GOP senator blames McConnell for Specter defection (Sen. Jim Bunning at odds with Senate GoP leader)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 5/5/09 | Roger Alford - ap

[NormsRevenge]

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky's embattled junior senator is blaming GOP leader Mitch McConnell for losing Arlen Specter to the Democrats and costing the party Senate seats.

Sen. Jim Bunning has been at odds lately with McConnell, Kentucky's senior senator. McConnell hasn't publicly asked Bunning to retire but hasn't endorsed him for re-election next year.

Bunning says he's still in the race but Republican leaders have been sending not-so-subtle messages that he should retire rather than face a strong Democratic challenge.

[NormsRevenge]

I use the word leader loosely in the case of Mitch.

imo, Mitch has been a disappointment. Maybe he should consider what has resulted under his watch at the helm.

[SandWMan]

Mitch is a pinhead. He (and the Senate GOP “leadership”) supported Specter in his reelection, and refused to support Toomey. McConnell has also been opposing the somewhat more conservative Bunning. Yeah, that’s the new Republican brand we need....

[NormsRevenge]

Jeff Sessions will now be the top dog on the Judiciary in place of Specter... a silver lining in the case case of Specter finding his true self and calling.

Maybe Jim DeMint should get a crack at the top GoP slot in the Senate. just some thoughts and an offering for consideration.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Mitch wasn’t in charge in 2004. Bill Frist was head of the Republicans in the Senate and George Allen was in charge of the NRSC.

He was the whip from 2002 to 2006 (and he was fairly effective) but Frist didn’t provide any leadership. Allen made the decision to support Specter over Toomey in the primary.

[penowa]

Interesting how the GOP wants rid of a sitting conservative Senator, but someone like Chafee or Specter gets all the party $ they can come up with to oppose a more conservative primary challenger, and then they are only too happy to go into debt to come up with more to support the losers in a fight to the death in the general.

[IC Ken]

We lost nothing when it comes to Specter. Wasn't a supporter or a trusted vote when needed.

[US Navy Vet]

Ya gotta remember that the US Senate is first and formost a “Club”.

[penowa]

Yeah, and that “club” wants rid of any reliable conservatives they can toss who oppose them. It’s only “clubby” if you’re a liberal elite of either party.

[Nonstatist]

OTOH, Doesent Bunning have Alzheimer’s ? If not that, its something closely related.

[NormsRevenge]

lol. Ya know, sometimes ya have to wonder about anyone who would even want to be associated with some of the reprobates on the Capitol in both parties.

[ken5050]

I am NO fan of Mitch..indeed..I thnk he should step aside..but IIRC, there have been questions about Bunnings health. He just squeaked by last time, and Ky now has a Dem governor..

[RetiredArmy]

Lets be clear about it, Spectator was no “republican” in the old sense of the word. He is the new republican, the RINO, the Dimocrat-Lite. He is a LIBERAL. Always was. He never backed conservatives anyway. He is actually no loss. If we are to clean out the RINOs, they all have to go. Let them become dimocrats, for they are in every way but name only, so let them go. We have to rebuild this party and do it now, or lose this country forever to the Marxists.

[US Navy Vet]

Yep

[Neverforget01]

Bunning should blame the voters in PA. Specter couldn't win as a Republican, so he became a Democrat. Blame the voters and see how that strategy works.

[itsahoot]

Interesting how the GOP wants rid of a sitting conservative Senator

He figures to be infected with McCain Flu. Not one of the three turn coats that voted for the stimulus, should have any chairmanships, or choice committees, and should have been reprimanded. Sadly it was just business as usual.

[nickcarraway]

No, he meant he supported Specter over Toomey in 2010.

[nickcarraway]

You have a weird vision of Democracy.