KINDER'S COMMENTARY: CLAIR MCCASKILL MAY UNSEAT HARRIETT WOODS AS MOST LIBERAL

Former Lt. Gov. Harriett Woods, a two-time loser in races for the U.S. Senate, is now challenged for recognition as the most liberal candidate ever nominated by a major party in Missouri's history. (She may have lost that distinction in 1994, when Democrats nominated former U.S. Rep. Alan Wheat, and he went on to a 59 percent-41 percent, lose-114-counties drubbing by U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft. An interesting exercise: Who is more liberal: Wheat, Woods -- or this year's contender?)

Wood's challenger for most-liberal-ever honors: Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney Claire McCaskill, now running for state auditor. Claire, a former state representative, long ago mapped out a plan to be Missouri's first woman governor. Stories circulating in the statehouse say she and close associates have dreamed of it since her mid-'70s college internship in the state House. There she got to know as a mentor state Rep. Sue Shear, among the very most liberal members ever to serve in the Missouri House. Shear, 80, is ill and retiring this year after 26 years of untiring devotion to abortion on demand, taxpayer funding of same, unionizing state government, vastly more spending and growing the liberal Nanny State, together with any other cause backed by the Riverfront Times of St. Louis. Careful readers will recognize that alternative publication as the one critical of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, one of America's most liberal dailies, for not being nearly liberal enough.

Now comes the Kansas City Star editorially endorsing McCaskill's opponent, Democratic alderman Steve Conway of St. Louis. The centrist, respected Star isn't known for conservative pleading.

What says Claire's hometown paper, the one most conversant with her? "When McCaskill had her best chance to demonstrate ... fearlessness," the Star opined, "she failed. That came in her investigation of former Missouri House Speaker Bob Griffin, a Democrat whose political base was much the same as McCaskill's."

While calling McCaskill "dynamic, articulate and talented," -- adjectives that could alike be used to describe either Winston Churchill or his wartime foe, Adolf Hitler -- the Star continued:

"McCaskill, who makes no secret of her ambition to seek higher offices than auditor, joined with two other county prosecutors in examining ethical questions about Griffin including ones dealing with gambling issues in Missouri.

"Court records that include a sworn deposition show that McCaskill acted more like a defense attorney for Griffin than the prosecutor she was elected to be. She provided answers for Griffin when another prosecutor was questioning the former speaker. And when she asked Griffin questions, they were soft lobs that appeared designed to excuse his questionable behavior.

"Ultimately, McCaskill joined in clearing Griffin, declaring that he had shown bad judgment but not broken state laws.

"In contrast, U.S. Attorney Steve Hill, another Democrat, used the same state laws available to McCaskill as the basis for convictions that sent Griffin to prison."

Claire enjoys the enthusiastic backing of the Carnahan-Gephardt Missouri Democratic establishment. She boasts an aggressive, well-funded campaign that won't be easy for Conway to derail. She must answer, however, for multiple criminal problems inside her own office, for an ex-husband convicted of a drug crime and, shall we say, known to the police before that, and for K.C.'s being named, earlier this year, as one of America's 10 most corrupt cities on her watch.

That's prosecutor Claire, bidding to be your auditor -- and governor.

~Peter Kinder is assistant to the president of Rust Communications and a state senator from Cape Girardeau.