West Virginia Blue
The Best Blogging Community in West Virginia Democratic politics, progressive policies, the good life and free living in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, union membership is up in West Virginia but down nationally. The Democratic Party would do well to remember one of the strongest elements of the Party's base.
In West Virginia, that means protecting workers trying to unionize, especially in our coal mines, and passing legislation to require West Virginia workers be hired for Marcellus Shale operations.
Nationally, the Democratic Party needs to take head on the Right to be Exploited...I mean Right to Work policies of several states, including the State of North Carolina, which is where the DNC has decided to have the 2012 Democratic Convention. I am not against the Convention being held in Charlotte but it would be a dishonor to hardworking folks everywhere to ignore that State's regressive labor laws.
Conversely, labor cannot just rest on the blood, sweat, and tears of the past. Labor must continue to show the public that through organized labor is the most effective means by which the hard working middle class can get get their fair share.
Democrats need to stop Earl Ray Tomblin from becoming the next Governor of West Virginia. Some say Tomblin is Manchin without the charisma. He is worse. Here are a few reasons:
Too Close to Corruption
His link to corrupt politicians like Joe Ferrel and self serving position on gambling back in the 90s are only two of the troubling skeletons in the Tomblin closet.
The Tomblins have been a powerful political force in Logan County for years. According to an article posted on West Virginia Watchdog:
Tomblin's own father, former Logan County Sheriff Earl Tomblin, was a member of the "Logan Five;" five elected officials convicted of election rigging in the 1970s. Later, in 1992, Earl pleaded guilty to bribery related to the election for former Logan County Sheriff Oval Adams.
In addition to that Tomblin pushed an effort to legalize gray machines (illegal gambling machines before regulated video lottery) while his family's business apparently operated the machines. Watchdog goes on to say:
An effort was led by the senior Tomblin to legalize the machines under former Gov. Gaston Caperton, only to fail due to investigations into the West Virginia Lottery Commission at the time.
Acting as More than Governor
Governor's are elected. Earl Ray Tomblin has not been elected. Yet, Tomblin has tried to squirrel his way in there by slapping his name on all the doors, letterhead, and signs he can find. Thank the good heavens the WV Supreme Court put him in his place stating he was not even acting Governor but merely an act as Governor. That being said, I'll bet my hound dog Tick that Tomblin hasn't changed his letter head or even the way he is announced to reflect the highest court in the State. It is offensive.
Can't Beat Em, Join Em
Tomblin has pulled two major flip flops and he has been selling himself as Governor for just a few months. First, Tomblin tried to put off holding an election. He said he wanted to hear from the people. Ha! He never had any intention of having an election and fought it all the way to the Supreme Court (it was Tomblin's lawyers arguing against having an election this year). To beat all, once the Court told him he couldn't fake being Governor anymore he acted like it was his idea to have the freaking election. Does he really think people in WV are that dumb?
Tomblin also got out maneuvered in the Senate...twice. First, Senator Kessler and his crew of merry Democrats took the Senate leadership away from Tomblin's old guard. Tomblin tried to fight it but once Kessler secured the right number of votes, Tomblin tried to act like he was going to stay out of Senate business. Right. Tomblin was out positioned after fighting the new leadership like hell behind closed doors and then tried to pretend to be above the entire matter. What is worse is that Tomblin directly interjected himself into Senate matters while telling everyone he would not- does not say much for how far you can take his word.
Then, yes there is a then (which is actually now I guess) Tomblin threw his old leadership team under the bus to make himself appear above the fray. I would wager that Tomblin promised his old leadership that he would not abandon them and when he did he pissed some people off- Former Senate Finance Chairman Walt Helmick went so far as to not vote for Tomblin for Senate President (one of only three votes against Tomblin after all the deals were made). Now we have Senator Chafin and Senator Jenkins raising three kinds of hell on the Senate floor about Tomblin's absence, while Tomblin sits down in the Governor's Office. How Tomblin could leave his guys out to dry is beyond me and if he gave them his word that he wouldn't then he should have kept his word. Chafin and company are too smart to be crossed and Tomblin may have sold out the wrong people at the wrong time.
