Talk about bad timing. Kentucky Republican Jim Bunning picked the wrong time to stand up for his economic principles.

He single-handedly blocked a bill that would extend jobless and medical benefits for millions of Americans, because he said the country should figure out a way to pay for it first.

While he's right that our $1.6 trillion deficit is out of control and needs to be reigned in, cutting off millions of Americans from the only source of income they have during the Great Recession was not the brightest of ideas. Republican concern for the deficit should have kicked in years ago, when they were passing former President George W. Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy.

Well, Bunning finally relented Tuesday night, and it looks like the $100-billion bill that would extend certain tax breaks and jobless benefits through the end of the year is back on track. The bill that would extend benefits for 30 days received bipartisan support, passing 78-19.

According to the Associated Press:

Bunning held up action for days, causing the government to furlough highway workers and allowing some unemployment benefits to expire. ... Doctors faced the prospect of a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments, and federal flood insurance programs had also lapsed with Monday's expiration of an earlier stopgap bill that passed late last year.
"During these difficult economic times, supporting American workers, their families and our small businesses must be everyone's focus," President Barack Obama said in a statement. "I'm grateful to the members of the Senate on both sides of the aisle who worked to end this roadblock to relief for America's working families."

Unfortunately, politics is still at play.

Bunning's change of heart only came after his Republican colleagues did not back him and Democrats began pointing out that Republicans were being obstructionists. Democrats began linking the gridlock with the jobs bill to health care reform, saying the entire Republican caucus was acting like Bunning by refusing to address an important issue that affects millions of Americans.

With this, Democrats have begun gaining traction.

That's the problem in this country. No matter which party is involved, it always seems to come down to politics rather than doing what's right for the public.