Brewer swaps sides in Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In Missouri politics, it is roughly the equivalent of getting run over by the Budweiser Clydesdales: Governor Bob Holden has lost the support of Anheuser-Busch, one of the state's wealthiest and most influential political voices.

Holden, a Democrat, said top executives at the St. Louis-based brewer wanted him to sign a bill allowing the carrying of concealed guns. Holden vetoed the bill, but lawmakers overrode him.

Holden's likely Democratic primary challenger, Claire McCaskill, said the company's support is going to her.

"Anheuser-Busch has indicated they are no longer supporting me," Holden acknowledged in an interview. "There's many people in that organization that wanted me to support the conceal and carry, and I said no."

Calls to Anheuser-Busch officials were not immediately returned yesterday. McCaskill, the state auditor, said she met two weeks ago with several of Anheuser-Busch's top officials, including chairman August A. Busch III and corporate group vice president Stephen K. Lambright.

She said she did not discuss the gun issue with Lambright until a later meeting, when she told him she opposed concealed weapons. She said she also would have vetoed the bill. But McCaskill said she stressed that she was not "anti-gun," and she didn't think the gun issue was the main reason she won support against Holden.

Anheuser-Busch entities and officials contributed about $50,000 to Holden's gubernatorial campaign in 2000.