NRSC

Carnahan, Obama Run From Each Other In The Show-Me State

As President Barack Obama brings his 59 percent disapproval rating to the Show-Me State today and stumps for his costly and contentious health care agenda, Democrat Senate candidate Robin Carnahan (D-MO) is strangely nowhere to be found.

Despite Carnahan’s decision to physically avoid the leader of her own party, she has not attempted to distance herself from embracing his unpopular economic agenda, including Obama’s failed stimulus debacle and trillion-dollar health care proposal.

According to CNN, "Carnahan’s campaign says her event in Washington was scheduled before the White House announced that the president will be in Missouri Wednesday." However, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) publicly announced the date of the President’s visit nearly one month before his arrival.

Did someone forget to tell Robin Carnahan that the President was coming to town?

Politico may have tapped into a note of frustration from Carnahan’s campaign yesterday when it reported that, "when asked why Obama was raising money for McCaskill rather than Carnahan, [Carnahan’s spokesman] Zakula responded, ‘that’s a question for the White House.’ He also could not say whether Obama would campaign with Carnahan this fall."

The Kansas City Star reported that while Carnahan skips the President’s visit, she is in Washington D.C. raising campaign cash during two political fundraisers. Last night Carnahan raised money at the home of U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and this evening she will attend an event that is "sponsored by organized labor."

According to the Associated Press, Carnahan said that she would have voted for final passage of the President’s health care bill - which included the Louisiana Purchase that was the sweetheart deal authored by Landrieu - when it passed the Senate last year on Christmas Eve. Carnahan also supports the job-killing card check legislation - a key initiative for the labor bosses who are raising money for her campaign tonight.

Carnahan’s fundraising events this week - which were apparently impossible to reschedule - come on the heels of her recent Northwest tour that included a stop in Seattle, Washington to raise money with the liberal League of Conservation Voters (LCV).

"Robin Carnahan can physically run from President Obama while he’s in Missouri, but she can’t run from her support of Obama’s unpopular and costly health care bill, his massive stimulus debacle, and his tax-and-spend economic agenda in Washington," said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokeswoman Amber Marchand.

"Carnahan’s absence today raises some important questions: Did the President seek out an opportunity to campaign for Carnahan, or has the President written off Carnahan’s vapid candidacy in a swing state that he lost in 2008?" Marchand continued. "Did Claire McCaskill forget to tell Robin Carnahan that the President was coming to Missouri when she announced it to the press nearly one month ago, and is Carnahan’s schedule so important that she was unwilling to make adjustments in order to stand with the leader of her party in her own home state?"

"Clearly Carnahan and Obama are avoiding each other today, but the Democrat Senate candidate cannot dodge the fact that she has fully embraced the President’s unpopular and costly economic proposals in Washington," Marchand continued. "This November, we’re confident that Missourians will reject Carnahan’s rubberstamp support for Obama’s out-of-control spending agenda when they elect Roy Blunt to the U.S. Senate."

Background Information:

Robin Carnahan Supports President Obama’s Health Care Bill:

"Carnahan Said She Would Have Voted For The [Health Care] Bill." ("Missouri Senators Split On Health Care Legislation," The Associated Press, 12/24/09)

After The Senate Passed The Obama-Reid Health Care Legislation, Carnahan Expressed Support For The Senate Bill While Avoiding Specifics. "Like so many Missouri families, I understand the importance of health care in a very personal way; and as a breast cancer survivor, I understand that it is not a partisan issue. From day one, I made it clear that hard hit middle class Missourians need health care reform that provides accessible, affordable and stable health care for our families and small businesses. For too long, big insurance companies have been raking in profits while the rest of us are left holding the bag-it’s long past time to help Missouri families. While more needs to be done to get tough on insurance companies by creating more competition to drive down costs for all consumers, this legislation takes important steps to stop insurance companies from denying people insurance due to preexisting conditions, and to insure nearly 800,000 more Missourians." (Robin Carnahan For Senate, "Robin Carnahan Statement On Health Care Reform," Press Release, 12/24/09)

Carnahan Supported Obama’s Failed "Stimulus" Debacle:

Carnahan Expressed Her Support Of The Economic Stimulus Bill. "Democratic Secretary of State Robin Carnahan indicated her support for the federal economic stimulus package Saturday while Democrats rallied behind her as their U.S. Senate candidate for 2010." (David A. Lieb, "Carnahan Expresses Support For Stimulus Law," The Associated Press, 3/7/09)

Carnahan Said "Doing Nothing" Was Not An Option. "‘For the folks who say doing nothing was an option, I disagree with that,’ Carnahan said in an interview." (David A. Lieb, "Carnahan Expresses Support For Stimulus Law," The Associated Press, 3/7/09)

"Carnahan Said She Was Not Familiar With All The Details Of The Stimulus Law But Added That She ‘Would Have Come Down On The Side Of Action.’" (David A. Lieb, "Carnahan Expresses Support For Stimulus Law," The Associated Press, 3/7/09)

Carnahan Is "Supportive" Of The Job-Killing Card Check Legislation:

Carnahan’s Spokesperson Said She Was "Supportive" Of Card Check. "‘Robin is supportive of the Employee Free Choice Act,’ said campaign spokesman Tony Wyche. ‘She’s not sure what the final version of the bill is going to look like or if she’d ever get to vote on it, but she thinks that workers should be able to organize and that we need to restore balance and opportunity for the middle class.’" (Jo Mainnes, "Carnahan Agrees With GOP: She Supports Pro-Union Employee Free Choice Act," St. Louis Beacon [MO], 4/21/09)

Carnahan Has Been Described As "Generally Supportive" Of Card Check. "Carnahan has been seen as generally supportive of the measure in question, officially called the Employee Free Choice Act, or card check." (Jo Mannies, "Robin Carnahan: Traveling And Taking On Insurance Companies," St. Louis Beacon, 7/20/09)