Virginia Kruta | Associate Editor
Missouris incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill has stepped on a number of toes within her own party in order to prove that shes not a far left liberal or a “crazy Democrat.”
Locked in a tight race against Republican challenger Attorney General Josh Hawley — in a state that President Donald Trump won by 19 points in 2016 — McCaskill has had little choice but to lean toward the center. And in doing so, she has insulted a few members of her own party.
Barack Obama
President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks behind the helmet and weapon of one of the fallen soldiers during the III Corps and Fort Hood Memorial Ceremony November 10, 2009 held to honor the victims of the shootings on the Fort Hood Army. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Former President Barack Obama hit the 2018 campaign trail in support of a number of Democratic candidates — but he wont be making any stump speeches in Missouri. A recent Project Veritas video caught a McCaskill campaign staffer explaining why.
“Yeah, so Obama is campaigning for Democrats, yes. But Obama will not be coming to Missouri, because of how polarizing a figure he is in Missouri.”
The campaign snub of Obama is a 180-degree pivot from McCaskills voting record, however. Politico reported in 2012 that McCaskill voted with her party 80 percent of the time — but she voted with Obama over 90 percent of the time.
Elizabeth Warren
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) holds a town hall meeting in Revere, Massachusetts, U.S., Aug. 4, 2017. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
McCaskill sat down with Fox News host Bret Baier on Monday, and Baier challenged her with regard to a recent radio ad. The ad claimed that McCaskill was one of those “crazy Democrats” — and Baier pressed her to name names.
While saying that she wouldnt exactly call the Massachusetts Democratic Senator “crazy,” she did point out Warrens opposition to policies she had supported that were more moderate.
Bernie Sanders
Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks during a campaign rally in Kissimmee, Florida March 10, 2016. REUTERS/Scott Audette
McCaskill mentioned the Vermont Independent senator in the same interview, listing Sanders along with Warren as among those who offered “knee-jerk” opposition to anything President Trump said or did. (RELATED: Claire McCaskill Forced To Give Examples Of Crazy Democrats)
Maria Chappelle-Nadal
Maria Chappelle-Nadal called to resign after Facebook post calling for Trumps assassination. Screenshot/KSDK
During the Bret Baier interview, McCaskill also made mention of a Missouri State Senator who had once called for the assassination of President Trump. At the time, McCaskill was among those who called for Chappelle-Nadal to resign (she did not).
During her Fox News appearance, McCaskill brought her up, saying, “We have a state senator here in Missouri that actually advocated for the assassination of President Trump. Thats a crazy Democrat.”
Chappelle-Nadal attacked McCaskill over the radio ad earlier in the week, claiming that the term “crazy Democrats” might be racially motivated. “[McCaskill] is calling her base in the urban areas crazy Democrats,” Chappelle-Nadal said, “and shes relying on those so-called crazy Democrats to make sure she wins.”
Hillary Clinton
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton responds forcefully to intense questioning on the September attacks on U.S. diplomatic sites in Benghazi, Libya. Capitol Hill in Washington January 23, 2013. REUTERS/Jason Reed
In addition to her attempts to distance herself from former President Obama, McCaskill also tried to separate herself from the woman she endorsed for president in 2016 — Hillary Clinton.
Honorable Mentions: Maxine Waters, Cory Booker and Eric Holder
McCaskill, before naming anyone specifically, characterized the “crazy Democrats” as “people who walk into restaurants and scream at elected officials faces.”
She then noted that she had always advocated for civility and respect for others, even when she disagreed with them. In contrast, Waters, Booker and Holder have all advocated less civil means of addressing political opposition.
The embattled Missouri Senator is currently locked in a race so tight that RCP average still has it classified as a toss-up. Her opponent, Missouris Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley, is up by two percent in the most recent polls.
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