McCaskill comments about Bush irk GOP

Published Friday, September 8, 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) - GOP lawmakers yesterday blasted Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill for comments she made this week about President George W. Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina.


Talent	McCaskill

During a meeting on Wednesday with Democratic political leaders in St. Louis, McCaskill reminded people that "George Bush let people die on rooftops in New Orleans because they were poor and because they were black."

The comments, first reported on the St. Louis political blog Pub Def Weekly, came during a discussion about Missouri Republican Sen. Jim Talent’s efforts to woo black voters in the November election.

"These outrageous comments have no place in public discourse," said Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., in an e-mail statement. "I imagine that Claire McCaskill could not have meant what she is saying here, and I hope she will apologize for these shameful remarks."

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., called on McCaskill to "apologize immediately to President Bush and the members of the rescue effort that she slurred."

McCaskill spokeswoman Adrianne Marsh said McCaskill was "acknowledging what many people felt about the tragedy of the response to Katrina."

"Claire believes the response to Katrina was gross incompetence that turned tragic because so many people in new Orleans did not have the resources to help themselves," Marsh said. "Many people without resources have been hurt by this administration."

McCaskill has taken every opportunity during her campaign to link Talent to President Bush. Democrats this week pounced on an interview Talent had Wednesday on MSNBC in which he was asked why none of his TV ads mention Bush.

Talent’s response: "I don’t believe when I ran in 2002 that I mentioned the president."

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee sent a news release pointing out that Talent campaigned five times with Bush during the 2002 Senate race and featured footage of Talent and Bush in at least one campaign ad and on his Web site.