* FLIP: Earlier this year, Claire McCaskill claimed in Missouri that “We’ve got to make sure that whatever policies we have, are not going to make energy too expensive for people.” McCaskill has also claimed that she has been “very clear that [she] would never vote for cap-and-trade.”

* FLOP: McCaskill told the St Joseph News-Press that she is “supportive of a cap-and-trade,” she voted for cap-and-trade and later bragged that the Senate nearly passed it, she voted twice to allow the EPA to implement a backdoor cap-and-trade scheme, and she voted to allow the EPA’s job-destroying Cross-State Air Pollution Rule to go into effect.

The video highlights McCaskill’s record in Washington and the consequences to Missourians of her liberal votes.

“Chameleon Claire McCaskill must be held accountable for her job-destroying rubberstamp support for Barack Obama’s agenda,” said Lloyd Smith, Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party. “McCaskill will say or do anything in an attempt to fool Missourians into forgetting that she supports cap-and-trade and wants to turn our nation’s energy policies over to the EPA. The truth is: Claire McCaskill and Barack Obama simply cannot be trusted.”

This is the third in a series of web videos comparing McCaskill’s walk with her talk—the first, related to her flip-flop on the government’s ability to create jobs is available here, and the second, exploring her flip-flop on earmarks, is available here.

Less than four years after blasting Republicans over the national debt, Chameleon Claire McCaskill today voted to rubberstamp Barack Obama’s request to increase the debt ceiling by another $1.2 trillion dollars.

This vote was made necessary by the McCaskill-supported flood of federal spending since Barack Obama took office.

But in a recently unearthed video from 2008, Claire McCaskill cast reining in the national debt as a “moral imperative,” and she complained that the government was presenting future generations with “a train wreck of unprecedented proportions.”

On the Senate floor, McCaskill complained that the national debt had gone up by $3.7 trillion in the first 7 ½ years of the previous administration, and she bemoaned the $9.3 trillion debt ceiling.

By comparison, in just three years, Barack Obama and Claire McCaskill have added $4.6 trillion to the national debt—and, thanks to McCaskill’s vote, the debt ceiling will stand at $16.4 trillion (a stunning $7.1 trillion higher than the amount that drew McCaskill’s ire less than four years ago).

“Four years ago, Chameleon Claire claimed that too much federal spending was creating ‘a train wreck of unprecedented proportions’ for future generations.  But today, McCaskill happily agreed to saddle our children and grandchildren with outrageous amounts of new debt,” said Lloyd Smith, Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party.  “The only thing worse than Chameleon Claire McCaskill’s hypocrisy is the damage she and Barack Obama have done to our nation’s future.”

The video:

Transcript, Claire McCaskill, June 18, 2008:

“Our debt, our debt has gone up by 3.7 trillion. We now have a debt of 9.3 trillion dollars. Now really—this is a change that is not just important—it’s urgent. We must be fiscally accountable for taxpayer money. Sounds nice, right?  It’s a moral imperative for our kids. It’s the right thing to do for the generation that comes behind us—for my children, for my grandchildren, for your children, for your grandchildren.  We are presenting them with a train wreck of unprecedented proportions if we don’t get our fiscal house in order.”

“As he has demonstrated throughout his career in public service, including his near-defeat of an entrenched Democrat incumbent in 2010, Ed Martin is a respected attorney, a staunch conservative, a tireless campaigner, and he will make an outstanding Attorney General.  At a time when the federal government is out-of-control, Chris Koster refuses to aggressively stand up for Missourians.  Ed will fight against job-killing federal mandates such as Obamacare, and he will vigorously defend laws passed by the Missouri General Assembly.”

Chameleon Claire’s nomination is just the latest blow to her image as a good-government crusader.

“Chameleon Claire McCaskill is desperate to make Missourians believe she is on their side, but the truth is that she thumbs her nose at Missouri every chance she gets,” said Lloyd Smith, Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party. “Whether it is cap-and-trade, jobs, earmarks , or paying her taxes, Chameleon Claire has a nasty habit of saying one thing and doing another.”

McCaskill’s was nominated for her suggestion that U.S. taxpayers pour millions of dollars into an ad campaign to save the post office—a suggestion that was lampooned by the Daily Show’s Jon Stewart.

What CAGW did not mention (but could have) is McCaskill’s disingenuous election year effort to cover up her record of supporting earmarks.  While she spent much of December attempting to strengthen her anti-earmark credentials, the truth is that McCaskill’s record is the opposite.

McCaskill has repeatedly been given the opportunity to remove some of the most egregious earmarks from bills, but she voted no.  A few examples:

* On March 23, 2007, McCaskill voted against an amendment to block the inclusion of earmarks in a spending bill.

* On October 18, 2007, McCaskill voted to protect a $2 million earmark to honor Rep. Charles Rangel with a public policy center, a conference center and a library.

