Laura Bush visits St. Louis, campaigns for Jim Talent

ST. LOUIS -- First lady Laura Bush campaigned Wednesday for Jim Talent, saying the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate supports better schools.

A former librarian whose signature issues are teaching and early childhood development, Mrs. Bush visited a high school to speak at a forum on character education before appearing at a money-raising luncheon for Talent.

Missourians who care about education should choose Talent, Mrs. Bush said in an interview.

"I know he does really care about education a lot," she said. "It's a very, very important issue of his; it's a very important issue of the president's and of mine. It's what I've spent all of my time working on, so I hope people will support him."

Top endorsements

She and President Bush top a long list of White House officials who have traveled to Missouri on Talent's behalf.

The race between Talent and Democratic Sen. Jean Carnahan will help decide control of the U.S. Senate, which the Democrats hold by a one-vote margin. Former President George Bush plans to visit next week.

Addressing the luncheon audience at America's Center in downtown St. Louis, Mrs. Bush said that like everyone there, Jim and Brenda Talent believed that "every child deserves an expert education as a chance to realize his or her dream."

Talent referred to Mrs. Bush as "by far the most down-to-earth really important person I have ever had the opportunity to meet."

By emphasizing schools, the first lady was treading on territory claimed by Mrs. Carnahan, whose late husband, Gov. Mel Carnahan, was memorialized as the state's "education governor" for enacting a $315 million tax increase for public schools.

The late governor's widow successfully added parts of his campaign platform to President Bush's education bill last year that lets local educators choose where to spend certain federal dollars.

Mrs. Carnahan's supporters criticized Talent on Wednesday for voting when he was in the U.S. House to reduce education funding and supporting a bill eliminating the federal Department of Education. Their complaints were outlined in a letter to Talent signed by more than 100 educators.

"From his efforts to deny funding for essential educational programs to his cosponsorship of legislation that would have eliminated the Department of Education, any Missourian who values education cannot entrust Jim Talent with the future of America's children," said Martha Karlovetz, president of Missouri National Education Association-Retired.