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Petulant Sen. Jim Bunning Blocks Bill for Missing a Game

By John Danz Jr

The U.S. House approved a $10 billion plan to extend for a month unemployment benefits, including federal subsidies to help the jobless buy health insurance.

The measure, approved on a voice vote yesterday, also would prevent looming cuts in Medicare reimbursements to doctors.

Immediate action on the bill in the Senate to prevent the expiration of the benefits after Feb. 28 was blocked last night. Senator Jim Bunning, a Kentucky Republican, objected to conducting the vote, saying Congress should provide money to pay for the bill instead of adding the cost to the federal deficit.

The U.S. House approved a $10 billion plan to continue unemployment benefits for all of a month, with aid to jobless people to buy health insurance.

However, action on the bill was stifled by one Senator Jim Bunning, a Republican from Kentucky, or as I like to call it, "that one state with the chicken." The already meager aid would run out on Sunday night if action is not taken.

However, the real story here isn't the fact that Bunning is blocking the bill because he doesn't want the cost to add to our deficit. Bunning, the lone purveyor of obstruction to this bill, reportedly complained that the big bad Democrats ambushed him and made him miss the Kentucky-South Carolina basketball game.

Excuse me?

Ambushed you? How, by making you do your job?

What does that say for his dedication to being a representative of the people in his obviously comatose state? He doesn't want to do the job he signed on for because his job interfered with his basketball game? Obviously, sports are held in higher regard than the welfare of the jobless in this nation to this man - a jobless rate that Republicans like him have helped create.

The idiocy doesn't end there, folks. Sen. Jeff Merkley essentially begged the obstinate Senator to change his mind. Bunning replied with "tough sh-t." Now, that goes beyond being stubborn and true to your convictions - that's just being a heartless jackass.

Dude, you don't even have your own party supporting your contemptuous hide. What logical reason do you have for blocking this?

Bunning stated that "I'm trying to make a point to the people of the United States." Yeah America, next time this infantile miser misses his important sporting events, he may just disavow the interests of the struggling working class, cross his arms, stomp his feet and throw a fit. How becoming of a United States Senator. Good news for America though - this windbag isn't seeking another term next election.

Then again, Kentucky elected this guy in the first place, which only solidifies my previous "comatose" statement. I mean, you elect a former athlete into office - what do you expect? For those of you who voted for Daniel Mongiardo, disregard that last statement.

Speaking of his baseball past, another telling point of his ineptitude towards being a public official is his eagerness to investigate steroids in Major League Baseball when there were obviously much bigger fish to fry laying on the table ahead of him.

With the unemployment rate in his dying state at 10.7 percent, one would hope he would be a bit more tactful and compassionate towards the fruition of this bill. I could say it's because he's a Republican, yet he's the only man that stands between this bill passing or failing.

Shame on you, Mr. Bunning. I suggest you seek a position as a general manager of a baseball team when you get through shaming this nation with your petty tirades. At least as a general manager, you can make decisions regarding your job without having to whine about missing the big game.

John Danz Jr. is a work in progress, who enjoys the freedom of writing. Contact him at undertakerlives@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/iAmNotImportant