REPUBLICANS MAKE FINAL PITCH FOR VOTES AT CAPE AIRPORT RALLY

U.S. Sens. Christopher Bond and John Ashcroft touted the Republican ticket and tax relief at an election-eve campaign rally Monday.

They said the Dole-Kemp ticket offers voters an opportunity for smaller government.

Gubernatorial candidate Margaret Kelly told a crowd of about 50 enthusiastic supporters at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport that Missourians would have a $640 million tax cut, the largest in the state's history, and better management of their tax dollars if she is elected today.

Kelly said Gov. Mel Carnahan's administration saddled taxpayers with the largest tax increase in state history to fund education.

She said spending in state government increased $3.5 billion in the past four years.

Responding to remarks at the rally, Carnahan spokesman Tony Wyche said in a telephone interview that Republican charges are "politics at its worst."

Carnahan pledged to make education a top priority when he was elected and has done so, Wyche said.

He said Missouri's economy has improved, with 300,000 new jobs in the last four years.

Under Carnahan, more than 35,000 people have been moved off welfare and into the workplace, Wyche said.

He accused Kelly of a breach of trust with the voters for proposing a "wild-eyed" tax cut that would cut government services such as education and law enforcement.

Wyche said state government grew by a larger percentage during Ashcroft's two terms than it has under Carnahan.

He said Carnahan has cut wasteful spending and has led Missouri to be recognized as the third best managed state in the nation.

But Kelly and Missouri's two senators said in Cape Girardeau that Republicans would restore trust in government in Washington and Jefferson City.

Ashcroft said Kelly would give Missourians more freedom and less government. In contrast, he said Carnahan supports the government bureaucrats.

Bond quipped that the only sad thing about Election Day is that voters can't vote twice for Kelly, a reference to the fact 8th District voters can vote twice for independent-Republican Jo Ann Emerson -- once in the general and again in the special election.

"Getting out the vote is really going to make a difference," Bond said of Republican chances for victory from the top ticket on down.

Emerson said voters can't vote straight ticket if they want to vote for her.

A straight-ticket vote would go to Republican Richard Kline on the general election ballot where Emerson is listed as the independent candidate.

There is no straight ticket designation for the special election where Emerson is the Republican candidate.

Bond said Emerson is "stronger than horse radish" in this election.

Ashcroft said grassroots support is important in any election. "I think politics works just like good government works, it works from the ground up."