GOP URGED TO STICK TO ITS VALUES

While some people are urging Republicans to take a more centralist stand on issues, it is the party's conservative values that make it great, David S. Limbaugh said at the annual Lincoln Day dinner.

As featured speaker, Limbaugh, an attorney and syndicated columnist, told the crowd of more than 450 that many people have pronounced conservatism dead and claim that to win elections, Republicans need to restructure.

"But conservative principles are absolute principles not shifting views," Limbaugh said.

He admitted that the economy has prospered under a Democratic President, but Limbaugh emphasized that that prosperity is despite Bill Clinton, not because of him.

Republican office holders and candidates also echoed this theme as they spoke at the 30th annual dinner sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Republican Women. In interviews before the dinner and during speeches that were met by applause from the audience, national, state and local politicians urged fellow Republicans to get behind their candidates and elect those with conservative values.

Republicans need to work to elect people with a set of values that will reduce the national debt, stop the decline in education and shore up social security, said U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft, who is running for his second term as senator from Missouri.

"We need people who will fix the problems, not fix the blame," Ashcroft said.

He said while Democrats have been saying there's nothing that can be done about problems such as education, welfare and rising crime, Republicans have been working to find solutions for those problems.

And the message is not just for registered Republicans, said U. S. Rep. Jim Talent of Chesterfield, who is running for Missouri governor.

"Our message of common sense conservatism appeals to people across the political spectrum," Talent said.

Many of the candidates at the dinner noted that the popularity of Texas Gov. George W. Bush in his presidential bid offers Republicans a good chance at winning a majority in both the state and national legislatures.

"Bush should have good coattails in Missouri," said Wendell Bailey, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor.

And since there are few contested races among Republicans running for state office, it means the party can offer a unified front.

"We are already in the general election mode," said Sam Jones, the Republican candidate for state attorney general. "We are focusing on issues like it's October instead of mid-march," he said.

In statewide offices, those issues include building better roads, improving Missouri's education system and fighting methamphetamine crime.

Talent said he has offered a plan for improving the state's road system and he believes education needs less intrusion from the federal government and more local input.

Jones said he has offered a plan to establish multi-county grand juries to make methamphetamine prosecutions more efficient and faster.

"And I think we can do those while reducing taxes instead of raising them," Talent said. But because Democrats for so long have spent money without solving the state's problems, Talent said he's having to convince voters that the state can do better than it's done.

State Rep. Matt Blunt, the Republican candidate for secretary of state believes voters are hungry for leaders with integrity and conviction and that the Republican party offers those leaders.

"Republican values are much more in line with the values of most Missourians," Blunt said. He said the issues he is concentrating on in the secretary of state race are using emerging technology to make it easier for Missourians to access government, working to reduce securities fraud and increasing participation in elections.

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, who is seeking reelection to represent the area in Washington, said she thinks Republicans will win election this fall because they offer the best solutions to the problems facing the area, the state and the nation.

But she noted that candidates have to get out the word on their stances and that takes grass roots efforts.

"There is a challenge ahead and we need everyone working to meet that challenge of getting Republicans elected in November," she said.

Also at the annual ceremony, the Pachyderm Club of Southeast Missouri presented the Tuff Tusk Award to Harold Kuehle, retired Cape Girardeau County Collector.