Republican Asks Bunning to Drop Blockade; Bunning Declines, Talks Debt, ‘Communist China’ and ‘Revolution’
EmailABC's Z. Byron Wolf reports:
Let there be no mistake that Sen. Jim Bunning is on the wrong side of many in his party. Republican Sen. Susan Collins, R-ME, just asked Bunning on the Senate floor to drop his objection. Collins asked “unanimous consent” that senators vote on the temporary extension to extending unemployment benefits and COBRA subsidies and the highway trust fund transfer and the satellite TV extension for a month. “I object,” Bunning said. Later, Bunning said the temporary extension is “paid for not even a little bit.” “The leader of this Senate could put this bill under cloture,” Bunning said. Bunning said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid could file cloture on the bill, which takes several days of floor time, and easily pass it. He argued that his obstruction of the bill is not a filibuster, just an objection. Here’s how the Senate historian defines filibuster. “Its important that the people understand there are other sides of this,” Bunning said. He then read letters of support he said have been sent to his office. “Selling the nation’s soul to countries like communist China,” he said, reading from one such letter, is “sheer lunacy.” “Throwing hundreds of billions of dollars so executives on wall street can keep their multibillion-dollar bonuses while others in our society worry about keeping the electricity on and their children fed only helps to move this country closer to a long overdue revolution,” he said, quoting a Robert from Louisville – no last name given. Reid gave a speech about filibusters, calling Bunning’s action a filibuster. The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, also of Kentucky, gave a speech in which he totally ignored what Democrats are calling “The Bunning Blockade.” McConnell talked about Democrats’ plan to pass health reform legislation through the budget process, which requires only a simple majority.
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His blockade is also preventing the sale of homes: funding for the National Flood Insurance Program is also part of the bill, and the lack of funding resulted this weekend in a federal hiatis on the issuance of all flood insurance policies. Like many others, I can’t close on my mortgage without flood insurance.
Posted by: Rod | March 2, 2010, 11:13 am 11:13 am
57 democrats, 2 independents, Susan Collins(1 republican). 60 votes to break a fillibuster. If the Senate finds his objections so unreasonable then they have the votes to break the filibuster.
Problem is his objection isn’t unreasonable. New/Increase funding in programs should be paid for rather than just adding to the deficit.
Granted he could be much more gracious about his objection. Flipping off reporters should be beneath a member of congress.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | March 2, 2010, 11:27 am 11:27 am
Ultimately Bunning is right, but his positions will not be popular with many people. He is taking this stance because he is not up for reelection. When you don’t fear getting reelected, you can actual do what you believe is right. I would just like to bring up the fact that Bunning opposes this but was supportive of the foreign invasions into Iraq and Afghanistan. If you are worried about the debt and this country’s finances, you would vote with Ron Paul every time.
Posted by: Huh | March 2, 2010, 11:54 am 11:54 am
Getting further in debt to China so that we have to give them property here in the US like the ports in San Francisco and other infrascruture… just so that Americans can be forced to take health coverage they don’t even want in the first place (pregnancy coverage for men… REALLY???) and Bunning is the bad guy? Now THIS is ballsy, Democrats and ABC… Let’s see what you TRY to get away with, next week… The American people judging by YOUR ratings and Congressional and Presidential Approval… are NOT buying it!
But let me guess, you like the administration think it’s just about “communication”, right? Well if you would listen to the American people, um, they would happily tell you what you are refusing to accept, namely the agenda of Congress and Jimmy Carter jr.
Posted by: jafo | March 2, 2010, 11:56 am 11:56 am
My fellow Americans: please remember this is what you will get if you vote for GOP this fall. Just because you are frustrated about your work, your financial difficulties, your family and many other things, doesn’t mean GOP care about you. All they care is win their political points. This is an excellent example of it.
Posted by: Tyrone | March 2, 2010, 12:04 pm 12:04 pm
tyrone …as much as we need jobs and income the man is correct….we are selling our souls to communist china for short term gain. think about that for a moment…thats absolutely staggering.perhaps you dont understand that completely but we had better quit spending money we dont have now.
Posted by: catman | March 2, 2010, 12:09 pm 12:09 pm
The reasons given are pretty much on the mark.
We cannot afford to continue to spend unnecessarily, and any such spending does make us more vulnerable to foreign takeover, in this case by our largest foreign creditor, China.
Revolution can easily occur, if the economy continues to erode, and the indications are, that is likely to happen.
Continued spending will only worsen the problem, so in fact, despite the pain that may cause, he is justified in his position.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | March 2, 2010, 12:14 pm 12:14 pm
I’ll gladly defend Bunning for my side, you defend Charlie Rangle!
