McCaskill shows support for Lieberman, Clinton
McCaskill
Claire McCaskill was one of over 40 Democratic senators who today voted to allow Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman to keep his powerful committee chairmanship despite supporting Republican John McCain in the presidential election.
The final vote, 42-13, was enough to allow Lieberman — an Indepedent who, on Capitol Hill at least, has sided with Democrats — to keep his post at the helm of the Homeland Security Committee.
A spokesman for McCaskill tells the Kansas City Star that the senator did not want to “start off a new Congress on a note of revenge and retribution.”
As The Washington Post notes, the two-hour caucus meeting to decide Lieberman’s fate was held in the Old Senate Chamber, “where the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was reached.”
Meanwhile, the Journal News, which covers the Lower Hudson Valley suburbs of New York City, reports that during the meeting McCaskill talked with fellow Sen. Hillary Clinton about the former’s First Lady possible role as Secretary of State under Barack Obama.
“I let her know how supportive I was of the idea,” McCaskill told the newspaper.
What about the tricky role Clinton’s husband — you know, POTUS No. 42– could play in the nomination?
“It’s complicated on a lot of levels,’’ McCaskill said.
I just keep seeing Lieberman’s performance at the GOP National Convention and can’t help but think I would be one of the 13 that said ‘good riddance.’
Why isn’t McCaskill being mentioned as being in the running for a spot in Barry Obama’s administration? I thought she was his number one fan?
What went wrong?
Claire is Nobama’s #1 fan, however to her credit she hasn’t played nice with either side. She has voted against Reid on a number of issues. I think it cost her some points with Barry. However, I’m actually starting to warm up to her because she seems to be voting with how the people of Missouri feel, not what Harry Reid tells her to do.
I have heard speculation that Hillary will not be formally nominated after the vetting process produces long-known or suspected information - Bill Clinton’s income from foreign governments like China and Dubai, which could be sensitive when received by the spouse of the Secretary of State, as well as long standing questions (raised by Obama himself in the debates) about identities of contributors to the Clinton Library.
Picking up on Steven’s new admiration for Claire, I wonder how Claire fits into the quest for 60 senators to break filibusters. Obama is counting on all the Democrats. How will Claire vote on ending filibusters for Obama initiatives that aren’t popular back home (”card check” comes immediately to mind, and there are probably several others).
STLO - Claire will surely throw Missouri under the bus for the big O, which hopefully will secure her defeat in 2010 for having supported Obama over Hillary in the primary. Why isn’t she getting AG? I think Obama owes her a lot for sticking her neck out and turning her back on Hillary.
Isn’t it nice that the caucus voted in secret today even though they plan to pass card check ASAP to eliminate the secret ballot. What’s good for the goose should be good for the gander. What hypocrites!
I’m glad the Democrats acted the right way - as we define it to them - today. I’m half tempted to wish that Mitch McConnell could pressure Reid and the Dem leadership into allowing Susan Collins a chair of a committee as well. She’s with them on as many issues as Lieberman is and did less against their Dem nominee for President.
To begin with, Claire made several strategic political errors.
#1 The out-state dems in Missouri are VERY conservative. The vote FOR guns and pro-life issues. She will HAVE to take a stand on who he nominates for the SCOTUS. That person WILL be a pro-choice and anti-gun jurist. They HAVE to be inorder for him to maintain his base. How will Claire vote during confirmation?
#2 Her total and complete support of such a left-wing zealot like B.O. is going to turn off many people. She thinks, however , that she can maintain her Senate Seat with just 3 or 4 counties and the City of St. Louis. Never mind the fact, as Claire knows, people have a short memory. However 2012 could be a referendum on B.O.’s first four years!
#3 Finally, she is a hypocrit of the HIGHEST order. Appearing in front of the “family business” in Houston Missouri to announce running for Senate. What a crock. Does she really think the people of Texas County, along with about 100 or so others, are still going to buy that load of manure in 2012?
Pleeease let there be fillibusters. I want the Republicans to do to Obama what Democrats did to Bush. I want every single judicial/cabinet nomination to be stalled for no good reason. Obstruct!
Another “more bark than bite” example. On Nov. 5th, they all wanted Lieberman out. But as soon as they started sniffing very close to 60 filibuster-proof votes, all was fine with him. We need more Joe Liebermans. He’ll repressent Connecticut the way voters there want to be represented, not the way Democrats want to spoon feed them. The Dems needed Lieberman more in the caucus than he needed to be in it.