West Virginia Blue
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Good afternoon, West Virginia Blue readers. This is your afternoon open thread to discuss all things Hill-related. Use this thread to praise or bash Congresscritters, share a juicy tip, ask questions, offer critiques and suggestions, or post manifestos.
Some of the Hill news that's fit to blog is over the fold...
- As expected, following his coming out ceremony, longtime closet Republican and Blankenship vacation buddy Spike Maynard has announced he will run against Rep. Nick Rahall.
"I didn't leave the Democratic Party - the Democratic Party left me," Maynard said.
Well, if by "left me" he means they were turned off by scandal to the point that a sitting chief justice suffered a landslide defeat in a primary and practically tied for last on the ballot, then, yeah, I guess the Democratic Party did leave him.
But what's a little corruption to West Virginia Republicans, who used the occasion to announce a bold new era of ethical bankruptcy for their party?
"I think he's been in the wrong party all of his life," Chairman Doug McKinney said. "We would welcome someone of his character and integrity in the Republican Party."
The usual media suspects sprang into action, touting Maynard's chances in objective, thoughtful "analysis" pieces that praised Brent Benjamin's campaign and railed against something called the "Democrat Party."
The field for the West Virginia Representatives to the U.S. House is complete. Here's the candidates who have filed for office in each of the three district races.
The Candidates
WV-01
Alan B. Mollohan (Democrat) from Fairmont, Marion County
Mike Oliverio (Democrat) from Morgantown, Monongalia County
Cindy Hall (Republican) from Wheeling, Ohio County
Patricia VanGilder Levenson (Republican) from Wheeling, Ohio County
David B. McKinley (Republican) from Wheeling, Ohio County
Sarah Minear (Republican) from Morgantown, Monongalia County
Thomas Stark (Republican) from Parkersburg, Wood County
Mac Warner (Republican) from Morgantown, Monongalia County
WV-02
Virginia Lynch Graf (Democrat) from Charles Town, Jefferson County
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican) from Charleston, Kanawha County
WV-03
Bruce Barilla (Democrat) from Bluefield, Greenbrier County
Nick Joe Rahall II (Democrat) from Beckley, Raleigh County
Lee A. Bias (Republican) from Barboursville, Cabell County
Marty Gearheart (Republican) from Bluefield, Mercer County
Conrad G. Lucas II (Republican) from Huntington, Cabell County
Elliott E. "Spike" Maynard (Republican) from Williamson, Mingo County
What to expect
WV-01 While six different Republicans bloody each other up to face the incumbent Alan Mollohan he'll have, on paper at least, just as tough a challenger in the Democratic primary. The primary challenge from the conservative Democrat Oliverio may be a blessing in disguise for Mollohan if it brings out Mollohan supporters early and awakens a campaign apparatus that was dormant when he ran unopposed two years ago. The national GOP want WV-01 to be a high profile race, but with the recent clearing of Mollohan of any criminal wrong-doing in a long-simmering FBI probe, Mollohan can now focus on building up a war chest. Rep. Mollohan may have to campaign harder than usual, but with the advantages of incumbency he should have no returning for another term.
WV-02 After facing a well-supported and well-financed challenge by DCCC-recruited strong challenge by DCCC-supported* candidate Anne Barth in 2008, Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito is breathing a major sigh of relief this year. The DCCC and state Democrat party was unable to recruit any high profile candidates for this race. Democrats are lucky that grassroots activist Graf has stepped up to challenge Capito, so the seat remains contested. Graf benefits from no primary challenge so can immediately focus on Capito and a general election campaign. Capito has 'bought a landslide' two cycles in a row, Graf can only hope Capito is complacent and gets caught by surprise if the Graf campaign catches fire.
* Updated: In my haste earlier, I may have left the wrong impression. To clarify: Anne Barth was well supported by the DCCC once she entered the race; State Sen. John Unger was the original DCCC-recruited candidate up until he unexpectedly dropped out just prior to the filing deadline. Also, although Anne Barth did well with fund-raising, she was still out-spent by Rep. Capito by around 3:1.
