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.
---
Having Fun
With Mojo
Whew! See what I
mean about Hillary?
Hey kids! Mojo here! Well, it all just goes to prove my point -- I have nothing to gain by being associated with Hillary! What a series of flubs! Notice you never see such nonsense with any of my events! When I'm doing a fundraiser, I don't schedule it at some bed and breakfast where "Will and Grace" repeats are the only thing on TV! Heck no! I schedule it at some sports bar, or some pig roast, or some hunting lodge with animal heads lining the wall! You know, a place where West Virginians can feel at home! Geesh! And I sure as heck don't get caught promoting it with government emails! How stupid is that? Bob Wise taught me to be very careful with email! So now I gotta find out who was using state government email to promote Hillary's fundraiser! Like I got nothing better to do! When I get hold of them, they'll wish the law was all they had to worry about! Think, people! Think!
Hillary cancels Hardy visit
One source says not enough money pledged; but use of state emails likely raised red flags
Hillary Clinton has apparently canceled a planned stop in Hardy County on July 27 after the location of a fundraiser was switched several times and invitations to the event were being circulated via state government emails.
Democrats were adamantly denying Wednesday that Hillary was ever scheduled to appear in Hardy County. But her campaign and other organizers confirmed that the visit and fundraiser had indeed been a scheduled part of her visit.
The Clinton campaign is insisting the event is being scrapped due to logistical problems. Both Hoppy Kercheval of Metro News and The Charleston Gazette are also covering the issue today. Kercheval is reporting that one organizer said the campaign told her Wednesday the event was canceled because not enough money was being raised.
But as late as yesterday morning, an official invitation (shown at right) was being circulated, and the fundraiser seemed to be green lighted.
Then, after reports surfaced here pointing out that the original location of the fundraiser was a gay-friendly bed and breakfast, and that invitations for the event were being forwarded on state government emails, the visit to Hardy County fell apart completely.
Meanwhile, shortly after Don Surber linked to it, the Drudge Report linked to the story in the Republican Gazette, which caused countless other internet political sites to link up as well, resulting in more than 60,000 hits to this site by 11 p.m. on Wednesday.
Kercheval is reporting today that Sally Michael, one of the organizers of the Hardy County event, said the fundraiser was expected to bring in at least $50,000. But she said the Clinton campaign told her "they needed a minimum of $150,000 to guarantee the event." The Clinton campaign, in turn, denied that was the case.
In fact, that reason doesn't make much sense, given that the official invitation was obviously firmly approved by the Clinton campaign, something that usually takes days or even weeks to happen in the world of presidential politics.
The suspicion in this corner is that the visit was derailed by the revelation that it was being promoted by state employees during state time using state email accounts -- all amounting to a huge red flag for any federal campaign, especially at the presidential level. The Republican Gazette reported those details Tuesday and Wednesday.
Plus, the Clinton campaign may have gotten fed up with what appeared to be an endless series of snafus.
The original site of the fundraiser was set to be the Guest House at Lost River, which turned out to be a bed and breakfast best known for being "gay friendly." Then it was moved to a golf course, and then to the South Branch Inn in Moorefield.
The event seemed to have little connection with the Democrat Party. The organizer was The Lohman Group, a Washington consulting firm with several D.C. clients, including Planned Parenthood, as well as the new Mountain Medical, Inc. healthcare facility in Moorefield , which organizers hoped Hillary would dedicate on the 27th prior to her fundraiser appearance.
This official invitation for a Hillary Clinton fundraiser in Hardy County was being circulated as late as Tuesday, but the event was suddenly canceled on Wednesday.
UNHAPPY CAMPERS
Gov. Joe Manchin engages in what appears to be a disagreeable conversation with table games opponents at the Seniors picnic at Shawnee Park on Tuesday. Manchin signed the law permitting votes on adding table games at tracks.
Photo obviously not by official governor photographer
Unger files second late report of week
John Unger has already filed his second late quarterly report of the week, this one including a form which lists candidate contributions. Unger lists none. If Unger files enough late reports, they might add up to one timely one.
'Gay-friendly' B&B got '06 state grant
The "gay-friendly" bed and breakfast where Hillary Clinton was originally scheduled to hold her Hardy County fundraiser was the recipient of a grant last year from the tourism office of the West Virginia Development Office, according to online records from the state auditor.
The grant was for nearly $1,300, and was paid to the Guest House at Lost River.
Additionally, just this past spring that same agency requested a payment of $315 to the Guest House, apparently for an overnight stay. The payment was made March 29, 2007.
The Guest House at Lost River is described online as a "seventeen-room bed and breakfast resort for Gay, Lesbian, and Gay-Friendly clientele."
However, it also apparently has its fair share of "straight" guests and is considered one of the finer dining facilities in the region.
GOP chair: Gov should probe abuse of email
State GOP Chair Doug McKinney today called on Gov. Joe Manchin to initiate an independent investigation of state government workers abusing their official email accounts for campaign purposes.
McKinney said the recent allegations that at least two government employees used their state email accounts to forward an email about a Hillary Clinton fundraiser in Hardy County demonstrates that administration employees do not sufficiently understand that such activity is prohibited by law.
"The governor should first send out an immediate directive reminding all his employees that they cannot use state government time, equipment or technology to promote campaigns or solicit funds for campaign appearances," said McKinney. "Then he should order an independent investigation into just how widespread this practice has been in recent years, and hold those accountable who have been abusing taxpayer dollars in regard to the amount of time public employees have been spending on such things."
McKinney said most state employees probably know better than to abuse their jobs by engaging in campaign activity at work, or by using state-supplied computers or other equipment for campaign purposes, but added, "There is obviously a problem here, and the governor should take the lead in putting a stop to it immediately."
