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REPUBLICAN OF THE YEAR
UPDATED DAILY!
Mojo10/27/08
10/27/08
Final weekend of activity finds Republicans rallying across the state
More than 150 gather at Victory office for visit by RNC's Duncan, Davidson
More than 150 supporters of Republican candidates packed the GOP Victory office on Hale Street in Charleston on Friday to welcome Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan, Co-Chair Jo Ann Davidson and several statewide and local candidates and officials.Above, Duncan addresses the full house of activists and volunteers. At right, Davidson, center, is shown with GOP gubernatorial candidate Russ Weeks and Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, foreground, who both served as official greeters when the GOP Victory Bus rolled into town. Below right, the street was lined with supporters welcoming Duncan and Davidson to Charleston. McCain state director Ben Beakes organized the West Virginia leg of the Victory tour, which included stops in Ohio and Parkersburg before rolling into Charleston. Read complete coverage and see more photos in the Charleston Gazette's excellent coverage of the visit.Weeks only one to appear in all five governor debates
Republican candidate Russ Weeks on Saturday participated in the fifth gubernatorial debate of the campaign, the only candidate in the field to appear in every debate that was available.In the first debate sponsored by the West Virginia Broadcasters Association, Mountain Party candidate Jesse Johnson was excluded, leaving the event to just Weeks and Gov. Joe Manchin. In three subsequent debates, all three hopefuls participated. But in Saturday's fifth and final debate sponsored by WSAZ GOP gubernatorial candidate Russ Weeks has his microphone adjusted by a technician on Saturday as he prepares for the fifth and final debate of the 2008 campaign.
television (and shown Sunday afternoon), Manchin refused to participate. The governor had notified WSAZ weeks ago that he would not participate, but he did manage to travel to Beckley on Saturday to hang out with former President Bill Clinton. Ironically, Congressman Nick Rahall, whose district includes Beckley, skipped the Clinton visit to participate in a debate Saturday with challenger Marty Gearheart.
During the debate on Saturday, Weeks focused his comments on Manchin, and at one point moderator Tim Irr noted that it was the governor's choice not to attend, costing himself the chance to respond.Other debates held by WSAZ on Saturday included Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito vs. challenge Anne Barth. Captio scoffed at Barth's call for change, saying, "I am the change," pointing out that all other members of West Virginia's congressional delegation -- all Democrats -- have many more years, even decades, in Washington than does she.Do Dems know how many states there are? Clinton calls WV 'one of my best 50 states'
Former president Bill Clinton on Saturday told the Beckley Register-Herald, "When I ran for president in ’92, West Virginia was one of my 50 best states..." Wow, what a compliment. How many states does Clinton think there are?The comment was reminiscent of Barack Obama saying he had so far campaigned in "57 states." According to the Register-Herald, barely more than 200 people showed up for Clinton's Raleigh County visit, and the press was left grumbling about its placement.GOP statewides, others to gather for rally this evening
Republican statewide, legislative and local candidates and supporters will gather tonight at the Grill restaurant, 117 Washington Street West in Charleston, to hold one final rally before voting gets underway Tuesday morning.Attendees are expected to include Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, U.S. Senate candidate Jay Wolfe, gubernatorial candidate Russ Weeks, attorney general candidate Dan Greear, secretary of state hopeful Charles Minimah, and Supreme Court candidate Beth Walker.Gazette columnist ID's specifics in fed probe of state alcohol bureau
Charleston Gazette columnist Phil Kabler on Sunday wrote at length about the federal probe of the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration, revealing several specifics about the investigation.Kabler wrote, "Apparently, the investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charleston goes right to the top, and is focused on five individuals: Commissioner Dallas Staples, former Charleston police chief; deputy commissioner Keith Wagner, a former state senator from McDowell County; region 2 enforcement director John Duncan; Danny Cantley; and Fred Wooton, who also works full-time as a Beckley firefighter. He's also the brother of former state senator and current House of Delegates candidate Bill Wooton."Kabler adds that the probe focuses on officials "being allowed to commandeer opened bottles of liquor after trade shows for ABCA retailers to gifts of thoroughbred horses. Distributors at the trade shows also allegedly frequently provide ABCA officials with dinners, golf outings and the like, in violation of state ethics law. There are also allegations of gifts and favoritism in awarding beer and liquor licenses. While liquor licenses are valuable commodities, they are particularly valuable since any retailer who wants to operate lucrative limited video lottery machines must first have a beer or liquor license - even if the owner does not intend to serve alcoholic beverages at the location."