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"The WVGOP -- Say What You Want, But We're Never Boring!"
The Republican Gazette is owned, operated, written and edited by Gary Abernathy, and does not represent the views of any other person or organization, except for guest commentary signed by other contributors.
MONDAY JANUARY 26, 2009
SHERMAN DAVIDSON
Davidson takes over GOP in Taylor Co.
as Elder steps aside
Paul Elder, GOP chairman in Taylor County for the past six years, resigned the position last week, turning over the reigns to Sherman Davidson, who has been serving as Vice Chair and Secretary of the committee.In his letter of resignation, Elder said he believes "we have achieved positive results in electing Republicans to elective offices and building our registration base." Elder also specifically thanked his successor for his work in recent years, noting that Davidson would assume the chairmanship. Elder's letter, dated January 20th, was copied to Davidson and to state GOP Chairman Doug McKinney.
Davidson expressed his appreciation for Elder's service, and said Elder would continue to serve on the committee. Davidson also announced plans for an early February dinner celebrating Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, with details to be announced soon. Taylor County's annual Lincoln Day Dinner will be at the Taylor County Senior Center, March 28, beginning at 5 p.m. Former Secretary of State Betty Ireland will be the featured speaker. New WVGOP Think Tank growing, more contributions welcome
The new West Virginia Republican Party Think Tank website continues to expand with new articles from state Republicans and new profiles added to the Speakers Bureau portion of the site.The WVGOP Think Tank is dedicated to gathering and sharing the ideas and visions of Republicans across the state as the party works to develop a plan for victory in 2010 and beyond. The Think Tank is an evolving entity that will be consistently updated with new submissions. It is dedicated to including the thoughts and ideas of all Republicans who wish to participate. Recently posted articles are from Angie Adams, chair of the Wirt County GOP, and Eddie Meredith, a member of the Wayne County GOP executive committee.The unreported story of Harman v. Massey reveals much
News reports would have you believe that only Don Blankenship tried to influence the 2004 election, but finance reports show that Hugh Caperton and his lawyers were among those funding the campaign to defeat Brent Benjamin
Everyone has read countless news reports about how Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship spent $3 million or so to affect the outcome of the 2004 West Virginia Supreme Court race. But what is almost never reported is how much was spent on the other side of that campaign, including by Harman Mining owner Hugh Caperton and his attorneys, who collectively gave $60,000 toward the $2.4 million spent by the group that campaigned to defeat Brent Benjamin and reelect Warren McGraw.According to records compiled by the website www.campaignmoney.com, West Virginia Consumers for Justice spent $2.4 million in 2004 in support of incumbent Justice McGraw and against challenger Benjamin. So, spending on both sides of the campaign was relatively even, especially when you consider the fact that the McGraw campaign heavily outspent the Benjamin campaign.But some of the contributors to Consumers for Justice are as interesting as how much the group spent. The bulk of its contributions -- more than $2.2 million -- came from something called Consumer Attorneys of West Virginia. Contributing under that group name protected trial lawyers across the state from having their actual names listed on a report, as well as anyone else who gave, which conceivably could include companies or individuals both in state or out of state. But there are some individual names broken out with their contributions to Consumers for Justice. Among them are none other than Caperton himself, the owner of Harman Mining, who is now complaining about Benjamin's refusal to recuse himself from the Harman-Massey case. According to records, Caperton donated $20,000 to Consumers for Justice. Also, Caperton's lawyer, Bruce E. Stanley -- who infamously came up with the Monaco vacation photos of Blankenship and former Justice Spike Maynard -- contributed $10,000 to Consumers for Justice, and another law firm handling the Caperton case, Buchanan Ingersoll, gave $30,000.And while United Mine Workers of America boss Cecil Roberts is busy complaining now about an Alabama attorney general trying to build support for friend of the court briefs urging the U.S. Supreme Court to stay out of recusal issues, the fact is labor unions were heavily invested in propping up Consumers for Justice back in 2004. According to records, various union groups gave more than $30,000 to defeat Benjamin and reelect McGraw, including at least $5,000 each from the United Mine Workers, American Federation of Teachers, and West Virginia State Building Trades/ACT Foundation.So, the very individuals complaining that Benjamin should recuse himself from cases involving Massey Energy because of money spent by Blankenship on Benjamin's behalf are themselves guilty of trying to "buy a seat on the court" through their own contributions to Consumers for Justice.Cecil Roberts, the UMW chief, released a statement Friday weighing in on the whole Harman-Massey-Blankenship-Benjamin controversy, and in so doing revealed that ignoring the obvious can actually carry you a long way. Roberts' complaint, as reported Saturday by The Charleston Gazette, is that, "The intervention of Alabama Attorney General Troy King into the appeal of the Harman Mining v. Massey Energy case before the U.S. Supreme Court is an outrageous intrusion into the case and makes one wonder just what Mr. King is trying to do."Roberts is upset that Attorney General King is on Massey's side, urging the U.S. Supreme Court not to intervene in how each state handles recusal issues. But his complaint that "the intervention" is "an outrageous intrusion into the case" completely ignores the fact that lawyers for Harman have been piling up friend of the court briefs on their side of the case faster than trial lawyers chase ambulances. Isn't their "intervention" an "outrageous instrusion?" Of course not.So, it's ok that everyone from the American Bar Association, the Washington Appellate Lawyers Association, the Campaign Legal Center & Reform Institute at New York