Better Supreme Court Justice...

Ito


Or

Alito

Alito a "yes" man? Nooooo, it's just a coincident that he would do everything as Bush would.

Source

Alito's record shows backing of business interests
Tuesday, November 01, 2005

By Jess Bravin and Jeanne Cummings, The Wall Street Journal


In 15 years on the federal bench, Judge Samuel Alito often has sided with positions backed by business leaders -- and shown himself a strict interpreter of contracts -- in cases ranging from employment discrimination and commercial speech to shareholder suits.

Indeed, legal experts said that, while the immediate focus of supporters and critics Monday was on social issues like abortion, Judge Alito's extensive track record on business and regulatory issues at the Philadelphia-based court is likely to play a large role in his nomination process.

Judge Alito's Third Circuit is one of the smaller federal jurisdictions, but it hears a disproportionate share of business-related cases because its three-state territory includes Delaware, where many companies are incorporated, and the heavily industrial New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

For those assessing Judge Alito, there are dozens of business cases to sift, some of which are widely known and many which are more technical. One of the best-known is a 1997 dissent in which Judge Alito argued against a racial-discrimination claim made by a black housekeeping manager who was denied promotion to a job at a Marriott International Inc. hotel. The position, at a hotel in Park Ridge, N.J., went to a white woman. While the court ruled the woman could take the case to a jury, Judge Alito argued that, although she might be able to claim she had been treated unfairly, that wasn't enough to let her sue.

"What we end up doing then is ... allowing disgruntled employees to impose the cost of trial on employers who, although they have not acted with the intent to discriminate, may have treated their employees unfairly," he wrote. "This represents an unwarranted extension of the anti-discrimination laws."

Last year, Judge Alito wrote an opinion striking down a Pennsylvania law that barred alcoholic-beverage advertising in college newspapers. The law violated advertisers' First Amendment rights, he found, while doing little to prevent underage drinkers from seeing liquor ads, since they were prevalent in many other media to which students had access.

And in 1997, Judge Alito affirmed the dismissal of a shareholder class action filed against Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corp., of Burlington, N.J., after its earnings fell far short of its projections and its stock fell 30 percent in one day. He ruled that shareholder plaintiffs had failed to specify how the company's performance amounted to fraud, in a close reading of applicable statutes.

Judge Alito has insisted on enforcement of contract terms challenged as unfair or otherwise as void, such as provisions that require consumers to use arbitration rather than lawsuits to pursue complaints, said Larry E. Ribstein, a law professor at the University of Illinois. Such contract terms can be "a very useful technique that business has today in avoiding excessive litigation," said Mr. Ribstein, who specializes in business legal issues and has served as editor of the University of Chicago's Supreme Court Economic Review.

Major business groups, which have pressed the White House for business-friendly judges, Monday said they had yet to fully scrutinize Judge Alito's docket sufficiently to reach their own conclusions. Robin Conrad, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Litigation Center, said her lawyers are beginning a review of more than 700 opinions written by Judge Alito, including dozens on labor and employment cases and race and sex discrimination.

"There is a lot of stuff to look at," she said. "We're looking to see if there is a demonstrated understanding of business and economic issues."

Some critics, however, said they already saw warning flags. "Judge Alito's record on the bench demonstrates that he would go to great lengths to restrict the authority of Congress to enact legislation to protect civil rights and the rights of workers, consumers and women," said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the Judiciary Committee's ranking Democrat.

More here.

Wow, a very "conservative" Republican nominated to the Supreme Court who just happens to love big business very much. I doubt Bushy had any idea that the ol' man had it in him. I am sure it was his moral values that allowed him to follow Miers.

Hey Republicans, tell me if you think any harmful information to Alito's nomination will arise and if you think he will be approved.

And all criticism aside, if Alito does prove to be a decent pick, i'd probably approve. I do not want to see this void in the court drag out in critical times.

More infor here and here

Republicans Try to Cover It Up, But We Won't Let Them.

Senate Democrats Force Closed Session, Igniting Partisan Battle
Link here

Democrats are fed up with the corruption that the Republicans bring to the honorable halls of congress and are now fighting back. It has been a really horrible year for 'Corruptlicans' and today Minority leader Harry Reid forced the Senate to go into closed session to take up what the Democratic leader complained was the GOP-controlled Senate's failure to complete an investigation into intelligence used by the Bush administration to justify the war in Iraq.

For far too long this quagmire has been ignored and covered up by the Republicans, and what a better way to tear into the truth than by applying pressure to an already unstable leadership. The people want the truth and they want it now. Bush and Co. may have been able to cover up the horrible response to Katrina by nominating Roberts, they may have been able to cover up the Libby indictment by nominating Alito, and he may have been able to cover up many other things with anti-democratic propaganda, but no longer. We won't stand for it.

Senator Reid spoke boldly today to CNN which gave me the impression that Democrats are now finally giving these Republican rats a taste of good old fashion Democratic muscle. And with the self-inflicted wounds Republicans have, it shouldn't be much longer til the American people remember why the greatest Presidents and leaders this nation has seen were Democrats or would have been.

Let's take a glance at some of what was said.

"It is clear now that the American people were not informed properly before the invasion of Iraq. Intelligence information was distorted, was misused, and we have seen as late as last week the lengths which this administration has gone to try to silence and discredit their critics of the misuse of this intelligence information," Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., told reporters.

So, if the WMD claim was in fact BS, then ofcourse the American people want to know the truth. And even after President Bush admitted that there were no WMDs in Iraq, the uninformed Fox News viewers and Republicans across the globe still believe there was. It is up to the people in our federal government to do their jobs and investigate this predicament, not cover it up in the name of political bias and greed.

When Reid spoke the truth, Frist had the gall to say it was "an affront to me personally" and labeled it a political "stunt." Sheesh, what an idiot.. or lying sack of crap. So what would you have done Frist? An investigation on the war in Iraq dies down and no answers have been given. What do you want, to just drop it? Leave it unanswered and pretend this ridiculous incident never happened?

I think now is the perfect time to hit Republicans with everything we've got and do not let up. They are at a weak point in their reign and the world would be better of it they were taken out quickly. Slaughtergate gate is coming.

Capito... too cool for congresswoman?

Capito on Q & A

LAMB: So what have you learned from Senator Byrd about being a senator for the last eight terms?

MOORE CAPITO: Well, I think that being in the Senate looks like a pretty cool job.

LAMB: Why?

MOORE CAPITO: Well, I think you get a lot more influence. Certainly he represents the entire state, and that presents a lot of huge opportunities. The Senate does things differently. I‘m not sure I agree with it, but if I ever got over there I would probably think it was great.

Notice the key statements here: "looks like a pretty cool job", "I think you get a lot more influence", if I ever got over there I would probably think it was great".

This is definitely the mark of a rookie and she has no place being a senator any time soon. Why take the egg when you have the golden goose?

Some Republicans Are Confused

I am going to repost Mr. Brewster's article enlightening those dimwitted Repubs on the meaning of Modern America. Recently it seems we have slid from our orgininal intentions in hopes of obtaining some other goal. Maybe we were trying to become a proxy for news, but that is over with now. Our orgininal meaning was to provide our brutal commentary and stay firm on criticizing the corrupted Republican Party.

Original Article

Friday, July 22, 2005
What is Modern America?


Apparently some of you GOPers are confused. This blog isn't about intellectual topics on how to improve the life of everyday Americans and West Virginians. This blog is nothing more than a counter-punch to the Right-Wing attack machine that has brewed on a national and state level. We will occasionally talk about certain issues on this blog, however, don't make comments that ask where our substance is, we let our party leaders do the policy work.

Our substance is simple: We are Blood Thirsty Democrats, ready to attack any Republican that we put our crosshairs on.

It's a simple formula. Remember what happened to Barry Goldwater? It's kinda like that.

Now, remember that.

William Stewart Wants An Explaination And Now!

One thing that is great about government of the people, for the people and by the people is that we can be very critical of our leadership without the fear of being harmed. Or can we? Does Valerie Plame sound familiar? Or what about Nixon's Enemy List? Should we use caution when criticizing those in command? Of course we should, but that should not hinder us from speaking our mind.

A moment this morning, I took a couple of minutes to say that Alito is a "yes man" [for Bush], and William Stewart was all over that comment like Vic Sprouse on a wad of bills. Did I go too far? Was my statement unjust and false? If so, should I apologize or just get a primetime tv show on Fox?

What do we know about Samuel Alito?

He has served on the federal appeals court for 15 years since President George H.W. Bush nominated him in 1990. He was the deputy assistant attorney general in the Reagan administration from 1985 to 1987 and assistant to the solicitor general from 1981 to 1985.

Among his noteworthy opinions was his lone dissent in the 1991 case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, in which the 3rd Circuit struck down a Pennsylvania law that included a provision requiring women seeking abortions to notify their spouses.

Former appellate judge Timothy Lewis, who served with Alito, has ideological differences with him but believes he would be a good Supreme Court justice.

"There is nobody that I believe would give my case a more fair and balanced treatment," Lewis said. "He has no agenda. He's open-minded, he's fair and he's balanced."

There is much more information on ol' Alito making its way to the public as we speak, and I would imagine that it will be more information helpful to his Supreme Court bid. But when was the last time you seen an open-minded, self thinking, fair and honest individual working with the Bush administration? They all seem to get fired or their families get harmed in one way or another.

