Sen. Coburn: There is a "Leadership Vacuum" Among Republicans in the Senate

Not mincing words with Sen. McConnell (R-Ky.)

An outspoken conservative lawmaker recently challenged Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) at a closed-door meeting, saying there is a GOP "leadership vacuum" in the upper chamber, according to sources.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) summed up the frustration of several colleagues at a gathering of the Republican Steering Committee. He chastised Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) for how they have waged their aggressive push to defund ObamaCare.

Their rhetoric, Coburn said, has been used in television and radio ads attacking other Republican senators.