Posted by: carol in Alabama | March 2, 2010, 12:17 pm 12:17 pm
If he feels so strongly about the debt than I am so glad that he will give up his perks that are paid for by all taxpayers to help lower the deficit. He can go without his medical care, his retirement pay, his pay check just like the rest of us poor souls just trying to get by. But no, I don’t think he truthfully feels that strongly about the deficit.
Posted by: american worker | March 2, 2010, 12:25 pm 12:25 pm
bobtherepublican…I got a question for you. Where was this “fiscal conservative” when “W” passed the tax cuts that added so much MORE debt to the deficit? The Republicans like Bunning, Alexander, MCConnell need to go. They are nothing but TOTAL hypocrites. This is all about “loose nut conservative” grandstanding and being a “bully”.
Posted by: CND FOX | March 2, 2010, 12:27 pm 12:27 pm
Tyrone-Dems and Reps bailed out the banksters at our expense. The whole charade should have ended for these “too big to fails”, but instead they are now bigger than before. The empire needs to contract greatly. Our tax dollars should be used on Americans that are suffering, but there is no money left because our politicians have squandered it. They refused to listen to Ron Paul who has been warning this day would come for a couple of decades. Our time on top is just running out.
Posted by: Huh | March 2, 2010, 12:28 pm 12:28 pm
***Where was he when his colleagues were deregulating the finacial system back in 1998.
Posted by: Republicans are Clueless | Mar 2, 2010 12:03:13 PM***
IF you are going to start blaming people for the deregulation of the finacial system(Gramm-Leach-Biley act) then you’ll need to blame the 90(52 reps/38 dems) Senators, and 362 Representatives (207 reps/155 dems) that passed the bill as well, not forgetting Bill Clinton as well, who signed it into law.
The problem with blaming only one party in goverment, however pleasant it may feel to do so, is largely a pointless excercise as in most years Congress has to work in a cooperative manner to get bills passed and there are people to blame for it on both sides of the alise.
The best approach is to blame them all. Every Congressman, regardless of party affliation is at fault for the mess our country is in if they held an elective office in the last 15-20 years. Republicans. Democrats. Indenpendents. All of them are appart of the problem.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | March 2, 2010, 12:30 pm 12:30 pm
Republicans are Clueless-Actually regulation caused our current financial crisis. The congress GSEs Fannie and Freddie were regulations that removed risk from the mortgage market. The Fed facilitated the crisis by providing easy money. The banksters seeing this then blew the whole thing up with their greed. I know you are probably referring to Glas-Steigel which is necessary given the Ponzi scheme of fractional reserve banking and the fact that the FDIC insures deposits, but these banksters will always find a way around regulations. They are narcissistic sociapaths that would sell their own mother to make a buck. The trick actually is repealing regulations and allowing the free market to actually be free. What we have had is corporate welfare, crony capitalism, corporate fascism, etc. We have not had free markets by any means. This needs to be understood. Listen to Ron Paul and Peter Schiff for greater insights.
Posted by: Huh | March 2, 2010, 12:37 pm 12:37 pm
***bobtherepublican…I got a question for you. Where was this “fiscal conservative” when “W” passed the tax cuts that added so much MORE debt to the deficit? The Republicans like Bunning, Alexander, MCConnell need to go. They are nothing but TOTAL hypocrites. This is all about “loose nut conservative” grandstanding and being a “bully”.
Posted by: CND FOX | Mar 2, 2010 12:27:15 PM***
I’d love to answer you CND FOX!!!
I don’t see any conservatives in Congress actually right now. And I have not seen any in my voting life.
All, and I mean ALL, Representatives and Senators can only be called bureaucrats, who’s only function is to consilidate their power base, to maintain their position of authority and to expand their influence whenever possible.
A true conservative in Congress would try to force the federal government back into to its proper roles explicitly defined in the Constitution.
I don’t see any Republicans, Democrats or Independents in office now that fit that description.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | March 2, 2010, 12:38 pm 12:38 pm
Also CND FOX, do not confuse “Conservative” with “Republican”.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | March 2, 2010, 12:42 pm 12:42 pm
bobtherepublican – Ron Paul, he just returned $100,000 back to Treasury from his district’s coffers. He tunred down his congressional pension because he believes he is in congress on behalf of the people not himself. Give Dr. Paul a little love. Don’t ignore the modern day Founding Father.
