Posted on 04/04/2004 5:50:35 AM PDT by billorites
Sen. Jim Bunning's re-election campaign apologized Wednesday for what it said was "a joke" the veteran lawmaker made about his likely opponent this fall, Democrat Daniel Mongiardo, at a Republican dinner last month in Florence.
Democrats charged last week that Bunning had told the crowd at the Republican Party's 4th District Lincoln/Reagan Day Dinner that Mongiardo looked like Saddam Hussein's sons "before they were dead."
Mongiardo, a state senator from Hazard, is Italian-American.
Bunning's campaign denied last week that he had made the remarks. But on Wednesday, campaign manager David Young issued a one-sentence apology. "We're sorry if this joke, which got a lot of laughs, offended anyone."
The campaign did not elaborate.
Asked why he had denied the statements earlier, Young said, "I was shopped a quote last week about what was said, and it was not a true quote."
One Republican who attended the March 20 dinner told The Post Bunning told the crowd he had met his Democratic opponent.
"I have to tell you he looks like one of Saddam Hussein's sons," the Republican, who asked not to be identified, quoted Bunning as saying.
When some people in the audience laughed and others gasped, Bunning added, "No, I mean before they were dead, of course," according to the Republican's account.
Bunning then added, "I really mean that he looks like one of Saddam's sons, and he even dresses like them, too."
Several other Republicans who attended the dinner, however, told The Post that Bunning made no such remarks or that, if he did, they didn't remember them.
Bunning's remarks were videotaped for his campaign, which has declined to release the tape.
Mongiardo's campaign said late Wednesday it has received no apology from Bunning or anyone in his campaign.
"Jim Bunning still doesn't get it," said Mongiardo spokesman Eric Niloff. "A half-hearted apology from his campaign manager is no apology at all. Jim Bunning needs to come clean, show the people of Kentucky the tape, and let them decide whether or not that's funny."
Nathan Smith, chairman of the Kenton County Democratic Party, also criticized the senator. "It's unfortunate that Jim Bunning, our Kentucky U.S. senator, would stoop to these levels of name-calling. This is exactly what's wrong with Washington, D.C."
Both Bunning and Mongiardo have nominal opponents in the May primary and are expected to square off against each other in the general election in November.
Wisely.
RAT means never having to say you're sorry.
Bunnings got nothing to worry about.
This is just what Mongiardo needs to win. Both of our state-wide papers (the Courier-Journal and Herald-Leader) are flat-out mouthpieces for the Dems, and they are all over this.
Plus, Bunning got his son appointed to a federal judgeship when he was still in his mid 30s. That'll hurt him too.
I thought this might be about Kerry's "joke" about the Secret Service assassinating Vice President Quayle.
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