Bunning: No Excuse

Hope they run that on the evening news.

Good for you Jim!
Pay-Go apparently is just lip service for Democrats.
And Karen, knock off the Kool Aid! It’s makin’ you crazy!

Well, if he’s really serious about paying for it they can repeal the Bush tax cuts immediately. They could also cut expense allowances for Senators.

Bunning may be acting like an ass, but following him around Michael Moore style to the point of harassment really doesn’t make you a hero.

Amazing how th eleft develops amnesia over PAYGO. They could solve this immediately.

How many times are liberals going to spend the Bush tax cuts? HC reform, porkulus, Ad infinitum funding of Fannie & Freddie on and on and on

KT, methinks that fairness dictate that you at least state why he’s doing it.

Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) is already infamous for blocking a temporary extension of unemployment and COBRA benefits for out of work Americans. But included in that package is legislation to prevent a mandatory pay cut for doctors–and by standing in it’s way, he’s triggered a 21 percent fee reduction to doctors seeing Medicare patients starting today.

Republicans overwhelmingly support a temporary measure to avoid the cuts, but the Senate has failed to act on a House bill that staves them off because of Bunning’s objections.
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http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/bunning-blockade-leads-to-21-percent-pay-cut-to-doctors.php?ref=fpa
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Oh well.

“Amazing how th eleft develops amnesia over PAYGO. They could solve this immediately.”
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What color is the sky in your world?

The Senate took a vote on extending the federal debt ceiling — without which the United States would go into default. All 40 Republicans voted no.
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The Senate took a vote on requiring Congress not to pass legislation that it can’t pay for. All 40 Republicans voted no.
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The Senate took a final vote on passing the overall plan. Thirty-nine Republicans voted no. The 40th, Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), skipped the vote.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012803729.html

Just a few years ago, a handful of Senate Republicans — Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, George Voinovich, and John McCain — argued that paygo should be brought back. They were unsuccessful in persuading their Republican colleagues at the time, and yesterday, they voted with their Republican colleagues to reject the idea that they’d already embraced.
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http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_01/022152.php

How much of the Porkulus is left unspent? Enough to cover the unemployment bill?

I wonder if the reporters will follow Charlie Rangel around asking if he will resign?

Why and ruin an opportunity to again paint a Repub as a heartless bastard instead of Demos who keep filling up the swamp with their own sewage

Wish he stuck to his principles regarding his 18 million earmark requests..

http://www.legistorm.com/earmarks/details/member/13/Sen_Jim_Bunning/sort/amount/type/desc/year/all/page/3.html

…fairness dictate that you at least state why he’s doing it.
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I’d rather hear Bunning explain it himself, when he chooses to stop running away from reporters who are asking him why he’s doing it.

If at this point reporters don’t know the reason they are too stupid to be reporters– and that is a low bar.

I give you the conservative 11th Commandment in all of its untarnished glory…

From a Time article about Bunning in 2009.

The notoriously irascible and unpredictable Bunning finally bowed to the one immutable reality of Kentucky politics: Republicans can’t win without the support of Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader who has long since surpassed Ford as the state’s preeminent politician. For months, McConnell quietly raised doubts about Bunning’s intention to seek a third term, doubts that proved to be more than enough to dry up his contributions.

And another run for Bunning would seriously risk just that. During Bunning’s last campaign, he endured repeated questions about his age and mental stability. Always prone to outlandish statements, Bunning made news when he said his opponent Daniel Mongiardo, then a state senator and now a lieutenant governor who is expected to run for the seat in 2010, looked like “one of Saddam Hussein’s sons.” (In 2006, TIME named Bunning one of America’s worst Senators.)

More recently, Bunning practically predicted the imminent death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg after she was given a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, though he subsequently apologized.

Whoever the opponents are next year, McConnell’s maneuvering has erased any doubt who is in control of almost all things Republican in the Bluegrass State. But there remains a wild card: McConnell is certainly not in control of Jim Bunning. And by forsaking a third term, Bunning gains something else: he’s now officially a man with nothing to lose, which to McConnell must be a scary thought.

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1913266,00.html

CNN reached out to Bunning’s office for comment. A spokesman for the senator said “I don’t have any comment,” when asked about the obscene gesture.

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They know why. Because he’s another lying, hipocritical, self-important, barely-sane (giving the benefit of the doubt) Republican @sshole. They just can’t say so.

This explains Senator Bunning:
When asked about soldiers protesting insufficient armor on vehicles:
“Let me explain something. I don’t watch the national news and I don’t read the paper. I haven’t done that for the last 6 weeks. I watch Fox News to get my information.”
Enough said?
This is also the man who used a teleprompter in his 2004 reelection debate and wouldn’t appear face to face with his opponent.
Reality is not a world he lives in.

