The Hate Bus


Bunning, Williams and Tori

Republican hypocrisy is hitting new heights, or is that lows, with shocking levels of anti-gay rhetoric spewing from Jim Bunning’s ill-fated bus tour.
The fast-to-anger 73-year-old embattled junior Senator, as you may know, has been assigned Republican minders to “help” with the Hall of Famer’s ongoing battle with Foot in Mouth Disease.
Unfortunately for Bunning, his declining poll numbers and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a seemingly virulent form of Foot in Mouth Disease is sweeping fellow bus travelers suggesting the soon-to-be-former Senator’s helpers need helpers.
Only yesterday, I posted a link to an Associated Press report stating that Bunning bus mate and Republican State Senate President David Williams had described Democratic opponent Dr. Daniel Mongiardo as “limp wristed” before a paltry crowd in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
This morning, a report by John Cheves of the Lexington Herald-Leader’s Frankfort Bureau clearly shows the desperate Bunning campaign sinking into a swamp of anti-gay hate speech:

A top state Republican called Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Dan Mongiardo "limp-wristed," and another GOP state legislator said she questions whether "the word 'man' applies to him" in speeches during Sen. Jim Bunning's campaign bus tour…Senate President David Williams of Burkesville and state Sen. Elizabeth Tori of Radcliff denied they intended to raise questions about Mongiardo's sexual orientation -- though Tori later said that if any listeners thought she was referring to his sexuality, "so be it”… Tori, the state Senate majority whip, said, "I served with Dr. Dan -- let me tell you he is not a gentleman. I'm not even sure the word 'man' applies to him." The comment drew laughter and applause…"I don't know anything about his sex life," she said of Mongiardo, who is unmarried. "I didn't say it that way." But, Tori added, "It's up to the person who hears it to decide" what the remark means.”

Mongiardo’s campaign manager, Kevin Geveden said Bunning and his impolitic “helpers” are waging "a gutter campaign, a campaign of sleaze and smear” and that Bunning’s campaign is "on the ropes”.
No matter the aging Bunning's oft repeated claim that he will "pitch a full nine innings and serve six years in the Senate”, his alleged mental infirmity was apparent yesterday when, at St Catharine College in Springfield, he referred to the "November the 11th" terrorist attacks in New York City.
This blogger can report this morning that the hot-tempered Bunning’s home town of Fort Thomas, Kentucky is awash in rumors claiming that if elected Bunning would only serve two months before resigning and allowing extremely conservative Kentucky Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher to appoint a successor to the six-year Senate term.
Having met the very charming Mary Bunning it gives this blogger no pleasure to report the horribly ugly end to the career of a man who once pitched a perfect game of baseball and, once, brought honor to this beautiful Commonwealth.

I urge readers to express your opinion:
NRSC (202) 675-6000
Senator David Williams (502) 564-3120
Senator Elizabeth Tori (502) 564-2450
The Bunning Campaign (859) 341-6480

Photos: bunningforsenate.org, the Kentucky Legislature

- posted by Sean @ 1:32 PM