Is Jim Bunning Parsing Words?

Sen. Jim Bunning told reporters in his weekly conference call that "I think I'm going to have more cash on hand than any other Republican in the race."

This brave but puzzling assertion came after Secretary of Trey Grayson reported that he had raised $602,000 last quarter -- double what Bunning raised first quarter.

Perhaps Bunning is distinguishing between candidates who have actually filed for the Republican primary and those who are just testing the waters. Grayson has not yet filed; he is fundraising through an "exploratory committee." For that matter, so is Rand Paul.

So if Bunning is being precise, Grayson and Paul are not "in the race." It depends on on what the meaning of the word "in" is.

Has Bunning been listening to Rodgers & Hammerstein, South Pacific? If so, I applaud his taste in music. "Cockeyed Optimist" can now be loaded as a cellphone ringtone:

I have heard people rant and rave and bellow
That we're done and we might as well be dead,
But I'm only a cockeyed optimist
And I can't get it into my head. . . .

I could say life is just a bowl of Jello
And appear more intelligent and smart,
But I'm stuck like a dope
With a thing called hope
And I can't get it out of my heart!

Looks like we will just have to wait until Bunning files his report on July 15. The Tooth Fairy better get cracking.