TALENT LAUDS MILITARY TRIBUNALS

The following piece appeared in The Hotline on Monday, December 10, 2001.  This article is from Vol. 10, No. 9 of The Hotline and is property of American Political Network, Inc.

On 12/7, ex-Rep. Jim Talent (R-02) was in St. Joseph to
"discuss issues like national security and military tribunals"
with local residents. The "Talk with Talent" event was held at
the "Pony Express Museum" where Talent "commended" Pres. Bush
"for his leadership during the ongoing terrorism crisis."

Talent also said he supported AG John Ashcroft's "proposal to use
military tribunals" for suspected terrorists.

Talent: Ashcroft "made it absolutely clear in those hearings that he is fully in
command of our nation's home front in the war against terror"
(St.Joseph News-Press, 12/8).

TALENT'S ELEMENTS OF STYLE

National Review's O'Beirne writes that Talent is an
"extremely able and articulate conservative" who has been
"teaching a course on Congress at" Washington Univ. in St.
Louis; his choice os E.B. White's Elements of Style as the
single required text indicates what a welcome difference he
brings to the practice of politics."

Talent's "campaign appearances and online chats have exhibited the humor,
intelligence, and philosophical self-confidence that his many
fans" in DC "would love to see him bring to the Senate" (12/17
issue). 

DEM AFRICAN-AMERICAN ALDERMAN MAY SUPPORT TALENT
St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Mannies reports that" police were
roaming around City Hall" 12/7, "adding fuel to rumors that the
Board of Aldermen was about to take unscheduled action on an
issue that's tearing" St. Louis Dems apart -"and now
threatening to spread statewide."

Redistricting for St. Louis' "28 aldermen is always divisive."
With 8 aldermen "out of town at a conference, the initial plan
had been to skip the issue" 12/7. "But then talk spread that
allies of Mayor Francis Slay "planned a last-minute move to
bring up the new map that his office has drawn up." A
"preliminary vote would only need approval of a majority
of those present, and backers" were confident 12/7
"that they had the votes." But nothing happened.

But the "lack of a vote didn't stop a public attack by" Alderman
Sharon Tyus (D), "whose 20th Ward is going south, literally,
under Slay's remap plan." 

Tyus declared 12/7 that she was "organizing an effort by
black dissidents to buck the" MO Dem Party, and perhaps back
Talent for Senate. Referring to Carnahan, Tyus said: "Maybe Ms.
Carnahan is the person who needs to be taught a lesson." Tyus
"also made clear she was still fuming over" the MO Dem Party's
"decision to spend" $25K to "hire a computer firm to help Slay
come up with a map." The firm, Telephone Contact, is owned by
Joyce Aboussie, nat'l pol. dir. for House Min. Ldr. Rep. Dick
Gephardt (D). More Tyus: "If the Democratic Party is getting in
this, they leave me no choice but to talk to Republicans." A
Talent spokesperson said Talent "had not metwith Tyus," but
added: "he looks forward to sitting down with her" (12/9).