This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Oct. 28, 2011 - U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., says she will be asking President Barack Obama to come to Missouri within the next few months to campaign for her, and help her raise money for her 2012 bid for re-election.
The senator then offered up her strongest endorsement yet of President Barack Obama in recent months, telling reporters at a veterans event today in Bridgeton that she "absolutely'' supports the president's re-election -- and objects to any "story line'' that implies otherwise.
"I don't always agree with the president. He'll be the first to tell you that," McCaskill said. "But I support the president."
Referring to his Republican challengers, McCaskill added pointedly, "The more there's a contrast, I think the better the president will do. As Americans begin to focus on what the alternative is to Barack Obama, he'll do just fine."
In turn, McCaskill said that the president said he was willing to tell Missourians "'what a pain you can be, because I can't count on your vote.'"
As is customary during her appearances, McCaskill sought to reaffirm her image as a "stubbornly independent," somewhat moderate Democrat.
But McCaskill's comments also underscored her belief that she expects to face a barrage of attacks over the next year that accuse her of being in lockstep with Obama -- regardless of whether she tries to distance herself, or not.
The senator said she simply asked that Missourians pay attention to the TV campaign ads and be particularly discerning of those that don't show that they are paid for by her campaign or that of her Republican rivals -- businessman John Brunner, U.S. Rep. Todd Akin or former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman.
"Don't believe it if you don't know who paid for it," McCaskill said, citing the anonymous money that has poured into independent political operations since the 2009 Supreme Court decision.
"There's a bunch of corporations that are not fond of me, that do a lot of contracting," she said. "I've stepped on a lot of big toes when it comes to contracting matters. It's not going to surprise me if they funnel lots of money into Missouri to try to take me out."
Calls for more help for veterans
McCaskill was talking to reporters at the beginning of a state-organized veterans event at the Machinists Hall in Bridgeton, in which various companies offered assistance -- for such matters as finding jobs, health care or legal advise -- to veterans just returned to private life.
McCaskill said she was visiting veterans and allied groups all over the state to highlight her concern about the high unemployment rate -- more than 13 percent -- for returning veterans. "That's unacceptable,'' she said, citing her support for Obama's initiative to encourage private companies to hire 100,000 unemployed veterans in the next six months.
She called for Congress to pass the "Hiring Heroes Act of 2011" and other proposed tax incentives that she said were aimed at helping veterans "transition out of the military'' and into a waiting job. The need for such efforts will increase, McCaskill said, as more U.S. soldiers return from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Most Americans agree, she added, that it's fitting and proper to offer help to "those who have volunteered to risk their lives for our freedom."
During the news conference, McCaskill fielded questions on a variety of topics.
Among her observations:
- She supports the general message of the Occupy Wall Street movement. McCaskill said, "This isn't about class warfare. It's about fairness.''
- She said that authorities should be tolerant of Occupy activists camping out in city parks, as long as they comply with the laws and are not disruptive. She added that Occupy activists, as well as their supporters and detractors, should respect the nation's free-speech rights. "In many other countries, they'd be in some prison by now,'' she said.
- McCaskill said she remains mystified about the Missouri House's approval earlier this month of a resolution that endorsed expanded production of the F-35 fighter plane, built by Texas-based Lockheed Martin, and made indirect slams at Boeing Co's F/A-18, built largely in St. Louis.
Questions House Leaders' Knowledge of Anti-F/a-18 Resolution
McCaskill said that weeks before the vote, she began receiving identical pro-F-35 letters from "all the Republican leadership in Jefferson City.''
That included a letter from House Speaker Steve Tilley, dated Sept. 7, a copy of which a source -- not affiliated with McCaskill's staff -- provided to the Beacon. McCaskill confirmed receiving it.
Tilley has not returned a call seeking comment. He had called Boeing after the resolution was passed to apologize and to say that members didn't realize that the measure was an attack at the F/A-18.
McCaskill's point was that Republican House leaders had been well aware of the resolution long before the floor vote earlier this month. She added that she didn't understand how Republican leaders could not have realized the anti-Boeing nature of the resolution's message. Almost two weeks later, the House passed a new resolution praising Boeing.
"Whoever whispered in their ear is a powerful person,'' McCaskill added pointedly, referring to Kansas City-based lobbyist Jeff Roe, who Republicans say had sought the resolution for Lockheed Martin, one of his clients. Roe and others have emphasized that the resolution was aimed at helping the F-35's Missouri subcontractors, who combined employ about 500 people.
Every time she opened one of the pro-F-35 letters, the senator added, her personal reaction to the prominent Republican signing it was, "What are you thinking?"
