Monday, March 20, 2017

Bunning's deficit spending protest was pitch perfect

By Tom Siebert

When Jim Bunning was pitching a perfect game for the Philadelphia Phillies on Father's Day, 1964, he called his catcher Gus Triandos out to the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning. Just wanting a breather, the pitcher said to the catcher: "Tell me a joke."

Well, the senator from Kentucky may now be a national joke himself, but his pitch was still perfect when he filibustered the extension of unemployment benefits. Yes, Bunning would have more credibility if he had similarly blocked the off-the-books Bush tax cuts as well as the unfunded wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But Bunning's talk today is as straight as a low line drive: The United States is going bankrupt because of staggering spending. I may be a lefty, but I have to admit that old right-hander was right this time. And by the way, did you know that you can collect 99 weeks of unemployment benefits? It almost makes me want to get fired from my two jobs.

March 12, 2010 South Florida Sun-Sentinel 

No comments:

Post a Comment