McConnell said ‘I couldn’t win,’ Bunning says
[podcast]http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/files/2009/05/bunningcutone.mp3[/podcast]
U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Southgate
By Halimah Abdullah – habdullah@mcclatchydc.com
WASHINGTON — Calling his Kentucky colleague a “control freak,” Sen. Jim Bunning acknowledged Tuesday that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told him in December that “I was too old and I couldn’t win” a re-election battle in 2010.
Bunning, 77, then told reporters on a weekly conference call that he doesn’t need McConnell’s endorsement to win the Republican primary next year, given that the GOP lost several seats in the Senate during McConnell’s tenure as minority leader.
“If Mitch McConnell doesn’t endorse me that may be the best thing that could happen to me in Kentucky,” he said.
As he has in the past, McConnell skirted questions during a TV interview Sunday on whether he’ll endorse Bunning, who is widely considered the most vulnerable incumbent seeking re-election to the Senate in 2010.
“It’s just not clear exactly who the players are going to be in Kentucky,” McConnell told “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace.
Bunning, R-Southgate, said Tuesday that it would be kind to call his relationship with McConnell strained.
“I said no to him and he doesn’t like people who say no to him,” Bunning said.
For months, the Hall of Fame pitcher has publicly sparred with party leaders, including McConnell and National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman John Cornyn of Texas, over his re-election bid.
Until now, the issue of age was largely absent from the increasingly tense and public back and forth between Kentucky’s senators.
Bunning said he considered McConnell’s suggestion that he is too old to run for re-election unfair, since the senate minority leader supported Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter’s 2010 re-election bid. Specter, 79, has since announced he is switching to the Democratic Party.
When asked by Herald-Leader government editor John Stamper Tuesday if he planned to release his medical records, Bunning declared himself healthy and said he considered the question “age discrimination.”
He then asked Stamper “how big are you?” Stamper told Bunning he didn’t want to arm wrestle.
Raising the specter of age in such a public forum usually doesn’t bode well for candidates — especially when that candidate has had a series of public gaffes, said Jennifer Duffy, a senior editor at the Cook Political Report.
South Carolina Republican Sen. Strom Thurmond, who served until he was 100, often faced questions about his age, as did Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., during the 2008 presidential election. Both men weathered the criticism.
“McCain went down this slippery slope and it took him a long time to figure out how to navigate it,” Duffy said.
Bunning’s “younger than Senator Strom Thurmond was, but Thurmond was so revered that he didn’t have to get out and campaign, he made very few appearances. Bunning is not in that position.”
Bunning should steer clear of making “any mistakes that make him look old,” Duffy said.
Several other Republicans are considering a run for Bunning’s seat, including Secretary of State Trey Grayson, 37; Rand Paul, 46, an ophthalmologist who lives in Bowling Green and is the son of former presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas; and Cathy Bailey, the former U.S. ambassador to Latvia.
Meanwhile, Bunning said he continues to raise funds for his re-election campaign and plans to attend the Fancy Farm Picnic, where candidates throw verbal barbs at their competitors in an old-fashioned political speaking event, this August.
UPDATE: Here’s a recording of the full news conference, courtesy of the Courier-Journal.
Filed Under: Elections • Federal Government • Jim Bunning • Mitch McConnell • Republican Party • Trey Grayson • US Senate Race
About the Author: John Stamper is the accountability editor for the Lexington Herald-Leader. A native of Monticello, Ky., he has been with the Herald-Leader in a variety of roles since graduating from Western Kentucky University in 2000. Reach him at jstamper@herald-leader.com
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And the best thing that could happen for the citizens of Kentucky would be for Bunning to resign early or flat out loose his socks in a bid for reelection. When is he going to wake up and realize that the people of Kentucky no longer have faith in his abilities to represent us with dignity, honor, and a little common sense? Thank goodness Mitch (of whom I am not an avid supporter either) finally stood up to Bunning and told him how it is. I seriously doubt however that McConnell would use such poor tact as to outright say Bunning is too old. To senile maybe, but not to old!
This is getting awful … for the GOP in Kentucky. Someone needs to say: Enough already. OK, I’ll say it: Enough already. This is starting to resemble the Hatfields and the McCoys, without the shooting! OsiSpeaks.com
Someone should remind Senator Bunning that without a McConnell endorsement the last time he ran we would be referring to a Senator Mongiardo running for re-election.
Mitch is a self-serving greedy jerk and Bunning is a senile old man. Essentially KY has very little support from either of these politicians. Bunning should retire with the little bit of dignity he still has.
