McCaskill should rethink support for Fox

We exist to hold congress accountable. That means that when we are unhappy with the actions of our elected representatives, we do not simply look away if they have the "right" party signifier behind their name. In the spirit of this endeavor, I am calling Claire McCaskill on the carpet for her support of the nomination of Sam Fox to be the ambassador to Belgium.

Fox was a donor to the Swift Boat Veterans smear campaign during the 2004 presidential election.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats are raising concerns about President Bush's nominee for ambassador to Belgium because he gave money to the group that impugned Sen. John Kerry's war record during the 2004 presidential campaign.

With a vote set Wednesday in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut, said Tuesday he opposes the nomination of businessman Sam Fox because Fox "refused to apologize for his behavior" during a confirmation hearing last month.

"U.S. ambassadors need to be both responsible and credible, and Mr. Fox's support for an organization known to have spread falsehoods illustrates neither," said Dodd, who is seeking the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Fox, one of the nation's most prominent Republican fundraisers, made a $50,000 contribution to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Many Democrats blamed the group for sinking Kerry's presidential bid after it aired a series of TV ads that claimed the Massachusetts Democrat did not deserve his Vietnam War medals.

[snip]

"I would have preferred you saying, you know, 'In retrospect, looking back, contributing to the Swift Boat campaign was a mistake and I wish I hadn't done it,' " Obama told Fox.

Fox has garnered the public support of Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, and Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut Independent, both of whom testified for him.

I’m sorry – but Josh Marshall is right – there are some things that are just beyond the pale. The Swift Boaters crossed a line and should, as a result, be denied participation in the political process forevermore – not rewarded with plum ambassadorships.

There is simply no excuse for this, and I hope Senator McCaskill rethinks her support of this man.

(*Her office has been contacted for comment but has not returned calls as yet. When they do, the comment will be posted as an update.)

If you want to contact the Senators office to express an opinion about this, her office phone number is 202-224-6154 and her web page with all contact information is here.