University's Brennan Center for Justice, the Committee on Economic Development, to Pepsi and Wal-mart have weighed in on Harman's side, but how dare anyone support the Massey side of the case.What all this goes to show is that since one "527" group, "And For The Sake Of The Kids," defeated another "527" group, "Consumers for Justice" -- even though both sides spent roughly the same amount of money -- Benjamin is somehow tainted by the winning side, but McGraw would have been pure as the driven snow had Consumers for Justice prevailed. Of course, missing from all this is any inference that the Harman-Massey case was wrongly decided based on law. In fact, there is no allegation of legal error whatsoever -- only that Benjamin heard the case, agreeing with two other justices (actually three, since it was heard a second time after Maynard recused himself) as to the decision rendered. The entire effort to involve the U.S. Supreme Court in this issue is nothing more than the 2004 West Virginia Supreme Court race continuing to this day, long after November 2004, with those on the losing side still refusing to concede defeat. This appeal has nothing to do with justice, only with politics.Consumers for Justice
contribution list
Those contributing in 2004 to Consumers for Justice in an effort to defeat Brent Benjamin are among those complaining now about Benjamin refusing to recuse himself from the Harman v. Massey case. American Federation of Teachers $5,000
Bruce E Stanley
$10,000
Buchanan Ingersoll LLP
$30,000
Consumer Attorneys of West Virginia
$2,287,000
CWA - COPE
$5,000
CWA Local 2055
$250
CWA-COPE
$5,000
Hugh M Caperton
$20,000
Jim Bowen
$400
Region 8 UAW Community Action Program Fund
$5,000
Smith, Cochran and Hicks
$1,000
Stanley M Hostler
$5,000
The Grubb Law Group
$4,000
Thomas W Rodd
$500
United Mine Workers of America
$5,000
West Virginia AFL-CIO
$2,200
West Virginia State Building Trades/ACT Foundation
$5,000
West Virginia State Bulding Trades/ACT Foundation
$2,500
WV State Building Trades
$200
TUESDAY JANUARY 27, 2009
Why was Tennant at 'Progressive Dem' meeting in Flatwoods?
NATALIE TENNANT
New Secretary of State has hired the group's leader as the new Elections Division Manager; he called McCain a liar, complained about Manchin
There were some who were surprised to read that West Virginia's new Secretary of State, Natalie Tennant, was among the handful of attendees at a meeting of Progressive Democrats of America, West Virginia (PDAWV) held in Flatwoods over the weekend. Among the other attendees were Sen. Dan Foster and Delegates Carrie Webster, Bonnie Brown, Bobbie Hatfield, and Barbara Fleischauer -- a who's who of the most leftwing members of the State Legislature.
But Tennant's attendance really comes as no surprise, given that she hired the group's State Coordinator, Dave Nichols, as her office's new Elections Division Manager, which would have been like Betty Ireland hiring the most partisan Republican you can name to hold that position. (Instead, Ireland kept Jason Williams in that post, who had been assistant manager under Joe Manchin).Nichols just resigned his post with PDAWV a week or so ago, writing on the West Virginia Blue website, "After the 2008 General Election I was contacted by Secretary of State-elect Natalie Tennant and asked to be the Elections Division Manager once she takes office January 19th. I have accepted that offer and very much look forward to serving the people of West Virginia in that capacity."Nichols added, "It would also be inappropriate for me to continue to post here on WVaBlue. I will now be a spokesperson for the Secretary of State's office and my continued rantings here would be confused with official positions of the office, so I will no longer be posting here, but will, of course, continue to read." What were some of Nichols' previous "rantings?" Well, he's not very fond of most of his fellow West Virginia Democrats, and he really doesn't care for Gov. Joe Manchin. Back in October, "dave@pdwv.org" responded to complaints about Manchin by writing, "This is EXACTLY what the Progressive Democrats of WV are working toward. Currently we are a small but growing group with growing respectability within the party. I encourage anyone who feels disaffected by the Democratic Party (and isn't that way because they're republican) to contact me and find out how you can help make the State Party and elected officials a more progressive bunch." Another posted comment under the name "PDAWV" apparently refers to a John McCain appearance: "I was impressed that my 8- and 9-year-olds were asking policy questions. My 9-year-old even called McCain a liar at one point, and she was absolutely right. I love indoctrinating early."So, while Republicans have obvious reasons to be seriously concerned about the level of fairness that might emerge from the new regime at SOS, a lot of Manchin-styled Democrats might have just as much cause for concern. (I will give Nichols credit for one thing -- at least he blogged rather openly, making it pretty clear who was doing the ranting.)The official PDAWV blog -- which still lists Nichols as its State Coordinator -- also contains additional fair and balanced commentary from Nichols, including this one: "That John McCain...he just always finds some way to take care of the small things. The good news is that he doesn't have to waste time on all this. He and Palin can quickly get back the job at hand: lying to the American public."Here's to fair and clean elections in West Virginia, coming soon.Roberts' issue with Benjamin rooted in bankruptcy
In court filing, UMWA explained that the Massey judgment is needed to fund pensions
When Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers of America, suddenly jumped into the Harman v. Massey court case last week, he said it was because "no state justice or judge, sitting on any court in any state, should be able to rule on a case that impacts a major contributor to that judge's election campaign. That should be the law of the land, whether it be West Virginia, Alabama or anywhere else."But in a "statement of interest" filed last year with the West Virginia Supreme Court, Roberts' UMWA was more forthcoming about the union's real interest in the case."Harman Mining Corporation had hundreds of retirees.... The Harman employees and retirees, the UMWA, and theUMWA Health and Retirement Funds are among the largest creditors in the Harman bankruptcy cases, with combined claims exceeding $15.8 million," according to the filing.
