They Voted For You: FISA

U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., helped the Senate send President Bush legislation to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978.

U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd voted against the measure in the 69-28 roll call.

The Associated Press reports on the final Senate vote, and has a separate article on Bush signing the bill.

The legislation "overhauls rules about government eavesdropping and grants immunity to telecommunications companies that helped the U.S. spy on Americans in suspected terrorism cases," AP reports. "It was a battle that pitted privacy and civil liberties concerns against the desire to prevent terrorist attacks and Democrats' fears of being portrayed as weak when it comes to protecting the country."

They Voted For You: Petraeus

U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and 94 of his Senate colleagues voted to confirm Gen. David Petraeus as chief of U.S. Central Command, which includes the Middle East in its oversight, The Associated Press reports.

But U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., joined Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, in opposing the choice of Petraeus in he 95-2 vote.

"Byrd, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he opposed Petraeus in part because the general should see through operations in Iraq," AP reported, with Byrd quoted as saying that with security gains being described as fragile, "it does not seem prudent to remove the mastermind behind the fragile successes that have been thus far achieved."

Manchin Stumps For Obama on MSNBC

Gov. Joe Manchin appeared briefly on MSNBC Thursday afternoon to talk up the presidential campaign of fellow Democrat Barack Obama, and highlight the upcoming centennial meeting of the National Governors Association.

Manchin told Andrea Mitchell that while Obama was trailing Republican John McCain in West Virginia, it was only by "single digits." When she asked him about Obama's race being a factor in the Mountain State, the governor said "I don't think any more than any other place."

Manchin appeared to speak to Mitchell from a studio of WSAZ-TV, which promoted his appearance earlier.

Though Mitchell clearly identified Manchin as the governor of West Virginia, on-screen text described his location as "Charleston, S.C." Thanks, MSNBC.

McCain Coming To West Virginia (Briefly)

Sen. John McCain plans to fly into the Huntington area Wednesday afternoon before taking his Republican presidential campaign to a Town Hall meeting in nearby Ohio.

The Associated Press has an item, as does the Herald-Dispatch, The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews.

Update: Those with coverage of the brief visit include AP, the Huntington newspaper and The Gazette.