Signs That GOP Is Giving-Up On Holding Sen. Bunning's Seat

A couple of very interesting developments in the ongoing saga of the most vulnerable Senate incumbent in 2010 -- Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY).

As you probably know, with all independent polling showing Bunning getting routed in next year's general election, Republican leaders -- led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) -- have been working  especially hard to dry-up Bunning's fundraising as well as looking for some primary opposition in hopes of pushing Bunning out of the race. So far, it isn't working as Bunning only seems to be digging in his heels.

Complicating the GOP's problem is the fact that they want rising star Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R) to run for Bunning's seat. But Grayson -- a long-time Bunning ally -- has made clear that he would not run against Bunning in a primary, but would consider a bid if Bunning were to withdraw. Despite amazingly anemic fundraising, Bunning has made clear he's not going anywhere and has even threatened to retaliate (and here) against the GOP if they try to force him out. Meanwhile, the Kentucky electorate continues to flee the Republican Party in droves.

Given this drama, the developments of the past 48 hours is quite noteworthy, offering some hints that the GOP has effectively given-up any hopes of forcing Bunning out of the race, will likely continue to encourage donors to avoid helping Bunning, and even appear to be giving-up entirely, at this stage, of even holding on to this seat altogether.

First, the ever-brutally honest Bunning now believes that he'll have no serious primary opponent after all, quite a reversal from just a month ago:

Sen. Jim Bunning said yesterday that he does not expect to face a significant Republican challenger in his re-election campaign next year.

"I don't expect a David Williams or an Ed Whitfield or any substantial Republican to file in a primary," Bunning said in a telephone conference call with reporters.

Second, despite handing out more than $100,000 from his PAC, McConnell gave Bunning nothing:

Mitch McConnell’s most recent campaign finance reports show him pumping money into the coffers of almost every Republican incumbent running for reelection in 2010, including some who don’t exactly need the cash.

But one senator who could use the help didn’t get it: Jim Bunning, McConnell’s home-state colleague from Kentucky.

In the first quarter of 2009, McConnell’s Bluegrass political action committee gave $105,000 to 10 incumbent Republican senators and one new Senate GOP candidate and donated another $5,000 to James Tedisco, the unsuccessful Republican candidate for the special election in New York’s 20th Congressional District. The Senate minority leader also shelled out another $5,000 to help Republican Norm Coleman in his legal fight with Al Franken, and he sent $15,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee and $5,000 to the Republican Party of Kentucky.

He gave $10,000 to Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), who already has more than $13.5 million in cash on hand, and $10,000 to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who’s sitting on $3.6 million in cash on hand.

Bunning has less than $400,000 in cash on hand, and none of it came from McConnell this quarter.

Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, calls the shutout “the clearest sign yet ... that Mitch McConnell doesn’t want [Bunning] to be a candidate.”

Finally, according to the latest Wall Street Journal op-ed by the right-wing Fred Barnes, GOP sources are telling him that Bunning is "a certain loser" next year:

In Kentucky, two-term Sen. Jim Bunning is a certain loser in 2010, according to GOP leaders in Washington. They want him to defer to Secretary of State Trey Grayson, a rising star in Kentucky politics. But Mr. Bunning told me he is running. Mr. Grayson has said he won't run unless Mr. Bunning retires. This is not a happy circumstance for Republicans, who can't afford to lose Kentucky.

Given that the GOP will, for the third straight election cycle, find itself on the defensive in desperately trying to hold on to numerous seats in 2010 (KY, MO, NH, OH, FL, NC, and LA), there's some reason to believe that their electoral triage has convinced them to effectively concede Bunning's seat now and instead focus their money and energies in other races where they have a chance to keep Senate Democrats from holding as many as 64 or 65 seats next year.

Amazingly, prospects continue to deteriorate for the GOP. It's hard to believe that things can get any worse for them. But it is.

Mark Nickolas is the Managing Editor of Political Base, and this story was from his original post, "KY-SEN: Signs That GOP Is Giving-Up On Holding Bunning's Seat."

