Sen. Claire McCaskill: "We have too many embarrassing uncles in the United States Senate."

[kpete]

Outgoing Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) jabbed at her colleagues in her final Senate floor speech on Thursday, arguing that the Senate was filled with "too many embarrassing uncles."

In her speech, McCaskill knocked "dysfunction" in the Senate and said senators were afraid of making tough votes.


"Peter Morgan, an author, wrote that no family is complete without an embarrassing uncle," McCaskill said Thursday. "We have too many embarrassing uncles in the United States Senate. Lots of embarrassing stuff."

"The United States Senate is no longer the world's greatest deliberative body," McCaskill continued in her farewell address to the chamber. "And everybody needs to quit saying it, until we recover from this period of polarization and the fear of the political consequences of tough votes."


the rest:
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/421251-mccaskill-too-many-embarrassing-uncles-in-the-senate

[gratuitous]

1. Look out! It's the Tone Police!

I can't help wondering, Sen. McCaskill, if you had campaigned a little more like this speech instead of the thin Republican-lite gruel you peddled, if you wouldn't still have a seat in the Senate. Yeah, I know - Missouri. But fer crissakes, distinguish yourself from the Republicans, don't try to out-Republican them.

[SharonClark]

2. I have to agree with you.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

3. How embarrassing!

[gordianot]

4. Well Claire your replacement in the Senate is pure filth.

Thanks to your poor showing there will be another embarrassing Republican Uncle in the Senate.

[zipplewrath]

5. Citizens United

Politics was already becoming an "industry" in this country. Too many "political consultants" who were in it for the buck, not for the cause. But when Citizens United became a reality, the whole thing exploded.

What does than have to do with McCaskill's comments? Senators are "afraid" of "tough votes" because every single statement, every single vote, and just about every single appearance becomes the basis of opponent advertising with whole organizations whose only purpose is to create anger and dissent. With so much money floating around, there are more people to create this content than there is need for it. And as with any over saturated industry, it makes it all the cheaper to produce this content.

[pecosbob]

6. Unfortunately, you were one of them