Bunning Must Step Down

Simply put, Kentucky's Jim Bunning is hurting the Republican Party's chances of keeping a U.S. Senate seat in the GOP fold. He has sent mixed signals about whether he intends to run in 2010. On the one hand, he has encouraged Secretary of State Trey Grayson to establish an exploratory committee, but on the other, he maintains that he is a candidate for reelection. As a result, GOP donors don't know where to send their dollars. Grayson has raised about $600,000, and Bunning has about $250,000 in the bag. Another hopeful, Rand Paul (the son of Ron) has raised about $125,000, largely through a grassroots effort. Meanwhile, the leading Democratic hopeful, Attorney General Jack Conway, already has an impressive war chest of 1.2 million. Bunning, who often appears addled or angry or both, must step aside and do so quickly, for not only Kentucky's sake but also the nation's.