McCaskill Opens St. Louis Campaign Office

Sen. Claire McCaskill opened the Missouri Democratic Party’s coordinated campaign office Saturday with a host of local Democratic dignitaries and a few notable absences.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley and Attorney General Chris Koster all attended the office opening at the corner of Euclid and Delmar. Not in attendance were the two Democrats battling for the same 1st District seat—Reps. William Lacy Clay and Russ Carnahan.

McCaskill, while not endorsing one candidate over the other, told supporters that at the end of primary season, Democrats needed to link arms and fight together again.

"We have two great candidates running against each other," she said. "It's like 2008 when we had Obama and Clinton. We have the same thing here this summer in St. Louis."

McCaskill also addressed the held the night before at . Rep. Todd Akin, Sarah Steelman and John Brunner will face each other Aug. 7 to determine who will face McCaskill in November.

The senator's takeaway from the debate wasn't what was said, but what was left out. McCaskill said there were three things her opponents didn't speak on. They are:

• All three wish to privatize Medicare.
• All three wish to privatize Social Security
• All three wish to change federally backed student loans.

"It's so important to vote," she said. "These three are so conservative they make John Ashcroft look liberal."

She also noted the influx of money from outside the state, telling reporters that it was "frustrating" to be the target of anonymous ads from outside the state.

"The Koch brothers want to take me out," she said.