Doesn’t matter that Bunning is retiring after this year. The White House and Democrats must make this ridiculous behavior a centerpiece of the upcoming campaign. This is 2010′s version of Mark Foley. Dems need to make sure this sticks to the GOP like glue.

http://www.political-buzz.com/

Spob:

This was like 6 steps to Kevin Bacon except it was 6 steps to lose all rational argument and go back to name calling.

This tactic repeats more often than the burritos at Taco Bell

“This is also the man who used a teleprompter in his 2004 reelection debate”

Hmm and what does it mean that Obama can’t even speak to a class a grade school students without a teleprompter?

It will be a great ad. Bunning holding the Demos accountable for PAYGO or maybe having Repubs say they couldn’t pay fo rthe bill because Chairman of the Ways and Means Cmt. didn’t pay hos taxes, doesn’t understand the bills he oversees and then blamed the staff, his dog and phases of the moon.

Go for it!

Man, you can tell how bad of a light the Repubs are showing themselves in by how revved up freeper and spob get casting insults and trying to provide a distraction.

Or maybe the Democrats who passed PAYGO understand that it specifically doesn’t apply to benefits measures — like the unemployment benefits in question here.
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President Barack Obama has signed legislation lifting the cap on government borrowing to $14.3 trillion.
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The new law also puts in place new budget rules to curb growing annual deficits. Known as “paygo” — for “pay as you go” — the rules require future spending increases or tax cuts to be paid for with tax increases or other spending cuts.
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If the rules are broken, the White House budget office would force automatic cuts in programs like Medicare and farm subsidies. Most other benefit programs, including Medicaid, Social Security and food stamps, would be exempt.

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http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9821095
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I love that conservatives who refused to support PAYGO — and who spent years running up the deficit with unfunded entitlement programs like Medicare D — now have the audacity to complain about the Democrats sticking to the rules Democrats established.

They can speak no ill of Their Tribe. Anything a member of Their Tribe does is good, and anything a member of The Other Tribe does is bad.

Gosh, if only we’d all seen Obama handle McCain in his debates without a teleprompter, or seen him destroy the House GOP in a 90 minute Q&A without a teleprompter, or seen him lead a seven-and-a-half hour summit on health care without a teleprompter, or run endless town hall meetings without a teleprompter, it might be clear that you’re an utter moron.
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If only.

You guys are priceless. Insults? The left here deals in nothing but them. Defend their Tribe? Has anyone of you addressed the simple end to this? PAY FOR IT! No you go back to his re-election campaign of years ago and year old articles.

How about dealing with reality- yeah sorry I know liberals can’t deal with that. Ok stick to calling us names (and I’ll count the days until November)

Kevin:

Sleep well in your delusions! November is coming.Reserve your U-Haul now

Right. I’m delusional. Go take your meds.

Kevin:

Good to see you are right to back to name calling.

It is hard to defend Demos that are liars, morally bankrupt and just lacking in any integrity to stand by what they preach.

Tick tock!

Has any one of you addressed the simple end to this?
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Ivy_B did. Bunning doesn’t want to do what’s necessary to pay for it, and neither does the rest of the GOP.
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I’ll count the days until November.
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Impossible. You don’t have enough fingers and toes.

My Gramps used to get like that when he was a little irregular.

Yes Ivy never answered how many times the Demos are going to spend the Bush tax cuts. Nor did anyone respond to how much of the unspent [porkulus bill is left they could use. Yeah I know its still more fun to rail against a Repub than face reality

PS I won’t need to count. The noise from crying and stamping of feet plus the run on psychosis meds will be the dead giveaway. (And you won’t have HC )

And did a temper tantrum by you fix it?

Just because Rangel is compromised does not give Bunning an excuse.

An excuse to do what? Hold the Demos to their own rules?

I haven’t seen half th elather here over Rangel being “compromised” which is French for being a corrupt pol as for Bunning holding Demos to account that they clearly won’t do themselves.

Keep rationalizing away if it makes you fell better.

Swampland has been a great teaching experience for me on how our government really works. Now I need to know how one senator can do this. If they had voted to cut off debate on Friday would not the time be up now so they can vote? Not enough votes to end this one man filibuster?

Just heard on NPR that the Republican leaders who don’t support Bunning in this say they will pass it later this week.
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Of course the money gone from losing several days work doesn’t matter because it’s so little. NJ Governor Christie said today that cutting unemployment benefits in NJ by $50 didn’t matter at all since it is such a small amount.

Oh dear, it looks like the Senator has a rather bad case of “I’m more important than you!” It’s a rather common aliment and infects large numbers of people of all strata of society, but is particularly common amongst the higher levels of corporations and government leaders. Politicians are known to be very vulnerable to infection. It can show itself in many ways. Bonus payments to the top elite of a company while others continue with pay cuts. Or bonuses from tax payer bailout money, because, well, we’ve always done it this way. Or, in this case, refusal to answer a simple question of why he opposes a certain piece of legislation. A quick answer would have served him and his cause better. But what does he care? He knows he’s more important than anyone else!

