Thanks Conservadem Claire McCaskill, you just lost us a Senate seat.

[FLAprogressive]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0311/Exclusive_McCaskill_billed_taxpayers_for_political_flights.html

Senator Claire McCaskill's spokeswoman this evening confirmed that the Missouri Senator billed taxpayers for a purely political travel on a private plane co-owned by her family, a violation of Congressional ethics rules that deepens questions around her use of the plane.

POLITICO's John Bresnahan and Scott Wong reported yesterday that McCaskill billed taxpayers for almost $76,000 for official travel on the twin-engine Piper aircraft, which she co-owns with her husband and other investors. Lawmakers routinely accept reimbursement from the government for their travel, but after the revelation that she used official public dollars to partially subsidize a private aircraft, McCaskill refunded taxpayers -- citing appearances, not any violation of ethics rules.

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Regardless of whether or not this is actually a big deal, the GOP will make it into one (look, their "independent" media organ POLITICO is already making it into one) and she made herself toast by doing this.

Time for Dems to find another nominee for Senate or just concede the race if they renominate her....

This is what happens when you put DLCers in office, they act like Republicans.

[Ramulux]

1. Primary! Primary! Primary!

But seriously, she was already dead on arrival before this. We needed a new candidate anyways.

[Ken Burch]

3. Are there any credible Dems left in Missouri?

n/t.

[PBS Poll-435]

10. When Carnahan couldn't win in the '10 midterms, I have a feeling the answer is NO.

[Ken Burch]

11. Maybe they should just rename the whole state Greater Branson.

n/t.

[PBS Poll-435]

12. ITA

nt

[MadHound]

15. There are, but the state party machinery doesn't want to let them on the ballot,

Out of fear or design the state political machinery only gets behind blue dogs. Been that way for years and decades.

Good liberal Dems who are making their way up the state political ladder either stop at a certain point and retire, or suffer weird setbacks. Mel Carnahan wasn't the first to die in a plane wreck in this state.

[Sonoman]

2. $76K for flying around in a Piper?

Did she live in the dang thing?

That seems like one heck of a lot of money to fly around in a twin Piper.

Sonoman

[TheKentuckian]

4. Dump her ass, she sucks sewer pipe anyway.

Perfect excuse to sit a crappy incumbent down.

[Peregrine Took]

6. Makes me want to wretch! n/t

[jillan]

5. I had such high hopes for her. Blah!

[NoTimeToulouse]

7. Consider this a good thing. If as you say, put DLCers in office, they act like Republicans,

then I say let them do that.

Sooner or later they will be expunged from their lawfully elected duties, and hopefully a real Democrat will be invested with that position for the betterment of the nation.

[madrchsod]

8. she was`t going to win the next election anyway...

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/03/poll-sen-mccaskill-looks-vulnerable-for-defeat-in-2012.php#more

[FLAprogressive]

13. Hopefully she chooses to "retire"

[Beacool]

9. That's a lot of money for flying on a Piper.

Hey, you are talking about one of Obama's peeps:

"McCaskill was an early supporter of Obama during his 2008 presidential run, and she emerged as one of the campaign’s most capable surrogates, fighting for his candidacy in around-the-clock appearances on the TV news networks. The relentless campaigning did not go unnoticed by Obama, who paid her high praise. “There are very few people who are closer to me, who I have relied on more for counsel or advice,” Obama said in June 2008. “Should I be successful, will be somebody who has the utmost access to the Obama administration."

:rofl:

[Alexander]

14. Here you are again, using any excuse to attack Obama. Predictable.