EDITORIAL: As Predicted, Oliverio Runs Into Snags
We noted not long ago that State Senator Mike Oliverio (D-Monongalia) would likely run into some problems
on his two flanks, left and right. Simply put, those traditional Democrats who liked Mollohan could find Oliverio
distasteful after his hard-edged knife fight with Mollohan in the Democratic Primary in May. Those kinds of wounds
heal slowly, sometimes not at all.
Then you have conservatives in both parties, eager for a change from the Obama-Reid-Pelosi liberal trio who have passed an unpopular, liberal health care reform bill...and not done much else. Everytime poor Oliverio tries to distance himself from Speaker Pelosi, he has to backtrack, lest he offend his party bosses in D.C. This doesn't look very conservative to West Virginia conservatives, Democrat or Republican.
Now comes word from the national political website, Politico.com, that former West Virginia Secretary of State Ken Hechler is not only speaking out against Oliverio, a fellow Democrat. Hechler is raising money through a PAC, saying that he wants to inform “as many people as possible" to not vote for Olivero. Hechler is characteristically candid about his reasons. Why is he doing this? "Because I do not believe that he would be a good congressman," said Hechler, a former Congressman himself and a former Marshall University professor. Click here for the complete interview with Politico.com.
But there is a history here, of course. In 2004, Oliverio ran a negative campaign against Hechler towards the end of the race, even going so far as to having magnets placed on Charleston newspapers the day before the primary election, urging people to vote for him because "I'm not 89"--a clear swipe at Hechler's age. Moreover, Hechler notes that Oliverio did nothing to help him after the primary. So apparently, Hechler didn't take the first swipe in this ongoing duel.
"It's a short road that doesn't have a bend in it," as they say in Appalachia. That's another way of saying, "What goes around, comes around." But the greater point here is that Oliverio now has two serious fires going on around his candidacy. His Republican opponent, David McKinley of Wheeling, has just completed two successful fundraisers in Wheeling and Morgantown, Oliverio's hometown. McKinley points to a successful record as a seven term legislator from Ohio County at garnering bipartisan support for his campaign. Plus, the First Congressional District went 57% for McCain over Obama in the last Presidential election. That should indicate what Oliverio's up against.
And now, a respected member of his own party is raising money for a PAC, rallying friends of Alan Mollohan and other traditional Democrats to expose whatever shortcomings they see in the tall man from Morgantown.
Before you dismiss Ken Hechler as an "old geezer" as he likes to call himself, just remember one thing. The last time Oliverio and Hechler battled in 2004, Hechler won. Should be interesting to see how much money Hechler and his PAC is able to throw against Oliverio come autumn.