McCaskill and Blunt sound off on Obama's jobs speech

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill says President Barack Obama will be in a challenging position tonight night as he presents his jobs plan to a joint session of Congress.

In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, McCaskill said most Missourians want Congress to cut spending, but it will be difficult for the federal government to embark on a giant jobs programs without spending money.

"I’m hopeful the president’s plan will be revenue neutral, in other words, not add in any way to the deficit," McCaskill said. "But be significant enough that it could help in a painfully slow recovery. It’s a recovery, but it’s a painfully slow recovery."

People familiar with the White House deliberations on the jobs package say Obama is considering a plan totaling about $300 billion in tax cuts and spending for 2012.

Two of the biggest measures are expected to be a one-year extension of a Social Security tax cut for workers and a continuation of unemployment benefits. Those items would total about $170 billion dollars.

Missouri Republican Senator Roy Blunt said neither measure would create a single job.

"The unemployment benefit extension eventually becomes another reason for employers to not create jobs because they have to pay into that fund that was never designed to be a never ending benefit," Blunt said.

Blunt says reducing Social Security taxes for workers only robs future social security recipients. But he says he might be able to support the measures if they are part of a bigger job creation package.

Julie Bierach, St. Louis Public Radio

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McCaskill says "Gang of Six" plan makes sense

Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill says the bipartisan “Gang of Six” plan to steer the government away from a first-ever default on its financial obligations makes sense because it helps the deficit and lowers corporate and personal tax rates.

The Democratic Senator attended the meeting on Capitol Hill Tuesday where some 50 senators from both parties were briefed on the plan. McCaskill says most of the senators are excited about the compromise that was presented.

"Now the question is: can we adopt some of those provisions that are in the Gang of Six plan quickly enough to deal with the debt crisis," McCaskill said. "Can we integrate that into, whatever we pass as it relates to the debt crisis, in a way that will reassure enough members that we are gonna get to our debt deficit."

The Gang of Six plan promises almost $4 trillion in deficit cuts, including an immediate 10-year, 500-billion dollar down payment that would come as Congress sets caps on the agency budgets it passes each year.

It also requires an additional $500 billion in cost curbs on federal health care programs, cuts to federal employee pensions, curbs in the growth of military heath care and retirement costs.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said the plan is too complicated to advance before the August 2nd deadline.

Julie Bierach, St. Louis Public Radio

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McCaskill criticizes McConnell's "purely political" plan

ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO - As budget talks continue in Washington, Senator Claire McCaskill is accusing GOP leadership of playing politics during negotiations with the president.

Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, is proposing to give President Obama sweeping power to, in effect, unilaterally increase the nation’s debt limit to avoid a first-ever default on U.S. obligations.

McCaskill, a Democrat, says McConnell’s plan is purely political.

“It is so ridiculous. It is so transparently political that all Mitch McConnell is worried about is whether or not the Republicans can win the Senate next year. And I think it’s unfortunate. It’s very unfortunate.”

Under McConnell’s plan, Obama could request increases of up to 2-point-5 trillion dollars in borrowing authority in three installments over the next year, as long as he simultaneously proposed spending cuts of greater size.

Julie Bierach, St. Louis Public Radio

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Clergy mad at Akin

Several pastors and ministers are dismissing an apology from Missouri Congressman Todd Akin for his statement last week in an interview that "at the heart of liberalism really is a hatred for God."

The clergy from the Republican Congressman's district delivered a letter to his office Wednesday morning, asking him to reconsider his words.

Akin made the comments while discussing a TV clip of the Pledge of Allegiance that omitted the phrase "under God" during NBC's broadcast of the U.S. Open Golf Tournament.

Reverend Krista Taves is a minister at Emerson Unitarian Universalist Chapel in Ellisville. She says the group is also asking Akin to reconsider his moral priorities as a political leader.

"And I think it's really dangerous when you turn something like the Pledge of Allegiance into a litmus test for moral faith," Taves said. "When you look at the budget that he just passed, it harms the most vulnerable in our society. And that is clearly contrary to the words of Jesus, who he follows, which is 'as you serve the least of these, so you serve me'."

Akin was not available to meet with the clergy when they delivered the letter.

Julie Bierach, St. Louis Public Radio

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McCaskill will not change her use of social media

In the wake of "Wiener-gate," in which Congressman Anthony Weiner has acknowledged exchanging sexually suggestive messages and photos through Twitter, Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill says the scandal will not change the way she uses social media.

Senator McCaskill has embraced the use of social media and uses Twitter daily. She says it's fun and keeps her grounded and connected to people in Missouri. McCaskill says even as Congressman Weiner's use or mis-use of the popular social networking site has some calling for his resignation, she will remain an active Tweeter.

"The problem was not with Twitter. The problem was with the Twit, who clearly has issues," McCaskill said.

McCaskill says she is the only one who Tweets from her account. And her messages are unedited and have not gone through any review process. She thinks more Senators should use social media in this way.

Julie Bierach, St. Louis Public Radio

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Akin to run for U.S. Senate

As expected, Missouri Congressman Todd Akin announced Tuesday that he will challenge Democratic U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill in 2012.

Akin, who has represented the 2nd Congressional District in suburban St. Louis for the past 10 years, says that he has the exact opposite record as McCaskill.

“And we give people a clear choice. It is a choice of two futures for America, and I believe that the people in Missouri will choose the choice of limited government, living within our means, developing American energy, and of course, freedom,” Akin said.

Akin joins former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman to officially announce their candidacy for the 2012 Senate race.

St. Louis businessman John Brunner has said he also is considering a Senate campaign.

Julie Bierach, St. Louis Public Radio

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McCaskill and Blunt sound off on Libya

Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill says she’s concerned about conditions in Libya.

While the Senator is awaiting briefings from military officials, she says it appears there has been a reversal over the last 24 hours.

The Democratic Senator says the U.S effort must have a clear timeline.

"And I am going to certainly push to hold the President to his word. That this will be limited in scope and limited in time. That this is not going to be a drawn out commitment of the United States military and that it will not involve ground troops," McCaskill said.

Meanwhile, Missouri Senator Roy Blunt says he is hopeful that the U.S’s limited efforts in Libya will be successful in ending Moammar Gadhafi’s 42-year rule.

The Republican Senator says that the efforts come about four weeks too late.

Blunt says he would support the U.S arming rebels.

"I’m eager as a member of the intelligence committee to know a little more about the rebels than we know right now," Blunt said. "But I think if you put planes in the air, and you’re going to spend $500 million to keep those planes in the air to level the playing field, it doesn’t hurt to give some advantage to the playing field on the side you’re trying to help."

Blunt says President Barack Obama must give a clearer definition of what the goal in Libya is.

Julie Bierach, St. Louis Public Radio

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Missouri to receive $27 million for job creation

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - Missouri is receiving $27 million in federal money to boost small business growth and job creation.

The State Small Business Credit Initiative supports state-level, small business lending programs and is part of the Small Business Jobs Acts signed by President Obama last fall.

Governor Jay Nixon made the announcement this morning (Tuesday) during a visit to the Centers for Emerging Technology, a St. Louis incubator lab working to advance technology companies.

"These investment funds will provide critical financing to help these businesses and others like them throughout our state grow and prosper, quite frankly, accelerate. This means that we’ll be able to continue to create jobs today and position our economy for continued growth in the future," Nixon says.

Nixon says Missouri’s use of the $27 million will help create new jobs and should spur more than $269 million in additional small-business lending in the state.

Julie Bierach, St. Louis Public Radio

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