They Voted For You: Ethics

U.S. Senators Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.VA., helped the Senate concur with recent House changes to the pending ethics bill.

The Senate vote was 83-14.

The Associated Press offers highlights of the legislation.

Romney On Board For W.Va. GOP Convention

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney plans to participate in the West Virginia Republican Party Convention for the 2008 presidential election, his campaign announced Thursday.

The Associated Press has the story.

Though Romney is the first declared candidate to commit to the "Super-Duper Tuesday," Feb. 5 event, the state GOP expects the rest of the field to follow suit.

Table Games - Daily Roundup

Early voting in Kanawha County has hit 4,700 as residents decide whether to allow casino table games at the racetrack in Nitro, the Charleston Gazette reports.

And as foes and supporters rally to get their forces to the polls, MetroNews' Talkline hosted an on-air debate Tuesday between the two sides.

At least one of the two counties that has already authorized table games, meanwhile, has apparently based part of its annual budget on the resulting revenue. But as The Associated Press reports, the state Lottery says Hancock and Ohio counties will likely have to wait until November before the games can begin.

They Voted For You: Health Care

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, all voted to pass the "Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007" Wednesday.

As The Associated Press observes, the legislation is one of two measures that would expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which has become a significant source of coverage in most states, including West Virginia.

One measure, up for a Senate vote today, would expand the program by $35 billion, the AP article said.

What passed Wednesday, the AP explains, "the more ambitious House legislation, a $50 billion SCHIP expansion paid for in part by slashing government payments to Medicare HMOs, attracted only five Republican votes, while 10 Democrats crossed party lines to oppose it."

The vote on passage was 225-204.

AP also reports that "Both measures face a veto-threat from President Bush, who says they would cost too much and expand the decade-old program beyond its original mission, inappropriately moving toward government-run health care."

"Both versions of the bill would be financed in part by a hefty increase in taxes on tobacco products," the article notes further.

Offering a local perspective, The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington interviewed West Virginia doctors to get their take on the pros and cons of CHIP.

Quote of the Day

"When I'm back home at the grocery store, I no longer get an occasional person coming up saying we shouldn't be over there and need to get out. More people are saying, 'How are we going to get out? When? What's the end?'"

-- U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, to the Charleston Daily Mail regarding her recent visit with President Bush.

Capito, Bush & Iraq

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, told both the Charleston Daily Mail and MetroNews (with audio) that she has shared with President Bush that "she and her constituents are growing increasingly frustrated over the direction of the Iraq war."

Capito "led a delegation of 16 female Republican House members to the White House on Tuesday for an hour-long discussion with the president and first lady Laura Bush on Iraq," the Daily Mail reported.

They Voted For You: Pay Discrimination

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted for legislation "to reverse the Supreme Court's decision limiting the time that workers have to sue their employers for pay discrimination," The Associated Press reports.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, voted against the "Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act," which prevailed 225-199.

"The Bush administration has threatened to veto the legislation, pushed almost entirely by Democrats," the AP article said.

(The article also notes that "Ledbetter, a supervisor at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'s plant in Gadsden, Ala., sued right before she retired. She ended a 19-year career making $6,500 less than the lowest-paid male supervisor, and claimed earlier decisions by her supervisors kept her from making more. The court said she had waited too long to sue.")

Table Games - Kanawha County

With table games already approved for racetracks in Hancock and Ohio counties, West Virginia is poised the join Iowa as the only other state to offer live racing, slot machines and casino table games at a single location.

And with Kanawha County slated to vote Aug. 11 whether to allow the games at its track, The Charleston Gazette checked out the situation in The Tall Corn State.

With well-paying jobs a selling point from table games advocates, an official at Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino tells the Gazette that most dealers there make $34,000 to $35,000 a year.

"(D)ealers just starting out at the gaming tables have a base salary of $5.50 an hour," the article said. "Tips bring the pay of a new card dealer to about $11 an hour." Dealers then get raises at three, six and 12 months, the Gazette reports.

West Virginia Media, meanwhile, reports that more than 4,000 Kanawha County have already cast early ballots over table games. With early voting running until Aug. 8, the county has already seen "the largest early voting turn-out ever for a single issue election," the report said.

Judge: No Pension for Ex-Lincoln Assessor

A circuit judge has blocked former Lincoln County Assessor Jerry Weaver from receiving retirement benefits, The Associated Press reports.

Weaver was one of several county Democrats who pleaded guilty to roles in a vote-buying conspiracy unearthed by federal prosecutors in 2004.

Kanawha Circuit Judge Jim Stucky concluded that Weaver's admitted crimes reflect the sort of "less than honorable service" that triggers the loss of a public pension under state law.

The federal indictment had alleged that the conspirators sought to control the outcome of elections so they could monkey with property tax assessments, among other reasons.

But Weaver had argued that the federal judge in his case had specifically concluded that he did not misuse his office in the course of providing cash to bribe voters.

"Stucky said Weaver will be reimbursed for the contributions he made to the Public Employees Retirement System for 27 years plus interest, but minus payments already received," the AP story said.

MetroNews (which appears to be the first to report on Stucky's July 23 ruling) also has a story, as does The Charleston Gazette.

