October 1999

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State contests reflect the way of politics in the city for decades 10/31/1999 8:36 PM Pick a race, any race, in statewide or St. Louis politics over the past decade. It's almost always about race. Someone gets accused of being a racist. Someone else is blasted for "playing the race card." Each blames the other for starting it. Everybody calls for dropping it. Nobody does. Read the article McCain's Temper May Become an Issue 10/31/1999 8:28 PM While rising in the GOP presidential polls, Sen. John McCain is facing questions about what some Arizona political leaders view as his quick temper – and whether it might hinder him as president. In a front page article and separate editorial Sunday, The Arizona Republic said it wanted the nation to know about the "volcanic" temper McCain has unleashed on several top state officials. Those who have been on the receiving end of a McCain uproar include Republican Gov. Jane Hull, former Republican Gov. Rose Mofford and former Democratic Mayor Paul Johnson of Phoenix. Read the article Chafee Remembered as a Unifier 10/31/1999 8:20 PM Thousands of Rhode Islanders bade farewell today to the late Sen. John Hubbard Chafee, a longtime father figure to the nation's smallest state and a symbol of moderate Republicanism in an era of partisan politics. Presiding over the service, former senator John C. Danforth (R-Mo.), an Episcopal priest, recalled how he and Chafee debuted as senators in 1976. He recalled his former colleague as "one of the most upbeat men I knew," despite personal losses that included the death of a teenage daughter, two wars and political defeat. Read the article Bush Relies on Capitol Hill Team led by Missouri Congressman Blunt 10/30/1999 6:03 PM When Republican presidential front-runner George W. Bush roiled GOP House members this fall by criticizing their budget plans, Rep. Roy Blunt stepped forward to calm the waters. At a private meeting of the rank and file, the Missouri Republican stressed that such public faultfinding is rare, and occasional disagreements are inevitable, according to one lawmaker who attended. "He said it wasn't meant as a slight against anyone," this lawmaker said. Blunt made his defense in his capacity as the Bush campaign point man in the House. He is half of a team – Sen. Paul Coverdell of Georgia is his partner – that is responsible for smoothing the way for the Texas governor. Read the article GOP, White House Battle Over Budget 10/30/1999 5:58 PM Republican congressional leaders and the White House traded charges of partisanship and obstructionism over the budget Saturday. Each side declared that only it has the wisdom to save Social Security. Despite the harsh words, the House's four top leaders pledged in a letter to President Clinton to cooperate "to resolve our differences" over spending bills to pay for government operations in the fiscal year that started Oct. 1. Read the article Arkansas Governor to Democrats: Let Us Be 10/30/1999 5:57 PM State and local governments know better than Washington what their people need, and President Clinton should tell federal bureaucrats to back off, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Saturday. Delivering the Republicans' weekly radio address, Huckabee, who like Clinton is from tiny Hope, Ark., urged the president not to forget his roots despite almost seven years in the White House. "Please, Mr. President, don't forget where you're from," Huckabee said. "Don't forget you once were a governor demanding more flexibility from Washington so you could help the working families of your state." Read the article RNC Spends $1Million in State Elections 10/29/1999 11:37 PM The Republican National Committee has contributed more than $1 million in the last two months to help elect state and local candidates. Most of the money went into Mississippi, where former Rep. Mike Parker is the GOP nominee for governor against Democratic Lt. Gov. Ronnie Musgrove. In August and September, the RNC gave $545,000 to Parker's campaign; $25,000 to Bill Hawks, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor; and $68,000 to the Mississippi Republican Party, Federal Election Commission records show. The RNC also gave $300,000 to the gubernatorial campaign of Rep. Jim Talent of Missouri, though his race isn't until 2000. Read the article Ashcroft, Carnahan conversation solves little 10/29/1999 11:33 PM A telephone call that was supposed to lead to a truce between Sen. John Ashcroft and Gov. Mel Carnahan has instead sparked more of the same: animosity and finger-pointing. "It was pretty disappointing," said Roy Temple, a Carnahan adviser and head of the Missouri Democratic Party. Carnahan is challenging Ashcroft in next year's election for the U.S. Senate. Steve Hilton, a spokesman for Ashcroft, would not characterize the call. But he said Ashcroft told Carnahan that he expects him to tell voters Ashcroft isn't a racist. Read the article Bush Will Raise Funds for State Parties 10/29/1999 11:26 PM Texas Gov. George W. Bush is launching an ambitious new effort to raise cash for state parties from big givers who have already contributed the $1,000 maximum to his presidential campaign. Bush, whose campaign has a record $37 million in the bank, will tap his enormous donor network to raise money for about 20 different state parties, including electorally significant states like California, Michigan and New York. The fund-raising will help pay for efforts to get voters to the polls to cast ballots for the GOP presidential nominee and other Republican candidates on Election Day next year. Read the article Both Carnahan, Ashcroft want to end "hurtful politics" 10/28/1999 11:17 PM After a week of racial rhetoric, Gov. Mel Carnahan and Sen. John Ashcroft are to talk by telephone Friday morning in a mutual effort to elevate their debate in their contest for Senate. The mid-morning call comes after the chairmen of both state parties exchanged letters calling for an end to what state GOP chairwoman Ann Wagner called "hurtful politics." Read the article McCain Runs Ad Stressing 'Courage' 10/28/1999 11:15 PM Arizona Sen. John McCain, determined to keep pace with his better-financed