Bunning Threatens to Resign Early and Give Dems 60 Senate Seats If GOP Doesn't Back Off

Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) is a first-rate crack pot (recall here, here and here), but his insanity might hasten the speed at which Democrats take back this Senate seat and reach that magical number of 60, per the latest installment from the Louisville Courier-Journal:

The Kentucky Republican suggested that possible scenario at a campaign fundraiser for him on Capitol Hill earlier this week, according to three sources who asked not to be identified because of the politically sensitive nature of Bunning’s remarks.

The implication, they said, was that Bunning would allow Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, a Democrat, to appoint his replacement — a move that could give Democrats the 60 votes they need to block Republican filibusters in the Senate.

“I would get the last laugh. Don’t forget Kentucky has a Democrat governor,” one of the sources quoted Bunning as saying.

“The only logical extension of that comment is, ‘(Make me mad) … enough and I’ll resign, and then you’ve got 60 Democrats,’ ” said another source who was present at the event.

Let's hope Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and NRSC Chairman John Cornyn (R-TX) keep provoking Bunning.

Update (8:12 pm ET): Bunning now says everyone is lying:

Bunning insists he's going to run for reelection and says that the sources are "lying."

"It's not true," Bunning said in a statement. "I intend to fulfill my obligation to the people of Kentucky. If you are going to write something like this, you'd better make your sources known because they are lying."

Mark Nickolas is the Managing Editor of Political Base, and this story was from his original post, "Bunning Threatens To Resign Early And Let Dem Have 60 Seats If GOP Doesn't Back Off."

Comments

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

Bunning is throwing a LIEbermanesque tantrum on the Republicans! Hahahahaha!

[Biffmeister]

I was for retiring early before I was against it.

[WolfLady]

This guy Bunning is awesome. He's (inadvertently) funnier than just about anybody, with the possible exception of Michelle Bachman.

If this keeps on, we can look forward to the entire GOP soon becoming little more than a late-night gag punchline.

Sweet!

~WolfLady~

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

I don't know... Michael Steele and his Broken Hip Nation strategy is ROTF funny.

[zendem1]

Dear Senator Bunning:
As a conservative American tax-payer, I strenuously object to the way you're being treated by the GOP! I think the only thing for a decent, Christian man like yourself is to resign your Senate seat immediately! Our party has lost it's way, and by golly, we need to get back to the fundamental basic Reagan conservatism that made this country great! So please, sir, resign your seat immediately and make a statement for strong fundamental God-fearing family values!
Sincerely,
Joe Whiteman

[fpie]

So let's get this straight: The party is muckin' up his ability to win the election in 2010 to retain his seat so he will resign that seat now, nearly two years before he might lose that seat just to show them?
Sounds like cutting off his nose to spite his face. Of course Republicans are pretty crazy and southern ones more so but IMHO he ain't gonna do it. Sounds like the movie scene where the guy takes himself hostage and swears he will shoot the hostage if anybody tries to stop him. It's really only funny because the crowd does let him go and we all know how stupid that is.
But wouldn't it be swell.

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

He's pulling a LIEberman.

[FogBelter]

I'd argue it's even better than it seems. Al Franken likely will be seated as Senator shortly, for Coleman is running out of legitimate reasons to postpone the inevitable. In addition to Senator Bunning's rogue state there is another plus for Democratic aims in the Senate ... Steele is an absolute gift of providence!

In the wake of Senators Specter, Snow, and Collins signing on to the Stimulus package, Steele's punitive response showed all the finesse of a butcher filling in for a Rabbi at a Bris! You already have three Senators in a sensitive political situation due to a shift to the Democrats in their respective States and so ham-handed Steele threatens to withdraw GOP support from them ... smooth move.

I'd say that Senator Reid may have has many as sixty-three votes at his disposal going forward depending on how the current hand plays out.

[plzchuteme]

Al Franken will likely be seated, but I don't know of it will be shortly. Coleman is running (or has ran) out of legitimate reasons to postpone the inevitable, but he hasn't even started on his illegitimate reasons which will continue to bog things down.

Jim Bunning should retire for many legitimate reasons. He's not on anyone's "A" list and is probably unre-electable, which is why Mc Connell is kicking him to the curb. I hope he makes good on his threat, but after all, he IS a Republican, and they are not known for their rational behavior. An appointed Democrat could have a tough time getting re-elected unless he/she could really make a name for themselves in a short time. This IS Kentucky, after all.

I wouldn't get too excited about Spector, Snow, et al. and the probability of a 63 vote majority. Sen. Reid could have 75 votes at his disposal and still cow-tow to the opposition. He is the "Cowardly Lion."

[lisakaz2]

That's funny. It'd be awesome.

[DaVinci42]

We should all send him letters of 'support' for the OUTRAGOUS way the GOP is treating him!! Basically egg him on without making it sound fake.

Think it'd work?

[LeftRight]

Probably, he sounds pretty dumb....

[AnotherMcIntosh]

Go for it!

And / Or convince McConnell and Cornyn that Bunning is just bluffing and needs to be shown who's in charge.

[Zubeck]

It's all just posturing.

[nancytheragingliberal]

Senator James Bunting. My hero. You should do that sir Bunting.