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REPUBLICAN OF THE YEAR
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Weeks launches TV ad for final stretch of race
''Joe the Plumbers' out in force
McCain-Palin supporters were out in force Thursday in Charleston demonstrating their support for "Joe the Plumbers" across America who will be hurt by Barack Obama's tax hikes. The event took place on the eve of Joe Biden's visit today.The Russ Weeks for Governor campaign will launch a new television ad this week discussing the discrepancies between Gov. Joe Manchin’s claims of economic prosperity in West Virginia versus the reality of high taxes and shameful poverty.Weeks said that while much of his campaign has been devoted to discussing the scandal at West Virginia University and the cronyism that permeates state government, he wanted to close the final leg of the race with a message centering on taxes and the economy, issues which have always been important to him.“West Virginians often forget just how much of their hard-earned money our state takes in taxes they pay every day, not just in April,” said Weeks. “With a quarter of our children living in poverty and West Virginians paying taxes that residents of our neighboring states don’t have to worry about, there’s not much to brag about when it comes to West Virginia’s economy.”The new ad will kick off Wednesday and run through November 3rd, playing nearly 700 times on multiple stations in major markets across the state.The ad features Weeks speaking directly to West Virginians. Here's a Charleston Daily Mail story on it.Dems launch attacks targeting 7 key GOP incumbents
West Virginians in some parts of the state will probably find in their mailboxes today a campaign piece attacking GOP lawmakers, a $65,000 smear funded by the West Virginia Democratic Party versus some of the most effective legislators.About $41,000 in attack ads are aimed at GOP Delegates Tom Azinger, Craig Blair, Kelli Sobonya, Mitch Carmichael, Patti Schoen, Carol Miller and Mike Porter. A separate $24,000 expenditure will be aimed at Sobonya, Miller and Azinger, according to documents filed with the Secretary of State.While it may seem difficult to find a common thread among the seven targeted delegates, one likely possibility is that the new Democrat challengers in each race are die-hard union candidates, and the choice of races was heavily influenced by the "union wing" of the party, or, as it is also known, the Democratic Party. Some being targeted are in multi-delegate districts, others in single delegate districts.
Some of the Republicans being targeted are among the most vocal and aggressive in the House of Delegates. It is likely that in addition to the new Democrat challengers being big supporters of organized labor, the GOP lawmakers in question are among the most difficult for Democrat leadership to convince to roll over and play dead without a fight on key issues. Here's a Charleston Gazette story on the subject.The attack ads are being produced by a San Francisco mail firm called AMS Communications, Inc., which Democrats also used two years ago to smear Republicans.Weeks guesting tonight on Internet radio
Internet radio stations are a growing entity on the World Wide Web, and GOP gubernatorial candidate Russ Weeks will be a guest tonight on Clarksburg-based SPN Radio Network. Weeks will be among the guests appearing tonight from 7-9 p.m. The program can be heard at www.spnradionetwork.com. 
Ireland says tests show election devices working fine, unveils online site to shoot down voting rumors
BETTY IRELAND
Secretary of State Betty Ireland held a news conference Monday to provide an update on issues surrounding the touch screen electronic voting machines in use by 35 counties in West Virginia. By the end of voting hours on Saturday, over 67,000 West Virginians have turned out to vote early. Of those 67,000 voters, not one voter who had expressed a problem was prevented from casting his vote the way he intended.Beginning on Saturday, investigators from the Secretary of State's Fraud Unit went into the field to observe and test voting machines. Machines in Ohio and Jackson County and 4 southern counties were tested Saturday, with the remaining counties to be examined and tested early this week by Election Field Representatives from the Secretary of State's Office. Once all the machines are examined and tested, a report will be prepared and submitted to the Secretary of State and the State Election Commission ("SEC") and will be available for public inspection. Preliminary reports indicate that machines are calibrated properly and votes are being cast as intended.County clerks have been requested to keep detailed logs of any problems any voter had, including the date, time, name of voter, and type of problem. The clerk logs will be sent to the SEC at the end of the early voting period, at which time they will also be available for public inspection.Further, the county clerks were sent a memo Monday reminding them of several steps to take to ensure our voters are confident in their voting experience. Among other recommendations, clerks were reminded to recalibrate machines daily, and clean the screens daily using anti-static alcohol wipes. It was also recommended that poll workers have unsharpened pencils available for use by voters so that voting selections are made carefully and accurately using the eraser end of the pencil, thereby reducing the risk that boxes for other candidates will be inadvertently selected.Finally, on Friday, the Secretary of State's Office published on its website (wvsos.com) and on its elections portal (WVvotes.com) a new link, "STOP Voting Rumors", wherein common rumors that can be unsettling to the voting public are debunked. All West Virginians are invited to visit these sites and read what is fact and what is fiction.RNC Chair Duncan to be in West Virginia Friday for '2008 Victory' tour
Mike Duncan, chairman of the Republican National Committee, and RNC co-chair jo Ann Davidson will be in West Virginia on Friday as part of a "Victory 2008" bus tour. The pair will appear first at 2:30 p.m. at the Wood County Republican Headquarters, 409 Eighth Street, Parkersburg, then at 5 p.m. at the Charleston Victory Center, 111 Hale Street in Charleston.Duncan is a 30-year political strategist and veteran of Republican politics, and was elected as the 60th chairman of the Republican National Committee in January 2007. Duncan has worked for and advised Republican candidates and parties at the local, state and national level his entire adult life. He has held a wide variety of positions at the RNC, most recently as general counsel and before that, treasurer. Davidson was elected co-chairman of the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C. on January 19, 2005. She was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives for 20 years and served as Speaker of the House from 1995-2000.
DUNCAN
DAVIDSON
Mojo10/27/08
10/27/08