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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 FEBRUARY 9, 2009
Michael Steele on the 'stimulus' package
So far, court unanimous in all decisions; stability quickly replaces unpredictability
On Friday, we noted here that the West Virginia Supreme Court's decision to deny an appeal on the issue of the Dunbar mayor's case was a 5-0 unanimous vote by justices.
Turns out, on closer inspection, that there have been ten written decisions issued by the court so far in 2009. Guess what? All ten have been 5-0 decisions.
While there's a long way to go with many decisions to be issued in coming years, what 
the evidence indicates so far is that stability and predictability -- the qualities critics have long cited as missing from the state's high court -- are quickly being established during the new term of the Benjamin court.
Unanimous decisions are reached when the law is being interpreted uniformly and fairly by all justices. But such decisions also reflect a mutual respect and hard work among justices who focus on enforcing the rule of law rather than on engaging in political agendas and serving partisan constituencies.  It is called justice -- and it is justice which will restore sustained public confidence in West Virginia's judicial system.  
Of course, to those who have endeavored to control the judicial branch for their own purposes, or who have counted on an institutionalized weak judiciary, the advent of a scholarly, non-political court will be painted in the press as a threat. 
The state Supreme Court is at a crossroads. Slowly but surely, the unpredictabilty and political chaos that has long plagued the court -- brought on by justices like Warren McGraw and Larry Starcher -- is being weeded out in favor of jurists who approach their duties with their attention more focused on the decorum and proper temperament of a court, rather than on creating turmoil and trying cases in the media. In the coming months, the court will hopefully continue to demonstrate a continued dedication to the rule of law, leading to an increase in confidence by businesses and industries that typically avoid West Virginia due to the uncertainty of its tort system. The damage done to all citizens of West Virginia by the state's judicial hellhole description could soon be a thing of the past.
Stability and certainty are already more in evidence than ever in the chambers of the West Virginia Supreme Court.
WVGOP fundraiser
set in Wood County
A fundraising dinner to benefit the West Virginia Republican Party is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24, in Parkersburg.
The event will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Upper Room of the River City Tavern & Grill.
Gary Abernathy, executive director of the West Virginia Republican Party, will offer remarks, discussing the party's activities and plans for the coming months.
For more information or to make reservations, contact Rocky Peck at 304-422-2395.
There will be a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Baker's Nook,  Rt 50 West, Grafton, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
According to Taylor County GOP Chair Sherman Davidson, "The only cost is what you order. This is not a fundraiser. This is just a time of fellowship of persons to honor Abraham Lincoln."
A video will be shown on the life of Lincoln.
Contact Davidson at 304-291-8146 to make reservations so enough spots can be reserved.
Lincoln birthday focus of meeting
Brady ranking one list WV can be proud to come in near bottom
A recent ranking by the Brady Campaign gave West Virginia poor marks for its gun control efforts.
Unlike most rankings in which the state falls among the worst in most categories, this is one poor showing of which West Virginia can be proud. Faring poorly in what the Brady Campaign considers adequate gun laws really means that West Virginia is doing little to restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners.
What is particularly interesting is that the states that received the best rankings for controlling guns, like California, New Jersey and New York, have much higher rates of violent crimes than West Virginia.
Maybe it's not guns that kill people; maybe it's people who kill people.
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2009
TIM ARMSTEAD
GOP House caucus unveils its agenda
Faster tax reduction, non-partisan judicial elections lead initiatives
(Press Release) The Republican members of the West Virginia House of Delegates Tuesday called for positive, bold and aggressive steps to create new jobs for West Virginia's citizens, decrease the tax burden on West Virginia's
families and assist hard working West Virginians in obtaining healthcare coverage.  At a press conference at the state capitol, Republican legislators pledged to fight for the passage of several crucial legislative initiatives during the 2009 Legislative Session.
"The current economic conditions require us, now more than ever, to take bold action to ensure that our citizens have secure, good-paying jobs and are able to make ends meet.  The Republican members of the House of Delegates have outlined a positive, pro-jobs, pro-family agenda that calls for significant change.  These reforms we propose will provide our children outstanding educational opportunities and assist our families in obtaining access to affordable healthcare.  We urge all members of the Legislature to join with us to enact the meaningful reforms needed to move our state forward," said House Minority Leader Tim Armstead (R-Kanawha).
In 2009, Republican legislators plan to seek passage of the following legislative initiatives:
Creating Jobs for our Citizens Through Meaningful Reforms
.Eliminating of the Anti-Growth Business Franchise Tax and Reducing the Corporate Net Income Tax.
.Further Reducing the Anti-Growth Personal Property Tax on Equipment.
.Promoting a Fair and Unbiased Court System through the Non-Partisan Election of Judges.
