Bunning singlehandedly blocks unemployment extension

If there's any recent story that illustrates Republicans' sense of entitlement, this may be it.

When senators tried to extend much-needed unemployment insurance, right-wing Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Arizona) threatened to block it. Kyl cried that he was blocking it until the estate tax was repealed.

In other words, Kyl thought unemployed workers shouldn't be able to keep their benefits until taxes were cut for the heirs of multimillionaires such as himself.

Then right-wing Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Kentucky) managed to block the unemployment extension altogether - thanks to filibuster rules that allow a party that's in the minority to gut important legislation.

Hey, don't blame me for being from Bunning's state. I've never voted for the loudmouth.

When lawmakers on the Senate floor groaned in disappointment over Bunning's action, Bunning blurted out, "Tough shit!"

Bunning's excuse for singlehandedly depriving millions of Americans of unemployment insurance is that he claimed extending benefits wasn't paid for. Yet he's supported tax breaks for the rich that weren't paid for.

Then Bunning blamed the Democrats for making him miss a college basketball game - even though it was Bunning's own obstructionism that forced the Senate to stay in session for so long.

If the Democrats had any sense, they'd beat the Republicans over the head with this.