Despite any evidence that shows Alito may be an honest man whom determines law fairly, it is very much fair to suspect that the most corrupt administration in America's history has nominated yet another man who will say "yes" to the executive branch for years to come. If not, his family may be harmed.

If Mr. Stewart wants to discuss distortion he needs to contact Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity, Carlson, Robertson and countless of other Republicans who distort data in the name of money. And if Alito has made one mistake, one unwise decision, he is going down in the name of Democratic Domination.




Alito Info
----
Houston Chronicle
MSNBC
Bloomberg

Forget the criminal investigations ...

President Bush will today nominate Samuel Alito, a yes man, to the Supreme Court today according to reports.

Also this headline in the Gazette caught my eye: "Manchin not the only Democrat to buck party on abortion". I am just curious if people have forgotten that they have been 'pro-life' for the length of their careers. This is not something new, and Byrd's base can vouche for it.

And one by one the most notable WV Republicans are stepping down from the option of running against Byrd. Ireland and Capito know better, but their Junior Conservative Hiram "Bucky" Lewis needs some help understanding this. Does this piss off the Republicans? That their most beloved politicians are too scared to run against Byrd? You bet it does, as WVConservative has pointed out.

West Virginia and its Coal

Article

Through his West Virginia Coal Conversion Initiative, Gov. Joe Manchin is promoting development of coal liquefaction processes that convert coal to motor fuel. He promises streamlined permitting for companies that want to build coal conversion plants in West Virginia that can produce highly desirable motor fuels.
...
But West Virginia's energy opportunity extends far beyond coal-to-motor fuel opportunities.

The American power grid is a thirsty beast that demands more and more energy, and coal is the nation's most affordable energy source for the foreseeable future. Coal's critics object loudly to the burning of fossil fuels, but the doomsday crowd offers few alternatives that can satisfy the nation's energy needs.

Further Reading

Along with Senator Byrd and the rest of West Virginia's leadership (besides Capito), I am confident that more opportunities will present themselves to West Virginia in the form of jobs. And not just any jobs, but coal/energy related jobs that will benefit WV and demonstrate how our roots in Coal is long standing and bright. As more inventions and innovations revise the life of the coal industry, we can again smile and welcome the chance for a better WV... but we gotta keep an eye on that Blankenship guy.

Manchin's New Role.

Governor manchin has been appointed to the Medicaid commission.

The national panel will advise U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt on how to modernize the state-and-federal insurance program.

Florida Governor Jeb Bush also was named to the commission.

Other members include health policy leaders, state health department officials, public policy organizations and people with disabilities.

Medicaid provides health care for more than 300-thousand needy, aged, blind, disabled and low-income West Virginians.

The state department of health and human resources said earlier this year that it needs to cut nearly 116 million dollars out of West Virginia's medicaid program because it faces a 156 million-dollar deficit.

Source

I am curious as to where this will take ol' Manchin. I see more fame nationally being gathered, that's for sure.

Blankenship, will this guy ever shutup?

Source

Blankenship Avows His Role in West Virginia
Posted 10/27/2005 06:00 AM

Blankenship insisted he has no political motives in his dabbling in the Mountain State's political landscape. Instead, Blankenship explained, his motivation is good citizenship.
Story by Steve Novotney

WHEELING -- Who is Don Blankenship?

It's a question, not a campaign slogan.

Not like "Who Is Brent Benjamin?" The Republican candidate's campaign used common curiosity last November, and Benjamin dethroned former West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals justice Warren McGraw.

But who is Don Blankenship? Now that's a question posed in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle as often as residents above the Mason-Dixon hear, "Paid for by Don Blankenship" on television.

Those are the political ads, the TV spots broadcast in the state's largest markets promoting whatever Blankenship believes in or denouncing what he doesn't. For instance, it was Blankenship who supported Benjamin's victory, and it was Blankenship who spent six figures opposing Gov. Joe Manchin's failed pension bond amendment in June.

His day job, however, means little to citizens of the state's northern counties because "Massey Energy" is not a household name here. Blankenship serves as president, chairman and CEO for Massey, the fourth largest coal producer in the United States with 19 mining complexes in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia.

Blankenship insisted he has no political motives in his dabbling in the Mountain State's political landscape. He said he possesses zero political aspirations or premeditated, revenge-driven agendas against the Manchin administration.

Instead, Blankenship explained, his motivation is good citizenship.

Rest of the article.

Good citizenship aye? Sorry if I seem too skeptical, but I am. When was the last time a Republican did something out of the kindness of his heart? Well, I can tell you that I wasn't even born. Blankenship wants to see all of his buddies run the state of WV so he can make more money. SImple as that.

Byrd Meets With AEP CEO

Article Here

Washington, DC (HNN) – . U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-WV., met with the head of American Electric Power (AEP), in hopes of strengthening West Virginia’s case for a new advanced coal-based electric power plant.

“West Virginia has the workforce, the coal, and the desire to be home to a new AEP power plant,” Byrd said. “AEP has a strong presence in West Virginia. We have proved to be a good partner with AEP in the past, and I believe that our partnership will continue to grow.”

“If West Virginia is selected for this new power plant, it would mean an infusion of new jobs, construction of a 21st century facility, and a continued commitment to West Virginia coal. This new plant would be a mainstay of West Virginia for many years to come,” Byrd said.

Complete article

One man who has the ability to bring jobs and opportunity to West Virginia is Robert C. Byrd. And if the AEP decides to build the power plant in WV, then Byrd's billion dollar industry plan will be well on its way. This is something Capito, or any other Republican in West Virginia, is not capable of doing.

Byrd is the word and shall remain in 2006.

Rep. Capito Won't Challenge Senator Byrd

Scared or smart?

What A Year...

Republicans just keep placing their heads on the chopping block.

"Former education czar William Bennett was accused of feeding the fires of racism after he claimed that the U.S. crime rate could be reduced by aborting "every black baby in this country."
Bennett, education secretary in the Reagan administration, made the astounding claim Wednesday on his morning drive-time show on the conservative Salem Radio Network. The show is heard on 115 stations but not in New York.

Addressing a caller's suggestion that lost revenue from the people who have been aborted in the last 30 years would be enough to preserve Social Security, Bennett..."

Link Here

The list of Republican scandal continues to grow. Reed, Rove, Frist, DeLay, Bush...

Senator Byrd Announced His Intentions.

Today, Our great senator, Robert C. Byrd, spoke from the Capitol Rotunda saying he was "ready to go for another round." Byrd has 47 years in the Senate and will become the longest-serving member in Senate history in June.

While Republicans are lining up to knock down this great man, chances are that this wise, tactful Senator still has a few tricks up his sleeve to even derail the misdeeds of Rove.

God bless Senator Byrd and may he represent the people of WV as he is willing.

*EDIT*

Here is a transcript of Senator Byrd's speech available on his campaign site Byrd2006

Senator Byrd's Announcement Speech

Surrounded by family, friends, and hundreds of supporters, United States Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., made it official on Tuesday -- he will seek re-election to the Senate in 2006. Senator Byrd's remarks are below.

"I have given most of my life to serving the people of West Virginia, and today I stand before you ready to go another round. Today, I am here to announce my decision to run once again for the United States Senate and represent each of you, the people of our great State of West Virginia.

I have the best job in America because I represent you, the people of West Virginia. I want to keep this job. And I have called hundreds of West Virginians, and asked them, and they all said, "Go for it!" Here among our hills are the finest people on earth. Why do I say that? Because it's true. West Virginians believe in humility, hard work, patriotism, and we have an unshakeable faith in God.

We know that humility ennobles the spirit. We understand the dignity in hard work. We love our state, our country, and our flag. We share the faith of our fathers. Their faith in God is our faith. It is rooted in the marrow of our bones.

What a privilege to represent people like you! That is why I want to run again.
West Virginians deserve the best. As for me, it is an honor to work for all of you every day in the United States Senate.

It is not easy work, but I enjoy doing all that I can for West Virginia. I know how to deliver. I have been practicing my craft for years and, with your support, I will keep on giving you all I've got. I want to help build West Virginia's future. Together, we are making great progress, But there is more to do, and our best is yet to come.

We are a state rich in natural resources, natural beauty, and creative people who know how to work for what they want. We have a new, dynamic Governor. We have a hard working State Legislature. We have a strong Congressional Delegation. And we have lessons for America in the way we live our lives.

With a modern transportation system, a skilled workforce, and a friendly climate for small businesses and entrepreneurs, opportunity abounds. West Virginia is ready to reach new heights and new horizons. We are on the way to better days, and I will keep pushing to help build a better future for West Virginia.

There is much more to do. West Virginia's health care needs must be addressed. West Virginia's education opportunities must be improved. West Virginia's senior citizens must have the dignity and the security that they deserve. Our young people need good jobs so they can stay home in West Virginia and help us to build West Virginia's future.

I pledge my best efforts on those tough problems and more. And I also promise you this. I will never pull my punches. I will never duck a challenge. I will never close my ears to your concerns. And I will never, never, never fail to speak my mind on your behalf.

My beautiful wife, Erma, cannot be with me here today, but she is a West Virginian through and through, and she wants me to continue to work for the state we both so dearly love. With God's blessing, I look forward to the days ahead. With your support, and Erma's love, I look forward to working with all of you. We have mountains to climb together, so let's get going!

May God continue to bless our great country, and may God continue to bless the great State of West Virginia and her mountain people!"

