Senator Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.) said this morning that legislators present at the World War II memorial who didn’t have veterans from their states present were merely playing politics.
“There’s people here who have nothing to do,” McCaskill said this morning at the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. ”They’re just trying to score a political point.”
When asked by CNS News if they were attempting to grandstand, McCaskill answered that “it appears that they are,” but did not single out any legislators by name.
Earlier this morning, World War II veterans entered the memorial for the second time in as many days despite barricades and signs declaring the site closed. The veterans were flown to Washington, D.C. by Honor Flight, an organization that works to bring veterans to their memorials. Today’s veterans included groups from Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri. McCaskill said she comes to the memorial regularly to meet veterans on Honor Flights from her state.
Lawmakers turned out both days at the memorial. Representative Steve King (R., Iowa) distracted a Park Police official yesterday so that veterans could enter and Representative Michele Bachmann (R., Minn.) was present yesterday and today. Senators Mark Kirk, (R., Ill.) and Roy Blunt (R., Mo.) were at the memorial this morning, as were Representatives Louie Gohmert (R., Texas) and Ann Wagner (R., Mo.).
“The only political points that were tried to be scored was when this administration intentionally tried to inflict pain on veterans that served this country,” Gohmert said when told of McCaskill’s remark. When asked why McCaskill would make that accusation, Gohmert responded, “Well, in Texas we used to say that the guilty dog usually barks first.”