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Abernathy Strategies
RepublicanGazette
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 "When news breaks, we fix it" Published daily except some days
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The Republican Gazette welcomes Emails to the Editor and press releases. All submitted items must include the name and contact information for the author of the article, and all articles will only be published with the author's name included. Thank you for reading and participating in The Republican Gazette, another of West Virginia's most biased publications.
All opinions are those of The Republican Gazette and its editor, Gary Abernathy, except letters or commentary signed by others, and do not reflect the views of anyone else, including clients of Abernathy Strategies.
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Ireland unveils new voter reg reminder
Will McGraw recuse himself?
Since former Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw is now seeking to become a circuit judge in Wyoming County, the obvious question is, will he recuse himself from hearing any cases that involve those who spent millions in a failed attempt to re-elect him in 2004?Specifically, a group calling itself Consumers for Justice spent nearly $2 million on McGraw's behalf in 2004. CFJ was comprised mainly of trial lawyers, although the source of its funds has never been fully disclosed, a fact typically overlooked in the usual pile-on of Don Blankenship for his 2004 spending in the court race. (In fact, the CFJ campaign against Benjamin was particularly vicious, at one point claiming Benjamin "wants to take the Bible out of our courts.") Obviously, if those who funded Consumers for Justice end up with any cases before McGraw, those who argue that Brent Benjamin should step aside from Massey Energy cases will also be urging McGraw to step down from cases involving anyone connected with Consumers for Justice. Probably... not.
Secretary of State Betty Ireland announces that, beginning this month, voters who move and file a change of address form with the post office will receive in their welcome kit a reminder to update their voter registration information. The notice will direct voters to www.WVvotes.com , where they can download a voter registration form to fill out and send in to their county clerk. The registration form can be used to register for the first time or change registration information already on file. “My office is always searching for new and better ways to make it convenient for West Virginia citizens to register and vote,” Secretary Ireland said. “And this is just one more tool to help our voters make sure their registrations are up to date when they go to cast a ballot,” Secretary Ireland added. To be able to vote in the May 13th Primary, first time voters must submit their voter registration application to their county clerks by April 22, 2008. Address changes to existing registrations can be made up to and including Election Day. However, Secretary Ireland urges voters to submit their address changes as soon as possible. “This will help ensure voters learn of their correct precinct in plenty of time before Election Day. Voting in the correct precinct is necessary to help avoid voting a provisional or ‘challenged’ ballot,” Secretary Ireland explained. In addition to finding the voter registration form online, the forms are also available at the County Clerk’s office, Secretary of State’s Office, any branch of the Department of Motor Vehicles and many other public facilities throughout West Virginia. For a few dollars more, Bill Clinton might have been thrown into jail
A. Bill Clinton, a married man and high ranking government official, has sex with a young woman. It's a scandal, but no laws have been broken.B. Eliot Spitzer, a married man and high ranking government official, has sex with a young woman. It's a scandal, and it's a crime.The difference? Spitzer paid, Clinton did not. So if Monica had charged for her services, Bill might have been jailed after all. Right?BETTY IRELAND
New reminder to update registration
For information on updating voter registration information or any other questions, voters may contact their county clerk or the Secretary of State’s Office at (866) SOS-VOTE, or visit the Secretary of State’s website at www.WVvotes.com. 
Sobonya explains opposition to adding gays to protected groups
KELLI SOBONYA
Delegate Kelli Sobonya, R-Cabell/Wayne said today that her recent stand regarding the attempt to amend homosexuality, bisexuality, and various sexual orientations to West Virginia’s anti-discrimination laws reflects not only her opinion, but the beliefs of thousands of citizens both in her district and across the state.Sobonya said that she and other lawmakers who opposed adding sexual orientation to our state code as a protected class have taken most of the criticism, but the fact remains that a majority of Democrats in the West Virginia House of Delegates were opposed to allowing this issue to move to the active calendar for a full vote in the House of Delegates. This was an issue that House members, Democrat and Republican alike, voiced concerns behind closed doors.“As a Christian, I believe God loves all people, including people involved in the homosexual lifestyle,” said Sobonya. “But just as we all love our own children, we do not always approve of our children’s actions. Passing a law that gives special legal recognition to a group of people who are classified as a minority because of their actions — rather than because of their gender, or their race, or the color of their skin — would be a bad precedent, and one that not even the federal government has approved or recognized.”Sobonya admitted she could have chosen better words when discussing the issue of discrimination. "The point I was trying to make, which was totally out of context in a recent news article," said Sobonya, "is that we should stop trying to amend classifications into state code based upon behavior and make it clear that discrimination is never acceptable. Using the force of law on the issue of sexual orientation is an affront to the deeply held religious beliefs of thousands of West Virginians. Society as a whole has not come to the conclusion that homosexuality is an inherit characteristic. Sobonya said the gay rights issue this session never had a realistic chance of passage in the WV House of Delegates and in the brief sixty-day session, left little time for less divisive issues. “With all the important issues facing the Legislature, from pay raises to tax cuts, it’s unfortunate that the final piece of legislation considered by the House Judiciary Committee was an issue that divides us rather than unites us,” said Sobonya. The reality is there were hundreds of bills assigned to the House Judiciary Committee that were never taken up for consideration. Some bills I sponsored that didn't make it on the House Judiciary agenda this session included: HB2928 increasing the penalty for driving under the influence causing death; HB2919 requiring a person incarcerated for sex offenses to register at the time they are incarcerated; HB2950 relating to the nonpartisan election of judges; and HB3162 verifying the lawful presence within the United States of any applicant for certain public benefits so that legal West Virginians can obtain social services. I believe the priority of the majority of West Virginians would be for their legislators to discuss these important issues rather than debating sexual orientation. Like the debate over other divisive issues like abortion and gambling, this was a debate on a particular piece of legislation with moral implications. We should be able to debate every issue without making it personal. The West Virginia House of Delegates is comprised of 100 Delegates representing a wide variety of professional backgrounds, political affiliations, genders, regions, socio-economic backgrounds, and viewpoints. We each have 1/100th of an equal voice. While the House Judiciary Chairwoman may have felt compelled to place the bill on the legislative agenda to stand up for her more liberal constituency, I likewise felt compelled to speak out on this issue and for the majority of my more moderate to conservative constituency. No one should feel compelled to surrender their faith at the door of the State Capitol. As we continue to take a stand based upon our deep-seeded faith, may we be mindful of the feelings of others. People of faith can and should have a place at the table of dialogue and debate. The diversity of opinions and beliefs of our legislators is what makes the legislative process work. News, notes...
I have not hesitated to criticize Charleston Mayor Danny Jones when he unnecessarily takes a swipe at his own party, so in fairness I also want to compliment him when appropriate. Last week, the mayor was discussing the presidential race on Hoppy Kerchavel's show, and did a great job handicapping the Clinton-Obama race while making it clear he was supporting John McCain...... When I teach campaign schools, one thing I stress is the need to return a call from a reporter as quickly as possible. So I was upset to read a Charleston Gazette story on Monday regarding the 2006 John Raese campaign that contained that dreaded phrase -- "A telephone message to Gary Abernathy ... was not returned Monday." In my defense, my message retrieval service was on the fritz Monday, and most reporters call me on my cell, not my land line. Still, I was upset at myself......The long awaited Caperton-Massey re-hearing will be held today at the state Supreme Court, as well as an appeal in the Wanda Carney obstruction case. Should be an interesting day at the court, and media coverage will likely be heavy.