Republican rivals, is launching his first television ad today in New Hampshire, a commercial describing him as the presidential candidate with "more courage." Read the article Without Bush, GOP Rivals Try to Draw Differences 10/28/1999 11:12 PM Republican presidential hopefuls discussed abortion, health care and taxes Thursday night in a generally polite campaign debate spiced by jabs directed by Steve Forbes and Gary Bauer at the absent front-runner, George W. Bush. "Perhaps in the future at a forum like this if we call it a fund-raiser he might show up," Forbes said of the Texas governor, whom he accused of skipping campaign events to raise funds for his candidacy. Read the article McCain Gaining in New Hampshire 10/27/1999 10:08 PM A Research 2000 survey released last weekend by the Concord Monitor showed Texas Gov. George W. Bush retaining his front-runner status with 39 percent of the vote, but McCain in a solid second place with 27 percent. The poll confirmed a steady upward creep since August, when Bush had 45 percent of the vote and McCain had just 10 percent. Read the article Bush To Explain Absence From Debate 10/27/1999 9:59 PM Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush, who is skipping a debate Thursday night with his GOP rivals, has scheduled an interview with a local television station to explain his absence. Read the article Editor Quits Over Bush Bio Imbroglio 10/27/1999 9:54 PM In the wake of the controversy over J.H. Hatfield's "Fortunate Son: George W. Bush and the Making of an American President," Robert B. Wallace, editor in chief of St. Martin's Press, resigned yesterday. Read the article GOP: Cuts Would Include Lawmakers' Pay 10/27/1999 9:52 PM House Republican leaders said yesterday they now intend to apply their proposed across-the-board spending cut to the salaries of members of Congress, reversing their policy in the face of sharp White House criticism. Read the article Governor Carnahan appeared in minstrel shows for three years, not just one as he earlier claimed 10/26/1999 7:37 PM Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan, who has acknowledged appearing in blackface in a 1960 Kiwanis minstrel show, appeared in minstrel shows the next two years as well -- while also serving as municipal judge in Rolla, Mo. The Rolla club apparently held blackface shows at least through 1962. Carnahan had said he thought the 1960 show was the last one, in part because of pressure from his brother, who saw the blackface acts as inappropriate. Read the article Bush pledges his campaign ads will come from the heart 10/26/1999 2:23 PM If running for president is like trying to land a job interview, Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush today begins marketing a feel-good resume to voters watching television in New Hampshire and Iowa. An upbeat group of four, 30-second commercials also have another clear purpose to inoculate the Republican presidential front-runner from inevitable attacks on his record as governor of Texas from his GOP primary opponents. "Secondly, I believe oftentimes campaigns resort to mud throwing and name calling, and Americans are sick of that kind of campaigning," Bush says in one ad. Read the article Missouri officials begin mailing new round of Hancock income tax refunds 10/26/1999 2:20 PM State officials began mailing nearly $179 million in income tax refunds to households and businesses Monday. The rebates were required under the Hancock Amendment, named after former Congressman Mel Hancock, which ties the growth in state revenue to growth in Missourians' personal income. The first batch of checks went to 61,907 taxpayers in the Chesterfield and Ballwin areas, which have the state's lowest ZIP codes -- 63001 to 63019. Mailings will proceed by ZIP code, with the rest of the St. Louis area scheduled to get its money in the next three weeks. Illinois residents who work in Missouri will have to wait until December. This is the fourth annual refund, bringing the total returned to $873.9 million. Read the article U.S. Chamber to Spend Big in 2000 Race 10/26/1999 2:16 PM The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has contributed only modest sums in recent elections, plans to spend more than $5 million in 2000 to support "pro-business" congressional candidates in tight races. The business organization already has raised $1 million for its newly rejuvenated political action committee. Read the article Missouri Legislature to put debates on Web 10/26/1999 2:15 PM The Missouri Legislature is expanding on an idea pioneered by MissouriNet that will allow the public to listen to House and Senate debate over their Internet connections. When the Legislature convenes in January for its annual 41ˇ2-month session, anyone with a reasonably new computer and an Internet connection will be able to log onto the state's home page and hear gavel-to-gavel coverage of either chamber. The state is contracting with RealAudio for the service, called "netcasts." Read the article Chafee's Son Could Move to Senate 10/26/1999 12:01 AM John Chafee's death could elevate his son Lincoln, 46-year-old mayor of Rhode Island's second-largest city, into his father's U.S. Senate seat – at least temporarily. Lincoln Chafee, the mayor of Warwick, became a candidate for the Senate earlier this year after his father announced he would not be seeking a fifth term next year. He was the only Republican actively running for the post. Read the article Sen. John Chafee dies 10/26/1999 12:01 AM John Chafee, Rhode Island's longtime Republican senator and former governor who earned praise even from Democrats for his moderate stance on issues, has died, a spokesman said. He was 77. Chafee died of heart failure Sunday night at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland, spokesman John Goodman said. He had announced earlier this year that he would not seek a fifth Senate term in 2000. His son, Lincoln, is seeking the seat. Read the article Bush Courts Hispanics in Ads 10/25/1999 11:58 PM Texas Gov. George W. Bush, touting a "fresh start for America," unveiled his initial wave of campaign commercials Monday, including newspaper and radio spots courting Hispanic voters. Aides unveiled a package