So what does that have to do with the Harman v. Massey case? The UMWA answered that, saying, "The claim against Massey in this litigation has been the principal asset of the Harman bankruptcy estates from the outset. Reversal of the judgment of the Circuit Court defunds the bankruptcy plan, and leaves the creditors [i.e., the UMWA] with nothing."Now we begin to see why the UMWA is so interested in what happens in the Harman-Massey case, and in trashing Brent Benjamin and anyone who would side with him. This is not about how the case was decided, but about a "re-do" with a court of preferred judges. This is not about due process. It is about wanting favorable results.Up, up, and away...
Manchin's need for speed adding up for West Virginians
CESSNA GRAND CARAVAN
Gov. Joe Manchin's plans to trade in the Cessna Grand Caravan he spent taxpayer money on as recently as 2005 is another example of a governor who indeed believes he is Teflon.As reported Monday by Charleston Gazette columnist Phil Kabler, Manchin is preparing to trade in the '05 Grand Caravan for an '09 model, just because the newer model has an upgraded de-icing system -- a system that could be installed on the current plane, by the way. In airplane years, the '05 model is basically brand new. Airplanes that are 20 or even 30 years old are routinely sold for prices not far below newer models. The gov just wants a new toy, being bored already with the old one (no doubt a reflection of his overall boredom with the job in general), and it represents a decision based on no reasonable need, just greed.A news story back in September 2005 in the Sioux Falls (South Dakota) Argus Leader regarding a controversy involving that state's governor's love of flying mentioned Manchin, saying: In West Virginia, Democrat Joe Manchin is an aviation buff who plans to train to help fly the state's Cessna Grand Caravan, recently purchased for $2 million. His intentions don't sit well with some legislators and voters."It's already an issue, and he's not even in the front cockpit yet," said Keith Wood, the state's aviation director. "We've heard numerous people express their concern, saying they voted for him to be a governor, not a pilot."Manchin likes to fly. He tends to get upset when he can't fly, as former Gazette columnist Fanny Seiler reported back in this April 28, 1996 column item when Manchin was running in the gubernatorial primary:Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sen. Joe Manchin III got upset and spouted off in the lobby of KCI Aviation at the Benedum Airport in Clarksburg Friday a week ago when his small single-engine Piper Sarasota airplane was late and he couldn't fly out on schedule. Manchin hangars the plane at KCI Aviation. A source said Milan Puskar, chairman of Mylan Laboratories, had sent two of his pilots to the airport to fly Manchin's plane for him that day. Puskar furnishes pilots sometimes for Manchin's plane, the source observed.Manchin reportedly said he was flying himself, that he was running the show, but apparently he wasn't and someone else was doing it for him. The pilots responded that they worked for Puskar and were doing what they were told, the source said. They got in their car and went home, and Manchin flew himself. Because the plane was late, Manchin was late for his appointments. The outburst occurred in front of a group of college students and customers of KCI.Puskar is one of Manchin's biggest fund-raisers, having co-sponsored the first fund-raiser on Dec. 7, 1994, that raised about $400,000. Manchin said he doesn't use Puskar's airplanes. Mylan Laboratories owns several jets that are hangared at the Morgantown airport, the source said.Maybe it's a good thing the state has as many airplanes and helicopters as possible at Manchin's disposal. We need to keep the governor calm.RNC chair race coming to conclusion Friday
The Republican National Committee’s 2009 Winter Meeting, themed “Republican For A Reason,” will take place Wednesday, January 28 through Saturday, January 31 at the Capital Hilton. The highlight of the session is the Friday election of officers, where RNC members will decide on who will be the chairman for the next two years.An update by Hotline says the RNC's "168 members - who will vote by secret ballot during this week's three-day meeting at the Capital Hilton - must weigh who will best boost the party's national image with who might better handle the critical substantive tasks of growing its technology operation and helping to pitch a forward-looking policy agenda." Read the full Hotline report here, with a quote from West Virginia national committeewoman Donna Gosney.THURSDAY JANUARY 29, 2009
YR meeting Feb. 23 in Huntington
The West Virginia Federation of Young Republicans will meet Monday, Feb. 23, in Huntington.The meeting will be held at 7p.m. at the Marshall University Hall of Fame Cafe, 3rd Ave., Huntington, across from Pullman Square.YR Chair Ashley Stinnett said the meeting agenda will include the election of officers. WV Dem exec director Vogel leaving
Well, one down and just a few more to go.Tom Vogel, executive director of the West Virginia Democratic Executive Committee, announced Tuesday that he will be leaving the position on March 31 to pursue other opportunities. Media speculation is that Vogel will likely end up working for Barack Obama or the national party on campaign related activities.But Democratic Party Chair Nick Casey, in a press release, didn't sound too certain what Vogel would be doing next, saying, “Whatever Tom decides to do in the future, I’m sure he will continue to produce positive results. We wish Tom all the best.” Casey said he will be announcing his pick for Vogel’s replacement in the coming days, apparently believing he has the authority to make that decision.McKinney at RNC meeting in D.C.
