Bunning not surprised about Williams’ senate decision

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June 17, 2009

By RONNIE ELLIS The Glasgow Daily Times Wed Jun 17, 2009, 11:01 AM CDT

FRANKFORT — U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning was not surprised by state Sen. David Williams’ comments Monday he would not enter the 2010 race for Bunning’s seat.

“I think I fairly well said that when he was used as a ploy to dry up my dollars the first time when he was invited in by Sen. (Mitch) McConnell’s chief of staff and Sen. (John) Cornyn met with him,” said Bunning. He referred to seatmate McConnell and Cornyn, who heads up the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, who Bunning contends have undermined his fundraising for re-election.

“I said it was a ploy – that David Williams would not run, that he would stay in the state Senate,” Bunning continued. “He’s a big fish in a little pond there.”

Bunning said Williams is a major player in Kentucky politics and “rightfully so,” Bunning said.

Williams, the state Senate president, said on Monday he would run for re-election to his seat and would not enter the U.S. Senate race. Bunning, 77, wants a third term but is seen by many in his party as vulnerable. State Secretary of State Trey Grayson and Bowling Green ophthalmologist Rand Paul have formed exploratory committees to gauge support for the race and to raise money. Both have said – to one degree or another – they would not oppose Bunning in a primary.

Bunning, who reported raising only $263,000 for re-election during the first quarter, said fundraising is going better in the second quarter but he wouldn’t reveal how much money he has raised.

“You’re going to have to wait until the 15th of July, until all the bets are in, just like me,” Bunning told reporters on his weekly teleconference. “But I feel like we’re going to do better than in the first quarter and we’ll see how much better.”

Bunning spent most of the call criticizing Democratic plans for health care reform. He said taxpayers “will be required to subsidize health reform for people who earn up to five times the federal poverty level,” and eliminate private health care.

“If we create a government sponsored, single payer system, it will drive private insurers out of the market,” Bunning said.

One reporter asked him to reflect on the 45th anniversary on Sunday, Father’s Day, of the perfect game he pitched in 1964 for the Philadelphia Phillies against the New York Mets. Bunning said he expects a call from Tony Taylor, the Phillies second baseman who saved the perfect game by robbing a Met hitter of a single with a diving catch and throw to first.

He said Taylor calls him each year to relive the game. He also pitched a no-hitter in 1958 for the Detroit Tigers against the Boston Red Sox. Bunning was later elected to the Hall of Fame.

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

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Bunning not surprised about Williams’ senate decision

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