Senator Bunning Poised To Retire

(The Politico)  This story was written by Josh Kraushaar and Manu Raju.

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Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning, the most endangered Republican up for reelection in 2010, appears headed for retirement after giving his leading GOP rival the blessing to prepare to run for his seat next year.

Bunning's retirement would be a huge victory for national Republicans who have grown increasingly nervous that the 77-year-old two-term senator would lose a critical race as the party tries to cling to its diminished minority in the Senate.

On Thursday afternoon, Kentucky GOP Secretary of State Trey Grayson announced that he would form an exploratory committee to run for Bunning's seat - a move that Kentucky GOP operatives say is a precursor to Bunning's retirement. Grayson's entry will come as a relief to Kentucky Republicans and Senate GOP leaders, who may now have reason to believe their party could hold on to this seat.

"He told Trey to do this," one senior congressional official said of Bunning. "Why else would he tell his main rival to prepare for a run?"

Added one senior Senate GOP aide: "For the first time, we now know who the Republican nominee will be next November and that's Trey Grayson. He's by far the best-positioned Republican to be competitive and hopefully win in the fall. It's not even close."

Asked to comment outside the Senate chamber Thursday, Bunning said: "I won't talk to you." 

Even without Bunning in the field, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee still plans on targeting the race.

"We feel that Democrats can pick up Kentucky's senate seat whether Sen. Bunning or Senator McConnell's handpicked candidate Trey Grayson is running," said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Eric Schultz.

In a statement, Grayson said he doesn't plan on running against Bunning and is merely making preparations to run in case Bunning does not run for a third term.

"I have formed an exploratory committee to allow me to formally raise and spend funds as I seek support for a bid for U.S. Senate," Grayson said in a statement.

"I have no plans to run against Sen. Bunning. This exploratory committee will allow me to travel the commonwealth, meet with potential supporters and lay the foundation for a campaign." 

One Kentucky Republican operative said that the seeds of Bunning's decision were planted at a public event back in Kentucky that both Grayson and Bunning attended several weeks ago. Bunning sensed that Grayson was getting anxious waiting for him to decide whether to run for re-election, so he told Grayson that he should just form an exploratory committee. 

Grayson then met with GOP operatives to discuss the logistics behind forming an exploratory committee. Earlier this week, Grayson requested a face-to-face meeting with Bunning in Washington to announce he was taking his advice to run -- and made sure to qualify his statement by saying he wasn't going to challenge Bunning in the race.

Grayson has tapped Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's pollster Jan von Lohuizen to handle polling for his exploratory committee - a sign that McConnell has given the green light for Grayson to run.

"Trey did this with Bunning's blessing," said van Lohuizen.

Earlier this week, Grayson flew to Washington to meet with Bunning and tell him of his plans to form the exploratory committee, according to a Kentucky-based GOP operative. The operative said it's a clear sign that Bunning does not plan to run for another term.

"Jim Bunning is the one who initiated the conversations with Trey to take this step. This wasn't Trey lashing out. This is Jim Bunning reaching out to Trey and offering this idea," said the GOP operative.

Bunning's spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment, but GOP sources expect Bunning - whose lackluster fundraising and erratic behavio has put his reelection bid in imperil - to eventually make his announcement official.

"He's either acting in a really odd manner or graciously setting the table for preparing for the strongest candidate to be viable and ready to run as soon as he officially retires," said a senior GOP aide. "Why would someone anoint the strongest statewide Republican to form a committee to run against him?"

With Bunning in the race, Democrats viewed the Kentucky Senate seat as one of their leading pickup opportunities, given the two-term senator's tenuous political standing. Two statewide Democratic officials - Attorney General Jack Conway and Daniel Mongiardo - entered the race in the last several months, and led Bunning in many public polls.

A Public Policy Polling survey conducted earlier this month showed Bunning with just a 28 percent approval rating - exceptionally weak for an incumbent who hasn't been tainted by scandal. The poll showed every prospective Democratic challenger defeating Bunning.