.Ensuring that Research and Development Funding is Used to Promote Coal, Natural Gas and Oil Based Energy Independence Initiatives.
Reducing the Tax Burden on our Citizens to Help All West Virginians Make Ends Meet
.Immediately Eliminating the Sales Tax on Food and Preventing
Increases in the Tax on Gasoline and Home Heating Fuels.
.Increasing the Value of the Homestead Exemption and Reducing Income Tax for our State's Seniors and Disabled Citizens.
.Placing Limitations on the Amount of Future Increases in Property
Taxes.
.Performing a Comprehensive Audit of State Spending, Enacting
Limitation on the Growth of Spending and Eliminating Wasteful Expenditures.
.Redefining the Role of the Public Service Commission to Ensure
Affordable Utility Rates for All West Virginians.
Keeping West Virginia's Families Healthy
.Providing Tax Credits to Assist West Virginia's Families in
Obtaining Affordable Healthcare Coverage.
Preparing our Children to meet the Opportunities of the Future
.Providing Further Local Control and Local Funding to Make Additional Resources Available in the Classroom.
Preserving the Traditional Values of West Virginia's Families
.Placing Before the Voters a Constitutional Amendment Defining
Marriage as the Union Between One Man and One Woman.
Barb Miller is a Gerrardstown writer who contributes columns to The Journal in Martinsburg. The following column appeared Tuesday, and is worthy of reprinting. 

By BARB MILLER
It's time to break out the 3-pound chocolate hearts, the roses and the violin concertos. Have you started your love poem yet? Here's mine:
You're articulate and clean. Such a nice-looking guy.
When I see you glance my way, all I seem to do is cry.
How I love to hear you talk, so please don't make me beg.
When you speak, I get a tingle running up and down my leg.
I don't care about your past, your friends or any other drama.
To me, you'll always be the "chosen one" - Barack Obama.
Silly? Yes, especially coming from me, but when such things come from the mouths of mainstream media reporters, they no longer are silly, but downright reprehensible. Since when did fairness and impartiality not matter in journalism? The love affair between reporters and Barack Obama has crossed the threshold of bias and passed into complete partiality.
It's impossible to pick up a book, read a magazine, shop online and even peruse The Journal's coupon supplements without being bombarded with Obama merchandise. What started as a media phenomenon has descended from the realm of reality to enter the crypt of creepy.
A recent trip to a local bookstore capped my irritation when I couldn't find a book I wished to purchase by best-selling conservative author Bernie Goldberg. I checked the shelves touting the best-sellers first and then tried the new-release wall to no avail. After asking a store clerk to help me locate the book, her response was rather tendentious as she led me to the back of the store, mumbling, "Oh, that book."
I couldn't help but laugh at her comment as we passed the towering display of "Yes, We Can" and "Change We Can Believe In" books to cross into another dimension in pursuit of "that book."
"I see you've put it as far away as possible from the Barack Obama books, haven't you?" I chided the store clerk. "You know, not everyone is a fan of his."
"It's a bit much; I'll give you that."
A bit much? Now that might well be the understatement of the year.
It was a bit much, I thought, when I saw my first "Yes, We Can" flag waving from a car window in Martinsburg recently. I mean, really, car flags?
It was a bit much when MSNBC commentator Chris Matthews declared that if you're "in the room when (Obama) gives one of his speeches and you don't cry, you're not an American."
And it was definitely too much reading the Washington Post's Eli Zaslow's love story disguised as a news piece wherein he described the "sun glint(ing) off (the) chiseled pectorals" of a shirtless Obama vacationing in Hawaii.
OK. I get it. The media wanted to elect our nation's first black president, but why his skin color has made him such a celebrity is beyond me. Even Martin Luther King Jr. hoped to see the day when his children would not be "judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Have we lost sight of that goal somehow?
I grew up in the cornfields of Nebraska, so when my family moved to the outskirts of Baltimore, I quickly had to learn how to adapt to being in the minority. Picture Laura Ingalls moving from the Little House on the Prairie to Sanford and Son's neighborhood. I soon learned that the best way to be accepted and treated as an equal was to avoid focusing on one's differences.
By spotlighting Obama's race and billing him as the one to right every wrong, amend every injustice and heal every wound in our nation, the media have participated in the biggest scam ever perpetrated in America. No one can be all things to all people at all times. After all, there only can be one "messiah" and he walked the earth more than 2,000 years ago.
It's no secret that I harbor no hidden love for Obama. To embrace this man and his liberal agenda would be to surrender every value that I believe in. The media would be wise to remember that 56 million Americans voted against Obama, and 56 million Americans have just about had enough of this love affair worth forgetting.
The Psalms remind us, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." I already have a savior, thank you very much. My messiah truly can heal the wounds of this nation. Too bad the media never will get that.
Gerrardstown writer nails essence of Obama crush
WV Dems can't wait to spend 'stimulus' funds
Democrats in the West Virginia State Legislature are salivating over the likelihood of millions of dollars in "stimulus" funds flowing into the state if Congress gives final approval to President Barack Obama's massive spending plans.
A representative from the National Conference of State Legislatures met with lawmakers on Tuesday, offering a preview of what the states can expect to receive.
Meanwhile, though, phone calls and emails have steadily flowed into the offices of GOP organizations and officials from rank and file Republicans commending GOP congressional members for opposing the bailout, and urging them to hold the line.
One caller on Tuesday to state GOP headquarters -- representative of many calls received -- said he had never been involved before, but wanted to volunteer now, saying, "We have got to get rid of Byrd and Rockefeller" -- West Virginia's two U.S. Senators who are both supporting the Obama plan. 
200 years of Darwinism
has made monkeys of us all
RNC Chair Steele debates DNC Chair Kaine
It's not cool these days to openly admit  that you still believe that God literally created man from his own image from the dust of the earth. The media will treat you with contempt, and academia will regard you as a backward, uneducated religious zealout.
Darwinism -- currently observing the 200th year since the birth, or evolution, of its originator-- has one important commonality with creationism: both require faith.
I've never understood why it's easier to believe that the universe and all its wonders are the result of one big giant accident than to accept the fact that God planned it from the beginning and implemented it with precision. But it seems most educated people choose the former these days.
The odds of the universe and life forms on earth being the result of an accidental culmination of natural forces was best described by someone as the same odds as tossing into the air the contents of a junkyard and having them all fall perfectly into place to form a Cadillac. A thousand years from now, will people regard a 2009 Cadillac and conclude it must have been accidentally created in a junkyard explosion, rather than having been carefully blueprinted and manufactured in an auto plant? Probably so, since human nature seems to prefer accidents over intent.
Look to the ground and observe a blade of grass carefully. Look to the sky and watch the stars. Say to yourself that it's all an accident, and try to believe it.
Smile at your five-year-old daughter or granddaughter, and watch her smile back. The question of our origin should end there.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2009
Pat White highlights State of the State
WVU quarterback Pat White, top picture, center, receives a standing ovation from lawmakers and guests at Wednesday's State of the State address. Below, Gov. Joe Manchin addresses the chamber in what was generally a low key affair.
You know the annual State of the State address is a rather lackluster affair when the biggest ovation of the night comes not for any legislative initiative proposed by the governor, but instead is reserved for a star athelete.
Gov. Joe Manchin apparently recognized that there wouldn't be much to get fired up about in his remarks on Wednesday, so he built in a last minute dramatic appearance by West Virginia University quarterback Pat White to stir onlookers to their feet.
Rather than having White sit in the gallery throughout his remarks, as is the case for most guests introduced during such a speech, Manchin had him brought in through a side door late in his remarks for dramatic effect, calling the future NFL star a great ambassador for West Virginia.
Aside from the theatrics with White, Manchin's speech was predictably subdued, given the state of the economy. He promised no cuts in essential services, but said nothing about creating new jobs. He called for a study of the state's judicial system, and advocated a legally questionable policy to prevent double dipping among elected officials who win reelection in unopposed races, then retire, then resume their duties, as has been done recently by a couple of judges.
Manchin said he wanted to expand Medicaid coverage, which might be an odd goal for a governor dedicated to no tax hikes and facing a shrinking economy -- but who also knows federal "stimulus" funds are likely on the way.
(Press Release) Following is a brief description of each item on West Virginians for Life’s 2009 Legislative Agenda.
Tax Funding
Since 1993, West Virginia taxpayers have been forced to fund over 13,000 abortions –– costing West Virginia taxpayers millions of dollars. Under current law, West Virginia taxpayers pay for abortion on demand – for any reason even as a method of birth control – through the state’s Medicaid program. WVFL will seek to limit the state funding of abortion to cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother. In other states, abortion rates have dropped significantly when such legislation has been passed.
Parent’s Right to Know
West Virginians for Life will seek to close loopholes in existing state law that allows a second abortionist to authorize secret abortions on underage girls. This loophole not only interferes with the rights of good parents, but also puts girls in abusive situations at greater risk. The current law does little to prevent sexual predators from posing as parents and forcing their victims into abortions to conceal their crimes.
Ultrasound
When mothers considering abortion are equipped with information on their developing unborn child, many opt to give life to their children. WVFL supports legislation that would require that abortionist offer mothers the chance to see ultrasound images of their unborn children before the abortion is to be performed.
