GOP Senator Jim Bunning just pulled off an interesting trick: This afternoon he voted against doubling the bounty on Osama Bin Laden's head — and defended the vote by saying he is more serious about fighting al Qaeda than the measure's sponsor is.

Bunning's proof that he's more serious about catching bin Laden? He wants American troops to stay in Iraq, and the bill's sponsor doesn't.

Bunning's amazing feat of prestidigitation came this morning, just after the Senate voted on an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill to double the reward for catching bin Laden from $25 million to $50 million. The measure was offered by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), a proponent of withdrawal from Iraq. The roll call vote was 87-1 in favor. The sole vote against was Bunning's.

Bunning has now explained his vote in this wonderfully surreal statement:

"Catching Osama bin Laden and other leaders of al Qaeda is something the United States government has already made a top priority. If Senator Dorgan truly supported our efforts to fight al Qaeda he would not support withdrawing from Iraq, a key battleground against al Qaeda and in the War on Terror."

That's right: If you're more serious about catching bin Laden, you should stay in Iraq.