Bunning claims he was threatened over coal proposal

He said he was told by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., that if he persisted with his plans on an energy measure, nothing he did in the future would clear the Senate Finance Committee, where Baucus is chairman.

Bunning, R-Ky., later added that this was communicated between the senators' staffs. And Bunning said he communicated to Baucus: "Stuff it."

Normally, the comments would have been available for anyone to hear at Bunning's Web site, where he posts recordings of his weekly press calls.

But the recording of Tuesday's call was edited, and the senator's comments about the threats were taken out.

He said he was told by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., that if he persisted with his plans on an energy measure, nothing he did in the future would clear the Senate Finance Committee, where Baucus is chairman.

Bunning, R-Ky., later added that this was communicated between the senators' staffs. And Bunning said he communicated to Baucus: "Stuff it."

Normally, the comments would have been available for anyone to hear at Bunning's Web site, where he posts recordings of his weekly press calls.

But the recording of Tuesday's call was edited, and the senator's comments about the threats were taken out.

Bunning's references to Baucus being "a little boy" were gone. As was this: "After facing Ted Williams, do you think I'm afraid of Max Baucus?"

That was a reference to Bunning's major league baseball pitching career and showdowns with one of the sport's greatest hitters.

Later on Tuesday, Bunning's press secretary, Mike Reynard, called reporters to clear up what he said was confusion regarding Bunning's remarks. He said Bunning was threatened not over a provision he wanted to strike from a tax package accompanying the energy bill, but over his proposal to boost development of coal-to-liquids fuel.

Even later that same day, the press call was posted on the Web site -- minus the attacks against Baucus.

Reynard explained in an interview that Bunning had been talking to several staff members, and the portion of the call dealing with Baucus was deleted because "we don't want people to be confused."

"We try to make the Web site as a good source of information and try to make sure what we have on there is correct," Reynard said. "Rather than risk having something printed that's not entirely true, you want to make sure it's right."

We asked Baucus' office about what transpired.

"That conversation never occurred," Baucus chief of staff Jim Messina said of the alleged threat. "We dealt in good faith with their office a lot in working on this bill."

Bunning's remarks reflected frustration at failing to strike an amendment from the tax package and failing to pass the coal-to-liquids amendment on the Senate floor, Messina said.

"Allegations like this are nothing but people trying to make excuses for amendments failing," Messina said, adding that "Baucus has a reputation of working across party lines."

Did Baucus take offense at Bunning's remarks?

"These little partisan games are beneath him, and he's not going to respond," Messina said.

Asked why Bunning would think he had been threatened, Messina said: "I can't figure it out, but it didn't happen."

Tweaking the mine bill?

Tony Oppegard, a former state and federal mine safety official, liked much of what was proposed last week in major coal-mine safety legislation.

But he still sees room for improvement.

The sponsors of the legislation, which deals with everything from underground refuge chambers to coal-dust exposure, include Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Patty Murray, D-Wash.; and Reps. George Miller, D-Calif., Nick Rahall II, D-W.Va., Ben Chandler, D-6th District, and John Yarmuth, D-3rd District.

First, Oppegard wants Congress to put an end to warning letters to coal mine operators who appear to have patterns of safety violations. The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration recently sent such warning letters to eight coal companies, including two in Kentucky.

Oppegard said operators either have a pattern of violations or they don't. Warning letters, he said, are simply a way for operators to avoid the consequences of disregarding safety laws.

Second, Oppegard said he was disappointed that the legislation did not boost annual inspections of mines from the current four per year to six. He said he understood there are some concerns about MSHA staffing shortages.

Third, Oppegard said the proposal needs to require all miners to carry multi-gas detectors. The lawmakers are saying the detectors should be given to miners who work alone.

"There are not many miners who work by themselves," he said. Instead, miners need to protect themselves in cases where others with detectors don't use them, he said.

Nevertheless, he said, the overall legislation is "a major step forward."

Studying the proposal

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has not endorsed the new mine-safety proposal.

"As you know, one of his top priorities is the safety of the thousands of Kentuckians working every day in our nation's coal mines," said McConnell spokesman Robert Steurer. "He will review all proposals introduced that would have an impact on our coal miners."

Rep. Hal Rogers, R-5th District, said in a statement that he also is reviewing the proposal.

"If changes or additions to existing law are needed, I am hopeful all parties can work cooperatively to achieve safety improvements," Rogers said. "In the meantime, properly implementing (last year's mine safety law) can address safety issues now."

Rogers honored

Rogers has received an award from the National Association of Drug Court Professionals for his work on the House Appropriations Committee steering money to the nation's drug court programs.

The Kentuckian has been a key player in securing about $40 million each year for court-supervised alternative treatment programs aimed at reversing the high relapse rates in nonviolent drug cases.

Kentucky has 55 drug courts, ranking in number only behind California, New York, Texas, FloridaOhio. and

"We learned the hard way that the criminal justice system needed a sweeping overhaul to repair the damage of drug abuse," Rogers said in a statement. "The old way of doing things wasn't getting the job done, and we now know that drug courts are a practical, proven solution to reduce crime and get people on their feet again."

Nunn-Lugar update

This summer will mark the 15th anniversary of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, created by Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and former Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., to safeguard and destroy nuclear, chemical and biological weapons in the former Soviet Union.

Lugar and Nunn have been nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize because of their program.

So far, 6,982 strategic nuclear warheads have been deactivated, according to Lugar's office. In addition, 644 intercontinental ballistic missiles and 485 missile silos have been destroyed or eliminated, 100 ICBM mobile launchers have been destroyed, and hundreds of other weapons and launchers have been disposed of.

The program also has upgraded security at a dozen nuclear weapons storage sites and built nine biological monitoring stations.

Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan no longer have any nuclear weapons because of the program.

Keep those Bunning letters

Three and a half decades after leaving the mound, Bunning's status as a Hall of Fame pitcher still has cachet.

According to personal financial disclosure reports released earlier this month, the Jim Bunning Foundation earned more than $50,500 in revenue last year, including $12,500 from private Bunning signings.

The Bunning foundation donated $16,350 to charity last year. Bunning also paid himself a $20,000 salary.