| Rodighiero's candidacy is not unexpected.
Big Coal has made its dissatisfaction with Rahall clear for a while now.
Of course, the state's voter registration being in favor of Democrats 2-1 presents too big of an obstacle for them to back a conservative Republican right out of the gate.
Instead, they're following the playbook from the anti-McGraw campaign: Find a rightwing Democrat and pour money on him to get a divisive primary. Then bring in a Republican to clean up.
It's unlikely that Rodighiero will beat Rahall, but that isn't the point. They simply want to soften him up for their guy in the fall.
It's a safe bet that Don Blankenship and Carl Hubbard have their checkbooks out and front groups are being organized.
And it's easy to guess where Logan County's "Outstanding Democrat" Art Kirkendoll is going to line up. After all, it's been nearly two weeks since his last opportunity to undermine the party.
The absurd part of all of this is that Rahall hasn't exactly been leading the fight to end MTR. He's regularly defended the process.
While he has an outstanding record on most environmental issues, his position on MTR is pretty much in line with Senator Rockefeller and Governor Manchin. His overall stand on the industry can hardly be described as "anti-coal" - he's long been an ally of the United Mine Workers, who made him an honorary member.
However, Rahall did speak out against the industry's campaign to demonize the EPA and asked for a reasonable discourse on the issue.
And that was enough to anger the coal operators.
Even the slightest hint of independent thinking by a southern West Virginia politician will bring down the wrath of Big Coal.
Rahall didn't adopt their "sky is falling" rhetoric and help stir up a panic because the EPA decided to look closer at MTR permits, so he must pay.
And if Democrats in West Virginia get any crazy ideas about listening to citizens concerned about a sustainable future, the coal operators will find someone else.
Rodighiero says environmentalists and federal regulators would have no influence over him.
So there you have it.
Expect a campaign full of attacks on activists, fear-mongering, Obama-bashing and a lot of empty rhetoric about "standing up for coal."
The rightwing desperately wants a West Virginia win in what they think will be their year nationally. They've chosen their target in a representative who has been reliable, throughout his career of three decades, as a voice for the working class.
Whether it's fighting for health care reform, increases in the minimum wage or trying see to it that U.S. soldiers aren't sent into an unnecessary war, Rahall has always fought the good fight for us.
Democrats should immediately call these efforts to splinter the base for what they are, and start working together now to support him. |
