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Bunning "Apologizes" For Predicting Justice Ginsburg's Death
Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) has issued a statement apologizing for his public pronouncement at a local GOP dinner in Kentucky, that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would be dead in nine months:
"I apologize if my comments offended Justice Ginsburg," said Bunning. "That certainly was not my intent. It is great to see her back at the Supreme Court today and I hope she recovers quickly. My thoughts and prayers are with her and her family."
The Louisville Courier-Journal reported over the weekend that Bunning had told the Hardin County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner that he supports the appointment of conservative judges -- an issue that will be even more important because of Ginsburg's cancer. "Even though she was operated on, usually, nine months is the longest that anybody would live after (being diagnosed) with pancreatic cancer," Bunning said.
Late Update: Here's the audio from Saturday night, courtesy of the Courier-Journal:
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Josh
Matt
Eric
Translation: "I'm sorry I didn't realize there was a live microphone in the vicinity."
February 23, 2009 3:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
You nailed it, Hussein. Nailed it.
February 23, 2009 9:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bunning = senile.
February 23, 2009 4:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
fyi...Obama on discussing fiscal summit.
http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream3&iref=lb100
February 23, 2009 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if Bunning said the same thing as Chris Short lingered in unconsciousness for 2½ years after the ruptured aneurysm that ultimately claimed his life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Short
February 23, 2009 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
What a shame -- I didn't know that about Chris Short.
Bunning has certainly gotten nasty in his senility. Or maybe he's always been nasty -- if I remember correctly, he had a temper as a pitcher, too.
February 23, 2009 5:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Looks like someone forgot to change the batteries on his filter. What's crazy is that this is from a senator, someone who's filter is supposed to be on all the time.
February 23, 2009 4:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
What a contemptible human turd Bunning has shown himself to be with this.
I'm going to go on record here as wishing a miserable, lingering, painful demise on Jim Bunning. One that destroys him physically by inches while leaving (what's left of) his faculties untouched, so it really, really hurts him for a long time.
Fairness, you know? Let the SOB suffer.
February 23, 2009 4:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
You got the quotes right in the headline, but the text of the post could have been more direct. Let's be clear here -- Bunning didn't apologize, he issued a classic non-apology, "I'm sorry if anyone was offended," not "I'm sorry for what I said."
It seems to have become completely reflexive for Republicans, putting the blame on people who had the poor judgment to be offended, never on their own actions. It shouldn't go unnoticed.
February 23, 2009 4:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly right. It was just another typical weasley Republican apology, ala' Murdoch's Newscorp non-apology apology over the chimp cartoon.
Have you notices that Republicans, in general, seem to cornered the market on negative human behavioral attributes? You know, greedy, selfish, hateful, fearful, dictatorial, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, ignorant, stupid, etc., etc. I'm not just name calling here, I'm serious about that observation.
The GOP is like a stellar black-hole, irresistibly drawing-in those who don't merely have a differing perspective, but whose very characters seem unhealthy or even destructive.
February 24, 2009 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Is appears that the GOP bigwigs are desperately trying to dredge up a primary opponent for Bunning. All good Democrats should enthusiastically support Bunning if that happens... he's the ideal candidate to run against in 2010.
February 23, 2009 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly. Where do I donate?
February 23, 2009 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bunning decided to see if he could fit his whole foot in his mouth. Next thing he knew, he was short a leg...
February 23, 2009 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder where Bunning stood on the Terry Schiavo issue?
I bet he wanted Schiavo kept on life support forever.
But if it were Ginsburg, he'd be beating down the door to unplug her.
February 23, 2009 4:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
S-e-n-i-l-e
February 23, 2009 5:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Misspelling Ginsburg's name adds that extra touch of class:
"I apologize if my comments offended Justice Ginsberg," the two-term Kentucky junior senator said Monday in a statement, which misspelled Ginsburg's name. "That certainly was not my intent."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jCRioWAXniX-rCWPKTK3tLk2ejTQD96HH1980
February 23, 2009 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes! Eric, in your post above you have misquoted the statement released by Senator Bunning!
The Senator's original statement actually mis-spelled her name!! They wrote "Ginsberg" instead of "Ginsburg".
I think that makes the non-apology apology about ten times worse.
-- ARG
February 23, 2009 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm sure it's been said before, but let's just put it in terms Bunning could understand if he had been fully lucid at any point since 2004 (at the latest):
Jim Bunning has dementia. Bad dementia. The kind of dementia you don't get better from. In nine months he'll... still be a Senator from Kentucky.
February 23, 2009 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
What ever happened to the sincere apology? How could his comment not offend? Which brings into question what was his intent, if not to be offensive? He shouldn't be allowed to just skate away without getting his a$$ royally chewed.
February 23, 2009 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
A sincere apology would have required him to be sincerely sorry, which he is not. What we got was a Public-Relations apology. Sincerity would have required genuine regret over the pain he may have caused Justice Ginsberg and her family, or shame, or basic human decency. The dearth of such positive healthy human charater attributes in Republicans should be obvious and a concern.
The sooner the public fully recognizes how diseased the GOP and conservatism has become the more complete the job of cutting it out of the political body of the Nation in the 2010 election will be.
February 24, 2009 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
I see another smarmy semi-apology has been offered. "Gee....I'm sorry if anybody was offended by my remarks..."
What else can we expect from a republican who is furious at the possibility of Obama getting to pick the next Supreme court justice? Maybe several? Who knows?
February 23, 2009 6:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I suggest many don't let this one go. His comments are distasteful.
By the way that is a great one semiotix. Accept I think he gives people with dementia a bad name. Sames goes for senile folks as well. If I were part of an advocacy group on behalf of the senile or dementia community, I would be outraged by the correlation between the Senator from Kentucky and our two groups. His behavior is unacceptable on all levels.
February 23, 2009 6:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I apologize if my comments offended Kentucky," Damage said. "That certainly was not my intent. It is sad to see this sexist, racist excuse for a Senator back, epitomizing all Kentuckians today, but I hope Kentucky recovers its senses quickly. My thoughts and prayers are with the Bluegrass State and her Kentucky Colonels."
February 23, 2009 7:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I apologize "if".
In another words, "I apologize only if the case is the that," or "I don't apologize unless"
Then they track it to feelings. "I apologize if some persons' (hypersensitive, irrational) feelings were (unjustifiably) harmed by my (of course, and by the juvenile-ish...)
February 23, 2009 9:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Justice Ginsburg will live a long life, and it will go past Jan 2011 when Jim Bunning's replacement will be seated. and wouldn't it be great if they were sworn in by a very vibrant Justice Ginsburg. Bunning is an old fool and is a disgrace and a waste of a Senator. he's also a racist: (look into comments he made about his '04 Dem opponent).
February 23, 2009 11:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry that was cut off. Anyhow, "Sorry if anyone may feel that by stabbing the child in his heart I may have somehow injured him."
February 24, 2009 3:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Cut the guy some slack.
Yes, he's a dim witted dufus lacking tack decorum. But the more you beat up on him now, the more apparent it is that he could not win re-election, and the more likely Mitch & Co. will push him to "retire" before the Republican primary.
February 24, 2009 8:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
A man who is 77 commenting on the mortality of a woman who is 75. Pretty rich.
He's obviously immortal and will never be lying incontinent in a hospital bed.
Ha-ha.
February 24, 2009 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink