It was an election that could've gone either way.
Growling and snarling was avoided (at least in public).
But raising dough was the worst part, and it remains a real threat to democracy.
And by the way, the Senator thing is mega-cool, but Claire's just fine.
Those were just some of the tidbits Missouri's new Sen.-elect shared with Hardball's Chris Matthews today in her first in-person rapid-fire appearance on the show.
McCaskill told Matthews she wasn't sure if the glass ceiling for women in politics has been broken, and that she's not ambitious enough for the Vice Presidency.
But then again, she also initially said she wasn't interested in running for the U.S. Senate. Then a guy named Chuck Schumer got a hold of her cell phone number.
MATTHEWS: Come on. First woman vice president?
MCCASKILL: I am not that ambitious.
MATTHEWS: If Hillary doesn`t get it. But she won`t have two women on the ticket, right? Probably not.
MCCASKILL: What I want to do is ask some tough questions about how we`re spending money over there. How in the world do we spend $350 billion and our guys not have the right armor?
McCaskill quickly pivoted to Iraq. She said she's been calling it a civil war, for months. She said she's been calling for a phased withdrawal, for months. And she said, the U.S. should be talking to Middle Eastern countries.
Talk to Iran? Sure, says McCaskill. Sit down with Syria? You betcha. But still, neither she nor other Democrats are willing to propose the most politically risky but possibly most influential idea to impact the war: vote to cut off funding.
That is thought of as unheard of, upatriotic, not on the table - especially for a Democratic Senator from a purple-colored state where the paint never really dries.
McCaskill doesn't see any reason to change the controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
"I don't think it's your identity. I think it is something that has worked," McCaskill said. "But I'm open to talking about it."
Matthews urged McCaskill to keep coming back to the show to share the news.
"I'm very happy to," she replied.
Matthews said he thought Sen. Jim Talent was the best Republican running in this cycle, and that two good candidates were in the race.
Something to be said for that.
1 comment:
It's amazing how McCaskill has become a darling of the left hoping class. You would think she had won by a landslide. I doubt if SW Mo. will see or hear much from her until 2012.
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