Congressional Financial Disclosures

I haven't had a chance yet to crunch the numbers, but The Associated Press has this overview of the latest financial disclosure reports from West Virginia's Congressional delegation.

The highlights from the AP article:

* As one of Congress' wealthiest members, Sen. Jay Rockefeller has assets including 3 blind trusts worth between $80 million and $125 million, which generate between $2.1 million and $11 million in annual income;

* Sen. Robert C. Byrd lists an IRA worth between $100,000 and $200,000 as the largest of 3 investments;

* Rep. Alan Mollohan listed real estate in North Carolina, as well as rental properties in Fairmont, Canaan Valley and Washington, D.C. that yielded between $35,000 and $115,000 in income;

* Rep. Shelley Moore Capito has a number of investments, inc.luding two worth between $65,000 and $150,000;

* Rep. Nick Rahall disclosed 10 acres in North Carolina as well as a time share in South Carolina that generated between $1,000 and $2,500.

A national sidebar to the AP's coverage of the reports notes that "Mollohan, formerly the top Democrat on the House ethics committee, has acknowledged in the past that he filed inaccurate financial statements and asked the House Clerk's office to correct or amend more than a dozen items on his reports dating back to 2000. The Justice Department also is investigating whether he has benefited from directing federal funds to nonprofit groups he helped start."

You can download PDF copies of both Senate and House reports from PoliticalMoneyLine, a service of Congressional Quarterly (it did not appear to have Rahall's report scanned in as of Friday morning, however).

Drug Council Tinkers With Gift Disclosure Rules

Drug companies would have to list gifts and payments to doctors "in $2,500 increments, with no limit on the maximum amount to be reported," an article in The Charleston Gazette today said.

The Gazette reports on the latest meeting of the state Pharmaceutical Cost Management Council, which had heard from an array of consumer-oriented groups who opposed a $10,000 cap on disclosures that the council had previously proposed.

West Virginia's Senior Senator

The Associated Press is the latest to assess how age is bearing down on U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., "in the winter of his 54-year career in Congress."

The article recounts recent episodes on Capitol Hill when the 89-year-old appeared to forget a colleague's name, needed prompting from an aide and delegated some of his duties to others.

It also offers the recent dedication at Shepherd University of a nursing building named after his late wife. Erma Ora Byrd died last year, about two months before their 69th wedding anniversary.

"The senator told the audience his wife was in heaven, adding: 'I'm going to meet her there,'" the article said.

W.Va. Completes Tobacco Bond Deal for $807m

West Virginia will get $807 million in up-front cash by issuing bonds, promising investors future annual payments from the state's multibillion-dollar settlement with major tobacco companies, The Associated Press reported late today.

(Update: The AP article is drawn from this story from The Charleston Gazette.)

"This landmark deal is the single-largest West Virginia bond issue and the largest taxable tobacco securitization in the United States to date, said officials from Citigroup, the lead bookrunning manager on the transaction," Manchin's office said in a statement.

The successful deal follows several near misses, including a $524 million deal proposed in 2002, in which the state sought to securitize proceeds from the landmark 1998 tobacco settlement to generate cash.

But James F. Haddon, managing director for Citigroup's Municipal Securities Division, noted in today's statement that “amid challenging market conditions due to rising interest rates, it is remarkable that the state was able to accomplish its goal."

Volatile market conditions had been reported earlier by The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews, among others.

But there appears to be at least one declaration that today's bond deal "fell through."

LeRose Falls Short in Comeback Bid

Among Tuesday's numerous municipal election races statewide, Former state Republican Party Chairman Steve LeRose failed in his campaign to retake the mayor's office in Summersville.

As the Register-Herald of Beckley reports, LeRose placed third among four candidates. Newcomer Bob Shafer, a newcomer, won with 504 votes.

I noted earlier in the campaign that LeRose had been mayor since 1985 when he lost his 1999 re-election bid. Just days later, "LeRose pleaded guilty to federal bank fraud and tax evasion charges stemming from a $3.3 million check-kiting scheme."

Sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, the 57-year-old was released in November 2001.

Ross Eyeing '08 Senate Rematch

Former state Sen. Mike Ross, D-Randolph, hopes water conservation will prove the issue that helps return him to the Legislature in 2008, according to the (Beckley) Register-Herald.

"A veteran businessman in the oil and gas industries, Ross is involved in the creation of a 65-acre impoundment, just south of Huttonsville, capable of providing sufficient water to serve Tygart Valley up to half a year," the newspaper reports.

As the article notes, Ross was seeking a fourth Senate term in 2004 when he fell to Republican Clark Barnes, a political newcomer and also a business owner.

They Voted For You: Stem Cell Research

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., voted with the majority June 7 to pass the "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act."

The state's other House members, Democratic Reps. Alan Mollohan and Nick Rahall, voted against the bill.

As the Charleston Daily Mail reported today, "Capito was one of just 37 House Republicans to support the bill in the 247-176 vote," while Mollohan and Rahall were among only 16 Democrats who opposed it.

The Daily Mail also noted that U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., both helped pass the bill from the Senate to the House in April.

The bill would "amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for human embryonic stem cell research."

(Thanks to the Daily Mail for outpointing last week's vote. It also reports that President Bush is expected to veto the bill.)

DEP Stream List Battle Boils Over

Gov. Joe Manchin has waded into a regulatory fight that roiled mostly backstage during the year's regular legislative session, The Charleston Gazette reports.

Manchin has ordered the Department of Environmental Protection to pare down a proposed list of semi-protected West Virginia streams to 156, the Gazette quotes spokeswoman Lara Ramsburg as saying.

That was the potential size of the list when negotiations broke down, during the session, between DEP and industry and other interested parties. As the Gazette article notes, those parties include the West Virginia Forestry Association and the state Farm Bureau.

But that's nearly half of the streams that DEP wants in the state's "Tier 2.5" category of streams, which the Gazette ranks "among a series of compromises with regulated industries."

"Under the state’s policy, streams in this category could not be degraded more than 10 percent," the Gazette explains. "The Tier 2.5 category was created to keep many state streams from ending up classified as Tier 3, a category that allows no degradation at all."

The article also includes this DEP link with info about the stream list and other proposed regulatory rules.

"A public hearing is scheduled for mid-July, and the DEP hopes to submit the new list for legislative consideration during the 2008 session," the article said.

Table Games: The Jefferson County Vote - Updated

Jefferson County has released unofficial precinct tallies from Saturday's defeat of the casino table games referendum.

It appears that the measure fared best in precincts within the 58th House District, represented by Delegate Locke Wysong, which includes the home of Charles Town Races & Slots. But even there, the precinct level-margin was never greater than 96 votes (or 62 percent).

