'Air Claire' Scandal Turns:...McCaskill Ponies up 287K in Back Taxes.

[Stuart G]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Well, this isn't the way to put a scandal to bed. As if the fact that she charged taxpayers for her flights around Missouri in a private plane she owns with her husband and several investors wasn't enough, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) has revealed that she hasn't paid personal property taxes on the plane for four years.

And what's worse for McCaskill supporters, she suggested there might be more plane-related bad news to come.

The Senator told reporters today she's sending a check for $287,273 to St. Louis County, where the twin-engine plane she used to hop around Missouri is based. According to Politico, McCaskill also "said she had campaign lawyers looking into the flights to determine if any more in-kind contributions needed to be reported to be in compliance." That means there could me more news about the plane Republicans are already calling ClaireAir down the road.



Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/03/air-claire-scandal-turns-mccaskill-ponies-up-287k.php?ref=fpb

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Wasn't she some sort of lawyer..or prosecutor??
Guess she doesn't know about paying taxes..kinda sad.
Oh, it looks like she was a "State Auditor"
:sarcasm:

____________________________________________________________________________________

short bio on her:


Before her election to the U.S. Senate, McCaskill was State Auditor of Missouri from 1999 to 2007. She previously served as Jackson County Prosecutor (1993–1998) and a member of the Missouri House of Representatives (1983–1988). She was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Missouri in the 2004 gubernatorial election. She is a native of Rolla and graduate of the University of Missouri.

[Iliyah]

1. Sad, sad, sad

But I look at it this way, most of our politicians speak with fork tongues. She is on the side with us, the little people (what BP boss called us), I would rather have her in the congress than an asshole like Paul and the other gopers.

What she has done is completely wrong and she must atone, but I rather her there than any of the gopers and probably one that will take her place, pooooo.

[Stuart G]

2. I agre, if she is on our side..then

good,
and she made a "mistake....ok..people are human

........but let's pay taxes..who needs the thugs to attack a Dem on something like this???

[Sherman A1]

8. I disagree with your assessment

and she is my Senator. Claire was State Auditor and therefore should know much better. I could buy the flight payment screw up, but damn it you pay your personal property taxes and everyone knows to do so. I could even understand maybe being a little late one year, but 4 years? Sorry Claire needs to resign and do so now.

Let Gov Nixon replace her and let the person run for the seat.

[truedelphi]

11. I could not understand how blase she was about her remark

That the intrusive and sometimes down right painful "searches" by TSA agents on women passengers were something she considered to be "love taps."

But now it makes sense. She never flies coach and has her body end up with the radiation from the body scanners. And she never gets the TSA love taps either - she owns her own private plane!

And apparently that privilege separates her from the rest of us.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. She's a crook or an incompetent, one or the other.

But she's got friends in high places who will make sure she gets in no trouble.

[elehhhhna]

6. who the hell has 287K to pony up for that shit? Must be nice to be her.

[IamK]

19. 300K is chump change for her....

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/article_b54616d2-4b39-11e0-a02f-00127992bc8b.html

The Center for Responsive Politics puts McCaskill's net worth between $15 million and $27 million.

[Moondog]

14. Yep. Pick one. And neither one's good. n/t

[onethatcares]

4. put her out of office.

to do otherwise is just a nod and a wink to everyone. If you accept this from someone that is supposed to have integrity and leadership qualities, we've all lost our way.

Sorry, but she should do the right thing and resign.

Imagine how you would be treated if you did the same thing and did not have pull.

I'd like to add a "sarcasm" tag but can't.

[femrap]

5. I lived in Kansas City

(Jackson County) when she was Prosecutor. I could tell she was going places....especially WITH ALL THAT MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. She didn't have money when she was Jackson County prosecutor

She was prosecutor from 92 to 98 and lived in Waldo - not a neighborhood for anyone with a lot of money. She was married to a man had who drug problems. They divorced in 1995 and he was murdered in 2005. In 98 she was elected state auditor, and was in that office until she was elected to the US Senate in 06.

She got money when she married her current husband in 2002. He's a millionaire who owns nursing homes. She moved to St Louis when she married him. So she never had any significant wealth when she lived in Kansas City.

[femrap]

24. I'm sorry.....getting $$$$$$$$$$

from old people in nursing homes is so much better.

Thx for info.