Bad Policy Positions
Tomblin has taken some pretty egregious positions on a number of policy issues. His position on coal is like most of the other State Democrats but even a coal guy like myself thought it a bit much to promote a pro MTR rally as a sitting Governor. Hell, not even a Republican would have the gall to do that. It might not hurt him with the coal money but I bet it pissed off some of citizens being protected by the EPA's recent moves.
Tombin has also tried to throw one time money at teachers and State workers and called for cutting a number of taxes. The thing is- who the hell is Tomblin to push those types of budget impacting policies having not been elected. He is just trying to win the vote of business and placate enough teachers and state workers to win election. Beyond that, Tomblin always talks about how the State needs to save money but I guess that does not apply when it comes to winning votes.
Tomblin torpedoed ethics reform. The House of Delegates rightfully passed ethics reform legislation last year and Tomblin was instrumental in killing the bill. The legislation would have given more power to the ethics commission to delve into the finances of politicians' families (a lot of politicians hide money with their families for all types of nefarious reasons). Why did Tomblin want to kill it? Not sure but I like my politicians open and honest about their finances and given Tomblin's associations it does not bode well for him to block it.
You name the issue- union topics, environmental issues, free choice, gay marriage, etc- Tomblin's position is not in line with Democratic values.
Given all this, I strongly encourage Democrats to get behind a candidate like Perdue and do so quickly. Don't think Tomblin has no shot because of the items I listed above because he is getting name recognition in his act as Governor role and has a ton of money. Don't let the Republicans, and in that breath I am referring to Tomblin as well, win this election.
Senator Jeff Kessler announced that he was running for Governor in the Spring of 2009. For a relatively unknown statewide candidate, it was probably viewed as a necessary move. While serving admirably as the Chairman of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee and successfully taking on some tremendously difficult policy issues, Kessler did not have a statewide name. Unfortunately for the Marshall County Democrat, even after announcing his campaign most people in the State would not know Jeff Kessler if he was sitting beside them in church. Kessler was well down the list of viable Democrats considering a run for Governor with little apparent means to make up the name recognition gap. This tumultuous season in WV politics has changed all that.
Kessler's move against Tomblin and the old guard in the West Virginia Senate has been said to be for all kinds reasons. One insider told me that Kessler truly made the move because of his commitment to principals. Senator Chafin said it was a power grab (probably because Chafin is the one losing power). Regardless of one's opinion on this, Kessler is now a real player in the race for Governor- whenever that may be. Kessler's chances will only improve as he takes the helm in the Senate and plays an integral role in navigating the State through this unprecedented political storm.
So where is Kessler in the political power rankings? Depends on who is running and when the election is held. If there is a special election with a convention then Perdue is probably the favorite, with Thompson perhaps being second. If a traditional primary is held then Tennant, Tomblin, and Kessler are likely going to be at the top of the list.
Beyond the name recognition, two factors have really pushed his chances into the realm of realistic. By taking on the old guard in the Senate, Kessler has certainly made some powerful enemies. At the same time, however, he will pick up some powerful allies. Those allies are both constituent based but also includes power brokers in the State. The constituency that Kessler may pick up are citizens fed up with the status quo approach of the West Virginia Senate over the years. The southern power base in the Senate has been driven by coal politics and lacks any progressive vision on how to improve the State.
Of the power brokers, Kessler has had Senator McCabe by his side since midway through the first Democratic caucus debate on these matters. McCabe, who has indicated interest in running for governor as well, could boost Kessler's campaign tremendously by throwing Kessler his support. IF that happens then watch out because Senator Kessler may have pulled off one of the most impressive political power moves in West Virginia history.
You might not be aware of the aggressive campaign being waged by hundreds of Democrats across the state manning telephones and walking neighborhoods this past weekend. Hundreds of volunteers made phone calls and knocked on doors from Harpers Ferry to Huntington and Bluefield to Wierton. They were able to reach tens of thousands of voters reminding them to vote for Democrats on Tuesday. The responses have been overwhelming. Democrats were working this weekend and won't stop until the polls close on election day!
