Appearing at an Oklahoma town hall gathering, Coburn took on some conservatives in the audience over issues as diverse as the scope of health care reform, the bias of Fox News and the geniality of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). The highlights:

1) Asked what he thought about the (nonexistent) provision in the health reform law that will jail those who don’t comply with the individual insurance mandate, Coburn shot down the myth. “The intention is not to put any one in jail,” he said. “That makes for good TV news on FOX but that isn’t the intention.”

2) He asked voters to divorce themselves from the biases of Fox News and think for themselves.

What we have to have is make sure we have a debate in this country so that you can see what’s going on and make a determination yourself.

So don’t catch yourself being biased by FOX News that somebody is no good. The people in Washington are good. They just don’t know what they don’t know.

3) And finally, when the audience hissed at Coburn’s characterization of Pelosi as “a nice lady,” he defended those remarks, even as he was quick to reject the Speaker’s politics.

“Let me give you a little lesson here — I hope you will listen to me,” Coburn said. “Just because somebody disagrees with you [doesn't] mean they’re not a good person.”

No word yet on whether the audience took note.

h/t: The Hill.

While my colleague Ari Melber marvels at the “coolness” of the candidate, the fact remains that he hasn’t made many friends in the traveling press corps.  Obama seldom comes to the back of the plane, and his general press availability has been scant.

Obama still receives good press — particularly from me. But that’s been in lieu of his access not because of it.

Should candidate Obama become President Obama, he may have to shed some of his coolness and speak more frankly and often to the members of the “media filter” if he’s to govern effectively. While often maligned, especially by Republicans, as ideologically biased, most journalists are just trying to do their jobs.

And while the “media filter” can put up with much, an Obama administration should be wary of what can happen if the press is continually kept at arms’ length. Throughout the Bush administration’s first term, reporters frequently grumbled about their treatment at the hands of the White House. But they were essentially ignored as the president’s approval ratings soared in the wake of 9/11.

But the moment things began to go awry, those same journalists struck back, which was not helpful to an administration struggling to get its message to the public.

By opening himself up more to the press, Obama can avoid a smiliar fate should his administration encounter political turbulence.