* On October 23, 2007, McCaskill voted to kill an amendment to strike $3.7 million in earmarks for the AFL-CIO.

* On March 13, 2008, McCaskill voted against an amendment to redirect over $2 million in earmarks for Berkeley, CA, to the Marines.

* On March 4, 2009, McCaskill voted to preserve earmarks associated with the PMA Group, a corrupt lobbying firm.

* On March 4, 2009, McCaskill voted against an amendment to kill 11 earmarks, which included $200,000 for tattoo removal in California, $1.8 million for manure management research in Iowa and $3.8 million to preserve part of the old Detroit Tigers stadium.

* On March 19, 2009, McCaskill voted against an amendment to kill earmarks for a birthday party in Florida, historic shipwreck exploration and a study of Alexander Hamilton’s boyhood estate in the Virgin Islands.

Congresswoman Jenkins is joining an all-star lineup of already-announced speakers including VA Gov. Bob McDonnell and LA Gov. Bobby Jindal.

“Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins is a strong conservative, and we are proud to announce that she will headline the Missouri Federation of Republican Women’s annual luncheon at our statewide Lincoln Days,” said David Cole, Chairman of the Missouri Republican Party.  “We have put together an incredible lineup of speakers, and we look forward to bringing our conservative message to Kansas City this critical election year.”

Congresswoman Jenkins was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the Second District in Kansas in 2008.  A Certified Public Accountant, Jenkins has fought for responsible policies to promote job creation and economic growth, improve transparency in Congress, and ensure a strong national defense. Previously serving the people of Kansas as State Treasurer, State Senator, and State Representative, throughout her career in public service, Congresswoman Jenkins has worked to attract more conservative women to the political process and republican politics.

“The Missouri Republican Party has made it a priority to recruit, educate, and mobilize women, who are a critical part of our party,” said Kathy Chinn, incoming President of the Missouri Federation of Republican Women.  “Events like these allow us to continue engaging our supporters, and they give our women activists the opportunity to hear from conservative leaders like Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins.”

In 2011, the Missouri Federation of Republican Women included 51 chapters and more than 1,600 members across the state.  Their annual luncheon is held each year in conjunction with Lincoln Days to recognize clubs and individuals for their hard work and achievements.

A high resolution photo of Congresswoman Jenkins is available here.

The 2012 Missouri Lincoln Days celebration will take place February 17-19 in Kansas City, MO.  Special guests include Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, and Kansas Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins. For additional details or to register, please visit www.mogop.org/lincolndays.

Missourians are tired of politicians who say one thing and do another — and Claire McCaskill is one of the worst offenders.

So when McCaskill arrived in Springfield recently to speak about the importance of keeping energy rates affordable, we just had to take a closer look.

As it turns out, McCaskill’s statewide tour on energy is nothing more than an election year gimmick to cover up her longtime support for the president’s job-killing policies. The truth is, Claire McCaskill is a foot soldier in Barack Obama’s war on energy.

In 2008, McCaskill told the St. Joseph News-Press that she is “supportive of a cap-and-trade system to help address the world’s climate change problems.” Then she voted for a nationwide system to cap carbon dioxide emissions – a proposal that Republicans, thankfully, were able to defeat.

But the legislation’s defeat didn’t dampen McCaskill’s enthusiasm. Just a few months later, she was caught on camera bragging that the bill nearly passed the Senate and assuring her audience “we’ll get there.”

Once liberals realized that cap-and-trade would never become law, Democrats devised an audacious new strategy to force their plan on the country. Instead of holding an up-or-down vote on the legislation, Barack Obama decided that he would simply order the EPA to implement a backdoor cap-and-trade system over the clear objections of the public. On two occasions, McCaskill was given to opportunity to vote against Obama’s power grab, but both times, she voted to allow the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide.

Creating regulations in a backdoor manner without the approval of Congress is a fundamental threat to our system of representative democracy, but sadly, it has become the preferred tactic of Claire McCaskill and Barack Obama.

Now, thanks to McCaskill, the EPA is out of control.

In fact, on the same day that McCaskill spoke elsewhere in the state, the local newspaper published a story about the devastating impact that new federal EPA regulations will have on the community’s relatively-new power plant.

The article noted that residents currently enjoy some of the most inexpensive electricity rates in the nation — but all that would change when the Obama-McCaskill regulations take effect.

But what Claire McCaskill hasn’t mentioned during any of her speeches is the fact that she voted to allow the very same regulations that are currently threatening to shut down the power plant and cause local electricity prices to skyrocket. And this is exactly the problem.

McCaskill votes like a liberal in Washington, supporting things like cap-and-trade and onerous EPA regulations; then she comes to Missouri and tries to fool voters into believing she’s concerned about affordable energy. But she won’t get away with it this time.