of four television commercials that will begin airing in Iowa and New Hampshire on Tuesday, spots in which Bush uses folksy settings to pledge tax cuts, a focus on education and saving Social Security. Read the article McCain Accuses Bush of Attack 10/25/1999 11:56 PM Sen. John McCain accused Republican presidential rival George W. Bush on Monday of orchestrating a campaign to tarnish his image. But McCain said he was flattered to get such attention from the Texas governor, who is the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination. Read the article GOP Shows Photo of Missouri Governor in Blackface 10/24/1999 10:51 PM Missouri Republicans, upset over charges of racism against Sen. John Ashcroft, have unearthed a photograph taken 39 years ago of Democratic Gov. Mel Carnahan in blackface performing a minstrel show. Carnahan is challenging Ashcroft for his Senate seat in 2000. The issue of race arose after Ashcroft voted Oct. 5 to help defeat the nomination of Ronnie White, the first black Missouri Supreme Court judge, to the federal bench. Read the article Lott-Led Senate Republicans Find Unity 10/24/1999 3:55 PM Five months after getting trampled by an aggressive Democratic minority on gun control, Senate Republicans have pulled together, adopted tougher tactics and emerged as the strongest single political force on Capitol Hill. But their success has raised questions, even within their own ranks, about whether they will pay a price at the polls next year for killing or scaling back popular bills and giving the Democrats ammunition for claims that this is a "do-nothing" Congress. Read the article Louisiana Governor Wins Second Term 10/24/1999 3:52 PM Republican Gov. Mike Foster on Sunday declared his overwhelming victory at the polls a mandate to continue a conservative, business-oriented government in Louisiana. "I think we can safely say the people are behind us," Foster said during a brief news conference after unofficial returns from Saturday's election showed him with a secure 62 percent of the vote. Read the article Poll: Bush, Gore Leading Races 10/23/1999 6:41 PM Just over a year before the election, Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush hold strong leads in the races for their parties' nomination, a poll released Saturday finds. The latest Newsweek poll suggested former Senator Bill Bradley would receive 26 percent of the votes of registered Democrats and those who lean toward voting for a Democrat, while the vice president would get 49 percent. Those numbers are statistically unchanged from the last similar Newsweek poll in June. Read the article Forbes Slams N.H. Income Tax Plan 10/23/1999 6:40 PM Republican Steve Forbes mixed presidential and state politics Saturday, warning that New Hampshire should stay away from implementing an income tax to help pay for schools. New Hampshire's state Supreme Court threw the state into turmoil just over a week ago when it threw out a phased-in statewide property tax enacted in April and left intact the state's obligation to pay $825 million annually to schools. Read the article Ashcroft says he is hurt by accusations of racism 10/23/1999 6:37 PM Sen. John Ashcroft, R-Mo., said Friday that he deserves an apology from black lawmakers who accuse him of racism in his drive to defeat a Missouri judge's nomination to the federal bench. "Name-calling and accusations without evidence debase our nation and poison our spirits," Ashcroft said in a statement. "I hope that, upon reflection, those who attack my integrity and deepest beliefs will see fit to apologize for their words. I understand their frustration, but I hope they will understand my profound disappointment." Read the article Bauer, Keyes face each other in first Republican debate 10/23/1999 6:36 PM Gary Bauer and Alan Keyes, the only two participants in New Hampshire’s first forum for Republican presidential candidates Thursday night, agreed more than they disagreed during the half-hour event. Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch had planned to participate as well, but canceled at the last minute because he had unfinished work in Washington. He offered brief greetings and an apology by satellite before the debate. Read the article At GOP Debate, a Unified Blast at Bush 10/23/1999 6:33 PM After a polite debate that revealed few major ideological divisions, the five Republican candidates who appeared on the same stage here tonight acknowledged they had something else in common: They thought Texas Gov. George W. Bush insulted the voters of New Hampshire by skipping the event. Read the article Missouri Senate Race Is Heating Up Early 10/23/1999 6:32 PM It took more than two years for the Senate to take up Ronnie White's nomination to the federal bench. It took less than two hours for the Senate to reject the Missouri Supreme Court judge in a party-line vote, thanks in large part to an impassioned appeal by Sen. John Ashcroft (R-Mo.). But it didn't take any time at all for White to become a campaign issue in Missouri, where a hyper-accelerated Senate race between Ashcroft and Gov. Mel Carnahan (D) is making October 1999 feel like November 2000. Read the article GOP Embraces Budget Cut Proposal 10/22/1999 7:58 PM House Republican leaders embraced a 1.4 percent across-the-board cut in federal agency budgets Friday to keep spending bills from eating into Social Security surpluses. Meanwhile, White House officials used budget talks with lawmakers to propose a new savings plan of their own: a tax on tobacco companies triggered if teen-age smoking rises, said participants who spoke on condition of anonymity. Read the article Republican Leads Mississippi Governor Race 10/22/1999 7:55 PM Republican Mike Parker has moved narrowly ahead of Democrat Ronnie Musgrove in the race for governor, according to the Mason-Dixon Research poll. Parker, a former congressman, had 47 percent of the total compared to 42 percent for Musgrove with 11 percent of the voters still undecided, in the poll conducted earlier this week. