First the House, then the Senate, now lieutenant governor.

Andre Bauer has always been the young man in a hurry.

Now Bauer is trying to get off on a new foot, doing political penance for driving and judgment lapses by walking 10 miles to file for re-election.

The problem is, the new foot is a heavy foot.

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Bauer, a 37-year-old bachelor, jeopardized his Republican renomination prospects with his latest highway escapades, two traffic stops in the last four months at speeds of 101 and 77 mph. He emerged with only a "good night" for one and warning ticket for the other from troopers who showed uncharacteristic mercy to "SC2."

Captured on tape

And, thanks to the Highway Patrol's dashboard cameras and the Freedom of Information Act, Bauer's travails are being replayed on TV and endlessly on the Web.

He had previously told The Greenville News that no such incidents occurred.

Two years ago he drove through red lights in downtown Columbia, a city police car on his tail, blue lights flashing. When finally stopped near the Statehouse, Bauer jumped from his car and headed toward the officer, who drew his pistol to end the incident, before getting out his ticket book.

Bauer isn't talking, except to offer apologies, as he did after the Columbia incident.

An aide, Mike Easterday, a former Greenville legislator, said it wouldn't be in Bauer's interest to go public beyond the apology.

That might suffice, suggests Danielle Vinson, who teaches political communication at Furman University. "Let the apology stand and find something else to talk about.

"He might get away with hiding from the press as long as there is no new information and as long as his campaign opponents don't decide to talk about it." Campaign issueDon't bet on the latter.

The state's political blogs are having a field day at Bauer's expense.

One, Barbecue and Politics, reported on fictitious legislative action appropriating $12 million to build an "Andrebahn" where the minimum speed would be 90 mph and only Bauer would be allowed on it.

Dave Woodard, a Clemson University political science professor and Republican consultant-pollster, said after the disclosures, "Today's headline made the 'Anybody but Andre' voter think: "Only a few more months until I can vote for (Mike) Campbell, and Bauer will be gone."

Hours later, their choices expanded when Anderson surgeon Henry Jordan, a brand-name Christian conservative, jumped into the primary.

Blease Graham, a University of South Carolina political scientist, declared Bauer's situation "pretty serious, certainly in the short run, as it raises his negatives and potentially squanders his advantage as an incumbent."

Time factor

Graham said Bauer cannot "afford to become a laughingstock among peers, party leaders, moderate voters in the primary or the general election."

The short run is indeed short. The primary is 72 days hence. "The public seems to be pretty lenient" toward errant politicians, says Deb Sofield, a Greenville City Council member and a Republican. "Unfortunately, it's becoming so consistent with (Bauer) that we've grown a little weary."

What troubles party elders is that the Bauer story has legs, that is, just hangs around, spreading the embarrassment.

GOP leaders are handling it like a day-old diaper.

"It's unfortunate and very disappointing that this has happened. We'll leave it up to the primary voters to make a choice," said Katon Dawson, the state party chairman.

That's as close to criticism as you'll see them get. Leaders skittishDawson shied away from a question about whether the party would be better served if Bauer withdrew.

It drew a mixed reaction from legislators, at least those willing to talk.

"It's a catastrophe for Andre," Sen. David Thomas, a Greenville County Republican who lost the nomination to Bauer four years ago, said of the political fallout. "This is three strikes and you're out. The whole thing is just too bizarre."

But Bauer has his backers, and a loyal following of admirers of his go-go style of campaigning.

Sen. Jake Knotts, a West Columbia Republican and Bauer supporter, never doubted Bauer would do anything but suck it up and run again.

He said he believes the release of records and videos was "politically timed" to embarrass Bauer. "The Andre I know is not a quitter," he said."

Precarious situation

Bauer is in a precarious situation, according to John Simpkins, a Charleston School of Law professor and former Furman University political science instructor.

"The lieutenant governor's series of encounters with the authorities leave the impression that he has a disregard for the law. Any half-way decent campaign should be able to turn this into a huge negative (for him)."

Campbell has seen fit to let Bauer twist in the wind; Jordan hasn't been so reticent.

If there's a silver lining for Bauer, it's in the multiplicity of opponents, something likely to fragment the anybody-but-Andre crowd.

How Bauer rebounds, how deftly his opponents handle the issue and how the vote splits on June 13 will go a long way to determining his political fate.

And if Bauer survives, he'll face it all over again against Democrat Robert Barber in November -- and Democrats will be far less shy about going after him than his primary opponents may be.