Sen. Tom Coburn Thomas (Tom) Allen CoburnCOVID response shows a way forward on private gun sale checks Inspector general independence must be a bipartisan priority in 2020 Congress must protect federal watchdogs MORE (R-Okla.) criticized his congressional colleagues Tuesday, calling them "cowards" and a "class of career elitists."



"It's just a good thing I can't pack a gun on the Senate floor," Coburn told a crowd in Langley, Okla., as reported in Wednesday's Tulsa World.

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The two-term senator, who has earned the nickname "Dr. No" for his frequent holds on legislation, has never been one to mince words. But his comments about carrying a gun come after the January assignation attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who returned to Congress for the first time a few weeks ago in order to vote on a deal to raise the debt ceiling.

He did add that most members of Congress are good people with good intentions, according to the Tulsa World report.

Coburn recently reaffirmed his pledge to only serve two terms, saying he would retire when his term is up in 2016.



Despite their political differences, the conservative senator is good friends with President Obama, whom he defended during one exchange with voters back in Oklahoma.



He said the president's "intent is not to destroy" but to create a dependency on the government, in part because of his experience growing up as a minority in America.

"His intent is to create dependency because it worked so well for him,” he said.



"As an African-American male," Coburn said, Obama received "tremendous advantage from a lot of these programs."



He also joined Obama in blaming the country's problems on Congress, adding that "I don't think presidents matter that much."



The senator, a member of the bipartisan "Gang of Six,", said he hopes the new supercommittee created to cut government spending will be successful, but added that he's not optimistic. He also predicted lawmakers would back away from the spending controls rather than agree to spending cuts.



"The cowards in Washington won't even put that through," he said.

