By Jon Ralston

Tue, May 13, 2008 (2 a.m.)

If he doesn’t have enough problems already, Gov. Jim

Gibbons now has to navigate his way through an old, bitter feud that threatens to upend one of his public relations victories — and they are rare. Turns out a former state GOP chairman, John Mason, has decided to all but threaten the governor with public embarrassment unless Gibbons ousts his new chairman of that cost-cutting commission, Bruce James. Seems Mason has made ugly allegations about James’ conduct while the latter was the U.S. public printer and wants Gibbons to undo the appointment. Gibbons has stood by his man and a game of brinkmanship has begun between James and Mason that cannot end well. Except for Democrats, perhaps.