President Bush planning visit to Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- President Bush plans to visit Springfield next week, the White House announced Friday.

The president is scheduled to appear Oct. 18 at a political rally at Southwest Missouri State University for Republican Senate hopeful Jim Talent and local candidates, Greene County GOP chairman Bill Mauck said.

The stop is part of a campaign whirlwind that will take Bush to nearly two dozen states in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 5 election, including Minnesota, South Dakota, Arkansas and Florida, to fatten the coffers of GOP candidates.

"The 7th Congressional District is important, and we need to make sure that we produce even more ballots for Talent then we did in his unsuccessful gubernatorial bid," Mauck said.

Former President George Bush also will stump for candidates Oct. 29 at the Clarion Hotel in Springfield, Mauck said.