Republicans Love Money...and Corruption.

An investigation is underway that may have Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in an "Alderson Prison" of his own. Senator Frist seems to have pulled a "Martha Stewart" by getting inside information and selling his stock shares before its value plummeted. Senator Frist says he will comply with the authorities on this situation, but ofcourse, what else would he say?

Today in his first public comments on the issue, Frist said he "acted properly" in the transaction. Federal prosecutors last week said they would look into Frist's sale of HCA shares just before the hospital chain warned in July of weak numbers, driving the stock lower.

Today's comments came as the new chief of one of the agencies investigating the sales, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Christopher Cox, recused himself from the investigation. Cox, a former California representative and onetime contributor to a Frist election campaign, cited the need to avert what he called "any appearance of impropriety."

With Cheney having more medical complications, Bush's approval ratings plummeting, the "War On Terror" entering a seemingly infinite loop, U.S. economy taking a beating from the executive screw-ups and natural disasters, this is the last thing the Republican leadership needs. But as many have stated before, a mountain pile of screw-ups will open the eyes of the people... eventually.

Byrd to reschedule announcement

Senator Byrd has rescheduled his 2006 announcement to next Tuesday, September 27 at 12 noon.

Here are some excerpts from the announcement:

September 20, 2005 Byrd re-schedules 2006 announcement

Friends of Robert C. Byrd
Ned Rose

On Tuesday, September 27, 2005, U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., will announce his 2006 re-election plans at an event in the Lower Rotunda of the State Capitol in Charleston.

...

Byrd had previously been scheduled to announce his re-election plans on September 7, but postponed the event because of the state's massive efforts to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Supporters are welcome to attend Senator Byrd's announcement.

More information can be obtained at:
Direct Link and Byrd2006 News

Wallis Opinion Piece

The Message Thing

"SINCE the 2004 election, there has been much soul-searching and hand-wringing, especially among Democrats, about how to "frame" political messages. The loss to George W. Bush was painful enough, but the Republicans' post-election claims of mandate, and their triumphal promises to relegate the Democrats to permanent minority status, left political liberals in a state of panic.

So the minority party has been searching, some would say desperately, for the right "narrative": the best story line, metaphors, even magic words to bring back electoral success. The operative term among Democratic politicians and strategists has become "framing." How to tell the story has become more important than the story itself. And that could be a bigger mistake for the Democrats than the ones they made during the election.

Language is clearly important in politics, but the message remains more important than the messaging. In the interests of full disclosure, let me note that I have been talking to the Democrats about both. But I believe that first, you must get your message straight. What are your best ideas, and what are you for-as opposed to what you're against in the other party's message? Only when you answer those questions can you figure out how to present your message to the American people.

Because the Republicans, with the help of the religious right, have captured the language of values and religion (narrowly conceived as only abortion and gay marriage), the Democrats have also been asking how to "take back the faith." But that means far more than throwing a few Bible verses into policy discussions, offering candidates some good lines from famous hymns, or teaching them how to clap at the right times in black churches. Democrats need to focus on the content of religious convictions and the values that underlie them."

...

"Abortion is one such case. Democrats need to think past catchphrases, like "a woman's right to choose," or the alternative, "safe, legal and rare." More than 1 million abortions are performed every year in this country. The Democrats should set forth proposals that aim to reduce that number by at least half."

Read on...

Jim Wallis is editor and founder of the liberal evangelical magazine Sojourners, the author of The Soul of Politics and God's Politics, and the head of "Call to Renewal," a faith-based anti-poverty organization.

It is a little bit too late for that now, but I dedicate the repost of Wallis' article to all of you Libs in "Candy Land". I ask you to seriously take a second look at politics and strategy. This will be useful for the future.

Senator Byrd will not have to worry about staying consistent with that message, nor will he have to worry about the Klu Klux Klan vomit spewing from the opposition. The only thing Byrd has to worry about is the downfall of Hechler. But then again, what does 6 years difference make? Byrd triumphs in everything he takes on due to his intellect and ability. I can tell everyone right now that if Byrd officially announces his run, he will CRUSH the opposition. Hands down, not even close. Byrd will win by 20+ percentage points. Oh wait, what's that I say, only twenty? Nah, notice the plus. I'll give his opposition a little credit.

But in the meantime we should have some fun with the Republicans. I agree with what Wayne has stated: "...I think it would be a lot more fun to go on the offense with an ad that's critical of Smelly Moore Crapito, and let her see if she can defend herself." If the Democrats have half a brain here in WV they will take this opportunity to play with the Republicans. Swat them around like a cat would a mouse. Kick them up and down and show them who is boss. Republicans are starting to buck their chests out and stare 2 seconds too long in our eyes. We have to set them in their place. Do they seriously think they have a chance here in WV? Yes they do think so.

Capito, get ready to spend your money early because your name is about to be smeared worse than your blotchy face makeup.

Fact Check Responds

Check out the newest Fact Check article weighing in on the Republican/Byrd ads.

"Summary

With 15 months to go before election day 2006, the National Republican Senatorial Committee unleashed an attack ad in West Virginia in an attempt to soften up Democratic Senator Robert Byrd for an eventual GOP challenger. Byrd responded immediately with a TV ad of his own.

Both ads contained shopworn distortions.

The NRSC ad accused Byrd of voting "against body armor" and "for higher taxes for the middle class" – as misleading now as when Bush used the same attacks against Kerry last year.

And Byrd responded by claiming he was being attacked by "out-of-state special interests" with an "agenda" that includes "tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas." In fact, the ad was run by a political party and not by a "special interest," and the tax breaks Byrd mentions have been in place for decades, even when Democrats had a majority in the Senate and Byrd was their leader. Few economists see those tax breaks as a serious drain on US jobs."

Open A Cold One...

I just wanted to take the time out of my 'busy schedule' and congratulate Brandon on tackling a beast of an obstacle. I guess once everything gets lined out I will have to complete my end of the bargain.

Keep up the good work.

Great News Internet Explorer Users!

After many hours of hide and seek, I think I have fixed the errors that crammed the side bar to the bottom of the page. We at MA mostly use Mozilla Firefox or some other alternative to IE and rarely catch the errors that IE users experience.

I strongly suggest everyone use Mozilla Firefox. There are multiple things about its features that make it great, one being the built in popup blocker. Once I tested Modern America on IE, I noticed you guys experience some popup adds from bravenet, Mozilla stops that and without third party software. Another great thing about Mozilla is that it interprets code more proficiently, unlike IE that handles code sometimes like it is from another planet. Mozilla can comprehend flawed code and interpret it to what you intended...almost like a skilled living creature.

Anyway, if anyone notices anything looking a little funny, i'd appreciate an email. I'll try and stay up-to-date on how to keep MA lookin' good for your viewing pleasure. But hey, you come here for our awesome commentary and news, not the graphics and looks right?

Get Firefox


P.S. Don Surber stays up too late.

Sports Analogy

Great article by Jim Mckay.

"What West Virginia Can Learn From the Boston Red Sox

or What Manny Ramirez, Shaquille O'Neal, and Bob Byrd Have in Common...
MannyIt looks like the Red Sox have learned their lesson.

Despite rumors flying about an impending trade of Manny Ramirez, the Red Sox have decided not to trade the future Hall of Famer. It appears the Red Sox have finally learned that the best trade is often the trade you don't make.

It would not have been wise to trade their best player one year after winning the World Series. The last time they did that, the Red Sox traded Babe Ruth and ushered in almost a century of frustration before winning the World Series last October.

Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Lakers didn't heed this advice, trading their most valuable player, Shaquille O'Neal, to the Miami Heat in exchange for 3 players hardly anybody has heard of. The results, the Lakers ended up losing more games than the LA Clippers and missed the playoffs, while Miami almost won the Championship for the first-time in franchise history.

What is the lesson?

You don't trade your most valuable players, especially not for an unproven rookie. It may seem like you made a good deal at first, but a bad trade can have lasting results.

Next year, West Virginia voters will have a chance to choose between a proven star, Sen. Robert C. Byrd, who has demonstrated his value to the state time and time again, and an unproven prospect, Rep. Shelley Moore-Capito. The writers will talk about the potential of Rep. Capito, but voters should know that "trading" Senator Byrd would be no better than trading Manny for Aubrey Huff, or Shaq for those other guys.

Capito has been working in the minor leagues and has even had some success, but the US Senate is the Major Leagues. West Virginia can't afford to risk trading a perennial MVP candidate for a prospect who recently admitted,

"I'm not sure I completely understand (the federal budget process) yet myself."

That's like saying, "I can't hit a curve ball, but I'm working on it."

We can't afford to wait for someone to learn at the Major League level.

You don't have to take my word for it. Ask the fans in Los Angeles, which player do they wish they still had on their team?"

Highway agency yanks funding for southwest highway project

Link here

June 25, 2005 6:42 PM

RICHMOND, Va.

The three-point-eight billion dollar Coalfields Expressway project in southwest Virginia has effectively been halted.

That's because the Federal Highway Administration is withdrawing funding.

The agency cited delays and escalating costs in pulling the money from the 51-mile highway, a four-lane road from Wise County, Virginia, through Dickenson and Buchanan counties to link with the West Virginia Coalfields Expressway near Paynesville, West Virginia.

Highway administration officials say the project is behind schedule with no anticipated date for the start of construction of the first eight-mile section.