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Read the article Louisiana votes on governor Saturday 10/22/1999 7:53 PM Voters here go to the polls Saturday in an open gubernatorial primary and the big question appears to be whether Republican incumbent Gov. Mike Foster can get the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff and win re-election to a second term. Foster is the front-runner in a crowded field of 12 candidates for Saturday's open gubernatorial primary, and he has the endorsement of the state's largest newspaper, The New Orleans Times-Picayune. Read the article GOP hopefuls target Southern primary 10/22/1999 7:38 PM Texas Gov. George W. Bush chowed down on a cheeseburger and onion rings at the Beacon Drive-In here Thursday, but not before he worked an overflow crowd for 45 minutes. Lunch can wait when there are voters to be courted in this key state, where Bush's quest for the Republican presidential nomination could be wrapped up -- or detoured -- in the Feb. 19 primary. Read the article Senator Kenney Tops Fund-raising in Lt. Governor Race 10/21/1999 11:31 PM State Senator Bill Kenney leads in fund-raising among the candidates for next year's lieutenant governor race, thanks to a $100,000 donation from a Carthage company and a $100,000 loan he gave his campaign. Leggett and Platt, a Fortune 500 company that makes mattress components, gave $100,000 to Kenney's campaign, by far the largest contribution in the race. Read the article Bush poised to launch first TV commercial 10/21/1999 11:20 PM The presidential campaign of Texas Gov. George W. Bush will unleash its first television advertisements early next week, probably Monday night, in the key early contest states of Iowa and New Hampshire, sources close to the campaign told CNN. Read the article Louisiana GOP moves caucus date nine days before Iowa's 10/21/1999 11:18 PM Louisiana Republicans have changed the date of next year's presidential caucuses to January 15 in a challenge to Iowa's traditional first-in-the-nation caucuses but the move may not mean much if major candidates don't campaign there. Read the article Dole missed many opportunities 10/21/1999 11:16 PM Not too long ago, Elizabeth Dole looked delightedly at the networks she'd built in Iowa, New Hampshire and other early primary states. ''We're going to have everything in place by Christmas. We're in really good shape,'' she thought. That was then. After recalling this once-sunny outlook Wednesday, Dole folded her presidential campaign, saying it was futile to continue. She started out in February, a political celebrity, hot on George W. Bush's heels and basking in public fascination with the possibility that a woman could become president. Read the article Dole bid still bodes well for women 10/21/1999 11:04 PM Many women who were quietly cheering the presidential candidacy of Elizabeth Dole never expected her to win. But they were still disheartened by her decision Wednesday to quit the 2000 race. Read the article Dole supporters leaning toward Bush 10/21/1999 11:01 PM The remaining Republican presidential candidates all said Wednesday that Elizabeth Dole's exit from the race helps them. The immediate beneficiary, however, is Texas Gov. George W. Bush. He didn't get Dole's endorsement, but he swiftly swept up three of her supporters in Congress: Reps. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Tom Campbell of California and Tillie Fowler of Florida. Today Bush will announce that many of Dole's state and county leaders are joining his campaign. And a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll last week found that Bush was the second choice of three out of five of Dole's supporters. Read the article McCain tightens grip on second spot 10/21/1999 10:58 PM John McCain got new evidence of his firm hold on second place among Republican presidential candidates in New Hampshire in a poll released just a day after rival Elizabeth Dole dropped out of the race. McCain, an Arizona senator, had 26 percent, 10 points better than in August, but still behind Texas Gov. George W. Bush, who was at 42% in the latest poll. Bush's support was about the same as in August, with McCain's gains coming at the expense of other candidates. Read the article Bush Book Is on Hold After Author Is Accused 10/21/1999 10:55 PM The credibility of the author who accused George W. Bush of having once been arrested on cocaine charges exploded yesterday. James H. Hatfield is a felon who was convicted 11 years ago in a failed attempt to kill his ex-boss with a car bomb, according to an Arkansas parole officer. The news stunned his publisher, St. Martin's Press, which yesterday halted publication of the Bush biography, "Fortunate Son." Read the article Bush Says He'll Strengthen Military 10/21/1999 10:52 PM George W. Bush said Thursday he would need a military stocked with more high-tech weapons, including a space-based antiballistic missile system and stealth ships to help him keep the peace if he is elected president. Bush, who is ahead of his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, also said he had yet to decide whether to participate in a debate sponsored by the state GOP. Read the article Hackers Alter Bush Campaign Site 10/20/1999 6:52 PM The day after presidential candidate George W. Bush redesigned his campaign's Web site, hackers vandalized it by replacing his photo with a hammer and sickle and calling for "a new October revolution." A spokeswoman, Mary Tucker, said the campaign's more sensitive computer operations – such as its e-mail system and contribution records – were protected on other machines and weren't believed to have been compromised. Read the article A McCain Crusade Faded as Airlines Donated 10/20/1999 6:51 PM In February, with customer complaints about air travel at an all-time high, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) took off on a passenger rights crusade. He filed an Airline Passenger Fairness Act to force airlines to clean up their acts, then held a dramatic hearing to spotlight tales of marooned, bumped and otherwise mistreated travelers. The issue was so hot that several senators began sharing their own airline horror stories. Read the article Dole Bows Out of Presidential Race 10/20/1999 6:49 PM Short of money and sinking in the polls, Elizabeth Dole abandoned her campaign to be America's first woman president this morning, saying that "over