Perhaps not surprisingly, the results tanked on the other end of the county, in the 57th District, represented by avowed referendum foe Delegate John Doyle. (Both Doyle and Wysong are Democrats, and the unofficial totals are 4,429 to 5,626 votes.)

The margins of defeat were as wide as 165 votes in those counties, with table games supporters combining for as little as one-fourth of the ballots cast.

MetroNews continues the table games post-mortem by examining how a key group declined to endorse the measure. The Journal of Martinsburg also weighs the impact of the measure's loss, while Public Broadcasting follows up both in Jefferson and Ohio counties (with audio link).

Update: The Charleston Daily Mail focuses on Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center's plans if Kanawha County approves table games (with graphic).

And... The Hagerstown Herald-Mail reported the back and forth between a Charles Town official and Delegate Doyle over the election outcome in Jefferson County (thanks to West Virginia Blue for outpointing the article).

Paper Is Beautiful

So says election officials in Ohio and Jefferson counties who recently handled the special elections addressing table games, The Associated Press reports.

"Counting the votes may take longer, but officials say it's easier than programming electronic machines or preparing scanned bubble sheets for a single yes or no question," the AP's Tom Breen writes.

They Voted For You: Alberto Gonzales

Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both Democrats, voted with 51 other senators to advance for consideration a resolution expressing "no confidence" in U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Requiring three-fifths of the Senate's approval, or 60 votes, the motion was rejected 53-38.

The Associated Press has the details.

Tennant: Trying Again for Sec. of State

Former broadcaster Natalie Tennant has joined the field of 2008 precandidates, announcing plans this week to run for secretary of state.

The Democrat and former West Virginia University mascot told The Associated Press on Monday that she planned to kick off her campaign officially on June 20, West Virginia Day.

Tennant previously sought her party's nod for the statewide office in 2004. Amid a field of seven candidates, she finished second with 25 percent of the vote. But those 65,947 votes put her within 1,118 votes of the nominee, Ken Hechler.

This time around, Tennant is joining House Majority Leader Joe DeLong, D-Hancock, and Mountain Party member David Rao among the announced precandidates for Secretary of State. DeLong played football for WVU, while Tennant was its first (and to date only) female Mountaineer mascot. Tennant is also married to fellow broadcasting alumnus and freshman state Sen. Erik Wells, D-Kanawha.

Mineral County Hijinks

All is not peaceful in the Mineral County town of Ridgeley: from jail, "Mayor Mitchell Reeves fired two town employees who may have helped land the five-term mayor in the lockup for the second time in a month," The Associated Press reports.

W.Va. Sifts Through Special Election Split

The Associated Press' Tom Breen adopts a Dickensian view in following up to the weekend's table games referenda in Ohio and Jefferson counties.

Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center "began construction Monday morning on a poker room scheduled to open by Labor Day weekend," Breen reports. "Wheeling Island hopes to have other table games, like roulette and blackjack, up and running by Oct. 1."

Officials at Charles Town Races & Slots told AP not to expect downsizing in the wake of Saturday's defeat -- but the situation could change if nearby Maryland legalizes slot machines.

In the wake of the Saturday voting, the Charleston Daily Mail reports that the state United Methodist conference on Sunday "approved a resolution urging the defeat of local referendums that would allow table games at the state's casinos."

The Wheeling News-Register also focuses on reaction to the Ohio County result with news of job fairs for casino workers. The Charleston Gazette, meanwhile, looks ahead to the upcoming special elections in Hancock and Kanawha counties.

The AP's Breen and Vicki Smith provided election night coverage that was picked up widely. MetroNews interviewed key players on both sides after the voting. Talkline host Hoppy Kercheval also opines on the Jefferson County outcome.

They Voted For You: Illegal Immigration

West Virginia Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both Democrats, helped derail the "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007."

"Needing 60 votes to end debate and schedule a final vote on the bill itself, (bill supporters) won only 45," The Associated Press reported. "Senate leaders set aside the legislation until further notice."

The AP article also cites a recent Pew Research Center poll on the issue.

(This marks the debut of a new feature I've been tinkering with, which aims to increase coverage of the state's congressional delegation.)

W.Va. GOP Joining Super Duper Tuesday

The state GOP is finalizing a plan that could raise West Virginia's political profile and land the Mountain State on the 2008 presidential campaign trail.

It has slated Feb. 5 for a "State Presidential Convention" to choose 15 of its 27 delegates to the Republican Party's national convention later that year.

Dubbed 'Super Duper Tuesday,' more than a dozen states are already slated to vote for presidential candidates and convention delegates during party primary elections.

Setting West Virginia apart, the state GOP intends to complete its selection of the 15 delegates by mid-afternoon -- hours before the polls close in these other states.

The plan has caught the attention of The Hill newspaper. "While the state is not on the tip of most pundits’ tongues, that could change if a winner is announced as early as 11:30 a.m. on the West Coast," its article said.

“I believe it can have a big impact,” Robert Fish, head of "Republican Presidential Convention Inc." told The Hill. “This can give a winning characteristic to one of the campaigns.”

"One round of voting will begin in the morning to narrow the crowded field down to three candidates," The Hill reported. "Then the party will allow for a one-hour break, during which Fish envisions serious horse-trading, as the supporters of vanquished candidates look to sign on with one of the three top vote-getters. A giant tote board at the front of the room will keep score."

The Charleston Gazette's Tom Searls reports that the 15 will be picked by a pool of 1,413 state party members, elected in January during county caucuses and via online voting.

The Republican primary in May will choose 12 of the remaining national convention delegates.

The state GOP has outlined its presidential convention plan on its web site. "The Republican National Committee has not raised any objections, and the state party is anticipating getting the RNC’s “blessing” once the final rules and schedules are reviewed this month," The Hill article said.

The state Democratic Party, which continues to outnumber Republicans by nearly 2 to 1, has also proposed a method for selecting convention candidates.

Update: MetroNews also has a story on the GOP plan, with audio.

Quote of the Day

"I've gone from being an employee with a stellar record to a non-employee with no credit card."

-- Mia Moran-Cooper, longtime director of West Virginia's Problem Gamblers Help Network, to The Associated Press after she "found herself apparently fired without warning and stranded in Kansas City, Mo."

Whistleblower Sacked After Talking to Lawmakers

Appearing before legislative leaders may have come at a price for the outgoing director of West Virginia's nationally renowned problem gambler program.

Mia Moran-Cooper has told The Associated Press that she was fired without warning and left stranded in Missouri, one day after alleging the Lottery Commission had interfered with the Problem Gamblers Help Network.

Scheduled to leave at the end of the month, Moran-Cooper "had flown to Kansas City on Wednesday to attend a national conference on compulsive gambling, where she discovered her hotel room reservation and corporate credit card had been canceled," the AP's Vicki Smith reports.

"Moran-Cooper said her flight reservations also had vanished Wednesday afternoon, but an airline employee was able to retrieve them and issue her a boarding pass to Kansas City," the AP article said.

