Some questions to ponder as we head into 2003.

Sen. Lucas? The camp of U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas of Boone County, last Democrat in Kentucky's eight-member Congressional delegation, is again pushing the story that the congressman is giving "serious consideration" to running against U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning in 2004.

Gov. Paul Patton was set to run against Mr. Bunning, a Southgate Republican, in '04. But thanks to his affair with Tina Conner, the governor's political life is the same as my son Conor's favorite breakfast food - toast. So the Dems are scoping their rather thin bench searching for a Senate candidate.

The Lucas spin team is happy to point out that in 1998 Mr. Bunning lost the First, Third and Sixth Congressional districts in barely beating Democrat Scotty Baesler by about 7,000 votes out of more than 1.1 million cast. Were it not for taking 59 percent of the vote in Northern Kentucky's Fourth District, Mr. Bunning would have lost.

But a lot has changed since 1998.

Mr. Bunning has done nothing to distance himself from voters. No scandal. No controversial votes or breaks with the party. No stupid statements like those made by Trent "He puts his foot in his mouth a" Lott. Dems will say he has not done enough for Kentucky, but how many votes will that move?

According to a National Journal ranking, Mr. Bunning is considered the most conservative senator in Washington, which plays well with voters. He's run statewide twice now - don't forget he was almost elected governor in 1983 - while Mr. Lucas has never run outside the Fourth District. And the GOP has made huge strides in building its political base across Kentucky.

The Lucas folks are probably just testing the waters, which look to be a little chilly right now.

Where is Steve? Lt. Gov. Steve Henry spent the last seven years positioning to run for governor. But now that he is being sued by the federal government for alleged Medicare and Medicaid fraud, it's looking more and more like he won't be a candidate in the 2003 Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Mr. Henry has denied the charges, and maybe if he is cleared or settles the suit he may have some political viability left. But the deadline for next year's race is in late January. If he's not in by now, he may not be getting in.

Where is Bruce? Northern Kentucky native Bruce Lunsford, who now lives in Louisville, was back home last week, meeting with some big-money types about his potential run in the Democrats' primary for governor. Mr. Lunsford, a lawyer who was secretary of commerce in the John Y. Brown Jr. administration, started a hospital and nursing home company called Vencor in 1985, went public in 1989 and grew into a Fortune 500 company with more than 65,000 employees before going bankrupt in 1998 amid charges of mismanagement and internal fraud.

With corporate America not exactly viewed in the best light these days, 2003 may not be Mr. Lunsford's year to seek public office. But you never know.

The year of the casino? Think developers Jerry Carroll and Bill Butler are just wishful-thinking with their plans to bring casinos to Northern Kentucky?

Take a look at the Covington riverfront, which 20 years ago was a dump. Or look at land around the airport, which 20 years ago were cornfields, for evidence that Mr. Butler knows a little about the whole vision thing. Or drive down to Sparta and take a gander at the $152 million Kentucky Speedway, which Mr. Carroll took from concept to reality in what seemed like 10 minutes.

I'm not saying these guys will get it done. Heck, they can't even agree on how it should be done.

But if anybody can get it done, they can.

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com