[No Elephants]

27. More likely from Medicare and Medicaid.

[Sherman A1]

7. She was the State Auditor

So even if you like Claire (and I am not overly impressed with her) this really doesn't wash.

Guess her seat will be going GOP this next election.

[avaistheone1]

32. OMG Cracks appear in Saint Claire.

Can't say I am surprised at all.

The woman has sh*t for an attitude.

[ClarkUSA]

9. I could give a shit, as long as we keep the seat in the Democratic column.

She should've known better. But lots of pols fuck up and are still respected. Just look at Bill Clinton, no pun intended.

[Sonicwall]

13. She is _NO_ Democrat.

She is a corporatist. And needs to be thrown out by next year's primary.

A real Democrat will be among the people.

[ClarkUSA]

15. I disagree. You do not get to change the facts via your subjective opinion.

Of course, many Democrats feel/felt the same way about Bill Clinton, so I sympathize with your sentiment.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. Personal attack

Alerted

[julian09]

16. First thing to do before running for office

check your tax records. She barely won last time, only because of some very popular ballot measure that turned out a huge democratic turnout.

[Sherman A1]

25. Yeah, The minimum wage hike which is now in the process

of being overturned by the GOP State Legislature.

[No Elephants]

28. Equating tax and election law violations by a member of Congress, with 2 or 3 bjs?

[truedelphi]

10. I stopped caring about her when she referred to the TSA sadists

With admiration and called their invasive and hurtful searches "love taps."

Lady Senator, as one woman to another, I got a "love tap" for ya, right here!

[okieinpain]

33. what is a tsa sadists. n/t.

[Sonicwall]

12. She needs a real progressive challenger.

Anyone signing up? I'll donate the max to that person.

[TheDebbieDee]

18. Backwards Missourians outnumber sane progressives

by a good bit. Unfortunately, running a real progressive against Claire will only result in getting the repuke elected!

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. Sadly true

I'm pretty disillusioned with her myself. But I'd rather have her in the Senate than any of the repukes talking about challenging her.

[No Elephants]

31. The DNC will back her and Party stars will campaign for her,just as with Lieberman and Lincoln.

And she'll lose either the primary or the election, or both if she loses the primary and runs as an Indie.

She needs to Democrat up and not run again, or her seat goes Rethug.

[Telly Savalas]

36. Know any Missourians willing to work 90 hours a week for the next 19 months

campaigning, have their private life put under the microscope, be subject to vile personal attacks on television and radio, and have their family harassed? Somebody willing to quit their current job to do this? Preferably someone with enough connections to get the ball rolling with the monumental fundraising required to mount a statewide campaign for a national office. Not to mention well-spoken, photogenic, and charismatic.

Even if you find a person with these qualities, they would also need to have the special gift of being able to sell a very conservative rural Missouri population on progressive political ideas. Such people are rare.

This is why I'm growing really impatient with the "we need to primary X" arguments. It's really easy to make that statement, but more often than not it's extremely difficult to find a credible alternative to the current Democrat. Yeah, Sen. McCaskill probably devastated her already shaky shot at reelection with this, and I'd love to see a challenger step in to give the Democrats a reasonable shot at holding the seat next November. But I can't name anybody off the top of my head who could do it. Progress can't be made until we step out of the abstract and into the specific.

[Rage for Order]

20. Sounds like she qualifies for a job with Tim Geithner at the Treasury Dept

Taxes are for us little people.

[VermeerLives]

26. But dontcha know? Only the "little people" pay taxes!

The Aristocrats of The Ruling Class exempt themselves. God Bless Our Lords, and their relations, and keep us in our proper stations.

[timo]

29. shes above us

she shouldn't have to pay taxes, she is way above us..look at all the sacrifices she has made in the service to her country.

[No Elephants]

30. Good luck getting her re-elected.

[Dawson Leery]

34. Claire McCaskill, the "paragon of virtue" that

left her first husband for a nursing home slumlord to help financing her political ambitions.

[cbdo2007]

35. she'll be unelectable in the future so I hope she's enjoying the ride

She was barely electable the first time.

[Green_Lantern]

37. there is really no scandal here beyond GOP hype..

The one part of the scandal was charging taxpayers for personal political flights but 89 of the 90 flights were approved by Senate rules. One time is a scandal? http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51465.html