After 12 years in office, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s time in Congress’s upper chamber may be drawing to a close because the Missouri Democrat and members of her staff were too honest about her agenda.
Adding insult to injury, she asked her Republican opponent to look into the matter.
It began when undercover investigative journalist James O’Keefe targeted McCaskill’s campaign staff to see what he could learn.
A week ago O’Keefe’s 501(c)(3) organization, Project Veritas, released undercover footage of the senator admitting that she wasn’t quite as pro-Second Amendment as she wanted her constituents believe.
“Well if we elect enough Democrats we’ll get some gun safety stuff done,” she said. “They won’t let us vote on it, we’ve got 60 votes for a number of measures that would help with gun safety, but McConnell won’t let ’em come to the floor.”
When the undercover journalist prompted her with examples such as “bump stocks, ARs and high capacity mags” as possible targets of legislation, she agreed, and added to the list.
“Universal background checks, all of that… But if we have the kind of year I think we might have I think we could actually be in a position to get votes on this stuff on the floor and we’d get 60 [votes]…”
Project Veritas released a second clip the following day, which was, if anything, even more damning to a liberal Democrat campaigning in a conservative state. In that one, McCaskill campaign worker Nicholas Starost admitted that she’d secretly been receiving donations from Planned Parenthood.
“… Planned Parenthood will never donate money to Claire [McCaskill] even though she’s very pro-choice, because they don’t want to ostracize those pro-life democrats that might not vote for her, if there’s Planned Parenthood funding her,” he said. “They go through other means to get us that money.”
The undercover journalist asked Starost directly if their intent was to continue receiving Planned Parenthood contributions without disclosing the source.
“Yup… It’s f***ing beautiful… It’s great when it works for us and not against us.”
Taken together, the two videos reveal that McCaskill’s campaign is based on lies — or at least keeps the truth about her anti-Second Amendment and pro-choice agenda from her constituents.
McCaskill’s reelection bid was already in jeopardy by voting with her party against confirming Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court after an especially nasty campaign waged by fellow Democratic senators.
His confirmation as the high court’s 114th justice was only possible by a courageous “aye” vote cast by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a fellow pro-choice lawmaker who opted for honor over abortion, principle over politics.
The McCaskill undercover footage dealt a serious blow to her campaign and she struck back in an odd way. The Missouri Democrat demanded that the Missouri attorney general launch an investigation into Project Veritas for “possible felonies.”
She didn’t claim that what the videos had disclosed was false — she just didn’t want the public learning the truth.
O’Keefe fired back, “Translation: McCaskill tries to criminalize legitimate news gathering.”
But over and above exposing her agenda, McCaskill turning to the attorney general for help had an odd twist: Missouri’s attorney general is Josh Hawley, her Republican rival in her reelection bid.
Hawley observed, “Let’s review [the] last 24 hrs. 1) @clairecmc & staff caught on tape telling the truth 2) McCaskill accuses ME of fraud 3) McCaskill demands Missouri give her special prosecutor to investigate her truth telling.”
As of October 16, the Real Clear Politics of poll averages had Hawley up slightly — by 0.2 points — a dead heat.
During and since the Kavanaugh confirmation, the Democratic Party has stepped up attacks on Republican politicians, including chasing them out of public places.
Most recently, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, were loudly accosted when they were trying to enjoy a quiet dinner at a Kentucky restaurant. The protesters even threw their food out.
Democratic leaders have condoned and even encouraged this behavior, including:
- Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif: "You get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them."
- Former Attorney General Eric Holder: "When they go low, kick them!"
- Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton: "You cannot be civil."
- Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.: "Get up in the face of congresspeople!"
As a result, voters have been turning away from the Democratic Party, according to Pollster John McLaughlin.
Although McCaskill hasn’t commented publicly on the protests, some of the backlash is bound to rub off on her.
It’s doubtful that her opponent will bail her out of that one either.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to BizPac Review and Liberty Unyielding. He’s also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter, who can often be found honing his skills at the range. To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.
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