You can help too... contact your local Democratic Party and volunteer to help make calls or drive people to the polls on Tuiesday. You can also send an email to the WV Democratic Party with the word VOLUNTEER in the subject line... wvparty@wvdemocrats.com
Joe Manchin is running against people like me. I am a West Virginia Democrat. I am a libertarian on social issues, range moderate to conservative on fiscal issues, and strongly believe there is no better fight than one defending the working person. I am just an average, hard working West Virginian. I am not unique. I am not special. I am one of you. Hell, I welcome the idea that everything I am about to write could be wrong, but I think if you, the reader, weigh the logic, you will find yourself reluctantly agreeing with me.
"Looks like John "rich man" Raese bought his way into the special election. I guess growing up with a silver spoon in your mouth does have its perks. Thankfully I get a chance to vote against the Floridian. Raese will make this election with Manchin a referendum on Obama and I say bring it on. Once you get passed the empty talk radio talking points and get to substance then you realize that Obama has did a hell of a job given all the problems he was left by the GOP. There is a lot more the Dems need to accomplish and we truly cannot afford to reverse course like the radical right wing wants us to do."
How I wish this were just about John Raese and his policies. Manchin has taken that away from us by trying to be John Raese. It did not have to be this way.
The Election Strategy from Hell
Manchin was up by double digits in the polls. The Tea Party storm could have been managed. Most progressives and moderates, including myself, would have regretfully looked the other way on environmental issues and social issues to keep Raese out of office. Then Raese started using his fortune to link Manchin to Obama. Everyone knew it was coming but the Manchin campaign was overwhelmed and slow to respond. You have to give the GOP credit- they have the discipline to push a bumper sticker campaign completely devoid of facts and not even blink. If we could all be such liars then politics would be easy- future be damned.
Who knows why it took so long for the Manchin campaign to get the gears moving because we all know MoJo had been planning this moment for years. Once they did, it was mistake after mistake. The inherent flaw in the campaign was the lack of foresight over the past two years. Manchin was so popular and his head so big that he refused to use any of his political capital defending President Obama in the Mountain State. In West Virginia the Governor has a bully pulpit like most other state governors would only dream of having. Manchin wasted his. I am not saying Manchin should have been out their touting Cap and Trade or calling for an end to mountaintop removal in defense of the Obama Administration- we all know Manchin is a coal-crat above all else. However, Manchin could have defended the roads, bridges and other projects being built with needed stimulus money. He could have touted the influx of Medicaid funding that kept the state budget in the black. He could have defended tooth and nail the provisions of health reform that everyone supports. Hell, Manchin could have stood up for Obama on a whole host of populist issues that would have appealed to any West Virginia Democrat or independent moderate. No, the same self serving politician that backed the Democrats for Underwood campaign did nothing. The irony is that by allowing Obama to become so toxic, Manchin may have sealed his own fate. It would be sweet if it weren't so damn sour.
That fundamental failure aside, Manchin still could have pulled this race off in an easy fashion. Unfortunately, instead of jabbing attack after attack at the gaffe prone and very easy to hate John Raese, Manchin has spent more time distancing himself from Obama and undercutting the Democratic Party's core economic values. In this anti incumbent climate of Tea Party fervor, Manchin's tactic has not carved into those backing Raese. This counterproductive, and in my opinion cowardly, strategy has deflated progressive to moderate Democrats even more than they had already been.
Manchin has not only run away from Obama, but he has run against Obama. Manchin sued the Administration in defense of mountaintop removal. He has an ad where he literally shoots the cap and trade legislation, which looks more like a SNL parody than anything else. He has said in various interviews, including one with the Wheeling Intelligencer that he would vote to repeal "Obamacare" if not everyone could agree on it. To top it all off, Manchin has defended extending the disastrous Bush tax break for the rich- an issue that should have been a populist windfall for Democrats. We are not leaving Manchin, Manchin is leaving us.
Ultra Conservative Joe
It has gotten so bad that Manchin is often front page material on Politico and other political news sites for his anti Obama stances. The country's best pollster, Nate Silver, has written a hell of an article questioning how good Manchin actually is for the Democratic Party. Silver questions whether national Democrats should spend money for someone that will likely continue to cause them grief, especially since he will have to run again in 2012 and be in full campaign mode for two years. Mr. Silver, they should not. Manchin is in it for Manchin and I wouldn't be surprised if he actually switched parties in the next decade. Check out Silver's chart on Senate candidates and where they rank along the ideology scale. Manchin aligns more closely with his opponent than any other competitive race measured and is far right of center, even further than a few campaigning Republican Senators. This is why I say Manchin is running against me.
