E-Mails Paint Coarse Picture Of Senate Earmark Fight

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) _ With a click of the ``send'' button a behind-the-scenes battle over earmarks became public when a staff member of Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn accidentally sent e-mails peppered

Wednesday, August 22nd 2007, 3:13 pm

By: News On 6

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) _ With a click of the ``send'' button a behind-the-scenes battle over earmarks became public when a staff member of Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn accidentally sent e-mails peppered with profanities to the wrong person.

Republican Senator Coburn has criticized Democratic Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska over Nelson's request for 7.5 million dollars for a defense contractor in Omaha, Nebraska, Nelson has withdrawn the request and staff members of both senators say the two have a congenial relationship.

But an internal e-mail from Coburn spokesman John Hart says a newspaper article about the earmark will - quote - ``shut that f---- up.''

Hart in another e-mail says he can't wait to send an e-mail to reporters in Nebraska and forward it to - quote ``a-- face.''

He then inadvertently sent the e-mails to an aide in another senator's office and Nelson's office and others got a copy.

Hart would not comment today but an online congressional newsletter reports Hart says the e-mails were directed at Nelson spokesman David DiMartino _ not at Nelson.

Messages left by The Associated Press for Coburn Chief of Staff Mike Schwartz weren't immediately returned.