Perhaps I am old-fashioned -- but I came up in politics at a time when those who aspired to public office felt it was both common courtesy and common sense to go to the people and ask for their votes.
Today, a different style of electioneering has come into fashion: dispensing with the nuisance you and I call "democracy," and dipping deep into one's own pockets and attempting simply to purchase political office outright.
That is precisely what my opponent, Republican candidate and multimillionaire John Raese is seeking to do. In fact, recently Mr. Raese surpassed a remarkable milestone: He has now contributed more than $1,700,000 to his own campaign.
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Mr. Raese's millions have paid for attack ads running throughout West Virginia and continue to pay for the services of the notorious Republican attack dog Keith Appell. Mr. Appel orchestrated the "Swift Boat" advertisements that smeared the heroic war record of my colleague Senator John Kerry in 2004.
They have similar designs on me. Whether it works may very well depend on you.
Their strategy rests on two assumptions. The first is that I will be silent in the face of their smears. The second is that I do not have friends who will help to ensure my message is heard.
Now to be honest, I'm not worried about Senator Byrd's re-election chances. So you won't see me posting a fund raising link to Byrd's campaign. If you want to contribute to him, it's easy enough for you to find (yes, I'm still mad at him for his Alito vote).
But he points to a legitimate problem in this campaign cycle. And while I'm happy for Raese to throw away his money on his own fool's quest, Don Blankenship, whose been described as a man who would strip mine his own mother's grave if he could make a dollar off it, does have a good chance at buying off an election here in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.
In yet another pro-Don Blankenship story by Martinsburg City Editor Matt Bieniek (see my thoughts on Bieniek here), Blankenship describes his plans to buy off the election:
In fact, Blankenship has contributed thousands to local Republican candidates for the Legislature. He's running a statewide campaign to defeat incumbents and elect candidates he says support the values of most West Virginians. Blankenship said he'll spend $1 million to $2 million individually, and a total of $5 million to $6 million on the 2006 election through other organizations.
While Republicans had elected the occasional governor and a few legislators, it is only in the last decade that they have built up a substantial presence in the House of Delegates and State Senate.
"The political changes are part of a long-term trend that would happen even without me around," he said. "All I'm doing is accelerating it."
Which is bullshit. He's not accelerating anything. He's totally causing it by putting in millions of dollars to run misleading ad campaigns and to generate name recognition for candidates who have never done anything for the public good in their lives.
Blankenship also completely misstates why the Eastern Panhandle of the state does not receive the support from Charleston it deserves.
If things don't change "the agenda of the southern Democrats will control the Legislature," he said. And the Democratic leaders from the southern part of the state don't understand the things needed in a growing economy. The unwillingness to listen to the Panhandle's needs is symptomatic of what happens when one party controls the state political process, he said.
"It's a tough state because of the needs of different regions, but the Eastern Panhandle could be better accommodated."
The best way to meet the needs of the Eastern Panhandle is to elect more Democrats.
The governor's mansion, the House of Delegates and the State Senate are all controlled by the Democratic Party. But this portion of the state votes Republican out of being a traditional Republican strong-hold and because so many Republicans from suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia have moved out here in a new wave of white flight from the increasingly diversified suburbs. And they come out here with their subtle racist attitudes, their McMansion loving lifestyles and their Republican voting habits. So Republicans keep getting elected who are completely ineffective at getting legislation passed to help the Eastern Panhandle. Instead, we have two Democrats, who must try to form a coalition with a bunch of ineffective Republicans who see Charleston as a social club than a place to work.
The most effective representative from the Eastern Panhandle, State Sen. John Unger, is on the top of Blankenship's "hit list" because he's a Democrat. Blankenship is bankrolling the campaign of Unger's opponent, a do-nothing slackard who is able to put large advertisements in the Journal each week thanks to Blankenship's millions.
Why does Don Blankenship want to eliminate Democratic state legislators to put in his hand picked people?
Perhaps the answer can be found in math.
WVDEP issued 4,268 citations to Massey operations between 1/1/2000 and 12/2/2005. ARCH earned 732 and Peabody earned 355.
Show cause:
Massey 117, ARCH 20, Peabody 0
"Numbers don't lie." Jeff McCormick, WVDEP Mining and Reclamation
Vanity Fair Magazine, May 2006
Am I saying Don Blankenship doesn't value the lives of his workers? Absolutely.
On the Sago Disaster:
Blankenship said before the speech (before the Berkelely County Republican Club) that he believes the Aracoma mine explosion was caused by fire in the belt, the mechanism that brings coal from the interior of the mines to the surface. He said he believes that type of explosion, and the Jan. 2 Sago Mine explosion in Upshur County that killed 12 workers, is rare and statistically insignificant.
Hagerstown Herald-Mail, 2/19/2006
Go read his other quotes to see how little he cares about his workers and the environment.
So what am I asking you to do? Either volunteer to help elect the candidates Don Blankenship opposes or donate money to help us get them elected.
Please donate to the West Virginia Democrats. Or send a contribution to State Sen. John Unger.
Thank you. |
