Capito already making excuses

by: Carnacki

Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 13:19:01 PM EDT

She said it's hard to say where she will land as a result of the Republican majority, but she could end up chairing a subcommittee.

"I think I'm definitely in the mix, and I hope to grab the reins of some important issues," Capito said.

Part of the mix? Hope to grab the reins? Way to set the bar high for yourself there, Capito.

But she said she had no interest in becoming a member of the House's new Republican leadership.

"That's just not something that holds my interest," she said.

Hahaha. That's one way of putting it. Another is the GOP leadership doesn't exactly hold Capito in high regard. Or any regard at all.

One of the challenges for the state's congressional delegation and West Virginia as a whole will be the reduced influence of its members.

Part of that is the sheer loss of seniority. The late Sen. Robert Byrd, whose unexpired term Manchin will fill, had 51 years of seniority and was famously able to get funding for West Virginia projects of his choosing.

Mollohan, who was high up on the House committee that controls purse strings, lost in the Democratic primary. And Rahall, another veteran lawmaker, is now in the minority in the House.

Capito said to some extent the influx of federal money -- much of which came through federal earmarks -- may have "clipped the entrepreneurial spirit" in the state.

In other words, it's not her fault and besides her inability to bring home the bacon is a good thing.

About the only thing Capito is good at doing is setting the bar awfully low for herself.

By the way, remember what I said yesterday?

For all the national Republican tidal wave, the fact Republicans in West Virginia did not do better goes back to something we've said for years: the West Virginia GOP whether they like it or not is really all about protecting Capito's career. She's done a good job of keeping potential Republican challengers down so that she does not have competition. Capito is probably as happy about Florida Republican John Raese's loss as anyone in the Democratic Party and as disappointed by McKinley's win though she might say all the right things in public.

I was wrong. She didn't say anything positive about McKinley.

This is the closest she came:

We've got new folks, so my hope is -- and I think we will -- have delegation meetings and we'll try to work together."

Heh.