The AP has unsuccessfully sought from First Choice President Craig Curtis and CEO Scott Boileau, both by phone and via questions faxed to their office.

After Moran-Cooper spoke at a legislative interim meeting Tuesday, Curtis called Moran-Cooper's allegations 'unsubstantiated, misleading or false' in a statement. But Lottery Director John Musgrave asked the legislative auditor's office to investigate her allegations of interference and micromanagement.

The tumult comes as Jefferson and Ohio counties prepare to vote Saturday on whether to allow their local racetracks to become full-blown casinos. The AP's Vicki Smith has a separate story today setting the stage for the special elections, while MetroNews examines the ongoing campaigns by supporters and opponents of table games.

SupCo links ATVs To License Status

West Virginians with suspended or revoked driver's licenses cannot pilot all-terrain vehicles, a unanimous state Supreme Court has ruled.

The Associated Press has a story on the decision, which sets the new legal precedent that "An individual who operates an all-terrain vehicle on a public highway of this state may be prosecuted for committing the offense of driving while suspended or revoked."

The 5-0 ruling reinstates charges in Roane County against a motorist allegedly caught on an ATV while his license was revoked for repeat DUI. The style of the case, issued Wednesday, is State Ex Rel. Sergent v. Nibert.

GOP Fields 2nd '08 Challenger to Manchin

Eastern Panhandle businessman Bob Adams has announced plans to seek the Republican nomination for governor in 2008 and challenge incumbent Gov. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, The Associated Press reports.

Adams follows Joe Oliverio, a Republican painting contractor who previously ran for his party's nod for governor in 2004. A Clarksburg resident, Oliverio filed pre-candidacy papers in November 2005 (The Secretary of State had not added Adams to the online list of 95+ precandidates as of noon today).

Adams unsuccessfully challenged Treasurer John Perdue for that statewide office in 2004, attracting 37 percent of the vote to the incumbent Democrat's 63 percent. Adams lost by 178,183 votes.

But Adams but did carry eight of the state's 55 counties that year, including the Eastern Panhandle and some of the Potomac Highlands. However, he failed to carry that portion of Jefferson County that forms the 58th House District in the 2006 election. Incumbent Delegate Locke Wysong, then a freshman Democrat, defeated Adams with 61 percent of the vote.

Manchin won the 2004 race for governor with 64 percent of the vote. Carrying all but three counties, he bested Republican Monty Warner by 219,627 votes.

Those with articles heralding Adams' pre-candidacy filing include The Register-Herald of Beckley and WSAZ-TV. The Journal of Martinsburg has the story as well.

Table Games

Early voting in Ohio and Jefferson counties ended Wednesday, but not before at least 10 percent of registered voters in each county cast ballots on the table games question. In Jefferson County, early voting turnout exceeded 11 percent.

By comparison, less than eight percent of Jefferson County voters cast early ballots before the 2006 general election, which featured congressional and legislative races. In Ohio County, the November 2006 early voter turnout was 5.4 percent.

MetroNews has a story on the early voting, while Talkline host Hoppy Kercheval opines on the topic -- and offers predictions for both Saturday special elections.

As I reported early, gambling foes believe many of these early votes were cast in favor of casino table games. These opposing forces instead plan to rally in time for election day. The Wheeling newspapers covered the Sunday event organized by local churches opposed to table games.

The Charleston Daily Mail, meanwhile, reported on the efforts of the state's most prominent religious denomination targeting gambling. But as the Wheeling papers also reported this week, the tracks continue to offer to sweeten the deal if table games are approved.

Update: The Journal of Martinsburg covered a Wednesday debate on the table games issue.

Embedded in Afghanistan

Several West Virginia reporters have joined members of the Air National Guard's 130th Airlift Wing in Afghanistan to cover their latest deployment.

Public Broadcasting's Anna Sale has posted several stories on the PubCast blog, and also offers some audio.

Martin Staunton of West Virginia Media News is also there. That site also offers a number of video clips, including this interview with a 130th airman.

"The airmen are scheduled to serve about 45 days and will airlift troops, equipment and supplies throughout the region," Staunton reports.

NCLB in W.Va.

The nonprofit Center for Education Policy has found that Mountain State students have improved their scores on standardized tests since the federal No Child Left Behind Act became law. Associated Press education writer Shaya Tayefe Mohajer has the details.

"In West Virginia, the study found that overall student achievement increased between 2004 and 2006, as measured by the state's standardized test, the WESTEST," Tayefe Mohajer reports. "Gains were greater in math than in reading."

But the study's findings caution that it is "difficult to determine whether the federal reforms were the sole reason" for the higher scores, the AP article said.

Parting Shot Hits Lottery Over Helpline

After previously declining to comment publicly, the departing director of the state's program for problem gamblers lowered the boom Tuesday on the Lottery Commission.

The Associated Press' Tom Breen reports that Mia Moran-Cooper told legislative leaders "of a years-long pattern (by the commission) of interfering with the network's efforts to treat compulsive gamblers."

"Lottery tried to water down the network's advertising campaign, discouraged employees from talking to the media and asked for the names of Lottery employees who had sought treatment for gambling problems," Moran-Cooper alleges.

"Moran-Cooper said she can document between 20 and 30 such instances, ranging from attempts to manipulate data to efforts to discourage the network from advertising on billboards," the AP article said.

But the commission's defenders include her soon-to-be-former employer, First Choice. Its president said in a statement that many of Moran-Cooper's statements were "unsubstantiated, misleading or false," Breen reports.

Lottery Commissioner John Musgrave, meanwhile, said he planned to ask legislative auditors to review the situation "so that all concerns raised during the meeting can be fully resolved."

AP helped break the news last month on the Lottery Commission's plans to expand its oversight of the problem gambling hotline program. So did Public Broadcasting, which also follows up today (link should have audio).

MetroNews also has a story (with audio) on Tuesday's legislative interim meeting, as does The Register-Herald of Beckley. The Charleston Gazette offers its take as well.

GOP Lawmakers Target Body Wire Ruling

Republicans in the House of Delegates want a special session this year so the Legislature can respond to a state Supreme Court ruling addressing police electronic surveillance powers.

The Associated Press' Tom Breen has the story.

The GOP members seek legislation so any circuit judge could sign off on hiding recording devices on informants before they enter suspects' residences.

Ruling in a Boone County case, a 3-2 Supreme Court concluded in February that police cannot send a wired informant into someone's home without such an order. But Breen reports that "State law now authorizes only five circuit court judges throughout the state to issue such orders, and prohibits police from seeking them from within their own counties."

Breen quotes House Minority Leader Tim Armstead of Kanawha County and Delegate John Ellem of Wood County. Both are lawyers, while Ellem's practice also includes representing criminal defendants.