Project Women in Need (WIN)
This legislation would establish state funding for pregnancy resource centers and others who provide assistance to women and girls in an unplanned pregnancy. Under this program, mothers would be assisted in finding educational and career opportunities, as well as services for mother and child, including parenting classes.
End of Life Issues
In 2006, an elderly West Virginian was starved to death against the wishes of some in her family. She was not in a coma or "persistent vegetative state". But doctors could remove her feeding tube because she was diagnosed with a "terminal" illness–Alzheimer's. WVFL will work to enact legislation to see that others do not suffer the same fate.
Other Legislation
As always, West Virginians for Life will monitor adoption, health care, campaign finance reform and other legislation to ensure that the sanctity of life is protected.
Rally for Life
Mark your calendars now and make plans to attend the Pro-Life Rally and Day at the Legislature on Thursday, March 19, 2009 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the state capitol rotunda.
Tax funding, 'right to know' lead Life agenda
Sypolt introduces bill repealing Capitol gun ban
(Press Release) Senator Dave Sypolt, R-Preston, on Wednesday introduced Senate Bill 147, which will restore the rights of law-abiding gun owners who work in or visit the West Virginia State Capitol by repealing the prohibition on carrying firearms and other weapons in the State Capitol Complex and on adjoining grounds.
Supporters of SB 147 call it a common-sense measure to restore the rights of law-abiding gun owners and reduce the attractiveness of the State Capitol as a target to criminals. West Virginia Citizens Defense League President Jim Mullins praised SB 147, saying, “So-called ‘gun-free zones’ offer the public only a false sense of security but embolden criminals who may target those individuals whom they believe will be least able to defend themselves. As effective as the police may be, they cannot be everywhere all the time. That is as true at our State Capitol as any other public place.”
Mullins says several states, ranging from Oregon to Virginia, allow individuals who have concealed handgun licenses to lawfully carry guns in their respective state capitols without further restriction.
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2009
An apology
I have to apologize. I thought I had written a relatively short piece yesterday summarizing the State of the State address, giving it about as much space as it merited. Turns out, I still gave it way too much attention. As The Charleston Gazette's Phil Kabler proved in a new feature called "Squawk Box," Governor Manchin's State of the State address could actuallly be summed up in as little as three lines:
State budget is broke.
Sorry, no raises this year.
Look, there’s Pat White!
Former West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Colby Sawyers “Jack” Weaver, Jr., age 86 of Daniels, died Thursday February 12, 2009 at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Beckley, WV following a long illness.
His interest in politics began soon after he returned from World War II. He worked for the Summers County Republican Party as a precinct captain He served as the first Executive Secretary of the West Virginia Republican State Committee in 1960. He was appointed the State Chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party in 1961-62. In 1964, he managed the gubernatorial campaign for Governor Cecil Underwood.
A celebration service of Jack's lfie will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday February 14, 2009 at Pivont Funeral Home Chapel in Hinton with Revs. Donald "Doc" Adkins, Adrian Pratt & Ronald Cobb officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Grove Cemetery at Ballengee, WV. Friends may gather from noon until time of services on Saturday at the funeral home.
You can read his full obit here.
Jack Weaver,
former chair of WVGOP, dies
In the movie Operation Petticoat there is a great line that holds true in today’s troubled economy.  When Lt. Com. Sherman (played by Cary Grant) asks where his supply officer, Lt. JG Holden (played by Tony Curtis), is during an air raid the commander is told, “When the air raid started they took off. All he said was, ‘in confusion there is profit.’”  It is play on Rudyard Kipling who once reasoned that it was a good thing to keep one's head while all around were losing theirs.  Right now across the country the Federal Government and State Governments are loosing their heads over the economy but if West Virginia’s government keeps its head, then we as a state can profit from it.
The way for West Virginia to take initiative is simple.  The same bad economic policies out of Charleston that hurt us in good times hurt us in bad times as well and we must change those. Two periods of strong economic growth stand out in recent American history the one started by John F. Kennedy in the 1960’s and the one started by Ronald Reagan in the 1980’s.  Both have a common thread, both Presidents cut the tax rates which put more money in the hands of the people and businesses.  This allowed people to spend more money on good and services spurring economic growth and the businesses used the additional money to expand operations providing those goods and services.  In other words growth breeds additional growth.
The additional growth comes because people naturally want to be rewarded for their work and when they work harder they receive additional reward.  It is the American Way, it is Capitalism.  The problem in West Virginia is when compared to other states our businesses and people receive less of a reward for their hard work because of our tax rates and structure.  When the state takes a bigger chunk than other states it simply reduces the incentive to work hard in West Virginia or encourages people to move to another state.  The state has created a ‘tax wedge’ against prosperity.  The removal of this wedge will lead to people willing to take the risk of starting a business and creating new jobs in the state and in bad economy that is more important than in times of prosperity.
