This week’s feature is with Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Missouri State Auditor Claire McCaskill. Ms. McCaskill has held the Auditor’s office since 1999. Prior to that, she was Jackson County’s Prosecuting Attorney for five years. She also served three terms in the Missouri House of Representatives before her election to the Jackson County post.

You can learn more about Ms. McCaskill and her campaign by visiting www.claireonline.com.

McCaskill’s Republican opponent, Sen. Jim Talent, has also been invited to participate in an interview for this web site. You can read the interview with her Libertarian opponent, Frank Gilmour, by visiting the "Past Articles" page.

McCaskill: "This election is critical for Missouri and our country. Washington D.C is spiraling out of control. Moneyed interests outweigh the will of the people. A war is being fought without a strategy to win -- or keep us safe. And billions of dollars are being added everyday to a deficit our children will have to pay. Meanwhile, the urgent needs of everyday Americans are neglected. It's time for a Senator on the side of Missouri's families, seniors and taxpayers and that’s why I’m running.

"In the tradition of Harry Truman, I mean it when I say: ‘The Buck Stops Here.’ I’ve spent over two decades in public service, trying to hold government accountable and to make sure it works for the people. I think that accountability and oversight is sorely lacking in Washington DC right now as Missouri consumers pay $3 a gallon for gas, health care costs spiral out of control and we fight a war in Iraq without a plan for victory. I believe Missouri needs a Senator to ensure public policies benefit the people, not the special interests. "

McCaskill: "I am concerned about the escalating violence in the current conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, but support the right of Israel to protect its borders. After nearly a decade of living in peace, Hezbollah has hijacked the lives of those living in Northern Israel and Southern Lebanon in an unprovoked terrorist attack in which two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and eight soldiers were killed. Israel could no longer sit idly by as Syria and Iran helped Islamic fundamentalist terrorists stockpile thousands of rockets aimed at Israeli schools and hospitals. Along with the peace loving people of Israel, Lebanon and the entire region, I mourn the loss of every innocent life taken in this conflict.

"There was a time when America would have been able to work quickly with our international allies to restore peace to the region. Yet, the current administration’s alienation of once close allies has left us weakened in the face of continued global terrorism. Any ceasefire must ensure that Hezbollah is prevented from regrouping, rebuilding and restocking, securing a true lasting peace in the region."

McCaskill: "I believe we need to redeploy our troops in Iraq within the region over the next two years. Now more than ever it is evident that our tunnel vision in Iraq has served a crutch in any real progress in establishing a self-sufficient government and as a result increased violence and volatility has occurred in the region. We need to redeploy our troops in the region over the next two years so that the United States can work with peacekeeping forces to help settle the conflict with Hezbollah, attempt diplomatic talks with Iran and North Korea, and never take the potential use of force off the table."

McCaskill: "I believe the government should have all the tools it needs to pursue the war on terror, but that it should be within the confines of the law. We need some accountability and oversight of these programs, which is currently not being done because of the secretive nature of the White House. I will be a Senator who is not afraid to ask the tough questions and I am committed to building bipartisan coalitions that ensure opportunities to do so."

McCaskill: "The President, while giving lip service to the immigration issue, has looked the other way while our border has become Swiss cheese and employers hiring illegal immigrants have gotten a free pass. We need a Senator who will hold the Bush Administration accountable for its failure to prioritize border security and for giving amnesty to employers who violate the current law with no fear of the consequences.

"The Bush Administration has refused to enforce the laws we have on the books and clearly did not make border security or immigration reform a priority until an election year. Last year, President Bush chose to only fund 210 extra Border Patrol agents after Congress authorized an additional 10,000 agents over five years. In addition, audits of employers who use illegals have declined from 8,000 under the Clinton Administration to 2,200 in 2003. In 2004, only THREE employers were fined for hiring illegal labor. This was down from 1999, when 417 businesses were fined. This failure is inexcusable.

"While a fence is only a first step towards addressing our crisis, until we start fining and cracking down on employers seeking to use cheap labor, we will not be addressing the roots causes of our immigration crisis. Until we get our priorities straight, I cannot support a guest worker program."

McCaskill: "It’s been almost 10 years since hard-working Missourians earning minimum wage got a raise. Meanwhile, Congress has seen its salaries rise over the years. I believe Missouri’s working families deserve a raise.

