Could Claire McCaskill's $287,000 tax problem cost Dems the Senate?

Republicans pounce after the Missouri senator admits she failed to pay nearly $300,000 in taxes on a private jet. Will this cripple Democrats in a crucial 2012 Senate race?

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) owes $287,272 in taxes on her private jet, fueling the GOP opposition that is eager to pick off her Democratic seat next year.
(Image credit: Facebook)

The tough 2012 re-election fight that Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) is facing just got a whole lot tougher after revelations that she and her husband failed to pay $287,273 in property taxes on a private jet. The disclosure followed reports that she billed taxpayers for political trips on the jet, prompting her to send the Treasury $88,000 in compensation. McCaskill, who said she'll repay the $287,000, too, wants her husband to "sell the damn plane," but Republicans are already running ads about McCaskill's tax gaffe. It's easy to see why: If the GOP picks off just four Democratic seats next year, they win control of the Senate. Did McCaskill just doom her party?

Democrats can't afford this kind of "unforced error": McCaskill just handed the GOP a "golden opportunity," says Michael Shear in The New York Times. "Just having a private plane" undermines her "regular gal from Missouri" image, but evading a $287,000 tax bill? That "damage may be hard to repair." With no room for error, Democrats have to hope McCaskill's blunt response saves her seat.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us