The crowd was small but their welcome was warm. Only about 70 people came out to hear Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning on Saturday at the Madison County Lincoln Day Dinner but those at the event liked what they heard.

Bunning was the only featured speaker – except for Lincoln presenter (impersonator) Bob Coffey, who told stories as Lincoln and then recited the Gettysburg Address.

Bunning told the crowd that he believes in “core conservative values,” and left no question he’s running for a third term.

“I am not anybody’s puppet. I am my own man,” Bunning said. “I believe in lower taxes. I don’t believe in raising your taxes. I believe life begins at conception. I don’t believe in killing unborn children.”

Bunning said those values are under attack by Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

“That’s why I am running for a third term,” Bunning said.

Bunning spent most of his speech talking about the economy and what he believes is the wrong-headed and he quoted Lincoln.

“You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income,” Bunning quoted Lincoln as saying. He said the stimulus bill will ultimately cost $1.175 trillion and won’t end the recession. He was greeted by applause when he reminded the crowd he opposed the bailout and noted the Dow Jones Index has fallen 2,000 points since the stimulus plan was passed.

But the economy is bad, Bunning said, and he fears this is the first generation that can’t look forward to a better life for their children than they enjoyed.

He said he’d met recently with Pentagon officials to press them on destruction of chemical weapons stored at Bluegrass Army Depot near Richmond and said their current schedule isn’t adequate and they “better re-do their schedule.”

Bunning also reminded his audience he has worked to promote clean coal and coal-to-liquid legislation in the Congress.

Madison County Party Chairman Billy Ray Hughes urged the crowd to support Bunning and to help the party win local elections. Privately, he left little doubt where he stands on Bunning’s re-election bid.

“Bunning is our horse and we need to stick with him,’ said Hughes, 53. “He’s independent minded, he doesn’t go with the crowd. Back before bailouts became common, he was against them. He was against them before we even knew what they were.”

Ellen McWhorter-Stone, 39, president of the Madison County Republican Women’s Club, was cautious about commenting on whether Bunning should run for re-election but she doesn’t think efforts by some in her party to squeeze him out of the race are fair to Bunning.

”I don’t think they’re treating Jim Bunning fairly,” she said. “I definitely think he’s served us well and he’s definitely stuck to the party’s platform and the principles of the Republican Party.”

Like Hughes, McWhorter-Stone said Madison County Republicans have some work to do locally.

“I think we are in a state of transition,” McWhorter-Stone said. “Locally, we’ve got some work to do. Even some Republicans I know kind of became disillusioned at the end of the Bush administration.”

She said Republicans must get out their message to voters so they’ll understand the party stands for less government, less taxation, less spending and is pro-life.

After the speeches, state Rep. Lonnie Napier, R-Lancaster, whose district includes part of Madison County and who is a professional auctioneer, auctioned off a baseball autographed by Bunning, a Major League Hall of Fame pitcher who threw no-hitters in both leagues.

Hughes ended up with the winning bid of $75. He said later Bunning told him it would sell for about $37.50 on e-Bay. But he was happy to have it and was proudly showing it off.

RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com.