FRANKFORT — U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky said fundraising for his 2010 re-election campaign has been “lousy” but has picked up of late. And he’s got two fundraisers scheduled in the next two weeks.

“Surprisingly, we’ve had pretty good success the past month,” Bunning said during a teleconference with Kentucky reporters Tuesday.

Bunning at first said he wasn’t sure why fundraising had picked up, saying maybe “continuous work at it, maybe calling and asking, whatever you want to call it.” But then he said it might be people realize he’s going to stay in the race – despite not too subtle efforts by some, including Kentucky’s other Republican Senator, Mitch McConnell, to pressure him not to run for a third term.

“Maybe I’ve finally convinced everybody that in spite of my leadership that I’m running,” Bunning said. “That may be a selling point.”

Bunning said he’s faced at least minor Republican primary opposition in each of his federal races and wouldn’t be surprised if he has primary opposition this time. Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson has said he would consider the race, but only if his long-time friend, Bunning, didn’t run. Senate President David Williams of Burkesville, however, has been mentioned as a potential primary challenger though he’s never said he’s running.

One of Bunning’s upcoming fundraising events, scheduled for April 16 at the Prospect home of Makers Mark CEO Bill Samuels, lists three Republican state senators as co-hosts: Ernie Harris of Crestwood, Dan Seum of Louisville, and Gary Tapp of Shelbyville. Two said they agreed to serve as co-hosts before Williams was mentioned as a potential candidate.

Bunning is “the only guy in the race right now,” Harris said when asked if his name on the invitation indicated he prefers Bunning to his Senate President. He said he agreed to serve as a co-host before Williams had been mentioned as a possible candidate.

“I agreed to that before I heard the other news – that David Williams is a potential candidate,” Seum said.

“I’ll be there because I said I’d be there,” Seum said.

Also listed as hosts are Anne Northup and her husband, Woody. Bunning endorsed Northup’s challenge to then Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher in the 2007 primary.

Bunning said his best known Democratic opponent, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, still has a $650,000 debt from the 2004 race when he narrowly lost to Bunning.

“At least I’m starting out with $150,000 in cash in the bank before I started to raise money,” Bunning said. “So I’m going to do a heck of a lot better in the first quarter than (Mongiardo) is. He’s starting out $650,000 in the red from his last campaign.”

Kim Geveden, senior advisor to Mongiardo’s campaign, said Bunning is “confused with regard to our numbers” because the 2010 Mongiardo campaign account is separate from the 2004 campaign and funds raised in this race won’t go to retire the 2004 debt. Geveden said 90 percent of that debt is a personal loan from Mongiardo.

Geveden said as an incumbent Bunning should be expected to out raise Mongiardo 3-1 in the first quarter. He said Mongiardo didn’t begin seriously to raise money until mid-February because he was busy as lieutenant governor responding to the massive ice storm which hit Kentucky.

Bunning has said he put aside his own fund raising for two years so he wouldn’t interfere with fundraising by Fletcher and McConnell during their re-election campaigns in 2007 and 2008, respectively. But he’s also said McConnell has hurt his fundraising with appeals of his own.

Bunning called the congressional budget proposal by Democrats “fiscally irresponsible.”

It “spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much,” Bunning said. And an “organized bankruptcy” is a better remedy for troubled auto manufacturers General Motors and Chrysler than President Barack Obama’s plan which lets government make critical business decisions.

“That sounds like socialism to me,” Bunning said.

Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort, Ky. He may be contacted by email at rellis@cnhi.com.