And I do mean barely. In a home-state survey of the entire senate, Santorum (Man-On-Dog, PA) has a 42% approval rating and 46% disapproval, for a -4% approval gap. He is the least popular Senator right now.

Coburn has 42% approval and 44% disapproval, for a -2% gap. He is the second least popular Senator. Note that no more people actually like Coburn - just 2% more of respondents had no opinion on the Doctor.

Could it be due to things like this?

MIDWEST CITY - Regardless of how his colleagues vote, U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn said Wednesday night he would continue to practice medicine.

Coburn, a doctor, told about 80 constituents who packed an office at the Midwest City Chamber of Commerce that senators will vote next month whether he may continue practicing medicine.

"If they vote me down, I lose; if they vote me up, I win," the Republican said.

Coburn, a freshman senator from Muskogee, has been told by the Senate Ethics Committee he must wind down his medical practice by Sept. 30.

Coburn said if senators vote against him he will continue to practice, either by paying for it himself or continuing to practice and make senators censure him.

He even is considering joining the military to practice or practicing through a charitable organization.

"I'm going to continue to practice medicine either way, one way or the other," Coburn said.

First, let's enjoy for a moment that Sen. Dr. Coburn believes he is above the law. The US Senate, one of this nation's lawmaking bodies, makes its own rules. It has ruled that Dr. Tom can't practice medicine and be a Senator at the same time. Dr. Tom says that he'll do it if he wants to. Ergo, Dr. Tom believes that people who don't like the results of Senate votes don't have to obey them. Perhaps we should contact the Senator's office and ask him what procedures we need to follow to get to ignore Senate votes we don't like. Can we ignore any Supreme Court opinions next year if a Justice Roberts casts the deciding vote?

Second, let's consider the idea that Dr. Tom is talking about joining the military to practice medicine because the Big Bad Communist GOP-Controlled US Senate won't let him do it here. The GOP establishment is not fond of Dr. Tom, so if he enlists, doesn't that mean the military can send his Doctor Ass to Iraq for 12-24 months? And that he goes to jail if he refuses?

Coburn is simply continuing his life-long string of actions predicated on the belief that rules do not apply to him. He sterilized a woman without her consent and billed the government for it, even though he knew both actions were illegal, because he knows what's best. He refuses to live by the rules of the Senate because he knows what's best. Now he may join the military to practice medicine because he knows what's best.

Don't get me wrong - Coburn supports the war in Iraq, and I applaud him for considering putting his own life on the line for a cause in which he believes. But he can't do that, or be a doctor in the states, and remain a US Senator. As I said before, Coburn knew what the rules of being a Senator were before he spent millions of dollars trying to obtain the job. He can either live by the rules the Senate sets, or he can resign his seat. He's not above the law.