Jim Bunning: Right idea at the wrong time.

Republican Senator Jim Bunning recently came under intense criticism over the past couple weeks for his continued opposition to a bill to extend unemployment benefits that were about to expire. I'm not exactly positive on the process of Congress (nor do I ever hope to devote that much time to understanding it) but he was able to single-handedly stop the benefits from passing. In a time when people are losing their jobs and being left vulnerable without medical insurance and those things we working people take for granted it was too easy for every pundit and political talking head to take shots at the guy. In the end, the bill passed.

Believe it or not, I side with Bunning.

His opposition was simple: don't extend the benefits unless we can pay for it. Is there anything wrong with that? How much better would the economic situation of the USA be if we just made sure that we could afford what we were buying? Want some entitlement programs? Fine, just be sure they're paid for. Want to go to war? Sure, how about making sure the money is there (and the WMDs, but I digress).

It seems so ridiculous that the same things that citizens can get in trouble for with the government can be done by the government without a second thought. Except for 1997-2001, our nation has not had a budget surplus in 30 years. Can you even wrap your head around that kind of spending? We have not been out of debt since the 70s. That's just... wow.

I give credit to Bunning for being the one guy to go out there and stick his neck out. Who's to say how that will play out the next time he's up for election.

I do have to disagree with the timing, however. As I said, this is a crucial time for the unemployed. This isn't like holding back on welfare or any other program typically criticized by the right. So as to why he chose this issue and this time I can't say why. He apparently thought that it was the right situation to make his stand.

Something has to change in this cycle we have gotten ourselves in to. Democrats spend too much and Republicans don't take enough in. It all amounts to the same thing. Where are the politicians who believe in both tax cuts and reduced spending? As our (soon to be) ex-governor in NYS has learned, it is extremely unpopular to be the guy who tries to clean up the mess. It would take a large influx of elected officials to all get together on this, because one or two just won't get it done. There's too much money involved. Too many special interests. Too much corruption.

I have to believe that the people we have put in to positions of power want to help this country dig itself out of the hole. I just hope that it isn't too late before they remember what they are in DC to do.