I haven't always agreed with Senator Claire McCaskill but I have always admired her because she knows how to fight for what she believes in.
And there are way too many politicians whose first instinct is to back down when the going gets tough.
Well, that's never been Claire's style and Missouri, and frankly, America, is better off for it.
Claire's Always Fought For What She Thought Was Right
For the last four years, Claire has been in Washington taking on the big fights that matter to Missouri -- sometime risking her political neck to do what she thinks is right for Missouri families and taxpayers.
Whether it's fighting to create jobs, taking on powerful defense contractors who were bilking the taxpayers, or fighting bureaucracies that weren't treating our veterans with the honor they deserve. And she has even fought to reform the old-school rules of the Senate that far too often prevent progress on issues important to Missouri families.
Those fights haven't come without a cost. In the process she's ruffled a few feathers. And now her opponents are trying to seize this moment for their political advantage.
Transparency and Accountability
Claire has always viewed it as her responsibility to keep Missourians informed of what she is up to. She's done that by keeping up with the latest technology, like Twitter, and she's done it by coming back and traveling the state talking to Missourians -- even when the crowd wasn't with her.
As you have probably heard by now, Claire made a mistake in how she accounted for her travel around the state. And in her typical style, she stepped forward and handled it with transparency. Unlike most politicians, she has been willing to accept responsibility for whatever mistakes may have happened.
Frankly, she has gone way beyond what most politicians would have done. It was a costly mistake -- and she has put her money where her mouth is to make it right.
She has disclosed mistakes that no one else was aware of or likely would have found out about on their own. She could have hidden out and hoped no one ever discovered those errors. But instead, she has backed up her talk of transparency and accountability with her own actions.
They Are Going After Her
Now Claire's political opponents are going after her with a vengeance. They see this as an opportunity to try to wipe away all of her hard work on behalf of Missouri and reduce her entire record to a single mistake.
And they are being aided and abetted by a press corps who has been cowed into repeating right-wing talking points instead of dealing in the facts.
Let's Stand Up For Claire
Claire has always been willing to stand up for what she believes in. Most politicians would get discouraged at a moment like this and wonder if it is all worth it. They might back away from the fight for accountability and transparency.
But not Claire.
We all know Claire well enough to know that she won't back down. That's just not her style. But I bet it might make her feel a bit better if she knew she could count on folks to stand with her in what is going to be a grueling 20 month campaign.
This may be the first time her political opponents come after her, but it won't be the last. So, it's important that Claire's supporters get prepared early to set the record straight when her opponents come after her.
Claire's always been a fan of social media. So let's use that tool to show her she can count on us.
If you support Claire, do two things today:
1.) Send a tweet to @ClaireCMC urging her to keep fighting for Missouri.
2.) Use the hashtag #Im4CMc so that others can see your support for Claire.