About 80 percent of funding for the roadway project would come from federal money.

Virginia's initial plans, developed as part of a public-private partnership under Governor Jim Gilmore, called for the expressway to be finished by 2012. The state hopes the road would be an economic godsend for a region with high unemployment and a shrinking population.

West Virginians reject $5.5 billion pension bond proposal

WCHS NEWS LINK

June 25, 2005 9:39 PM

CHARLESTON, W.Va.

Voters went to the polls today and rejected Governor Manchin's attempt to repair West Virginia's ailing retirement system by selling billions of dollars in bonds.

With 66 percent the state's 19-hundred-and-65 precincts reporting, the pension bond measure was failing 47 percent to 53 percent.

The governor had wanted voters to amend the state's constitution so up to five-and-a-half billion dollars in bonds could be sold to aid the teachers, judicial and State Police pension programs.

The teachers' system would receive more than five billion dollars of the money.

The governor's office did not have an immediate comment on the vote.

The defeat leaves in place a 40-year payment plan that relies on ballooning outlays from the state budget to aid the pension plans. This year's payment takes about 350 million dollars from general revenue: the final, 2034 payment is estimated at 742 million dollars _ about one-fourth of this year's budget.

Dr. Zane Lawhorn

Is he serious?


Click for image 1

Dr. Zane Lawhorn, pictured above, is another no-name Republican contesting Senator Byrd's seat. But unlike Hiram "Bucky" Lewis, Dr. Lawhorn has actually put a lot of work in this, well, so far it seems so. His website consists of a multitude of pages of information and promises. He has a poll on each "issue" page for research. It looks like he is trying to scan the field to see what his chances are. But is he running because he feels Capito will not, or does he thinks he is better than her or Lewis?

A quick scan of his website will reveal that he is already using campaign slogans and gimmicks to woo voters. First example:

"I will 'get-er-done' for West Virginia because I am not concerned about building a 'political career'."


Another example of his political slogan:
Click for image 2

Yeah buddy, git-er-done! (as others say it)

Another thing to think about is the following image he links on his website:
Click for image 3

Does he not know who is opposition is? I mean seriously, someone contact his staff (or himself) and ask that question. What does he mean "it's time to elect a Senator that will obtain billions of dollars of funding for West Virginia"? Has this guy been in the dark? Did he just move here from Ohio or something? Interesing, but on to the next issue.

If you take a look at his "7 promises" page, you will notice that he has promised a "clean campaign based on the issues". Well, let us see how well this Republican can stick to his word.
And most of his promises were fullfilled by Senator Byrd. He will need something more solid to work with if he plans on being a strong contender. And bingo, he may have found it. Take a look at this tactic:

"I promise I will not accept a Senate health insurance plan for myself or my family until the 300,000 + citizens of West Virginia without health insurance has access to their own health insurance. Why should our elected officials have health insurance coverage when their citizens don’t?"

Interesting enough and it may be a clever tactic that West Virginians will listen to. But as for how it measures up against the weight of Byrd's triumphs for West Virginia? It gets squashed and suffocated.

Senator Byrd has proven himself as a trustworthy, caring man time and time again. If he decides to run in 2006 (duh), he will win his seat.

capito2006.com

capito2006.com has been registered as of November 2004, but a closer investigation shows that it may have been registered by the opposition.

Whois information of registered domain name:

capito2006.com

Registrant:
Stephen Skinner


Domain Name: capito2006.com

Administrative, Technical, Billing Contact:
Stephen Skinner

Record created on Nov 4 2004.
Record expires on Nov 4 2005.
Domain servers:
static-1.no-ip.com
static-2.no-ip.com
static-3.no-ip.com

Domain Service Provider:
No-IP.com
702-459-8444

A quick google shows that Stephen Skinner is a lawyer in WV and I think "former" lawyer with Nichols & Skinner, L.C. Other Google information provides information that he is a huge supporter of the GLBT section of the Democratic Party; and a press release issued by a Stephen Skinner in the Eastern Panhandle of Charles Town, which urges others to be aware of fraudulent calls from Republicans.

Other than that, I have not encountered a "Stephen Skinner" that works along side Capito.

Democrats continue crusade over Congressional ethics staffing

Representative Mollohan confronts the slacking behavior in the Ethics Committee.



The slacking behavior of the Ethics Committee to fill these vacancies looks to be another tactic by the majority party to hault the investigations on House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. So Mollohan lays some rules down.

June 21, 2005

HOUSE RULES REQUIRING A NONPARTISAN PROFESSIONAL ETHICS COMMITTEE STAFF MUST BE COMPLIED WITH

Dear Colleague:

In recent weeks a number of Members have made the point that the House of Representatives needs to have a functioning, effective Ethics Committee. As the Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, I could not agree more. Why, then, is the Committee not proceeding to fill the many vacancies in its staff, so that the Committee can begin to address the heavy workload that it is now facing?

The reason is that an issue has arisen within the Committee that is, in essence, whether the House Rules on the staffing of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct will be complied with. My position on this matter is very straightforward -

The House Rules on committee staff are clear and unambiguous,

Those rules require that the Committee have a nonpartisan professional staff that is selected by vote of the full Committee, and

In staffing the Committee for the 109th Congress, it is critically important that the Committee comply with those rules.

The rules relating to the Ethics Committee staff are set out in clause 3(g) of House Rule XI, and their full text is set out in an attachment to this letter. Those rules provide that the Committee staff is to be "assembled and retained as a professional, nonpartisan staff," and they further provide that -

all members of the professional staff "shall be appointed by an affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the committee."

1. "each professional staff member shall be professional and demonstrably qualified for the position for which he is hired";

"the staff as a whole and each member of the staff shall perform all official duties in a nonpartisan manner," and

"no member of the staff shall engage in any partisan political activity directly affecting any congressional or presidential election." [Emphasis added.]

These rules were authored by the 1997 House Ethics Reform Task Force, and the report of the Task Force highlights the importance of these rules to the proper functioning of the House ethics process:

In order for the Standards Committee to function effectively, its professional staff must operate in a completely nonpartisan manner, and each member of the staff must have the trust and confidence of all Committee members. A nonpartisan staff is also essential to engendering confidence, both within and outside the House, in the impartiality of the Committee as a whole.

Unfortunately, the Chairman of the Committee has been insisting on implementing an entirely unprecedented proposal on Committee staffing that disregards these key rules. His proposal asserts that the Chairman has the unilateral power to appoint as "Majority Staff Director" of the Committee an individual who is a shared employee of his personal office and the Committee - an appointment that would be made without any vote of the Committee, let alone complying with the rule's requirement for a majority vote of the Committee, and without regard to the rules' clear requirements for staff of professionalism and a nonpartisan background. There could hardly be a worse time to inject partisanship into the Committee staff, in total disregard of both the terms of the rules and the consistent manner in which those rules have been implemented over the past seven years.

After you review the applicable rules, I believe you will be as impressed as I am that this is not a complicated matter, and it does not involve any question of interpretation of the rules. Instead, this is a simple matter of applying the terms of the rules according to their plain meaning. I have repeatedly made my views on this matter known to the Chairman of the Ethics Committee, but with this issue remaining unresolved after several months, I believe it is important that each Member be apprised of the basic questions that are at issue here. I would be happy to respond to any questions you may have on this matter.

Sincerely,

Alan B. Mollohan Member of Congress

Local News: Our elections in the 3rd district are more interesting.

Link

"Anawalt.

This little town in McDowell County also held its municipal election Tuesday, and a slot on its board race ended up being closer than Bluefield's at-large race and Bramwell's contest for mayor.

Two siblings, Scotty A. Chapman and Theresa L. Bridgeman tied with 56 votes for the fifth seat on the board. The canvass will determine whether either brother or sister received an extra vote or two, to change the results."

Interesting enough is that voters gave 56 votes per candidate. But knowing that they are siblings is adding to the plot.

There were also elections in Bluefield and Bramwell that had "too close to call" stats.

"So Bluefield had two votes shifting the election; Bramwell had one - and who knew what would happen, or who might be mayor, after the canvass. What could be more exciting?"

Senate Rejects 40% Cut in Oil Use; Approves 10% Renewable Portfolio Standard for Electricity

Link

"The Senate rejected the Cantwell amendment (earlier post) that proposed a 40% reduction in oil consumption by 2025 from the baseline forecast by the EIA.

The bill, co-sponsored by Senators Feinstein (D-CA), Reid (D-NV, Minority Leader) and Durbin (D-IL) went down 47–53, basically on a party-line vote with four exceptions.

One Democrat (Stabenow, MI) voted against the bill; three Republican senators (Chafee, RI; Snowe, ME; and Specter, PA) voted for it."

Back to the drawing board for the sponsors.

General Update

Just recovered from data error in the template. Not sure what happened, but some of the newer information was lossed. Nothing that can't be fixed or readded though.

For all you diehard MA fans (yeah that's right) I will get everything back up to par tonight. So the rooster, the Byrd image, the hit counter, etc will be back shortly.

General Update

(1) Been working on getting mcydems.org up and running. Got an alternate host since the national YDA is ignoring me. I have been advised that it should be available in 24-48 hours. As you see now (at this time being anyways), the default godaddy reserved page for mcydems.org is no longer available. This is due to the servers swapping. Don't fret, all should work out well and McDowell County Wyoung Democrats [dot] org will be up and running sometime Sunday. Nice day for it to arrive, wouldn't you say?

