al.com – Haley Barbour still a major player on GOP stage

Haley Barbour still a major player on GOP stage

Good for his family, bad for his supporters.

That’s the reaction from one longtime backer of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour following his decision Monday to abandon a bid for the White House.
Barbour, saying he lacked “fire in the belly,” cited the relentless grind of a presidential campaign as the reason behind his choice.

The announcement surprised even his closest supporters, and undercut overwhelming consensus among political observers that Barbour would run — and, in fact, would be one of the strongest candidates in a weak Republican field.

4/27/11