A WEE BIT OFF MESSAGE:

McCaskill Failed to Pay Taxes on Plane; Scandal Could Damage Her Focus on Accountability (Z. Byron Wolf and Matthew Jaffe, 3/22/11, ABC News)

Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill has made fighting government waste, pork barrel spending and corruption the focus of her entire political persona.

In Senate floor speeches she often cites her history as a Missouri state auditor, lists government accountability as one of her top issues, and has led the charge to change senate rules to be more transparent.

That’s why her admission that she may have improperly charged taxpayers for a flight to a political event on her private plane could be particularly troubling to her brand. McCaskill is up for reelection in 2012 and facing a likely tough campaign.

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