Posted March 2nd, 2010 6:00 am

Kentucky Proud. “Longtime Kentucky Crazy Person Jim Bunning.” That’s how Jon Stewart accurately described Republican Senator Jim Bunning last night on his opening bit on the Daily Show. On the gesture, when Johnny Cash did it, it was a powerful rejection of the powers that be in Nashville. When Kentucky Republican Senator and hateful old man Beanball Bunning gave the finger yesterday in the U.S. Senate offices, it was an obvious message to reporters and to the unemployed Kentuckians who were counting on help from their government to make it through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, a crisis created by Republican leadership from 2000 to 2008. Bunning is cementing his legacy, and it is not one his children or grandchildren will ever want to be reminded of.

ABC News reports that:

Senator Bunning was even more expressive before the cameras arrived, using a little sign language.
When Senate producer Z. Byron Wolf spotted Bunning exiting his office, Bunning said, “I’m not talking to anybody.” When Wolf asked him to stay and talk to our cameras, Bunning walked toward the elevator and shot the middle finger over his head.

To see the face of Republican obstruction, see the video below (Bunning’s obscene gesture not included):

And as only Daily Kos can capture the issue:

But here’s the fun part, not captured in the above bug-f***ing crazy video, coming to you via the Twitter account of ABC’s Jon Karl
An Irate Jim Bunning kicks me off the elevator “This is a Senators-only elevator!” Off-camera: He flipped the bird.
Mrrrraaaaaahh
Get off my lawn! Get off your own lawn! Eat your lawn clippings! Rrrraaaaaahhh!
Yes, he’s a fantastic prick. But there’s so much more to it than that. Jon Karl gets paid good money to have Senators crap on him. But what about the people whose unemployment checks aren’t coming this week, because this stupid old coot can’t remember that he’s voted for UI extensions without offsets before. What about the workers on those “shovel-ready” projects from whom he’s swiped the shovel with his petulant bullshit? And what about the doctors now getting screwed on Medicare fees, as reported by TPM?
Yeah, Jim Bunning’s a giant ass, alright. And this particular storyline is chock full of kickers already. But here’s one more, courtesy of the Twitter feed of the Senate DemWarRoom:
Bunning says Senate must abide by the PAYGO rules he didn’t vote for
Did you get that? Unemployed Americans can’t get their assistance, COBRA subscribers can’t get their coverage, highway workers lose their jobs and paychecks, and doctors get screwed on Medicare all because Bunning won’t allow an emergency waiver [of the rule] requiring that new spending be paid for… even though he voted against the very provision requiring that back in January.
What an asshole.

Since both Rand Paul and Trey Grayson have endorsed Bunning’s actions, they presumably approve of Bunning’s symbolically and literally giving the finger to America. Kentucky will have the chance to return the favor to whichever one of these out-of-touch Republicans will be required to defend this message to Kentucky in the fall.

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