(2) Also added Draft Mark Warner to the suggested links list. Mark Warner has been receiving national attention for quite some time now and it seems he is gathering much support. I've kept my eye on him and will continue in the coming months. I am sure most of you moderate and Traditional Democrats thought about a Warner/Manchin ticket. Who knows? If Manchin doesn't tick off any more people and happens to turn WV around for the better, a second term as governor may not happen. But let's not pump up anyone's ego here. Save West Virginia today and the nation tomorrow.

(3) Before observing the poll, I would have never imagined more than 5 Neoconservatives would dare enter the realms of traditional territory. Interesting. I wonder if they really believe Capito will win or are they just voting to keep the results from being in the 90 percentile.

Not a scientific poll
Poll Stats

(4) Brandon has been working very hard on getting the MCYD Bluegrass Show organized. It is coming together slowly (rather quickly though in the last couple days), and should be ready sometime in August. More on that will be posted on mcydems.org by Monday (hopefully, depending on the server availability).

(5)
VS

"Byrd still only leads Capito by a less-than-comfortable ten points in the polls. Ten points! That's nothing a good Karl Rove-sponsored $14 million television ad campaign can't handle."

( I was going to edit Capito's pic, but decided not. Maybe another day.)

Heh, $14 million dollars wasted down the drown. I love how these Neoconservatives are packing on weight to this campaign. It's like the snowball affect. It rolls and rolls, picking up more and more crap, then when it gets too big it breaks apart, but not before crashing into an obstacle. And this snowball's obstacle is Byrd. Do they think he will be an easy defeat? Well, I really don't hear Rove, Bush, Limbaugh, and the other high profile Conservatives spending their 2 cents. Most of the gibberish is the lower pundits and wannabe journalists. *cough* Surber *cough*. Ahem, gettin' a cold I think.

It is 5:06 am, lots was done tonight, more to do tomorrow.

Thank God For Senator Byrd

BRAC, Pentagon Wrong

The BRAC team concluded that the Pentagon's stats about Charleston's 130th is incorrect.

After concluding a daylong fact-finding tour, analysts from a federal panel reviewing whether the West Virginia National GuardÂ’s 130th Airlift Wing should be downsized admitted on Monday just what Guard supporters have been saying all along.

West Virginia National Guard Adj. Gen. Allen Tackett has contended that the base can now handle 16 C-130s and has the resources to expand to 24.

With the exception of Sen. Jay Rockefeller, who had to attend to Senate business, the state’s full congressional delegation — Sen. Robert Byrd and Reps. Shelley Moore Capito, Allan Mollohan and Nick Rahall — were on hand for the BRAC analysts’ visit Monday. Also greeting them were Gov. Joe Manchin and Charleston Mayor Danny Jones.

Mollohan said it was Byrd who had “marshaled together this delegation” in support of the base.

“We’re here to back up the unit,” Byrd said. “We’re united in this delegation.

But we are not through yet. More chit-chat between committees must be conducted on whether or not the DOD would save money by transferring these base jobs.

Over 1000 jobs is reported to be connected to the 130th Airlift Wing.

Thank God for Senator Robert C. Byrd, who has yet again showed his compassion and willingness to fight for West Virginia.

Mark of the Roast Beef

Cow Tracking

Good or bad? You decide.

Pro issues...
Tracking animals that get slaughtered for food and sold around the globe is very important when concerning issues like Mad Cow and other diseases and contaminations. This concept may help pinpoint and quarantine future outbreaks.

Con issues...
Money. How much will this cost the farmer/cattle breeders? Will it raise the cost of meat; thus costing consumers more? How much will it cost the federal and state government?

Is there a better way to deal with diseased meat?

What will this open doors for next?

General Update

I fixed some of the code bugs in our template. One being the comment line that placed the comment option too far down (on the post below it), which made a mess and confused guests.

And members, if you have a personal blog please send me an email (the one listed in the team section) if you would like it linked on Modern America, mine is listed on the side bar.

And please feel free to email me about anything.

WV: For Sale, Used But Works Great!

West Virginia has seen a great deal of action from the executive branch and the legislative branch of government this year and so far it seems that Governor Manchin is sticking to his words of turning West Virginia around. Many people in West Virginia have placed their faith in him, as his victory of 60+ percent proved. And his "honeymoon period" showed that the legislature of West Virginia is willing to help and try out his way of governing.

During his first few months in office he has gotten many of his proposed bills passed, including bills that deal with tort reform, toughen ethics laws, and reorganize certain state agencies. There were also many bills passed that can be considered as progressive economic legislation for West Virginia. And along with those bills, Manchin visited Japan in hopes of strengthening business relations to bring in more jobs and economic stimulants. Indeed, Manchin is doing something to change the course of West Virginia�s economic plateau. But, the current concern of West Virginia and its stability is the sale of bonds to secure pension benefits.

West Virginia has been facing the problem of $3+ billion debt for some time now and Manchin says it is time to deal with it. Voters will start going to the polls Friday to decide whether West Virginia should sell up to $5.5 billion in bonds to make up for the $3 billion+ debt. West Virginia's constitution forbids the state from taking on debt, so voters must amend it each time the state sells bonds.

Manchin wants to sell the bonds as part of his plan to erase funding gaps in pension plans for teachers, troopers and the judiciary. The bonds would replace a court-ordered repayment plan that Manchin says is costing the state budget too much. Under the current plan, the liability payments to the pension funds would increase ever year. This year the government is responsible for $350 million which equals 11.2% of the State�s budget. That payment will then increase each year until 2034 when the payment will reach $724 million.

Although many favor this action, some are opposed to it. Senator Steve Harrison, R-Kanahwa, says he does not buy the "refinancing mortgage" analogy. He says that there is no real estate for collateral to back up the loan. He and many others feel that this is too much of a gamble for the state of West Virginia and the chances of failure and the wellbeing of West Virginia are too much to risk. Another infamous name throwing his opinion, and possibly weight, around is Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey Energy. Blankenship says that he is not sure if he will get involved in this issue, but is definitely against the selling of bonds.

Governor Manchin and his administration want to let everyone know that careful consideration has been placed into this idea. Basically, he is telling everyone that it is not as much as a gamble as others will have you believe. Of course the stock market will affect the bond rates, but everything will be handled by qualified, capable professionals who have experience in handling large bond sales and investments in West Virginia. There will be a multitude of professional consultants, finance advisors and lawyers working along side the bond counsel, underwriters, trustee and state treasurer.

So far, the lack of awareness about the proposal seems its biggest opponent. An advertising campaign aimed at promoting the proposal will not begin until mid-June, but as most polls conducted show, more are for the sale of bonds than against it, however the undecided percentage is quite large.

Fai

You can judge a man's leadership abilities by his handshake. If not too old, nor too young his grip defines his strengths. If it is firm, strong and deep pocketed within the other's hand, do not mess with him unless you like a challenge. If it is limp, soft and barely holds the other's fingertip, then take him out, he is ripe for the picking.

The latter qualities or similar qualities signify a weak, unbalanced, feminine-like man. Usually, these types have a nervous break-down when toppled. Take one of these guys out of his throne, and he'll go home crying to his wife or "significant other" and possibly transform into a blabbering fool consumed by depression.

Do not misunderstand my personality. In a perfect world, this type of man could rule or lead perfectly. But in reality, in our cut-throat, survival of the fittest, wits VS wits world; these people will not cut it. It takes strong leadership, not emotional wrecks and weak sympathizers.

But then again, a strong handshake could symbolize "George Milton"(Of Mice and Men).

WV: Manchin's Building of Business Relations

The bond between West Virginia and Japan continues to grow stronger, Gov. Joe Manchin and first lady Gayle Manchin told students at Buffalo High School on Thursday while the Manchins were in Japan.

The Manchins spoke from Nagoya, Japan, near Toyota's headquarters through video conference technology. The Manchins; Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.; and business leaders in the state are touring Japan on a trade mission. The Manchins say they want the trip to Japan to result in attracting more Japanese industry to West Virginia. Which is very likely to happen.

"We are building off of the automotive success in West Virginia," Joe Manchin said. "Most companies here are active in the home entertainment industry and other technologies. We are learning how diverse they are. We hope to build off that."

Japan has made significant contributions to the state of West Virginia, the Manchins said Thursday. The Toyota manufacturing plant began operations in 1998 and has been a success in all accounts. The success of the Toyota plant in Buffalo sets a precedent for other companies about the business environment of West Virginia, Joe Manchin said.

"If Toyota can do that, maybe they can, too. It is opening doors," Joe Manchin said. "You have given us another tool to sell West Virginia."

Japanese industry accounts for 18 companies in West Virginia, with more than $2 billion in investments made in the state. Japan holds potential for many technology-oriented businesses outside of automobiles, as well, Joe Manchin said.

"A lot will happen in the next few years with developing technology," Manchin said. "You are seeing the development of the hybrid car and home entertainment."

Aside from the business investments Japan has in West Virginia, the Japanese government began funding the Japanese language class at Buffalo High School, located about a mile from the Toyata Plant, about five years ago, 2 years after the Toyota Plant began operations. Evidently, Japan has interests in West Virginia, and a positive business relationship is building.