Posted by: Huh | March 2, 2010, 12:43 pm 12:43 pm
bobtherepublican…are you dodging me on my question for you? If you do then we should probably add the the word “typical” before the word “republican” in your posting “handle”. I am being cynical here for one reason. Your “smooth, distracting, avoid the real issue” answer to “Republicans Are Clueless”. Based on your answer to him/her I know you know how strongly conservatives have pushed deregulation over the past 25 years, all the while they “defunded” government agencies. However, you want to slice and dice it the Republicans are at the “root” of middle class and blue collar deterioration in their economic status.
Posted by: CND FOX | March 2, 2010, 12:45 pm 12:45 pm
bobtherepublican… I am a progressive and I agree with you that we must hold all parties responsible for the mess we are in. The issue now is that if there is only two choices, which would be the better choice for America. If you say Republicans, then you are supporting a party that has blatantly lied to the people, obstructed and filibustered more than at any time in history, and obviously care more for their political power than the people. The Democrats have made mistakes, but no one but the most brain washed Fox Fool can say the Republicans, their failed policies, and their attitude against the people, would be the better choice.
Posted by: wernervonphooey | March 2, 2010, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
bobtherepublican…you gave me a teflon answer but I will let that go. And I do NOT confuse the two at all. Because it is because of the “conservatives, especially the extreme elements”, I am sure I will never vote for a “Republican” again. Trust me, they are tearing that party apart and you will see those results in upcoming elections. But hey, in my opinion it looks good on them. Because that is what happens when you “pander” to those types.
Posted by: CND FOX | March 2, 2010, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm
CND FOX – It is bad regulation that has caused this. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are two giant regulatory reasons for the housing bust. Fannie and Freddie removed risk from lending so banks no longer cared who they lent to knowing the government would bail them out. So they created these crazy mortgage swaps to make as much money as possible. The Fed’s regulation of interest rates when they took rates far below the rate of inflation was the gasoline for the fire. College tuitions are high because of Sallie Mae. I could go on and on. The system is fainling because of corporate fascism which is essentially terribly destructive regulations. Here are some examples:
CDC=Pfizer
Treasury=Goldman Sachs
DoD=Lockheed/Boeing/Northrup
USDA/FDA=Monsanto
and so on
You are probably pointing to Glas-Steigel which is legitimate given the fact that bad government regulations have facilitated fractional reserve banking and FDIC insured deposits. In the end, we need regulatory reform, but I would advocate repealing all sorts of regualtions, especially ones that curtail the ability of small businesses to compete with large corporations. After all large corporations have lobbied hard for those regulations to decrease competition.
Posted by: Huh | March 2, 2010, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm
This whole media created fiasco could be an indication that the Senate of the US is getting the picture. Bunning doesn’t have any points to score with anyone. He is retiring. Normally this kind of bill would be business as usual and not generate a single line of ink. Instead, one man makes an objection to the business as usual debt spending and all of a sudden he is chastised and beleagured by the media. Regardless of what he voted for in the past (and as many posters point out, his support of the war, while almost everyone was in support of it at the time) he is now just asking for the congress to do what it and the pres said they would do. Only pass deficit neutral legislation. I say follow the money to see why Reid and other DemocRATS are behind the billl. The highway fund payoffs or something is driving them. Its not the little guy and his unemployment check. Harry Ried could care less about the little guy. You GO Jim Bunning.
Posted by: Don Smith | March 2, 2010, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
Ok then Take two:
***bobtherepublican…I got a question for you. Where was this “fiscal conservative” when “W” passed the tax cuts that added so much MORE debt to the deficit?*** – Answer: He’s not a “Conservative” he is a “Bureaucrat” doing now what he did ever since he had been in office: Staying in power for as long as he can, becoming as powerful as he can and being as loud as he can. During the Bush 43 administration it was most popular to cut taxes, regardless of where the money came from. Now it is popular to speak out against goverment spending of any kind. His reasoning on the subject is sound but his motivation is clear, to get noticed.
***The Republicans like Bunning, Alexander, MCConnell need to go.***
Agree 100%. And add the Democrats and the independents as well. Start the entire federal goverment over. Drop their pay by 60+%(68k per year not 170k a year), restict their staff hiring to 4 people per calendar year, reduce the length of the sessions and institute term limits.
***They are nothing but TOTAL hypocrites.***
Such it is with all of the congressman in DC. Replace them all.
***This is all about “loose nut conservative” grandstanding and being a “bully”.***
Loose nut bureaucrat would be more acurate but then again thats everyone in federal government.
Again as I said in my first post. IF his position is so unreasonable they they have the votes to close discussion, them problem is that his position isn’t unreasonable.
Still doesn’t change the fact that he is a Bureaucrat, and a Republican, but not a conservative.
