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The Republican Gazette 
MONDAY APRIL 20, 2009The 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.
Eastern Panhandle plays host to Lincoln Day Dinners, WVGOP Think Tank session
The Eastern Panhandle played host to a big Republican weekend, with Lincoln Day Dinners and a WVGOP Think Tank session held Saturday. Above, I was honored to offer the keynote remarks at the Berkeley County Lincoln Day Dinner, with the reception and dinner organized jointly between the Berkeley GOP executive committee and the Berkeley County Republican Club. The Journal has coverage. A big thanks to Berkeley GOP Chair Mick Staton and GOP Club President Les Gallipo for organizing a great event, and a special thanks to club secretary Ruth Collins for taking the lead in planning the dinner. At right, I welcomed participants Saturday morning at our first WVGOP Think Tank session, held in Charles Town, in Jefferson County, where Jefferson Chair Anne Dungan (with help from her husband, Gary), took the lead in organizing the event. An open and productive discussion was held on topics ranging from communications to the party's first-ever state presidential convention last year. Those participating Saturday unanimously endorsed the idea of holding another such convention, but with several improvements and changes. Bottom right, GOP Chair Doug McKinney answers questions from Think Tank participants. The next Think Tank meeting is coming up Wednesday, April 22, in Keyser, at 7 p.m. at Grand Central Business Center. Morgan County also held its Lincoln Day Dinner on Saturday, with keynote remarks from an actor portraying Abe Lincoln himself.
WVGOP Think Tank upcoming meetings
The first WVGOP Think Tank meeting was held Saturday in Charles Town. Upcoming meetings will be held in the following locations.April 22, 7 p.m., Keyser, Grand Central Business Center, 2nd Floor Meeting Room, contact Gary Howell, 304-788-6554.
May 15, Huntington, 6:30 p.m., location TBA.
June 16, Morgantown, 7 p.m. Chestnut Ridge Community Church, Cheat Lake, contact Pam Krushansky, 304-292-1265.
Other meetings are being organized during May and June in Beckley, Wheeling and Charleston. Finalized dates and locations should be announced soon.
Barack Obama makes a new friend
Not only did Barack Obama walk across a room to shake hands with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, he made sure cameras got a good shot. Newt Gingrich said it best over the weekend, saying, "Well, the president recently bowed to the Saudi king. He has been friendly to the Iranians, despite their 7,300 centrifuges making nuclear weapons. He's basically backed off on his threats to the North Koreans. He has made life easier for the Castro dictatorship in Cuba. Why not embrace or at least be cheerful and friendly with Hugo Chavez? ... taking a picture that clearly looks like they're buddies, hurts in all of Latin America. Chavez has a big propaganda machine. They're going to be putting that picture all over Latin America. Chavez is going to say, See? I'm the future. Being an anti-American dictator is just fine, and the Americans need the oil so desperately that they will be nice to me, no matter what I do."TUESDAY APRIL 21, 2009Carmichael: 'It's raining in West Virginia'
Carmichael on offensive on 'Decision Makers' program
MITCH CARMICHAEL
Republican Del. Mitch Carmichael appeared on the "Decision Makers" TV news show over the weekend, and told host Bray Cary, "It's raining in West Virginia," pulling out an umbrella and holding it over his head to illustrate the point that the governor and other Democrats won't dip into the Rainy Day fund despite the economic crisis.Cary, who often complains about the lack of effective action in the legislature but seldom advocates the election of more Republicans, listened as Carmichael slammed the Dems for raising unemployment comp taxes on businesses and failing to act on the school calendar. Watch the program video at left.Campaign for Liberty chief praises GOP primary advisory
The WVGOP's ad-hoc committee recommendation to keep the GOP primary open to unaffiliated voters has drawn praise from the interim state director of the Campaign for Liberty organization, which is Ron Paul's grassroots group.Edward Burgess of Charleston writes on his Campaign for Liberty blog, "... many are presently registered to vote as 'unaffiliated,' more commonly known as 'independent.' The WVGOP would do well to remember this and ask themselves, 'Why?'"RNC Chairman Michael Steele is urging a response to the Obama administration's DHS comments about veterans and terrorists. Watch the video at left.