Honorable Senator Byrd

I am a little confused, but as it seems to be, I may be wrong about the Poll Theory. While our honorbale Senator Byrd is still kickin' Republican butt and still showing Capito how it is done, the recent poll stats produced may just be true. However, it is over a year away from the election, and poll stats at this point are absolutely useless other than tryin to persuade Capito to run. So, I guess my theory is not that far off.

Don Surber , Southern Appeal and so many other Fascist Cons...I mean, Neoconservatives out there are on the early attack against Byrd. If you skim through their blogs you can find harsh, disrespectful, evil, childish and idiotic remarks pertaining to the Great Senator who has proven himself time and time again. They show no respect for anything he has done, but I expect no less from them.

But to rub their stupidity in their faces, I quote an article from the WV Gazette.

June 06, 2005
Save 130th
# Keep 'em flying

It’s heartening that West Virginians of many sorts are teaming up in a spirited attempt to save the National Guard’s top-rated 130th Airlift Wing at Yeager Airport.

Immediately after the Pentagon announced its intent to strip the unit of its cargo planes — which would wipe out its reason for existence and imperil the 1,000-plus jobs it provides to the Charleston regional economy — protest rallies were held, and local civic figures launched a “Keep ‘Em Flying” resistance effort.

The Kanawha County Commission, Charleston City Council, Charleston Area Alliance and Yeager Airport board each donated $25,000 to the grassroots group.

Iraq war heroine Jessica Lynch — who was rescued from an Iraqi hospital by a strike team delivered by one of the Charleston unit’s planes — volunteered to be a spokesman for the campaign. “It’s important for all West Virginians to have the base here,” she told reporter Rick Steelhammer. After many surgeries for fractures she suffered in a combat ambush, Lynch still walks with a cane, but says, “I feel great, spiritually.” The 2003 Sunday Gazette-Mail West Virginian of the Year is to enter West Virginia University this fall to become a kindergarten teacher.

Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., has taken a forceful role in the drive to save the 130th. At first, the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission, which has authority to reverse the Pentagon decision, refused to visit the Charleston unit. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., announced that she arranged for West Virginians to get 30 minutes before BRAC when it meets June 28 at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina, where the West Virginia planes would be transferred. Then Byrd scored two breakthroughs — persuading BRAC to send a team of analysts to Yeager June 14, and persuading the BRAC chairman to visit the 130th before a verdict is reached.

“West Virginians deserve a chance to make their case to the commission before it makes any decision,” Byrd said, “and having the chairman come to Charleston is a step in the right direction.” The senator added that “getting the 130th off this realignment-and-closure list will not be easy,” but “our job is to give them a convincing case to keep the 130th open.”

Byrd said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld “had his facts wrong, plain and simple,” when he added the 130th to the downgrading list. For example, Rumsfeld said the 130th space at Yeager Airport can’t handle more than eight C-130 cargo planes — but numerous more C-130s were flown to Yeager Sunday during a rally, to prove the base’s capacity.

Also Sunday, investigative reporter Paul Nyden revealed that the quality of training at overcrowded Pope AFB has been rated as dismal by military studies.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., cosponsored a bill in Congress to delay base closures until a Quadrennial Defense Review is released next year. “It will cost taxpayers much more money to operate the 130th’s planes out of Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina than it does to operate them out of Charleston,” Rockefeller said. “I believe that matters to taxpayers, and I believe it’s about time the administration began to show some fiscal restraint.”

Rockefeller added that the 130th Airlift Wing “is one of the top outfits in the entire Air Force. The unit has been repeatedly cited for its excellence.” The 130th has performed extensively in the Iraq war.

The Yeager Airport wing, under National Guard direction, ranks among America’s best in military readiness — but the Pope base, under the Air Force, ranks near the bottom. News reports say Air Force planes were maintained poorly, partly because former Air Force official Darleen Druyun gave contracts illegally and was sent to prison for it.

The 130th is a valuable asset to central West Virginia. It’s encouraging that so many state figures are united in striving to save it.

You see, Capito tried her darndest to get someone to come and look at the Airfield. And she did this just for "props". It was a political move, not an action to help West Virginia. She thought that if she "saved the day" then she would definately get a chance to run against Byrd.

However she failed, and it took Senator Byrd to save the day. He stepped right in and got not only someone to reconsider moving the planes, but he persuaded BRAC to send a team of analysts to Yeager June 14, and persuaded the BRAC chairman to visit the 130th before a verdict is reached. WOW. You see, this is the kind of man Senator Byrd is. A man of action and a man of results. He cares about the people of West Virginia, not money, fame and the chance for a higher office.

People, I suggest you reflect on EVERYTHING Byrd has done for WV before you turn your backs on him. That goes for you too Surber. Oh, and "Southern Appeal", unfreeze your cold hearts.

Byrd Vs. Capito article 1909002000023

http://dailymail.com/news/News/2005060329/

In a piece from the Charleston Daily Mail, they yet again are trying to persuade Capito to run against Byrd. She has not proclaimed her fight for the Republicans for simple reasons. She is scared.

She knows she can't beat Byrd, and a run against him would cost her a job. She would lose the seante race and her House seat. Then her sorry butt would be on the streets. But heck, ex-con Daddy or coke-head Sis will take care of her.

The reasons they run these polls are to get Capito to run. Republicans are delusional and think they have a chance on ousting Byrd, so they are willing to sacrifice everything to attempt it.

They conduct these polls like the RMS Strategies Poll released today that reports that 46 percent of 401 registered voters in West Virginia would vote for Byrd if the election were held now. I'm not sure where they conduct these polls, but obviously it is in Capito Country, and even so, it shows she will not win. By conducting polls in Republican neighborhoods, you are diluting the statistics. Unless...you seriosuly want to conduct a poll showing how many Republicans will even vote fot Byrd.


"In the poll, Byrd received a 62 percent very favorable or somewhat favorable opinion from voters in the state, compared to 33 percent who gave him an unfavorable rating.

Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they hold a very or somewhat favorable opinion of Capito while 19 percent gave her an unfavorable rating."

Again, I am not sure where they are getting this information, but Senator Byrd is known all over the state, Capito is not. She is a knight in rusty armor only in her congressional district, again, Byrd is a Knight in shining armor in the entire state, country and possibly... the world.

BRAC, 130th

BRAC analysts will visit
Analysts from the military base closure commission will visit Charleston’s Air National Guard base before they decide whether to strip it of its eight C-130 aircraft, Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., announced Thursday.

Byrd, Capito Race Too Close To Call

WV: Byrd, Capito Race Too Close To Call
by Jeremy L

Aside from it being a full year and a half in the future, this race has gotten the Republicans in WV more active than ever. Maybe it was the notable gains of Benjamin to the Supreme Court and Ireland to the Secretary of State�s office that has induced the surge of energy, hope and organization, or maybe not, but their new activity is evident.

Polls are being conducted, and it is my belief that these possible "diluted" statistics are designed to persuade Capito to run. Besides the polls relating to this possible race, the media is publishing OPEDs on it, citizens are submitting letters to the editors about it and blogs are a blazing with the info smashing or praising each candidate.

Researchers are 95 percent certain that results won't be more than plus or minus 4.9 percent off the actual mark.

In the poll, Byrd received a 62 percent very favorable or somewhat favorable opinion from voters in the state, compared to 33 percent who gave him an unfavorable rating.

Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they hold a very or somewhat favorable opinion of Capito while 19 percent gave her an unfavorable rating.

This is very interesting to me, considering that Byrd is known through out the state and Capito is mainly known in her congressional district. Is it possible that these polls are being conducted around more Republican-leaning areas? If so, then Capito definitely does not have a chance, considering those statistics. But if they are accurate, fair results, then this possible future race is going to be interesting.

Deep Throat Was Not Gray Fox???

Google News

After 33 years, Deep Throat, the man who brought down Nixon, confesses all

Julian Borger in Washington
Wednesday June 1, 2005
The Guardian

As it turns out, the greatest secret in American political history was blown a long time ago by an eight-year old boy at summer camp on Long Island.

Deep Throat, the boy boasted to his friend, was Mark Felt, the number two at the FBI at the time of the Watergate scandal. That boy had some reason to know. He was Jacob Bernstein, the son of Carl Bernstein, who with Bob Woodward broke the Watergate story for the Washington Post. Deep Throat was Mr Woodward's secret source - and therefore the man who helped bring down President Richard Nixon.

FDA News Alert from May, 27th.

FDA News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
P05-26
May 27, 2005


Media Inquiries:Brad Stone
301-827-6242
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

FDA Advises Consumers about Recalled Drugs from Able Laboratories

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking action to ensure that the public is fully aware that Able Laboratories of Cranbury, NJ, is conducting a nationwide recall of all of its manufactured drugs (mostly generic prescription drugs, including drugs containing acetaminophen) because of serious concerns that they were not produced according to quality assurance standards. Able Laboratories has ceased all current production.

Go to http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2005/NEW01182.html For more information.

Chop It Down.

While searching through random blogs I stumbled across this statement from some guy who works with the DNC or some local Democratic Organization. Since I hadn't heard Byrd say this before, I thought it was interesting.

Bryd condemned the Bush administration. "Send that dimestore cowboy back to Texas!" Standing ovation. He read a parable out of the bible. Somewhere in Corinthians. A man goes to a fig tree, and it bears no fruit. After three years, it still bears no fruit, and he chops the tree down. "Chop the tree down!" The old man is fiery as a preacher, energizing as a teamster and authoritative as a shaman. "Chop it down! Chop it down! Chop it down!"

