Coburn thanks his wife for 41 years of marriage

Before he jumped into the middle of the debate over healthcare reform Wednesday on the Senate floor, Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn had another, more important message to convey: appreciation for his wife, Carolyn, on their 41st wedding anniversary. 

After requesting three minutes to speak, Coburn told his colleagues that he met his wife when she was only six years old, in 1954, and was best friends with her until one night, when he said he "couldn't get a date." 

He asked her out, and "from that point forward, I fell in love with somebody I have been married to for 41 years." 

The veteran lawmaker sounded downright sappy as he thanked his wife for, "how much stronger she has made me as a man, how she has completed every aspect of my life ... and the gift she gave me of three wonderful daughters."