CAPE NATIVE GETS KEY POST WITH BUSH

A Cape Girardeau native will get a close-up eye view of life on the presidential campaign trail. Jack Oliver, a key GOP fund raiser among grass-roots conservatives, has signed on with Texas Gov. George W. Bush, who recently announced he is considering a run for the White House, the same position held by his father.

Oliver will become Bush's finance director if the governor becomes a full-fledged candidate for president. In fact, he's already worked for Bush in Austin, the Texas capital.

Oliver received his bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University and a law degree from the University of Missouri Law School.

A seasoned political adviser at 30, he brings considerable experience to the table. He raised nearly $3 million last year for Missouri's U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft. He headed up Ashcroft's finances in his 1994 Senate race, and he has campaigned for many Missouri Republican politicians, including former U.S. Sen. John C. Danforth, U.S. Sen. Christopher Bond and the late U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson.

Oliver's growing expertise in political fund raising hasn't gone unnoticed on the national political scene. The fact Bush picked Oliver for his team says a lot about this young man's abilities and future in politics.

Bush seems a likely contender for the 2000 presidential race, but he won't officially announce until later this month.

Who knows, perhaps Oliver could swing a campaign stop in Southeast Missouri for Bush. The fact a Cape Girardeau native is on Bush's team may provide insight into what could be a colorful presidential campaign.