As for my tag. I mainly choose it to inflame other posters positions against me. I like the position of an underdog in a conversation, makes it more interesting from my perspective. :)
Posted by: bobtherepublican | March 2, 2010, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
Gwilsing-Corporate welfare is at the heart of your anger. The elites use our labor for their benefit while also reaping the reward of the inflation tax which Ron Paul explained during the presidential debates. You should also know that Obama’s largest donor is Goldman Sachs who has come out of this crisis smelling like roses. Obama schemes as did Bush, as did Clinton, as did Bush before him. This is about both parties and what they have done to increase the divide between the haves and have nots. We need free markets, not corporatism.
Posted by: Huh | March 2, 2010, 1:05 pm 1:05 pm
catman: So I gather from what you’re saying is that you don’t care about the people that are depending on these issues to pass? Perhaps you don’t understand that a lot of people have been thrown under the bus through no fault of their own because of this economic crisis and they depend on these….. what would you republicans call them??…. “entitlements”. Thank God I’m not one of them who depends on this but maybe you should be…… just to see what it’s like.
Posted by: Tyrone | March 2, 2010, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm
Tyrone-But heh Clinton is pushing to build a $1 billion embassy in London to go with the $1 billion embassy in Baghdad. I am glad Ron Paul gave her an earful the other day on these state department extravaganzas.
Posted by: Huh | March 2, 2010, 1:09 pm 1:09 pm
Bunning is a callous and arrogant old man who is drunk on power. Thousands of people, most of whom would rather have a job but can’t find one, are now without even a minimal life line. Unemployment insurance pays very little but it can keep a person and sometimes a family from complete destitution. Maybe Bunning and his fellow Republican Kyl have no qualms about seeing people thrown out on the street, and hungry kids wandering around. Well I do. It is right to be concerned about deficit spending, but there is a time and place for everything. We can worry about deficits when the economy produces jobs.
Posted by: Trix | March 2, 2010, 1:09 pm 1:09 pm
Today is election day in Texas, was voting Republican, but now Bunning shows me the way
Posted by: mazda300 | March 2, 2010, 1:39 pm 1:39 pm
I’m curious about the rest of the Republicans an their stunning silence on Bunning’s opposition to the latest increase in our taxes. Are they going to come out and defend this latest assault on the economy? Sen.B. is being hung out there alone. Those people that want MORE unemployment checks because it’s easier than going out to find some kind of job are not the only ones out of a job! Some of us get NO weekly checks from Obama’s stash. We have to make do with whatever we can wring out of our savings to get by.
Posted by: Patricia from NY | March 2, 2010, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm
Don Smith…hate to tell you this but are missing one key point. Jim Bunning is the same individual who vote the “Bush Cuts” in place that cost us more than what health care is projected to cost us. And not only did those “cuts swell our deficit 2-3 times, they ONLY benefited the “filthy rich”. This man is just like every other “old goat hypocrite” that dot the Republican roster.
Posted by: CND FOX | March 2, 2010, 2:32 pm 2:32 pm
bobtherepublican…just read your 1:04 reply. Sorry, I can’t agree with “anarchy”. I never saw where “throwing the baby out with the bath water” ever accomplished anything – other than a “worse mess”.
Posted by: CND FOX | March 2, 2010, 2:35 pm 2:35 pm
Just say “no” HYPOCRISY: D.C. Republicans are often said to be GREEDY BIG SPENDERS, e.g., for war-Mongering and Big Business, while continuing to squeeze the working class which has CAUSED many crisis’s, recessions, and more and more people “lucky” to: 1) be working-poor with ANY health care &/or retirement benefits; 2) have ANY UNemployment and healthcare INSURANCE even during LOW and NO job growth times; 3) keep a roof over head.
Still, “can’t see the forest from the trees”: to avoid investment insurance, if a person cuts off another person’s foot which can heal in time or quicker with certain “medicines,” is that not barbarically SICK or not deserving the tolerance to excuse as criminally-insane? For a politician in a Democracy to act worse than some Dictators, makes Impeachment seem appropriate. It seems especially lacking in common sense and heart/soul to continue to block a Republican consensus. It’s very ironic within the party, and would be appropriate for a dark comic-tragedy if it weren’t for Bunning’s actions being real-life, arrogantly power-hungry, and stubbornly demented hypocrisy.
Posted by: martin kleino | March 2, 2010, 3:55 pm 3:55 pm
***bobtherepublican…just read your 1:04 reply. Sorry, I can’t agree with “anarchy”. I never saw where “throwing the baby out with the bath water” ever accomplished anything -other than a “worse mess”.
