<<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.<p> At one point in the discussion, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), asked Bunning to drop his objection. Bunning, according to Politico, had a two word answer for his colleague: "Tough sh*t."

Under normal circumstances Bunning's obstruction would be a minor headache. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid could force a vote to end the debate and the extensions would pass within a couple days. But February 28 is fast approaching, and most Senators are already back in their home states, meaning the benefits will likely not be renewed until the middle of next week.

Bunning's objections led to a series of unusually angry exchanges on the Senate floor late into the evening last night--and Senate Democrats have been blasting Bunning for depriving his own constituents of needed assistance. But so far, to no avail.

Republicans, for their part, may not have given Bunning their blessing, but they're not doing anything to stop him, and instead are blaming Democrats for not scheduling a vote earlier. >>

Tax cuts at a time of war were unheard of and irresponsible at the very least. (A true fiscal conservative should have been calling for a war tax).

Supplimental funding of the wars so that they could bypass the budget and throw the debt on the next administration is not exactly fiscally responsible either.

I am interested in the views of other progressives.