repubgazette7-11-07manchinstillsaysnobillywayneissuelives

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Having Fun

With Mojo

Zzzzzzzzzzz

Senator Manchin, President Clinton calling on Line 2. Senator Manchin, President Clinton calling on Line 2. Senator Manchin....

Oops! Caught me daydreaming! Sorry kids! Don't sneak up on me like that!

Final days to make reservations for July 14 event in Huntington

When: Saturday, July 14, 2007

Where: Pullman Plaza Hotel, Huntington

Schedule: 9 a.m. GOP women's meeting, treasurer training. 10:30 a.m., Chairman Doug McKinney's State of the Party address, state executive committee meeting begins. 1 p.m., Business and Economic Forum moderated by Mike Stuart, featuring Secretary of State Betty Ireland, John Raese, "Unleashing Capitalism" co-editor Matt Ryan. 5 p.m. Private reception for RNC Chairman Mike Duncan. 6 p.m. WVGOP fundraising dinner. 7:45 p.m., music and dancing with the Jailhouse Rockers.

Reservations: Email Allison Plants, Marti Riggall or Mike Ankrom or call 304-768-0495.

Bailey saga not

quite over yet

Even though state Sen. Billy Wayne Bailey finally came up with a lame effort to claim residency in Wyoming County -- saying he has a post office box and visits his mother there -- he still may not be satisfying the residency requirements spelled out in a state Supreme Court case involving none other than Joe Manchin.

As reported by Lawrence Messina of The Associated Press, the current governor was knocked off the ballot back in 1984 when was running for the state Senate. The court ruled that senators "must be residents of both the county and the district from which they are elected.'' It further said that the most important factor in determining residency was where the individual lived with his family -- which in Bailey's case, is clearly Beckley, in Raleigh County, by his own admission.

Literally just a few hours after I noted that Senator Robert C. Byrd's staff has stayed largely intact in recent years, one of his top aides, Tom Gavin, said he was leaving to join the organization headed by none other than the rock star and activist Bono. MetroNews has the story, as do others.

administration is offering a ton of excuses, the most favored one being that it takes time to craft good legislation. Of course, that didn't stop the governor from calling his special session last year to pass emergency mining legislation, with little thought and less discussion.

The main reason the governor won't call lawmakers into special session is because it has primarily been the Republican legislators calling for it, which brings to mind the embarrassing episode during the Logan's Law debate when the governor's office distributed talking points to Democrats with marching orders on how to respond to GOP calls for a tougher sex crime bill.

Remember? Here's a refresher. The very first paragraph of the infamous memo said, "Reclaim ownership of bill. First, we need to emphasize that it was the Governor that first introduced tougher sex offender legislation."

If Governor Manchin is about anything, he's about getting all the credit for any positive developments. Only when some more time passes and the governor can position himself as the point person on the wiretap issue will he or his party take any action on it.

Meanwhile, drug dealers who would otherwise be behind bars are open for business.