Difficult Choices

On Hardball, Chris Matthews asked Senator Claire McCaskill: “What has Senator Obama accomplished as a colleague of yours in the U.S. Senate?”

She pointed out that Obama had work with Senator Lugar to secure loose nuclear weapons, around the world, and with Republican Senator Coburn, to open up the records of spending of government to the people on the Internet. He was the first senator to go after the wounded warriors disgrace at the Walter Reed Hospital and got most of his initial legislation passed into law within a matter of months. Although, Senator McCain has a good record in terms of earmarks, he was not able to accomplish the kind of reform or transparency that Senator Obama accomplish in a very short period of time after he arrived in the Senate.

The Wisconsin post-election analysis, showed that men were overwhelmingly for Obama. Although, it’s a sensitive point in American life, Senator McCaskill was willing to talk about the gender issue and how it relates to this election.

Senator McCaskill insists that the Democratic primary is hard for women, because: “We all care very much about gender equality, and so it’s easy to kind of gravitate over to gender preference.  Obviously, what’s important is for everyone, regardless of whether they’re a woman or a man, to decide who’s going to set the right tone in this country right now? Who is going to be able to work across the parties and find some common ground?

“And, you know, divisiveness has been an issue.  It’s been an issue in Washington.  Ideological splits have not produced good results for the American people.  And, so, I think that a lot of women are looking at this election.  And even though there is a significant guilt—I have significant guilt.  Hillary Clinton is a strong, smart woman.  She would be a terrific president.

“But I feel very strongly that it is important that we focus on who is the best leader for our country right now.  And that is why I am enthusiastically trying to help Barack Obama... I have got a lot of my supporters and friends that are disappointed in me, that feel like I owe a blind loyalty to Senator Clinton, because she is capable and strong, and would be a good president. I think that is why this gender issue is such a point in this election. And, frankly, I feel for a lot of my African-American friends who have endorsed Hillary Clinton, because I think they’re getting some of the same guilt. 

“But what is really neat about this election, which is so exciting is that there isn’t anything John McCain or Senator Clinton can do, to stop it, is the groundswell of new enthusiasm from people who have never participated before.

“And it is those people that are carrying the day.  And I think that any attempt to characterize Barack Obama, as an empty suit or as simply rhetoric, is missing entirely the point of what is going on in our country this year.”