Time: How Mitch McConnell Ended Jim Bunning's Senate Career
By Michael A. Lindenberger | Time
July 29, 2009
Jim Bunning of Kentucky is leaving the Senate in much the same way his predecessor did. Twelve years ago, Bunning's decision to seek the office persuaded Wendell Ford, the former governor and, at the time, the longest-serving Kentucky Senator, to retire. Standing in a gallery just off the marbled floors of the Kentucky capitol, Ford told a crowd of weeping supporters in 1997 that the prospect of raising $100,000 a week to be competitive in the next year's race had persuaded him to make his fourth term his last. "The job of being a U.S. Senator today has unfortunately become a job of raising money to be re-elected instead of a job doing the people's business," he said. In a trademark bit of humor, he added, "Mrs. Ford won't let me bring anyone home to sleep in our spare bedroom."
On July 27, Bunning made a similar statement, but without the humor. "Unfortunately, running for office is not just about the issues," said Bunning, the baseball Hall of Famer known in Congress for being as stubborn as an angry umpire. "Over the past year, some of the leaders of the Republican Party in the Senate have done everything in their power to dry up my fundraising. The simple fact is that I have not raised the funds necessary to run an effective campaign for the U.S. Senate." (See an interactive guide of President Obama's first 100 days.)
The notoriously irascible and unpredictable Bunning finally bowed to the one immutable reality of Kentucky politics: Republicans can't win without the support of Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority lead
Full article at Time
And watch the endorsements start lining up...
behind Grayson which will make headlines themselves. We need to start email/phone/fax bombing the 4 KY Congressional Representatives to ask them to endorse Rand Paul.
This race will get interesting really quick. The big Fancy Farm picnic is Saturday and I believe Rand's going to announce Thursday or Friday before he speaks there.
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Schiff
idk how Schiff can have 6800 pleadges but Rand Paul only has a little over 1000.
I think a lot of the people who support Ron Paul's presidential bids just simply are not aware that he exists yet.
Maybe he needs to be on the media talk shows more often I don't know but people aren't aware yet.
Schiff has got a huge
Schiff has got a huge customer base from his Euro Pacific Capital Management business. - http://europac.net/. He's much better known since he's on TV all the time.
I'm not too worried about Schiff. Not only is he rich, he's got a ton of rich clients and better name recognition that Rand. He can come up with the money.
Interesting..
I just checked out Europac's web site, and was surprised to learn that they don't have a minimum deposit to open an account. I might be a customer of theirs after I do a bit of research on some Japanese and Korean companies.
-jcr
"The problem with trying to child-proof the world, is that it makes people neglect the far more important task of world-proofing the child." -- Hugh Daniel
There's only one thing!
As a lifelong resident of Kentucky and having been actively involved in the Republican Party for over 22 years, there is one thing and one thing only that will help Rand Paul.
Sen. Mitch McConnell will without question be endorsing Trey Grayson. McConnell never leaves anything political to chance. This is where McConnell has been heading on this election for a long time now. He wanted Bunning out and Trey Grayson in, and he opened the fundraising floodgates for Grayson while closing them for Sen. Bunning.
So, back to the "One Thing and One Thing Only" that will help Rand Paul.
MONEY. (Period)
Rand must demonstrate that he can raise significant sums of money. McConnell is the "kingmaker" in Kentucky and beyond which makes him more powerful and more able to control the fundraising machine. McConnell lives and breathes politics and FUNDRAISING.
Rand Paul must be able to bypass the traditional Republican deep pockets and through sheer strength in numbers raise an equal amount of money or more than Trey Grayson.
Don't get me wrong, I wish it weren't that way. However, it's a fact we must deal with. I've practically begged Rand to run as an Independent to avoid the multi-million dollar primary that will be necessary to win the Republican nomination against the most powerful Republican Senator in the nation. Obviously that is not going to happen. Therefore there is only one thing left that we can do. RAISE MONEY! That's the only thing that will get the attention Rand will need to even have a chance in this primary.
Sen. McConnell has alreay stacked the deck and marked the cards. For Rand to win this one he will need us to give him the 5 ACES he'll need up his sleeve. That's MONEY and LOTS OF IT ASAP.
Stop hoping and wishing for anything else. There is only one thing! Rand's message and political positions on issues will never stand a chance without it. And being up against Mitch McConnell, even that's not enough.
It's certainly going to be interesting to see if the Liberty movement is up to this task, disgusting as it is vitally important.
agreed
we better dig deep
Kentucky
senate politics has so little to do with Kentuckians.
There's got to be a campaign slogan in there somewhere.
Defend Liberty!
Send them a personal letter
Send them a personal letter requesting an endorsement of Rand.
Good Grief! He's a Harvard Lawyer.
Rand Paul's opponent, Grayson, is a Harvard lawyer. That's what the establishment does, crams these Ivy Leaguers down our throat. Remember Yale graduate Clinton sent back to Arkansas?
McConnell will support Grayson who undoubtedly is Mitch's boy.
Bunning is a moron!
Why would Bunning endorse Trey Grayson from the same gop party that stabbed him in the back!
mcconnell will definitely endorse grayson
mcconnell is one of the worst puppets. a total war loving, patriot act defender. who cares about this guy's endorsement.
Another Angle
Perhaps McConnell would support Rand Paul. What would be worse? What would be better? Should he have support from either gentleman?
Better question...does he need to have support from any of these others?
Perhaps he is better being Indpendent from these guys?
Just some things to ponder...
But there remains ...
Maybe Bunning will lend his support to Rand. Rand has shown deference and respect to Bunning by not competing with him for the nomination.
We can dream can't we? :)
Seems like Bunning is set to
Seems like Bunning is set to back Grayson.
If that is the case, maybe McConnell will back Rand.
Ah, politics. Nothing is ever straightforward.
McConnell will endorse the
McConnell will endorse the candidate that he thinks has the best chance of winning. My money is on him endorsing Grayson.
My money is on Rand Paul.
My money is on Rand Paul. $100 on August 20. If Rand raises $1 million on that day, he'll get at least $1 million in news coverage. That'll give Rand the best chance of winning.
Given that, maybe McConnell will get a clue about which way the wind is blowing in the Republican party.
agreed. and we gotta make
agreed. and we gotta make that wind.
hope everyone knuckles down and donates.
Not enough
It's not enough to donate, everyone needs to spread this message as far and wide as possible. Keep up the steady and unrelenting drum beat to elect Rand Paul. (And others of course.) Rand's election will be the loudest message the Liberty movement could send.
Excellent - must read article
Check out what it says about McConnell:
Thanks bobby for the link!