Thank you Ivy, I think that he should not be the only one to be taking heat from the media in this.
I wish there was a way for them to lose some pay.

freeinpa: you tell Kevin to sleep well in his delusions, and he tells you to go take your meds, and you jump up and down about his “name-calling” while turning immediately around and labeling unspecified Democrats as liars, morally bankrupt, and lacking in any integrity (end quote). And you wonder why some commenters here poke their fingers in your eyes.
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Go ahead and respond by sneering about November and throwing out some lame insult. For every relevant point you bring up, like the one about Rangel upthread, you post ten “nyah-nyahs” and help turn this place into a Dantean middle school.

Freep, it wasn’t a speech…it was DURING A DEBATE, where you’re supposed to have a reasonable command of the facts and speak extemporaneously without the NEED FOR A TELEPROMPTER. Is your recalcitrant soul so thick that you can’t grasp that teensy point??

It ain’t HIS $50.

Good to see you are right to back to name calling.
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Freeinpa, you called a poster named Abdullah a “raghead” a few weeks back. You can take your sanctimony about name-calling and stick it up your racist @ss.

EXCUSE ME!

Allrighty then. For all so pleased that he is concerned about PAYGO…

#Bunning says Senate must abide by the PAYGO rules he didn’t vote for

Did you get that? Unemployed Americans can’t get their assistance, COBRA subscribers can’t get their coverage, highway workers lose their jobs and paychecks, and doctors get screwed on Medicare all because Bunning won’t allow an emergency waiver [of the rule] requiring that new spending be paid for… even though he voted against the very provision requiring that back in January.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/1/841894/-Bunning-THIS-CLOSE-to-throwing-cats

A) His elevator doesn’t go to the top.
B) Perhaps a beanball too many when he was pitching?

Oh that bad, bad Bunning!
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Too bad the Democrats will ultimately pay a price for his obstinacy unless they comprehensively address (not have Harry Reid issue a “strongly worded letter”) the problem, as Chris Bowers demonstrates with this handy-dandy flowchart here: link to “Electoral Flowchart during National Crisis”

‘…cutting unemployment benefits in NJ by $50 didn’t matter at all since it is such a small amount’
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Sure. Christie probably spends that much on just the dinner tip (assuming that he tips at all, of course). No person that matters is going to be concerned about a mere 50 bucks.
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Will gopers ever learn to stop making ‘let them eat cake’ statements? Will they ever learn to be ashamed of them?

It’s not just that Bunning didn’t vote for it, as hypocritical as that is.
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More important it’s that the PAYGO legislation as passed specifically exempts unemployment benefits from what’s bound by it:
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SEC. 11. EXEMPT PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES.

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‘(g) Other Programs and Activities-
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‘(1)(A) The following budget accounts and activities shall be exempt from reduction under any order issued under this part: ….
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‘Advances to the Unemployment Trust Fund and Other Funds (16-0327-0-1-600).

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http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h2920/text

kevin,
That’s why I persist in reading the blogs here. Occasionally someone like you comes up with good information like this that I’ve never seen before. Thanks.

Stuart, the fact that the WH seems to be going all in for all incumbents – supporting Blanche Lincoln today – I have no doubt the Democrats will pay a price, Bunning or no.
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I agree with Paul Krugman and Warren Buffet today that HCR is different from the financial regulations and that we should pass this bill now. I know you don’t approve of this bill, but it seems to me that if the Dems don’t pass this they can really lie back and be a permanent minority.

I always find it amusing that the trolls think that republicans telling constituents, “hey, I stood up for your principals by making sure you couldn’t feed your kids this week!!” is going to be a winning argument this fall.

People always reflexively say they’re against government spending, until someone takes away THEIR government check.

They did, Ivy. But tried to make it appear as just some procedural hurdle that the Dems are hurrying around trying to fix.
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It is NOT being portrayed that Bunning is just a senile, obstructing jacka$$.

That would be the “Rahm” strategy… vote for Dems because … well, it’s that “D” beside the name.
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What more do we need to know?

supporting Blanche Lincoln today
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I know, Ivy, I know.
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Unbelievable.

He was a General. You didn’t backtalk the General. He’d a had you for lunch.

Or maybe the Democrats who passed PAYGO understand that it specifically doesn’t apply to benefits measures — like the unemployment benefits in question here.

Oh snap! Facts!

Amazing how th eleft develops amnesia over PAYGO. They could solve this immediately.
How many times are liberals going to spend the Bush tax cuts? HC reform, porkulus, Ad infinitum funding of Fannie & Freddie on and on and on.

Try again, but this time make a coherent statement and/or argument.