As McCaskill said during her 2006 campaign: “If my walk doesn’t match my talk, then shame on me and never vote for me again.”

It’s time for McCaskill to drop the charade and explain her consistent support for Barack Obama’s job-killing energy policies. The families of Missouri deserve the truth.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Kurt Schaefer (Columbia) and House Majority Floor Leader Tim Jones (Eureka) delivered the Republican response to State of the State address.  They called on Gov. Nixon to do more than just give speeches; instead, he should get serious & work with the General Assembly to solve Missouri’s budget problems.

The transcript:

SEN. KURT SCHAEFER: 

Good evening, and thank you for joining us.  I’m Senator Kurt Schaefer, and I am joined by my colleague, House Majority Floor Leader Tim Jones, to deliver the Republican Response to the State of the State.  Representative Jones will begin with a few words about what you heard from the Governor this evening.

REP. TIM JONES:

Thank you, Sen. Schaefer.

Every January for the past three years, Governor Nixon has come to the Missouri Capitol and delivered a compelling speech—full of lofty rhetoric, brimming with hope.

Tonight was no different.

We in the General Assembly would hope that Jay Nixon would follow through on his promises.  But if the past is any indication, his leadership will stop once the cameras are turned off and the reality of life continues.

We have witnessed this every year.

Governor Nixon talks about creating jobs—but Missouri has fallen behind on his watch.

He talks about standing up for Missourians—but he silently supports his party when they ram Obamacare and destructive cap-and-trade proposals through Congress.  And he remains silent when his State Tax Commission once again decides to raise taxes on Missouri’s farmers to the tune of millions of dollars a year.

He talks about working with the legislature—but he remains on the sidelines, as a spectator, every time we need him to lead.

At a time when our economy is stagnating and the unemployment rate remains unacceptably high, Missourians deserve far better.

Tonight, 250,000 Missourians cannot find a job, many more are underemployed, and countless others struggle to make ends meet.

Employers are fleeing Missouri to states like Kansas and Tennessee—taking jobs and precious revenue with them.

This should strengthen our resolve to keep jobs here.  But when one company moved to Kansas just last year, Jay Nixon’s Economic Development Director shrugged his shoulders.

A true leader fights for every job, every time.  Instead, we have a governor who gambles state money on risky projects without vetting them first.

In 2010, the governor called a press conference to announce more than 17 million dollars of your taxpayer money for a now infamous company called Mamtek in Moberly.

If the governor had done his homework, he would have learned that the company misrepresented their capabilities, the company’s president was in deep financial trouble, and he would have realized that the project at its essence, was a fraud.

If he had done his homework.  But he did not.

The company went bankrupt, and the city of Moberly was left with tens of millions of dollars of debt—and zero new jobs.

Instead of taking responsibility, Jay Nixon pointed fingers and even claimed he doesn’t run his own Department. A Missourian who became President once famously said that the buck always stopped with him.  Apparently with Jay Nixon, the buck stops with everyone but the governor.

In 2009, Governor Nixon provided a 1 million loan to a Kirksville company, even though that company was run by a man with a history of tax problems.  He again didn’t do his homework.  The company defaulted—and taxpayers still haven’t been repaid.

And in 2010, Nixon promised $2 million to a Cape Girardeau company run by a man on probation for financial fraud.  The governor didn’t do his homework.

Missourians deserve better.

You see, Governor Nixon, it’s  not enough to fly around the state on the taxpayer dime and promise jobs— you need to make sure those jobs are actually created.

Just like it’s not enough to make one lofty speech every year—you need to have an agenda, follow through on that agenda and seriously address the issues that are facing our state.

If you are willing to lead, the peoples’ elected representatives are eager to work with you to create the environment necessary for businesses to create jobs, to balance the budget without new job-killing taxes, to improve our schools, and to protect Missouri values.

In December, Republicans in the State House released our “Blueprint for Missouri” to accomplish just that.  We are committed to creating a stable business climate that allows employers to grow, expand, and create good-paying jobs.

We are determined to reset the priorities of government so it serves the taxpayers first.  We plan to improve the education of our children—especially those in failing schools.  And we will continue protecting the sanctity of life and our 2^nd Amendment rights.

Missourians are a proud, determined, independent people.  We want to work, we want to provide for our families and we want to restore our state to greatness.

Accomplishing greatness requires boldness, vision and courage in our leaders. We invite Governor Nixon to join us, in our vision and in our determination to reach our goals of making Missouri the jewel of the Heartland.

Now, Senate Appropriations Chairman Kurt Schaefer will discuss Missouri’s budget situation.

SEN. KURT SCHAEFER: 

Thank you, Representative Jones.

Over the next several months the General Assembly will review the Governor’s proposed budget and make decisions regarding scarce taxpayer resources during one of the most challenging fiscal years in Missouri history.