I am not going to vote for Joe Manchin unless he makes an obvious effort to come back from the right wing fringe and defend core Democratic principles. Our vote is our only real leverage against self serving politicians and unless we take a stand here then I fear the template will be set in the West Virginia Democratic Party for years to come. Undercut the weak kneed base and go for the propagandized right wing vote- there are no repercussions.
Agree to Disagree
I have had some very heated discussions with Democratic friends and allies over this. If someone ultimately supports Manchin to keep Raese at bay then I understand. However, it does make me question the viability of progressive success in West Virginia if we are not willing to take a stand at some point. Frankly, I do not think there is anything that Manchin could do that would cause many die hard Democrats to take a stand against him, even if he is destroying the foundation on which their values stand. While I can understand the rationale, I cannot understand the unwavering dedication to it. There are a number of factors that drive folks to vote, keeping someone out of office being one, but should we overlook every other component in the equation? At what point do we quit standing for what we believe in and actually become the agents not of change but of the status quo? In late August I wrote,
"I will likely vote for Manchin in the special election as long as he does not go off the deep end distancing himself from Obama. I disagree with Manchin on social issues, the environment, and am ashamed of his perpetual bow to the coal bosses. I know I will never agree with Manchin's radical support of Corporate Coal but there are other issues out there that must be considered. Beyond that, Manchin will be the best candidate on the ballot and the balance of power in the Senate must remain in Democratic hands."
Well, Manchin has gone off the deep end. Those other issues that must be considered? Manchin has thrown them under the bus. Not only that, I contend that we are allowing Manchin to do irreversible damage to the Democratic brand in West Virginia. Come 2012 when Obama is getting creamed in WV despite the Democratic surge nationwide then remember this election. In ten years or so when the GOP has taken the WV Legislature and controls our Congressional seats because the Democratic brand was so thoroughly disparaged by our popular "Democratic" Governor then remember this election. Folks think I have my politics and policies confused. Fair enough. I am also confused why the WV Democratic Party has no back bone. I am confused as to why there are not more WV Democratic leaders stepping forward to defend CORE aspects of the Democratic platform. People have to remember that the Democratic Party, at least for me, is only a vehicle by which to achieve better public policies. Winning an election is not an end- it is a means by which we reach an end. I think too many folks have forgotten that.
Use whatever analogy you want, but I view politics like war. You do not hurt your chances of winning the long term victory so that you can win a single battle. If we try to win at all cost now then we will ruin our chances later.
Post Campaign Narrative
So what is the narrative of this campaign? Win or lose, my bet is that the voter turnout will be poor with WV Democrats. If Manchin wins then some Dems will contend it was his radical right turn that saved him. If he loses then those same elements will say that the liberal tag caused it. These folks are wrong. Manchin has disenfranchised the base. Disheartened Democrats are not going to go vote for a no chance candidate like Jesse Johnson so don't let people give those small numbers for the Mountain Party as an indication of the progressive/moderate Democrats standing. Democrats will either stay home or write in their cousin's name, Donald Duck, or go with sweet irony and write-in Charlotte Pritt. More likely than any of that though, and this will be proven whether Manchin wins or not, most Democrats will stay home because they simply cannot stomach Manchin's selfish war against the Democratic Party.
The lesson here is that the policies the Democratic Party stands for mean something. We have to get out there and educate the public about the positions that make us Democrats. We have to face down the GOP and not capitulate to their propaganda like a bunch of cowards. We have to hold our leaders accountable when they do not represent us or fight for the policies that we feel are best for the country. We have to take back the narrative and quit giving up so much ground to nonsense. We have to put sound long term public policymaking ahead of short term political calculations. If we want better, we have to be better, and we must demand better.
Governor Manchin's ego and this two year Senate term are not worth destroying the future of the West Virginia Democratic Party and more importantly, not worth us sacrificing what we as citizens believe to be the best course for the state and country. It is time to take a stand.
