Freshman senator's stand raises hackles of party leaders

[rodeodance]

Source: McClatchy Newspapers



Freshman senator's stand raises hackles of party leaders
By David Goldstein
McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON - Like many of the Senate's Democratic freshmen, Missouri's Claire McCaskill campaigned last year against "earmark" spending projects. A unanimous Senate tightened rules on earmarks earlier this year to signal that it got the message.
..........

In her first 100 days as a senator, she's bolted from her party on more roll-call votes than any of the eight Democratic freshmen, according to Congressional Quarterly. The authoritative magazine gave her a party loyalty score of 87 percent.

Only three of the 50 Democratic senators scored lower: red-state lawmakers Evan Bayh of Indiana, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Ben Nelson of Nebraska.

"She's not a rubber stamp," Nelson said. ....

Read more: http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/nation/17185684.htm

[pocoloco]

1. You gotta vote your conscience!

Just look what happened to to the repugs....Ok, you're right, first you have to have one.

[Straight Shooter]

2. 87 percent doesn't seem very low to me.

I guess it depends on what issues she's straying from the party platform. :shrug:

[TwilightGardener]

3. Missourah--she's not going to be especially progressive, unless

she only wants to serve one term. Nelson knows the score out here in the Midwest.

[Rage for Order]

4. More from the article....

McCaskill said she's a loyal Democrat, but added: "I'm not going to vote for anything just on party loyalty. It's important to me to be seen as serious, thoughtful and substantial. Not just a maverick." So far, she's lived up to her campaign rhetoric on earmarks. She's received nearly 200 requests for money from groups in Missouri, and she's turned down every one of them. McCaskill told them that her office would help them seek federal grants and other forms of aid instead.

But earmark defenders argue that without them, many worthwhile projects such as community centers and highways wouldn't get built, and education and research programs wouldn't get funded. Missouri received $433 million in earmarks last year, according to the Census Bureau and the Office of Management and Budget. That's largely thanks to McCaskill's Missouri colleague, Republican Sen. Kit Bond, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, where earmarks are a way of life.

But when she weighed DeMint's offer, she didn't need much persuading. He wanted the Senate to pass a rule requiring the publication of the name of every senator who requests an earmark, along with its amount and its destination. She was the only Democrat to sign on. Senate Democratic leaders quashed the move, saying they preferred not to change Senate rules "piecemeal." "I don't care if it's piecemeal," McCaskill said later. "Let's just do it."

[msongs]

5. community centers should be locally funded, not by the feds nt

[grmamo]

6. McCaskill is great, I voted for her because I saw she wasn't aftaid to stand up to anyone. So far,

I think she has done a great job. As far as earmarks, if you believe in the earmark why be ashamed to put your name to it??

[Hard_Work]

9. Hello fellow Missourian

:hi:

So far, Claire hasn't given me any reason to regret my vote either.

[Kagemusha]

7. What the h*** is "liberal" or "Democratic" about earmarks!!??

Yeah, yeah, I know Harry Reid doesn't want to hear it, but this stuff about "But without them Many Important Projects Won't Be Built!" oh just cry me a river. That's what Tom DeLay and Dennis Hastert were saying when they made the earmark system bloat even far beyond previous outrages, which were considerable. Makes me wonder how Lieberman would've scored.

[ToeBot]

8. "...not a rubber stamp."? I guess it depends on whether your standing up to the party...

or climbing into bed with the Republicans. I'm sure that's what Nelson meant, isn't it?