West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Doug McKinney is in Washington D.C. today and tomorrow for the winter meeting of the Republican National Committee, where the election of new officers will take place, including the selection of the RNC chairman for the next two years.In addition to current chair Mike Duncan, candidates include former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, South Carolina GOP chairman Katon Dawson, Michigan GOP chairman Saul Anuzis and former Tennessee GOP chairman Chip Saltsman.West Virginia national committee members Jim Reed and Donna Gosney are also attending this week's meeting.Obama's honeymoon over already as GOP says no to massive 'stimulus' package
Throughout history, presidents who manage to win landslide or even comfortable victories enjoy a few months when even the opposition party feels compelled to go along with the new president's agenda, even if there are strong disagreements.But for Barack Obama, that apparently will not be the case, as Republicans in the House of Representatives unanimously voted against his $800 billion "economic stimulus" plan.The bill passed, but only with 
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO
Joined fellow Republicans in opposing Obama bill
overwhelming support from the Democrat caucus, who saw only eleven of its members oppose the legislation.
Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito told MetroNews on Wednesday that while she supported parts of the bill that dealt with tax relief, infrastructure and clean coal technology, "That's only a small part when you look at the other bloated new programs and the extended spending and the other, I think, wish list items that are tacked onto this bill. I just can't vote for it." Neither could any other Republican in an astounding display of unity rarely seen by the GOP caucus in recent years.In a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Capito and other Republicans also said, "In addition to questioning the economic stimulus nature of this bill, we are concerned that this bill opens the door for groups like the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now to have access to billions of taxpayer dollars." ACORN, a favorite tool of the Democrats, is at the center of allegations of voter registration fraud in several states.The letter also said, "The stated goal of this legislation is to provide immediate stimulus to our ailing economy. It is, therefore, imperative that this legislation target funds to programs and organizations which offer the maximum immediate economic stimulus."The state's other two members of Congress, Nick Joe Rahall and Alan Mollohan, both supported the bill. YR chairman Stinnett says stimulus bill bad legislation for America
(Press Release) Wednesday evening, the US House of Representatives passed an appropriations bill termed as a Stimulus Package to the tune of $819 billion dollars. "The Democrats on Capitol Hill who voted for this bill should explain to the American people how spending money on things like STD prevention, computers, upgrades to offices, etc will help the American people get jobs,” said Ashley Stinnett, Chairman of the West Virginia Young Republicans. “The overwhelming majority of Americans do not realize what all was in this bill that will be so bad for this nation.”Even if the debt created will be paid on time, the additional interest alone will surpass $300 billion dollars - twice the amount spent on the war on Iraq. “This is not a stimulus package, it’s a pork laden bill that amounts to nothing but a huge government expansion at the cost of taxpayers across America,” said Gary Abernathy, Executive Director of the West Virginia Republican Party. “It should be noted that not one Republican in the US House voted for this bill, and its negative effects on the US economy are placed squarely on the Democrats’ shoulders,” said Stinnett. “How can future generations be expected to succeed if they are being burdened by irresponsible government spending today?”The Young Republicans is the oldest youth political organization in the nation. Those interested in joining can email: acscj1980@aol.com. FRIDAY JANUARY 30, 2009
Democrat shake-ups continue; Manchin's staffers out
A week of major shake-ups continued Thursday within the Democrat Party, with the announcement that three key staff members were leaving Gov. Joe Manchin's office.First, state Dem chair Nick Casey announced the departure of his party's executive director, Tom Vogel. Casey moved quickly on Thursday to fill the post with Derek Scarbro, a young man but a veteran at the state party level with more than five years of experience there.Then on Thursday, the governor's office announced the impending departure of general counsel Carte Goodwin, the June 30 departure of policy director Lara Ramsburg, and the Jan. 31 retirement of deputy chief of staff Joe Martin.Manchin tried to put the best face on the departures, saying in a statement, "Given the demands and pressures of their positions, it is rare for talented people like them to remain in public service as long as they have," but particularly in Ramsburg's case, the sudden announcement comes as a surprise. Ramsburg served Manchin as communications director since his days in the Secretary of State's office, and after the recent election she was promoted to the position of policy director, so her departure is particularly surprising.
Goodwin, of course, is the son of Steve Goodwin, who was primarily responsible for Mike Garrison being named president of West Virginia University. Carte Goodwin's aunt, Kay Goodwin, is Manchin's secretary of education and serves on the Higher Education Policy Commission, which formally approved Garrison's appointment to the job.Goodwin and Goodwin, the former law firm of Carte Goodwin, had worked as a consultant for DuPont on the so-called Spelter case, in which Manchin later filed a friend of the court brief asking the court to reconsider a $382 million circuit court verdict against DuPont over a chemical spill. 
WVPBS: Mojo would control stimulus $
West Virginia Public Broadcasting reported Thursday that Gov. Joe Manchin would have virtual carte blanche in deciding how to spend millions of dollars in "stimulus" spending if the package passes the U.S. Congress.The news outlet asked me for a comment, and you can read and hear the entire report here. In essence, it would boil down to giving the governor control over taxpayer dollars in a political ploy that would make the old Budget Digest seem modest and accountable by comparison.WV Record follows up Caperton issue
The West Virginia Record followed up this week on the Republican Gazette's report (Monday edition, below) on Harman Mining owner Hugh Caperton and his attorneys providing funding back in 2004 for "Consumers for Justice," which spent $2.4 million to try to reelect Warren McGraw and defeat Brent Benjamin in the Supreme Court race. Blair makes waves with call for drug testing of those on public assistance
CRAIG BLAIR
Del. Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, shook things up this week by announcing his intention to introduce a bill requiring drug testing for anyone receiving welfare, food stamps or jobless benefits.Blair told the Beckley Register Herald, “If you go out here and want a good job, most of the time, we have to sign off and say, ‘Hey, it’s OK, I submit to random drug testing on the job. That’s part of the deal you make whenever you get a job. It’s sort of crazy, in my opinion, and I think in the general public’s opinion, when they’re on the dole with the state, we’re subsidizing their income one way or another, that they don’t have to submit to the same thing.”