Besides the high income tax rates there are two other primary ‘tax wedges’ hurting West Virginia businesses, the Business Franchise tax and the Inventory tax.  The Business Franchise tax is based on companies net worth, it’s not a tax on Franchises as many believe and is paid by all businesses in the state. The tax remains whether or not the company is making a profit.  This is a tax that companies in most other states do not have to deal with.  So in bad economic times this tax has a greater impact on with West Virginia companies that are struggling to make a profit.  If a corporation is looking at closing one of two plants, then it will make more economic sense for them to close the West Virginia plant because of the Business Franchise tax.
The same holds true for the inventory tax.  Sales drop as the economy slides downward, inventories of unsold goods naturally raise.  In West Virginia our inventory tax punishes companies more and more as their sales slide downward.  In many cases, especially with small businesses, this can be the straw the breaks the camels back.  In order to pay the additional taxes imposed by the state with falling revenues these companies must find the funding.  For most this will result in employee layoffs and some bankruptcy.  
West Virginia must now make the hard choices to profit in this confused economy.  The worse the economy gets the more our business are punished by the state tax structure.  The opposite of the way it should be.  Consider that eliminating the Business Franchise and Inventory taxes will reduce revenue to the states tax coffers in the short term, but if we don’t eliminate them and those businesses leave or declare bankruptcy they will pay no taxes at all in West Virginia.  The cutting of the tax rates will put more money in the pockets of West Virginians and West Virginia businesses rewarding them for their hard work by making it easier for them to weather the economic storm. Making these changes will allow more West Virginia companies to survive and attract those that want to expand with an atmosphere that rewards hard work. 
Removing the tax wedges put in place by bad Charleston policies will allow West Virginia to keep its head while other states lose theirs.
Gary Howell is owner of Howell Automotive in Keyser, secretary of the U.S. 50 Association, and former Republican candidate for the State Senate in the 14th District.
When it comes to economy, in confusion there is profit
By Gary
Howell
Gregg recalled he is a GOP'er
Sen. Judd Gregg pegged his decision to withdraw his name from Commerce Secretary consideration on the fact he had problems with the stimulus bill. In other words, he remembered he is a Republican, which Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and Arlen Specter should remember, too.. Columnist Chuck Muth has a piece about how the Tennessee GOP deals with wayward Republicans.
"On the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, I am honored to join in commemorating the legacy of a man who insisted that this nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal, live up to that promise.
"Abraham Lincoln grew up in grinding poverty. He had almost no formal education. Yet armed with an unwavering belief in our nation's founding ideals, he led this country through its gravest crisis and ensured that this nation had a new birth of freedom.
"I also want to extend my warmest congratulations to the NAACP, which was founded one hundred years ago today, on the centennial of the birth of our country's first Republican President, President Abraham Lincoln. Over the past century, the NAACP has championed the cause of civil rights. For that we are deeply grateful.
"From the Middle Passage to the march for Civil Rights, the fight for Liberty remains true. My ancestors like the ancestors of countless African-Americans were among the very first Americans. Our stake in this great nation is celebrated in the legacies of President Lincoln and NAACP.
"As the leader of the Party of Lincoln, I realize that we bear a special responsibility to build on the great work of President Lincoln, and all those Americans who have devoted their lives to the cause of liberty.  In honor of their past sacrifices, and for the sake of our future generations, I pledge that the Republican Party will work tirelessly every day to make our founding ideals a reality." -- Michael Steele
Steele on Lincoln and NAACP anniversary
MONDAY FEBRUARY 16, 2009
What if every new law cost lawmakers money?
As a Republican with a very strong libertarian bent, I've often said that legislative sessions should have their success measured not by how many new laws are passed, but rather by how few.
With thousands of laws already on the books, we hardly need many new ones. Every time a new law is passed, we are creating a new criminal today who was a perfectly law abiding citizen yesterday.
With that in mind, I think it would be interesting to tie lawmakers' salaries directly to the passage of new legislation. In other words, they have to pay a penalty every time they vote for a new law (or maybe get a raise every time a law was repealed or a tax removed.)
What if $1,000 was deducted from a legislators' pay for every new piece of legislation he or she voted for? Guess what -- fewer laws would be passed, and those that did pass would only be those deemed absolutely essential.
To accomplish this goal and further discourage unnecessary legislation, I'd even be willing to give lawmakers a bigger raise. So right away, silly wastes of time like requiring calorie postings on fast food menus -- information that's already available on the Internet for anyone who really cares -- would quickly fade away
Occasionally, there are new laws needed to cover evolving circumstances. For example, when people figure out how to make a new drug out of household chemicals, then sell it to kids, that drug no doubt should be added to lists of substances illegal to possess or sell. Or when someone figures out a new way to use the Internet to steal money or hack into government agencies, obviously our laws need updated to pursue them.
