McCaskill said she remains optimistic about the process of crafting and passing health care reform legislation.
"I think I was able to hopefully correct some really bad misinformation that's out there. People are just getting information that is flat wrong" McCaskill told CNN Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - A new national poll indicates that the Democratic party's becoming less popular with voters. But the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, released Monday, suggests that the Republican party has not been able to capitalize on the Democrats' downturn.
Read: CNN's new poll
Fifty-two percent of people questioned say they have a favorable opinion of the Democratic party, down six points from February. Forty-one percent say they have a positive view of the Republican party, up just two points from February. "Most Americans still have a favorable view of the Democrats; half have an unfavorable view of the GOP," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.
According to the survey, 44 percent say the country would be better off if the Democrats control Congress, with 34 percent saying it's better if the Republicans controlled Congress.
"By a ten-point margin, Americans say that the country would be better off if the Democrats controlled Congress. That's down from a 15-point advantage in April, but it is very important to note that the change has not helped the Republicans at all," says Holland.
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(CNN) - Relatives of Eunice Kennedy Shriver were summoned to a hospital on Cape Cod, Massachusetts Monday, a source close to the family told CNN.
"It's minute-to-minute right now," the source said.
Shriver, 88, has been was in the hospital for several days, her family said, and her relatives were summoned after she suffered a "setback," the source said.
Shriver founded Special Olympics. She is the sister of former President John F. Kennedy.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico (CNN) - President Barack Obama said Monday that a "Buy American" provision in his economic stimulus plan had little effect so far on the multibillion-dollar trade partnership with Canada.
Obama told journalists at a summit with the leaders of Canada and Mexico that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has raised the issue every time they have met.
Harper has complained the "Buy American" provision is protectionist and could harm trade relations between the closely linked North American economies.
"This in no way this has endangered the billions of dollars of trade taking place between our two countries," Obama said, standing beside Harper and Calderon at a final news conference.
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GUADALAJARA, Mexico (CNN) - Critics who say that the United States has not been forceful enough in demanding the return of ousted Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya to power are being hypocritical, President Obama said Monday.
"The same critics who say that the United States has not intervened enough in Honduras, are the same people who say that we're always intervening and that Yankees need to get out of Latin America. You can't have it both ways," said Obama, speaking at the North American Leaders Summit in Mexico.
"We have been very clear in our belief that President Zelaya was removed from office illegally, that it was a coup, and that he should return," Obama said.
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GUADALAJARA, Mexico (CNN) - President Obama said Monday at the North American Leaders Summit he is committed to "fix the broken immigration system."
The three North American countries depend on their borders being safe and secure, Obama said, adding that he supports "orderly and legal" migration, while respecting the American tradition of welcoming immigrants.
(CNN) – Senators, like many in the House, continue to face grilling from constituents concerned about proposed health care legislation before Congress.
Although some meetings have been "civil," as one senator pointed out Monday, at least one lawmaker has received a threat from those angry about a plan being devised by Democrats.
Three House committees are working have been working on a plan. On the Senate side, two committees are working on a proposal - before negotiations begin between top members of both chambers.
And the negotiations are heating up. On Thursday, Obama met privately at the White House with the "Gang of Six," three Democrats and three Republicans working to find middle ground on the issue.
Not all town hall meetings have been raucous. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, held a town hall meeting Monday morning in Kennett, Missouri, to help clarify what she says is some of the misinformation that is being circulated.
Meanwhile, for one member of Congress, the anger over health care has become dangerous.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico (CNN) - President Obama said Monday the United States remains Mexico's partner in the fight against drug cartels, despite some calls in the United States to delay counter-narcotics aid because of alleged human rights violations by Mexican soldiers.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon reaffirmed his commitment to transparency and human rights in his offensive against the cartels, Obama said.
Some $100 million in anti-drug aid, known as the Merida Initiative, could be delayed because of concerns about human rights violations, it was reported last week.
"We have been very supportive of the Merida Initiative, and we remain supportive," Obama said.
Obama also said the United States would work to reduce demand for drugs and stop the illegal flow weapons south to Mexico.
The remarks came at a summit of North American leaders in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper also expressed support for Mexico's strategy, saying that the drug cartels were a problem shared by all three countries.
(CNN) - For some families, like the Kennedys, the Bushes and the Roosevelts, politics runs in the blood. But as history shows, coming from a powerful political family doesn't mean a free ride to the top.
"It does help, and it hurts. It's a two-edged sword," said Doug Wead, a presidential historian and former adviser to President George H.W. Bush. "It initially helps the candidate with name recognition and more importantly with fundraising ... but many vote against the child as well."
The children of political families inherit a treasure chest of contacts, campaign workers and often endorsements, but the benefits have their limits.
Only two presidential sons have followed their fathers to the White House (John Quincy Adams and George W. Bush), and just one presidential family - the Bushes - has sent sons to the governor's mansion (Jeb Bush in Florida and George Bush in Texas).
"I conclude that a brand name - a famous family name - is typically worth one step up on the political ladder," said Stephen Hess, a senior fellow emeritus in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, who has researched and written about political dynasties dating back to colonial times. "They get one step up - and they are on their own."
WASHINGTON (CNN) – The White House is stepping up its efforts to promote health care reform with the launch of a new Web initiative that officials say is designed to combat misinformation about the issue.
Citing what it calls "a troubling trend" of "wild rumors and scare tactics," the White House Monday announced the launch of http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/, a new Web page which "focuses on what reform really means for you and your family" and "debunks some common myths along the way," White House New Media Director Macon Phillips wrote on the official White House blog.
In keeping with President Obama's use of social networking sites to engage and utilize his network of supporters during his presidential campaign, the new page also provides users with a number of ways to notify their own networks of contacts about the page and its content.
The Web page features half a dozen videos from Obama aides who discuss various aspects of health care reform and it also has a set of "faq's" or frequently asked questions about health care reform.
"Moving forward, we'll use this platform to provide you with the latest 'Reality Checks' and tools to combat misinformation," Phillips writes in the blog post announcing the new Web page.
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