Cheney supports Talent today in Springfield

Cheney is speaking at a 6 p.m. dinner at University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center, 333 John Q. Hammons Parkway. Tickets sold for around $250, said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party.

Talent, of St. Louis, is running for re-election to the U.S. Senate, where a costly and heated race is expected against Democratic State Auditor Claire McCaskill. Federal Election Commission reports show Talent had $4.66 million cash on hand at the end of 2005, versus McCaskill’s $1.26 million. The candidates’ next reports are expected by April 15.

Cheney is just another of the high-ranking officials Talent has behind him.

Last week, first lady Laura Bush made a fund-raising stop on Talent’s behalf in St. Louis. President Bush and Talent will speak together in a nonfund-raising event tomorrow in Jefferson City.

“Sen. Talent has worked with the president and vice president to pass an agenda that’s creating jobs and providing health care for Americans and Missourians,” Sloca said, citing 5.1 million new jobs “over the last few years” and the new Medicare prescription drug plan for which 66 percent of those eligible in Missouri have signed up.

The vice president is expected to arrive in Springfield at 3:30 p.m. and will speak on Bush’s 2006 agenda.

A handful of protesters from the Peace Network of the Ozarks plan to greet Cheney outside of the University Plaza, according to a blog posted last night at www.greenecountydemocrats.org. Peace Network opposes the war in Iraq.

Meanwhile, Missouri Democrats continue to call Talent on the carpet for retaining campaign contributions with ties to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who has been indicted by two separate grand juries for money laundering and conspiracy. As recently as April 3, the Democrats have asked Talent to return $5,000 he received from a DeLay political action committee in 2002.