But the overwhelming majority of new laws passed every year in Washington and Charleston are absolutely non-essential, most of them based on pressure from lobbyists or industry officials to allow one group to gain an advantage over another. 
If voting for new laws actually hit lawmakers in the pocket book, the protection of our freedoms would be enhanced (almost every new law passed equals an equivalent loss of freedom or increase of the tax burden), and the savings in regard to the costs of adding and enforcing new sets of laws on the books would be immense.
Such an idea will never happen, of course, but if it did, it would separate the necessary from the frivolous.
MARK PLANTS
Plants lunch speaker Tuesday
New Kanawha County Prosecutor Mark Plants will be the speaker Tuesday at the monthly luncheon of the Kanawha County Republican Executive Committee.
The luncheon is held at noon at the Whitewater Grill at the Charleston Marriott.
West Virginia native brings Lincoln to life in PBS show
HENRY LOUIS GATES JR.
A fascinating new look at Abraham Lincoln has begun airing on PBS stations across the country,  with West Virginia native Henry Louis Gates Jr. serving as writer and host.
The documentary, "Looking for Lincoln," features Gates traveling the country and interviewing commentators ranging from scholars to presidents, as Lincoln is reassessed not as an icon, but as a human being whose equality for blacks credentials were not always as strong as history typically records. 
Gates grew up in the mill town of Piedmont, West Virginia. After attending junior college in Piedmont, he studied at Yale and spent a year overseas working at a hospital in Africa. He was graduated summa cum laude in history in 1973 and went to Clare College at Cambridge University on a Mellon Fellowship. Gates earned a Ph.D. in English from Cambridge and became an assistant professor at Yale with a joint appointment in the English department and Afro-American studies. He is now the W.E.B. Du Bois Professor of Humanities at Harvard and director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for Afro-American Research.
In the documentary, Gates recalls he was one of three black students in his Piedmont school, another being his cousin. He recalls that a teacher told him and his two fellow African American classmates that without Lincoln, "You boys wouldn't be here today."
"Looking for Lincoln" is a balanced reexamination of our 16th president, and includes interviews with Presidents Clinton and Bush, just before the latter left office in January. As they say, check local listings, or watch it online here. 
Capito only WV lawmaker saying no to wasteful porkulus package OK'd Friday
Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito was the only member of the West Virginia delegation to vote against the wasteful "stimulus" package passed Friday by Congress.
Why would she oppose the measure? Consider just a few of the many items of pork contained in the bill, none of which are stimulative in any way, which was supposedly the goal of the legislation:
* $2 billion for the Neighborhood Stabilization Fund, providing funds to organizations such as ACORN, which has been accused of practicing unlawful voter registration in recent elections.    
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO
* $1 billion for a Prevention and Wellness Fund, which can be used for sexually transmitted disease (STD) education and prevention programs at the CDC.
* $8 billion for a High Speed Passenger Rail Program, after the House did not include any funding for the program and the Senate included $2 billion, which will fund at least one project from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.
* $15 million for historic preservation at historically black colleges and universities
$200 million for Americorps and other paid "volunteerism" programs.
* $5.5 billion for federal buildings (GSA), including $4.5 billion to convert federal buildings into "high-performance green buildings" and $450 million for a new headquarters for the Department of Homeland Security.
* $500 million for a health professions training program-funding which an earlier committee report said were allocated because "a key component of attaining universal health care reform will be ensuring the supply of primary care providers."
In a press release, Capito said, "If you're going to spend nearly a trillion dollars, don't we owe taxpayers some confidence that we're going to get it right? This debate can't be about doing something or doing nothing, it needs to be about doing the right thing. When we still don't know how the $700 billion bailout has been spent, I can't with a straight face vote to place another $2,500 tax burden on the back of the average West Virginian."
Capito also cited concerns that - despite its exorbitant cost - the plan may under-invest in the roads and infrastructure projects that many West Virginian communities desperately need. Capito supported a measure last month to bump funding for highway infrastructure and water projects through the Army Corps of Engineers, but it was rejected and the final bill actually reduces West Virginia's share of highway funding in this bill by nearly $30 million.
"This plan has been pitched as a roads and bridges bill, but less than 4% of this bill will actually go to those projects," she said. "At a price tag like this, taxpayers deserve to get their money's worth and this bill just doesn't measure up. Many of my constituents just don't have confidence that this plan will have the targeted impact that's been promised. We saw with TARP what happens when Congress passes something just for the sake of passing something. At a trillion dollars, the something matters."
