EDITORIAL: Two Offices is One Too Many for Congresswoman Capito
Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito of the 2nd District has been the focus
of some people who would like her to run for the unexpired term left behind by
U.S. Senator Robert Byrd. These folks are from her Congressional District,
while the rest of us in the other two districts try to take it all in.
Quite a fuss has been made by some of the Republicans in the West Virginia legislature to allow Capito an unheard of luxury: running for two federal offices at the same time. It's easy to see their objective: they aren't sure Capito can beat Governor Manchin for Byrd's unexpired term, so they want to allow her to cover her bases and still run for her House seat.
But this is flawed reasoning, even if it survives any likely court challenges. Think about it: running for House of Representatives and U.S. Senate at the same time? Beyond the fact that this move looks rather unseemly, has anyone in the Republican Party considered the most obvious problem with this scenario in a good Republican year like 2010 is expected to be?
We refer to the fact that, in a good year like this one for Republicans, Capito would be disallowing another good Republican from running for one of these two offices. The GOP could conceivably win both offices this year, with two strong candidates. But if Capito insists on running for both, she prevents another Republican from winning and serving West Virginia.
Conceivably, Capito could get around perplexed voters who try to watch her juggle two major races at the same time and win both races somehow. But then she'll have to give one up, presumably the House seat, and we're right back to where we have been with this tiresome Byrd replacement process, having to go through yet another vacancy--a process the Republicans could lose.
Why can't Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito just do the right thing and choose one or the other office and cease this absurdity of possibly running for both? The people of West Virginia are tired of these games and want leaders, not self-servers, running for office.
That's running for "office," Congresswoman, not "offices."
One office is more than enough for anyone.