***GOP fears another potential electoral disaster***

[DemocratSinceBirth]

National Republicans — on the heels of the Roy Moore and Rick Saccone debacles — worry they’re staring down their latest potential midterm election fiasco: coal baron and recent federal prisoner Don Blankenship.

With Blankenship skyrocketing in the West Virginia Republican Senate primary and blanketing the airwaves with ads assailing his fractured field of rivals as career politicians, senior party officials are wrestling with how, or even whether, to intervene. Many of them are convinced that Blankenship, who served a one-year sentence after the deadly 2010 explosion at his Upper Big Branch Mine, would be a surefire loser against Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin — and potentially become a national stain for the party.

The discussions have intensified over the past few weeks. During separate meetings with the National Republican Senatorial Committee, aides to Blankenship’s two primary opponents, Rep. Evan Jenkins and state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, pointed to Blankenship’s traction and questioned what could be done to stop him. The Senate GOP campaign arm, which heard out the appeals, recently commissioned a survey to gauge the coal king’s electoral strength and determine his staying power in the race.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/20/west-virginia-senate-republicans-blankenship-472050

[kentuck]

2. But they have to see it to believe it.

And they will do nothing until they see it.

[Turbineguy]

3. Gee.....

I wonder what it could be....

[Hortensis]

4. :) I'm tempted to send Blankenship a campaign donation.

As he left a federal courthouse in West Virginia in 2016 after being sentenced to a year in federal prison, Don Blankenship was handed a picture of a miner who died at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch Mine in 2010.

One of 29 miners who died in that one accident resulting from Blankenship's depraved indifference to their lives and proud flouting of long-established regulations.

Blankenship, who has a net worth of around $40 million, was sentenced to one year in jail and fined $250,000. That $8620 per life.

Attention on this can really hurt the Republican Party, which is involved up to its neck in helping him and others ignore regulations and evade justice -- especially McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao. Just a few of many, many stories on Republican corruption in coal country.

Coal Slurry Spill Investigation Suppressed, Political interference, whistleblower retaliation, and lack of transparency at the Mine Safety and Health Administration
https://www.ucsusa.org/our-work/center-science-and-democracy/promoting-scientific-integrity/coal-slurry-spill.html#.WrEgRWrwZdg

New Analysis Reveals Martin County Water Crisis a Perfect Storm of Coal Industry Power, Mismanagement and Disinvestment
https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/news/new-analysis-reveals-martin-county-water-crisis-perfect-storm-coal-industry-power-mismanagement

(This is 2018 -- real problems for real people still happening.)

Mitch McConnell, Elaine Chao And Massey Energy Go Way Back
www.hillbillyreport.org/mitch-mcconnell-elaine-chao-and-massey-energy-go-way-ba...

[mikeysnot]

6. He went to jail for defrauding investors

not negligence, not criminal activity, or for the deaths of 29 miners.

He went to jail for losing money for rich people.

One stinking year.

Now he is running for office as a republican.

Only in america.

[Hortensis]

8. That's why! I'd thought he got away with these deaths.

And he did. Thanks to rewriting regulations and penalties by McConnell and Chao, and other Republicans of course.

But please, NOT "only in America." It happens everywhere there are people, the more conservative the societies and governments, the more it happens.

[workinclasszero]

12. Well damn he would fit right in with Don the con and his crime family

in the White House.

[NewJeffCT]

5. National Stain on the Party?

Trump is already a national stain on the party, or do they consider him to be a worldwide stain?

[mikeysnot]

7. for republicans

these are bonafides.

[wiggs]

9. OP implies faith in the election process. No way TPTB worldwide leave their fate up

to puny US midterms.

[Maraya1969]

10. Republicans lack morals. That's why they will pick the most corrupt people to

represent them.

[Gothmog]

11. This will be fun to watch

[Blue_true]

13. Let snakes eat snakes, pleeeeez. nt

[yellowcanine]

14. "potentially become a national stain for the party." How could they tell?

The Republican party is covered in shit and vomit already, how much difference is another stain going to make?