They Voted For You: Ethics

West Virginia's House members _ Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd and Nick Rahall, D-3rd _ all voted for legislation today that would "require lawmakers to disclose more details of their bids to fund pet projects and their fundraising help from lobbyists," The Associated Press reports.

The final tally was 411-8 on passage of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007.

Table Games - Kanawha County

As both sides try to sway voters on the table games issue, the Charleston Daily Mail examines the question of increased crime linked to gambling.

"Metro 911 statistics indicate police are four times more likely to be called to the neighboring Wal-Mart than the Nitro track itself," the newspaper reports. "Since July 1, 2006, emergency responders have been dispatched to the track 89 times. Most of the calls involved accidents, vandalism and other minor disturbances. In comparison, Metro 911 took 375 calls from the Nitro Wal-Mart. Most of those involved reports of accidents and shoplifting."

Disharmony in the Ranks - Updated

Just as little love is lost between the rival groups that vie to represent state teachers (the West Virginia Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia), dueling organizations are sparring in their quest to speak for rank-and-file state workers.

The Associated Press cites a mocking _ and partly inadvertent _ voice mail message as reflective of the acrimony.

The article is a follow-up to Monday's piece highlighting morale problems among different groups of public employees.

Update: Public Broadcasting also has a story on the voice mail, and offers audio from the recording.

Mixed Signals On Special Session

The Charleston Gazette reports that an August special legislative session is likely, with a crackdown on copper and other metal thefts the latest of several possible topics.

But MetroNews says "lawmakers are still debating whether or not there is a need for a special session next month."

Mollohan Under Fire

Before the FBI and IRS stepped up the probe of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, by searching his home Monday, a House member tried to highlight the federal scrutiny of Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-1st.

Rep. Steven King, R-Iowa, proposed dedicating $1 million in the FBI's budget "to continue and accelerate their investigation so that they can either move forward to completion, or clear the individual who sits underneath this cloud."

While not identifying Mollohan by name during his July 25 floor speech, King cited how "a former member of the Ethics Committee stepped down from the Ethics Committee to avoid the appearance of impropriety during an investigation."

"And yet, since that investigation began," King continued, "the same Member has opted to step forward and take on the gavel of the very appropriations committee that deals with the funding of the investigation that's being conducted."

King referred to press reports regarding Mollohan's appropriations earmarks, personal finances and real estate transactions.

King also quoted from an appearance by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales before the House Judiciary Committee.

"I asked the Attorney General if he was intimidated... If the chairman of the Justice Appropriations Committee happened to have been under that kind of scrutiny, would that affect the kind of prosecution that takes place out of your Justice Department with regard to that particular Member of Congress?''

"I make no allegations about guilt or innocence," King said. "I simply say that there is a huge question of impropriety when the chairman of justice approps has in one hand the gavel, and in the other hand the pursestrings that funds the very people that are conducting the investigation."

The amendment brought several House members to their feet.

"He has offered an amendment which does absolutely nothing in order to give him an opportunity to talk about something he says he doesn't want to talk about," said House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wis. "Only in Washington would that be believable."

"I'm, indeed, sorry that this amendment has been brought to the floor," said Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J. "I think it is totally inappropriate."

Mollohan also responded.

"I would suggest that the gentleman, number one, has expressed a greater knowledge about any investigation than I have," Mollohan said. "Perhaps he has inside knowledge about it. But I could not tell you actually if it exists, because I have never been approached with regard to it."

King persisted.

"I didn't hear a response to the question about the intimidation factor and, in fact, the appearance of impropriety that the man holding the gavel is also holding the purse strings of the agency that is doing the investigation, according to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and a number of other publications across this country," King said.

(In his floor speech, Obey had said "The fact is that that gentleman in question has recused himself from all matters relating to the FBI, the Attorney General, the Criminal Division, and U.S. attorneys. That's why I am here on the floor handling those portions of the bill today.")

King's amendment, to a U.S. Justice Department appropriations bill, failed 19-389.

Mollohan and Reps. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted against the amendment.

Another 16 House members, meanwhile, merely voted "present."

The Congressional record has the transcript of King's remarks and the responses.

The Hill has a story on the episode.

West Virginia's Human Capital

The Associated Press' Shaya Tayefe Mohajer highlights the state's efforts to link economic development with education and training.

"Only 16.9 percent of West Virginians aged 25 and older have a bachelor's degree and that's last in the country," Brian Noland, chancellor of the state Higher Education Policy Commission, told AP.

Lighting Up at the Legislature

Communities statewide are wrestling with anti-smoking public health proposals. The Journal of Martinsburg, for instance, reports on Morgan County's indoor air rules taking effect today, while the Charleston Daily Mail reported last week on the issue in Putnam County and at Yeager Airport.

But The Charleston Gazette reports today that a statewide indoor air ordinance may prove elusive: "For one thing, legislators’ offices are exempt from Kanawha County’s smoking ban."

The article continues, "In 1991, former Gov. Gaston Caperton issued an executive order banning smoking at the state Capitol Complex. The order didn’t extend to the Legislature or state Supreme Court. Earlier that year, the House of Delegates restricted smoking in the House chamber, gallery and committee rooms. The Senate doesn’t have a written policy, but it’s understood that smoking isn’t permitted in the chamber and other common areas."

State Government Morale

The Associated Press points out a common thread involving morale among some public workers, in the wake of such recent events as the suicide of a trooper and the ensuing debate over work conditions at the State Police.

