Mr. Bunning is known on Capitol Hill for gruffly blowing past reporters and colleagues in hallways and for cranky outbursts at his staff. “He is perceived as being out-of-touch, hot-headed and generally counterproductive,” said Phil Musser, a Republican consultant and former official in the Bush administration.
As a native Kentuckian and sports legend in a solidly Republican state, Mr. Bunning long enjoyed a solid base of support. But his penchant for self-immolation nearly cost him re-election in 2004 — and set off a swirl of questions about his mental fitness.
...“The question is whether it’s time for him to hang up his cleats,” Mr. Musser said. “My basic contention is it probably is.”
Friday, March 6, 2009
Republicans Look for a Reliever in Kentucky
Today's New York Times covers our own Jim Bunning:
