West Virginia Senate candidate accuses Obama of trying to ruin West Virginia's "way of life"

[geek tragedy]

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/10/06/06greenwire-wva-sues-obama-epa-over-mining-coal-regulation-48964.html

The lawsuit, filed by the state Department of Environmental Protection, accuses U.S. EPA of overstepping its authority and asks the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia to throw out the federal agency's new guidelines for issuing Clean Water Act permits for coal mines.

"Over the past year and a half, we have been fighting President Obama's administration's attempts to destroy our coal industry and way of life in West Virginia," Manchin said today. "We are asking the court to reverse EPA's actions before West Virginia's economy and our mining community face further hardship."

Oh, by the way, Manchin is the DEMOCRAT in that race.

[JI7]

1. West Virginia could do well by focusing on Tourism and protecting their environment

why they allow themselves to be used by the companies that don't give a shit about their safety.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. This guy is the DEMOCRAT?

Omigod.

I tremble to think what the Republican sounds like...

I think the key phrase here is: ...our coal industry...

The way of life is that of the mine owners. NOT the people laboring in those mines, or those living near them.

Good God.

[provis99]

3. what a dick.

I would guess that most coal miners hate their jobs; they only do them because they can't get paid comparable wages in another line of work in West Virginia. I can't imagine many coal miners telling their kids "I hope you grow up and become coal miners rather than get a better job!" And most West Virginians hate the environmental destruction mining has wrought on their beloved mountains.

What tripe Manchin pushes.

[JohnnyBoots]

30. Coal mines, Marines or Log Trucker....really the only viable options....

[Mass]

4. Unfortunately, this is how he will win.

Rockefeller, who is a liberal on many aspects, is also very pro coal and so was Byrd (though the last editorial published in his name concerning these issues was showing some evolution).

[geek tragedy]

6. Manchin also promised to vote to repeal HCR.

Worse than Ben Nelson.

[Mass]

8. He should talk with Rockefeller concerning that.

[ClarkUSA]

11. That's overstating what he said. See Reply #9.

To repeat:

He said he wants to repeal some parts of HCR, not the whole thing as you seem to be implying: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/09/27/manchin-hcr/

So what? That's a head fake, too. In March 2010, he came out in favor of HCR. But that was before Senator Byrd died.

If you think Manchin is going to run a WV Senate campaign like he's from the San Francisco area and win, then you are being unrealistic.

[ClarkUSA]

5. Relax. This is a head fake. Manchin is down against his GOP opponent in the Senate race.

Nothing will come of this lawsuit except it will generate lots of "good" press for Manchin in WV and take the "Manchin=Obama" narrative away from Reese, Manchin's wingnutty Republican opponent.

[geek tragedy]

7. Manchin is pro-pollution and pro-repeal of health care reform.

I guess he's better than his Republican opponent, but so what?

[ClarkUSA]

9. Quote where he said he is "pro-pollution" & unlike Jane Hamsher, he never wanted to "Kill The Bill".

He said he wants to repeal some parts of HCR, not the whole thing as you seem to be implying: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/09/27/manchin-hcr/

So what? That's a head fake, too. In March 2010, he came out in favor of HCR. But that was before Senator Byrd died.

If you think Manchin is going to run a WV Senate campaign like he's from the San Francisco area and win, then you are being unrealistic.

[provis99]

10. why not run on liberal "San Francisco" issues?

Very few voters are issue voters, not more than 20% of voters. They mostly vote based on frivolous stuff, like if the candidate and his family look nice, if he has a pronouncable name, if he shakes their hand, etc.

As long as you excel in the silly frivolous stuff, you can run on a "San Francisco" platform and win.

[ClarkUSA]

13. 'As long as you excel in the silly frivolous stuff, you can run on a "San Francisco" platform & win'

How many political races have you managed and won in red states?

Manchin is the extremely popular governor of West Virginia. Do you really think you know more than he does about winning in that state?

[geek tragedy]

14. Manchin is a puppet ofr the coal industry.

"Manchin also defended mountaintop removal, a method of strip mining that involves blasting away mountain peaks; he said the flat land it creates allows for development that his state and the region wouldn’t have otherwise.

“If I say in West Virginia that we are basically using every bit of disturbed land to enhance the quality of life … how in the world can a person look at me and say that’s not responsible, you can’t do that, you shouldn’t because you’re altering it,” Manchin said."

http://www2.tricities.com/news/2009/may/13/coal_conference_takes_a_look_at_mountaintop_remova-ar-246141/

[ClarkUSA]

17. Do you have any proof for your claim? I've already explained his move is a head fake.

Your insistence on "purity" is unrealistic, given Manchin is running in a red state whose racist Appalachian population hates Obama.

