| Huffington Post has a piece detailing how the owners of the Sago and Upper Big Branch mines are planning to form a 527 organization to target Democratic candidates in Kentucky and West Virginia.
This would allow them to spend millions to defeat "anti-coal" candidates - in other words, they want to take out anyone who would stick up for mine safety and has any interest in the environmental well-being of Appalachia.
The three races they're most interested in:
- Rep. Nick Rahall (D) vs Elliott "Spike" Maynard (R) in W.Va. 3rd Congressional District
- Rep. Ben Chandler (D) vs. Garland "Andy" Barr (R) in Kentucky's 6th Congressional District
- Jack Conway (D) vs. Rand "Segregation Forever" Paul (R) for Kentucky's U.S. Senate seat
The Kentucky Herald-Leader has a copy of a letter from International Coal Group vice-president Roger Nicholson, in which he's ecstatic over the newly established right of corporations to purchase officials:
"with the recent Supreme Court ruling, we are in a position to be able to take corporate positions that were not previously available in allowing our voices to be heard."
The donations from Don Blankenship and Sarah Palin to Maynard that were reported earlier this week are purely ceremonial. This is the form Massey's real electioneering effort will take.
Will Massey and ICG be upfront about their efforts this time, or will they again hide behind some kind of phony child advocacy group, as was the case in 2004?
Either way, if the past is any indicator, expect plenty of misleading ads, outright lies and a fall campaign full of ugliness. |
