Oklahoma’s junior member of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday announced his support of Sen. John McCain’s bid for president.

Dr. Tom Coburn’s announcement came during a speech in South Carolina, which McCain carried in 2000 during the GOP primaries and one that is considered critical this year for the Arizona Republican.

“I am very proud to endorse my friend and colleague Senator John McCain for President of the United States,” Coburn said. “John McCain and I have stood side-by-side on many issues, and I’d like to speak to two of them today: fiscal responsibility and ensuring the sanctity of human life.”

Coburn said McCain is the “one true reformer” he has met since 1995, the Oklahoma Republican’s first year to serve in Congress. Coburn said his colleague is “guided by strong conservative principles” and “beholden to no special interests.”

The Muskogee Phoenix

I can’t say that I agree with the good doctor that McCain is “guided by strong conservative principles”, at least not all of the time, but unlike a local radio talking head here in Charlotte that was railing about this on my way home from the airport earlier this evening, I am not surprised by the endorsement.  The really strong fiscal hawks in Congress seem to gravitate to John McCain, DeMint exception noted.  Mark Sanford endorsed him in 2000 and Jeff Flake and Tom Coburn are supporting him this year.  For people who value runaway spending and that leviathan of a national debt as their number one issue, McCain has a proven track record on reigning in waste, far better than any of the other candidates, save Ron Paul maybe.