Jim Bunning, a Republican from Kentucky, is single-handedly blocking Senate action needed to prevent an estimated 1.2 million American workers from prematurely losing their unemployment benefits next month. As Democratic senators asked again and again for unanimous consent for a vote on a 30-day extension Thursday night, Bunning refused to go along. And when Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) begged him to drop his objection, Politico reports, Bunning replied: “Tough shit.”
(DISCLAIMER: YES, THIS ONE IS PERSONAL….)
It’s not very often that Republicans so openly and unreservedly display their disdain for the American Sheeple. Most of them are at least savvy enough to couch their antipathy for those they allegedly represent in flowery language. Then again, few of them truly care as little as Jim Bunning, who could spell “compassion” if you spotted him the first letter and the vowels….
Bunning, a long-term Senator from a state currently “enjoying” a 10.7% unemployment rate, would seem to be uniquely positioned to champion the cause of those impacted by the recession. After all, his home state of Kentucky has been one of the hardest hit by our circling-the-drain economy, and it would seem to be in his best interest to support a program that would do a great deal of good for the folks back home. The good folks of the Commonwealth have continued to return him to Washington…albeit for reasons only they fully understand. Of course, unemployed coal miners aren’t the ones who have been funneling millions of dollars into Bunnings’s campaign coffers. No, that would be various corporate interests as well as numerous Right-wing interest groups who demand that Bunning toe the line when it comes to the deficit. (You can do that when you’ve purchased yourself a Senator.) That actual, honest-to-God, flesh-and-blood PEOPLE are suffering seems beside the point here. Bunning has decided to stand on principle while millions of Americans suffer the consequences- not that Bunning cares.
To make matters worse, Bunning seemed far more concerned about missing his beloved University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball team playing South Carolina:
I want to assure the people that have, heh, watched this thing until quarter of twelve — and I have missed the Kentucky-South Carolina game that started at 9 o’clock, 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 — all of these things that we have talked about and all the provisions that have been discussed, the unemployment benefits, all these things. If we’d have taken the longer version of the job bill…we wouldn’t have spent three hours plus telling everybody in the United States of America that Senator Bunning doesn’t give a damn about the people that are on unemployment.
Jim Bunning to America: F—K you!! Get a job, already….
If Bunning isn’t just about the worst example of humanity that the Republicans have to offer…well, then I don’t know who is. He admitted that he would be accused of this, but it’s true: Jim Bunning doesn’t give a damn about unemployed Americans. He’s got his six-figure salary and his gold-plated health care and his guaranteed retirement. Why should he give a rat’s ass about anyone but himself and his own knuckle-headed lunacy?
Fortunately, Bunning isn’t running for re-election. Unfortunately, he checked out a long time ago. What other conclusion can a reasonable person draw? Bunning has become the Republicans greatest embarrassment in the Senate- no mean feat when you’re competing with boneheads like Jon Kyl and Mitch McConnell. We can only hope that his future includes a reserved parking space in Hell.
WE DESERVE BETTER.
