MO Mo for Kerry?

As the Kerry campaign announced more support from the former Gephardt camp yesterday, including Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy and former New Hampshire Legislator Deborah Pignatelli, the campaign is turning more attention on the Missouri Congressman's home turf.

The Boston Herald reports that "Kerry plans to make Missouri a key part of his post-New Hampshire strategy. The Bay State senator is already dispatching top-level aides to the state and will soon begin spending money on a considerable TV ad campaign in the Show-Me State."

"Missouri's 88 delegates are by far the most at stake on Feb. 3. ``It's a state where we can plant a flag,'' said one Kerry source."

With Steve Elmedorf, who knows as much about Missouri politics as anyone in the country after his years as the head of the Gephardt political shop, installed as the new Deputy Political Director of Team Kerry, it doesn't seem like such a long way to St. Louis at all.