Democrat Ken Hechler files for WV-SEN

Bad move, Ken (0.00 / 0)

Your time is over. You're nearly 96 years old.

---

by: WV26003 @ Wed Jul 21, 2010 at 17:59:33 PM UTC

Don't you read? (0.00 / 0)

Ken's candidacy is to make a statement about mountaintop removal mining.  More power to you Ken.  You've got my vote since all the others have their fingers in the pockets of big coal, especially Manchin.  

---

by: Harry @ Mon Jul 26, 2010 at 16:07:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

This is great for Manchin and Hechler (4.00 / 2)

Hechler's timing is perfect because it follows on the heels of Capito's decision to exit the race so it shows he is still a Democratic teeam player.

For Hechler it is also an opportunity for him to have a platform to discuss the environmental and other issues important to him and many of us. For Manchin, it provides him with a chance to debate a worthy opponent on his vision for the future of West Virginia, and also an opportunity to sharpen his campaign message to appeal to ALL West Virginians, and not just those who are eager to bow to King Coal.

The short time between the primary and the general election also means money spent on a primary challenger helps Manchin get his name out for the Senate race.

More than half the state opposes mountaintop removal. Manchin needs to hear that and address that. This also is a chance for the Manchin folks to hone the campaign before they face a well-financed challenger in Raese.

Unlike Raese who has never won any office in his life, Hechler has run many successful political campaigns. We saw what happened in WV-01 when the Mollohan campaign, long inexperienced at facing a real opponent, found itself in a political race this year. Manchin should debate Hechler at an early opportunity.

Manchin clearly can win against Hechler and Raese, but in football terms he'll understand it helps him to have a scrimmage against a good opponent before the big game.  

When a man embarks upon a crime, he is morally guilty of any other crime which may spring from it. Sherlock Holmes.

---

by: Carnacki @ Wed Jul 21, 2010 at 18:00:52 PM UTC

I respect Ken but he's too old (4.00 / 2)

Still his motive might not be to win but to challenge Manchin to recognize progressives values and those who supported Obama. Right now he'd rather just ignore them. Just think if progressives voted for Ken and gave Manchin a scare. Maybe he'd moved a little left to get those votes!    

---

by: sl26 @ Wed Jul 21, 2010 at 19:50:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Guess I should pay more attention to what my kid says. (4.00 / 4)

Wonder how people will take this?  I hope they are nice.  It made me crazy (crazier) when the miners booed him, I don't think they realize how much he has done for them. And his civil rights record sets a very high bar for the rest of us.  He made some tough decisions in tough times.  Although they really didn't seem like hard decisions for him, they just seemed like the right decisions.

As I've said before, I'm a Hechler groupie.

---

by: MadAnne @ Wed Jul 21, 2010 at 19:56:45 PM UTC

re: tomorrow's news today (4.00 / 1)

Enough with the politics, how about predicting some lottery numlbers?

---

by: MadAnne @ Wed Jul 21, 2010 at 20:06:46 PM UTC

Manchin got another primary challenger today (0.00 / 0)

AP reports former Monongalia County lawmaker Sheirl Fletcher also filed today for the Democratic race.

---

by: heath_harrison @ Thu Jul 22, 2010 at 01:01:53 AM UTC

She said Rockefeller was "too left" (0.00 / 0)

She also said that Rockefeller was "out of touch".

---

by: WV26003 @ Thu Jul 22, 2010 at 05:57:29 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I see (0.00 / 0)

Thanks for the info. I had no idea who she was

---

by: heath_harrison @ Thu Jul 22, 2010 at 09:45:53 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

She was a republican and then changed to a democrat (0.00 / 0)

DINO

---

by: sl26 @ Thu Jul 22, 2010 at 11:04:25 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Flecher and Heckler (0.00 / 0)

I'm not quite sure where Flecher stands on surface mining.  I'm assuming with her background in environmental affairs she at least can understand what science is saying about the environmental impact of MTR.  If she and Heckler can pull votes away for Manchin and then Heckler gives his votes to Flecher that might send a strong message to Mr. Coal Manchin, and maybe even pull off a victory.

---

by: Harry @ Mon Jul 26, 2010 at 16:13:08 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

a bit off-topic, but, can someone pull Puccio aside and correct him on small, annoying thing (4.00 / 2)

From his comments to Politico, re; Hechler:

West Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Larry Puccio said he had no advance notice of Hechler's intention to run."The Democrat Party will be neutral through the primary and we will support our candidate that is the nominee," said Puccio, a former aide to Manchin.

---

by: heath_harrison @ Thu Jul 22, 2010 at 09:44:28 AM UTC

good catch (0.00 / 0)

I wonder if LP has be watching too much Fox News and picking up bad habits from Republicans trying to demean the Democratic Party.

Perhaps he's not aware of the distinction, in which case he should educate himself quickly.

"Democrat Party" is a political epithet used in the United States instead of "Democratic Party" when talking about the Democratic Party. The term has been principally used by conservative commentators and members of the Republican Party in party platforms, partisan speeches and press releases since the 1930s. The explicit goal is to dissociate the name of the rival party from the concept of democracy.

If he was misquoted, he ought to register a friendly complaint with the reporter.

---

by: Clem Guttata @ Thu Jul 22, 2010 at 10:40:33 AM UTC

[ Parent ]