Missouri compromised

Election '06 | Low poll ratings for President Bush and high ratings for a stem-cell ballot initiative could together spell trouble for Sen. Jim Talent | Lynde Langdon

ST. LOUIS — Roberto's Italian restaurant usually sleeps in Saturdays after serving the Friday night crowd in South St. Louis County. But Saturday morning, Oct. 7, it opened up for about 25 anxious college students and suburbanites, few of whom dared approach a small buffet of coffee and donuts before the guest of honor arrived.

The group of Missouri Republicans planned to spend the morning campaigning for incumbent Sen. Jim Talent. But first they wanted to meet the senator, who stopped by to endorse their efforts before heading out for some door-to-door canvassing himself.

"I'm an old grassroots politician," said Talent, standing before supporters who formed a "U" around the edges of the small bar room of the restaurant. He ended his short speech by addressing the question on everyone's minds: Could the senator pull out of the dead heat he's in with Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill? "The race right now is very close," he said. "I feel good about where we are. I think this is going to break for us."