WOWK-TV also did a story on Blair's idea, reporting that Speaker Rick Thompson and the Department of Health and Human Services refused to comment on the proposal. EP lawmakers visit Virginia Capitol
Delegates Craig Blair, John Overington and Walter Duke, along with former Delegate Locke Wysong, visited the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on Wednesday, and at one point joked with the Virginia Speaker of the House about that state taking West Virginia back into its fold, according to attendees. The Journal did a preview, although Del. Jonathan Miller, mentioned in the story, did not make the trip due to illness.Roll Call nails Mollohan for suspicious tech park relationships
The Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call on Thursday published a lengthy investigative piece on Congressman Alan Mollohan headlined, "Six Degrees of Alan Mollohan," reporting that at one fundraiser alone, "at least $100,000 came from individuals tied to companies that have addresses in the office park built around the Alan B. Mollohan Innovation Center and operated by the West Virginia High Technology Cooperative, a foundation that Mollohan helped create."Mollohan's shell game of funneling tax dollars to companies and organizations in his district, then reaping campaign dollarsfrom individuals who benefit from the pork he directs their way, has been probed before, but the Roll Call article uncovers new information and reports, "The list of tenants in the office park reads like a who’s who of Mollohan campaign donors... a dozen or so individuals and companies that support Mollohan’s campaigns, his local booster organizations and the Robert H. Mollohan Family Charitable Foundation Inc."
On Hoppy Kercheval's show Thursday, Mollohan defended himself, but you have to get to the last two minutes of an 11-minute segment.
State GOP chair Doug McKinney poses with Michael Steele during Steele's visit to Charleston on Dec. 22, where McKinney pledged to support Steele for RNC chairman.
McKinney congratulates Steele on win
WVGOP chair supported new RNC leader from first ballot
(Press Release) Doug McKinney, chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party, today congratulated Michael Steele on becoming the new chairman of the Republican National Committee.Steele won the election after voting was completed on the sixth ballot. McKinney supported Steele from the first ballot. The state GOP chair had personally pledged his vote to Steele when the former lieutenant governor of Maryland visited McKinney and national committee members Jim Reed and Donna Gosney in Charleston several weeks ago.
“Michael Steele is a charismatic leader who will effectively articulate the Republican message and lead our resurgence across the nation,” said McKinney.Steele was a special guest speaker at the WVGOP’s summer convention in Flatwoods last year. He has pledged to help McKinney build the West Virginia party and make sure it has the tools it needs to win victories in 2010 and beyond.Steele said he looks forward to working with Republicans to deliver the GOP message to every state. “Get ready to work. We’re back in the game,” said Steele.FROM LATE FRIDAY
MONDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2009
New RNC Chair Michael Steele on Fox News
Steele's election triumph of desire for new direction over proven experience
The victory by Michael Steele in the Republican National Committee race signaled the triumph of the desire for a new direction and clean break from the Bush administration over the proven experience of incumbent Mike Duncan.Without a doubt, Duncan was the most qualified individual in the race for RNC chairman. Aside from his recent stint as RNC chair, Duncan has been a member of the RNC committee for 17 years, having also served as the organization's treasurer and general counsel. No one knows the ins and outs of the Republican Party like Mike Duncan. He is universally respected as a class act and the best nuts and bolts chair in recent history.But Duncan was personally tapped two years ago to head the RNC by President Bush, and it is that connection that ultimately doomed him. As much as John McCain and countless Republican candidates across the nation were victims of the Wall Street collapse and ensuing financial bail-outs, Duncan was perhaps the final GOP casualty of the disappointing last few months of the Bush administration. By electing Michael Steele, the party has turned to someone with proven communication skills and who rather openly began criticizing President Bush a couple of years ago. While the media is focusing largely on the fact that he is an African American, the fact is Steele has long been respected as an articulate party leader who is a rising star, and likely would have won the RNC chair position even if it had been Hillary Clinton and not Barack Obama elected president.An expert on political strategy, fund-raising, PACs, and election reform, Steele served as Chairman of GOPAC. He has served on the National Federal Election Reform Commission and the NAACP Blue Ribbon Commission on Election Reform. Born in 1958 at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George’s County, Maryland, Steele was raised in Washington, DC. He spent three years as a seminarian in the Order of St. Augustine in preparation for the priesthood, but, ultimately, chose a career in law instead.Kanawha GOP holding press conference this morning to announce LD speaker
The Kanawha County Republican Executive Committee is holding a press conference at 10 a.m. today at the Charleston Civic Center to announce its speaker for its upcoming Lincoln Day Dinner. More details after the big announcement.Palin upstages Obama at event
SARAH PALIN
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin reportedly upstaged President Barack Obama at the Alfalfa Club dinner Saturday night, a traditional gathering of America's political movers and shakers held in Washington D.C.The dinner was closed to the press, per tradition, but news leaks reported that "Palin was the object of jovial ribbing, on the heels of her breakthrough last year as the first woman on a Republican Party presidential ticket."
