Battle Royale: Oprah versus Coburn

by: Matt Stoller

Mon Sep 15, 2008 at 22:36

This seems like a pretty big deal.

Now Winfrey has squared off against Coburn, who has blocked S. 1738, the Combating Child Exploitation Act.
Winfrey asked her viewers Monday to call and write the Senate to demand their support for the legislation, sponsored by Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden (Del.).
Winfrey, herself a victim of sexual abuse, has asked viewers to sign and send a letter posted on her website calling for action on the bill.

Coburn is going to fight Winfrey by forcing the addition of a poisoned pill to this bill in the form of increased police powers to snoop on suspected criminals (ie. anyone). Both Alaska Republican Senators are cosponsoring the bill, as is Norm Coleman and Kay Bailey Hutchinson.

Matt Stoller :: Battle Royale: Oprah versus Coburn

It establishes a Special Counsel for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction within the Office of the Deputy Attorney General to fight child predators. Here's what Coburn is resisting.

The images and videos being trafficked typically depict sexual assaults that are both graphic and brutal. The same research indicates that 80 percent of known child pornography possessors have images of children being sexually penetrated and 21 percent have images depicting children bound, gagged, blindfolded, or `otherwise enduring sadistic sex.' Just 1 percent restricted their collecting to images of simple child nudity.

Good job, Republicans!

Tags: Tom Coburn, Oprah, (All Tags)

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Battle Royale: Oprah versus Coburn | 6 comments

My Moneys on Opera... (0.00 / 0)

Is McCain supporting this bill? He needs to be put on the record on this.

Demockracy.com

Demockracy.com

by: kjvd00 @ Mon Sep 15, 2008 at 21:48:58 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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Who knows (4.00 / 2)

That would actually require him to come to the vote and actually represent the Arizonan's who elected him. He has been notably absent as of late.

by: Jon Niola @ Mon Sep 15, 2008 at 21:58:58 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

This is pretty sad (4.00 / 1)

Reid decided to bundle these smaller bills into an omnibus package to marshal a broader coalition of support. That effort failed, however, in July, when Democrats, plagued by absences within their caucus, could not whip together enough votes to overcome Coburn's opposition.

Someone remind me why the Democrats wanted to regain control of the Senate. Or maybe they didn't and it happened by accident, which frankly sounds plausible.

by: Taylor @ Mon Sep 15, 2008 at 22:18:49 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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Nobody expected to have the Senate under Dem control in 2006 (0.00 / 0)

Harry Reid should kiss Dean's ass every day.

by: RapsodiaStellare @ Mon Sep 15, 2008 at 23:06:17 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

plagued by absences... (4.00 / 1)

...Ted Kennedy with a brain tumor, Tim Johnson with a stroke, Clinton and Obama running for President, Joe Lieberman campaigning for W the 2nd.

Plagued by absences has nothing to do with the price of tea in china. The problems are with the leadership itself and the lack of a functional majority. If everyone shows up and Lieberman votes on the D side, that's a 1 seat margin in a body that unless the leadership demonstrates muscle, requires 60 votes. In reality, McCain hasn't been seen in the Senate much, but Kennedy has been gone recently and Tim Johnson for a long period before that. In an election year where the Republicans have been sticking it to their own forcing them to the right or risk being hung out to dry, there hasn't been much room to maneuver votes on anything remotely contentious.

Take this opportunity to give a few extra bucks to some Bold Strong D Democrats running for Senate, in the comments tell them it's time for a new Majority Leader.

Hit the Open Left Better Democrats page here:
http://www.actblue.com/page/olbd
and focus your dollars on the Senate seats.

by: mp @ Mon Sep 15, 2008 at 23:08:22 PM CDT

[ Parent ]