“Be like Jim Bunning” isn’t a phrase you’ll hear a lot of Senate Republicans say, but it may become a mantra in the coming days.
The Kentucky Republican, known for his erratic style and gruff manner, was largely isolated by his Republican colleagues when he singlehandedly decided to take a stand against a package to extend benefits for the nation’s jobless amid a nearly 10-percent unemployment rate. But now, Senate Republicans are lining up to battle Democrats if they try to push through another 30-day extension of the jobless benefits without finding a way to pay for them first.
Leading the charge this time around will likely be Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who has built up far more goodwill with the leadership than has Bunning, the 78-year-old former Major League Baseball pitcher who has a testy relationship with his home-state counterpart, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.