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2009
J.C. Watts to be speaker Feb. 24 at Kanawha LD fete
J.C. WATTS
(Press Release) The Kanawha County Republican Executive Committee (KCREC) announced Monday that former United States Congressman J.C. Watts will be the keynote speaker at the 2009 Kanawha County Lincoln Day Dinner on February 24th.Fred Joseph, Event Chairman, was excited to be able to offer Mr. Watts' insight to West Virginians. "Congressman Watts made a strong statement during his tenure in congress about the virtues of holding true to the Republican values." he states. "Those very same values are what guides most West Virginians today, and we are honored that he has accepted our invitation."
Watts was elected to the U.S. Congress from Oklahoma in 1994. In 1998, he was elected to serve as chairman of the Republican Conference, the fourth-ranking leadership position in the majority party in the U.S. House of Representatives, and a position once held by Dick Cheney, Jack Kemp and Gerald Ford. In this capacity, Watts provided daily counsel to the Speaker of the House, and participated in bi-weekly meetings with the President of the United States.The Lincoln day Dinner is a long standing tradition of the Republican Party of West Virginia. Each county holds one annually as directed by the bylaws. Melody Potter, Chairman of the KCREC is excited not only about Watts' appearance, but the direction and growth of the Republican Party in Kanawha County. Potter says "Over the last two years or so we have seen a swelling of commitment to the ideals of the Republican Party in Kanawha County, and along with it our membership is growing as well." Potter goes on to say, "J.C. Watts is a brilliant communicator in his ability to explain the message of the party. His upbringing in a small town, and his subsequent conservative values are things West Virginians can relate to." Watts served as honorary co-chair of the Republican National Convention in 2000, and is author of the book What Color Is A Conservative written from his unique perspective as a conservative Republican African-American.The Kanawha County Lincoln Day Dinner will be held on Tuesday, February 24th. Beginning at 6:30 pm at the Charleston Civic Center, the event is open to everyone regardless of political affiliation. Joseph adds, "The Republican Party has carried the Presidential election in the past three contests. That shows that our values are in line with our neighbors. We hope they will come on the 24th to see just how in line they are." For more information, contact Fred Joseph at 543-7495.McKinney thanks donors for strong fundraising month during January
(Press Release) The West Virginia Republican Party enjoyed an unusually strong fundraising month in January during what is typically a slow period, state GOP Chairman Doug McKinney announced Monday. “The first few months following a big election are typically slow months for fundraising. But we’re off to a strong start in the 2009-2010 election cycle,” said McKinney. “Even in this tough economy, Republicans across the state are stepping up to make sure their party is in a position to offer the support our candidates and grassroots activists deserve.”From Jan. 1-31 of this year, the party raised a total of nearly $19,000 from more than a hundred contributors, including more than $7,500 so far from the first phase of a new ongoing direct mail program. Aside from the direct mail results, the party also raised more than $11,000 from donors, including six contributors who gave amounts ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 each. A detailed report for January will be filed with the Federal Elections Commission by the Feb. 20 deadline. McKinney said the party ended the month with more than $26,000 cash on hand – up from about $19,000 on hand at the end of December. All debts and bills are paid. (Brief reports from WSAZ-TV and Metro News.)"There were a couple of months late last year that saw large transfers of money come our way from the Republican National Committee and the McCain campaign that added to our fundraising totals, along with in-kind donations. But in terms of individual contributions from grassroots donors in West Virginia, January was one of the top fundraising months we’ve had over the past year – an impressive accomplishment during such a slow season in terms of election activity.”Fundraising in January of last year was bolstered by the additional revenue from delegate registrations to the WVGOP’s presidential convention, resulting in more than $27,000 from individual donors, said McKinney. But since the presidential convention revenue, only two other months over the past 12 saw individual contributions in the neighborhood of money raised last month, including last March when the party raised $21,048.94 from individual donors, and September, when it netted $19,246, not including in-kind contributions or federal transfers from the RNC. Over most of the past year, the GOP raised amounts averaging roughly $8,000 per month. “Republicans across West Virginia are dedicated to making sure their party is strong and well positioned for the challenges ahead,” said McKinney. “I deeply appreciate their support, and I look forward to building our donor base and continuing our success in the coming months.” Whose interest is Harman lawyer really representing?
Same attorney handling Harman wanted Benjamin off Mountain State case -- even though the justice had already voted once in favor of his client
As various media outlets are reporting, Brent Benjamin on Friday temporarily recused himself from all Massey Energy cases pending a decision by the United States Supreme Court on Harman Mining's appeal of a Massey case, in which Harman is asking the nation's high court to overturn a decision on the grounds that Benjamin should have recused himself.The specific case on which Benjamin announced his recusal intentions is another pending Massey case, Central West Virginia Energy Company (CWVEC, a Massey subsidiary) v. Mountain State Carbon. David B. Fawcett is an attorney for Mountain State Carbon, and also one of the lead attorneys for Harman in the case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. Mountain State filed a motion asking for Benjamin to recuse himself from the Mountain State case -- in spite of the fact that Benjamin has previously ruled in favor of Mountain State, and against Massey Energy.As Benjamin himself pointed out in his Friday memo, "It is difficult to accept the premise of Mountain State's motion seeking disqualification that my impartiality might reasonably be questioned when I presided over the appellate panel which, by its unanimous vote, refused to accept for further review CWVEC's petition seeking appeal of Mountain State's and Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel's $200+million judgment over CWVEC and Massey Energy Company. Respectuflly, I do not believe any thoughtful, impartial and well-informed observer could possibly, much less reasonably, believe that I could vote against CWVEC's and Massey Energy Company's interests in a $200+million matter and not also be impartial in this injunction matter."