time it became nearly impossible to sustain an effective campaign." She declined to comment on speculation that she might wish to be the Republican vice-presidential nominee. Read the article GOP set to control Virginia legislature 10/19/1999 11:54 PM Ever the minority party in Virginia, the Republicans sense they are on the verge of an important first on Election Day. All they need is a gain of two seats in the 100-member House of Delegates to seize outright control of the General Assembly from the Democrats for the first time in history. A significant strategic advantage is at stake: The party that dominates this election will decide how the state's legislative and congressional districts are drawn after the 2000 census. The redistricting could solidify the party's base for a generation or more. Read the article Versatile Hatch: He writes both laws and songs 10/19/1999 11:52 PM U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch is the epitome of the accomplished Washington politician. The articulate chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Hatch is a popular guest on the Sunday-morning talk shows, having enjoyed a productive 23-year Senate career. He's regarded among senators as gracious and helpful, a conservative Republican willing to forge alliances and even friendships with liberals such as Ted Kennedy, a Democrat from Massachusetts. Read the article Nonprofit organization's letter boosts McCain 10/19/1999 11:50 PM Letters touting Sen. John McCain's war heroism and sounding one of his presidential campaign themes -- a call to restore military spending -- are landing in hundreds of thousands of mailboxes. And they won't cost his campaign treasury a dime. Read the article Bush unveils new website 10/19/1999 12:38 AM The George W. Bush campaign today launched a new design for his campaign website at www.georgewbush.com. The new site includes the ability to personalize your experience, as well as a Hispanic section, a children's section, and special pages for each of the 50 states. Little by little, White House engaging Bush on issues 10/18/1999 8:12 PM White House press secretary Joe Lockhart took a rhetorical detour during his daily briefing to inject Republican presidential front-runner George W. Bush into the budget debate between the Clinton administration and the GOP-led Congress. Read the article Clinton, GOP leaders to meet about budget 10/18/1999 8:10 PM Amid rising tension marked by President Clinton's veto of a $12.7 billion foreign aid bill he said smacks of ''a new American isolationism,'' the president and Republican congressional leaders agreed Monday to hold budget talks at the White House. Read the article Taxes, Spending and Spin 10/18/1999 8:08 PM The yearly tug-of-war between the White House and Congress over appropriations and the budget is in full swing. As both President Clinton and congressional Republicans attempt to portray themselves as champions of the balanced budget without dipping into the Social Security surplus, they have raised the ante with each of their proposed tax and spending plans for the next fiscal year. Read the article House Whip Wields Fund-Raising Clout 10/18/1999 8:07 PM When House Majority Whip Tom DeLay went to dinner one night last spring with lobbyist Ed Buckham, his former chief of staff, the subject naturally turned to money. Buckham, an evangelical minister whom DeLay once introduced at a fund-raiser as his pastor, told his former boss there was a huge reservoir of conservative wealth that could help Republicans neutralize the money that unions were expected to spend on Democratic congressional candidates, and he knew how to tap it. And so over their table at the 701 restaurant, they fleshed out some of the details of something called the Republican Majority Issues Campaign. Read the article Molinari Leaves Bush for McCain 10/18/1999 8:03 PM Just a few months ago, former Rep. Guy Molinari called Texas Gov. George W. Bush "the best candidate the Republican Party can put forward for president." But on Monday, Molinari threw his support to Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Read the article McCain Challenges Gore to Debate 10/18/1999 8:02 PM Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Monday challenged Vice President Al Gore to debate the merits of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty that was defeated by the Senate last week. Read the article Critics decry first lady's 'free ride' 10/17/1999 10:11 PM When Hillary Rodham Clinton sweeps through the Catskill Mountains today at the start of a three-day campaign swing across New York, she'll do it in a Secret Service-protected motorcade with a government-paid aide and photographer by her side. When she heads back to Washington Wednesday, she'll do it in an at-her-disposal, rarely delayed jet flown by government-paid pilots. Read the article With Drawing Power, Dole Seeks Staying Power 10/17/1999 10:09 PM The crowd is so large inside the Cornell College student center that people are stuck outside, peering through the windows for a glimpse of Republican presidential candidate Elizabeth Dole. Read the article Bush Wasn't Always a Front-Runner 10/17/1999 10:07 PM On the stump, George W. Bush was for business, against government regulation and intent on running as his own man despite a well-known father. "Responsibility," he said, "is a good thing to learn." The year: 1978. Bush was making his first bid for elected office – for a House seat. He lost. Read the article Forbes, Dole Target GOP Women 10/17/1999 10:05 PM Steve Forbes and Elizabeth Dole, trying to make headway against the juggernaut of Republican front-runner George W. Bush, on Sunday urged GOP women activists to give a second look at their bids for the White House. Read the article Republicans are raising more money for statewide races than Democrats 10/16/1999 10:57 PM With one exception, Republicans running for Missouri statewide offices are raising more money than their Democratic rivals. That strong GOP fund-raising effort, assisted by national Republican contributions, gives its candidates the chance to put more campaign ads on the air and more campaign literature in the mail. In the majority of political contests, the