McCaskill: GOP 'hiding behind skirts' of Kyl on START

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) exhorted Republicans on Sunday to stop “playing politics and hiding behind the skirts of Jon Kyl” on the START treaty.

McCaskill, who appeared on "Fox News Sunday" with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), made the comments during a pointed but polite exchange over ratification of the treaty in the Senate, in which Graham questioned whether the preamble would allow the Russians to opt out if the United States continues to research missile defense.

“Lindsey Graham is a responsible senator who doesn’t play these games,” McCaskill said. “But there is some game playing going on with the START treaty, and it’s all about politics and trying to damage the president of the United States.”

Graham told Fox News host Chris Wallace that he would do everything in his power to make sure Sept. 11 conspirator Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is never tried in a civilian court.

“I believe in an all-of-the-above approach,” Graham said, arguing that civilian trials might be appropriate in some cases, such as those of small-scale domestic operatives. “I will do everything in my power to make sure KSM and the co-conspirators who attacked our country nine years ago never see a civilian court."

“I believe I’ve got the votes to block it,” Graham continued. “I don’t think KSM will ever receive the votes in Congress for a civilian trial.”

On the show last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton indicated that Attorney General Eric Holder would make a recommendation on the KSM trial in due time.