McCaskill Defends Vote Against Gina Haspel, Says Reasons Are Classified

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo/AP



By STEVE PEOPLES | May 20, 2018 9:27 am

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri on Saturday defended her vote against President Donald Trump’s pick for CIA director but said the specific reasons were classified.

McCaskill was one of the few Democrats facing a difficult re-election this fall to oppose the nomination of Gina Haspel, who was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday after a heated debate about her role in the CIA’s torture program.

The Missouri Democrat told reporters at a Kansas City campaign event that her vote was influenced by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who had been tortured as a prisoner of war and also opposed Haspel’s confirmation. But she said the most important reason for her decision came during a classified discussion with Haspel.

“I cross-examined her on the classified material. And I was very uncomfortable with her answers,” McCaskill said. “I wish I could explain to all my constituents the details of all that, but the law will not allow me to do so. I can tell you this, if everyone in Missouri read and listened to her answers to the questions I asked, I believe that a vast majority of Missourians would have voted the same way I did.”


Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/mccaskill-defends-vote-against-gina-haspel-says-reasons-are-classified

[dicksmc3]

1. Claire has some BALLS!!!

You got to hand it to Claire, she shows me she has some BALLS for voting against Haspel. Her election in Missouri will be a hard fought battle against a guy named Hawley who recently went against his republicon governor Greitens. So, I certainly hope Claire is re-elected by the people of Missouri as an honest Senator willing to stand up against this administration and their clowns!

[whathehell]

2. +1

[Lulu KC]

9. +2

Ah, the sweet, sweet smell of integrity! Thank you, Claire!

[Kurt V.]

7. she will defeat Hawley.

he had to be talked in to running and he is acting like it.

[CatWoman]

3. Thank you Claire for your integrity

the other Dems who voted FOR her are up for reelection as well.

[Jim Lane]

11. Two Dems who voted for Haspel are NOT up for re-election

Shaheen and Warner are not up for re-election and, furthermore, represent states that voted Obama-Obama-Clinton in the last three presidential elections.

This is not to say that, as to the four defectors who are up for re-election, I accept their excuse that they must pander to the worst of the right wing in their states. It's only to say that Shaheen and Warner can't with any credibility make even that excuse.

[Voltaire2]

4. My senator Shaheen voted yes.

Really disappointing. Hassan voted no. Shaheen is almost uniformly unwilling to take controversial stands. Part of our messaging problem is that we have so many elected officials who behave this way.

[mpcamb]

5. I don't see how anyone could vote for this lying rat Haspel. Her policy brought endless war.

How can you vote in favor of that?

[WinstonSmith4740]

6. Why does she think she has to defend this vote?

Yeah, I know she's facing a difficult re-election, but she's faced them before. I don't know why Democrats continue to think they've got to appeal to people that would never vote for them anyway. If she had voted for this monster, it wouldn't have made a bit of difference to those who oppose her, but it probably would have pissed off those that support her.

[karynnj]

10. The reason it is said is that it will be used against her

You are correct that this is a segment of the MO voting base that NEVER would vote for her or any Democrat. However, just from the results, there are some that have voted for her, but not other Democrats. She has had luck in getting unacceptable Republican opponents in the two times she won, but even then while rejecting her opponent, they had to respect her enough that they actually voted for her.

In some areas of the country, there are still a large number of people who are traumatized by 911. I know very little about Missouri, but I have seen this in places like Indiana - far more than NYC or the NYC suburbs in NJ, which actually experienced seeing the towers fall. The right has pushed many into what might even be seen as paranoia. (This is blended with the concept that they are "taking our jobs" in generating an amazing level of rage toward immigrants.) The idea is -- the US was attacked and we needed to use those techniques to save American lives. (Consider that Hollywood helped them with Zero 30 and many fictional shows.) Here, the takeaway is that Claire is too squeamish to do what is necessary to keep the US safe? Note that people who actually have fought - including McCain, Kerry and Hagel in the Senate and top US military officers - have pointed out that torture does not get good intelligence and it harms our reputation as well as disgracing our country.

While I do not think this a political vote, I think Claire mentioning John McCain and how he would have voted was a very smart move. He is extremely well respected, except for the far right - who you correctly say will never vote for her. McCain's stance and her reference of it could almost make it very tricky for the Republicans to smear her on this. "Would you say the same to McCain, a man who intimately knows what torture does?" would be the obvious response. This vote might help her with the Democratic base - so she might be able to get that base out -- and this would help define her as someone with principles.

[Sherman A1]

13. You have provided a good summation of what I have noted

In Missouri. The GOP has their eyes on this seat and have been hoping to pick it up for a long time so Claire is in the fishbowl. A huge amount of money will be spent on this race and it will be a tough one for her to win. Every statement, every move that she makes is and will be under severe scrutiny. That said, Claire is a very shrewd politician and will be a hard one to beat.

[Jake Stern]

8. Hey Joe and Heidi

A vulnerable Trump state Dem stood on principle and voted against a torturer.

What's YOUR excuse?

[RhodeIslandOne]

12. Who besides staunch Rethugs are basing their vote on Haspel?

They are not voting for Claire anyway!

Good on you Senator!