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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMcCaskill on fire
@stevekraske Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill today set a feisty, defiant tone for her re-election drive, declaring that Republicans were busy "spinning distortions and lies" about the health care bill.
During a kick-off event in Independence, the Democrat said if Missourians give the new law a chance, "They're really going to be a pleasantly surprised."
Advocating legislation viewed as wildly unpopular in Missouri, McCaskill painted the measure as a way to finally get "freeloaders" who refuse to buy health coverage into the coverage pool and ease the strain on those who pay for health insurance.
"We have a mandate now," McCaskill said. "The mandate is through the emergency room. So if someone decides to buy a new Harley Davidson instead of paying for health care, we pay their bills when they show up at the emergency room. That's why our insurance rates keep going up.
"This is the first time I've ever seen Republicans so anxious to defend the freeloaders."
She said her three leading GOP opponents -- Sarah Steelman, John Brunner and Todd Akin -- plan to privatize Medicare and Social Security and "do away with the federal government's involvement in student loans.
Read more here: http://midwestdemocracy.com/articles/mccaskill-fire/#storylink=cpy
Proud Liberal Dem
(24,355 posts)about something other than refusing to attend the DNC. How are things looking for her in MO? TPM Polltracker has her pretty far behind (8 pts) a potential match-up with Steelman (though I think that Ras figured into the polling).
xmas74
(29,658 posts)but quite a few posters here on DU would like to see her lose.
proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)I don't understand why anyone thinks any of them can beat Claire.
xmas74
(29,658 posts)I'm hoping with her spending lots of time in the state that she'll wage a good campaign and keep her seat. Without it, we'll have a true nut job in that seat.
hfojvt
(37,573 posts)In the Crucible of Time, you never know what the Squares of the City will do when The Sheep Look Up. After all, The Whole Man is a Polymath.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brunner_(novelist)
banned from Kos
(4,017 posts)Yes, Mass is important too.
But the heartland is a much better indicator of political strength.
Tennessee Gal
(6,160 posts)"We have a mandate now," McCaskill said. "The mandate is through the emergency room. So if someone decides to buy a new Harley Davidson instead of paying for health care, we pay their bills when they show up at the emergency room. That's why our insurance rates keep going up.
"This is the first time I've ever seen Republicans so anxious to defend the freeloaders."
cbdo2007
(9,213 posts)She always seems to take the easiest road, wherever that happens to lead.
proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)I feel for her. Missouri has a fair share of rightwing crazies who make lot of noise.
MatthewStLouis
(904 posts)She's a smart cookie and has a pretty sharp message. If only people would listen.
Inuca
(8,945 posts)I am not a constituent, I live in IL, but pretty close to St. Louis and I was curious. She was good and in strong supoprt, though there were quite a few tea party types in the audience and it got quite noisy and nasty several times. Large audience, a full or almost full community college sports hall, and she was in control of it most of the time.
McCaskill can be infuriating at times, and she does not always follow the party line (not necessarily a minus in my book), but th elady is smart and knowledgeable.
proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)The tea partiers were downright obnoxious but Claire handled them well.
xmas74
(29,658 posts)She might not say much but she votes in step with the party more than 3/4 of the time. She's a constant target in my state and she has to watch out.
In the end, she stands with the party and her constituents.