They say that any publicity is good publicity, but I'm not so sure that's always the case in politics. The potentially mentally-imablanced and extremely vulnerable Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) had a two-fer today: one, a potential primary challenge, and two, a Pat Robertson-esque quote about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's health.

From the Louisville Courier-Journal:

U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning predicted over the weekend that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would likely be dead from pancreatic cancer within nine months.

During a wide-ranging 30-minute speech on Saturday at the Hardin County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner, Bunning said he supports conservative judges "and that's going to be in place very shortly because Ruth Bader Ginsburg ... has cancer."

"Bad cancer. The kind that you don't get better from," he told a crowd of about 100 at the old State Theater.

Revolting, no? But hardly surprising - this is the guy who, in 2004, "compared his dark-complexioned opponent to one of Saddam Hussein's sons."

The retired baseball Hall-of-Famer insists he's running for re-election in 2010. That's the last thing his party wants. Also in the news today, from TheHill.com:

Kentucky state Senator David Williams (R) has met with officials at the National Republican Senatorial Committee, sources confirm to The Hill, as he begins to actively consider a bid for Sen. Jim Bunning's (R-Ken.) seat.

Williams, who was in Washington as the nation's governors met over the weekend, sat down with NRSC officials on Friday, sources in Washington and Kentucky tell The Hill. The meeting was first reported by the website KYPolitics.org...

Bunning has defiantly proclaimed his intention to run for a third term, though several top Republicans have expressed skepticism. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) and NRSC chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas) have both said publicly they do not know Bunning's plans, eliciting sharp responses in which Bunning has questioned their hearing.

Bunning's lackluster fundraising has also raised eyebrows -- his bank account actually shrank between the end of the third quarter and the end of the fourth quarter.

If Bunning does not run, sources say Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R) would enter the race in short order. On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D) is already in the race, while Attorney General Jack Conway (D) and state Auditor Crit Luallen (D) continue to mull their own bids. Rep. Ben Chandler (D), seen as national Democrats' top choice, has not ruled out a race.

More on Williams at KYpolitics.com, which says the meeting may have happened with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)'s knowledge.

This is gonna be fun.