WV-03 Incumbent Democratic Nick Rahall will have no problem dispatching Barilla in the primary. Former Democrat Spike Maynard is widely expected to be well funded by Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship and prevail in the Republican primary field. A Rahall vs. Maynard general election will almost certainly be a hugely negative, substance free affair. This race will draw national interest--after all, can you think of any other congressional candidates who have inspired Grisham novels? In the end, the interest will benefit Rep. Rahall's fund-raising and he'll be returned for yet another term.
-Jeff Friedrich on the end of Climate Ground Zero's 9-day treesit: "Lies Don Blankenship Told Me: Why Climate Activists Are Heading To The West Virginian Coal Fields."
- Nitchman and Blevins still in jail. Total bail at $9,624.00.
- Logan Banner managing editor Michael Browning asks why we should care about celebrities' views on coal mining - unless, of course, they're named Ted Nugent or Hank Williams Jr and get a check from Blankenship for a rally that the Banner helped promote.
- Blankenship political operative Roman Stauffer would probably have a good idea what the schedule of disgraced judge Elliott "Spike" Maynard looks like. Stauffer, who's been pushing for a Maynard challenge to Rep. Rahall, says Spike is going to talk to John Raese's mouthpiece, Hoppy Kercheval, Monday at 10:00 a.m. Will Don's pal announce a coal owner-funded run?
- Mollohan and Rahall joined Capito's coal caucus.
- And President Obama took time from his smackdown of the House GOP at their Baltimore retreat to take a question from Capito.
Since their first night in the trees Massey has been harassing the sitters using sleep deprivation tactics; this is harming the hearing of both the security and the sitters. Security personnel are perpetually shining bright lights and employing the noise-making machines. A few hours ago Eric Blevins took action by calling the state police and reporting a noise violation. Quite soon after he called the noise machines turned off but they have since been turned back on. In a similar vein of harassment, Massey security has tied a rope to a smaller tree next to Amber's platform. They are pulling and releasing the rope so that the sapling smacks the bottom of her platform, hoping that she will feel unsafe and come down.
- Governor Manchin will meet with Bo Webb and other coalfields residents today.
- The stenographer of the week award goes to Bill Archer of The Bluefield Daily Telegraph for covering FACES of Coal.
- Big Laurel Coal is cited for ignoring dangers that contributed to a Virginia mine electrician's death.
-and Friends of Coal: The coloring book. really.
First off, here's all the important logistical details:
WHAT: The University of Charleston will present a public conversation between Waterkeeper Alliance President and environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Massey Energy Chairman and CEO Don Blankenship titled the Forum on the Future of Energy. The event will advance the national discussion about U.S. energy policy and its impact on jobs, the environment, the economy, and national security.
WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010, at 6:15 pm
WHO: Don Blankenship - Chairman and CEO, Massey Energy Co.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. - President, Waterkeeper Alliance
Dr. Edwin H. Welch - President, University of Charleston, event moderator
WHERE: University of Charleston's Geary Auditorium; live remote broadcast in Eddie King Gymnasium
If you want to attend in person, the tickets for the auditorium are "sold out" (they were never available for sale to the public), but free admission is available for the remote broadcast in the Eddie King Gymnasium.
The Forum has generated considerable interest and demand for tickets has exceeded the auditorium capacity. Event organizers will distribute tickets in advance, and no additional seats will be available. For all others, the forum will be broadcast live in Eddie King Gymnasium on the university's campus.
To accommodate television coverage, the University of Charleston requests that the audience be seated prior to 6:15 p.m. Those holding tickets will be seated in their respective sections, on a first-come, first-served basis, with early arrivals seated at the front. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. and entry into the event will be through the Keenan lot entrance of Riggleman Hall only.
All interested parties are invited to submit questions for the participants in advance. Dr. Welch, as moderator, will ask the participants a balance of representative, challenging questions chosen from those submitted.
There's a lot of national interest in the debate and the fact that it is happening at all is significant. It is one more sign that folks are starting to take planning for West Virginia's post-carbon future a little more seriously.
- An appeal is being filed by the West Virginia Labor History Association over the removal of Blair Mountain from the National Register of Historic Places.
- The Times Herald-Record, of New York's Hudson River Valley, profiled Mat Louis-Rosenberg of Coal River Mountain Watch.
"Mountaintop removal is the worst manmade catastrophe in the nation's history," he said. "It's also an economic catastrophe for West Virginia. The coal industry, while promising prosperity to the state, has devastated communities across the state."
