 | ||||
RepublicanGazette
Abernathy Strategies
Submissions welcome
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.
-------
Search the Republican Gazette ---->
Monday, May 12, 2008 "When news breaks, we fix it" Serving West Virginia since 2005
Stand By Your Man (updated version)
Starcher phone records tell obvious tale
Starcher's phone calls
Friday, Jan. 11
1:36 p.m. -- Call to Albright
1:41 p.m. -- Call to Ketchum
3 p.m. -- Call to Ketchum
4:32 p.m. -- Call from Rodd
4:39 p.m. -- Call to Karlin
4:46 p.m. -- Call from Karlin
4:57 p.m. -- Call to Rodd
6:23 p.m. -- Call to Rodd
6:32 p.m. -- Call from Rodd
6:34 p.m. -- Call to Rodd
7:55 p.m. -- Call to Ketchum
9:59 p.m. -- Call to Karlin
10:06 p.m. -- Call to Ketchum
(Attorney Magann says he got a call from Karlin Saturday or Sunday telling him the vacation photos were going to be made public.)
Saturday, Jan. 12
9:17 a.m. -- Call to Karlin
9:55 a.m. -- Call to Albright
1:29 p.m. -- Call to Rodd
1:30 p.m. -- Call to Ketchum
1:33 p.m. -- Call to Ketchum
1:42 p.m. -- Call to Ketchum
7:06 p.m. -- Call to Albright
7:22 p.m. -- Call from Albright
7:45 p.m. -- Call to Rodd
7:46 p.m. -- Call to Rodd
Sunday, Jan. 13
10:05 a.m. -- Call to Rodd
10:06 a.m. -- Call to Rodd
10:07 a.m. -- Call to Rodd
10:09 a.m. -- Call from Rodd
10:40 a.m. -- Call to Karlin
11:07 a.m. -- Call to Ketchum
Monday, Jan. 14 (The day the photos are filed)
1:57 p.m. -- Call to Karlin
1:59 p.m. -- Call to Karlin
2 p.m. -- Call from Karlin
2 p.m. -- Call to Karlin
2:09 p.m. -- Call to Albright
2:37 p.m. -- Call to Karlin
2:38 p.m. -- Call to Ketchum
2:39 p.m. -- Fax to Belpre Furniture Galleries
2:47 p.m. -- Call from Karlin
3:06 p.m. -- Call to Rodd
3:06 p.m. -- Call to Karlin
3:20 p.m. -- Fax to Karlin
3:28 p.m. -- Call from Karlin
7:54 p.m. -- Call to Crabtree
9:28 p.m. -- Call to Albright
10:02 p.m. -- Call to Ketchum
10:28 p.m. -- Call from Rodd
10:59 p.m. -- Call to Rodd
10:59 p.m. -- Call to Rodd
The series of calls found on records reflecting Justice Larry Starcher's phone conversations before and after the filing of the Spike Maynard-Don Blankenship vacation photos, coupled with an interview attorney Michael Magann gave to the West Virginia Record last week, tell what appears to be a very obvious tale.Magann said he received a call about the photos from attorney Al Karlin on the "Saturday or Sunday" prior to the Monday, Jan. 14, filing of the photos with the Supreme Court by attorneys for Hugh Caperton.How did Karlin know, if he did, that the photos were about to be made public? According to Starcher's phone records, obtained by the Record through a FOIA request, Starcher spoke with Karlin numerous times leading up to the day the photos were filed. The sidebar at right reflects only calls made Jan. 11-14 (for a complete account, click here).Other calls reflected at right are with Justice Joe Albright, Court candidate Menis Ketchum, and clerks Tom Rodd and Matt Crabtree.At WVU, leaving never really means you're going anywhere
Goodwin says he'll give up the chairmanship, but he's staying put on the Board of Governors
When Gerald Lang and Stephen Sears resigned their positions as provost and dean, respectively, at West Virginia University in the wake of the Heather Bresch scandal, most people assumed they would be job hunting. Of course, as it turned out, they weren't going anywhere, except back to their teaching jobs at WVU.Now comes word that Stephen Goodwin, chairman of the WVU Board of Governors, will give up the chairmanship when his term as chair expires this summer. But in the next sentence, he said he would be staying on the board -- just not as chair.What's next -- Mike Garrison announcing he is resigning as president of WVU, but keeping his office, his authority and his university-provided home? Probably.If this is called punishment, everyone on the Top Ten Most Wanted list should hope they're captured by officials at WVU. West Virginians everywhere are asking, what is this cozy club, and how do we join?NEWS & NOTES
West Virginia's D'Antoni lands in the Big Apple, and the Hot Seat
Bass: Obama will be targeted by social issues
Kennie Bass, reporter for WCHS-TV in Charleston, told CNN on Friday that if Barack Obama wins the Democrat nomination for president, he will be targeted by the Republican Party on social issues like abortion, gay rights and guns.Bass was interviewed by CNN during a segment previewing Tuesday's big primary election in West Virginia. You can watch it here.Weeks suit will be
filed Wednesday
The lawsuit by GOP gubernatorial candidate Russ Weeks against Gov. Joe Manchin and the State Legislature over the retroactive per diems will be filed Wednesday, and not today as reported earlier. Weeks and his attorney, Richie Robb, are putting the final touches on the lawsuit.WVPBS reports on negative Supreme Court ads
Scott Finn of West Virginia Public Broadcasting has filed an excellent report on the negative advertising being run in the race for the state Supreme Court, including the flip-flop of candidate Menis Ketchum, who said a few weeks ago he was not going to criticize Justice Spike Maynard. Now, of course, Ketchum has launched the first negative ad of the season. Find Finn's report here. 
West Virginia's Mike D'Antoni has been signed to a four-year contract to coach the New York Knicks, putting him on the biggest stage in professional basketball, and the hottest seat in the NBA.Despite a poor showing by his Phoenix Suns in a first round playoff loss to the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, D'Antoni, a former Coach of the Year, is still considered one of the best coaches in the game.But New York has been a difficult stop for many of the game's top coaches, ranging from Hubie Brown to Rick Pitino to Pat Riley to Don Nelson to Larry Brown. In fact, the Knicks have not won a championship since the MIKE D'ANTONI
1973 team coached by Red Holzman. A return to prominence by the Knicks, like that of the Lakers and Celtics, would be good for the league, so here's wishing D'Antoni the best.
