LOOKING FOR A LEADER: HOLDEN NEEDS A PLAN

It has been a month and a half since Bob Holden became Missouri's governor, and it remains to be seen what his leadership style will be. But it appears he has little control of the legislative process, even in a House of Representatives controlled by legislators from his own Democratic Party.

Twice this month members of the House Budget Committee have rebuffed Holden's suggestions, one to hire a private pharmacy benefit manager for Medicaid, and another to use tobacco-settlement funds to bail out overspending on prescription tax credits.

Holden's track record so far could be viewed by many as an indication that he lacks vision, or that he doesn't have a well-thought-out agenda, or that he is unable to keep key legislative Democrats in line.

One of the major gaps is a detailed plan from the governor regarding transportation needs -- including an acknowledgment that state funding for highways has exceeded estimates by hundreds of millions of dollars, even though the 15-year highway plan was scrapped because officials said revenue was coming up short.