JEFFERSON CITY - John Kerry?s planned visit to
St. Louis will likely be his last after new independent polling released
today shows that Kerry trails President Bush by double digits in Missouri.
Kerry?s visit is also at odds with his own adviser?s words and his
campaign?s media strategy.

According to
a USA Today-CNN-Gallup Poll, President Bush?s lead among likely Missouri
voters is 14 percentage points.  The poll said Missourians believe President
Bush would do a better job than Kerry handling the economy and fighting
terrorism. Fifty-two percent said President Bush would do the best job with
the economy, compared with 42 percent for Kerry. On terrorism, 62 percent
said President Bush would do a better job compared with 32 percent for
Kerry.

"John Kerry is a desperate candidate who has been
unable to sell Missouri voters on his flip-flopping, liberal agenda on
everything from taxes to the war on terror," said Ann Wagner,
chairman of the Missouri Republican Party.
"Missourians support President Bush?s call for lower taxes and a consistent,
tough approach on the war on terrorism and this is why Missouri will
continue to remain Bush Country."

Last week,
the Kerry-Edwards campaign downgraded their chances in Missouri, evident by
its second tier status in their latest round of advertising buys.  Factor
that with a Democratic adviser to Senator Kerry?s campaign telling CBS News
during the Republican National Convention that Kerry?s campaign has all but
given up trying to win Missouri.

Kerry
strategist Tad Devine said that no advertising money had been given to
television stations in Missouri for media buys in the critical month of
October, adding that the Democrat campaign is at the point where it had to
"make an honest first cut".