Portrait of A Man Staying Put

By PAUL GRAY/

He may be unpopular on Capitol Hill, and his handling of budget and campaign strategies has drawn critical howls. But John Sununu is in no danger of being replaced as White House chief of staff. In fact, George Bush will rely on his top aide's conservative instincts even more heavily as the President turns sharply partisan in 1991 in preparation for the 1992 campaign. "Sununu," a Bush intimate said last week, "isn't going anywhere."

Still, Bush realizes that Sununu, a brilliant policy analyst, has scant feel for the subtleties of legislative or communication strategy. Close friends have urged the President to reach out for help in these areas, although Sununu is so resistant to second-guessing that such consultations are likely to take place only in secret. Meanwhile, Sununu is trying to soften his public image. As Bush barnstormed the country in search of Republican votes, Sununu haunted the so-called buffer zone, the narrow secure area between the podium and the audience, scanning the crowd for a small child. Finding one, he would take the tot by the hand and lead his little hostage off to meet the President, who on at least one occasion tripped over the toddler.

With reporting by David E. Thigpen