No doubt everyone remembers last Friday when news of this first appeared:
Late Thursday night and again Friday morning, Bunning single-handedly blocked a 30-day extension of unemployment benefits and health insurance payments for more than 1 million jobless Americans over concerns about the federal deficit.
When the 221,052 unemployed people of my adopted home state read about this, I sincerely hope that they'll remember precisely what it was that Senator Bunning said to them late last week:
TOUGH SHIT
In a not terribly surprising new development, both of the two GOP front-runners for Bunning's seat, Trey Grayson and Rand Paul (son of Ron), have decided to support the retiring looney-tune Senator's decision to screw over the unemployed:
Other Republican candidates — Secretary of State Trey Grayson and Bowling Green eye surgeon Rand Paul — applauded Bunning's stance for demanding that programs be paid for.
A lesser known GOP candidate for Bunning's seat, Bill Johnson, doubles down on the teabagger talk in his support of Bunning:
Yes, I support his actions. Getting rid of the Department of Education would free up $45 billion per year. Getting rid of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would free up $10.5 billion per year. More than enough to pay for the benefits extension without further deficit spending. It is time to draw the line. Stand tall Senator Bunning.
Besides the fact that this chucklehead is actually proposing to get rid of the Department of Education and the EPA, we also now learn that Bill Johnson is unemployed. Whiskey.Tango.Foxtrot?
Fortunately, the DSCC is stepping in ensure that the people of KY will now know exactly where the GOP candidates stand on Bunning's block of unemployment benefit extensions:
"Trey Grayson and Rand Paul are running to replace Jim Bunning in the Senate, but judging by their unwavering support of his block on extending unemployment benefits, they also share his out of touch approach of doing nothing to help hard-hit Kentuckians," said DSCC National Press Secretary Deirdre Murphy. "With thousands of Kentuckians and over one million Americans set to lose their unemployment benefits today because of Bunning's block, it's baffling that Trey Grayson and Rand Paul would endorse this policy and still be able to look hard-hit Kentuckians in the eyes."
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Grayson said he would "proudly" stand up with Bunning by blocking extending unemployment benefits and Paul said he also strongly supports killing unemployment benefits for out of work Americans.
Heh. In thirteen lines they managed to get across the fact that Grayson and Paul support Bunning's stance. More of this please DSCC. Oh, and DNC, where are you?
I don't know about the rest of you but it would be most interesting to know whether other GOP Senatorial candidates across the country support or denounce Bunning's "waterloo". Phone calls and emails are encouraged ;-)
Cheers and Happy Monday everyone.