[depakid]

29. You have zero evidence for that claim- and yet you're making a request for "proof"

of the obvious?

:crazy:

[ProSense]

20. He's from a coal state, and

so are these progressives for coal

Senator Tom Harkin
Senator Al Franken
Senator Roland Burris
Senator Byron Dorgan
Senator Herb Kohl
Senator Russell Feingold
Senator Kent Conrad
Senator Michael Bennet
Senator Amy Klobuchar
Senator Mark Udall
Senator Robert Byrd
Senator Cark Levin
Senator Debbie Stabenow
Senator Sherrod Brown

While you are campaigning against Manchin, he is campaigning to beat a Republican.

[provis99]

23. politicians know almost nothing about how to win a campaign.

That's why they hire political consultants. And I do research on political behavior and psychology. Very few voters care about issue voting. They vote based on what I consider to be ridiculous stuff; one example: my grandmother, who voted for the Republican, because he bought her coffee for her.

[ClarkUSA]

25. How many winning statewide campaigns in WV have you been a political consultant for?

[geek tragedy]

12. He's stated that he does not oppose it.

http://www.cleanskies.com/articles/manchin-calls-peaceful-dialogue-mountaintop-mining

"He says that while many citizens oppose mountaintop mining, he hasn't reached the same conclusion. The governor says he and the mining opponents have "a respectful agreement to disagree."

25% of his campaign donations come from Massey and other Big Coal operators.

Pro-MTR, pro-global warming, anti-HCR.

He's no Robert Byrd. He's not even Blanche Lincoln.

[ClarkUSA]

15. He stated that he does not oppose "pollution"? Really?

Quote where he said he is "pro-global warming". He is not anti-HCR. He said he'd repeal parts of HCR, which I said was a head fake because he came out in favor of HCR in March 2010 before Senator Byrd died.

Lots of DUers are also "anti-HCR" 24/7. In fact, many of them wanted to "Kill The Bill" as I recall. Unlike Nelson and Lincoln, Manchin supported HCR early on.

Your insistence on "purity" is unrealistic when dealing with red state candidates.

[geek tragedy]

16. He's pro-MountainTop Removal mining.

That means he is pro-pollution and pro-environmental destruction.

[ClarkUSA]

18. One mo' time: Manchin wants to win this WV Senate seat, so that's not unexpected.

<< That means he is pro-pollution and pro-environmental destruction. >>

No, his move today means he's trying to win his Senate race. Do you not understand political strategy?

[geek tragedy]

22. He was pro-MTR before Byrd died. nt

[ClarkUSA]

24. You do realize that any candidate who's anti-MTR would never win statewide office in WV, don't you?

I am a New York liberal with Green leanings but this is WV red state political reality I'm talking about.

Take a look at the liberal Senators who support coal:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=468108&mesg_id=468200

Do you think Russ Feingold and Tom Harkin are "pro-pollution" and "pro-global warming" too?

[Historic NY]

19. Amazing ask WV how they felt after all those mining deaths?

[Davis_X_Machina]

21. If they get to keep their guns...

...and are guaranteed that at Jesus' name every knee shall bend, I expect it will be considered, in all but the households where the deaths took place, a fair bargain.

[ClarkUSA]

26. EPA's response to WV lawsuit:

Here it is:

Despite many efforts by EPA, state officials have not engaged in a meaningful discussion of sustainable mining practices that will create jobs while protecting the waters that Appalachian communities depend on for drinking, swimming and fishing. Earlier this year, at the request of the State, EPA issued clear guidance that ensures permits are reviewed using the best science available to protect residents from the significant and irreversible damage this practice can have on communities and their water sources. That science was just recently reaffirmed in a draft report by an independent panel of scientists.

EPA continues to be willing work with industry to reach common sense agreements allowing them to mine coal while avoiding permanent environmental impacts and protecting water quality. The EPA’s number one priority is to protect the health of all Americans and the guidance allows the people of West Virginia and other states to have both a healthy environment and a healthy economy.

http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2010/10/06/epa-responds-to-gov-manchins-lawsuit

Like I said, Manchin is doing a head fake. Reese, his GOP opponent, can hardly say he's going to be Obama's puppet now, eh?

[krispos42]

27. I thought only about 11,000 people in WV were miners now?

And if your way of life sucks, "change" does not mean "ruin".

[PVnRT]

28. Not surprised. Politicians in West Virginia and Kentucky

are owned and operated by Big Coal.

[Phx_Dem]

31. What way of life would that be? Working in the coal mines until

you get black lung or trapped by an explosion?

We certainly would want to ruin that "Life of Riley."

:eyes:

[Lord Helmet]

32. shit it was ruined when he got there