KASTEN'S FURIOUS: `WRONG PLACE, WRONG MEDIA, WRONG PARTY, WRONG TOWN'

JEFFERSON CITY - During her 31-year career as a school board member and state representative, Mary Kasten has become well known as a mild-mannered, pleasant and compassionate individual, who will go out of her way to help anyone in trouble.

It is indeed a rare occasion when Kasten becomes irate.

But such an occasion has occurred, and her anger is vented toward State Rep. Jim Murphy, R-Crestwood. For many years, Murphy has published a newsletter during legislative sessions which mixes capitol gossip, history, odd facts and humor.

But the Cape Girardeau Republican was furious to read a statement in the recent issue's political potpourri section, which noted that Kasten had been picked up by TV cameras sitting in the front row of President Bill Clinton's recent speech at Union Station in St. Louis.

Kasten was identified not only by name, but also by her position as secretary of the House Republican Caucus.

Printed on bright yellow paper, the two-sheet newsletter has a circulation of about 600, with subscription payments voluntary.

Murphy shouldn't be looking to Kasten for payment anytime soon.

A camera had picked Kasten up at a recent major political event, but it was not a TV camera, it was not in St. Louis, and it definitely was not a Democratic political activity.

In a weekend edition of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, a front page color photo showed Kasten in the background at the statewide Republican Lincoln Day event in Springfield. While Clinton was in St. Louis on Feb. 18, Kasten was at her office in Jefferson City preparing to head to Springfield for Lincoln Day that weekend.

"Wrong place, wrong media, wrong party, wrong town," complained Kasten.

"My good Democratic friends would be very upset with my being in the front row of a rally with Bill Clinton," said Kasten.

Front row seats at the president's rally were at a premium, and certainly not accessible by Republican legislators.

Kasten confronted Murphy about the error and all but demanded he stand on the floor of the Missouri House and tell his colleagues that his newsletter comment about her was false.

Last week, while the House was in session, she confronted Murphy on the side gallery about the source of his information but got no satisfactory explanation.

While she has requested an apology, Kasten is unsure whether one will be forthcoming.

Kasten complained that Murphy did not get his facts straight and when he heard about Kasten being picked up in a political event photo in St. Louis, jumped to the inaccurate conclusion that she was at the Clinton speech.

"I just dislike inaccuracy," said Kasten, who added that Murphy makes frequent errors in his newsletter.

"Can you imagine; why in the world would I have been there in St. Louis?" Kasten asked.

Murphy could not have incensed Kasten at a worse time. As a member of the House Budget Committee, she spent last week in committee sessions three times a day trying to do final mark-up on the state's $11 billion budget.

The intense budget meetings, combined with serious bills on the House floor for debate, left little time for sleep and relaxation. It also left Kasten with little tolerance for Murphy.

"Yellow is the proper color for this," said Kasten as she waved the newsletter. "It's a yellow rag."