Teacher Pensions

The 401(k)-style investment accounts that more than 19,000 educators will rely on for their retirement continue to lag behind the benefits promised by the state's older, traditional pension fund, The Associated Press reports.

Consolidated Public Retirement Board officials offered lawmakers an update this weekend as they appeal a successful challenge of the state's plan to merge its teacher pension offerings.

Just over 1,100 educators with the individual investment accounts are ready to retire, age 60 or older, but only 23 have more than $100,000 saved. The largest of those accounts is only $157,000, compared to the $200,000 to $400,000 in benefits guaranteed by the older plan.

W.Va.'s Beloved, Bedeviled Capitol

This month's series of legislative interim meetings produced yet another report of decay at West Virginia's circa-1932 state Capitol, The Associated Press reports.

The latest woes include more trouble involving the once and future basement cafeteria, and the buff limestone panels that form its exterior walls.

Though betrayed by neglect throughout its 75 years, the Capitol remains a stirring jewel in a strikingly beautiful crown. The West Virginia Legislature's Office of Reference & Information, which provided the above image, also offers an online history and photo gallery of this majestic building.

Absent Delegate Quits

Poised to miss his 14th consecutive interim session, Delegate Ron Thompson resigned from the Legislature this week, The Associated Press reports.

Because of his prolonged absence, the Raleigh County Democrat nearly lost his seat in an historic vote during this year's regular session. Fellow House members relented upon news that he is being treated for severe depression.

“While my condition continues to improve, my full recovery time is taking longer than originally anticipated," Thompson wrote this week, according to The Register-Herald of Beckley. "Therefore, I feel that is in the best interest of the constituents which I serve that I take such action."

The Beckley newspaper also spoke with other members of the 27th Delegate District. Others with the story include MetroNews, West Virginia Media, The Charleston Gazette and the Charleston Daily Mail.

"A Democratic committee for Thompson’s 27th District has 15 days to recommend three names to Gov. Joe Manchin for his successor," the AP article notes. "The governor then has five days to select Thompson’s replacement, who would serve out the remainder of the term."

Hillary Clinton in West Virginia - Updated

The Democratic presidential front-runner and New York senator spoke for about an hour Friday to a spillover crowd at West Virginia State University. The Associated Press was there.

Clinton took questions for about a half-hour of the event _ including one from the Rev. Jim Lewis of Patriots for Peace, who held a sort of demonstration outside Clinton's Charleston fundraiser earlier in the day.

Update: Other coverage comes from: The Charleston Gazette, which also shot video; MetroNews (with audio from the event); WSAZ, with video; and the Wheeling newspapers.

They Voted For You: Campaign Finance

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, helped pass an amendment that would "prevent the Justice Department from enforcing certain advertising restrictions in campaign finance law," The Associated Press reports.

Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted against the measure in the 215-205 roll call.

Prompted by the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling targeting campaign finance law, the amendment would bar "criminal enforcement of any of the law's advertising provisions," the AP reports. "It would not affect any civil penalties imposed against violators by the Federal Election Commission. Most campaign finance infractions are handled by the FEC."

Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., proposed adding the measure to a pending appropriations bill.

"The Senate has not acted on its version of the spending bill and advocates of strict campaign finance laws vowed to kill the House provision there," the AP article notes. " Campaign watchdog groups objected to Pence's amendment, arguing that the Supreme Court did not declare all restrictions on electioneering communications unconstitutional."

Mollohan is the lead sponsor of the "Departments of Commerce and Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations for FY 2008." It passed Thursday 281-142 with Mollohan, Capito and Rahall voting in favor.

Capito successfully proposed three amendments to the spending bill:

* "An amendment to reduce appropriations (by transfer) for the Periodic Censuses and Programs by $10 million, and increase appropriations for the Office of Justice Programs," which passed 229-196 (Rahall and Mollohan both nay);

* "An amendment to increase appropriations (by transfer) for the Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution Programs, and reduce appropriations for the National Science Foundation operations and award management program by $10 million." It passed 243-186
(Rahall and Mollohan both nay);


* "An amendment to prohibit the use of funds be used in contravention of section 402(e)(1) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996," which passed by a voice vote.

Congress Hears from W.Vians on Mining

Several Mountain State residents testified Wednesday on Capitol Hill as the House Natural Resources Committee, chaired by Rep. Nick Rahall, D-3rd, reviewed the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 on its 30th anniversary.

The committee has posted written statements from environmental lawyer Joe Lovett, West Virginia Coal Association President Bill Raney, United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts, and state Environmental Protection Secretary Stephanie Timmermeyer.

(Update: The committee revamped its web site this afternoon, and has updated the above links. The statements can also be found here. Note: all of the links are tricky; Click 'Go' _ but NOT reload _ if the link results in a 'not found' message.)

The Charleston Gazette also has a story on the full committee hearing.

Table Games

* MetroNews' Talkline program hosted a debate over table games pitting racetrack lobbyist Nelson Robinson against the Rev. Okey Harless, a gambling foe (with audio).

* Quoting Lottery Director John Musgrave, The Charleston Gazette reports that "t will be take four to six months before the state Lottery Commission will be ready to regulate table games at the state’s two Northern Panhandle racetracks."

