McCaskill on Obama: He's shooting for the White House

   Giddy at the announcement that Democratic rock star Barrack Obama will raise money for her at an Oct. 7 Kansas City funder, Claire McCaskill told reporters today that there's little doubt in her mind about Obama's plans for 2008.

   "He's running," she said.

   For president, that is.

   One big tipoff: When Obama raises money for himself these days, the money no longer is going into his political action committee fund, but his Senate re-election warchest.

   The distinction: Money that goes into the PAC is doled out to other candidates around the country. Money that goes into the Senate fund can be used for an '08 White House bid, McCaskill said.

   If Obama runs, she predicted, he'll win.

   Oh, she added that money for the $250-$2,100 event already is pouring in.

UPDATE: After this post was published, a McCaskill spokeswoman called to make two points: (1) McCaskill is not endorsing the junior senator from Illinois; and (2) McCaskill has no proof that Obama is running; she was just speculating on what seems to be happening.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Comments

[Chris]

Wow... have to wonder how Obama feels about McCaskill making these claims. It would definitely be bad news for us Republicans in '08 if he does in fact run. He will be a strong candidate for the Dems.

[Dorian]

I wonder how Obama would do with mid to rightwing voters.

[realpolitic]

Referring to a complete political green horn like Obama as a rock star is....well, just as fatuous as the label would infer in the minds of most voters.

[southerngirl]

I agree he would be a tough candidate..I also agree that he is likeable and presentable...but I agree too a rock star?

[Wes]

And a political green horn with the qualities Obama possesses is WAY, waaaay overdo and is, to say the least, what people have been yearning for.

[shecky]

Obama has that magical quality. You just listen to his voice and you're sucked in. Oh, and Chris, Obama did very well appealing to moderates and even many rightwing voters in Illinois when he ran for Senate.

I seem to recall the Republicans electing a relatively underqualified but rhetorically gifted candidate from the date of Illinois about 150 years ago. Seems like he turned out pretty well. Maybe it's time for another.

[Bob]

SouthernGirl,

He is a rockstar to Dems.
His '04 convention speech rocked the convention.

I am not sure of his counter on the Republican side? Gulliani?

But his speeches are lyrical and magical & full of wisdom and hope.

Peace.

[FarRight]

I'll say this- I saw him speak in Iowa at Tom Harkin's deal on C-span. He was really good. He is enjoying his honeymoon with the Washington Press Corps, but believe me the worm will turn. I'm just not sure 4 years in the Senate is going to be enough. BTW, if Hillary runs-- none of this matters as its all over but the shouting.

[BeProudAmerica]

I think '08 maybe a little too early for him to make a run. He does appeal to moderates and even those that lean to the right.

If you listen to the content of what he has to say, he sounds more Republican than Democrat in advocating personal responsibility and stating that the Democrats overreact to people with strong christian beliefs among other statements.

[southerngirl]

Bob I would say Guiliani would be most galvanizing...but gonna be a tough one and probably next few months will tell...I certainly like Guiliani best...but who knows..I heard it wold be hillary/obama not obama on main ticket,but who knows there either..going to at least keep the political debate going smile

[southerngirl]

oops just saw the update..not endorsing? doesn't know....oops Claire needs to be careful then about what she says...who is she endorsing then? I bet...Hillary/Obama

[southerngirl]

and he is good enough to take the old fundraising money from....

[Truth]

Psalm 55:21

[Thomas]

Obama is very talented, but he isn't liberal--he's a leftist. There's no way he'll ever be elected president.

Claire, on the other hand, demonstrated yet again that she is too undisciplined to be in public life. How would you feel if you were Obama and this is the kind of thing you get for helping someone out?

[HaHa]

Read the update to this piece where Claire had to retract/modify/qualify her earlier statements. Does a single day go by where this woman doesn't put her foot in her mouth somehow??

[Obama's Bubble Buster]

Obama is a Leftist, this is true. America stopped leaning left in 1996. The problem is the leftists have not figured out what the party is about, where it is going, and why Christians, Conservitives and Libetarians all are totally disgusted. Obama thinks he knows, but he is not a LaGuardia, which is what the Democrats need.