Posted by: CND FOX | Mar 2, 2010 2:35:58 PM***
Its actually not anarchy. What I advocate is removing the people and leaving the structure, the put in place restrictions so that those that follow do not become those who were removed.
The people there in Washington DC now are corrupt, ruled by special interested and by self-sevice and are no longer effective representatives of the people. We remove those who have become ineffective(as in discharge them, I don’t advocate a coup, which would be a “worse mess”), then hold elections for new represenatives to take their place as well as to start a Constitutional Convention to limit the powers of congress through term, session and pay limits.
All of this is allowed in the Consitution, it would hardly be “anarchy”. We would just force the legislative branch to be “of the people, by the people, for the people” which so many of our citizens have served and died for over the last couple
centuries to have. I don’t think that is too much to expect from our government.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | March 2, 2010, 3:58 pm 3:58 pm
Why does Bunning think it is his money??????????????
Congress needs to down size and get rid of Bunning. Why wait for his retirement, it’s costing us more money. That’s the only way he will understand what is going on with us people who are unemployed. American money is going to different countries, Stop it now. Were hard working people who want to work. Start by kicking all the alcoholics that are collecting early social security, that did even contribute to the fund. And the section H people, put them in line for food, not us hard workers who paid for them to sit home.
Posted by: Linda Miller | March 2, 2010, 4:22 pm 4:22 pm
I’m not political but there is only this I would like to say about all politicians “THEY HAVE A JOB” and that my freinds is why they don’t give two iotas about those of us who don’t.
I have seen the faces of those other unemployed and they are scared we will all lose our homes our families everything without help. So simply I say SCREW THE —— POLITICS THE PEOPLE ARE STARVING!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: star | March 2, 2010, 6:38 pm 6:38 pm
Bunning speaks sense and nonsense both at once.
Sense: That Wall Street is being bailed out, when it never should have (give Bunning credit for voting ‘no’ on the TARP legislation, which is more than I can say for Obama, who supported bailing out the banks.)
Sense: That our jobs are being shipped overseas to places like China; and we are getting nothing but deeper in debt in return
Nonsense: His bizarre claim that he is not impeding the flow of unemployment benefits. Americans need those benefits immediately, and he is screwing them over.
Posted by: The Beagle | March 2, 2010, 6:38 pm 6:38 pm
Since I have not found a job despite looking I am forced into taking Unemployment to pay rent and utility bills. If that is stoped because Bunning wants to be a hero for his cause.
I plan to camp on his front lawn and make his planed retirement a living hell
He needs to stop making the people who are suffering a tool in his schemes.
If you want to pay for this stuff stop the damn war and stop sending money out
of the country and stop packing the pork
into every bill. We would be a better country without all of those pompous asses in Washington, Even anarchy is better when what they done to us.
Posted by: Really Mad Now | March 2, 2010, 7:16 pm 7:16 pm
the guy whining about all the other stuff attached to that wellfare(unemployment)bill needs to wake up. why can’t congress just leave riders out? a bill should stand on it’s own merits and not sneak in on a bill that has nothing to do with what it is attached too.didn’t we already have several extension of unemployment. its about a yr now, instead of the historical 38 weeks. shouldn’t there be a time limit? just how long should they get it? I say call it wellfare after a yr. they wont because wellfare is a dirty word. unemployment sounds better. bottom line is the tax payer is paying someone not to work.
Posted by: deeppockets | March 2, 2010, 8:47 pm 8:47 pm
who is really clueless here? do the research, their are not enough rich to pay for all the entitlements we already have on the books. they can spin it all they want, but sooner or later,anyone who works, or is on retirement , and or their kids grandkids will have to pay for this craddle to grave wellfare state
Posted by: deeppockets | March 2, 2010, 8:51 pm 8:51 pm
the mortgage mess was brought on by Fannie mae, freddie Mac. the dems decided in the name of anti redlining to force banks to loan with ) down, no income verification. they were so happy they let the retireing CEO retire with a 100 million golden parachute. They have clips of Barny, Nancy, Reid, Dodd and other iluninaries of the dems praising them. both party’s sold us a load on the bail outs.
Posted by: deeppockets | March 2, 2010, 8:57 pm 8:57 pm
you liberals think you had some great mandate to lead us to socialism. I got news for you, take away the black vote 12% pop voted 90% for Dems. and the union vote and you would have lost. think the result was approx 47% to 52%. well the independents have seen your craddle to grave entitlements and decided they don’t want to pay for it either.
Posted by: deeppockets | March 2, 2010, 9:03 pm 9:03 pm