Armstead called on Gov. Joe Manchin to including the topic in any special session he may have planned for this year, or to convene one if he doesn't.

"Manchin spokeswoman Lara Ramsburg said the administration will research the issue more thoroughly before coming to the Legislature with proposals," Breen reports.

Breen also notes that a number of law enforcement groups have decried the ruling, which spurred separate dissenting opinions from Justices Elliott "Spike" Maynard and Brent Benjamin.

Table Games: Special Elections Loom

With Ohio and Jefferson counties voting Saturday on whether to allow casino table games at their racetracks, more than 4,200 people have already cast early ballots, The Associated Press reports.

For each county, the early votes represent more than 6 percent of their registered voters. By comparison, 5.5 percent of registered voters statewide cast early ballots before the November 2006 election. And, early voting continues through Wednesday in both counties.

The AP's Vicki Smith also delves into a largely unexamined provision of the new table games law. While most have focused on its language regarding traditional casino games, it would also allow electronic (i.e., no human dealer) multi-player poker, blackjack and the like.

"But West Virginia’s new legislation and emerging technology in the gambling industry give casino operators a choice they’ve never had before: Hire live dealers, who require salaries, benefits and overtime pay, or buy a $135,000 machine with a perky virtual dealer who never gets sick, never needs a break and can deal twice as many hands as her human counterpart," Smith writes.

The tracks are adamant that they won't go down that road.

“It’s a step that’s so far below table games it wouldn’t even be worth looking at,” Ted Arneault, president of Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort in Chester, told Smith. “We want the action, the crowd, and it would not add much over what we already have. We are after people yelling and screaming and having fun with other people.”

The Wheeling News-Register, meanwhile, underscores how the groups behind ad campaigns both for and against table games don't have to follow the disclosure rules that govern candidates.

"Issue-oriented political groups aren’t required to file campaign finance reports, and they don’t have to put disclaimers at the bottom of their ads, said West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office spokesman Ben Beakes. They don’t have to say how much money they spend overall, or who has contributed to their campaigns."

But Beakes also told reporter Joselyn King that these campaigns still can't deploy workers within 300 feet of a voting place, and they can’t buy votes. In my AP story, gambling foes question whether table games supporters are doing the latter by paying people $50 to take part in focus groups. Not true, supporters say.

Howard Dean in W.Va.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean rallied delegates of the National Federation of Democratic Women today at their annual meeting in Charleston, The Associated Press reports.

Dean touted his party's 2006 electoral gains while lambasting the GOP and President Bush. Iraq was a recurring topic.

The Republican National Committee was quick to respond. MetroNews also covered Dean's late morning speech.

Quote of the Day

"They said, 'Joe, you cannot hug the queen.' I wanted to, and I believe she needed one, but I refrained."

-- Gov. Joe Manchin, telling the National Federation of Democratic Women on Friday about his meeting Queen Elizabeth II during her recent trip to Virginia.

Rahall's Latest Middle East Mission

The Charleston Gazette's Tom Searls managed to snag U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall after his John Unger endorsement Thursday, and asked the 3rd District Democrat about his recent trip to Egypt, Lebanon, Israel and the West Bank.

Rahall told Searls that "weak leadership for Israelis and Palestinians leaves little hope for immediate change in the region."

Rahall also spoke to MetroNews Talkline host Hoppy Kercheval about the trip and the disheartening assessment it produced (with audio).

W.Va. Struggling To Account For ATV Deaths

Health care writer Tom Breen highlights West Virginia's lack of solid statistics on the number of and details behind all-terrain vehicle deaths in the Mountain State, in this story for The Associated Press.

It's a compelling "lede:"

"When 50-year-old Pentress resident Randy Marshall was killed in an all-terrain vehicle accident in Mingo County on Sunday, it was the 13th such death this year. Or the 14th. Or possibly the 15th.

No one seems to know, despite an order by Gov. Joe Manchin tasking the state with creating a comprehensive statewide report on fatal ATV crashes. The lack of such information, some experts say, is cloaking the severity of the state’s ATV safety problem."

Rahall, Mollohan endorse Unger

In a move that could likely give pause to any other would-be candidates, West Virginia's two Democratic U.S. House members have endorsed state Sen. John Unger in his bid to unseat 2nd District Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.

Both showed up and spoke at the Berkeley County Democrat's press conference at the Capitol Complex launching his campaign. So did Nick Casey, state Democratic Party chairman.

The Rev. Dennis Sparks, executive director of the state Council of Churches, led the small crowd in attendance in prayer to start and end the press conference.

Casey told The Associated Press afterward that he and the party will wait until the May 2008 primary to endorse a candidate. But he also acknowledged the significance of Rahall and Mollohan backing a candidate so early in the process.

‘‘I think that’s something that other candidates really have to look at,’’ Casey said. ‘‘These two congressmen really made a declaration today.’’

Others who covered the press event and Unger's announced candidacy include The Journal of Martinsburg, The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews. The latter links includes audio of Hoppy Kercheval's interviews with both Casey and state GOP Executive Director Gary Abernathy on the statewide Talkline program Thursday.

Once Again, Duluth Passed Over For Junket

A number of West Virginia newspapers today have picked up The Associated Press version of a story that ran Thursday in the Charleston Daily Mail about state legislators heading to balmy Puerto Rico this month for the spring meeting of the Council of State Governments.

"Taxpayers will pick up the roughly $40,000 tab for sending 25 state legislators to Puerto Rico next month for a conference," the AP's take said. "State leaders will be staying at El Conquistador Resort and Golden Spa in Las Croabas overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The hotel was voted best resort casino and hotel spa last year by the Caribbean Travel and Life magazine."

Other newspapers, including The (Wheeling) Intelligencer, have also done their own reporting on the junket.

Update: Both the Daily Mail and The Charleston Gazette opine on the upcoming junket in separate editorials today.

Also...state Sen. Andy McKenzie, R-Ohio and a scheduled participant, defended the trip on MetroNews' Talkline program (with audio).

Benjamin Revisits 2004 Election

Public Broadcasting reports on Supreme Court Justice Brent Benjamin's recent appearance at a National Press Club forum on judicial elections, where he talked about the 2004 race.

"Benjamin defeated then-Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw in the nastiest and most expensive court race in WV history," Public Broadcasting's Scott Finn Reports. "Most of the money spent on that race came from outside groups; trial lawyers targeted Benjamin, while business groups and Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship attacked McGraw. Blankenship alone spent more than $3M on the race."

But Benjamin "says he won because of McGraw’s mistakes – not Blankenship’s money."

Public Broadcasting also offers a print version as well as audio from last week's Washington, D.C., forum.

