Sen. Jim Bunning’s (R-Ky.) Tuesday morning conference call with home-state reporters is turning into one of the most newsworthy events of the week.

In his latest call with scribes earlier Tuesday, Bunning again didn’t disappoint. While acknowledging that he has conducted polling on his prospects for winning a third term, the irascible Kentucky Republican refused to reveal the results.

“It’s none of your goddamned business,— Bunning told reporters. “If you paid the 20 grand for the poll, you can get some information out of it.—

In other recent Tuesday press calls, Bunning has threatened to sue the National Republican Senatorial Committee if it supported another Republican for his seat, and admitted he has trouble taking NRSC Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) at his word.

Since the beginning of the year, Republican insiders in Washington, D.C., and in Kentucky have become increasingly concerned about Bunning’s viability as a candidate. Bunning barely won in 2004, despite outspending his challenger 2-1 in a good year for Republicans. He’ll be 79 in 2010, and while he insists he’s seeking a third term, GOP leaders including his seat mate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), and Cornyn have continued to signal that his decision may not be final.

When that particular subject came up on a Tuesday media call two weeks ago, Bunning exploded, saying, “I don’t believe anything John Cornyn says. I’ve had miscommunications with John Cornyn from, I guess, the first week of this current session of the Senate,— Bunning said, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.

“He either doesn’t understand English or he doesn’t understand direct: I’m going to run,’ which I said to him in the cloakroom of our chamber,— Bunning said.