Sen. Coburn: Reid a 'Failure' as Majority Leader

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid broke a promise to allow him to introduce an amendment on last month's gun control bill, and he's not happy about it.

"Harry Reid is a nice guy. I like him. But I think he has been a failure as a majority leader for the Senate in terms of keeping the history of the Senate and the progress of the Senate in line with what it was intended to be by our founders," Coburn told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Thursday.

He appeared on the show to explain an amendment he did introduce to a water resources and infrastructure bill that would have allowed gun owners to carry weapons in recreational areas. The amendment was voted down Wednesday.

"They were very good to allow me an amendment, and the reason they did is because Harry [Reid] denied me an amendment on the gun bill on one that would have passed and solved the problem, which he promised to give me," Coburn said.

"He has been dishonest with me, not truthful, not kept his word," Coburn continued. "He’s played games, you know? We’ve done our own damage to that in response to it. So what we have is people pointing fingers at each other."

Reid responded to Coburn in kind. "If he wishes to raise concerns with me I would have hoped he would talk to me directly," Reid said in a statement, The Hill reports. "He and every other senator knows my door is always open. Sadly, Sen. Coburn's lack of discourse is perhaps an example that too many are more interested in media attention than they are in working to find consensus to fix our nation's problems."