WEDNESDAY APRIL 22, 2009Interrogation,
Obama-style
"For the last time, Mohammad, where does al Qaeda plan to attack next?""I will never tell you anything, you American dogs!""Again, Mohammad, where will al Qaeda attack next?""I will never tell! You can slam me against a wall! You can humiliate me! You can waterboard me a hundred times! But I will never tell!""Uh, well, actually, Mohammad, we're not allowed to do that stuff anymore.""No?""No. President Obama says it's too harsh.""Are you kidding me? Is this another American trick?""Uh, no. It's true.""Seriously? Then what are you going to do to me?""Well, let me check my list. Ok. I can raise my voice slightly above the level necessary for an average person to be heard in a crowded room. Let's give it a try. Mohammad!""Yes?""Where does al Qaeda plan to attack next?""That seemed loud to me.""Really? Sorry about that. Let me try again. Mohammad, would you please tell us where al Qaeda plans to attack next?""I'll think about it. For a thousand years!""Not funny, Mohammad. Ok, I am permitted to step it up a bit. Let's see... Oh yeah. See this chalkboard, Mohammad? Uh huh, that's right.Tell me what I want to know, or I'll scrape my fingernails down this chalkboard!""Go ahead, American devil!""It will be really creepy!""Do it! I don't care! I'm not telling!""You're a real hard case, aren't you Mohammad? Ok, let me check my list again. Oh, here's a good one. Hand me that feather. Thanks. Hold up your foot, Mohammad. Little higher. Gitchy gitchy goo!""Hahahaha! Oh quit that! Please! Hahahaha! I can't take it! Hahahaha!""Just tell me what I want to know, Mohammad!""Never! Hahahahaha!""Ok, Mohammad. You leave me no choice. This is the most excruciating interrogation method we're permitted to use now.""What is it? Hey! What are you going to do with that knife? I thought you weren't allowed to do such things!?!" "Sorry, Mohammad, but we need this information, and we need it now!""No.... Don't! Don't! Pleeeeeaaase!! Huh? What are you doing?""I'm balancing this knife on the end of my nose! How long do you think I can do it?""I don't know.""C'mon, guess!""Oh, alright. Sixty seconds.""Ok. If I keep this knife balanced on my nose for more than sixty seconds, you have to tell us what we want to know. Deal?""Oh, alright. Deal. You Americans are tough!"Kanawha County is the most populous county in the state with 200,073 persons as recorded by the 2000 census, but has an unfair advantage in state government. Not because of its population, but because of multi-delegate districts where each citizen gets to vote for two state Senators and in some cases seven house members, whereas most of the state gets to vote for only one senator and one delegate each election cycle. The citizens of Kanawha County, and some other counties to a lesser extent, have more representation in the legislature than most. Most citizens of the state are only represented by two state Senators and one House member, if you live in Charleston you are represented by four state senators and seven house members. This puts the citizens in most other parts of the state at a disadvantage when requesting help from their state Senators and Representatives, when compared those living in Multi-delegate districts. Why is this bad? Consider something simple.
You live in a single delegate district like most of us and you want a pot hole fixed on the state highway near your home. You can call on two senators and one delegate to push the Department of Highways to make the repair. Now if you live the Kanawha County’s 30th Delegate district, then you have a distinct advantage to get your pot hole fixed. You can call on four senators and seven delegates to motivate the DOH to make the needed repairs. The odds are 11 to 3 in favor of the Kanawha voter getting preferential treatment in state legislature under the current system, and that is just not fair. Each voter from Kanawha County is represented by 12% of the West Virginia Senate, yet each voter in the rest of the state is only represented by 6%. That is unfair representation. The House of Delegates is just as bad while in most of the state each voter is represented by 1% of the House, in Kanawha’s 30th District each voter is represented by 7% of the House, in Raleigh’s 27th District each voter is represented by 5% of the House, Monongalia’s 44th, Logan/Lincoln’s 19th, and Harrison’s 41st have 4%. There are a few three and two delegate districts, but the majorities are single delegate districts.Consider that in one of the growth areas of the state Berkeley County each voter is only represented by one delegate, 1% or the House, and two Senators, 6% of the Senate. This gives each voter in Berkeley County a clear disadvantage in representation Charleston when compared to Kanawha County or some of the others with multi-delegate districts. Consider that this arrangement should be unconstitutional under West Virginia’s constitution which states; “Article II, 2-4. Equal representation; Every citizen shall be entitled to equal representation in the government, and, in all apportionments of representation, equality of numbers of those entitled thereto, shall as far as practicable, be preserved.”West Virginian’s current