Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) really, really, isn’t doing himself any favors with his party leadership these days.
On Tuesday, Bunning told Kentucky reporters that he has had trouble fundraising because of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, his Kentucky GOP colleague in the chamber, according to the Associated Press. McConnell and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, have raised doubts about whether Bunning will seek re-election and that has made fundraising difficult, according to Bunning.
This comes after Bunning threatened to sue the NRSC if it recruited a primary challenger to run against him and a slew of stories suggesting that Republicans were quietly pushing Bunning to retire. He then reportedly suggested he was going to step down before putting a poll in the field, announcing it, but keeping the results to himself.
The stories, and comments like these, have made Bunning a target for Democrats in 2010. Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo (D), who came close to beating Bunning in 2004, is running and Rep. Ben Chandler (D) is considering the race. Attorney General Jack Conway (D) has said there is a good chance he’ll run for the seat and state Auditor Crit Luallen (D) is also eyeing the race.
McConnell’s office declined to comment. The NRSC declined to comment but pointed to previous statements by Cornyn that expressed his complete support of Bunning’s re-election efforts.