silverhawks
04-30-2009, 03:46 PM
Bunning poised to retire (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21956.html)
Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning gives his leading GOP rival the blessing to prepare to run for his seat next year.
Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning, the most endangered Republican up for reelection in 2010, appears headed for retirement after giving his leading GOP rival the blessing to prepare to run for his seat next year.
Bunning’s retirement would be a huge victory for national Republicans who have grown increasingly nervous that the 77-year-old two-term senator would lose a critical race as the party tries to cling to its diminished minority in the Senate.
On Thursday afternoon, Kentucky GOP Secretary of State Trey Grayson announced that he would form an exploratory committee to run for Bunning’s seat — a move that Kentucky GOP operatives say is a precursor to Bunning's retirement. Grayson's entry will come as a relief to Kentucky Republicans and Senate GOP leaders, who may now have reason to believe their party could hold on to this seat.
“He told Trey to do this,” one senior congressional official said of Bunning. “Why else would he tell his main rival to prepare for a run?”
Added one senior Senate GOP aide: “For the first time, we now know who the Republican nominee will be next November and that’s Trey Grayson. He’s by far the best-positioned Republican to be competitive and hopefully win in the fall. It’s not even close.”
Asked to comment outside the Senate chamber Thursday, Bunning said: "I won't talk to you."
“Republican can breathe a great sigh of relief, not just in Kentucky but also nationally. It’s a great development for McConnell,” said Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky. “The party has been in a world of hurt and [with Bunning in the race] this was the Democrats’ number one pickup opportunity.”
Even without Bunning in the field, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee still plans on targeting the race.
“We feel that Democrats can pick up Kentucky’s senate seat whether Sen. Bunning or Senator McConnell’s handpicked candidate Trey Grayson is running,” said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Eric Schultz.
In a statement, Grayson said he doesn’t plan on running against Bunning and is merely making preparations to run in case Bunning does not run for a third term.
“I have formed an exploratory committee to allow me to formally raise and spend funds as I seek support for a bid for U.S. Senate,” Grayson said in a statement.
“I have no plans to run against Sen. Bunning. This exploratory committee will allow me to travel the commonwealth, meet with potential supporters and lay the foundation for a campaign.”
One Kentucky Republican operative said that the seeds of Bunning’s decision were planted at a public event back in Kentucky that both Grayson and Bunning attended several weeks ago. Bunning sensed that Grayson was getting anxious waiting for him to decide whether to run for re-election, so he told Grayson that he should just form an exploratory committee.
Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning gives his leading GOP rival the blessing to prepare to run for his seat next year.
Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning, the most endangered Republican up for reelection in 2010, appears headed for retirement after giving his leading GOP rival the blessing to prepare to run for his seat next year.
Bunning’s retirement would be a huge victory for national Republicans who have grown increasingly nervous that the 77-year-old two-term senator would lose a critical race as the party tries to cling to its diminished minority in the Senate.
On Thursday afternoon, Kentucky GOP Secretary of State Trey Grayson announced that he would form an exploratory committee to run for Bunning’s seat — a move that Kentucky GOP operatives say is a precursor to Bunning's retirement. Grayson's entry will come as a relief to Kentucky Republicans and Senate GOP leaders, who may now have reason to believe their party could hold on to this seat.
“He told Trey to do this,” one senior congressional official said of Bunning. “Why else would he tell his main rival to prepare for a run?”
Added one senior Senate GOP aide: “For the first time, we now know who the Republican nominee will be next November and that’s Trey Grayson. He’s by far the best-positioned Republican to be competitive and hopefully win in the fall. It’s not even close.”
Asked to comment outside the Senate chamber Thursday, Bunning said: "I won't talk to you."
“Republican can breathe a great sigh of relief, not just in Kentucky but also nationally. It’s a great development for McConnell,” said Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky. “The party has been in a world of hurt and [with Bunning in the race] this was the Democrats’ number one pickup opportunity.”
Even without Bunning in the field, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee still plans on targeting the race.
“We feel that Democrats can pick up Kentucky’s senate seat whether Sen. Bunning or Senator McConnell’s handpicked candidate Trey Grayson is running,” said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Eric Schultz.
In a statement, Grayson said he doesn’t plan on running against Bunning and is merely making preparations to run in case Bunning does not run for a third term.
“I have formed an exploratory committee to allow me to formally raise and spend funds as I seek support for a bid for U.S. Senate,” Grayson said in a statement.
“I have no plans to run against Sen. Bunning. This exploratory committee will allow me to travel the commonwealth, meet with potential supporters and lay the foundation for a campaign.”
One Kentucky Republican operative said that the seeds of Bunning’s decision were planted at a public event back in Kentucky that both Grayson and Bunning attended several weeks ago. Bunning sensed that Grayson was getting anxious waiting for him to decide whether to run for re-election, so he told Grayson that he should just form an exploratory committee.