* Lottery has also proposed a grandfather clause to allow about 100 employees of those tracks under age 21 to keep their jobs once they launch table games. As the Gazette reports in a separate article, "the minimum age for people entering the gaming areas will jump from 18 to 21."

* As the special Aug. 11 table games election nears in Kanawha County, Public Broadcasting talks to Delegate Ron Walters, whose district includes areas around the Nitro track that would host the games. With audio.

* Both the Gazette and MetroNews report that the state lottery system "ended the fiscal year with $1.56 billion in sales, a new record... That number includes $972 million put into the video slot machines at the state's four racetracks and $397 million played on the slot machines at Limited Video Lottery locations across the state."

Ramos and Compean

U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, earned a mention in this Associated Press story for opposing a House bid to address the criminal cases of former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Alonso Compean.

"Ramos and Compean are serving 11- and 12-year federal prison sentences, respectively, for the 2005 shooting of Osvaldo Aldrete Davila on the Texas border near El Paso," the article said. "The case has caused a furor among conservative lawmakers and on talk radio across the country."

On a voice vote, the House approved a measure that would bar the two former agents from being kept in any federal prison.

"Democrats such as Alan Mollohan of West Virginia opposed the attempt to free the two men, arguing that it is not Congress' place to interfere in criminal cases, particularly when they are under appeal as the Ramos and Compean case it," the article said. "But Democrats opted not to call for a roll call vote. It could be dropped from the bill during House-Senate negotiations this fall."

Mollohan chairs the Committee on Appropriations subcommittee that previously oversaw the Border Patrol, before it became part of the Department of Homeland Security.

West Virginia & the YouTube Debate, Part II

Public Broadcasting interviewed the two Mountain State residents whose videotaped questions were among the 39 posed to the Democratic presidential candidates during Monday's debate.

PubCast offers audio as well as a transcript.

Update: MetroNews also interviewed Cantees (with audio).

The Health of W.Va.'s Children

The Mountain State continues to struggle with providing for the health of its children, though some areas show improvement, according to the latest installment of an annual study.

"Researchers with the 2007 Kids Count data book rank West Virginia 44th among the 50 states when weighing several factors that contribute to a child’s well-being," The Charleston Gazette reports. "The state ranked 38th last year."

The report tracks an increase in high school dropouts and low birth-weight babies in the state, the article said. But "the state improved slightly in three of 10 indicators, as defined by researchers: the child death rate, the teen birth rate and the percentage of children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment."

Update: West Virginia Media also has a story on the latest report.

Hillary Clinton's W.Va. Stop

When she visits Charleston on Friday to raise funds for her presidential campaign, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., will also host a yet-to-be-specified public event, The Charleston Gazette reports.

The article also said that "Gov. Joe Manchin and first lady Gayle Manchin met with Clinton and other Democratic candidates Monday night after a televised debate in Charleston, S.C. Manchin was the only Democratic governor in attendance."

"Manchin has declined to endorse any candidate during the primary process," the article also notes.

W.Va. at the YouTube Debate

The YouTube videos aired to quiz Democratic presidential candidates at last night's debate included this one from John Cantees of Huntington.

Cantees asked Mike Gravel about his statement that U.S. deaths in Vietnam were in vain.

And this one from Mike Sharley of Morgantown asked the candidates about health care.

Thanks to Hoppy Kercheval of MetroNews' Talkline, who pointed out these videos in his online column today.

Debate co-sponsor CNN also offers a transcript of the debate.

W.Va., MTR and RFK Jr.

Public Broadcasting offers this follow-up (with audio) to last week's interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., assessing his comments about state politicians and the press in the mountaintop removal mining debate.

Table Games - Kanawha County (Updated)

Both The Associated Press and the Charleston Daily Mail quiz Kanawha County's legislators about table games in advance of the Aug. 11 special election. Early voting continues until Aug. 8.

The Daily Mail also reports on the nuts and bolts of expanding the state's racetracks in to full-blown casinos.

Rev. Dennis Sparks of the West Virginia Council of Churches, a leading table games foe, responds to some of the proponents' arguments in a Charleston Gazette op-ed piece today -- and may have helped prompt this editorial response to gambling opponents.

Update: On a related front, MetroNews has this story about Wood County officials weighing whether to bring video lottery slot machines to the area airport.

Medicaid in W.Va.

With 14 percent of West Virginians relying on Medicaid for their health care, Public Broadcasting visits with the program's new director as the state continues to push "personal responsibility agreements" in exchange for enhanced benefits. With audio.

A Special Session?

Gov. Joe Manchin is considering calling the year's second special legislative session, to tackle one or more court-related topics, The Charleston Gazette reports.

Manchin Heading to The Citadel

On the heels of the annual National Governors Association meeting in Michigan, Gov. Joe Manchin and First Lady Gayle Manchin are slated to attend this evening's debate of Democratic presidential candidates at The Citadel in South Carolina.

"The Democratic National Committee (DNC) invited Manchin to attend this DNC-sanctioned 2008 presidential debate," the state party announced in a release.

"Prior to the debate, Manchin is scheduled to attend a dignitaries’ reception and then be escorted to the debate by Governor Howard Dean."

CNN is a co-sponsor of the debate, which is expected to feature videotaped questions submitted via YouTube.