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2009
J.C. WATTS
J.C. Watts on Talkline today
Former Congressman J.C. Watts is scheduled to appear on "Talkline" with Hoppy Kercheval today.
Watts is the guest speaker at the Kanawha County Lincoln Day Dinner Feb. 24. For more information, contact Fred Joseph at 543-7495.
RNC Chair Steele says Dem leadership disappointing so far when it comes to economy
Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today on the Democrats’ leadership on the economy:
“Democrats have been in charge of Washington for just a few weeks but their record so far is disappointing to voters who hoped for change.
“It’s disappointing that President Obama allowed a 1000-plus page bill to be written in secret and voted on hours later before members of Congress -- let alone the American people -- had time to review it. This is not the transparency President Obama promised when he said bills would be posted online for five days.
“It is disappointing that the bill includes funding that can be spent on unabashed pork barrel projects like Sen. Harry Reid’s railroad, Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s mouse, and the national parks that Representative David Obey’s son lobbies for.
“It is disappointing that the Democrats consistently replaced pro-jobs provisions in the legislation to make room for spending by politicians and bureaucrats.
“It is disappointing that the Congress did not turn to small business owners and market solutions to create jobs but instead are empowering government and special interests to create debt."
First female Mountaineer talks to Republican women
Secretary of State Natalie Tennant addressed a meeting of the West Virginia Federation of Republican Women on Monday. According to her press release on the meeting, Tennant was "the first and only woman to serve as the West Virginia University Mountaineer mascot." She waited until the second paragraph in the release to remind everyone again of this particular life highlight. At this rate, Secretary Tennant's mascot history is on course to rival Sen. John Unger's brief encounter with Mother Teresa as the most sleep-inducing biographical touchstone told by themselves about themselves.
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2009
The latest ranking of our greatest presidents, this one commissioned by CSPAN, is not as egregious as some similar rankings over the years.
Here's the top ten (you can see the whole list here.)
1. Abraham Lincoln
2. George Washington
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt
4. Theodore Roosevelt
5. Harry S. Truman
6. John F. Kennedy
7. Thomas Jefferson
8. Dwight D. Eisenhower
9. Woodrow Wilson
10. Ronald Reagan
No argument here with the top three. While some Republicans might not care for FDR, I agree with Ronald Reagan -- Roosevelt did what he had to do for the challenges the country faced. The only trouble with Roosevelt's New Deal was that it long outlasted its need, and helped lead to the entitlement society that has plagued us ever since.
Unlike many such lists by historians or academics, at least Ronald Reagan made the top ten here. But why on earth does John F. Kennedy come in at number six? Kennedy, in fact, was neither good nor bad -- his tragically shortened tenure never allowed time to reveal whether his presidency was a success or failure.
And Truman? He made a gutsy decision to use the A-bomb to end World War II, but what else ranks him so high?
The list would be pretty accurate if Reagan landed at least in the four spot, and Truman and Kennedy dropped out of the top ten.
But that's what makes such lists fun; they are endlessly debatable. Let the debate begin. 
CSPAN ranking of presidents gets it right and wrong
Will Constitutional Revision committee ever actually meet?
A long running joke in the State Legislature is the failure of the Constitutional Revision Committee to ever actually hold a meeting.
In fact, the committee does muster a get-together about once every session, but that's about it.
Part of the deal is that when Del. Barbara Fleischauer is in office -- which she currently is -- she chairs the committee, and her first order of business is to have her husband, WVU law professor and former Supreme Court candidate Bob Bastress, come in and tell committee members what the Constitution means.
So far, Bastress has not appeared, so the committee has not met (except to organize), determined to live up to its reputation. We'll keep tabs and let you know if there's any change.
Which reminds us of the bit in the movie, "Airplane," when Lloyd Bridges is on the phone checking on the status of a hospital patient and says, "Let me know if there's any change," then hangs up the phone. Another character asks, "How is he?" Bridges replies, "He's dead."
Fact is, one major reason Fleischauer won't call a meeting is because she and others on the committee want to avoid contentious issues like banning same sex marriage, homestead exemption, and judicial reform. Another reason it fails to meet is that some of the most outspoken conservative Republicans in the House sit on the committee,  like Kelli Sobonya, Craig Blair, Patrick Lane and John Overington, among others.
The West Virginia Republican State Executive Committee has a full agenda for its Saturday meeting.
Turnout expected to be strong for GOP meeting Saturday
A strong turnout of committee members, former candidates, officeholders and other GOP activists is expected for Saturday's meeting of the West Virginia Republican State Executive Committee, based on responses being received at state party headquarters.
