McCaskill minding her Ps & Qs
WASHINGTON–Sen. Claire McCaskill loves to joke about how “my mouth gets me in trouble.” But the Missouri Democrat was unusually tight-lipped and cautious at a session with Missouri reporters here this morning, even as she discussed everything from the Missouri governor’s race to the raging presidential showdown.
On the former, McCaskill dismissed suggestions that presumed Democratic nominee Jay Nixon faced a more difficult task in the gubernatorial race now that he didn’t have Gov. Matt Blunt to kick around, although she said it wasn’t going to be a cakewalk either.
“Jay has a slight edge at this point because of the change message,” she said. “But he’s going to have to run hard and not make any mistakes.”
She ducked a question about whether Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, D, should jump into the fray, saying it would be “pretty nervy of me” to comment on anyone’s right to mount a primary challenge. (McCaskill, in case anyone needs a reminder, infuriated some Democratic Party faithful when she took on incumbent Gov. Bob Holden.)
On the presidential front, McCaskill said she was so passionate in her support for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., that it was hard for her to handicap the race because she couldn’t be objective. She hardly went out on a limb with this offering on Missouri’s pivotal Feb. 5th contest: “I’ll make a prediction–and it’s always a safe prediction in Missouri–it’ll be close.”
Asked if the Democrats faced a tougher general election contest if Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is the GOP nominee, McCaskill first said: “I really don’t’ want to answer that question.” Then she did, previewing one likely Democratic line of attack on a McCain candidacy.
“I believe John McCain’s position on the war and foreign policy will be a deal breaker for him” in Missouri, she said. “John McCain is going to be status quo. The Democratic nominee is going to be change.”
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I would like to ask Senator McCaskill does she believe since Obama said, “There’s no white America, there’s no Black America, there’s just the United States of America,” that If Senator Obama happens to be the nominee that You mean the Republicans are going to play fair, and show Obama respect? You mean like they played fair and showed Gore respect? You mean like they played fair and showed Kerry respect?