EDITORIAL: Joe, You're Not Fooling Anyone with This Lawsuit
When you're Governor, apparently anything you do makes news,
even to the venerable Associated Press. So when Governor Joe
Manchin suddenly came out this week with a lawsuit challenging
the Obama Administration's efforts to curb some of the state's
coal mining permits, it got a little bit of play in the press here.
But only a little. Even the Associated Press had to note in its coverage yesterday that Manchin's timing is, well, curious:
"The lawsuit comes at a curious time: Manchin is running to complete the U.S. Senate term of the late Robert C. Byrd and GOP candidate John Raese is trying to link him to Obama at every turn," said the AP article.
Naturally, Manchin denied that his campaign had anything to do with the lawsuit.
But savvy political observers in the coalfields tell us that people are asking
why this lawsuit took so long if it's a sincere effort to protect the coal mining
industry from Obama's attacks. After all, President Obama has made no bones
about his opposition to the coal industry, even before he was elected.
So if Manchin were really on top of things as Governor, this lawsuit should have been submitted anytime in the last 21 months, not just a few weeks before this campaign season, which currently has the Governor trailing John Raese by five points.
That's a great point, one that makes all the sense in the world, especially when Manchin's slide in the polls may lead him to even more desperate acts to make up for lost time.
West Virginians don't ask for much of their Governors. They want them to protect our
interests and not just during Election Season. Governor Joe Manchin has had his
chance to stick up for West Virginia's interests, including the coal industry, for five
years now. The fact that it took John Raese whipping him in the polls lately to
get off the dime and start acting like he cares is a sad commentary on politics today.
Question #1: Can you even imagine John Raese taking flak from Barack Obama on the coal issue or any other? Question #2: Can you fathom John Raese taking up for Barack Obama's quest to assess a Carbon Tax on anyone who uses coal-generated electricity?
If you don't know the answers to these questions yet, take a look at this latest Raese TV spot. It will make the difference between the two candidates running for U.S. Senate crystal clear. They call this ad "Rubber Stamp Joe," and it's the one you'll see on TV these days:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5odnB3UpFo&feature=player_embedded