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SENATE REPORT '02 MISSOURI: DID EVANS BALK AT MAKING
SOMETHING LOOK POLITICAL?
The following piece appeared in The Hotline on Friday, January
25, 2002. This article is from Vol. 10, No. 9 of The Hotline
and is property of American Political Network, Inc.
Commerce Sec. Don Evans arrived 1/24 in St. Louis at
"The
Young Group" factory, "but without his expected guest,"
ex-Rep.
Jim Talent (R), "along for theride." Both Evans'
staff and
Talent "sent news releases" 1/23 "announcing the joint
appearance at the Young factory and later at the Matthews-Dickey
Boys' and Girls' Club." After he toured the "Young
facility,"
Evans "was asked about Talent's whereabouts. He bristled
at the
question," saying: "This is a pure business event. I'm
here here
on official business, not on politics." But when
Talent showed
up later at the "Boys' and Girls' club," Evans "made a
point to
say hello from the podium to his 'friend Jim Talent."'
Though
Talent "remained seated during the program and did not
speak to
the crowd," he did "meet privately with Evans afterward
at a St.
Louis hotel." Talent, asked if he was "disappointed
to be
removed from Evans' schedule," said: "Yes and No." He
noted that
"if a choice had to be made, it was better that everybody
heard
from Evans instead of him."
A Talent spokesperson said that Evans' office "had invited
Talent to participate in the" events "in support of the
president's economic security package." Evans spokesperson
Trevor Francis: "It was a mistake. There is a fine
line between
official business and political business. The secretary
is not
going to walk that line" (Scott, AP, 1/24).
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