W.Va. & 2008 Money Race

The Associated Press takes a closer look at money raised _ and spent _ in West Virginia by the 2008 presidential candidates, in the wake of the latest Federal Election Commission reports.

Among the highlights: only about 216 households have contributed so far, giving all but six of the declared candidates a total of $243,000.

An AP graphic offers in-state and campaign totals for candidates.

W.Va. Flunked Over Disclosures

West Virginia received an "F" _ as did 20 other states _ after The Center for Public Integrity graded them on the degree to which they disclose private financial interests of their governors to the public.

"Washington was the only state to receive an 'A' grade in the Center's analysis because it provided the most information to the public on its governor's personal income and investments," the group's report said. "Eight states scored in the 'B' range, while 20 states received 'Cs' or 'Ds.'"

Offering a ranking of all the states, the report gives West Virginia 44 out of a possible 100 points. While the Mountain State got points for basic filing practices and enforcement, it received only half the available points for public access. It fared worst in the area weighing the extent of filings, receiving 32 out of a possible 83 points.

The Charleston Gazette has a story on the report.

America's Mayor Coming to W.Va.

Add Republican Rudy Giuliani to the short but growing list of 2008 presidential hopefuls including West Virginia in their campaign trails.

As The Associated Press reports, the former New York mayor plans to appear at an Aug. 3 breakfast fundraiser at The Greenbrier resort.

The event coincides with the annual meeting of the West Virginia Coal Association, held at the resort Aug. 2-4.

The AP article notes that Giuliani has already gotten more money from West Virginians than any other GOP candidate (the leading Democratic _ and overall _ candidate among Mountain State donors is John Edwards, who held a March fundraiser in Charleston).

Bush Taps W.Vian For Leadership Post

Shepherdstown resident John Bresland could become the next chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board if the Senate confirms his nomination by President Bush, The Associated Press reports.

Bush first appointed Bresland in 2002 to the five-member board, "responsible for making safety recommendations to the nation’s chemical industry," the AP article said. "It also is charged with investigating major chemical accidents."

RFK Jr. in W.Va.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had strong words about West Virginia's politicians, and its press, in this Public Broadcasting interview.

The environmental lawyer and son of Bobby Kennedy also spoke to The Charleston Gazette during his three-day visit to the state. Kennedy was filming mountaintop removal mining sites for the upcoming adaptation of his 2004 book, Crimes Against Nature.

RFK Jr.'s trip follows that of country music's Kathy Mattea, a Mountain State native, to the southern coalfields. Both the Gazette and Public Broadcasting (with audio) were among those who covered her tour of mountaintop removal mining sites.

Byrd Denounces Dogfighting - Updated

Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., lashed out Thursday at those who engage in dogfighting, The Associated Press reports, in the wake of federal charges against Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.

Repeatedly denouncing the practice as "barbaric," the longest-serving senator in U.S. history also invoked the wrath of God during his floor speech, the AP article said.

The overall topic is not a new one for Byrd. His July 2001 speech on the conditions at industrial farms and modern slaughterhouses has been lauded by such groups as the Animal Welfare Institute as "what may be the most profound oratory for animals ever delivered in the US Congress."

And when it endorsed his successful bid for a record ninth term last year, the U.S. Humane Society called Byrd "one of the strongest champions for animal welfare in Congress."

"Senator Byrd in recent years has frequently taken to the Senate floor to condemn animal abuse, including intensive confinement of animals on factory farms and the barbaric practice of cockfighting," the group noted in its endorsement.

(Update II: YouTube now has the complete 10+ minute speech here, here and here. CNN has both an online story and video.)

Quote of the Day

"I am confident that the hottest places in hell are reserved for the souls of sick and brutal people who hold God's creatures in such brutal and cruel contempt."

-- U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., during a Thursday floor speech denouncing the "barbaric" practice of dogfighting, as quoted by The Associated Press.

Hillary Clinton's Trip To W.Va.

With Sen. Hillary Clinton slated to appear at a Charleston fundraiser next week, plans for a second event in Hardy County have fallen through, The Charleston Gazette reports.

A campaign spokesman cited "timing and logistical constraints." But the article also said that "some media outlets" had made an issue of the Hardy event's initial venue.

Would-be donors had originally hoped to host Clinton, D-N.Y., at the Guest House on Lost River. The bed and breakfast markets itself to homosexuals, the Gazette reported.

But an unidentified local organizer told the newspaper that the bed and breakfast was ruled out because attending would require a 20-minute drive from Moorefield.

Hoppy Kercheval of MetroNews' Talkline devotes his online column today to the scuttled fundraiser. Citing an email from organizer Sally Michael, Kercheval wrote that Hardy County supporters "expected to raise at least $50,000 at the event but were told by the campaign just in the last week that they needed a minimum of $150,000 to guarantee the event."

They Voted For You: Iraq

U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., voted for the failed bid to advance a proposal "to provide for a reduction and transition of United States forces in Iraq."

Needing at least 60 votes, the motion to cut off debate was 52-47.

The Associated Press has the story. The vote followed an all-night session engineered by Senate Democrats to underscore discontent over the war's handling, but "the Senate's action left no doubt that Bush's decision last winter to deploy additional troops to Iraq will have at least two more months to produce results," the AP article said.

