Bunning poised to retire

[kpete]

Source: Politico

Bunning poised to retire
By JOSH KRAUSHAAR & MANU RAJU | 4/30/09 4:46 PM EDT Updated: 4/30/09 6:06 PM EDT


Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning, the most endangered Republican up for reelection in 2010, appears headed for retirement after giving his leading GOP rival the blessing to prepare to run for his seat next year.

Bunning’s retirement would be a huge victory for national Republicans who have grown increasingly nervous that the 77-year-old two-term senator would lose a critical race as the party tries to cling to its diminished minority in the Senate.

On Thursday afternoon, Kentucky GOP Secretary of State Trey Grayson announced that he would form an exploratory committee to run for Bunning’s seat — a move that Kentucky GOP operatives say is a precursor to Bunning's retirement. Grayson's entry will come as a relief to Kentucky Republicans and Senate GOP leaders, who may now have reason to believe their party could hold on to this seat.

“He told Trey to do this,” one senior congressional official said of Bunning. “Why else would he tell his main rival to prepare for a run?”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21956.html

[lamp_shade]

1. Now would be the best time for a whole bunch of R's to retire. They're going to be the minority

for many many years. Some will lose their seats in 2010. They won't even be noticed if the leave now.

[Warpy]

2. Bunning's behaviour has been very odd for a few years now

and I don't think telling a rival to prepare signals much of anything. He could just be blustering a dare.

He's not retiring until he says he's retiring, and he hasn't said that yet.

[iandhr]

3. damn

it will be harder for us to pick up that seat now

[get the red out]

10. My reaction exactly

Grayson is the image they want, young handsome asshole instead of doddering old fool of an asshole.

I was hoping Bunning would go on to the bitter end. This will make it much harder.

[proReality]

4. Please let it be true!

I'm so sick of hearing that idiot's mouth slobbering all over on local news stations.

[last_texas_dem]

5. I guess the little green doctors must've finally gotten to him...

[gratuitous]

6. I understand he's raised about a buck two-eighty for re-election

He scraped by in 2004 when he should have breezed to victory mostly because of his erratic behavior. I don't know that Bunning has gotten any better in the last six years, and stepping aside would be the honorable and ethical thing to do. Which means, of course, nobody in the GOP has thought of it.

[David__77]

7. This saddens me.

I hope he hangs in there lol

[saltpoint]

8. Many moons ago Bunning stood tall on the mound for the Phillies

and won the admiration of many a Sunday baseball fan.

How long ago and far away that Jim Bunning seems now.

[Moderate2008]

9. That's too bad

It would have been an easy pickup for the Dems if he stayed.

[lakercub]

11. My sentiments exactly

This one had a huge target on it. I've been hoping for he and Bachmann to stay around. The more they speak, the deeper the hole they dig.