POWELL UPSET BY WEBSTER RELEASE ON PELTS

Longtime Missouri Republican Party leader John Powell is upset that aides to GOP gubernatorial nominee Bill Webster issued a press release Saturday attributing comments to him he did not make.

On Saturday night, the Webster campaign office faxed a one page news release with quotes from Powell criticizing Kennett attorney Mark Pelts for endorsing the Democratic nominee for governor, Lt. Gov. Mel Carnahan.

But the news release was one that Powell had rejected earlier in the day because he did not like some of the wording, such as an implication that Pelts was a liar and that the Carnahan campaign staff had orchestrated the endorsement.

"I was upset about it," said Powell Tuesday. "It wasn't my statement. I feel very strongly about what Mark Pelts did. I think he's wrong, and I condemned him for it. But I don't think he's a liar, and I don't think Mel Carnahan's campaign had anything to do with it."

Powell and Pelts have worked closely together on behalf of Republican candidates over the years and the two are close allies of Gov. John Ashcroft.

"Mark has been a good friend of mine and I trust him, but he's gone off the deep end, and I've told him so," said Powell.

Both Powell and Carnahan are from Rolla. Powell said he would never suggest Carnahan was dishonest.

"I have respect for Mel Carnahan and I think he's honest. We totally disagree politically he's a liberal and I'm a conservative but he is honest," Powell said.

He said the confusion was prompted when Tony Feather, Webster's campaign manager, faxed him a copy of a proposed release Saturday with comments attributed to Powell.

"I got a copy of the article, told John about it, and he was very, very upset and wanted to do something about it," said Feather.

He explained that after he faxed the proposed release, Powell wanted to revise it.

"I said, `No, I'm not going to make those statements,' because I did not consider them accurate," Powell said Tuesday.

Feather said Powell went to the Rolla Homecoming football game and, "after the game he made changes and faxed it back to us."

Feather said the update was put into the computer, but as releases were faxed, the original went out instead of the revised version. Feather said he did not realize the wrong release had gone out until Monday when he saw an article in the newspaper.

On Tuesday morning, a revised release was sent, accompanied by an advisory stating that some members of the media might have received an early draft "that had not yet been edited or approved by Mr. Powell."

Pelts said that when he saw Powell's comments in Monday's Missourian he was surprised, and called Powell up. "I said `John, weren't you a little tough on me in the paper?'"

But Pelts said Powell told him the critical press release could not be in the morning paper since he had just faxed his version to Webster's campaign office that morning. After Pelts sent Powell a copy of the article in the Missourian, Powell called him Monday night to apologize because he knew there were some untruths in the release.

"We've been friends a long time and I just couldn't believe it," said Pelts of the initial comments attributed to Powell. "John told me he would put out a press release and that ~~`I intend to say some tough things about you.'"

Pelts said the first release contained some "factual errors" because it charged that Pelts had endorsed Ross Perot for president and held a fundraising event in his home for the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor.

But Pelts said the only fundraiser he had held in his home was an Aug. 20 event for Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson. Pelts said he did not actively support Perot, but admitted his wife worked on the petition drive to put Perot's name on the ballot in Missouri.

Feather said Powell was not comfortable with those direct references to Pelts because he did not have personal knowledge of them. The revised release, however, quoted Powell as saying Pelts "backed the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, then he refused to support President Bush."

Feather argued that even though Powell did not like the wording of the initial release, "the general tone of the statement is the same the outrage is the same. It is just that John wanted a few different words used he was comfortable with."

Feather said he believes Powell is satisfied.

Powell said Feather explained to him what happened and noted, "Tony was fair with me.

"I don't know what happened, really, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. It is certainly nothing I would have done. If I'm going to call somebody something, I want to be able to back it up."

Powell added, "What Mark did irritated me. There is no doubt about that. I sure think he deserted the party ... I don't mind playing hardball politics I've done it all my life. But I want to shoot straight."

Pelts said he expected Powell to be upset. "John Powell is not going to stab me in the back, but he's not going to pat me on the back either," said Pelts.

On Monday night Webster was in Kennett for a campaign stop and Pelts said he attempted to question Webster about the matter.

"I was wanting to ask him why they were slandering my name and signing someone else's name to it," said Pelts. "If Bill Webster has anything to say about me he can do it himself. He had the chance last night but got lock jaw and ran out the door."

Pelts said he did talk with Rich Galen, an aide to Webster, and Galen insisted that Powell had made the comments himself.

Pelts said if people want to attack him on politics, it is fine with him, but they should at least be honest with their attack. "I'm a Republican in the Bootheel. God knows I have thick skin.

"But for Bill Webster to resort to name calling, saying things people didn't say, and coming to the Bootheel and refusing to answer questions about it is hard to understand," said Pelts.

In the Republican primary, Pelts supported Secretary of State Roy Blunt, who finished second to Webster. Powell, a former state GOP chairman, said that since he knew Webster, Blunt and Treasurer Wendell Bailey well, he decided to remain neutral.

Powell attempted to head off a primary fight, but was unable to do so. Since the August primary, Powell said he sent more than 250 letters to supporters of Blunt and Bailey trying to bring party unity to the governor's race.