Let's chop this tree down boys.

Soul of the Senate

The Documentary was awesome. Aside from the Country fiddling and bluegrass band, there was nearly an hour of guest speakers and introductions before the film was shown, but it all was great. While Rockefeller and Manchin was not able to show up in person due to the Japan trip, they did have a video comment that was played. Every speaker hit the nail on the head with their thanks, praises and comments of Senator Byrd. But before that, when Senator Byrd showed up in his balcony seating, he was greeted with a standing ovation and ecstatic applauds.

Everyone laughed, applauded, and cheered during the documentary. It invoked passion for his words and respect for his work. I can't describe it. I won't go into details what the documentary was about, you need to watch it to appreciate it to its fullest. I will be recording it tomorrow on PBS at 7p.m. and it will also air again on Tuesday (not sure what time, but probably the same). I will tell you that after seeing some of the parts, like Senator Ted Stevens' praises, you will get an emotional passion of support for Byrd. But the entire film does that as well. At the end Senator Byrd spoke to croud with deep emotions when discussing his wife, Erma. Healsocracked a few jokes to get the croud to laugh. Governor Underwood and Representative Rahall were on the receiving end of the witticisms.

And as we were exiting the doors of the Clay Center, they doormen and women were handing out printed copies of the United States' constitution. It was great.

BTW, I had been to the Clay Center before to see the light shows and to see the art museum, but this time I got to see more of it. It is a very beautiful building and is a good addition to the city of Charleston.

Byrd in '06

Soul of the Senate.

Today the MA crew is heading to the capitol to see the documentary, "The Soul of the Senate". A film about Robert C. Byrd's life, achievements and everything in between.

The official website http://www.soulofthesenate.org/ has opened today, and I am sure it will get lots of visits.

I noticed a typo on the front page, so I contacted the webmaster to inform them of the error. Anywho, hope to see everyone there. Clay Center, Charleston, WV.

The Greatest Party

An article in the Washington Post printed some very interesting statistics and statements about the Democratic and Republican Parties that made a Bush smirk wrinkle my face from ear to ear.

First, it talked about the labeling of the Democrats and Republicans as the “Mommy” and “Daddy” parties. I never thought about it that way, but it is a very nice analogy. I, and millions of other Americans, grew up in a household where my mother primarily played both roles as financial provider and housekeeper. And as the 21st century has it, females and mothers play a more predominant role in society.

First, think of the Republican Party as the irresponsible, drunken, perverted father type. He mainly screams and yells about kids, morals and the falling respect in society. Then he goes and wastes all his money on poker or something, watches a football game, has a beer, gets into a fight and loses his job. The next thing you know, you’re in debt to your neck and are losing the house. This is where “Mommy” or the Democratic Party steps in.

“Mommy” then has to go out and find a laborious job to make ends meet. She breaks her back all day “bringing home the bacon” then comes home to clean up the house and ensure that the kids are healthy, safe, and doing well in school. And over in the corner, is “Daddy” screaming and moaning about how it is “Mommy’s” fault he is such a mess.

Now, before you think I am blowing this analogy out of proportion, take a look at a summary of the statistics from the Economic Reports of 2005 and earlier. The party with the best record of serving the so called “Republican economic values” is the Democrats. The economic competition isn't even close. Democrats stomp the crap out of Republicans every year, by a huge margin.

Statistics back to 1959 make this clear. A consistent pattern over 45 years cannot be explained by shorter-term factors, such as war or who controls Congress. Republicans like to declare their incompetence by blaming the Majority Party of Democrats or blaming it on war. Maybe presidents can't affect the economy much, but the assumption that they can and do is so prominent in Republican rhetoric that they are stuck with it. So consider the following:

“Federal spending (a.k.a. "big government"): It has gone up an average of about $50 billion a year under presidents of both parties. But that breaks down as $35 billion a year under Democratic presidents and $60 billion under Republicans. If you assume that it takes a year for a president's policies to take effect, Democrats have raised spending by $40 billion a year and Republicans by $55 billion.”

Wow, and Democrats are the ones destroying America with unnecessary government programs; thus wasting millions of dollars? Give me a break. All these so-called “intelligent” straight-shooters who talk the real talk need an open palm upside their head. Here are the facts (but then again, Republicans totally ignore facts), Don Surber, Hiram Lewis, Pat Robertson, Ann Coulter, George W. Bush, and every other fascist, neoconservative in America needs to come out and admit that they are really just greedy bastards who care more about money and possessions than progressing a nation and its people.

“Leaning over backward even farther, let's start our measurement in 1981, the date when many Republicans believe that life as we know it began. The result: Democrats still have a better record at smaller government. Republican presidents added more government spending for each year they served, whether you credit them with the actual years they served or with the year that followed.”

“Federal revenue (aka taxes): You can't take it away from them: Republicans do cut taxes. Or rather, tax revenue goes up under both parties but about half as fast under Republicans. It's the only test of Republican economics that the Republicans win.”

“That is, they win if you consider lower federal revenue to be a victory. Sometimes Republicans say that cutting taxes will raise government revenue by stimulating the economy. And sometimes they say that lower revenue is good because it will lead (by some mysterious process) to lower spending.”

So basically, Republicans cut taxes, then we start getting a large debt building and they raise them again, burdening the citizens who unwittingly thought they didn’t have to manage their money as they did under Democrats.

The numbers in the Economic Report undermine both theories. Spending goes up faster under Republican presidents than under Democratic ones. And the economy grows faster under Democrats than Republicans. What grows faster under Republicans is debt. So, people may say that the President does not have any control over the economy, but these statistics show that they actually do have some influence. But then again, the Great Depression said that for us loud and clear.

“Under Republican presidents since 1960, the federal deficit has averaged $131 billion a year. Under Democrats, that figure is $30 billion. In an average Republican year, the deficit has grown by $36 billion. In the average Democratic year it has shrunk by $25 billion. The national debt has gone up more than $200 billion a year under Republican presidents and less than $100 billion a year under Democrats.”

Wow, a $100 billion dollar difference in both the federal deficit and national debt. Wow, astonishing. The facts are right here for the world to see, and sadly the majority of Americans won’t take the time to read them. Well, as soon as we get a good ole Southern Democrat in office, we can start working on changing that sad fact. Education is priority.

“As for measures of general prosperity, each president inherits the economy. What counts is what happens next. Let's take just two measures, although they all show the same thing: Democrats do better under every variation. From 1960 to 2005 the gross domestic product measured in year-2000 dollars rose an average of $165 billion a year under Republican presidents and $212 billon a year under Democrats. Measured from 1989, or measured with a one-year delay, or both, the results are similar. And how about this one? The average annual rise in real per capita income -- that's the statistic that puts money in your pocket. Democrats score about 30 percent higher.”

Again, what can I say? I mean, I knew this basic concept previously, but to see the statistics is just breath-taking. Basically, under Democrats, America produces more goods, more goods are consumed and the economy is vibrant. And not by just a small difference, this is $50 billion in difference. But not only that pleasure, under Democrats you make 30% more money! I guess it isn’t the reduced taxes, so it must be that jobs pay more under Democrats.

“Democratic presidents have a better record on inflation (averaging 3.13 percent compared with 3.89 percent for Republicans) and on unemployment (5.33 percent versus 6.38 percent). Unemployment went down in the average Democratic year, up in the average Republican one.
Almost forgot: If you start in 1981 and if you factor in a year's delay, Republican presidents edge out Democratic ones on inflation, 4.57 to 4.36. Congratulations.”

The top paragraph states that under Democrats, product prices only raise about 3.13 percent compared to 3.89 under Republicans. The bottom statement says that in one exception, Republicans beat us by .21 percent, but just wait until Bush’s complete 2004-2008 term is factored in. George Bush is going to send these statistics tumbling in the Democrats' favor.
Hey Republicans, what do you have to say about this? Let me guess, the statistics are flawed? They distorted data? Give me a break.

Has anyone else really paid attention to this...

Of all the screaming and crying that is going on over Byrd's upcoming campaign, the only ones really moaning about his KKK past are wealthy (well-to-do), white, male Republicans. Or White Republicans in general. I mean seriously, if he was such a horrible person, lynching people and burning crosses, there would be more blacks protesting his run. But it is not happening because everyone else knows that Byrd is a good, holy man. I am willing to bet my savings that Byrd has more black friends than all of Hannity, Coulter, Surber, Lott, DeLay, O'Reilly, Warner, Capito, and the rest combined.

They sicken me.

A Southern Democrat’s Manifesto.

I am concerned that my party is dying. It is not dying because people are changing their beliefs; it is dying because people think the party has left them. The founders and path layers of the Great Democratic Party would be enraged to see what has become of the "People's Party". But, rather than to abandoned this organization that has proven strong and worthy of praise through out the years, I will fight for it. I shall fight to restore the good name and ideology that it once upheld.

This great party once boasted dominance all across this great country and held strongholds through out every state. And now as we sit back and watch, we see it falling apart. Once proud Democrats now change their party affiliation. Once proud Democrats now vote for the opposition. Once proud Democrats have now given up on the party that has served them for so many years. Why is this happening? Why such betrayal? Plain and simple, it is because we have allowed it to happen.

