repubgazette2-21-07nationaljoechesapeakebetrayed

The many observers who felt Gov. Joe Manchin's State of the State address revealed a chief executive largely disconnected from the task at hand appear to have been right.

The governor's office is reported to be increasingly telling people who request Mojo's presence or participation in various events that, sorry, the gov has become a "national governor," implying that he therefore has little time for mundane West Virginia things.

Some of Manchin's fellow politicos have resorted to referring to Mojo as "National Joe," and the moniker seems to fit. The gov was tapped early on to deliver a national Democrat Party radio address, has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate (usually paired with New Mexico's Bill Richardson, although he could fit other top ticketers as well) and soaked up the national spotlight as chief spokesman during the Sago mine tragedy.

National Joe has been noticeably laid back about the current legislative session, in contrast to his first two years when he practically demanded a hall pass for lawmakers to use the bathroom. He has backpedaled on one State of the State pronouncement after the other, the latest being on a pay raise for state workers, which is now fine by him despite his dire warnings just weeks ago that the state budget couldn't stand the strain. It's a clear reflection of a governor already counting the days until something better comes along.

As a pilot with state aircraft at his disposal, National Joe has indeed taken advantage of the chance to tour the country. Among his many travels in just two short years were various visits to Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, Washington D.C., Charlotte, etc., not to mention overseas trips to Afghanistan, Iraq, and a 10-day trade mission in Europe.

If you want to conduct an event with Mojo, you probably can -- but you may need to bring your passport.

Back in November 2005, Gov. Joe Manchin was all smiles as he proudly announced the decision by Chesapeake Energy to "aggressively expand and grow its base of operations in West Virginia and across the Appalachian Basin" in connection with its $2.95 billion purchase of Columbia Natural Resources.

Just over a year later, though, the bloom is off the rose, and Chesapeake -- especially its CEO, Aubrey K. McClendon -- is feeling betrayed by the governor, who had convinced McClendon that West Virginia was really "open for business."

McClendon's dismay is due to an old story in West Virginia, specifically, in this case, a January 27 trial verdict declaring that Chesapeake Energy, Columbia Natural Resources and NiSource Inc. had cheated 8,000 landowners out of $134.3 million in natural gas royalties. Worse, the jury also said the companies had committed fraud and awarded the landowners $270 million in punitive damages.

Now, McClendon says that verdict has not only caused Chesapeake to put its plan to build a regional headquarters in Charleston on hold, it has also prompted him to reconsider the company’s exploration program in West Virginia, according to the Charleston Daily Mail.

“I’m not willing at this point to commit to a big new exploration program in the state of West Virginia when I don’t know how the leases that I’ve inherited are going to be interpreted by judges across the state," said McClendon. "We’ve got to get definition on that and I’ve asked Gov. (Joe) Manchin to get out in front when the bill hits the Legislature and we’ve asked legislative leaders to support it as well."

Added McClendon to West Virginia Media's Bray Cary, “It’s one thing to read that West Virginia is the No. 1 judicial hellhole in America. It’s something else to be on the receiving end of what it means to be stuck in that kind of a location."

Doesn't sound like a guy planning to do much business in West Virginia, and quite a contrast to November 2005 when Manchin' "called Chesapeake’s decision to expand its Appalachian holdings from its existing base in West Virginia another indicator of the state’s growing attractiveness to businesses throughout the United States."

But saying it doesn't make it so, no matter how many new welcome signs repeat the empty "open for business" mantra.