Election '08: Precandidate Update

* The son of racetrack executive and table games advocate Ted Arneault has filed precandidacy papers for the House of Delegates seat being vacated by Majority Leader Joe DeLong, D-Hancock. Ted Arneault Jr., a 24-year-old teacher at Weirton Madonna High, told the Charleston Daily Mail that "My interests are really separate from the track.. I don't deal with the track on a daily basis."

* Delegate Richard Browning spoke to the Register-Herald of Beckley about running for the Senate seat being vacated by Majority Whip Billy Wayne Bailey, D-Wyoming (like DeLong, Bailey is planning a run for secretary of state).

* The Daily Mail also reports that Kanawha County Commissioner Dave Hardy, a Democrat, may run for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Vic Sprouse.

They Voted For You: Iraq

U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., was one of only three to vote against an amendment Tuesday "to express the sense of the Senate that it is in the national security interest of the United States that Iraq not become a failed state and a safe haven for terrorists."

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., voted for the measure.

The amendment, which prevailed 94-3 with three not voting, was added to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.

Cheney's Secret Energy Task Force Revealed

West Virginia _ and coal _ were barely in the room, it seems, during the once-secret series of meetings that Vice President Dick Cheney and his staff held to craft a new national energy policy in 2001.

That according to The Washington Post, which landed the fabled list of meetings from "a former White House official" who supplied it after six years of clamors for it.

The accompanying list of meetings participants _ dozens of meetings involving about 300 groups and individuals _ appears to include only one West Virginia reference: an undated meeting with the staff of U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-3rd.

The document obtained by the Post has Cheney's staff spelling the congressman's name as "Racal."

And other than two references to the National Mining Association, there seems to have been no coal-specific groups or individuals that met with Cheney and his task force. Petroleum interests appear to dominate the list.

Another tidbit: the Post reports that Cheney's staff met with representatives of 13 environmental groups as part of this task force in April 2001. But "by the time of the meeting with environmental groups...the initial draft of the task force was substantially complete and President Bush had been briefed on its progress."

Presidential Race: W.Va.

Democrat John Edwards still has more West Virginia contributions than any other presidential candidate. But Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Sam Brownback each outraised him in the Mountain State during the latest campaign finance reporting period.

The Associated Press has the details, while the Federal Election Commission offers the raw numbers.

The highlights:

* Edwards has raised $88,754 in the state, including $16,654 during the April-June reporting period. Overall, though, his campaign has raised $24.9 million;

* Clinton collected $28,045 from West Virginians during the latest period, to bring her in-state total to $38,795. Donors include state party bigwigs. As with Edwards, the W.Va. money is a mere fraction of the $52.5 million her campaign has raised overall;

* Brownback has raised "only" $2.6 million overall, so the $25,520 that West Virginians have given him (all in the latest report) is about 1.8 percent of his total. His W.Va. contributors are almost entirely coal and industrial interests: mining equipment suppliers, hydraulic lubricant companies, electric motor repair shops, coal mining consultants, etc.

* Rudy Giuliani has collected $29,050 in the state, and is the only other candidate whose W.Va. contributions exceeded $10,000 during the filing period. But those numbers are dwarfed by his campaign-wide total of $29.8 million to date.

* Republican Mitt Romney has gotten $22,530 from Mountain State donors, including $8,030 during the filing period. His overall total is $31.4 million.

* Democrat Barack Obama has raised $16,299 in-state, with $7,546 during the filing period. His campaign is vying with Clinton's for top honors in fundraising, having gathered $58.6 million.

W.Va. money to the rest of the field (t0 date):

* Democrat Bill Richardson - $8,350
* Republican Jon McCain - $7,785
* Democrat Joe Biden - $2,300
* Republican Ron Paul - $1,662
* Republican Tom Tancredo - $1,140
* Republican Duncan Hunter - $500
* Republican Jim Gilmore - $500 (dropped out this weekend)

The Mountain State has yet to give to:

* Republicans Chris Cox, Mike Huckabee and Tommy Thompson.
* Democrats Chris Dodd, Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel.

The Rising Cost of, er, Education

Sending the largest delegation to the recent Council of State Government's meeting at a Puerto Rico resort will cost West Virginia taxpayers at least $44,518, the Charleston Daily Mail reports today.

It appears that $16,711 of the total is from flying Gov. Joe Manchin, Chief of Staff Larry Puccio, their wives and two state troopers to and from the conference on a state airplane.

More than half of the 26 legislators who attended have also turned in expense reports, which range between $1,320.20 and $2,075.37, the article said.

The Consumers' Advocate

Byron Harris will be only the second public advocate for the state Public Service Commission since the job was added to the utility-regulating agency in 1981.

The Charleston Gazette talks to Harris about his new post, and asks him about filling the sizable shoes of retiring advocate Billy Jack Greg.

Tumult Continues Over DEP Stream List

The Charleston Gazette covered a Monday public hearing for the Manchin administration's proposed list of streams protected under "Virginia’s federally required stream anti-degradation policy."

"Under orders from Manchin, DEP Secretary Stephanie Timmermeyer last month cut the number of streams on the agency’s preferred list from more than 300 to 157," the Gazette reports. "Streams on the list are clean, and the anti-degradation policy aims to keep them that way."

A majority of the speakers hailed from state Trout Unlimited chapters, environmental groups and the state Council of Churches, the paper found, "all lined up against the governor’s move to reduce the number of protected streams."

