SENATORIAL CANDIDATE ORTBALS TO VISIT CAPE GIRARDEAU TODAY

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Gerald R. Ortbals, who has promised to accept no special interest contributions and serve only one term if elected, plans to bring his campaign through Southeast Missouri this week.

Ortbals' "Campaign Reform Rolls On" van is scheduled to be in Cape Girardeau about 2 p.m. today, although a news release announcing the visit did not specify where the candidate would be, other than to go by news media offices.

Ortbals, a St. Louis attorney who is past president of the Metropolitan Bar Association of St. Louis and former chief of staff to Gov. Joe Teasdale, said his goal is to ensure that Missouri has a real election this year.

Normally, Ortbals believes Senate races are "just another auction in which a seat in Congress is handed over to the highest bidder as usual."

The theme of his campaign is "The Power of One." Ortbals believes that by pledging to serve one term he will be free to make the right decisions on issues such as taxes and the budget deficit, and not be influenced by the desire to be re-elected.

Not only will Ortbals not accept any contributions from groups, he will also refuse any endorsements. Both before and after the election, Ortbals says he will accept "no perks, no PACs and no pork."

He will, however, be encouraging citizens to sign a campaign-finance-reform petition being circulated by the Ross Perot group, "United We Stand America Missouri Inc. Copies of the petition are attached to the outside of his van.