candidates who spend the most money capture the most votes. Read the article John Ashcroft and Richard Gephardt: Missouri roots, national dreams 10/16/1999 10:51 PM J. Robert Ashcroft died in 1995, a day after seeing his son sworn in as a U.S. senator. He was by all accounts an extraordinary man, a leader in a crusading conservative church who was known for tolerance and for his openness to new ideas. His church was the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal faith that emerged from the revival spirit that swept the nation in the first years of the 20th century. Its distinguishing feature was personal exposure to the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by speaking in tongues. Its first congregation, the Central Assembly of God in Springfield, is the church John Ashcroft has attended since the age of 6. Read the article Bankers Boost Bush Campaign 10/16/1999 10:33 PM Lawyers, stockbrokers and a bank with legislation before Congress were among the biggest givers to the presidential candidates over the last three months. Read the article Forbes Makes Offer for Debates 10/16/1999 10:32 PM Presidential hopeful Steve Forbes offered Saturday to accept restrictions on his television advertisements if Republican front-runner George W. Bush would agree to a series of debates. Bush, campaigning in Seattle, immediately rejected the offer. "He can advertise any way he wants to advertise," Bush told reporters. "I've made the offer that if we have this series of in-depth debates, in my ads I'll only use material from those debates," Forbes said. Read the article Bush Sets Record for Fund Raising 10/16/1999 10:30 PM The Seattle Mariners' bats have been silent for days at Safeco Field, but Republican presidential front-runner George W. Bush hit the political equivalent of a grand slam Saturday. The Texas governor, whose campaign treasury is closing in on the $60 million mark, a record, lent his starpower and fund-raising prowess to Sen. Slade Gorton, the state GOP and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Read the article Bush Campaign Spending Soars 10/15/1999 11:52 PM Texas Gov. George W. Bush is now running the most lavish-spending primary campaign ever by a presidential front-runner, laying out $12.7 million in the last three months on everything from $82,500 worth of Iowa bus charters to a staff of 157 for an operation that once boasted of its penny-pinching ways. Read the article 'Blue Book' bound for cyberspace 10/15/1999 11:50 PM Missourians who never have been able to have their own copy of the state's Blue Book soon will be able to see the newest edition on their computer. Read the article Bauer: Forbes' Bid Has 'Peaked Out' 10/15/1999 11:47 PM Publisher Steve Forbes' bid for the Republican presidential nomination has "peaked out" and has gone as far as his personal fortune can take it, rival Gary Bauer said Friday. "He has spent $65 million since 1996 and ... he's basically in a dead heat with me in the polls," Bauer said at a news conference. "I don't think money can buy him any more support than it already has and conservatives will continue to consolidate behind my candidacy." Read the article Forbes Blames Clinton for Market 10/15/1999 11:44 PM Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes on Friday blamed President Clinton and Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan for the current turbulence on Wall Street. "Their misguided policies are putting the American economy at risk," he said during a campaign trip to Los Angeles. "High taxes, high interest rates, more big government spending and busting the spending caps is a recipe for a serious economic slowdown. The first to get hurt will be families, farmers, young people and minorities." Read the article Bush Courts Hispanic Vote 10/15/1999 11:43 PM Courting the Hispanic vote with children too young to cast a ballot but old enough to talk to their parents, Republican presidential hopeful George W. Bush read to students and played marbles Friday at a Yakima elementary school. The 31 million Hispanics living in the United States are the fastest-growing minority group and potentially influential voting bloc, which polls show tend to favor Democrats. Read the article GOP May Push Vote on Clinton Tax Hike Package 10/14/1999 9:55 PM In an effort to defuse a White House call for boosting the tobacco tax, House Republican leaders may stage a vote next week on President Clinton's entire $90 billion package of tax increases, knowing that it has no prospect for passage. Read the article Campaign financing race shows Talent leading 10/14/1999 9:53 PM Rep. Jim Talent, the Republican favorite for Missouri governor, has a record-setting $2.3 million in the bank - thanks in part to $600,000 from national Republican groups. Talent's total, to be filed Friday with the state Ethics Commission, for the first time puts him financially ahead of the favored Democrat, state Treasurer Bob Holden, who has $2.2 million. Read the article On Iowa Trek, Dole Touts Lead on Gore 10/14/1999 9:47 PM Republican Elizabeth Dole campaigned across the breadth of Iowa today, reassuring crowds of supporters at every step that she has what it takes to be elected America's first woman president. Citing polls that show her high favorable ratings and boasting that every survey so far this year shows her ahead of Vice President Al Gore, Dole said, "When people ask me if America's ready for a woman, I say, 'Look at the polls.' " Read the article Dole Helps Present World Food Prize 10/14/1999 9:46 PM Elizabeth Dole avoided traditional political venues while campaigning in Iowa on Thursday as she helped present the World Food Prize. Recalling her experiences as Transportation Secretary and director of the American Red Cross, she urged a focus on seemingly mundane topics such as food distribution, far less flashy than scientific breakthroughs that can revolutionize food production. Read the article Iowa Schedules Earlier Caucuses 10/14/1999 9:45 PM Unable to persuade New Hampshire to change its primary date, Iowa's Republican and Democratic leaders announced plans Thursday to move their state's leadoff caucuses to Jan. 24, a week earlier than planned. State Republican