WASHINGTON–Springfield, Mo., seems an unlikely spot for the seeds of a Draft-McCaskill movement. But the GOP bastion is home to two Democratic activists who have started an online push for presidential hopeful Barack Obama to pick Sen. Claire McCaskill as his No. 2.

“Yes! Claire McCaskill is a wanted person! Well for Vice President that is!” screams one headline, at http://www.goclairevp.4t.com/. “Please Do What You Can to Spead (sic) the Word!”

Steven Reed launched the site a couple months ago with another southwest Missouri resident, Jeffrey Kenkel. (Kenkel is co-chair of the National Go Claire VP Movement as of July 12, 2008, according to the site.)

Reed isn’t new to the draft-a-politician deal. He launched a similar move urging state Treasurer Sarah Steelman to get into the governor’s race, even before current Gov. Matt Blunt announced he would not run for re-election.

Reed said he likes McCaskill and Steelman because they both are outsiders and straight-shooters who aren’t afraid to take on the establishment.

“Obama is running as a change candidate, and choosing someone like McCaskill” would reinforce that “because she’s really an outside-the-Beltway” politician, Reed said. “She does have a knack for saying exactly what’s on her mind … It seems like she the pulse of the people.”

Reed said he’s trying to “create a huge wave of support,” but that dream hasn’t quite been realized yet.

“We’re getting some responses back, now and then, on email,” he said. “I don’t know if we’re getting the response I’d like at the moment.”

A spokeswoman for McCaskill said the senator had meet Reed and Kenkel at campaign events but didn’t know them well. And McCaskill wasn’t aware of the website or draft effort.
McCaskill has taken on an increasingly prominent role in the Obama campaign. But she and Obama campaign advisers have been mum on his vice presidential pick.