The Waning Days of Senator Jim Bunning

The news that Senator Jim Bunning (R-Ky) will be retiring after this term has put a serious dent in the frequency of our Crazy Jimmy B related postings here at MM. The truth is, there hasn't really been much to report on: he's been flying pretty much under the radar, laying low since the retirement announcement this summer. Very low. Like, he has apparently stopped showing up altogether. Remember the Christmas Eve vote on health care reform? Yeah, well, Jimmy was the only member of the U.S. Senate to flake out--everybody else seemed to think this whole health care thing is, like, a big deal or something, so they showed up for the vote. But not our Jimmy--his spokesman said it was because he had a "prior family commitment." Uh, huh. Apparently grandma Bunning's Christmas eggnog was more important than showing up to do his job. Or who knows, maybe he had a nap scheduled.

& speaking of naps: Joseph Gerth reported today on the state of relations between Jim-Bunning-replacement-hopeful Trey Grayson and the Republican Good Ol' Boy Dynamic Duo (McConnell/Bunning). Grayson's goofy response was priceless: "I've talked with them...they've been really busy with health care." Yeah, Trey: "really busy." Sure. Really busy not showing up to vote on it? Really busy falling asleep during Senate Finance Committee considerations?

Trey tried to make Bunning look like, well, something other than a total taxpayer-mocking dick. He started off by stating a fact: "He [Bunning] is on the finance committee." Yes, good. Keep going, Trey: "The Senate Finance Committee met from...was it October when they started?" (Nope--September) "...I know he fell asleep in one, but he was in those meetings and really engaged." Um ,"really engaged"? Dude, he was napping!

Can't wait til the Grayson for U.S. Senate teevee ads start airing.