Apparently 1st Congressional District Democrats are so ignorant when it comes to coal, mountaintop removal and the EPA, that the WV Coal Association and Friends of Coal would like to educate us. In what is sure to be an unbiased and science-based presentation, they've chosen the communications Director of Logan Coal Vendors (wow, look at all those degrees!) to inform us about the EPA and MTR.
This week northern WV county Democratic Executive Committee Chairs received the following email.
(Reminder! File today for the Dem. State Executive Committee or other party committees. The deadline is midnight tomorrow at the Sec. of State office in Charleston or today at your local county courthouse. - promoted by Clem Guttata)
By Clem Guttata
If you are reading this and are a registered voter with Democratic Party affiliation in West Virginia, you should run for the Democratic State Executive Committee.
There are two position for each state senate district--one to be filled by a female and one to be filled by a male. The person filling the position attends meetings of the Democratic State Executive Committee as a representative for their district. In Presidential election years, decisions made by the committee include picking a delegate at large for the state.
Representative democracy can only thrive when there is strong citizen engagement. For better or worse, our government has evolved into a two-party system. It is really hard to change an organization if you're not a member of it. If you want to have a stronger voice in the direction of the state Democratic party, this is one way--run for a party office.
Do not delay! The deadline for filing is the end of this week.
I know that Carnacki posted a diary about Emilie Holroyd earlier today, but I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about her in my own words. Carnacki's post can be seen by clicking here.
I first became active in Mercer County Democratic politics in 2006 during the House and Senate campaigns, and really have to thank Emilie Holroyd for making it possible for me to quickly become involved in the local and state scene. It was Emilie who introduced me to Marie Presioso who made it possible for me to be introduced to Howard Dean at a rally in Charleston that year. She became a guiding light in helping not only myself but other progressives in the county to form our local state pac that has become a very active group working for local and state candidates. Emilie never had a problem sharing her vast knowledge of the ins and outs of party politics, and worked as hard as she could to insure that Democrats got elected even after it became difficult for her to get around without assistance.
I can't think of a party event either here in Mercer County or in Charleston that I was involved in that Emilie didn't attend. As the picture above illustrates Senator Byrd meant everything he said about Emilie in today's story in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph cited by Carnacki.
She never tired of telling us stories of past campaigns in particular traveling with the Kennedy's during the 1960 election here in West Virginia. She and her husband Bob got to travel and work directly with JFK and his brothers during the historic campaign in West Virginia. Emily worked in the field with the McGovern campaign in 1972 as well traveling to various parts of the country to do all she could to get the job done.
All of us here in Mercer County will miss her immensely she was a good friend and advisor. I pass on my deepest sympathy to her family and loved ones. Her loss is a shock to all of us in the Mercer County Democratic Party organization.
This is why the media circus around John Edwards is so disappointing to me, a former supporter. Few in the political limelight speak for the poor in this country; they don't make political contributions. The elite traditional media that mocked his Poverty Tour before will feel good about themselves.
Anyone who has read my diaries or comments may have gathered that I hold the social justice issue of my faith on the outside of my sleeve. We have had decades of failed "trickle down" economic policies that have resulted in the upward distribution of wealth. Shelley McCapito recent concern for affordable housing does not disabuse me of the notion the she supports the outrageous tax cuts for the upper 1% that John Pimp-My-Wife proposes. By their logic a 0% tax rate will produce infinite revenue.
On Friday I got a forwarded email from my father sent to him by a former Navy base coworker who now lives in Tennessee. It lamented the destruction of this country as a Christian Nation because the union at a Tyson plant in Tennessee negotiated comp time for Moslem employees, allowing them to trade Labor Day for Eid al-Fitr. (A re-vote restored Labor Day and added an extra "personal" paid holiday. We have that for Good Friday where I work.) My response was to cut and past the Treaty of Tripoli and some Thomas Merton.
The kids went to the fair on Tuesday and Thursday, so that was not on my agenda Friday night. When I got home, I refilled my Anne Barth for Congress water bottle, propped up my feet and prepared to be outraged by another Expose on Bill Moyers Journal on PBS. I was not disappointed.
The Attorney Generals in the Appalachian states of West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky were mentioned in the reporting, along with health debt collection practices in the Ozarks of Arkansas. Whether your credit file is thin or thick, follow me over the fold at a look at how one of Shelley McCapito's biggest contributors squeeze blood from all of us non-millionaire turnips.
