Sen. Tom Coburn, a staunch conservative from Oklahoma, is doing what seems almost unthinkable in this polarized political climate: Defending his Democratic colleagues from critics at Fox News.

At a town hall meeting, Coburn suggested that a woman who said "they can put us in prison" for not obtaining health insurance under the health care reform bill is misinformed. "The intention is not to put anybody in jail," he said. "That makes for good TV news on Fox but that isn't the intention."

He also defended House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the architect of the House version of the health care legislation that he fiercely opposed. "I'm 180 degrees in opposition to the speaker -- she's a nice lady," he said. The crowd could be heard responding unfavorably to his characterization. "Come on now, she is a nice -- how many of you all have met her?" continued Coburn. "She's a nice person. She's a nice person."