Cloture just failed on the Tomnibus bill. In the midst of the debate, however, Coburn tried to make the ludicrous argument that he is, you know, a pure budget hawk who didn't support funding for the war either because he once voted "nay" on a funding bill.

If you kept your lunch down for that, good for you.

Methinks he forgets about a few other votes:

Senate Roll Call Vote 439, December 18, 2007: McConnell motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to the bill with an amendment that would replace the $31 billion in funding for the war in Afghanistan with $70 billion that the Defense Department could use to conduct the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq without restrictions. Coburn (R-OK), Yea

Senate Roll Call Vote 261, September 29, 2006: Adoption of the conference report on the bill that would appropriate $447.6 billion for Defense, including $70 billion in emergency funds for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as military equipment. Coburn (R-OK), Yea

Senate Roll Call Vote 171, June 15, 2006: Adoption of the conference report on the bill that would appropriate $94.5 billion in emergency supplemental funding for fiscal 2006. It would provide $70.4 billion for defense. Coburn (R-OK), Yea

Coburn evidently got the support of loyal GOP apparachiks Collins, Voinovich, Lugar and Stevens in the final cloture vote.

The argument that Coburn was making about all these bills adding to the budget is bullshit anyway, but the Republicans stuck together to make sure today wasn't the day that Emmet Till saw justice. In the name of "fiscal responsibility."

I guess a few hundred billion dollars for war counts as what, empty calories?