While the nation turned its political eye on the Democratic Party Rules and Bylaws Committee meetings in Washington, D.C. yesterday, two hours West here in W.Va. another form of participatory Democracy was in action.
I was fortunate to be invited to attend a local meeting of West Virginia Democratic Party Convention delegates. The local delegates are diligently preparing for the upcoming convention. Two major pieces of business were performed at yesterday's meeting--adoption of proposed modifications to the 2008 Democratic Party platform and the selection of the male and female national convention delegate candidate for the county.
What struck me even more than the business, as important it as was in this multi-hour meeting, is how meaningful it was that the meeting happened at all.
This is a triumph of Howard Dean's 50 state strategy. One of the two people running the meeting was a West Virginia Democratic Party Field organizer, a position funded by Dean's fifty state strategy. He provided very helpful practical information about what the convention process is like.
Many of the delegates in attendance are people new to Democratic party activities, motivated to this level of activism by the extended primary season and a contested West Virginia primary.
Meetings like this give me great hope for our state and our country. I witnessed sincere dedication to the political process. I heard many thoughtful suggestions and passionate concerns expressed for more progressive governance. I saw present and future leaders, willing to be an active part of the difficult process of a creating change for the better.
This is how we build a progressive majority, with one more voter, one more activist, one more precinct, one more county, and one more state at a time. While the national press flocked to the more dramatic event yesterday, meetings like I attended are much bigger story of this campaign season.
March 27, 2008 : The Berkeley County Democratic Women's Club will be holding their regular monthly meeting 6:30 p.m. in the Martinsburg Room of the Martinsburg Library in downtown Martinsburg. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information contact President Erica Epperson at 283-5057 or ericak68@hotmail.com.
March 27, 2008 : Harrison County Democratic Executive Committee Meeting, 6:30pm at the Headquarters, Clarksburg, for more information call Mike Romano (304) 624-1100 or Martin Shaffer (304) 623-0007.
March 27, 2008 : Upshur County Democratic Executive Committee meeting 5:30 PM at the Riverbend Golf Club located in Buckhannon. Contact Susan Wilcher (304) 438-0850 or swilcher@hotmail.com for more informaion.
March 27, 2008 : Wood County Democratic Women monthly meeting at 7:00 pm on the 5th floor of the Municipal Building in Parkersburg . Contact Carol Sams 485-3058 carol@rusenandauvil.com.
March 27, 2008 : Campaign Rally for David Hummel, a candidate for Circiut Court Judge in Marshall, Wetzel and Tyler counties, from 4:30-6:30 PM at Gold Khourey & Turak, L.C. located 510 Tomlinson Ave. Moundsville, WV 26041.
March 27, 2008 : Campaign reception for Magistrate Mike Woelfel, a candidate for re-election in Cabell County, from 5:30-7:30 PM at the Arcade Building located 945 Fourth Avenue in Downtown Huntington.
March 29, 2008 : Meet the Candidates Continental Breakfast at the Laborers Union Hall 401 7th Avenue, Huntington from 9-11am . Contact Tim Millne Organizeyou1@aol.com.
March 29, 2008 : Cabell County Democratic Women's Club monthly luncheon at Guyan Country Club at 12:30 PM. Contact Mary Ann Henry (304) 762-2409 for more information.
March 29, 2008 : Hampshire County Democratic Executive Committee will host a Meet the Candidates at the Augusta Fire Hall. Social hour begins at 6:00 PM with traditional ham with beans and cornbread starting at 7:00 PM. The cost is $8.00 per person. For more information call Bob Walker (304) 469-7449 or Windy Cutler (304) 429-5185.
March 29, 2008 : Harrison County Democratic Women’s Club, hosts a Meet your Candidate 1:00-4:00 PM at the 4-H Center in Clarksburg call Jean Sartoris at (304) 623-1024 for more information.
March 29, 2008 : 2008 Fundraiser Reception by the Monongalia County Democratic Executive Committee, 7:00pm at the Ramada Inn and Conference Center, Donation of $20.00 per person, please RSVP by 3/24/08 to Kelly Palmer at kellyjpalmer@aol.com or 304-680-6055.