W.Va.'s GOP and 2008

In the wake of the West Virginia Republican Party's annual summer conference, The Associated Press looks at some of the challenges facing the Mountain State's GOP as it readies for the 2008 election cycle.

After a rough 2006, the Republicans are losing their only statewide executive branch officeholder, face a popular incumbent Democratic governor, and are searching for a challenger to U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. Then there's the six-figure debt, and a brewing anti-GOP storm on the national front, according to political analysts.

W.Va.'s Most Expensive Community College

When counted by per-student costs, Hardy County's Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College is the state's priciest, according to The Charleston Gazette.

Last year, the Moorefield campus "employed one full-time faculty member and graduated just 19 students." the Gazette reports. "Taxpayers paid $8,394 per student at Eastern that year, the highest rate of the 10 community and technical colleges in the state."

DUI

The Associated Press's Tom Breen provides some context to last week's horrific drunken driving crash that killed five people and injured seven.

For "people with drunken driving convictions — even those with suspended licenses — getting behind the wheel is not an isolated phenomenon," Breen reports. "Many states have 'loopholes' in their laws that allow people convicted of drunken driving to regain their licenses fairly quickly."

They Voted For You: Immigration

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, led the vote to recommit a housing-related bill to the House Committee on Financial Services, which amended the bill to require personal identification from all adults before they can receive rental housing assistance under section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937.

The motion to recommit passed 233-186. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted against the motion.

Capito, Rahall and Mollohan all voted for passage of the bill, which aims to "reform the housing choice voucher program under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937. It passed 333-83.

The Charleston Gazette has an article on the vote.

Table Games - Kanawha County

The Kanawha County Commission voted 2-1 Thursday to endorse table games for Nitro's Tr-State Racetrack and Gaming Center, in advance of the Aug. 11 special election.

The Associated Press was there, as was The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews (with audio).

As these press accounts reports, the lengthy evening meeting offered a showcase of the debate and the opposing forces. Supporters and foes helped pack the commission courtroom and also lined the street outside, replete with T-shirts and signs.

But among the 21 who chose to address the commissioners before the vote, pro-table games speakers outnumbered opponents 15-6. Nevertheless, both sides are expected to continue their campaigns as the election draws near. Early voting begins July 20.

They Voted For You: Iraq

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, helped their party pass the "Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act" Thursday.

Its goals include "To require the Secretary of Defense to commence the reduction of the number of United States Armed Forces in Iraq to a limited presence by April 1, 2008."

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, voted against the measure, which prevailed 223-201 almost entirely along party lines.

The Associated Press has an audio report, as well as this article providing context to the vote and the day's other Iraq-related political developments.

W.Va. Figures in NRC Sting

Congressional investigators picked West Virginia as the home of a bogus company they used to get the necessary license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission "to buy enough radioactive material for a small 'dirty bomb,' The Associated Press reports.

"Nobody at the NRC checked whether the company was legitimate and an agency official even helped the investigators fill out the application form," the AP article said, citing an interview with Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn.

Also of interest from the article: "The GAO also tried to get a license from the state of Maryland, one of 34 states that the NRC has given authority to handle such licensing. Unlike the NRC, the Maryland officials said they wanted to visit the company, so the investigators withdrew their application."

The AP's H. Josef Hebert, who once worked out of the Charleston bureau, wrote the story.

In its version, The Washington Post focuses on West Virginia's role in the lead paragraph, and then explains the sting operation's rationale:

"they focused the sting on West Virginia in part to show how close to the nation's capital a terrorist could build a bomb. Such proximity would reduce the chance of detection during transport to a target...In addition, by operating from West Virginia, the GAO undercover investigators were required to deal directly with the NRC. That's because West Virginia is one of more than a dozen states...that don't have their own system for issuing licenses for the handling of radioactive material and monitoring those who apply for them."

State Capitol Security

...should soon feature metal gates at all entrance roads and additional security cameras, The Charleston Gazette reports.

The Capitol Building Commission has approved measures that would extend the campus'
electronic access card access system to these new gates, which would be locked during off hours.

"Gates at main entrances will have surveillance cameras and intercoms to allow visitors to talk to security personnel," the Gazette reports.

The Gazette goes on to say that "Concerns about Capitol security were heightened this spring after two impaired drivers drove their cars onto the grounds — resulting in significant damage to the Veterans Memorial in one case." (Background here.)

Ireland Out in 2008

Secretary of State Betty Ireland will not be on the 2008 ballot, for her current office or any other, she announced earlier today.

The Associated Press has the story. I note that besides being the first woman elected to West Virginia's executive branch, Ireland had won praise from would-be '08 challengers and had been touted by national GOP figures as congressional material.

Others with the story include The Charleston Gazette, the Charleston Daily Mail, MetroNews (Ireland announced her decision on Talkline) and West Virginia Media.

A Question of Residency - UPDATED

The issue re-emerged (see below) earlier this month, with a passing reference in an article in The Register-Herald of Beckley.

While describing his plan to announce for secretary of state, Senate Majority Whip Billy Wayne Bailey, D-Wyoming, said he had moved to Beckley.

The article noted that the state bars more than one senator from residing in any given county (in a multi-county district), but Bailey said he could reside in Raleigh County "even though the county already has a senator — fellow Democrat Mike Green."

