First responders are better than Coburn

The good news: Yesterday, after quite a battle, Congress passed a bill that funds medical care and compensation for 9/11 first responders who are now experiencing health problems from working in the toxic environment at Ground Zero.

The bad news is that passage of this bill was in question in the first place. But Rep. Tom Coburn (R-OK) fought it and threatened to block the bill.

Alex Pareene at Salon.com analyzes Coburn's motives:

"Coburn's original objection was that the bill was too pricey -- though it was paid for by closing tax loopholes, which means that his real objection was that rich people were going to have to pay for non-rich people to have their illnesses treated...

"A bit of history: Coburn voted yes on exempting millionaires from the estate tax, and yes on tax cuts on capital gains and dividends, but he has been fighting fiercely to stop the government from paying for treatment for 9/11 first responders with cancer. (Un-fun fact: Coburn's a medical doctor and a cancer survivor himself!)"

In a comment posted in response to the Salon article, one reader wrote:

"I'd try to avoid disaster or illness. I guarantee you no first responder will ever come to this guy's rescue!"

I disagree with the commenter. Unlike Coburn, first responders have a heart and a conscience. They're professionals. When they're on the job, they're above politics. And, unlike Coburn, they want to save lives.