"It’s flat-out wrong that people with minimum wage jobs make only $10,712 a year. No one can get by on that wage. People working for minimum wage in this state are working 2 or 3 jobs just trying to get by. We can do better in the strongest, best nation in the world. That’s why I support raising our minimum wage. "

McCaskill: "As Missourians suffer from $3-a-gallon gas at the pump, I believe achieving energy independence is one of the key issues of our time. Our addiction to oil poses a threat not only to our pocketbooks, but to America 's national security as we rely on unstable regimes for our oil.

"A responsible energy plan will protect consumers, encourage alternative fuels, and reduce our reliance on oil through developing renewable sources of energy and improving end-use efficiency. Energy independence can also help revitalize Missouri's rural economies.

"As Americans, we should be embarrassed we continue to import 60% of our oil, while Brazil became oil independent in April 2006 thanks to a 30-year investment in alternatives to oil. Unfortunately, our leaders in Washington have not had the same kind of vision and instead, lavish billions on the oil industry instead of funding true energy independence. I plan to be on the side of Missouri's consumers, small businesses and farmers and not the deep-pocketed special interests.

"First thing, in terms of consumer relief, we need to see if there is price gouging going on since the oil companies are making record profits while Missouri’s consumers suffer. I believe we need to investigate possible market manipulation and giving the authority to the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on price gouging. I also support price transparency so consumers and investigatory groups can clearly see who is making the largest profits along the chain from the refineries to the distributors. Reports on 2005 energy profits indicate that while local gas stations made a meager 5% profit, refineries made an average 255% over a twelve month period. The top 5 oil companies now control over half the retail market here in the U.S and half of domestic refinery production. We need to find out if concentration in the market is impacting competition.

"I believe we need to invest in alternative fuels, but ensure that it’s local farmers who reap the benefits, and not just the big corporations. Investing in ethanol is an important first step towards developing renewable fuels. We also need to develop even cleaner, more efficient cellulosic ethanol, which can be produced from biomass. I believe in developing local production of feedstocks and fuels and local and farmer ownership of processing plants. All the renewable fuels in the world will not help ease our oil crisis if we do not also encourage more gas stations to carry renewable fuels and develop a viable market for "flex fuel" vehicles that can run on all types of fuels. Instead of investing in these new technologies, Washington has mostly focused on showering tax breaks and subsidies to the oil companies. We need leaders who make energy security our number one priority, instead of an election-year ploy.

"Renewable energy sources, like wind, solar and biomass can help America meet its energy needs. Unlike oil and coal, which will one day be depleted, these energy sources are inexhaustible. Wind power is the fastest growing form of electricity generation in the United States, expanding at an average annual rate of more than 20%. These independent, reliable energy sources diversify our energy mix, creating a more secure and stable system. At the same time, these energy sources are cleaner than fossil fuels, so they're good for the environment as well. I support creating a Renewable Energy Standard that calls for 10% of our electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020.

"We use 15 million barrels of oil per day to fuel our transportation needs -- that's 68% of the oil we consume. Clearly, if we are going to seriously address our dependence on foreign oil, we are going to have to take a look at reducing demand for oil. I believe that American companies can improve our national security and our economic competitiveness through innovation. The technology to make more efficient cars and trucks already exists. American companies need help in bringing these solutions to the market. I believe that incentives for producing more efficient vehicles, coupled with making alternative fuels more available will save Americans money at the gas pump, create new opportunities for American farmers, open new markets for American technologies and ultimately, make our country more secure. I also believe that the Government can help build markets for these products and save taxpayers money by making its own vehicle fleets, including military vehicles, more efficient."

McCaskill: "CAFTA [the Central American Free Trade Agreement] and other trade agreements have undermined American farmers' ability to compete with cheap imported foreign food. We need to use the WTO negotiations and future trade agreements to raise the labor and environmental standards of other nations to help level the playing field for American farmers. Right now there is concern that the 2007 Farm Bill will be influenced by the WTO negotiations. We need to be sure that the Farm Bill is written with American farmers in mind, not trade negotiators. I will work to make sure that WTO policies do not sacrifice the livelihoods of Missouri's farmers for the false promises of ‘free trade.’"