AP: Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill to endorse Obama tomorrow

[Colobo]

WASHINGTON — Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill will endorse Democratic Sen. Barack Obama for president, The Associated Press has learned.
McCaskill, the state's top Democrat, plans to announce her support for the Illinois senator during a conference call Sunday, according to an Obama aide and a McCaskill staffer who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The endorsement is expected to be a major boost for Obama in Missouri, historically a bellwether in presidential contests and one of nearly two dozen states holding primaries or caucuses on Feb. 5.

Support from McCaskill could also help Obama woo female voters in his race against New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, his chief rival for the Democratic nomination.

McCaskill has praised Obama often and was widely believed to favor the Illinois senator over Clinton. But the Senate freshman had resisted openly supporting a candidate until now, saying she wanted to preserve working relationships with Senate colleagues.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Senate | St. Louis | Barack Obama | Missouri | St. Louis County | Claire Mccaskill
She said last week that she identifies with the desire for change often voiced by Obama supporters.

Her backing caps a slew of endorsements for Obama over the past week, including former Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano.

McCaskill plans to make the endorsement official during a 9:30 a.m. CT conference call on Sunday with reporters.

McCaskill, 54, was narrowly elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006. Obama appeared at a McCaskill for Senate rally days before the 2006 election and drew one of the largest crowds of her campaign.

Both Obama and Clinton have set up extensive campaign operations in Missouri. Clinton has collected her own powerful supporters in the state, including former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt, former Govs. Bob Holden and Warren Hearnes, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and Emanuel Cleaver, a congressman from Kansas City.

Obama has the backing of two St. Louis congressmen, William Lacy Clay and Russ Carnahan, along with St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-01-12-mccaskill-obama_N.htm

[babylonsister]

1. YES! That's a great endorsement! nt

[workinclasszero]

37. YAY!!

Another progressive women for OBAMA!!!!!:toast:

[sandnsea]

2. That is excellent

That should really help Obama secure Missouri.

:bounce:

[FrenchieCat]

3. Damn....that's an excellent endorsement!

Take that Hillary!

[Nimrod2005]

4. WOW! She is by far my favorite female Gov....This gave me goose bumps!

I am so happy for both...I love Obama!

I donated to her campaign after seeing her on MTP with Timmy.




P.S. I live in Florida!

[jefferson_dem]

5. Sweet!

This one's big.

It makes MO, a tsunami Tuesday gem, within reach for the Good Guys.

[Renew Deal]

6. That's got to be the other female endorsement that was rumored.

I think all the rumored endorsements have finally been annouced.

This is a good one for Obama.

[dkf]

7. Yowza. I like this one.

[Adelante]

8. I LOVE her

:loveya:

[BeyondGeography]

9. Let the McCaskill smear fest begin

:toast:

[City Lights]

10. Hooray!

:bounce: :party:

[zulchzulu]

11. Ah, we'll soon see why Claire McCaskill is some kind of evil woman from Hell

Give it a couple minutes...


Congratsobama!

[MH1]

12. Excellent!!!

:bounce:

:toast:

[OzarkDem]

13. McCaskill is also a conservative Dem

its not surprising she would endorse Obama, they answer to the same funders.

[MadBadger]

14. Looks like your first to the smear fest.

[OzarkDem]

15. Statement of fact

Nothing personal, nothing nasty. Its her record.

Its Obama's too. Feel free to prove me wrong with either a statement of his liberal voting record or his liberal stand on issues.

[MadBadger]

18. No, you declared it that way, so you prove that both of them are conservative dems.

[OzarkDem]

19. Okay

They both get most of their funding from big business:

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?CID=N00027694&cycle=2008

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/indus.asp?CID=N00027694&cycle=2008

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/sector.asp?CID=N00027694&cycle=2008

More

http://votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=2109

http://www.ontheissues.org/International/Claire_McCaskill_Foreign_Policy.htm

Active role for US in solving Israeli/Palestinian conflict
As a US Senator, Claire would push our government to play an active role in working to solve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. In facilitating the peace process, it is absolutely critical that we respect Israeli security concerns, and its sovereign right to protect itself . Claire fully supports Israel's June 2005 historic withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, without a signed peace treaty. Such action reaffirms Israel's willingness to take substantial risks for peace.
Source: New York Times Election Profiles Oct 8, 2006


US should create respect abroad, not just fear
More than just military prowess, America needs a tough but smart foreign policy. Harry Truman realized that America could not act alone in resisting the spread of Communism. He helped build a coalition not merely of the willing, but a coalition of the necessary. Claire believes America is in a similar position now. America alone cannot solely confront the spread of radical Islamic fundamentalism or stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons technology. Claire believes America can best tackle these problems when our nation is not only feared by enemies, but respected far and wide by many allies.