The Death Penalty in W.Va. - UPDATED

I have been covering the federal trial of George "Porgy" Lecco and Valerie Suzette Friend, stemming from the 2005 death of a drug informant. The U.S. District Court jury found them guilty on all charges against each in a 13-count indictment. The jurors have been deliberating since Wednesday on whether to sentence each to death or to life in prison without parole.

Update -The jury voted for death for both Lecco and Friend _ the first death sentences handed down in West Virginia in more than 40 years. The Associated Press has the story, while The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews were among those also in the courtroom for the penalty verdicts.

Before the jury resumed deliberations today after the holiday weekend, I wrote this piece for The Associated Press on what affect this federal death penalty case might have on state law.

This is the fourth death penalty case in West Virginia since capital punishment was restored on the federal level in 1988. It was abolished for state crimes in 1965; the last execution for state crimes was in 1959.

The previous federal death penalty cases in the state all ended short of the penalty phase now underway in the Lecco-Friend case. But five other states without capital punishment have seen federal prosecutors secure the death penalty within their borders since 1988.

Yet, the death penalty remains off the books in those states. One state has revived the death penalty since 1988: New York, in 1995. But a federal death sentence was not handed down in that state in modern times until February.

Hiram Considers Adding Hat to Hypothetical '08 Ring

Republican Hiram Lewis told the Charleston Daily Mail that he's testing the waters for a 2008 run for attorney general.

Lewis is among 95 West Virginians who have filed (free and non-obligating) pre-candidacy papers for legislative, statewide or undeclared offices.

The official filing period runs Jan. 14-26, and several offices carry hefty filing fees. Filing for attorney general, for instance, is $950.

More than a third of these filers did not declare an office, including incumbent Attorney General Darrell McGraw. A Democrat, McGraw filed his pre-candidacy paperwork in April 2005.

More than half the pre-candidates are incumbent legislators. Another five lawmakers filed pre-candidacy papers for 2010 races.

The Daily Mail reports that Lewis is "getting ready to set up a Web site and start fishing for campaign money." I did find this web site for his law practice, though it may pre-date his unsuccessful 2006 bid for U.S. Senate.

Lewis lost in the GOP primary that year. The Daily Mail cites how he fell to McGraw in 2004 by about 5,000 votes.

Upshur County Lands Romney's Son For Event

Tagg Romney, a son of former Massachusetts governor and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, is slated to appear at the June 22 Lincoln Day Dinner in Upshur County.

West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon will host the event. A former executive in the L.A. Dodgers organization, the younger Romney is a senior advisor to his father's campaign.

The state Republican Party offers additional details.

Howard Dean coming to Charleston

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is the scheduled headliner for the 36th annual convention of the National Federation of Democratic Women, slated for May 30- June 3 in Charleston.

The former Vermont governor and 2004 presidential candidate will help open the convention with a Thursday speech before returning to Washington, D.C., the Saturday Gazette-Mail reports today.

Dean last visited West Virginia for a Democratic Party rally in January 2006.

Critics Decry Pro-Table Game Ads - Updated

Freshly kicked out of state court and looking to rebound, the West Virginia Family Foundation is crying foul over the appearance of three Kanawha County-area police chiefs _ two of them in uniform _ in direct mail flyers promoting table games.

"We think it's a crying shame that we have law enforcement actually getting involved in the promotion of gambling in the county," Foundation Executive Director Kevin McCoy told the Charleston Daily Mail. "We're appalled that law enforcement would get involved in promoting an issue that ultimately comes back to haunt them."

The flyers address the argument by gambling foes that crime will follow full-blown casinos into West Virginia. " (T)he police chiefs and the state Fraternal Order of Police president say they don't see crime increasing," the Daily Mail reports.

The Associated Press has a story drawn from the Daily Mail article.

The Washington Post, meanwhile, has a lengthy story on table games and the upcoming special elections _ but apparently still thinks that all four will be held on June 9...

Update: The Daily Mail follows up on its story with an article today citing Senate Bill 526. Passed during the recent legislative session, the new law says that "A member of a paid police department may not" engage in certain political activities including " the wearing by a municipal police officer of his or her uniform for the purpose of interfering with or affecting...the passage or defeat of any ballot issue."

Signed by Gov. Joe Manchin on April 4, the legislation also says that "Any member of any such paid police department violating the provisions of this section shall have his appointment vacated and he shall be removed."

But, as the Daily Mail article notes, the new law does not take effect until June 8 _ two days after the table games legislation becomes law.

Quote of the Day

"I guess I come from a small place and quite frankly I'm just not used to the scrutiny that I guess comes with the job... I'm a little bit more of a country boy than I am a city boy."

-- State Sen. Randy White, D-Webster, to the Charleston Daily Mail, about sideswiping a car Jan. 30, while in Charleston for the legislative session, and then leaving the scene.

State Senator Pleads Guilty In Hit & Run

Sen. Randy White, D-Webster, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Charleston Municipal Court to a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident from a January incident, the Charleston Daily Mail reports.

"White sideswiped a car with his pickup in the 1600 block of Virginia Street near the state Capitol Complex," the article said. "White told city police it was too late to look for the car's owner or report the accident, so he left the scene."

White has agreed to pay a $100 fine and $57 in court costs within six months, and also could lose six points on his driver's license, the article said.

DOJ v. Daily Gazette - The Bray Cary Connection

As part of an extensive follow-up to the U.S. Justice Department antitrust lawsuit against the Daily Gazette Co., West Virginia Public Broadcasting interviewed Bray Cary.

The president of West Virginia Media Holdings said that DOJ contacted his company as they investigated the 2004 purchase of the Charleston Daily Mail, but "we never had any formal interviews."

The lawsuit alleges that a $55 million bid by "an experienced third-party newspaper company" for the PM newspaper in late 2003 spurred parent company of The Charleston Gazette to match the offer.

DOJ cites a December 2003 letter of intent between the unnamed company and MediaNews Group, the Daily Mail's then-owner and a co-defendant in the lawsuit.

Cary told Public Broadcasting that while he had "preliminary discussions" with MediaNews about buying the Daily Mail, he ultimately ran into the Federal Communication Commission's current ban on cross-ownership of different media in the same market.

"I can unequivocally state that at not time did West Virginia Media Holdings ever make a formal offer for the Charleston Daily Mail," Cary said.

Besides audio of today's piece and a transcript, Public Broadcasting also offers an interview with Dean Corley Dennison of Marshall University's journalism school, who "discusses the history of Justice Department enforcement in the news, and explains how joint operating agreements work."

The links are also available on Public Broadcasting's new blog, while DOJ offers both the lawsuit and a press release on the web pages for its antitrust division.

Feds Sue Gazette Parent Company - Updated

The U.S. Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit Tuesday against the owner of West Virginia's largest daily newspaper, The Associated Press reports.