Given his tenuous political standing, Bunning had struggled to raise money for another term. Despite the prospect of a tough reelection in 2010, Bunning reported raising just $263,000 in the first quarter - well behind the pace set by Mongiardo. GOP sources told POLITICO in January that leading Republican fundraisers in Kentucky were hesitant to raise money for the second-term senator.

But now that Grayson appears to be Bunning's heir apparent, Republicans are more confident of holding a seat in a solidly Republican state that John McCain carried with 58 percent of the vote last year.

By Josh Kraushaar and Manu Raju

[bwizer1]

Klunder's comments to enjoylife are more than apt when one considers the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Come let us reason together..." The days of spiteful irrationality based on religious dogma are done. As a hard-left Dem m'self (and Rev besides) the alleged monopoly on matters of faith by either the GOP or the Religious Right is equally ended. Indeed with the advent of the Jackie A, Valerie P, WMD, and torture scandals, this same company has lost its moral credibility for some while. And though the times they are a changin', we are wisely reminded that Dems could just as easily succumb to corruption and misguided efforts to promote our agenda. Such is the nature of us humans, I'm afraid. And the tide could just as easily turn as a result. But as-to Bunning's race, it does appear the GOP may be learning after-all. Indeed, an article on NPR this morning discussed the passing of (Senator and former HUD director, and veep candidate) Jack Kemp over the weekend, and in the process discussed the kind of "bleeding heart conservative" Kempt referred to himself being, and that the Grand Old Party needs more like him, and fewer like Limbaugh, Hannity, et al neo-con hate-baiters. Indeed, one panel member's comments about Kempt included his remarkably optimistic brand of conservatism (not unlike Reagan's) who helped to make the tent wider; not smaller. Thus, Klunder's (absolutely dead-on) advice to enjoylife to do-so is all the more poignant.

[kansas1946]

One thing the Democratic party won't stand for and that's honesty, ethics, and morals. If you believe in God, you're really in trouble with the Democratic party.
Posted by enjoylife63 at 11:25 AM : May 1, 2009
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LMAO!!!! This definately qualifies as the funniest post of the day.

[stn_sage]

Excellent! Congratulations to him on his decision! It takes a BIG man to admit the truth that
he can be more useful elsewhere!

Look at how many representatives and senators won't admit this! Then, the voters have to kick them out of office---usually in disgrace!

It's better for him, it's better for the Senate, and it's better for us! All's well that ends well!

[klunder3]

"Enjoylife63" appears to have forgotten how to do so -- much less honestly look (and even take responsibility for?) the pathetic state of the Republican Party. Naahh, that would take too much integrity . . . Poor Mr. Bunning, in a long-time solid Republican state, now (with the help -- or cowardice, you be the judge -- of this malcontent who can respond to news he doesn't like only by stooping to a 10-year old's name-calling tactics) can't quite muster enough support from radical Christian right-wingnuts, " conservative" hypocrits, and other sore losers. By the way, Red states have a far higher per capita percentage of welfare recipients, teenage moms, births out of wedlock, domestic violence, and overt racism than moderate or blue states. (That's not an opinion, that's hard cold facts, look it up if you have any doubt.) But that unfortunate situation is NOT because the people stuck in those categories are "conservative" in any intelligent or honest sense -- any more than he who pretends to "enjoylife" -- it's only because those personal and social afflictions hamper low income people more than folks who are better off and who make up the electoral majorities of all the states the Repubs can no longer compete in.

"If you believe in God," and then falsely usurp religious sentiment to bolster your frustrated and ignorant quasi-political knee-jerk responses (as did our poster who can't quite do what his tag advises) then you're really lined up with the empty portion of what used to be a respectable Republican Party -- one that is quickly perfecting the art of self-cannibalization. Saddest of all, "enjoylife" and his ilk have no one to blame but their own backward-looking, intolerant selves. Whether name-callers like him like it or not, the fact is the vast majority of the Democratic Party, like this country generally, believes in God.