expected to win the seat now that he is in.
Coburn won the most Democratic and liberal House seat in Oklahoma in 1994 (previously held by the late Rep. Mike Synar). Then he served six years and retired in accordance with his term limit pledge. Coburn continued to work as a obstetrician throughout his service and denoucned congressmen who gave up their professions for a careed in Washington D.C. as betrayers of the public trust.
Coburn is famous for filibustering appropriations (especially the agricultural approps bill) on the House floor. The House doesn't even have a rule that allows filibustering, but Coburn did it through expertise on the rules, diligence, and the moral authority he held with other congressmen. He slowed the train wreck of Republican pork that is helping to drive up federal spending at unprecedented levels now. And then he wrote a book about how careerism in congress made it impossible to stop the problem without term limits.
Carson is a great candidate, but Coburn is likely to beat him. His popularity in OK is tremendous.
The only mystery is how Coburn will reconcile his aversion to careers in congress with his behavior.