Ky. race turns as whispers grow louder

[RedEarth]

Jim Bunning stepped up to a Rotary Club lectern here Thursday to notch a save in a campaign that was on no one's lineup card of competitive Senate races a few weeks ago. But thanks to growing speculation about his mental fitness, Kentucky now has one of the more interesting campaigns in the country.


But can the Hall of Fame pitcher, who turns 73 Saturday, dispel talk in the state that he may not be up to the job? Such whispers have gotten louder in recent weeks as news media in Kentucky and beyond have pointed to a series of odd statements and actions by Bunning.


"Absurd," says Bunning's Kentucky colleague, Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell. "To suggest that the tall right-hander is somehow not up to a full nine innings or is losing his stuff, well, I'm here to tell you that the last thing you want to do would be to turn this job over to some lefty who's been playing in the minor leagues over in Frankfort."


That would be Democrat Daniel Mongiardo, 44, a two-term state legislator and surgeon from the state's coal mining region. The grandson of Italian immigrants who settled in Appalachia a century ago, he became the Democratic candidate after a scandal sidelined former governor Paul Patton.


Bunning caused a stir last spring when he told a GOP gathering that Mongiardo, who has dark hair and is olive-skinned, looked and dressed like one of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s sons. He apologized last week, but the damage was already done. Mongiardo accuses Bunning of a "negative smear campaign to make me look like a foreigner. I was born on the Fourth of July in Hazard, Kentucky. You can't get more American

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&ncid=1278&e=3&u=/usatoday/20041022/ts_usatoday/kyraceturnsaswhispersgrowlouder

[lil-petunia]

1. jeez louise, the man could be president.

neither he or shrub read the papers.

[PATRICK]

2. Is he as bad as he was in that canned debate

of his? He was reaching to finish sentences, for cryin' out......loud.
Common names like Bush and Putin seemed make him hesitate almost with a note of panic.

So how is he on the stump? Any better? I can't imagine him rolling off the smooth talk like his fellow lousy performer W.

What is that the RW has for the high end mentally disabled? The convenience of Alzheimer's if they have to face a Grand Jury? The ability not to bother the thieves they bring in with them?

Regardless of issues who wants a mentally incompetent Senator anyway?

The vintage wine has turned to vinegar.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. sounds like Bunning's going down

can Kerry gain too?

[Cocoa]

4. not only are republican voters ignorant

their senators are too...

But speaking to reporters later, Bunning reinforced an image among some that he is out of touch when he didn't seem to know about the Army reservists in Iraq (news - web sites) who recently refused to go on a convoy mission. "Uh, what are you talking about? I don't know what you are talking about," Bunning replied to a question. When told the story had been in the news for more than a week, he said, "I don't watch the news. And I have not read a newspaper in over six weeks. When I do watch some TV news, I watch Fox."

[Thrill]

5. Shut up McConnel you rotten teeth

bastard