THE PLANK JULY 27, 2009
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Politico is reporting today that U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) is, by popular bipartisan demand, withdrawing his re-election candidacy, with a characteristic blast against the back-stabbers in his party who allegedly "undermined" his puny fundraising efforts.
Bunning nearly lost his first re-election in 2004 (to Daniel Mongiardo, subsequently elected Lt. Governor of Kentucky, and now a candidate for Bunning's open seat) despite a Republican presidential landslide in the state. He hasn't done a lot to improve his popularity at home or in the Senate since then. A substantial field of Republicans has lined up to succeed him, or, had he insisted on staying in the race, to beat him like a gong.
But what's interesting is the sense of entitlement that Bunning appeared to possess, at the age of 77, about a third Senate term. To hear Bunning, the only obstacle to his desire to drift into his ninth decade on earth as a Senator was his reluctance to be concerned about attendance at "DC cocktail parties."
The oldest of Republican Senators has, of course, long had his problems with rumors of something less than laser-like mental agility, dating back to his 2004 attacks on Mongiardo as "limp-wristed" and looking "like a son of Saddam Hussein," and then this interesting disclosure on the campaign trail:
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 six weeks. I watch Fox News to get my information.
Bunning is the most senior member of what might be called (with props to Rick Perlstein) the Orthogonian Club, the band of pseudo-populist Republican politicians spawned by Richard Nixon who treat every setback as the product of a conspiracy of elitists. Sarah Palin is the most prominent junior member, and it's fitting that Bunning's trip to the showers followed so closely her unforced resignation as Governor of Alaska, accompanied by a similar claim of victimization.
Though I doubt we'll hear much more about Bunning, once the baseball clich
5 comments
The difference between Palin and Bunning though, is I will always have some affection for Bunning being a child when he was a pitcher for the Phillies, it is weird to think of him as being so old since it seems like such a short time ago I sat in my backyard listening to the phils on the radio.
- blackton
July 27, 2009 at 7:49pm
The Republicans realized that Bunning was their weakest possible candidate in Kentucky and made it impossible for him to fund raise. And it served Bunning right, he was possibly the dimmest bulb in the senate
Now, with the disclosure that Dodd knew he was getting a VIP mortgage from Countrywide, essentially a bribe from what may have been the most destructive company in our decade, can the DSCC please pull the plug on him?
- WillPastor
July 27, 2009 at 11:45pm
This brings up a question for me: how many former athletes have gone on to have useful, effective political or judicial careers in the last thirty years? There are several examples from earlier, I know, but I'm wondering about the quality of the crop of Bunnings, Wattses, Largents, etc. I guess Bill Bradley would count in this time frame too. Who among this bunch has actually been an effective legislator, judge, governor, etc.? Yes, I realize this will require some term definition.
- cspencef
July 28, 2009 at 10:05am
"This brings up a question for me: how many former athletes have gone on to have useful, effective political or judicial careers in the last thirty years?"
Bill Bradley, Alan Page in Minnesota...there aren't many. I guess we can be generous and say that it's too early to tell about Heath Shuler.
- FWright
July 28, 2009 at 11:53am
Bob Mathias was a Congressman from CA for awhile. This will not be a long list. Tom Osborne - coach, not athlete. Um, OK, I'm done.
- butchie b
July 28, 2009 at 4:10pm