By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
Claire McCaskill continues to get plaudits for being a confidant of Barack Obama. Big deal. What's McCaskill going to do with her influence to help Kansas Citians and Missourians?
We don't know yet, and that's disappointing. But here are some suggestions:
-- She should work with Obama to help bring thousands of green-collar jobs to the state as part of his new renewable energy plan.
-- The freshman senator ought to work with the new president to make sure Kansas City gets hundreds of millions of dollars for its important infrastructure project -- upgrading its sewer system. And that would mean more jobs, too, for the KC area.
-- And McCaskill needs to convince Obama to make sure the Kansas City area and the state of Missouri get their fair share of highway and bridge repair funds.
It's fine that McCaskill will have "access" to the Obama administration -- which the president-elect even promised in an interview earlier this year.
But what's McCaskill going to do with this access and how will she use it to help the people of her state?
Unfortunately, she didn't say anything about that in a long, front-page article in today's Star, found here.
The most concrete mention of how her access to Obama might help came from Peverill Squire, a political science teacher at the University of Missouri.
"I think McCaskill will have the ability to bring problems to the attention of the president and his administration. Certainly, she'll get her phone calls and letters returned...when there are concerns raised."
But what will McCaskill be calling the president about? And what are the concerns she will be raising with him, especially when it comes to helping out the people who elected her?
We're still waiting for that answer back here in flyover land.
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Budget
The last time I looked the president does not allocate any money to any project. I know my public school civics class took place years ago, but back then we were told that the house begins the appropriations process. Congressmen and Senators then then add and delete items in the budget and send it to the President for him to sign or veto.
McCaskill will have no power with Obama to get any money to Mo. She has to partner with other senators to build a coalition, usually by voting with them on their pet projects, to obligate funding to the state of Mo. This money would be wrapped up in a huge budget appropriations bill and because the President does not have a line item veto, he will either sign it or not.
What shocks me is the ignorance a journalist for the star has about the budeting process in DC. Obama will sign whatever budget the congress puts before him because, he wants to spread the wealth and that has nothing to do with his relationship with Senator McCaskill.
I see no hope.
All of the things she could do for Missouri listed here rely on earmarks -- something she has said she will not touch. So, the twinkle on her star is about all we should expect.
McCaskill's star
When Obama says,"Should I be successful, she will be somebody who has the utmost access to the Obama administration."
That is the nice way of saying,"thanks for being a stepping stone I walked on to get to the white house."
I wouldn't hold my breath on the things McCaskill will ask of Obama for the state- I would however expect her to ask him to take her with him on his walk on the white house lawn to talk about her future in politics.