The Libertarian Party and similar organizations are now the shadow of the Democratic Party. They are slowly fusing together to abolish the separate ideologies and unite them into one. And we have set back and allowed it. We Southern Democrats watched as the Northern Democrats merged with these radical thinkers in the name of fairness, love and equality. We have watched sin become acceptable through the entanglement of lies, distortions, technicalities, and "outside-the-box" thinking. We have allowed our party to be hi-jacked by Libertarian types, and we have done nothing to stop it.

The opposition of Republicans took notice to the turmoil we faced and exploited it. Instead of bi-partisan advice and assistance, they amplified the issue and turned many loyalists against us. They branded us as the party of abortion, the party of gays, the party of anti-religion, the party of sexual freedom, the party of moral corruption and decay. We are now the party of "wackos". But we are not.

I, and the majority of West Virginian Democrats do not share any of those ideas and I still declare myself a Democrat. Why? Well, all because someone starts calling an apple a watermelon does not make the switch true. West Virginia is a Democratic stronghold. We remember what the corrupt Republican CEOs have done to West Virginia. We remember the coal companies using and abusing us, then moving operations out to find cheaper labor; thus leaving us in an economic depression. We remember the Democratic Party forming unions to protect our workers and prevent further abuse. We still remember FDR, Truman, JFK and LBJ and the policies they initiated. We remember the failed policies of Republicans which hurt our economy. We still remember what Arch Moore did to shame us. We have not forgotten what Enron has gotten away with. And we, as Democrats, still send a large percentage of our population to fight for Old Glory.

Speaking of Old Glory, Democrats are being called soft on foreign relations and military policies by Republicans. But going through history you see many of the military actions Democrats have taken part in. We won the Mexican-American war, we were the victors of WW1 and the party that took revenge upon Japan and Hitler during WW2. We are the party that engaged the great obstacle of Vietnam and we are the party that successfully resolved many conflicts like Kosovo, et. al. And we are soft? We hate the military? How many Republican CEOs send their kids to fight wars? How many working men and women and their children fight the wars of the rich? How may soldiers fight for the freedoms that Democrats love and protect? How many soldiers share the ideas of Traditional Democrats?

My fellow West Virginians, it may be a little too late to save New York and California, but not West Virginia. Glorious West Virginia and its wonderful people still understand what is important. And we are still Democrats. Don't let the Republican Party fool you with lies and deceits. Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." If this is true, then should we place so much trust to anyone from the Republican Party? Those wealthy oil kings and billionaires? Those stock holders, investors, economy-gamblers, and con-artists? It is true that rich men and women are in both parties, but the Democratic Party is and always will be the "party of the people", not the rich.

I am telling everyone that we should not have to wear "Christian and a Democrat" stickers. Our party has been the "Party of the People" for many years. This means we reflect the values of the people. It is already set in stone that we are fighting for what is right. Do not be fooled into believing that God only supports the Republican Party. Senator Byrd said it best when he stated that to be a Christian you must show it through your actions, not wear it on your sleeve. And it seems that Republicans spit out that they are "Christians" at every news media available. These are not humble actions. The Republican Party is playing politics with Religion and the well-being of our nation. We must put a stop to it.

Our representatives and leaders are from working-class families and backgrounds, not Rich Corporate CEOs and oilmen. We do not pretend to be working men and women, farmers, coalminers, truckers and "ranchers", we are. Look at our leadership in West Virginia. We have honorable, good people serving us. Robert C. Byrd is a fine man. He loves God, his family and the state of West Virginia and its people more than most of us can imagine. He has dedicated his entire adulthood to doing what he thought was best for West Virginia. Whether it was a mistake or an excellent decision, he has never tried to hide his actions. He has repented when God guided him to and has stood firm on the guidance of God. Robert C. Byrd is a model for the entire world and those who disrespect him should be ashamed. If anyone has ever spoken to Senator Byrd, you would understand my praises of the man. And if Robert C. Byrd feels that he has more work to do, if he feels that he can not allow our nation to fall to the corruption of our opposition; then I will stand firmly behind him. I offer any support and service I can.

As we notice our own party falling apart, it may seem easier to just trade sides, but we can't. We must fight to take back our party. Many of our leaders seem to have it so wrong. They create committees and organizations that appeal to people who already vote for us. We have GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, and Transgender) caucuses to appeal to those types of people. We have a Women's Caucus to appeal to women. We have a minority’s caucus to appeal to minorities. But we do not have a Christian caucus to appeal to Christians. Now, I don't like to play politics with religion, but if we want good, moral, capable leaders in office, and Democratic idealists at that, then we as Democrats HAVE to appeal to Christians! We have to get our votes back. Stop appealing to GLBT and appeal to God.

Our Senators, Delegates, Governors, Mayors, etc seem to have their priorities straight and their plans correct to win office. Now, we just need the Democratic Executive Committee, their various branches and the leadership of WV to realize the legislation that needs enacted to present a model for the nation. Our blueprint, which is still in the works, will be a guiding light to securing offices for years to come. If the State Party accepts it, then we are just one step away from aiding the National Party.

This and That

Well, things seem to be really picking up pace in the projects/work section of our lives, but financial situations are prohibiting our progression. Tomorrow Randall Harris of the National Energy Technology Laboratory (Executive to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Technology Partnerships Working Group I believe) is suppose to meet with us to discuss some things. He will be in the Davy area to look around at the potention location for a broadband building project and to have a see at the Davy/Welch area in general. It would be nice to show him around and discuss some possible projects that McDowell can receive.

Govenor Joe Manchin is going to be travelling to Japan with a 19 assemblage. Not sure why everyone else is going, but Manchin has said that it is to build ties with the Japanese for possible future business relations and to show respect and gratitude for the business relations they already have. I just hope it isn't a wasted trip. Senator Rockefeller will be with them and he has good ties, so something should come from it.

Don Surber is an idiot as always, stating his fogged opinions and spreading his backwash around. But not to totally attack the guy, I will say he tries to be partially fair. But ignoring truth, common sense and gut feeling isn't helping him.

I need to write another article for Polstate, but have not been finding the time for serious research and news awareness lately. With the new projects under development and school coming up and all the stress of everyday life in The County, I am finding it very challenging just to move. I have so many things to do and am not sure what direction to step in first. Sheesh.

The trip to Charleston was not totally wasted. Aside from getting some disappointing news about friend relationships intertwined with adversaries and Dean not showing up, we made some good contacts and networks. It was a good day.

Now, to worry about tomorrow.

Cutting the military to fight a war on out of control spending.

Recently the nation has received news that the Pentagon has called for the closure of 33 major military installations and the downsizing of hundreds of other facilities as it unveiled the nation's first base restructuring in 10 years. And West Virginia's 130th Airlift Wing has not been spared the misfortune of the cut-backs.

As the Charleston Daily Mail reported these cut-backs will affect many young college students who utilize the guard for higher education.

"In the Air National Guard, Senior Airman Danielle Massey and about 300 of her peers at the 130th Airlift Wing have found a way to express their patriotism while earning money for college. Massey, 19, of Nitro is enrolled at Marshall University, where she hopes to earn a degree in journalism. She also works in maintenance at the 130th's base adjacent to Yeager Airport."

The future for part-time Guard members remains uncertain after the Department of Defense placed the 130th on its base realignment and closure list in an attempt to cut billions in expenses nationwide. The move would strip the 130th of its eight C-130 cargo planes and transfer them to Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. This move would be very difficult and problematic for the local area part-time guardsmen who hold other jobs and also attend college. If the decision to alter these bases is upheld, the transformations could start next year and be completed within six years.

One concern is that the recommendation to realign the 130th ignores the fact that the Guard is a community organization with many part-timers instead of an active duty military installation. What does a commander do with such a mess? Many of these contracted guardsmen live in the local community, go to college in the community, work in the community and can not commute hundreds of miles one weekend a month without having some sort of trouble balancing the issues.

Nationwide, the Army and Air National Guard has not reached the numbers it would like to in terms of enlistment and with a reduced number of available base locations the number will most likely decline further. But recruitment is not a problem for the 130th, which has a reputation for being one of the best-run units in the country. The unit is ranked eighth out of 89 units in staffing and fifth in retention with a 97 percent rate. It also was named the Air Force's outstanding unit four times since the 1970s and was recognized by the National Guard Association four times for best overall operation. In the last year, the 130th has added 106 recruits, including 14 women.

The 130th employs 320 full-time military and civilian staffers, while another 700 guardsmen are assigned to the unit. The base provides about $71 million to the local economy annually in goods, services and salaries. While this figure is not as large as other bases which have a $100 million or more value, these statistics show that this base has quite some positive community influence.

The 130th gives back what the federal government invests in it. About 30 Air Guard members left for a mission in Germany on Sunday, joining about 140 fellow members already deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. The 130th is on its 10th 60-day rotation since mid-2003.

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV., hopes a visit by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission to the 130th will make the personnel issue debatable. She sent a letter Thursday to the chairman of the commission asking members to visit the 130th as soon as possible. By law, at least two commission members must visit the base before the C-130s can be relocated.

"Local officials are eager to work with the military to expand and fortify the 130th Airlift Wing rather than abandon a critical outpost," Capito said.

"The commission's visit will show how the Secretary of Defense deviated from the established military and economic criteria when recommending the realignment of the 130th Airlift Wing."

With West Virginia already in preparation for huge change now that the newly elected Governor is sweeping reform across the state to the business table, we should be prepared to handle the DOD's decision whether it is to secure the activity of the base or to shut it down.