HERE'S Why Sheldon Whitehouse Has Had Enough... Asshat Of The Week: Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)

Yesterday, prior to today's 1:00 am crucial procedural vote on the health care reform bill, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) made a statement that should make any person of conscience cringe.

In essence, Coburn asked the American people to pray for the death (or at least the medical incapacitation) of 92 year-old Senator Robert Byrd. What a sweetheart of a guy Coburn is.

From today's Washington Post:

At 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon -- nine hours before the 1 a.m. vote that would effectively clinch the legislation's passage -- Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) went to the Senate floor to propose a prayer. "What the American people ought to pray is that somebody can't make the vote tonight," he said. "That's what they ought to pray."

It was difficult to escape the conclusion that Coburn was referring to the 92-year-old, wheelchair-bound Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.V.) who has been in and out of hospitals and lay at home ailing. It would not be easy for Byrd to get out of bed in the wee hours with deep snow on the ground and ice on the roads -- but without his vote, Democrats wouldn't have the 60 they needed. (emphasis mine)

So, Senator Coburn, just when I thought the level of debate couldn't sink any lower, you manage to not only descend to the muck in the bottom of the barrel, you wallow in it.

Congratulations. You win the Asshat of the Week Award!