| Posted by Carnacki
Congratulations Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin because the coal association touted your rally as a "Call to arms."
To be honest, I'm not surprised because Tomblin's rally is a set up for conflict.
But the fact that Bill Raney, president of the WV Coal Association, tries to excuse the phrase by saying "not much thought went into it" gives a glimpse into the mindset of Friends of Coal. Their default setting is to go with a phrase that connotes violence.
The association has since changed the phrase after Ken Ward Jr. called them.
I'd say it's especially thoughtless of the association to use the phrase after Tucson, but they could just be taking their cues from our Senators Manchin and Rockefeller, who also have thrown out unnecessarily inflammatory language about the EPA's decision on Spruce Mine.
In the credit where credit is due department, Steven Adams make a great point about the rally in the comments at Coal Tattoo:
I wish they would be honest and call it a Rally for Mountaintop Removal. The rally is a result of the denial of last week's Arch Coal permit, so it only makes sense.
Tomblin and other MTR supporters always want to link opposition to MTR with the broader issue of coal mining because if they are not deceptive it makes it harder for them to rally support for the destructive and poisonous practice of mountaintop removal. |