As we do this, we will remember that governing is about priorities, especially during these difficult economic times.

Article III, Sec. 36 of the Missouri Constitution specifically states the order of priorities for appropriating the people’s money. After payment of public debt, the education of Missouri’s children is at the top of the list. This clear mandate has been ignored in recent times and the budget has been balanced on the back of public education.

Missouri schools have received less and less money—for classrooms, for transportation, for technology, and for creating future opportunity.

The truth is in the numbers.

Over the past three years, state funding for school districts and teachers has been slashed and underfunded by 7% or $232 million dollars, and funding for Missouri’s public higher education institutions and scholarships has been reduced by more than 14%, which totals about $153 million dollars.  Yet during the same period, Medicaid spending has skyrocketed—increasing by over $1.6 billion dollars, a 24% increase of an already massive program.

The Governor has furthered this trend through withholds and reductions of the General Assembly’s increases for public education. When we can’t afford busses to get our children to school and when we continue to cause dramatic increases in the price of earning a college or technical degree, it’s time to reevaluate our priorities.

The General Assembly is committed to protecting Missouri’s most vulnerable citizens. We must provide assistance to those who cannot otherwise help themselves.  But the growing diversion of funding away from programs that assist all our citizens in order to fund an expanding welfare state is simply unsustainable.

When we fail to prepare our children to compete, we condemn them to a future that is less bright and devoid of opportunity.  Cutting public education to fund expansion of Medicaid does little more than guarantee future Medicaid growth.

Additionally, helping Missourians recover from natural disasters will always be a top priority for the General Assembly. The $500 million Rainy Day Fund was created so such adversity would not keep us from crafting a strong future for all Missourians.

The Governor’s speech tonight should be the beginning—not the end—of his involvement in solving our budget crisis.

In the past the Governor has been unwilling to work with the General Assembly on the budget, so tonight I renew my invitation to him to put aside differences and design a budget that respects Missouri’s priorities.

But whether or not the governor chooses to work with us, the General Assembly will continue to live within our means and deliver a balanced budget.

The poor economy has accelerated our arrival at a cross-road: do we sacrifice the potential of our young people to put an ever increasing amount of the public’s money into maintaining the status quo, or do we invest in our children and our future?

For us, the answer is clear. Working to strengthen public education is our top priority.

If we engage the right stewardship today, I am optimistic we can build a Missouri full of ever increasing opportunity.

Thank you for listening this evening.

May God bless you, and may God continue to bless the Great State of Missouri.

“Missouri Lincoln Days is the largest gathering of Republican activists and elected officials in the state,” said David Cole, Chairman of the Missouri Republican Party. “This year, we are excited to feature two of the most accomplished and impressive governors in the nation— Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.  Both of these conservative leaders highlight the importance of electing Republicans at every level of government.”

Governor McDonnell was sworn in as the 71^st governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia in January 2010 after receiving 59% of the vote—the most votes of any candidate for governor in the state’s history.  He immediately went to work enacting conservative reforms.

Faced with an inherited $6 billion budget shortfall, Gov McDonnell worked with the legislature to roll back spending to 2006 levels, and he closed the gap without raising taxes.   He has also made job creation a priority, and thanks to his leadership, CNBC recently honored Virginia as “the best state for business.”

“Missouri has always been a critical state in national elections—and with several high-profile races on the ballot, including one for governor, this year will be no different,” said Governor McDonnell. “I am excited to come to Missouri and discuss the future of our great country with the grassroots activists whose hard work will deliver even more Republican victories in the Show Me State.”

A high resolution photograph of Gov. McDonnell is available here.

Last week, the Missouri GOP announced that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will serve as the keynote speaker during the Friday evening banquet.  In addition, the GOP’s three U.S. Senate candidates will participate in a moderated forum Saturday afternoon.

The 2011 Missouri Lincoln Days celebration will take place February 17-19 in Kansas City, MO.  Special guests will include Louisiana Gov Bobby Jindal and Virginia Gov Bob McDonnell.

For additional details or to register, please visit www.mogop.org/lincolndays.

Less than two years after Claire McCaskill declared “I hate coal,” McCaskill today toured a coal-fired power plant in Springfield and stated that people against coal are “irresponsible.”

According to The Pitch, April 23, 2010, “McCaskill tells The Pitch that she doesn’t like Missouri’s reliance on dirty energy. ‘I’m no fan of coal,’ she says. ‘I hate coal.’”

Please consider the following quote from Lloyd Smith, Executive Director of the Missouri GOP: “After voting for cap-and-trade, supporting job-killing EPA regulations that will devastate the coal industry, and declaring ‘I hate coal,’ Claire McCaskill now wants you to believe that she is a champion of affordable energy.  It’s no wonder Missourians don’t trust ‘Chameleon Claire’ McCaskill.”