Blankenship was feeling shy:
Blankenship declined comment on the "Rolling Stone" article and on accusations of violating the Clean Water Act. He also declined comment on accusations that mountaintop mining affects the health of the Appalachian people.
- When Don's feeling more talkative, he often says mountaintop removal is necessary to ward off competition from overseas. He might want to look into these guys at Massey Energy, who just signed a deal with Delhi, India-based Jindal Steel & Power for coal projects in India, Mongolia, Australia and the United States.
-The rightwing Charleston Daily Mail tells us that changes for the black lung benefits program that Senator Byrd put in the Senate health care bill are a "job killer."
How do we know?
"Experts" say, according to the Daily Mail - Experts like Steve Roberts of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, who, coincidentally, wanted Byrd to hold the health care bill hostage unless the coal owners' demands were met.
Some fine stenography by the Daily Mail's business editor, George Hohmann.
- And speaking of Daily Mail hacks, just wanted to point out that we're two weeks out and Don Surber has yet to offer even a remotely substantive rebuttal to Ken Ward's post that obliterated the crap Don was inserting into DM editorials.
- Republican Senator James Inhofe has a distinguished career as a total shill for corporate America. Whether its pushing for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or comparing the world's scientific community to the Third Reich, he's worked hard to be the go-to guy for polluters... and He's quite proud of it. ...so it was only a matter of time until he came out solidly in favor of the destruction of the Appalachian Mountains.
It's a new year, the holidays are over and the coal barons and their allies have launched a new offensive of misinformation.
Citizen activists and environmentalists achieved true momentum in 2009, and the coal companies see a threat to their goal of continuing to treat West Virginia like a third world country.
As part of their effort to regain ground in 2010, Massey Energy has started running a series of new attack ads on TV that flash Al Gore's image at you and demonize environmentalists as "tree-hugging extremists," though Kevin Grandia at Huffington Post made short work of their misleading claims that Massey is "fighting hard for Appalachian jobs:"
It is a strange world indeed when standing up for "what's right" means cutting employee wages, stuffing the CEO's coffers with more cash and dumping toxic pollution into freshwater streams.
Meanwhile, Massey CEO Don Blankenship has decided to quit whining on Twitter about how the Gazette won't turn its opinion page over to him and sent in a response to a critical letter by Tom Burger. He's probably a bit peeved about having to follow a set of rules this time, though.
- Speaking at Massey's Christmas extravaganza Saturday, Don Blankenship got into the holiday spirit by referring to Senator Byrd as "naive" and said EPA stand for 'Equal Poverty for All."
-Steve Roberts of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce can't understand why our senators think it's "beyond foolish" to hold health care reform hostage for the coal barons.
- Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, gives an excellent rebuttal to Don Blankenship's latest load of B.S.
While it baffles me that flat-Earthers like Blankenship still exist, my response to the last few deniers is simple.
If you don't believe in the science, that's your problem. But the need for America to generate jobs and strengthen our national security is paramount, and clean energy is the fastest way to achieve that.
Mark your calendars this ought to be a good one. In an article today in the Charleston Gazette by Davin White, Robert Kennedy Jr will be debating Don Blankenship on the future of energy. This will take place on January 21st, 2010 at the University of Charleston. You can read the short piece by clicking here.
UC President Ed Welch said he looks forward to having the pair debate issues such as mountaintop removal and climate change.
Really, Mr Hubbard? "Sixty percent"? Why not just go ahead and claim that the coal extraction industry altogether accounts for 120 percent of West Virginia's economy?
Which is practically what he did, when in the same article he also stated,
"With each mining job, there are eight more jobs created. This means there are 112,000 West Virginia residents going to work, every day. From the doctors and schoolteachers, right along with the cashier at Kentucky Fried Chicken taking your order, all these jobs are a direct result of West Virginia coal."
When I read that, I fought off the sudden urge to light bituminous and pine-scented incense in front of the tiny carved coal owl figurine my father bought for me at a bait, tackle and souvenir stand near White Sulfur Springs back in the fifties. I still treasure the bamboo fly rod he purchased for our camping/ fishing trip as well. Anyway Carl Hubbard almost had me believing that the tiny statuette proves beyond all doubt that coal operators are entirely responsible for West Virginia's burgeoning tourist industry. Almost.
