Sen Jim Bunning

[Nitehawk013]

Gotta keep those checks flowing to those potential Dem voters come November. Nothing like buying votes from the unemployed by constantly tossing unemployment to them.

[n david]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

It's funny how everyone was up in arms over Scott Brown just voting, with the Democrats, for a stimulus package that gave more jobs to people in Massachusetts. They are calling him a turncoat. lol

Did you agree with Scott as well, David?

I haven't read much about the "jobs" bill he voted for. I read that the first bill agreed by both parties was loaded with pork; Reid scrapped that one and came up with his own that Republicans didn't like because it wasn't part of the agreement. But that smaller one ended up passing with some bi-partisan support.

Originally Posted by Ferd

In Mr. Bunning's speech on the senate floor, he stated that he was FOR extending the funds to these people.

His only issue is the senate not paying for the spending.

I agree with his intent. I just don't think this was the time and place to take the stand. There are several I know in my church who have been out of work for months - and they've gone to job fairs, put in apps and everything but there's no one hiring. They've been relying on this assistance to pay bills and get food, etc. People are struggling and hurting for help right now. You can't mess with this stuff.

Originally Posted by Ferd

ok n David, Ive looked into it a bit more.

here is what happened.

Harry Reid wanted "unanamous concent" to pass a bill without debate.

That means all 100 senators agree to a bill and the bill is passed without the bill coming to the floor of the senate to even review what the bill is.

in this case it was a bill that has over whelming support by everybody (including Bunning).

however, Bunning wanted to point out that while the vote was to spend money, there was nothing in the bill about where that money would come from.

Bunning did not want to stop the bill from passing and will likely vote for it. His request was reasonable. provide a path to pay for it. bring it to the floor and vote on it.

I read a bit more as well. Reid and the dems labeled it as an emergency spending measure which requires unanimous consent. You didn't hear that in the news though. All the news carried was that Bunning, one Republican Senator is causing people to lose unemployment benefits and stopping construction projects thereby putting people out of work.

The Republican leadership failed on this one. They needed to get in the news and on the record, call a presser, do something - anything to frame the discussion and tell why the bill was stalled, etc.

They didn't, and unless you take time to read past the news and look into the bill and why unanimous consent was required and why Bunning was against it - all you heard and saw was "Republican" and "Obstruction."

Again, you don't mess with people's income or job. Hopefully people will forget this between now and november.

[Esther]

"all you heard and saw was "Republican" and "Obstruction."

Did you honestly think the media would run another slant?

The problem as I see it no one is willing to put on the brakes. We are over spent. Where does it stop? We can't keep giving to every country that as a natural disaster. We can't keep giving money when we don't have it!

The bigger issue is why there are no jobs. Do you hear the media demanding answers on that?

Do you hear the democrats saying lets lower taxes so the business can stay in business?

No you hear lets use this to throw more mud on the republicans.

Bunning did vote for it, but he made his point and it was a valid point, like it or not.

[Esther]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

This reminds me of our inaction with Iran...we knew they were getting nukes, we knew they were getting nukes, we knew we knew we knew and we shook our fists angrily and we thought "what will we do once they get nukes"...you idiots! You should have prevented them from getting nukes a LONG TIME AGO but by now it's pretty much too late.

I saw a policy article title on the CFR report that basically said "what should our policy be after Iran has the nuke"...in other words they decided a long time ago to allow Iran to get the nuke THEN do something.

Our domestic problems are no different. I understand the stuff about "how are we going to pay for it" but by now it's too little too late. You idiots! You should have been proactive a long time ago before we got into this mess

POD

[n david]

Originally Posted by Esther

"all you heard and saw was "Republican" and "Obstruction."

Did you honestly think the media would run another slant?

The problem as I see it no one is willing to put on the brakes. We are over spent. Where does it stop? We can't keep giving to every country that as a natural disaster. We can't keep giving money when we don't have it!

The bigger issue is why there are no jobs. Do you hear the media demanding answers on that?

Do you hear the democrats saying lets lower taxes so the business can stay in business?

No you hear lets use this to throw more mud on the republicans.

Bunning did vote for it, but he made his point and it was a valid point, like it or not.

Again, I agree with his intent and point, but it was the wrong bill and wrong time to decide to make that point.

Why not make a political point before now? Why wait until retiring to possibly enrage the public and screw up Republican chances at a huge takeover of Congress.

