Sen. Claire McCaskill is getting increased security from U.S. Capitol Police after a potential threat at a tea party rally last week, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
“We have to kill the Claire Bear, ladies and gentlemen,” said Scott Boston, a St. Louis-area activist who has been involved with the tea party. “She walks around like she’s some sort of Rainbow Brite Care Bear or something but really she’s an evil monster.”
The comment came at a Tea Party Express rally in Springfield, Mo., Thursday. The group has endorsed GOP Senate candidate Sarah Steelman, who was present at the rally.
Boston told the Post-Dispatch that the comment wasn’t intended as a threat. “If I said anything, I said, ‘We need to kill the Claire Bear,’ this idea that Claire McCaskill is this wonderful person running around doing great things for us,” he said.
The Missouri Democrats are calling on Steelman, as well as GOP Senate candidates John Brunner and Rep. Todd Akin, to to denounce the comments.