Chairman Kayne Robinson said officials need to find a way to bring stability to the political calendar. Read the article Bush Agrees to Debate 10/14/1999 9:43 PM Texas Gov. George W. Bush, under pressure for avoiding his Republican presidential opponents, has agreed to participate in a debate in New Hampshire on Dec. 2, his campaign said Thursday. Bush, who is the strong favorite to win next year's Republican presidential nomination, had come under growing criticism from party challengers frustrated by his refusal to appear with them on the same stage or engage in debates. Read the article Candidates Invest Donors' Money 10/13/1999 8:16 PM Members of Congress seeking to boost their campaign funds are investing on Wall Street to cash in on the economic boom. Most make modest returns on conservative investments, but a handful can boast six-figure profits. Read the article Republicans Attack North Korea Policy 10/13/1999 8:13 PM The Clinton administration is engaged in "a one-sided love affair" with North Korea, helping it build reactors that would produce enough plutonium for 100 nuclear bombs a year, a Republican lawmaker contended Wednesday. Read the article Forbes Proposes Trade Pact 10/13/1999 8:11 PM Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes on Wednesday proposed a trade agreement between the United States, Great Britain and Ireland, saying such a pact would bring "benefits to both sides of the Atlantic." In a speech in London, Forbes warned that the current economic system in Europe "could doom the prosperity of your country and your neighbors in Ireland." Read the article Dole Campaign’s Role: Bridging Past, Future 10/12/1999 11:49 PM Elizabeth Hanford Dole was raised customarily and appropriately for a well-to-do girl half a century ago. It was not all white gloves and crossed ankles. Like most bright girls of the time, she was encouraged to form her mind and exercise leadership, with the expectation that she would one day make sparkling conversation and preside at the garden club. Read the article McCain: Winning by Losing? 10/12/1999 11:47 PM When Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) takes the Senate floor this week to begin another uphill fight for tougher campaign finance laws, he will find himself in a familiar position: enchanting reform advocates, infuriating Republican colleagues – and probably losing. Read the article Bauer Wants U.S. Control of Canal 10/12/1999 11:45 PM Republican presidential hopeful Gary Bauer said Tuesday that the United States should maintain control over the Panama Canal. Read the article Moderate GOP Illinois Rep. Retiring 10/12/1999 11:44 PM Rep. John Porter of Illinois, part of a dwindling band of Republican moderates in the House, announced Tuesday he will not seek a 12th term next year, further complicating the GOP's effort to hold its tenuous majority. Read the article Report: McCain Sells Book's Rights 10/12/1999 11:43 PM Presidential contender John McCain has found the ultimate campaign ad. The Arizona senator is selling the screen rights to his best-selling memoirs, "Faith of my Fathers," to USA Films, according to Variety. Read the article Bush Helps Republicans Raise Funds 10/12/1999 11:42 PM Texas Gov. George W. Bush, who already has amassed $56 million for his Republican presidential campaign, used his fund-raising skills Tuesday to help other GOP candidates increase their coffers. Read the article The next triangulator 10/11/1999 7:39 PM Last week, when George W. Bush gave his own party a carefully placed thwack--saying the G.O.P. is too often dour, obsessed with wealth and indifferent to the "human problems that persist in the shadow of affluence"--he managed to do a few tricky things at once. He got credit for being warm and caring and optimistic while distancing himself not just from congressional Republicans but from Washington itself--all by trumpeting the success he and other G.O.P. Governors have had reducing crime, welfare dependency and the like. "Something unexpected happened on the way to cultural decline," he said. "Problems that seemed inevitable proved to be reversible." Read the article Dole To Kick Off Campaign Nov. 7 10/11/1999 7:29 PM Republican Elizabeth Dole said Monday that she will formally kick off her campaign on Nov. 7, hoping that date will turn into the anniversary of her election to the White House. Read the article Massachusetts Governor touts GOP on education 10/9/1999 10:53 PM While Democrats at all levels fight to preserve a failing education system, Republican governors are taking bold steps to demand better results from students and teachers, Gov. Paul Cellucci of Massachusetts said Saturday. Cellucci, in the weekly GOP radio address, credited his fellow governors for bucking the status quo and using high-stakes tests to hold students and schools accountable. Read the article GOP's Bachus Makes Debt Relief His Mission 10/9/1999 10:17 AM Rep. Spencer Bachus, a diehard Republican from Alabama's most diehard Republican district, is known around Capitol Hill as a conservative's conservative. But now Bachus is on a new crusade, an unabashedly liberal mission fueled by fiery liberal rhetoric that has some of his right-wing supporters wondering aloud if aliens have occupied his body. Read the article McCain Book Topping the Charts 10/9/1999 10:07 AM Arizona Sen. John McCain has yet to make a big dent in presidential preference polls, but he has approached the summit of literary success. McCain's family memoir, "Faith of my Fathers," which he wrote with longtime assistant Mark Salter, topped the Los Angeles Times best sellers list for non-fiction and peaked at No. 2 on the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Amazon.com lists. Each list tracks sales at different bookstores. Read the article Bush Stands Firm on Cuba Embargo 10/8/1999 11:57 PM GOP presidential hopeful George W. Bush harshly criticized Cuban President Fidel Castro's communist regime Friday and said the U.S. embargo should stand until the island is free. Read the article Dole Endorsed by Phoenix Mayor 10/8/1999 11:56 PM Elizabeth Dole, the latest Republican presidential candidate to ignore Arizona Sen. John McCain's claim on his home state, won the