Sen. Jim Bunning speaks at the Capitol rotunda.

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette

Thursday, March 5, 2009, 11 a.m. -- Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning has been all over the news of late since his Lincoln Day Dinner address to the Hardin County GOP in February.

The Late Great Newspaper to our North, the Curious-Jumble, reported the story and highlighted Bunning's 39-second comments about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had undergone treatment for pancreatic cancer.

Bunning's comments came during remarks about upcoming Supreme Court nominations, and Ginsburg certainly was not the focus of his speech that night. It's interesting to note that the reporter who was there from the Elizabethtown News-Enterprise never mentioned Bunning's comments about Ginsburg in his story.

While Democrats and the Mainstream Media take glee portraying Bunning as a bumbling fool, the truth is that he's done a commendable job as the voice of his constituents in matters before the Senate. Bunning didn't flip-flop on his vote on the $700 billion TARP legislation, nor did he cave in to support the massive stimulus plan.

But in politics, getting reelected doesn't always depend on how well you've done your job.

The political landscape has changed dramatically since Bunning narrowly won his bid for a second term in 2004. Democrats would love to grab additional Senate seats next year, and Bunning's recent gaffes have done nothing to instill confidence in his ability to win what will undoubtedly be a heated 2010 Senate race.

The unspoken truth from the GOP leadership, particularly from Sen. Mitch McConnell, is that it is time for Bunning to step aside and allow another Republican to enter the race. The Republican who is considered the strongest candidate for Bunning's seat is Trey Grayson, who is serving his last term as Kentucky's secretary of state.

While Bunning says he's going to run, his campaign has little money so far in a race that is likely to require millions to win. And of course, media reports say he's threatened to sue the National Republican Senatorial Committee if they choose to support another Republican candidate over his re-election bid, further eroding his credibility.

It's time for the Hall of Fame pitcher to gracefully bow out and let a fresh relief man enter the game. The cold hard facts are that the GOP needs to retain as many seats as it can, and that means having strong, viable candidates in every race. There's no benefit to pitching a full nine innings if you lose the game in the 7th inning.

Democrats are working hard to capitalize on the 2008 election to build their majorities in both houses of Congress. How the 2010 elections turn out nationally will, in my mind, largely be decided by the course the economy takes. If voters -- who largely don't support the massive stimulus package, industry bailouts or moves towards socialism -- don't see things improving over the next 18 months, we'll likely see the results in the voting booth.

Given the voter's lack of confidence already in the President's economic plans and the looming massive tax hikes next year, I suspect 2012 will be a year for the GOP to gain seats in both the House and Senate. But this prediction highlights another political axiom: There's nothing certain in politics until all the votes are counted.