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CLICK TO PURCHASE -- Click the image above to purchase a ticket to the Rock'n'Roll Party for Russ Weeks on Sept. 16 at the Raleigh County Armory in Beckley. All online donations of $20 or more between now and Sept. 16 to the Weeks campaign will be credited toward admission to the event. Tickets are also available at WVGOP headquarters. The fundraiser is being hosted by Joe and Julia Long, Del. Linda Sumner, Raleigh County Chairman Dereck Severt, and Summers County Chairman Joe Garcia. Call 304-344-4671 for more details, or click here.
Obama's West Virginia effort not what it seems
Ballyhooed campaign little more than state Democrat Party adopting a different name, generating media hoopla over nothing
The much ballyooed expansion of the Barack Obama campaign into West Virginia in fact seems to be nothing of the sort, and is instead akin to the state Democratic Party giving itself a different name and insinuating it is the Obama campaign.For a couple of weeks, political observers have been baffled by the various news reports and announcements that the Obama campaign was on the verge of putting a large staff and hundreds of volunteers into West Virginia. The strategy made little sense, since the state is considered by almost everyone as safe McCain territory.But now that the regional "Obama" offices have opened, the truth becomes a little more clear. In fact, the new Obama effort is not operating under the name "Obama for America," which is the official campaign monicker, but instead is called "Campaign for Change." And, even more telling, donors are being asked to send contributions to "Campaign for Change" at a Charleston mailing address, not to the Obama presidential campaign.Plus, the Obama literature being handed out this week at the various headquarters is obviously just recycled handouts from the Primary election -- even referring to early voting between "April 23rd and May 10th," and urging Democrats to vote on "Election Day, May 13th." And a phone number printed on the material -- 304-346-2616 -- has been disconnected.Finally, virtually all the staffers working for "Campaign for Change" are people who were working for the state Democrat Party just a few days ago, with no announcements about the state party replacing the staffers who have left.In essence, what has happened here is that the state Democrat Party has simply renamed itself the "Campaign for Change," while claiming to the media that it represents a new commitment to West Virginia by Barack Obama. The truth is, the Obama campaign has made no such commitment at all. If anything, the commitment is coming from Sen. Jay Rockefeller, who came out back in February for Obama and who has poured nearly $100,000 into the state party over the past year, including transfers of $60,000 in April and May alone, according to FEC records. Apparently, if the Obama campaign won't put resources into West Virginia, Rockefeller and the state Democrat Party are undertaking the task themselves -- even if they have to use old, recycled literature to spread their message. | ||||
RECYCLED CAMPAIGN -- This piece of Obama literature was picked up this week from one of the new "Campaign for Change" headquarters in West Virginia, and is obviously a recycled handout from the Primary election. The phone number at the bottom has been disconnected.
Obama's 'lipstick' reference only unintentional to those who must be new to politics
Was Barack Obama's "lipstick on a pig" comment on Tuesday merely the repetition of a commonly used analogy, or was it intended as a direct reference to Gov. Sarah Palin?Consider:* Palin joked a week ago at the Republican National Convention that the only difference between a pitbull and a hockey mom was "lipstick."* Democratic Congressman Russ Carnahan introduced vice presidential contender Joe Biden at a Tuesday event by ripping into Palin and ending with, "There’s no way you can dress up that record, even with a lot of lipstick."* Later Tuesday, Barack Obama said that the McCain-Palin policies being presented as change is like "putting lipstick on a pig -- it's still a pig."If you believe Obama's comment was innocently made, you are to be commended for your political innocence. In fact, it is an insult to Obama as a politician for his supporters to claim his reference was unintentional, because to do so is to admit that he is out of his league.Obama is not out of his league. He is a smart, calculating politician. And as soon as the word "lipstick" came out of his mouth on Tuesday, the supportive audience to whom he was speaking erupted immediately in applause, because they quickly got the reference to Palin and her convention joke -- and Barack smiled along with them.Yes, John McCain and countless other politicians have used the "lipstick on a pig" line over the years. But to use it within days of Palin's famous joke is a different matter entirely, and Obama is smart enough to understand that. The Democrats are so rattled, so angry, so at a loss as to how to handle the Palin phenomenon, they are stepping on their tongues at every opportunity. And -- much to the delight of the McCain campaign -- Obama is allowing Palin to become the issue. It is a happy day indeed for Republicans when the Democrat nominee for president seems to be running against the Republican nominee for vice president. 
The Taylor County Republican Executive Committee recently hosted a Hog Roast, and used the time to introduce various candidates. Shown at left speaking at the podium is Gary Howell, candidate for the 14th District state Senate seat. Pictured are, from left: Joyce Teets, wife of GOP agriculture commissioner candidate Michael Teets; Chris Mader, representing attorney general candidate Dan Greear; Howell; and Charles Minimah, candidate for secretary of state. U.S. Senate candidate Jay Wolfe was also in attendance. Howell also held a successful fundraiser Wednesday in Kingwood.