The day kicks off  at the Charleston House Holiday Inn with a 9 a.m. county chairs meeting, and Summers County Chairman Joe Garcia, chair of the county chairs, has several items of business to discuss with his fellow county leaders from around the state.
At noon, luncheon attendees will hear a presentation by Dr. Russ Sobel, author of "Unleashing Capitalism." Sobel is expected to discuss a new book focusing on West Virginia's judicial system.
The state committee meeting kicks off at 1:30 p.m., where Chairman Doug McKinney will discuss the state of the party, as well as future political and fundraising plans.
Lunch and the afternoon session are open to all Republicans who wish to attend. There is a charge for lunch, and anyone wishing to make a reservation should call 768-0493.
The Harrison County Republican Club held its monthly meeting Monday, February 16th, where members approved a motion to give the WVGOP a donation of $600. The check was presented to Dr. Doug McKinney by HCRC President Paul Hager, treasurer Frank Smith, and past President of the HCRC Jack Smith. The HCRC also voted unanimously to commend McKinney for his leadership. The Harrison County Republican Executive Committee also held its meeting later that night and also unanimously commended the chairman for his efforts.
Harrison GOP makes
donation to state party
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 19, 2009
Some thoughts on the C-Span presidential rankings

Yesterday, I opined about a CSPAN ranking of presidents. That brought on some thoughts from Stephen Smoot, a Mineral County Republican and a college professor. Here they are.
I'd rank Truman fourth and Reagan fifth, but only because the challenges Truman overcame were more significant.  Also Reagan followed the blueprint created by Truman and his presidency for winning the Cold War. 
Oddly enough, they are rating Truman highly for the same reasons they rate George W. Bush low.  Truman is great, at least in my opinion, because he recognized Stalin for what he was before World War II even ended.  Unlike FDR, he had the guts to not only stand up and question the Soviet outrages in Poland, he systematically built a domestic and international coalition to counter the Soviet threat.  His tendency to see things as a middle American, in terms of good and evil, allowed him to understand Stalin much more clearly than FDR did.
Europe was broke and desperate and most Americans wanted to get back to normal, not confront another world enemy.  By 1949 Truman had a domestic consensus, a rising Europe in his alliance system, and had deflected Stalin's ambitions to create Communist revolutions in Europe.  All the while liberals despised him, saying he was a warmonger, that he unnecessarily provoked the kindly Soviet Union, etc.  They probably didn't like the fact that his administration was combing through the government, weeding out potentially dangerous Communists.  One of the only strikes on him is Korea, but I can understand, even if I don't agree with, his reluctance to expand the conflict to China.
Washington should always be number one.  He defined the presidency and the nation he governed, determining that we would be a capitalist, industrial, trading nation, and no other President served during a time of more vulnerability.  Madison deserves to be in the top ten.  He was flexible enough to abandon doctrinaire Jeffersonian principles to make changes necessary to defeat Britain.
Kennedy is not a top ten, but again it's amazing how when a liberal cuts constitutional corners to fight a war on terror (the KKK), makes tax cuts to spur the economy, builds up the defense, and confidently stares down America's enemies, how he gets rated 6th.  If George W. Bush was a registered Democrat, he'd probably be sixth too.  I personally think Bush is about fifteenth or so.  His administration's periodic inability to communicate meant that his sound ideas on the economy were never put into play.
--Stephen Smoot
ROBERT C. BYRD
REPUBLICAN HEADQUARTERS
Manchin breaks his toe working out, which is
why I don't work out
Gov. Joe Manchin broke his little toe last week, claiming, according to the Beckley Register-Herald, that the injury happened while he was working out and, “I stumbled, and when I went to catch myself, I kicked the steel pole that holds the bench I do my setups on.”
Well, ok, although from what I understand you usually don't work out barefooot, and if you're not barefoot, it's hard to break your little toe.
Then again, I can only go by what I hear, because "working out" is something as foreign to me as a granola bar. As the governor demonstrated, working out is hazardous to your health, and I work hard at avoiding it. In fact, I make fun of people -- especially men -- whose lives seem to revolve around their trips to the gym. Women, I can understand. Guys, get a life.
Honestly, I have to shake my head every time I read about someone dropping dead while jogging, which happens a lot. I'll drop dead someday -- which will make some people smile -- but it won't be while jogging. And propped up on the coffee table, my feet are safe from being injured by steel poles on a bench.
NEXT WVGOP HEADQUARTERS? -- Sometime later this year, the West Virginia Republican Party will likely be relocating to a new headquarters, and at lunch with some Republicans on Wednesday it was suggested that the best way to get a building funded and constructed in West Virginia is to put Robert C. Byrd's name on it. Just thought I'd see how it might look. (In fact, we'll likely be renting an existing building somewhere.)