Bunning Relents – Our Long National Nightmare Is Over
Jim Bunning found a flicker of compassion inside of his cold, dead heart:
Under increasing pressure from Democrats and members of his own party, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) Tuesday night abandoned his one-man filibuster of a one-month extension to unemployment benefits and other programs.
In the end Bunning agreed to a deal allowing him one vote on an amendment to pay for the bill’s $10 billion cost. That proposal was offered by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) last Thursday at the start of his filibuster, but Bunning rejected it because he feared his amendment would not pass.
Harry Reid allowed Bunning to offer an amendment to pay for the extension with stimulus funds. This is the deal that he was offered last week. So, Bunning gained nothing except notoriety. Now Bunning has put a blanket hold on all of Obama’s nominees, so he’s pretty much still a douchenozzle.
The unemployment benefits extension passed the Senate 78-19.
Tags: Filibustert, Jim Bunning, Unemployment
The problem is the fact that we could have a ONE MAN filabuster in the first place. Just sayin’.
Isn’t ‘filibuster’ being used incorrectly here? there were 78 votes in favor… I think Bunning’s obstruction was a ‘hold’ which is a different bankrupt Senate rule.
Technically, you’re right anon. What Bunning was doing was actually was refusing to allow unanimous consent to allow the bill to come to the floor.
For purposes of explaining to the public about the abuse of the Senate by Republicans and the party of no, I think “one man filibuster” is a great term.
Bunning didn’t relent. He got just what he asked for. A simple vote to offset the spending required under the rules. It was Reid and the arrogant left that held everything up by not following the rules they established.
It was Reid and the arrogant left that held everything up by not following the rules they established.
Unemployment is part of emergency spending, which was never covered by PAYGO.
So what rule are you talking about, or are you just lying for the sake of lying?
Be careful – if you think unemployment extensions should be covered under PAYGO, you are arguing that UI extensions are non-emergency spending that should be part of the fabric of our economy.
Wrong again David. Bunning took the same deal that he was offered at the beginning – a vote on his amendment, which failed. Bunning absolutely felt the heat and was extremely unpopular. Why do you think Republicans were backing away from him?
The average Washington Republican likes to spend, just a little less than Washington Democrats. That is why. Bunning is becoming a folk hero around the country. You all are misreading this big time.
The rule is the paygo rule that Democrats bragged about passing less than two weeks ago.
U. I. He asked that they come up with a way to pay for it. They did not. He got his right to offer not just this amendment, but others on other related bills. Sorry I was not clearer.
To the 9.7% of unemployed people in the US, he is far from a folk hero. Please find me an unemployed person that is proud of Jim Bunning.
David, you’re very delusional if you think Bunning is a folk hero to all but a few teabaggers. My non-political friends talked about Bunning and the conversation was basically “is Bunning an @sshole, senile or both?”
im gonna be weird here for a minute.
While i am still “in between employment”, which makes Bunning’s actions monstrous to me… i get the point he was trying to make. He should not have done it that way. It was the dick move of dick moves and i hope it can be used against every R-tard this year. He also voted against paygo…the initiative he was supposedly standing up for. did he have a point? yes. did that justify his behavior that would have make Scrooge uncomfortable? noooooo
Bunning is pulling a Shelby
TPM just sent a breaking news advisory through fb:
Talking Points Memo BREAKING: Bunning has placed a hold on all presidential nominees. Reid’s Office: Bunning Holding All Nominees | TPMDC tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY), who has become a one-man filibuster of a bill to extend unemployment benefits, apparently placed a hold on all presidential nominees last week.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/reids-office-bunning-holding-all-nominees.php?ref=fbfp
is there a connection between Bunning’s “lazy people” wink, wink comment and the atrocious race-relations of the 1950-60’s Philadelphia Phillies?
hum….