[John Evans]

There will be no election in 2008. Only the illusion just like in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006. We are in a Republican dictatorship. Put in place by machines. The Republicans that are in office could not win if not for this. We must rise up and take back control of our country by all means necessary. Today The Republicans voted to obolish writ of habeas corpus. This is no longer a free nation. We are in a Dictatorship.

[Tommy]

John--
I thought it was an authoritarian leadership you were barking about the other night.
(BTW...good to see you've taken a trip back to m-w.com...I liked the bit on 'writ of habeas corpus')

tommy What do You think Authoritarian Rule is? Duh
Oh you don't think that they have suspended habeas corpus. You are not as bright as I thought. Not!
We went back 900 years. The king did'nt even have this power. It is uninformed fools who unwittingly give up their freedoms gladly to obey those who despise and take advantage of their ignorance that has brought us to this mess. You do not understand what is all over the news tonight. I listened to the house debate this bill all afternoon yesterday and I can tell you it is an abomination of our principles and freedoms. These are the facts and they are not open for debate.

Larry Sakin: In the first chapter of your book, Was the 2004 Presidential Election Stolen? President Bush seems very worried about the election outcome. If the Republicans stole the election, why would Bush be so concerned?

Steven Freeman: Good question. Actually, I did not want to include that story in the book. It was there at the behest of my publisher and co-author, who felt it made a compelling narrative. I agreed to include it because it happened on Election Day, involved exit polls, President Bush, was well sourced, and consistent with other evidence (e.g., the cancelled Election Day broadcasts in the critical battleground state of Florida).

It could be argued that it suggests that the Bush/Cheney campaign did not steal the election or that if they did, George Bush did not know about it. On the other hand, it also indicates that the president, who is after all a highly seasoned politician, was concerned about the exit polls. On face value it suggests that, of course the exit polls and corollary indicators (high turnout, low approval ratings) were right. All knowledgeable observers understood it; Tony Blair went to bed believing that Kerry had won. Even George Bush understood it. Our source indicates he was furious because he had been assured that he would win; he may have not understood, or forgotten, or been temporarily confused that he was going to win*despite* the exit polls and corollary indicators, indeed despite how people cast their ballots.

The source was equally clear that his political operative Karl Rove calmly assured him everything would be okay. And this is consistent with other reports. Despite widespread Election Day predictions that Kerry had won, the Bush/Cheney campaign team remained highly confident. Political scientists and journalists reported that confidence was based on their “on-the-ground intelligence,” the details of which has never been explicated.

Sakin: You write extensively about the long poll lines and lack of voting machines in heavily Democratic areas in various places across the country. What measures can voter integrity activists take to counteract these problems?

Freeman: There is clear evidence that Ken Blackwell, Ohio’s Secretary of State, held voting machines in warehouses to create long lines in Democratic strongholds. Blackwell is now running for Governor, while continuing to serve as Secretary of State; in other words, he’s overseeing the counting of votes in his own election
http://www.mytown.ca/e101/freeman/

http://www.americanblackout.com/

[BeProudAmerica]

Okay I read the story about the polling and the voting machines.

How dumb is this guy? He stated that he doesn't understand why the people that have programmed the voting machines make their programming code public. Ther reason is then that would make it that much more easy for anybody with a programming background to write code to hack it. He then goes on to talk about how there is open source (public) code avaliable for use and can't understand why the election boards won't use it and again the answer is because the code can be hacked easily.

My point is that if this guy is an 'expert' in the field and can't figure that out, then there is a problem.

[John Evans]

"A bill of rights [should provide] clearly and without the aid of sophisms for... the eternal and unremitting force of the habeas corpus laws, and trials by jury in all matters of fact triable by the laws of the land and not by the law of nations." --Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1787. ME 6:387
http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff1520.htm

[big apple writer]

Yea Barack is such a leftist he voted to approve the appointment of that super liberal,presque Communist, Sec of State we have, Condi Rice.

[Gary]

I was enjoying reading these posts - but - I am going to watch Dan Rather on TV. He has found Abe Lincoln's laptop & in it is information all about the UFOs that will be landing in Rosewell to vote for Democrats. While we are at it there is a Save the baby pastramis from being turned into sandwich meat followed by These people will believe anything.