Got to give the old man credit… he’s right about McConnell.
I am gonna go ahead and agree with Mitch on this one…you are too old Jim and I doubt you will fair well without a GOP endorsement
Mr. Bunning do you not understand that when you say stupid things i.e. Ginsburg dies at the end of this year; it makes Kentucky and its citizens look stupid. We just can’t afford that anymore. You need to step aside for younger, more responsible people. That goes for you too Mitch. Mitch do NOT run for re-election. You’re too old and worn for what this state needs. One: We do not need professional politicans, we need Public Servants. This can be ascribed to both parties. Kentucky wake up and realize these guys and some gals (Northrup) are just self-serving jerks who could care less about the people they serve versus the perks they expect in Washington D.C. Time for all of them to go – both parties. Time for a third party – the T.E.A. (taxed enough already) party.
So, if Bunning has or is LOOSIN IT. Whom then shall Kentucky elect?
Where is the viable GOP candidate?
Tthe race between Conway and Mongiardo will do nothing but split the Democrat Party more.
I really like Jim Bunning but I wish he would stand aside and let someone else run. Jim is not the cranky old man as he is being portrayed. He is a nice gentleman and has served admirably. However, for the good of the republican party and himself, he should step aside. C’mon Jim, forget about McConnell and do the right thing.
Personaly, I could not support either of these men. Too politial . . . Too shallow.
When is the GOP going to offer a viable candidate? I guess the GOP is asking members the same questions.
Unless something changes, this will be a Democratic blistering.
As an avid democrat, I say let Jim run. This is a democracy still even though the GOP doesn’t want it to be. I say run Jim run. And hopefully the more you run the further behind you get from the Democrats.
I agree with James. Run Jim Run!! I think he will be very easy to beat, Heck, I may even send him a small contribution. I wonder if he can spell delusional?
Senator Bunning could well be right. There are those of us who are very unhappy with the imperious approach of Sen McConnell, and would prefer almost anyone. However, I don’t think either one hac done a great job for Kentucky, or the nation. Mitch seems more intent on being as divisive and obstructionist as possible, for the “glory of the party,” not for the good of the people.
Both parties have had worse candidates to represent them, and will probably do so again. Surely, there must be a Kentucky Republican around with the integrity and statesmanship that we once saw in John Sherman Cooper, or Louie Nunn. We could use another Alben Barkley, Wendell Ford, or Happy Chandler too.
Resign, let the Dems have the seat and appointment. Then see how fast there is a Ditch Mitch Movement
Stop asking about age! Makes Bunning ANGRY! Ask about baseball.
Derrr…is it time to play baseball? I love baseball.
Both Bunning and McConnell turned on Ernie Fletcher when the Democrats started attacking him. Both, especially McConnell, had the ability to bring Greg Stumbo to his knees and halt the investigation but they didn’t. McConnell pushed Northup into the race and Bunning publicly endorsed her over Fletcher.
Now Bunning is getting a taste of his own medicine. I’m a diehard conservative and an Ernie Fletcher loyalist and I am disgusted with both our US senators and could not support any and I mean ANY of the mentioned candidates for the GOP nomination. Say no to Bunning, say no to Grayson and say no to Paul.
McConnell has proved himself for a long time. Without his endorsement Bunning has not chance,So other than the right to run, Why run?
McConnel is the best. Without his endorsement Bunning has no need to run, except his right as a citizen.
How can McConnell be the best? He is no better than McCain, their voting records prove how liberal they are and worse, they are both closet demorats! They have both voted for every freaking bailout and porkulus package presented since Sept. 08. If any body needs to go it is McConnell and Chandler. These two wackos are responsible for America circling the drain always voting and agreeing with the liberal agenda. We don’t need anymore socialist liberals in Washington. Bunning will do fine. HIS RECORD IS WHAT COUNTS, not his age or personality. Bunning is against ABORTION AND IRRESPONSIBILE SPENDING OF OUR TAXES can’t say that about McConnell and Chandler, they want to tax, spend and kill. This is the problem with most Kentuckians they vote the party instead of the person. What ignorance! This is why America is in the crapper now, because voters do not take the time to research the candidate. BUNNING HAS VOTED AGAINST ALL THE BAILOUTS AND SURPRISE PACKAGES SINCE SEPT. ’08. You can check out every Congressman’s voting record by going to the National Taxpayers Union. Yep, we need to DITCH MITCH AND SAY BYE BYE TO BEN – THE SOONER THE BETTER FOR AMERICA AND KENTUCKY!!
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