Note: I'm not so sure Harry T would agree with Claire on how to do this.

She also favors giving tax money to faith based organizations

Faith-Based Organizations
As welfare decreases, churches and other faith-based organizations (FBOs) pick up the slack.
Churches are tax-exempt, and donations to churches and other charities are tax-deductible, so federal activity focuses on tax reform to encourage donations, by increasing deductibility on federal and state income taxes.
Other recent Congressional bills focus on removing restrictions on religious organizations' activities, so that churches can bid on government block grants for performing welfare services.
The lessening of restrictions on separation of church and state for this purpose is known as Charitable Choice.
Opponents of church-provided welfare often cite the separation of church and state as a Constitutional issue. In fact, the phrase does not occur in the Constitution, but was popularized by Thomas Jefferson well after the Constitution was signed. The relevant line int he Constitution is the Establishment Clause, which prohibits establishing a state religion (i.e., an officially-recognized religion).

[BeyondGeography]

17. We have a winnah

:toast:

[Mass]

20. Same as John Edwards when he was in the Senate.

[usregimechange]

27. Nope but is somewhat independent and did this:

[jlake]

39. She ran an amazing campaign!

I volunteered on it and donated what money I could.

I have been disappointed by her record in the senate. When she was running, she sounded like she would be a Kerry or a Boxer....but she has turned out much more conservative....and specifically against her pledge, served as a rubber stamp for Bush on numerous occasions.

She is still a vast improvement over No-Talent, and this is a great endorsement for Obama. ....I just wish she would have lived up to her promises.

[Nedsdag]

16. WOO-HOO!

:party: :toast: :bounce:

[wildflowergardener]

21. McCaskill

Barack Obama introduced Claire McCaskill at at rally here in St. Louis before the 2006 election and was very positive about her and what a good senator she'd be when elected - I was glad to get to see him speak and wondered if she would partly because of that.

I haven't been thrilled with some of her votes, but will take her over the republican we had any day. At least when I complain to her I think there's a chance she'll actually listen - unlike before.

Meg

[Colobo]

22. Cool!

[usregimechange]

26. For the most part she has been a reliable Dem bloc voter

[Alcibiades]

29. Jim Talent was way too right-wing

Used to live in Springfield during his term--he was very popular there. One of the most conservative Senators from anywhere. I agree that McCaskill is a HUGE improvement.

[sniffa]

23. Claire pulls the trigger, will endorse Obama on Sunday

The freshman senator, who had been said to be leaning Obama's way, will do it in a telephone conference call with state and national reporters at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Obama will be on the line.

The nod comes at a crucial time in the Democratic nomination race as Obama and Hillary Clinton battle it out in Nevada, Michigan and South Carolina in the wake of the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.

McCaskill is taking a political risk here, especially with her future work in the Senate. Clinton is known for taking names and remembering slights, so passing legislation in the future -- if Clinton remains in the Senate with a loss in the nomination race -- might be tougher.

But if Obama wins, McCaskill has a new "in" in the White House.

At least this will make her kids happy. McCaskill said last week that her teen-age kids have been chewing on her to endorse Obama.

http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/9430

[usregimechange]

28. Anyone know the time?

[Nimrod2005]

38. Cool...........

[usregimechange]

24. Yes! Claire is my girl (and was before this as I helped her turn MO blue)

[usregimechange]

25. Here he is helping her in 06:

[sandnsea]

30. That's good to know

I remember John Kerry did fundraising for her almost from the day she announced. She had a lot of good supporters behind her. I wish she were a bit more liberal, but my family lives back there so I know it is not easy.

[FrenchieCat]

31. Maybe that's why she's endorsing Obama. Super Majority makes things easier....

:)

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

32. Claire McClaskill and Janet Napolitano are among my favorite Democrats

and I would be happy to see either of them become our first woman President. Congratulations to the Obama campaign for receiving the endorsements of these two outstanding Democratic leaders.

[usregimechange]

33. maybe he'll pick-em for VP?

[calteacherguy]

34. We absolutely must carry Missouri to win in November. Great endorsement! nt

[David Zephyr]

35. Big endorsement! This is news.

K&R.

[Hope And Change]

36. McCaskill plans to make the endorsement official at 9:30 a.m. CT on Sunday

McCaskill plans to make the endorsement official during a 9:30 a.m. CT conference call on Sunday with reporters.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-01-12-mccaskill-obama_N.htm">Link