Schedule:
10.31.2012 =: US Senate Overview
11.01.2012 1: US House Overview 1 (Northeast, New England, Midwest)
11.01.2012 2: US House Overview 2 (West, Southwest, Texas, South, Florida)
11.02.2012 1: IN-Sen (Donnelly v. Mourdock)
11.02.2012 2: WI-01 (Zerban v. Ryan)
11.02.2012 3: WI-Sen (Baldwin v. Thompson)
11.03.2012 1: MO-Gov (Nixon v. Spence), MO-Lt. Gov, Mo-SoS, MO-AG, MO-Treasurer
11.03.2012 2: MO-Sen (McCaskill v. Akin)
11.04.2012 1: IL-10 (Schneider v. Dold)
11.04.2012 2: IL-08 (Duckworth v. Walsh)
11.04.2012 3: IL-11 (Foster v. Biggert)
11.05.2012 1: IL-17 (Bustos v. Schilling)
11.05.2012 2: IL-13 (Gill v. Davis v. Hartman)
11.05.2012 3: IL-12 (My home district, Enyart v. Gill)
11.06.2012 1 : POTUS/VPOTUS (Obama/Biden v. Romney/Ryan v. Stein/Honkala v. Johnson v. Gray)
11.06.2012 2: GOTV/Election Day diary
1 = Morning
2 = Afternoon/Early Evening
3 = Evening/Overnight
When this election cycle began, it was basically almost guaranteed that Claire McCaskill (D) the most vulnerable person in the Senate for the Democrats to lose. That changed when the ultra-right-wing extremist Congressman Todd Akin (R) won his party's primary and his subsequent "legitimate rape" comment on KTVI's The Jaco Report. There has been more information about Akin's ties to militant anti-abortion extremists and even was arrested at least 8 times in the 1980s (including at least one at the Hope Clinic in my hometown of Granite City). Akin is a foot solider in the GOP War On Women and the rest of the far-right agenda.
The Libertarian Party's opponent, Jonathan Dine, also ran against Roy Blunt and Robin Carnahan in 2012.
Now: It looks like McCaskill will hold on to this seat, much like what happened with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid holding on to his seat in Nevada and Governor Pat Quinn did in Illinois in 2010. Had McCaskill been facing off against either of Akin's opponents in the GOP Primary (John Brunner and Sarah Steelman) instead, this seat would likely be a pickup for the GOP. Conversely, either of them could just as likely folded just like Tommy Thompson is doing now in Wisconsin.
The Issues:
Todd Akin:
Abortion:
Our founders understood that life is a fundamental right granted to us by our Creator and that the government’s role is to protect this right. A government that doesn’t protect innocent life fails at one of its most basic roles. I believe that life begins at conception and I’m appalled that we do not protect the innocent lives of our unborn children.
As a former Board Member of Missouri Right to Life, I have remained steadfast in fighting for life. I actively worked to pass numerous pro-life legislative initiatives at both the state and federal level. Because of these actions, Planned Parenthood has listed me in their “Toxic Ten” worst legislators in the US for daring to stand up for the unborn.
PPACA:
I stand against ObamaCare and have pursued two strategies in Congress to help Americans regain control of their healthcare decisions.
Obamacare also established a new Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) that will interfere with the doctor-patient relationship and make coverage decisions based largely, or exclusively, on cost instead of medical need. This board of federal bureaucrats is tasked with cutting costs which will directly impact availability of care. I oppose this board and supported measures to repeal it.
Marriage Equality/LGBTQ Rights:
Voted YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage. (Sep 2004)
Voted YES on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman. (Jul 2006)
Amend Constitution to define traditional marriage. (Jun 2008)
NO on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Voted no to repeal DADT.
Guns:
I am committed to defending this right and have an “A” lifetime rating with the NRA. Also, the Obama Administration is calling on the U.S. Senate to ratify the U.N. Small Arms Treaty. This treaty will infringe upon the Second Amendment. I find this unacceptable and am a co-sponsor of Second Amendment Sovereignty Act of 2012 (H.R. 5846) which prevents funding for a U.N. treaty which attacks our Second Amendment rights.
Immigration:
Government services in English only.
End Birthright Citizenship; no more 'anchor babies'.
Declare English as the official language of the US.
SCOTUS Appointments:
Akin will likely pander to the far-right on this issue.
Claire McCaskill
Abortion:
Support embryonic stem cell research but not cloning.
Support a ban on partial-birth abortion.
Continue promising stem-cell research.
Voted NO on restricting UN funding for population control policies.
Voted NO on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions.
PPACA:
McCaskill voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, popularly known as ObamaCare, in December 2009.
Voted NO on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts.
Economy:
Made it easier for startup businesses to raise money from investors and create more jobs through the 2012 Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act;
Extended and expanded tax cuts for small businesses and American workers;
Secured tens of billions of dollars to rebuild and repair American roads and bridges and help ensure a safe water supply;
Cut federal red tape for manufacturers and employers;
Claire cosponsored the Bipartisan Jobs Act that included regulatory relief for small businesses. She has also supported measures that:
Provided manufacturers more time to comply with complex “Boiler MACT” EPA rules;
Required federal agencies to analyze costs and benefits of regulations and identify alternatives;
Repealed the burdensome 1099 tax reporting requirement included in healthcare reform. As a result, businesses no longer had to file forms to the IRS for every vendor with which they have at least $600 in transactions for purchases of goods; and,
Eased the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations on residential construction fall protections.
Marriage Equality/LGBTQ Rights:
Voted no to repeal DADT.
McCaskill has stated her opposition to gay marriage in the past, but she’s walked a bit of a tightrope on the question. She has expressed support for civil unions, which grant gay couples some — but not all — of the legal rights that married couples enjoy. She also opposed Missouri’s 2004 constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, arguing that it was unnecessary because existing state law already prohibited gay marriage.
Guns:
Somewhat leans toward gun control.
Immigration:
Confronted two high-ranking Obama administration officials about the need to prosecute employers who ignore immigration laws; and,
Pressured the Department of Homeland Security to devote additional resources that support efforts to crack down on employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers.
SCOTUS Appointments:
McCaskill likely will help our side out on this issue.
Jonathan Dine:
Guns:
I affirm the individual right recognized by the 2nd Amendment to keep and bear arms. I believe the only legitimate use of force is in defense of individual rights: life, liberty, and justly acquired property — against aggression.
I oppose all laws at any level of government requiring registration of, or restricting, the ownership, manufacture, or transfer or sale of firearms or ammunition.
PPACA:
I am against any type of government run HealthCare. National HealthCare means combining the efficiency of the Postal Service with the compassion of the I.R.S and the cost accounting of the Pentagon. I favor restoring and reviving a free market health care system. I recognize the freedom of individuals to determine the level of health insurance they want, the level of health care they want, the care providers they want, the medicines and treatments they will use and all other aspects of their medical care, including end-of-life decisions. Individuals should not be penalized for not buying health insurance or tax code inequities.
McCaskill would be a great fit for Missouri's voters. Vote for her this Tuesday!
Race Rating: Lean D