In other words, Benjamin seems to be saying to Fawcett, geesh, I've already proven myself to be on your client's side once; why would you want me off the case this time?Is Fawcett representing the best interests of his client, Mountain State, by seeking the recusal of a judge who has already ruled in favor of his client? If you had a lawyer who was fighting to get rid of a judge who has already proven to be sympathetic to your side, would you keep that lawyer?Could this be a case of a lawyer so caught up in winning a point at the U.S. Supreme Court level that he's forgotten which client he's representing in which case today? In deciding to recuse himself temporarily from Massey cases, Benjamin continued pointing out that the campaign against him is a political one, rather than one based on sound legal reasoning, writing, "The shifting sands of subjective perceptions and the potential for manipulations of appearances for a system aimed at disqualifications of judges based on 'apparent conflicts' should not, I believe, replace our current system in which justice is based on legal certainty, not political correctness. Politics is about perception. Justice is about the rule of law and objective facts."'Human Events' offers good recap of RNC race
John Gizzi of Human Events has a good behind the scenes recap of the Republican National Committee's chairman election, starting with a quote from WVGOP Chair Doug McKinney: “I voted for Michael Steele on all six ballots. That’s probably the only time in history someone from West Virginia ever voted for someone six times in one day and did it legally!”TUESDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2009
The Associated Press' Tom Breen writes about the West Virginia Republican Party's January fundraising, and the party's take on why Republicans are motivated for a comeback. 
Having
Fun
With
Mojo
So why is my staff bugging out on me?
Hey, kids! Mojo here! OK, so everyone is wondering why three of my long time staff members would suddenly up and leave! Me too! I mean, it's not like I'm hard to work for! All I ask is that everyone be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for whatever whim might strike me at the moment! Like just the other night around midnight, I had a strong yen to fly to Fairmont! So I called Carte to make sure it was legal, and I called Joe to call the airport, and I called Lara to ... well... just because I always call Lara, just to make sure she's not asleep or something! (I don't call Larry unless it's really important!) So Joe drove me to the airport, but doggonit, there was ice on the wings! So I told Joe, I said, Joe, we need a new airplane! So I called Carte to make sure it was legal, and I called Lara to figure out how to sell it to the press, and I called Joe, even though he was sitting right beside me! Then, next thing I know, Joe, Carte and Lara announce they're leaving! What the hey!?!? The West Virginia Center-Right Coalition holds regular monthly meetings and encourages individuals to attend and participate.. The meetings typically feature a speaker from the world of politics, business or education who discuss ways in which they are working to make the state a better place to live, work and raise a family. "If you are representing a group or organization, you are welcome to give a brief update on your group's activities," said organizer John Overington.. "You are also encouraged to bring any hand-outs you would like to share with the coalition. You will need approximately 25 copies."Space is limited and attendance will be held to the first 25 people who RSVP. "As always, our meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will end promptly at 9 pm. I hope you can attend the meetings of the Center-Right Coalition," said Overington.Center-Right meets regularly
McKinney working out date for visit by Steele
Michael Steele addresses attendees of the WVGOP state convention in Flatwoods last summer. Steele was elected new chairman of the RNC on Friday.
State GOP Chair Doug McKinney and new RNC Chair Michael Steele this week are discussing a date on which Steele will visit West Virginia as guest of honor at a fundraising event for the WVGOP. The event will likely occur in March or April.Steele was elected chairman of the national party last Friday, and said this week, “We’re going to bring this Party to every corner of the country and ask people to join us and work with us. By standing on our principles, we can expand and grow."McKinney was one of 46 out of 168 RNC members to vote for Steele on the first ballot, and stuck with him until Steele prevailed with 91 votes on the sixth ballot.A New York Times profile this week noted that, "With Mr. Steele, the Republican Party has turned to someone who is markedly different from his recent predecessors in style and temperament. He is brash and brawny, takes chances that occasionally get him in trouble, and clearly relishes the idea of being portrayed as the fighting counterpoint to President Obama and the Democratic Party. This is not someone who is going to be spending a lot of time talking about microtargeting and the other mechanical aspects of politics."THURSDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2009
BETTY IRELAND
Ireland joins noted management firm
(Press Release) Former West Virginia Secretary of State, Betty S. Ireland announced Wednesday her plans to join Performance Results Corporation, a Morgantown, W.Va. based management, business, and technical company providing services and solutions to both government and private industries. “I am excited for the opportunity to be part of a successful West Virginia based firm and begin a new phase in my career,” Ireland stated. Ireland was West Virginia’s 28th Secretary of State, and the first woman ever to be elected to the state’s executive branch of government. A Charleston native, Secretary Ireland is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, and has several years of experience in both the public and private sector.
Secretary Ireland will work with PRC to provide services including Ethics Training, Diversity Management, Executive Training, Speech Writing and Public Speaking Training, Image Building, and Executive Protocol/Etiquette to clients. “Secretary Ireland’s background, education and training will bring a strong combination of skills and services to PRC”, said Performance Results Corporation President Kathy Clinton, “and our client base will appreciate the diversity she brings to the table.” Performance Results Corporation was established May 1, 2000, and holds certifications in small disadvantaged and woman-owned businesses. The company has 150 employees in Morgantown, W.Va., Germantown, MD, Idaho Falls, ID, Pittsburgh, PA, and Lexington, KY. Their services include program integration and project management; administrative support such as records management, human resources and technical writing support; graphics, multimedia and web design services; and information technology.Obama vs. Reagan
OBAMA
'Top executives... will have compensation capped at $500,000."
