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REPUBLICAN OF THE YEAR
Gazette's Tom Searls dies unexpectedly
Tom Searls, longtime political reporter for The Charleston Gazette, was found dead Thursday, apparently of heart failure. He was just 54. You can read the newspaper's story here.Tom was a gruff, old-school reporter who held strong political beliefs and fiercely loved the state in which he was born and worked. He was also immensely likeable and could tell story after story of his various exploits in the newspaper business, and the run-ins he had with those he covered.Tom's interview style was often aggressive and sometimes confrontational, but his finished stories were usually fair and balanced and seldom reflective of the tone of the interview itself. On a personal level, I enjoyed my interaction with Tom. Like most people Tom knew, I spent quite a bit of time listening to his stories and the various personal issues he dealt with, including how he cared for his mother. One time several months ago, when the Supreme Court controversy involving Spike Maynard, Massey Energy and recusal issues were at the height of their controversy, Searls approached me in the Capitol Rotunda and angrily took me to task for defending Brent Benjamin's refusal to recuse himself from Massey cases. It was the first time Tom had expressed such anger at me, and I was somewhat taken aback. But a couple of weeks later when I ran into him again, he apologized and said he hoped I didn't take it too personally. Fact is, I didn't, and I told him so; Tom was a passionate guy when it came to his state and the politics in which he believed.Everyone I know who dealt with him -- and that's mostly Republicans -- liked Tom and felt he gave them a fair shake, even while we knew that on a personal level he strongly disagreed with us and our philosophy. Everyone is very saddened by his unexpected passing, and the media in West Virginia has lost one of its most colorful and talented reporters.
CINDY McCAIN
WV McCain HQ site of party for GOP nominee; Cindy makes call
Supporters of GOP presidential candidate John McCain gathered at McCain headquarters on Hale Street in Charleston on Thursday evening to participate in one of thousands of "house parties" being held across the nation in support of the nominee.As part of the activities, McCain's wife, Cindy, addressed those in attendance via conference call, thanking volunteers for their efforts and urging them to continue their grassroots activities on behalf of her husband.State McCain director Ben Beakes hosted the event, and Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito was also in attendance. A new video was shown going into greater detail than ever before of McCain's capture and captivity as a POW at what he referred to as the "Hanoi Hilton." Below is a similar video to the one shown Thursday.Manchin made round of calls building support for Barth Morgantown event
Gov. Joe Manchin made several rounds of calls last week urging donors to attend a fundraiser in Morgantown for Anne Barth, the Democrat candidate for the 2nd Congressional District.According to sources familiar with the calls, some donors expressed surprise, telling Manchin they had already given to Barth's opponent, Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito. But Manchin insisted they needed to support Barth, and urged them to attend the Morgantown event, which featured an appearance by Sen. Robert C. Byrd. The calls were suprising to many who felt that Manchin was lukewarm about the congressional race because they believed he shares a friendship with the Moore family. Young Republicans announce officers
(Press Release) The WV Young Republicans are poised for the General Election. "Our organization will lay the foundation for tomorrow's leaders here in West Virginia,” said Ashley Stinnett, State Chairman, "We are the oldest youth political organization in the nation - which is why it is so important to get our youth involved." The organization consists of: Ashley Stinnett- State Chairman and holds a BA from Marshall. Served as Chairman for Wayne Co. YR's and as National Committeeman for WVYRs 2003-2006. Served as interim campaign director for Mike Teets for WV Comm. of Agr. May-July 08. Works in film, journalism, and public relations. Lisa Peana – serves as Executive Director for the YR’s. She recently served as President of the State Republican Club where she over-saw the recruitment of candidates and is currently a Candidate for the House of Delegates in District 17.Mike Ankrom – Regional Coordinator. Formerly worked for the WVGOP and as a field rep for Bush/Cheney 04. Currently, he is the Campaign Director for Dan Greear. He holds a BA and Masters from Marshall University. April Black-Cabell Co officer and Treasurer. April is a Marshall Graduate and works for a Huntington based Law Firm.Nora Ankrom- Secretary for the WVYR's and recent Marshall Graduate.Sara Schofield- National Committeewoman with the WVYR's and holds a Bachelor’s and Masters in Biology from Marshall. She is a Putnam County resident originally from Charleston. Weeks tells 'Talkline' Manchin wrong to intervene with court brief in DuPont case
Russ Weeks, Republican candidate for governor, told "Talkline" host Hoppy Kercheval on Thursday that Gov. Joe Manchin was wrong to intervene as he did in DuPont's appeal of a multi-million dollar verdict against the corporation, and ethical experts across the country are agreeing."This is carelessness,'' Jack Marshall, president of Alexandria, Va.-based ProEthics Ltd. and editor of ethicsscoreboard.com, told The Associated Press. "You don't really have to get to the question of motives and what was really going on behind the scenes. The plaintiffs look at this and say, 'It's not fair.' The public looks at it and says, 'Hmm.' This undermines the public trust.'' Read the story here.