Friday, March 6, 2009

Republicans Look for a Reliever in Kentucky

Today's New York Times covers our own Jim Bunning:

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.”