The DOJ's antitrust division is focusing on the Daily Gazette Company's 2004 purchase of the Charleston Daily Mail, the capital city's afternoon newspaper. The allegations are framed by the protections afforded that newspaper and The Charleston Gazette under a circa-1959 Joint Operating Agreement.

The lawsuit alleges that after the purchase, the Daily Gazette Co. "stopped all Daily Mail promotions, halted delivery to thousands of customers, discontinued publishing a Saturday edition and cut the editorial budget by almost half, forcing reporters to leave the newspaper," the AP's Tim Huber reports. "As a result...the Daily Mail's daily circulation plummeted from 35,076 in February 2004 to 23,985 in January 2005."

MediaNews Group, which sold the Daily Mail to the Gazette's parent company, is also a defendant in the lawsuit.

Update: The Gazette offers a take on the lawsuit against its parent company. West Virginia Media News, which has sought to buy the Daily Mail, has a story as well.

Justices Turn Down Table Games Challenge

Well, that was quick.

Looking for Ugly

West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Brent Benjamin is among the listed speakers for Mudslinging in Judicial Campaigns: Beginning to Look a Lot Like Congress, a Wednesday conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

"In 2006, an estimated $16 million was spent on advertising in Supreme Court races in 10 states, more per race than ever before, with an escalation in fierce and often misleading attack ads," says the event's co-sponsors, the Annenberg Public Policy Center and FactCheck.org.

As the program notes, Benjamin was "elected 2004 in a race with record-setting third-party negative ads."

Blair's Logan County Connection

Today's Charleston Daily Mail touches on a (perhaps) little-known West Virginia political factoid: Tony Blair's 1986 visit to the Mountain State and resulting friendship with Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, D-Logan.

The article quotes Tomblin's executive assistant, Raamie Barker, and Charleston lawyer Brad Crouser, seen in the above photo with Blair, then a Member of Parliament and a "shaggy-haired, 33-year-old." The pair served as Blair's chaperones during his tour of the southern coalfields.

"We were apologetic about how rough some of the places were," Crouser recalled. "But he represented a coal mining constituency and was familiar with the country and its folks."

Table Games - Updated

Jefferson and Ohio county voters have begun casting ballots in their respective special elections on the table games question.

Both the Wheeling News-Register and The Journal of Martinsburg found racetrack employees among the early voters.

The Journal also reports on the debate it sponsored last week on the issue in Jefferson County. "Four community leaders took center stage on the pros and cons of table games. Retired businessman Walt Pellish and Jefferson County Board of Education member Alan Sturm argued in favor of the issue, while Delegate John Doyle, D-Jefferson, and the Rev. Douglas Fraim spoke against table games," the article said.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting also covered the debate, and offers audio as well as information on a pro-table games group in that county.

The state Supreme Court, meanwhile, is expected to decide later this week on whether to consider a constitutional challenge to the table games legislation.

Update - The Associated Press offers this roundup of the early voting and related issues -- including a rise in registered voters in the racetrack counties. Get-out-the-vote efforts in both Ohio and Jefferson counties by table games supporters includes driving track workers to the polls. But opponents are also rallying, with one Jefferson County group setting up this web site to educate would-be voters.

U.S. Chamber vs. W.Va.

The latest battle in the ongoing war over lawsuits in West Virginia pits the U.S. Chamber of Commerce against its usual foes _ the state's trial lawyer _ as well as some unexpected opponents.

As The Associated Press reports, The Charleston Regional Chamber of Commerce and a bipartisan group of Northern Panhandle state senators are among those critical of the recent U.S. Chamber ad campaign targeting the Mountain State's legal climate.

(As I reported earlier for AP, the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce lodged a similar complaint with its national counterpart over the campaign.)

These local complaints are somewhat buoyed by a recent FactCheck.org analysis that labels as "false" and "misleading" a key component of the U.S. Chamber ad campaign.

While not necessarily disagreeing with the U.S. Chamber's critique of the state's judicial system, the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce has adopted a different approach: seeking compromises with the trial bar.

The recently redubbed trial lawyers' association remains the U.S. Chamber's leading foe on the issue. Member Scott Segal recently exhorted the State Bar's governing board to take a stand, as AP reports.

A major hurdle in this debate has been the lack of statistics that sufficiently map the terrain of West Virginia's civil court system. In the initial AP story, I cited figures showing that "the number of general civil filings began declining in 2004 and has dropped by more than 6 percent from five years ago. The nonpartisan National Center for State Courts, meanwhile, puts West Virginia's civil filings on par with its population, ranking both at 38th nationwide in its most recent report."

The May 11 FactCheck analysis, meanwhile, said that the U.S. Chamber ignored key findings in the study that it misstates in the ad campaign:

"U.S. tort costs grew by 0.5 % in 2005. This was much lower than the growth rate of 5.7 % in 2004, and was the smallest increase in tort costs since 1997...The 0.5 percent rate of growth in tort costs in 2005 was less than overall economic growth of 6.3 percent. Since 1950, growth in tort costs has exceeded growth in GDP by an average of 2 to 3 percentage points."

The U.S. Chamber stands by its ad, and plans to follow up on its West Virginia campaign today with a survey of small business owners.

Plan C: Aug. 11

That's the new date for the table games special election in Kanawha County. The Associated Press is among those with the details.

Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center in Nitro had suggested June 30, after an advertising snafu forced the county from holding the vote on June 9.

The Kanawha County Commission wanted to ensure that with Aug. 11, it also met a 90-day requirement for scheduling an election.

But that time frame still allows Hancock County to hold its special election, as requested by Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort in Chester, on Jun 30.

Ohio and Jefferson county met the 30-day prior notice requirement, and so still plan to hold their special elections June 9.

The Charleston Gazette and Charleston Daily Mail both covered Thursday's Kanawha County Commission meeting, as did MetroNews.

Both AP and the Daily Mail, meanwhile, report on plans by gambling opponents to capitalize on the delays in their quest to defeat table games at the polls. Several of these foes have united to host a web site.

June 30 As Plan B

The Kanawha and Hancock Counties plan to meet today to decide whether to reschedule their special balloting for the table games to June 30.

The Associated Press has details, as does The Charleston Gazette, The (Wheeling) Intelligencer, Public Broadcasting (audio link) and MetroNews.

June 30 has become the Plan B for the tracks in these counties, after the snafu over a 30-day prior notice requirement forced them to abandon a June 9 date. Ohio and Jefferson counties met that advertising deadline, and still plan to vote on the earlier date.

Lottery Warned Over Network Takeover

A national group that helps problem gamblers has expressed alarm over the West Virginia Lottery Commission's push to take control of the state program in this area, The Associated Press reports.

State officials tell AP that the plan to give Lottery direct control of the Problem Gamblers Help Network is "is purely administrative and a more efficient way to process bills. Critics, however, allege a conflict of interest that breaks down the checks and balances ensuring good government," AP reports.

