Is it too much to ask our politicians to practice integrity?

That’s a question U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn is asking in Washington, and it’s a message he’s been carrying around the state this past week. Coburn was in Enid last Friday to talk about what he’s doing in Washington and why he doesn’t have very many friends there.

Coburn has been at the forefront of a movement to get more transparency in government. He’s a firm believer if constituents know where lobbyist money is going or who is getting government contracts, they can be better informed about the financial situation in our country. He also is known for holding up bills other senators want to get through, and that doesn’t make him a very popular dinner partner.

The senator is especially perturbed about the number of “earmarks” that get attached to certain bills. Earmarks are projects added by certain lawmakers that often have nothing to do with the bill in question. For example, he said one transportation bill had thousands of earmarks in it. These are deals lawmakers make with other lawmakers in getting their pet projects passed.

Coburn believes voters need to know just how many years down the line they’ve committed their children and grandchildren to pay for today’s promises.

Coburn didn’t have many good things to say about the latest ethics reform bill passed in Congress, but then he made a very salient point.

He said much of reform is aimed at controlling what lobbyists or special interest groups give in the form of money or gifts to lawmakers. Would this reform be necessary if the members of Congress, themselves, acted with integrity and didn’t play the game?

Coburn said his movement is picking up steam, and he’s getting more votes for his ideas as time goes by. He believes there is a spirit of change, and Congress will turn over — in both parties.

We can only hope the media and American voters will utilize new tools to make themselves more informed when election time comes around. If the voters can see for themselves just how the sausage is made, they may just insist on a new recipe.