Sen. McCaskill has served in public office since 1982, except for two years in private legal practice. She is a national co-chair of the 2008 Obama for President campaign.
In January 2008, Claire McCaskill became the first female U.S. senator to endorse Barack Obama for the presidency, and soon after, was named as a national co-chair of his 2008 campaign for the White House.
- 1982-1988 - Missouri State house of representatives
- 1989 - 1991 - Attorney in private practice in Kansas City, MO
- 1992-1998 - Jackson County prosecutor
- 1998-2006 - Missouri State auditor
She was elected by Missourians to the Senate on a platform that embraced labor union concerns and appealed to economic populists, including a raise in the minimum wage . She has expressed concerns about, and voted against, U.S. free trade agreements and liberalized immigration reform.
- Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Senate Committee on Armed Services
- Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
- Senate Special Committee on Aging
- Birth - July 24, 1953 in Rolla, Missouri to William and Betty McCaskill
- Education - Hickman High School in Columbia,Mo.; B.A. in political science, University of Missouri, 1975; J.D. University of Missouri, 1978.
- Family - Married in 2002 to second husband, St. Louis businessman Joseph Shepard. Three children: Austin, Maddie and Lily Esposito. Also four stepchildren.
- Faith - Roman Catholic.
Active in speech and debate in her high school days, she won her first speech contest when she was a 15-year-old ninth grader.
About Bill Clinton
"I do not begrudge Bill Clinton's working for his wife, but the one thing I would say is really important to President Clinton to think about right now, because of the larger megaphone he has as a former president, he really needs to be careful with the truth."
---- January 24, 2008, per Atlantic.com
About Health Care
"Our current healthcare policies are primarily interested in protecting the silos of profit that current exist in healthcare. I don't know how we can look ourselves in the eye morally in this country with that many uninsured when we have CEOs of managed care companies going home with a $1.6 billion paycheck."
---- MyDD interview on July 17, 2006
About Embryonic Stem Cell Research
"Well, the bottom line is you are not going to get a baby out of a petri dish. This measure, which we don't have right now, strictly prohibits any kind of implantation of any cells in order for a human being to be created. So there is this bright line contained in this measure which we need, all of us want.
"On the other hand, we know that this kind of research provides great hope for cures for millions of Missourians and Americans. This is very important that we do not leave this work to other countries, that Americans have the opportunity to participate in these cures like they will in other nations if we try to turn our back on this important medical research."
---- Fox News interview with Chris Wallace on November 6, 2006