Those critics include the National Council on Problem Gambling. Executive Director Keith Whyte told the AP's Vicki Smith that the plan is "extraordinarily troubling" and "almost unprecedented."

"The industry has an important role to play in responsible gaming. But there has always been, for very obvious reasons, a line between industry and treatment," Whyte told AP, adding that the Lottery's plan "obliterates that wall."

Whyte also said that the only state to attempt something similar, Arizona, did so with disastrous results six years ago.

Public Broadcasting has also tracked this plan, and has felt out Gov. Joe Manchin on the question. Audio link here.

Update: Public Broadcasting chronicles a similar warning from another national group involved in treating problem gamblers. "1-800-Gambler is the hotline used by the vast majority of West Virginia callers," Scott Finn reports.

Garrison Detractors Persist

All is not smooth sailing for Mike Garrison, the former Wise Administration official and West Virginia University's president-elect.

Though more than a month has passed since the contentious final phase of the presidential search process, WVU's faculty senate has voted 33-29 to declare "no confidence" in that process, The Charleston Gazette reports.

WVU math department chairman Sherman Riemenschneider wanted the senate to commission an investigation into how the search was conducted. That failed 37-10 with one abstention, the newspaper reported.

Before Garrison's selection by the Board of Governors, the faculty senate had voted 47-5 to endorse the other finalist, former WVU dean and Kansas State Provost M. Duane Nellis.

The Board of Governors has since agreed on a contract for Garrison, 38, the Charleston Daily Mail reports. The package includes $255,000 starting in July, a five-bedroom home with dining space for 150 guests, and vehicles for him and his wife. The perks also include health coverage and "an automatic pay raise each year that will match the average percentage increases handed out to faculty and administrators," the newspaper reports.

But the Daily Mail also notes that "According to a report from the College and University Personnel Association, a median salary for university presidents in 2004 was $290,000... Garrison's salary would place him 170th out of 183 public university presidents, based on a 2006 earnings scale from the Chronicle of Higher Education."

Update: AP reports that in crafting the contract for Garrison, WVU's Board of Governors has sought to rule out moonlighting by Garrison while he's officially president-elect (July 1 - Sept. 21). A lawyer for the Spilman, Thomas & Battle firm, Garrison has also been a lobbyist with one of the largest client lists at the Legislature.

Table Games: Counting from 30 - Updated

Two of the four counties slated to hold special elections June 9 failed to publish notices 30 days in advance, The Associated Press reports today.

The enabling legislation required each county to put legal ads in two newspapers by May 10. Kanawha County missed the deadline completely, while Hancock County got an ad in one paper in time but not a second, Secretary of State spokesman Ben Beakes told AP.

(Update: The track in each county has asked for rescheduled elections so the requirement can be satisfied, Secretary of State Betty Ireland said in a statement this afternoon. The AP has a story on the development.)

Ohio and Jefferson counties met the requirement, Beakes told AP.

"Conservative Christian activist Kevin McCoy, head of the West Virginia Family Foundation, said his group will likely petition for a postponement," the AP's Vicki Smith reports. The group has a constitutional challenge to the overall legislation pending before the state Supreme Court.

Both the Charleston Daily Mail and The Charleston Gazette have stories on the apparent snafus, as does MetroNews Radio. MetroNews also has audio of McCoy regarding possible additional legal action by his group.

Warner Waiver Urged

Editorials in both The Charleston Gazette and the Charleston Daily Mail today call on former U.S. Attorney Karl "Kasey" Warner to waive his right to keep private the reasons for his August 2005 firing.

The U.S. Justice Department essentially dared Warner to sign a waiver after he told The Associated Press last week that the White House fired him in 2005 in the middle of a corruption and vote-buying investigation but never told him why. (Blogged details here.)

Warner "declines to say whether he'll sign a waiver and allow the Department of Justice to publicly release its reasons for firing him," the Charleston Daily Mail reported today.

"The Department of Justice's credibility on the U.S. attorney departures is a matter of public record," Warner told the newspaper via email. "If an appropriate, unbiased governmental entity contacts me concerning my governmental service, I will - like any responsible citizen - cooperate fully."

Massey In Federal Crosshairs - Updated

Add a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit alleging massive Clean Water Act violations to the legal woes besetting Massey Energy Co., the nation's fourth-largest coal producer by revenues and a major employer in southern West Virginia.

The Associated Press first reported last week that federal prosecutors had sued Massey and 27 subsidiaries. Filed on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the lawsuit alleges the coal operations exceeded average monthly or maximum daily discharge limits 4,633 times within the last six years, for about 69,071 days worth of violations.

Depending on when the illegal discharge occurred, seven Massey subsidiaries face fines of $27,500 or $32,500 per day of violation.

Massey responded to the lawsuit Monday afternoon, several hours after news of the lawsuit threatened to reverse the recent growth in the company's stock value:

* The AP quoted Daniel W. Scott, an analyst at Banc of America Securities, who estimated a "worst case" cost to Massey of $2.24 billion. Scott said Massey faced a sort of double-whammy between the Clean Water Act lawsuit and the recent federal ruling rescinding valley fill permits at four Massey operations.

* Massey shares fell 14 percent, or $4.26 at $26.07 per share, before trading was halted, Reuters reported. "The stock was the worst percentage decliner on the New York Stock Exchange."

Reuters also quoted an analysis from Credit Suisse First Boston that pegged the potential fines at just below $2 billion.

"Even if this most recent lawsuit ultimately results in an immaterial adverse impact on Massey Energy's financial position, we believe the uncertainty associated with the outcome suggests investors would be better served investing in U.S. coal companies that are not the direct target of such an extensive lawsuit," the analysis said.

* Also drawing on the Credit Suisse analysis, Bloomberg reported that the stock's drop was the worst for Massey since July 28. "Before today, the stock had jumped 31 percent this year."

"Considering the theoretical scope and magnitude of this most recent federal lawsuit, in our view this cannot be good from a Massey Energy shareholders perspective,'' Credit Suisse's David Gagliano said in the Bloomberg piece.

The followup AP article reflects both Massey's response and the Banc of America analysis. Both it and the original story note some of the coal operator's other legal troubles: $1.5 million in federal and $70,000 in state fines for violations stemming from last year's fatal Aracoma Mine fire; a federal criminal probe into that Logan County accident; a lawsuit filed by the widows of the two miners killed at Aracoma; and the ongoing lawsuit targeting the four Massey mountaintop removal operations.

Update: Massey disputes the analysts' estimates of potential civil penalties and alleges that prosecutors inflated the number of violations in a story today from AP Business Writer Tim Huber.

Foxes And Henhouses

That's the analogy that critics invoked to The Associated Press' Vicki Smith as she details the ongoing push by the Lottery Commission to exert greater control over the state's program for problem gamblers.

