71.   The Ventura faction wants to hold the nominating convention in St. Paul and keep Gargan.

72.   They claim the conservative commentator deserves the Reform line because he was chosen at their raucous nominating convention in Long Beach, Calif. last month.

73.   With the GOP nominating convention in Philadelphia opening in a week, Texas Gov. Bush expects to announce his decision soon.

74.   Gay groups refrained from picketing the president during his nominating convention in Chicago two weeks ago, acknowledging that Clinton is more likely to further their cause than Dole.

75.   But Dole, who stopped here before his moment of glory at the nominating convention in California Sunday, is a proud native son.

76.   But currently nominating conventions are exempted.

77.   Dole has alienated US blacks with his refusal to speak earlier this year to their largest organization and with his nearly all-white nominating convention last month.

78.   Viewer rejection of the meticulously-scripted and staged Republican nominating convention may reopen the debate on media coverage of such events, media sources speculated Thursday.