endorsement of Phoenix's mayor Friday and declared no interest on being on anyone else's ticket. Read the article Bush swings for New Jersey GOP 10/7/1999 9:38 PM Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush joked that his reception at a local ballpark was "a little warmer" than one the Texas Rangers received in their 8-0 lashing by the New York Yankees the night before. Read the article McCain, Forbes Deny Dole Rumors 10/7/1999 9:34 PM Sen. John McCain on Thursday denied fueling rumors that Elizabeth Dole, a rival for the Republican presidential nomination, is quitting the race. Dole's former spokesman, Ari Fleischer, said in Thursday editions of The Boston Globe that campaign workers for the Arizona senator and magazine publisher Steve Forbes have been telling people that Dole's campaign is falling apart. Read the article Dole Promises Anti-Drug Fight 10/7/1999 9:33 PM Standing 30 feet from the border with Mexico, Republican presidential candidate Elizabeth Dole promised Thursday to reduce the flow of illegal drugs into the United States and pressure other countries to do the same. Read the article Poll: N.Y. Senate Race Tightens 10/7/1999 9:32 PM Rudolph Giuliani has been hurt by his battle with the Brooklyn Museum of Art, narrowing the gap between him and potential Senate rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to a poll released Thursday. But the New York City mayor's standing improved among the state's largest voting group, white Catholics, in the wake of the museum showdown, according to the poll. Read the article Dole Calls Tobacco Suit Misguided 10/6/1999 11:05 PM The federal government should be more concerned about stemming the flood of illegal drugs into the country than with suing the tobacco industry, Republican presidential hopeful Elizabeth Dole said Wednesday. Read the article Bush Greets Bronx Well-Wishers 10/6/1999 11:04 PM It's not a phrase you hear in the Bronx every day: "Hey, good buddy!" But that was how Texas Gov. George W. Bush greeted well-wishers Wednesday as he strolled around an Italian food market and ate a pizza-and-pasta lunch with Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Gov. George Pataki. Read the article Forbes To Release List of Backers 10/6/1999 11:03 PM Publisher Steve Forbes on Thursday will unveil a list of nearly 200 prominent social conservative activists in the state who are backing his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Read the article Conservative Leaders Criticize Bush 10/6/1999 11:02 PM Presidential rivals and leading conservatives accused George W. Bush on Wednesday of declaring "war on the conservative movement" with his pointed critique of the GOP's emphasis on social and economic issues. Read the article Lawmakers talk changes in primary law 10/6/1999 11:01 PM State lawmakers on Monday said serious discussion was under way on proposals to amend New Hampshire's presidential primary law and move it back a week to accommodate Iowa. Read the article Bush calls for 'fresh start' in federal education policy 10/6/1999 12:12 AM In his second speech on his education agenda, Republican presidential front-runner George W. Bush proposed what he called a "fresh start for the federal role in education." Read the article Bush confident he can garner support in traditionally Democratic New York 10/6/1999 12:11 AM The Empire State has not given its prize of 33 electoral votes to a Republican since 1984 when Ronald Reagan ran for re-election, but Texas Gov. George W. Bush thinks he just might be able to break the Democrats' grip. Read the article Bush Says GOP Must Turn From Negativity 10/6/1999 12:08 AM Texas Gov. George W. Bush today criticized his party for espousing negative rhetoric, failing to portray a message of inclusiveness and forgetting that conservative policies should benefit those left behind in an affluent society. Read the article GOP Leaders Open Door on Patients' Right to Sue 10/6/1999 12:07 AM On the eve of the House debate on how much federal protection to offer patients in HMOs, Republican leaders signaled for the first time yesterday that they are willing to allow Americans a limited right to sue health plans that deny them the care they want. Read the article Forbes Wants Cheaper Prescriptions 10/4/1999 8:21 PM Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes on Monday said Americans shouldn't have to cross the border to buy prescription drugs. Read the article Bush, Forbes Plan Millions on Ads 10/4/1999 8:08 PM George W. Bush plans to spend up to $20 million on an issue-driven ad campaign in the early Republican primaries, hoping to blunt expected attacks from wealthy rival Steve Forbes. Read the article Bush Answering Big Question 10/3/1999 10:37 PM It started with a single voice echoing off the cement courtyard, then swelled to a chorus of first-graders repeating the same question. "Who is George Bush?" Queued in a wiggly line, the College Heights Elementary School students were curious about George – the campaigning Texan whose visit had prompted an extra recess. Read the article Mrs. Dole: Woman Can Lead Military 10/3/1999 10:36 PM If she wins the presidency, Republican Elizabeth Dole said Sunday, her sex will have no bearing on her ability to serve as commander in chief. She said she already has been the only woman to lead a branch of the armed forces, the Coast Guard. Read the article Bush Refining Strategy for Primaries 10/1/1999 11:33 PM Texas Gov. George W. Bush no longer sees Steve Forbes as a threat to winning the Republican presidential nomination and is preparing to fight in key primary states with a strategy that seeks to avoid direct confrontation with his GOP opponents. Read the article GOP candidates flock to Christian Coalition conference 10/1/1999 11:30 PM The Christian Coalition belied its image Friday as a group losing political power, as a long and powerful list of conservative politicians came to speak before the coalition's annual conference in Washington. Read the article Bush adds Giuliani's endorsement to long list 10/1/1999 11:29 PM New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani endorsed Texas Gov. George W. Bush Friday for the Republican nomination for president. Read the article