system also appears to violate the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. Section 1 of the amendment states; “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”The US Supreme Court has already interpreted the “Equal Protection Clause” to extend to voting districts. In the 1963 case Grey v. Sanders the court held, 8 to 1, that State elections must adhere to the one person, one vote principle. Justice William Douglas wrote the majority opinion stated, "The concept of political equality...can mean only one thing—one person, one vote". As it stands right now one person, one vote only applies to some West Virginian’s while others get more than one vote. If you live in Martinsburg you get to vote for one Delegate to represent you and one Senator, if you live in Charleston you get to vote for seven Delegates and two Senators to represent you. It is time that we change West Virginia’s legislative districts, where each voter is represented by only one delegate and two senators, so that the districts are fair and come in line with both the state and US Constitutions. Multi-delegate system violates Constitution, makes for unfair field
By Gary
Howell
Byrd warns Obama about unchecked authority of 'czars'
Barack Obama has installed more than a dozen so-called "czars" so far in his administration, but only held his first cabinet meeting Monday, something noted in an article this week in the San Francisco Examiner.As the story noted, Sen. Robert C. Byrd wrote Obama, warning about czars, saying, "...I have seen the lines of authority and responsibility become tangled and blurred, sometimes purposely, to shield information and to obscure the decision-making process." It's fun to see Democrats fight. THURSDAY APRIL 23, 2009Charleston Gazette offers wisdom on the smoking issue
I really never thought I would be holding up the Charleston Gazette as a bastion of reason in the debate over smoking bans, but lo and behold, today's lead editorial, Compromise, provides a rare instance of sanity in an increasingly insane controversy.The latest absurdity from the Smoking Nazis came this week from Kanawha County Health Board officials who are actually requesting police escorts when they inspect bars for smoking infractions. That's right. They want to pull law enforcement officers away from patrolling for crimes like shootings, muggings, theft, etc., to protect them from angry patrons while they probe for smoking in bars. I sincerely hope the sheriff and the police chief laugh these very lonely people with too much time on their hands out of their stations.As the Gazette editorializes today, "...we realize that smokers are people, too, and they shouldn't be banished from society as outcasts - which is the result of the toughest smoking restrictions. We also realize that laws cannot dictate the personal behavior of all people, all the time. Specifically, we think there should be room for possible compromise in the noisy battle over whether cigarettes may be allowed in bars and casinos." There is hope for a free society yet.'Think Tank' participants again endorse another prez convention
Participants in the West Virginia Republican Party's second "Think Tank" session Wednesday night once again unanimously endorsed the notion of holding another Republican state presidential convention in 2012, just like those who attended the first such session in Charles Town on Saturday.Once again, though, attendees said the party must do a much better job of informing Republicans about the convention process, and making the system much more simple for Republicans to participate in, as well as making it easier to understand.Attendees at the meeting in Keyser last night, organized by Gary Howell, came from Mineral, Hardy and Pendleton counties, and agreed on the need for the GOP to adhere to its core principles, field qualified candidates, and do a better job of informing voters about the disastrous results of more than 70 years of Democrat control of the legislature.'Earth Day' celebrated across the galaxy
Jupiter, Mars and Neptune held "Earth Day" celebrations on Wednesday, caving to pressure from environmentalists on Earth. Mars, though, long known as the "Red Planet," balked at growing pressure to "go green." Said one Mars spokesman, "We've built a whole tourist industry on being the Red Planet, and it's going to take more than a few hot summers on Earth to make us throw away bultrons of zutons (millions of Earth dollars) in promotion and advertising to change now. They think Earth's climate is bad? Try going from 220 below zero in the winter to 70 in the summer!"Still, the effectiveness of the environmental lobby is obviously being felt across the galaxy, as Neptune joined the "Earth Day" festivities for the first time. But a member of Neptune's minority party, the Zackaloids,said "Earth Day" was one more example of the third planet from the sun exercising a moral superiority to other planets. "Earth always thinks it's so special," he said on condition of anonymity. "A lot of planets are getting tired of its holier-than-thou attitude." Pluto, meanwhile, again boycotted "Earth Day," still upset that Earth discontinued recognizing its planetary status back in 2006. 