Speaking of birds, Hubbard's mention of the Colonel's Original Recipe® reminded that during our father-son fishing trips, my dad insisted that he cook every meal. But that'd be dangerous today, because the Department of Health and Human Resources has since posted cautions against eating fish caught in any WV streams.
I've never savored any meal more than the fresh trout cooked over campfires that I proudly built as a young lad. It could have been due to the pure air, sunshine, and wading in the cold Greenbrier whetting my appetite, rather than my father's skill at cooking over an open fire.
Anyway, Hubbard is dead right about doctors making a killing thanks to the coal industry. West Virginia's entire medical profession is urgently needed to treat coalfield children for cancer and other serious health problems. It's almost as if he's proud that his industry has leaking coal waste from impoundments and toxic slurry injection sites all across our rural coal fields. He's boasting that doctors are cashing in from the lead, mercury, arsenic, selenium and other metals caused by his industry. Although the thought of that made me a little nauseous, his suggestion that teachers owe him a debt of gratitude is what inspired me to "bake" the digital pie chart below.
It was either sheer gall or pure ignorance that Hubbard displayed when he implied that teachers should be grateful, after a coalition of coal patch legislators kept the Recht Decision mandate unfunded for over a decade. But that really doesn't matter. At that point Hubbard's hype actually escalated into pure hypocrisy because Mingo's school district (where Hubbard's own coal-related business is located) bankrupted and was taken over by the State TWICE due to local underfunding. What's most despicable is that Mingo's operators were raking in record profits from the amount of coal they were extracting per man-hour during that same period of time.
Below the jump is the paradigm used to support the use of data in my chart above.
From Ken Ward's post on Friday, we find out that Governor Manchin will be hosting a closed-to-the-public meeting on the coal industry this week with members of West Virginia's congressional delegation.
Some of those invited: Don Blankenship, Ben Hatfield of International Coal Group, Brett Harvey of CONSOL, lobbyists from the West Virginia Coal Association, Randy Huffman and some southern county commissioners (which I assume includes Logan County's Boss Kirkendoll).
If they're not careful, this thing could end up looking like one of those old "Batman" episodes, where all the villains get together and make plans in an underground lair.
Ward reports that the environmental side is, to no one's surprise, completely shut out:
Nobody on the list like Michael Hendryx, the WVU professor whose research shows that coal costs Appalachia more than it provides in economic benefits, or from the Sierra Club, which published a report showing that limits on mountaintop removal aren't the end of the world for the state's economy.
Despite Manchin's claim last month that his door is always open, don't hold your breath waiting on him to give grassroots activists even a fraction of the time he's granting to the monied interests.
---
Meanwhile, Senator Rockefeller, like most who employ slogans like "standing up for coal," can't bring himself to utter the term "mountaintop removal" in his lengthy op-ed, which was published in a number of W.Va. papers this weekend.
But he's still shocked people have a problem with the practice:
At the federal level, coal emissions are facing direct mandatory EPA regulation, as decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007, and there are a disturbing number of Republicans and Democrats in Congress who oppose surface mining altogether.
Maybe he does have a crew of elected politicians in W.Va. willing to help him stir up a panic over a non-existent crisis regarding MTR permits.
And maybe he does have 95% of the the print and broadcast media who will quote him without any effort of independent fact-checking - such as when he made the seemingly pulled-from-his-behind claim that "more than 75,000" attended Don-a-pollute-za.
But there's still that darn Charleston Gazette, where they insist on pesky things, such as actual journalists like Ken Ward.
And some basic rules for their opinion page.
Oh sure, they may print the guest columns of his underlings - homophobic slurs, factual errors and all. But that's not enough.
They won't change the rules of the paper and make an exception for Don when he gets criticized.
On his always unintentionally-hilarious Twitter feed, he's in a full-blown fit this week:
# Charleston Gazette trying to censor me on Global Warming views.12:12 PM Nov 3rd from web
# Gazette editor Jim Haught advised today that I will only be allowed 1 letter every 30 days12:17 PM Nov 3rd from web
# Haught will not allow me to respond to numerous letters attacking me.12:25 PM Nov 3rd from web
In The Coalfield Don's world, the fact that he's asked to follow any rules - whether it's regarding newspaper policy or environmental standards - makes him a perpetual victim.
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