 

 

Follow Mark Nickolas on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mnickolas

Comments

[JBVT]

Sen. Bunning;

Please continue on your present course.

It's good for America.

[J G H]

Form a circle, face inward, fire.

[dfranz]

It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Pretty soon the Libertarian Party with Ron Paul as the head will be taking over the Republicans place and the Republicans will be relegated to the same place in history as the Whig Party.

[DoesItReallyMatter]

I wonder if the irony is lost on Mitch McConnell and the GOP in even attempting to get a fellow staunch conservative to sacrifice his own self interest for the greater good of the whole. This is something they are genetically incapable of. To live as an ideologue is to die as one!

[Kindheart]

They really do turn on each other. Instead of supporting one of their own, they are turning on him. Not that I care about Bunning, but Mitch McConnell is evil.

[AirForce Vet]

Lost in the wilderness causes men to resort to dire measures. For survival they may even turn against and devour their own. You can’t blame the Democrats or the POTUS for your looming misfortunes. Your wilderness wandering was brought on my your arrogance and steadfast unfortunate ideology. Your anger and frustrations should be vented into something positive, instead of continuous attacks. Try evolving into something with true meaning and substance. Talking a good game and not performing in the game will not suffice. Your ideology and your ideologues are ancient relics of another time and place. The party continues to live in the past and without any vision for the future. This Republican Party will have no future if it continues of the path that it is currently following..

[kimleehan]

So why does'nt Bunning teach the GOP a lesson and resign and let the Kentuckian govenor pick his replacement?

[KevinHallShow]

The funny thing is that the republicans believe they have attractive candidates. THEY ARE ALL HORRIBLE. The fact that they can't find a good candidate in a southern state shows you how badly they are doing. Amazing. This must be part of Steele's strategy

http://kevinhallshow.com/?p=48

[Rog49Thomas]

"Amazingly, prospects continue to deteriorate for the GOP. It's hard to believe that things can get any worse for them. But it is."

Thank you, Jesus.

[indy girl]

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

As a Kentuckian, I was ready for him to hit the road after his hateful comments about Justice Ginsberg's cancer.

Good riddance, you old fool. I'm sure your "charity" will pay you plenty to sit around and run your mouth.

[LeftRight]

I'm sorry, but it still being APRIL 2009!!! I don't really want to discuss the NOVEMBER 2010 races just yet!

[rich misty]

But it's time to start setting something aside on a regular basis, so we have a kitty built up for critical campaign donations.

[macjon]

.
All this from Roves perpetual party in power.

HA HA HA
.

[JohnFromCensornati]

The very best part is that the (D)s will certainly have a better candidate than they ran against McConnell last year.

[peggio]

We do have a wonderful candidate running and he will win! Jack Conway, our AG is the dream candidate. He has the backing of every Dem pol that matters in Kentucky and We the People think that we could not have a better candidate. He is young, progressive and in his first race came quite close to beating the EVIL Ann Northup during the Bush heyday. So those of you who would be inclined to give.....if you like John Yarmuth (and who doesn't) you will like Jack Conway and donations would be great!
Happy Derby!

[Janus]

If Conway wins, and I hope that he does, it will be a breath of clean, unpolluted air through the Commonwealth. At last, the political and economic fornication of the lessers by such scoundrels of McConnell and Bunning, typical servants of the local aristocracy and national plutocrats, will end.

It is a shame that McConnell is just shortly into another term of 6 years spewing his bilge in the Senate, thanks to the Dupes' and the plutocrats' support from outside Kentucky.

[den1953]

This is the beginning of the end for the GOP as everyone knows it, after another dismal election cycle i believe they are going to employ a new party of moderate party that will open a different type of ethics and morals. They will have to adapt to the current political landscape and set new rules to listen to the people and stop telling people how they think you should live and accept the country as how people truly live.

[Kevin30215]

Sharks eat each other, too. Especially when they're still fetuses, in the womb.

Either way, they're conditioned for this kind of mean-spirited selfishness.