March 29, 2008 : Pocahontas County Democrat Women's Club will host a Meet the Candidates luncheon at the Pocahontas County High School in Dunmore starting at 1:00 PM. Please RSVP by March 22 the cost is $10.00 per plate. For more information contact Irene Thompson 653-4449 or 653-4050.
March 30, 2008 : Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee will host a Meet the Candidates dinner from 4:00 - 8:00 PM at the Shepherdstown Fire Hall. The social hour will be from 4:00 5:00 PM. Tickets are $25.00 per person and $100.00 for reserved table plus the cost of individual tickets. For tickets call 728-2887 or e-mail annpwr@frontiernet.net. The deadline to purchase tickets is March 19, 2008.
March 30, 2008 : Meet Your Candidate by the Randolph County Democratic Executive Committee, 2:00-4:00pm at the Coalton VFW, for more information contact Robert Beckwith at 304-636-6440 or robbeckwith@verizon.net.
There's something there for everyone, in every corner of the state.
With three more victories yesterday (resounding ones, at that), the Obama campaign is on a roll. If he keeps it up, his lead in pledged delegates will be large enough to effectively wrap up the nomination by March.
Hillary may yet rebound in Wisconsin, Texas and Ohio. That would set up Penn. as a major showdown. If it is still close after that, North Carolina and West Virginia in May will be closely watched primaries.
If you're involved with West Virginia activities for Hillary** or Obama, let us know how its going.
What kinds of national support are you getting? How do you think your candidate will do in W.Va.? Where does your candidate stand on issues important to West Virginia?
** I would link to a Hillary W.Va. page, too, but I can't find one. At HillaryClinton.com, there are just 40 states in the union and we ain't one of them.
From left: Democrats Menis E. Ketchum, Bob Bastress, Margaret L. Workman, and Elliott E. Maynard.
Journal photo by Ron Agnir
Edward Marshall of the Martinsburg Journal covers the recent Jefferson County Organization of Democratic Women sponsored forum for the four Democratic Party candidates for the two seats available on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.
The four candidates were Margaret L. Workman of Kanawha County, Elliott E. "Spike" Maynard of Kanawha County, Bob Bastress of Monongalia County and Menis E. Ketchum of Cabell County.
Workman was born in Charleston, graduated from West Virginia University, previously served as circuit judge and was the first woman elected to the Supreme Court in 1988.
"I would like to bring the Supreme Court back down to these simple concepts -fairness, integrity and hard work," Workman said. "One of the good things about me is that I have 18 years of judicial experience and hundreds and hundreds of written opinions ...You don't have to guess what kind of judge I am. There is a long written record. What that records will reflect is that I believe in giving everybody their fair day in court."
[snip]
Bastress, since 1978, has been a member of the faculty at West Virginia University College of Law where he presently serves as a professor. His teaching is focused on constitutional law.
"Teaching gives me an opportunity to engage in extensive public service, public service that I would not have been able to do in private practice," Bastress said. "I think West Virginians deserve Supreme Court justices who have integrity, judgment, a sense of fairness and a legal ability to deliver on those other qualities, and to handle the difficult legal questions that come before the court."
Ketchum attended Ohio University and later received a law degree from West Virginia University College of Law in 1967. After graduating, he joined his father in the practice of law. He first called for the creation of an appellate court in the Eastern Panhandle, citing the Judicial Reorganization Act, an amendment to the Constitution that grants the authority to create more appellate courts.
[snip]
He also said he was more qualified than the other candidates.
"Why am I qualified? I've been a lawyer for 40 years. I have a lot more experience. I have tried more cases with jury verdicts than all the other candidates combined," he said.
The pictures accompanying the article notes that "Several anti-Elliott E. Maynard protesters [held] up signs as the state chief justice speaks at a forum sponsored by the Jefferson County Organization of Democratic Women Sunday."
Journal photo by Ron Agnir
Copyright 2011 West Virginia Blue
Site content may be used for any purpose without explicit permission unless otherwise specified.
This site exists thanks to financial support from BlogPAC, dedicated volunteers and participation by members of this community. The views expressed at West Virginia Blue belong solely to their respective authors.
