Bunning: My Obstruction Of Unemployment Extension Made Me Miss My Basketball Game

[meegbear]

Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) is widely understood to be one of the upper chamber's crankiest members. But his latest episode could keep thousands of out of work Americans from receiving unemployment insurance and COBRA benefits. And it comes at a time when joblessness is through the roof.

Here's what's happening. Ninety-nine of the Senate's 100 members have agreed that people whose benefits are set to run out should be allowed to continue receiving them past the February 28 deadline. One senator--Bunning--disagrees. He says the benefits should only be extended if they're paid for with stimulus dollars. Democrats disagree.

If he were to relent, the extensions would be granted automatically. But, per the Senate rules, any single member can throw a wrench into an otherwise universal agreement.

Bunning's concerns lay elsewhere: "I have missed the Kentucky-South Carolina game that started at 9:00 and it's the only redeeming chance we had to beat South Carolina since they're the only team that has beat Kentucky this year," he said on the Senate floor.

At one point in the discussion, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), asked Bunning to drop his objection. Bunning, according to Politico, had a two word answer for his colleague: "Tough shit."

Under normal circumstances Bunning's obstruction would be a minor headache. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid could force a vote to end the debate and the extensions would pass within a couple days. But February 28 is fast approaching, and most Senators are already back in their home states, meaning the benefits will likely not be renewed until the middle of next week.

Bunning's objections led to a series of unusually angry exchanges on the Senate floor late into the evening last night--and Senate Democrats have been blasting Bunning for depriving his own constituents of needed assistance. But so far, to no avail.

Republicans, for their part, may not have given Bunning their blessing. But they're not doing anything to stop him, and instead are blaming Democrats for not scheduling a vote earlier.


http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/bunning-my-obstruction-of-unemployment-extension-made-me-miss-my-basketball-game.php

[gratuitous]

1. To: Mr. Bunning From: One of Sen. Merkley's Constituents

Fuck you.

[HopeHoops]

2. The poor fuckhead.

:nopity: :puke:

[zbdent]

3. Imagine the outcry if a Dem had said that the Repugs holding up votes

until the wee hours of the morning (under Bush) caused the Dem to have missed his/her kid's graduation ...

[zbdent]

4. To quote some obscure Senator from Kentucky ...

"Tough shit!"

[ProgressiveEconomist]

5. He's up for re-election in the fall, according to the Senate website at

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

But "social issues" Republician nitwits in Kentucky must LOVE him, and risk him no danger whatever of losing HIS job.

Here's his office contact info, for those who won't click through the above link:

Bunning, Jim - (R - KY) Class III
316 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

[phone]

http://bunning.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Co...

[ashling]

7. I thought he wasn't going to run again

except to take the money and run.

[nonconformist]

9. He's not running again.

[Cali_Democrat]

6. How can one person hold something like this up?

Perhaps this is more of a reflection of how fucked up the Senate is.

[Heywood J]

8. Indeed.

Congress, and the Senate in particular, operates on rules that only make sense if every single person there is honorable and pure of motive. Let me know when that's ever happened...

Congressional rules as a whole need to be re-examined after this particular Congress is over. It needs to be run less like a "gentleman's club".