No I don't expect the media to take the Republicans side on this, but that's why the republicans need to speak up.

The Republicans aren't muzzled. They're not being censored by the press. They had every opportunity and the ability to get on the news, call a presser and get the message out and they didn't.

Mcconnell failed. He should be removed from his "leadership" position. He displayed an incredible, infuriating lack of leadership with this.

Should Bunning's seat be lost to a democrat, you can blame no one other than Bunning and the so-called republican leadership, specifically Mcconnell, for allowing the WH, dems and networks to frame the situation as they have.

[Esther]

Originally Posted by n david

Again, I agree with his intent and point, but it was the wrong bill and wrong time to decide to make that point.

Why not make a political point before now? Why wait until retiring to possibly enrage the public and screw up Republican chances at a huge takeover of Congress.

No I don't expect the media to take the Republicans side on this, but that's why the republicans need to speak up.

The Republicans aren't muzzled. They're not being censored by the press. They had every opportunity and the ability to get on the news, call a presser and get the message out and they didn't.

Mcconnell failed. He should be removed from his "leadership" position. He displayed an incredible, infuriating lack of leadership with this.

Should Bunning's seat be lost to a democrat, you can blame no one other than Bunning and the so-called republican leadership, specifically Mcconnell, for allowing the WH, dems and networks to frame the situation as they have.

I think you are over reacting to this. I don't see this as an opportunity for the dems to take his seat based on his stance.

But let me ask, when is the right time and the right bill to make the point? It will always be, not this one, this one is too important.

[n david]

Originally Posted by Esther

I think you are over reacting to this. I don't see this as an opportunity for the dems to take his seat based on his stance.

I hope I am overreacting, however public discontent with Congress is not limited to Democrats. It will be interesting to see what happens there in November.

Originally Posted by Esther

But let me ask, when is the right time and the right bill to make the point? It will always be, not this one, this one is too important.

Did he demand an end to spending when W pushed through medicare rx benefits that added to the deficit. What about other bills that have been passed recently, why not make a stand then?

He could have back then, but didn't. Now that he's retiring and doesn't give a care, he's decided to make his statement, berate and flip off reporters.

[n david]

Did some checking ...

Bunning voted for the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefits bill which, at first, was to cost over $400 billion.

At the recent confirmation hearing of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) pressed the administration to hold down the cost of the prescription drug program to the $400 billion that Bush had originally promised.

Source

It then morphed into $1.2 TRILLION

The White House released budget figures yesterday indicating that the new Medicare prescription drug benefit will cost more than $1.2 trillion in the coming decade, a much higher price tag than President Bush suggested when he narrowly won passage of the law in late 2003.

Source

The current unemployment extension that Bunning was opposed to ... I've found different figures, but the number that comes up the most was $10 billion.

So let me get this straight ...

Sen Bunning voted YES for a bill that was supposed to add $400 billion to the deficit, but has instead added 1.2 trillion ...

And then he objects and holds up a bill that costs $10 billion because he suddenly has objections to the cost.

Hypocrite.

[Esther]

Originally Posted by n david

I hope I am overreacting, however public discontent with Congress is not limited to Democrats. It will be interesting to see what happens there in November.


Did he demand an end to spending when W pushed through medicare rx benefits that added to the deficit. What about other bills that have been passed recently, why not make a stand then?

He could have back then, but didn't. Now that he's retiring and doesn't give a care, he's decided to make his statement, berate and flip off reporters.

I think the big picture your missing here is that W didn't have a huge stimulus package with no way to pay for it AND a good portion of it has still not been used. Now why is that? Is he holding it or using it for some underhanded reason?

ALL of the government needs to be reign in on spending what we don't have. But it has to start somewhere that is my point.

Where do you want it to start? When do you want it to start? Or do you want it to continue on as usual?

[n david]

Originally Posted by Esther

I think the big picture your missing here is that W didn't have a huge stimulus package with no way to pay for it AND a good portion of it has still not been used. Now why is that? Is he holding it or using it for some underhanded reason?

ALL of the government needs to be reign in on spending what we don't have. But it has to start somewhere that is my point.

Where do you want it to start? When do you want it to start? Or do you want it to continue on as usual?

W had No Child Left Behind, Med Part D, the Patriot Act and two wars that added to the deficit.

Also, W - not BHO - started the bailouts.

My point is that if Bunning was really serious about spending and adding to the deficit, he should've done so long ago....beginning with the bloated and stupid Med Part D RX bill.