Coburn stands by his decision to leave

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Republican U-S Representative Tom Coburn is standing by his belief that term limits benefit voters. <br><br>But there are members of his own party vying for his Second District seat

Monday, July 3rd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Republican U-S Representative Tom Coburn is standing by his belief that term limits benefit voters.

But there are members of his own party vying for his Second District seat who say Coburn's departure from Congress is not a good thing for his constituents or his party.

One of the seven Republicans seeking the eastern Oklahoma district says self-imposed term limits are silly. Another says they hurt a lawmaker's ability to gain influence in Washington.

Many Republicans are expressing concern that Coburn's departure will hurt the party's chances of keeping the seat in the heavily Democratic district.

Coburn says one of the reasons he's been quote "such a pain in the neck" at the Capitol is because he knew he was leaving. He also says his leaving is making the race for his seat far more competitive than it would have been if he were seeking re-election.