Posted on 04/30/2009 6:32:22 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
Kentucky Secretary of State Forms Senate Exploratory Committee By John McArdle Roll Call Staff
Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R) has formed an exploratory committee to run for Senate, a move that would appear to indicate that a retirement announcement from Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) is imminent.
On November 2, 2004, Jim Bunning was elected to serve a second term as U.S. Senator for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Bunning was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998, winning by a mere 6,766 votes. In 2004 he won by a margin almost 3 ½ times larger than his victory in 1998, and he also won 73 of Kentucky’s 120 counties and secured 873,507 votes - the most votes ever for a U.S. Senate candidate from Kentucky. People who know Bunning were not surprised by these victories. Competition is a hallmark of Bunning’s life, and he is no stranger to winning.
As a youngster in Northern Kentucky, Bunning fell in love with baseball and even then he displayed a competitive spirit and a willingness to work hard. That combination carried him on to a highly successful 17-year career as a Major League Baseball player after his graduation from Xavier University with an Economics degree.
Pitching primarily for the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies, Bunning accumulated a record of achievement that eventually won him a seat in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. He was the second pitcher in history (Cy Young was the first) to record 1,000 strikeouts and 100 wins in both the American and National leagues. When he retired in 1971, Bunning was second on the all time strikeout list - second only to Walter Johnson.
The same commitment that made Jim Bunning a Hall of Famer also serves him well in public office. In 1977, Bunning wanted to give something back to his community and he ran for and won a City Council seat in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. In 1979, he was elected to the Kentucky State Senate and became its Republican Leader. In 1986, Bunning was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the 4th District of Kentucky where he served for 12 years.
As Chairman of the House’s Social Security Subcommittee, Bunning established himself as one of Congress’s foremost experts and defenders of Social Security, as well as a leading spokesmen for strengthening and protecting Social Security. In Congress, Bunning has been a proponent of walling-off budget surpluses to help ensure the livelihood and commitment of Social Security for our seniors and future generations. Bunning also played a key role in the passage of landmark legislation establishing the Social Security Administration as a standalone and independent agency. He was also the author of the law to raise the unfair “earnings limit” for seniors.
In the Senate, Bunning’s hard work won him the respect of his colleagues and a coveted seat on the influential Finance Committee, making him the first Kentuckian in nearly 40 years to serve on this powerful committee. Service on this committee allows Bunning a direct role as to how nearly two-thirds of all federal dollars are spent on such issues as tax policy, Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, welfare reform, and trade policy.
Bunning also serves on the Banking Committee where he played a key role in passage of the Corporate Accountability Act and he authored key Flood Insurance legislation which was signed into law. From his seat on the Energy Committee, Bunning is working hard to make America more energy independent with diverse energy sources, especially clean coal, soy-diesel, and ethanol. Bunning also serves on the Budget Committee where he is fighting for fiscally responsible budgets that fund our top priorities, with an emphasis on securing the homeland from terrorist threats.
Although his election in the U.S. Senate and induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame stand out as top moments in his life, the all-time high point in his life was his marriage to Mary Catherine Theis. Together, they raised nine children and have 35 grandchildren. Jim and Mary make their home in Southgate, Kentucky and are active members of the St. Therese Catholic Church in Southgate, Kentucky.
I assume this was because he looked at the numbers and realized he couldn’t get reelected. That’s two Senate seats in the South the GOP looks to lose in 2010 from this week, with North Carolina.
DAMMIT he is one the GOOD GUYS!
Damn right, he is one of the good guys. This is even more troubling since our other Kentucky senator, McConnell has started to go very wobbly on us.
Why so down? Are the Repubs that weak or Dimms that much stronger? I’ve been hearing all this talk about a comeback in 2010. Elections are over a year away, kind of early to predict defeat in those two states, or is it?
When will the Socialist/Dem tide recede? It’s getting ridiculous.
Decent Americans have become fed up with politics. That’s why we have nothing but Commie scumbags in Washington. Goodbye America.
Curt Schilling never pitched a perfect game, but maybe he could be persuaded to move to Kentucky.
Inside KY politics. . .hope I’m wrong but Bunning’s seat is likely to go to a Democrat. . .possibly Ben Chandler. Very depressing & seemingly a bellwether of what is to come. We’re going DOWN ! Hey, BTW. . .thanks “W” for campaigning for Spectre !! Perhaps it was unintentional but indeed YOU . . .the can’t we just all get along president. . . were instrumental in the demise of the Republican party.
He was a sure loser this time around. He has been unable to raise any money and is hugely unpopular in KY now. A decent GOP nominee could hold this seat.
An asterisk for Harvey Haddix who pitched 12 perfect innings for the Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) against the Milwaukee Braves, on May 26, 1959. After a fielding error by Don Hoak ended the perfect game in the bottom of the 13th, the runner was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, which was followed by an intentional walk to Hank Aaron. Joe Adcock then hit a home run, ending the no hitter and the game. However, in the confusion, Aaron left the basepaths and was passed by Adcock for the second out. Eventually the hit was changed from a home run to a double by a ruling from National League president Warren Giles; instead of three runs on a home run, only the first Braves run counted. But the game ended there, with the Pirates and Haddix losing 1–0.
Haddix's 12 and 2/3-inning, one-hit complete game, against the team that had just represented the NL in the previous two World Series, is considered by many to be the best pitching performance in major league history.
He’s a fine person, but the people of KY have tired of him and won’t support him again. He has little choice but to step down. A Democrat will probably take this seat because KY will want to show “penance” for having voted for McPain.
It’s not just GWB backing Specter that has killed us — it’s GWB warts and all. People oppose the Bushes and won’t vote for Republicans. GWB=Missed Opportunity
Too many huge things going on that are negative for the Republican Party, Conservatives, and America period over the last 2 years and I am not even dating back to 9-11.
Something is going on behind the scenes that is Russian like...a take over from within.
Grayson has a better shot of keeping the seat for the repubs than Bunning. He is well thought of in a Democratic leaning state. But KY leans republican on the national elections.
” * June 21, 1964 for the Philadelphia Phillies (NL) against the New York Mets
The second was a perfect game (no hits, no walks, no errors, no base runners) the first in the National League in 84 years. “
That was a hot day in the Philly area and I watched the game from the basement where it was cool, too hot go bother going outside.
Father’s day BTW, great way to kill an afternoon especially for a Phillies fan (until Mauch collapsed the team in the fall).
I have a memory from the Harvey Haddix 1959 game referenced in post #13 above. I was just old enough to start to have interest in Pirates baseball, and had occasionally listened to radio broadcasts of games. The evening of that game I was walking home from the grade school playground and passed a house where I heard someone listening to the radio warm-up for the Pirates-Braves game. I knew I was going to have to go to bed soon after I got home, but hey it's cool, I could listen to the game as I fell asleep. Well, I never fell asleep. After three innings I got out of bed and called down stairs to my parents watching TV, "Hey Dad, Harvey Haddix has a no-hitter after 3 inning." "That's nice son, keep me posted."
Sometime later, "Hey Dad, Harvey Haddix has a perfect no-hitter going after 6 innings." That got his attention, and at that he fired up his new transistor radio and we both went out on the porch to listen to the game well into the night.
The first world series I got to watch was the ‘60s series and I remember it pretty well. Games were played in the afternoon back then.
I was a Phillies fan, only they stunk, but rooted for the Pirates (NL team and from PA) so I was pleased with the outcome.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.