Region briefs 2/1/08

Obama sets details for St. Louis rally

ST. LOUIS -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will appear Saturday night at a rally at the Edward Jones Dome in downtown St. Louis.

Obama's campaign announced a St. Louis visit earlier this week, but on Thursday offered details. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the program is expected to start at 8:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Obama's appearance is among several by presidential candidates coming to Missouri in advance of Super Tuesday. Republican Mitt Romney's campaign is expected to release details soon of a Saturday visit. And Republican John McCain is scheduled to be at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield at 2 p.m. today.

Missouri is one of nearly two dozen states holding Super Tuesday primaries.

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Romney drops SW Missouri campaign stop

JOPLIN, Mo. -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney no longer has plans for a southwest Missouri campaign stop Saturday.

Campaign volunteers had earlier said Romney was looking at a Saturday stop in either Joplin or Springfield.

But state Rep. Gary Nodler of Joplin said scheduling became difficult.

Nodler said he is hearing that Romney will campaign Saturday in St. Louis and then go to Nashville.

Missouri is one of 22 states that will hold primaries or caucuses next Tuesday.

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Blunt claims Republicans would be wasting votes on Huckabee

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Matt Blunt says conservative Republicans would be throwing their votes away if they back Mike Huckabee in Missouri's presidential primary.

Blunt is a supporter of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

The Missouri governor told reporters Thursday that if conservatives split their votes between Huckabee and Romney, then the more moderate John McCain likely will win Tuesday's Republican primary.

Although Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses, he has lagged behind McCain and Romney in subsequent primaries. Blunt says Huckabee is out of contention.

He told reporters: "I think everybody really in their heart and mind understands that this is a two-person race, and if you want to have a voice now, you need to cast a vote for one of the two leading candidates."

-- From wire reports