Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill says senators should go on-record for or against pork-barrel earmarks this week and worries that her party will look out of touch if leaders block a vote or defend the practice.
McCaskill is a longtime opponent of the special spending requests that riled up the electorate this year. She said she's joining Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn in pushing for a floor vote as soon as Wednesday on whether to extend a moratorium through 2013.
The discussion comes a day after Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell reversed course and boarded the anti-earmark bandwagon, in a bow to voters who saw earmarks as a symbol of back room dealing and out-of-control spending.
House GOP leaders also are supporting an extension of the earmark moratorium.
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