REAGAN
"Government can't control the economy without controlling people... when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose."
The contrast in philosophies has never been more clear
Barack Obama, Feb. 4, 2009
Ronald Reagan, Oct. 27, 1964
The original bonds that built the West Virginia Turnpike were supposed to be paid off in 1989, but lawmakers could not bring themselves to take down the toll booths. Instead, they found new reasons to spend, new excuses to extend the life of the neverending cost of the "88 miles of miracle," as the road was rightfully called.In 2005, Gov. Joe Manchin sipped from the poison cup as well, announcing his sign-off on a toll hike from $1.25 to $2 for cars, a whopping $4.25 to $7 for tractor-trailers -- until Republicans led the fight to roll back the tolls.West Virginia is one of just a few states left that still charge its motorists to travel one of its major interstate highways. The people are not happy about it, but hey, who cares about them?Now, the West Virginia Parkways, Economic Development and Tourism Authority is trying to develop support to raise the toll, but lawmakers might finally be saying enough is enough. Senate Majority Leader H. Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, and Sen. Don Caruth, R-Mercer, have expressed their reluctance to raise tolls and are actually talking about ways to remove the booths -- 20 years after it was originally supposed to happen.Could tolls finally end twenty years after they were originally to end?
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2009
Thanks again, Dems -- WV worst place to start business
Why Obama's take on business is bad medicine for the US
It may be a broken record, but yet another new study has ranked West Virginia number one -- only, once again, in terms of being the worst place to start a business.U.S. News ranked states that offer "the least helpful environment, and also do the most to harm businesspeople through interference. What states are lagging in the economic advantages that entrepreneurs can use to create successful businesses? What state governments overreach in the costs they impose on businesses?"Its findings? The overall worst state to start a business is West Virginia. Why? Well, the report cites the state's loweducation levels, but adds, "Another factor in West Virginia's low level of entrepreneurial activity might be its high level of taxation. According to the SBEC's index, West Virginia is in the top 20 percent of states based on how high their corporate income and corporate capital gains tax rates are, and in the top 50 percent for individual income and capital gains tax rates."
Through Republican and Democrat governors, through the GOP and the Dems swapping control of the White House and Congress, West Virginia's one constant -- complete Democrat domination of the State Legislature -- keeps the state at the top of every bad economic ranking available.Barack Obama's announcement that he was imposing a salary cap on CEOs of companies taking bailout money was not the most telling aspect of his remarks on Thursday. Instead, his most telling comment was this one: "For top executivfes to award themselves these types of compensation packages in the midst of this economic crisis isn't just bad taste, it's bad strategy. And I will not tolerate it as president."Excuse me? He will not "tolerate it?" So, Barack Obama has annointed himself the chief strategist for private corporations across America? How dare anyone call him arrogant.For CEOs of companies that have asked for bailout money to get paid large bonuses is indeed stupid, even if just from a public relations standpoint. (Contrary to Obama's statement, most CEOs don't "pay themselves" the bonuses; they are approved by boards, or negotiated in contracts.) But it is still not the province of the President of the United States to decide what's good strategy or bad strategy for companies. Herein lies the problem of the various bailouts -- when you accept government money, the government tells you what to do. And Barack Obama's liberal sensibilities make him more than willing to do so. BARACK OBAMA
Why the outrage over Florida abortion case?
Eighteen and pregnant, Sycloria Williams went to an abortion clinic outside Miami and paid $1,200 for Dr. Pierre Jean-Jacque Renelique to terminate her 23-week pregnancy... Only Renelique didn't arrive in time. According to Williams and the Florida Department of Health, she went into labor and delivered a live baby girl.What Williams and the Health Department say happened next has shocked people on both sides of the abortion debate: One of the clinic's owners, who has no medical license, cut the infant's umbilical cord. Williams says the woman placed the baby in a plastic biohazard bag and threw it out. Police recovered the decomposing remains in a cardboard box a week later after getting anonymous tips.Why would this case shock anyone on the pro-choice side of the abortion debate? What's the big deal? According to them, it would have been perfectly fine for this apparently healthy baby to have been killed, as long as she was still inside the womb. Why the outrage just because she was outside the womb? The inconsistency of the pro-choicers is mind boggling.
Benjamin court has different attitude
With so much attention paid to recusal issues and campaign spending from more than four years ago, it's easy to miss the growing evidence that what's really happening with the West Virginia Supreme Court under Chief Justice Brent Benjamin is a new era of peace, professionalism, and maybe even something approaching a healthy judicial temperament.Thursday's news that the state Supreme Court voted to reject an appeal by Dunbar Mayor Roger Wolfe on his status as mayor was newsworthy in and of itself. But what was just as interesting was that the vote by justices was unanimous. Time will tell, but an increasing number of unanimous votes by the high court may not be a particularly unusual occurence as time goes on. Gone are the histrionics of former Justice Larry Starcher, who seemed to live for drama. Added to the court are Menis Ketchum and Margaret Workman, who so far seem to be more concerned with doing their jobs than finding ways to stir up trouble. Justice Robin Davis is her usual proper self, and visiting Justice Tom McHugh has only added to the court's decorum. When Justice Joe Albright returns from being sidelined by illness, he may appreciate as well the fact he is working in a court and not a zoo. Meanwhile, Charleston Mayor Danny Jones opines on Benjamin in The Charleston Gazette.Chief Justice Brent Benjamin has helped return decorum to the courtroom.