"The Help Network provides unique, customized treatment on demand to callers to its toll-free hot line, which has counseled more than 5,000 gamblers and their families in seven years. The network assigns local counselors, scheduling appointments and following up on visits within 24 hours," Smith found.

Public Broadcasting reported on the Lottery's plan earlier, and also offers audio on its main web site. Public Broadcasting outlines the story and links on its new blog page as well.

W.Va. Surfaces in U.S. Attorney Firings Story

Former U.S. Attorney Karl K. "Kasey" Warner told The Associated Press last week that he sees political fingerprints on his 2005 ouster as southern West Virginia's chief federal prosecutor.

Warner's statements raise questions as to whether he belongs on the list of U.S. attorneys whoses firings since President Bush's re-election have fueled investigative hearings on Capitol Hill.

But they also prompted this response from U.S. Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd: ‘‘We encourage Mr. Warner to provide the department with a written privacy waiver and we will be happy to provide you with the reason for his removal.’’

I sought to chronicle the circumstances surrounding Warner's abrupt departure at the time (will link to any of the other articles if I can find them online), and contributed to last week's story. I also note the recent testimony of former Deputy Attorney General James Comey (YouTube link above).

Comey told the House committee that he oversaw the firing of two U.S. Attorneys during his 2003-2005 tenure. "Both had engaged in what I considered serious misconduct," Comey said.

But while one agreed to step down (following a phone call from Associate Deputy Attorney General David Margolis, known as "The Turk"), "The other insisted on being fired by the president. And so we had the president actually fire him by letter," Comey told Congress.

Warner said before his firing that he had no desire to resign, but that he knew that he served at the will and pleasure of the president.

"The two I was involved with...were not close calls," Comey said. "As soon as you read about it, you said, 'This guy's gotta go.'"

Update: As I noted back in March, "While trying to figure out why Warner was forced out of his post in August 2005, I actually went through the list of 93 U.S. attorneys to see who else among Bush's picks was gone."

That research had allowed me to write that "As President Bill Clinton had done before him, Bush replaced all but one of the country's 93 U.S. attorneys after taking office in 2001." Yet, folks apparently remain confused on this point.

But I was also confused, when I discounted the allegations that since the 2004 re-election, the Bush Administration contemplated firing all 93 of its U.S. attorney appointees.

I was unaware of evidence showing that "then-White House counsel Harriet E. Miers suggested...in February 2005 that all prosecutors be dismissed and replaced," as The Washington Post reported in March.

The Hill: No '08 Senate Bid For Capito

As the pundits continue to search for interesting and competitive 2008 election races, The Hill has scratched off U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito as someone willing to take on Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.

A spokesman for the Charleston Republican said Capito instead plans to run for a fifth, two-year term representing the state's 2nd House District.

The pundits, meanwhile, haven't really changed their assessment of Capito's shoo-in status since the name of state Sen. John Unger, D-Berkeley, emerged as a possible challenger. I do see, however, that Roll Call has opined that Capito "could face a tough challenge, however, from state Sen. John Unger (D), who is being heavily courted by national Democrats but hasn’t yet committed to the race."

In the absence of Capito, The Hill mentions Secretary of State Betty Ireland and Rockefeller's 1984 nemesis, Morgantown business owner John Raese among the GOP's remaining prospects.

"Raese, whom Rockefeller originally edged to win the seat, received little help from the national party and lost to Byrd in 2006 by more than 30 points," the newspaper reports. "He has the ability to self-fund, however, and some speculate that the 2006 cycle was a warm-up for a rematch with the senator he really wants to face."

Update: Shortly before his 2006 loss, Raese speculated on a 2008 campaign in an interview with The Register-Herald of Beckley.

Jessica Lynch

Last week's Capitol appearance by the Wirt County native and rescued Iraq POW prompted a New York Times op-ed reply from retired Lt. Gen. Michael DeLong.

The former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command accuses West Virginia politicians of pressuring the military to award Lynch the Medal of Honor after her 2003 capture.

"They called repeatedly, through their Congressional liaison, and pressured us to recommend her for the medal, even before all the evidence had been analyzed," DeLong wrote. "I would not relent and we had many heated discussions."

(DeLong also apparently echoes these allegations in a 2004 book, Inside CentCom, which was republished in paperback as A General Speaks Out in March.)

DeLong told The Associated Press on Monday he was referring to staffers for one of the state's U.S. senators and one of its "congressmembers."

DeLong also told me he was not referring to then-Gov. Bob Wise or other state-level officials.

However, the offices of Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller told AP that neither pressed the military for medals; Byrd's office also released a letter to a constituent stressing that the military makes the call regarding medals.

The office of U.S. Rep Shelley Moore Capito, whose district includes Wirt County, said that it, too, did not lobby the military for a medal. At best, staffers asked asked others on Capitol Hill (perhaps the House Armed Services Committee) about the procedure for awarding medals.

DeLong told me he wrote the op-ed because he believed U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., had taken "a cheap shot" at the military with his committee's inquiry into the military's handling of the Lynch and Pat Tillman cases. His intent was not to attack the state's politicians, he said.

"I've got to assume that their heart was pure," DeLong told me. "The congressmembers, at the end of the day, were trying to do the right thing."

The Charleston Daily Mail also spoke to the retired general and the state's delegation for a story.

Update: Public Broadcasting interviewed Lynch for this week's Outlook program, which airs again Sunday. The web page links to YouTube video of the interview, and a related news segment from public radio is here (audio link).

W.Va. Board of Ed Facing Lawsuit Threat

Citing their region's pricey housing market and booming student enrollment, Eastern Panhandle educators plan to sue state school officials over their cost-of-living allotments, The Journal of Martinsburg reports.

The state Board of Education was given 30 days' advance notice of the proposed class action lawsuit, the newspaper reports.

"The lawsuit is the latest development following long-simmering complaints from teachers and school service personnel in Berkeley, Morgan and Jefferson counties who have seen the purchasing power of their salaries erode as the Eastern Panhandle’s cost of living and student populations continue to climb."

W.Va. Finds Crowded Market For Tobacco Bonds

After several failed attempts, the 2007 Legislature gave the state the green light to scoring some quick cash by selling bonds backed by future tobacco settlement payments.

But as West Virginia prepares to issue about $800 million in bonds, other states have already sold investors on $9.4 billion in such securities since January, The Charleston Gazette reports.

The Associated Press also has a story.

Manchin: All-broadband W.Va. by 2010

The Associated Press' Tom Breen reports on Gov. Joe Manchin's his goal of extending high-speed Internet access throughout the Mountain State, with the help of Cisco Systems CEO (and W.Va. native) John Chambers.

Manchin says the prospects from this developing public-private partnership helped prompt him to veto legislation in this area following the recent regular session.