Jon Stewart on Jim Bunning and Rick Sanchez

Jim Bunning's been in the news quite a bit for screwing over more than a million unemployed Americans, but let's not forget that he was also one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history. He was a six-time All-Star who threw a perfect game. In fact, it's been said that he was almost as good at baseball as he is at being a cantankerous, elderly Lex Luthor.

Of course, the villains in Congress aren't the only thing wrong with America. After the jump, Jon reports on CNN's Rick Sanchez, who is to journalism what pants-pooping is to pants.

The Daily Show airs Monday through Thursday at 11pm / 10c.

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Tags: CNN, Harry Reid, Jim Bunning, Kentucky, Republicans, Rick Sanchez, Senate, Unemployment, Video

Stupid Unemployed People Keep Jim Bunning from His Basketball Game

There are eleventy billion unemployed people in the United States right now, give or take a zillion, and a large package of federal unemployment benefits provisions is set to expire this weekend, leaving a whole lot of folks without Cobra subsidies and unemployment insurance payments. That's a bad thing, In These Tough Times!

So the House approved a temporary extension of these benefits, but late last night the measure hit a wall in the Senate, because of cranky old Jim Bunning (R-KY)…

Ninety-nine of the Senate's 100 members have agreed that people whose benefits are set to run out should be allowed to continue receiving them past the February 28 deadline. One senator–Bunning–disagrees. He says the benefits should only be extended if they're paid for with stimulus dollars. Democrats don't like that at all.

If Bunning were to relent, the extensions would be granted automatically. But, per the Senate rules, any single member can throw a wrench into an otherwise universal agreement.

Unsurprisingly, Bunning couldn't care less about any of it: "I have missed the Kentucky-South Carolina game that started at 9:00 and it's the only redeeming chance we had to beat South Carolina since they're the only team that has beat Kentucky this year," he said on the Senate floor.

Wow. I know what you're thinking, but don't worry.

Kentucky won.

Tags: Basketball, Jim Bunning, Republicans, Senate, Unemployment

Former Ballplayer Pulls a "Tiger Woods' Wife" on Ben Bernanke

Lots of poop got thrown at Ben Bernanke during his Senate confirmation hearing yesterday, but the MVP award goes to Jim Bunning, pitcher from Kentucky.

The Wall Street Journal has the full text of his statement. It is epic.

Four years ago [...] I was the only Senator to even raise serious concerns about you. I opposed you because I knew you would continue the legacy of Alan Greenspan, and I was right. But I did not know how right I would be and could not begin to imagine how wrong you would be in the following four years. [...]

[Y]ou have decided that just about every large bank, investment bank, insurance company, and even some industrial companies are too big to fail. Rather than making management, shareholders, and debt holders feel the consequences of their risk-taking, you bailed them out. In short, you are the definition of moral hazard.

From monetary policy to regulation, consumer protection, transparency, and independence, your time as Fed Chairman has been a failure. [...] Where I come from we punish failure, not reward it. That is certainly the way it was when I played baseball, and the way it is all across America. Judging by the current Treasury Secretary, some may think Washington does reward failure, but that should not be the case. I will do everything I can to stop your nomination and drag out the process as long as possible.

Listen, if anybody knows about failure being punished, it is Jim Bunning.

Being forced into retirement by your own party after being named one of America's five worst senators will do that to a man.

(Seriously though: it's nice that people want to keep Ben on his toes. I just don't understand why it's only the crazy people.)

Tags: Ben Bernanke, Economy, Federal Reserve, Jim Bunning, Sports

Colbert: Congress Should Come Out of the Closet as Whores for Lobbyists

So what if all of Congress is owned by powerful corporate lobbyists? If the lobbyists didn't make huge political contributions, how could politicians run expensive campaigns to convince you to vote them into office, where they can do the bidding of the lobbyists? It's just common sense.

The Colbert Report airs Monday through Thursday at 11:30pm / 10:30c.

Tags: Health Care, Jim Bunning, Lobbyists, Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report, Video

From the Pork Barrel: Jesus Is My Health Care Provider

* Sam Harris: Not for nothing, but why do we have a top government scientist who believes in magic?

* DADT to get asked, told in Senate this fall.

* Michael Steele, Eric Cantor BFFs with Orly Taitz, the leader of the birther rebellion on Facebook. (So, BFBFFs?)

* The Onion: Ordinary Americans respond to the death of Osama bin Laden's son.

* Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) retiring due to lack of people giving a shit.

* Nancy Pelosi doesn't care if she's unpopular. Good thing.

Tags: al Qaeda, Birthers, Christianity, DADT, Eric Cantor, Francis Collins, Health Care, House of Representatives, Jim Bunning, LGBT, Michael Steele, Military, Nancy Pelosi, Orly Taitz, Osama bin Laden, Pork Barrel, Religion, Science & Technology, Senate, Terrorism, The Onion