“Sure I can,” Bailey told the newspaper. “I just can’t run for senator again.”

The Register-Herald followed up this week, by citing provisions of the West Virginia Constitution that appear to raise questions about Bailey's ability to retain the seat from Raleigh County.

Bailey told the newspaper that he can claim residency in both counties.

“I’ve got a post office box in Pineville and I can claim a residence at my mother’s house in Alpoca,” Bailey told the newspaper, while also citing his job at Wyoming County's senior center.

But as The Associated Press reports today, Gov. Joe Manchin raised similar arguments while a delegate seeking to run for the state Senate in 1984. The state Supreme Court rejected his claims, and that of a second Senate candidate, before knocking them both off the ballot.

The justices concluded that Manchin and his family lived in the wrong district, and found that the deciding factor. That ruling also says that senators "must be residents of both the county and the district from which they are elected."

(Manchin changed his residency after the ruling, and won the Senate seat in the following election of 1986.)

Update: My apologies to Phil Kabler and The Charleston Gazette. He ran an item about Bailey's residency, "WYOMING DELEGATE IN NAME ONLY?", way back in January.

Kabler cited an August 2006 deed filing by Bailey and his wife for a $160,000 house in Beckley. He also reported that their children enrolled in Raleigh County schools that fall.

Bailey told Kabler that his family "moved there after they determined that the cost of the mortgage payment was less than the $900 a month his wife was spending for gas to commute from their home in Pineville to her job in Beckley."

Mollohan's Legal Bills Cited

Citing allegations that sparked an apparently ongoing FBI inquiry, The Politico web site found that "Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-W.Va.) paid a Washington law firm more than $22,000 during the past three months."

The Politico found the payments to Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel in the 1st District congressman's latest campaign finance report.

Former Governor Slated For Honor

Former Gov. Gaston Caperton is in line to receive the "James Bryant Conant Award from the Education Commission of the States," which The Charleston Gazette describes as a prize granted for “significant contributions to the quality of education in the United States.”

Caperton, a Democrat who was elected governor in 1988 and 1992, is president of the national College Board, "which administers SAT tests and Advanced Placement high school courses."

Early W.Va. Poll #s - Updated

A Republican-oriented polling outfit has surveyed 400 likely Mountain State voters to check the waters in advance of 2008. Host Hoppy Kercheval of MetroNews' Talkline presented some of the numbers in online columns Monday and today, and also talked about them on yesterday's show.

The May survey by Fabrizio, McLaughlin and Associates offers favorable and negative ratings for the major presidential hopefuls, and asked voters to choose between a generic Democrat and Republican for president.

It also quizzed respondents about their political leanings, and had them weigh hypothetical '08 matchups between specific presidential candidates.

In his follow-up column today, Kercheval shares numbers reflecting Iraq as an issue for would-be voters, and President Bush's approval rating.

Kercheval told his listeners Monday that the poll was commissioned by John Raese, his employer at MetroNews and the unsuccessful challenger to U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., in 2006. The former state GOP chairman has been touted as a possible opponent to Sen. Jay Rockefeller in 2008.

Update: Though no results appear available, it seems that the poll did indeed ask about a potential Raese-Rockefeller match-up. Reader responses indicate the poll also sought opinions of Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and asked about party registration, abortion, gun ownership, religion and church attendance.

The Wire

For my "Capital Focus" piece this week for The Associated Press, I took a crack at the most-debated ruling from the latest term of the state Supreme Court.

The 3-2 ruling in State v. Mullens concluded that the search and seizure protections in the West Virginia Constitution require a warrant for an informant to enter a suspect's home while wired for electronic surveillance.

Law enforcement object to the ruling, as it leaves them with only five circuit judges statewide with the power to issue the necessary warrants. Gov. Joe Manchin has been urged to add the issue to a special session agenda, and he's weighing his options.

I try to point out that the 50-page ruling reflects research into how the other states have approached electronic surveillance. Only a relative handful have statutes or court decision that speak to sending a wired informant into someone's home, this research found.

If they are inclined to react to it, the ruling offers lawmakers and Manchin several options. In Wisconsin, for instance, a similar decision prompted legislation to create an exception allowing wired informants into homes without warrants in felony drug investigations. Florida voters responded by amending that state's constitution.

I also note that this hot-potato decision overrules a previous Supreme Court opinion, an infrequent event. Interestingly, lawyers for both the defendant and prosecutors missed this 1986 opinion in presenting their arguments to the court. Each also cited only a few of the 15 or so court cases from other states that address the issue.

Representing Boone County prosecutors in the appeal, the attorney general's office did cite the severely critical dissents that rulings in some of these other states had sparked. The same proved true in West Virginia: Justices Brent Benjamin and Elliott "Spike" Maynard each lambasted the majority in separate dissents to the Mullens decision.

The Register-Herald of Beckley follows up by asking Manchin about the prospects for a special legislative session. And then there's this take by West Virginia Media.

Table Games: Kanawha County

Church groups made a major pitch to Kanawha County voters Sunday, urging them to deny casino table games for Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming in the Aug. 11 special election.

The Associated Press has a story, as does both The Charleston Gazette and Charleston Daily Mail.

The Wheeling News-Register, meanwhile, throws out some revenue figures to question whether the state's Northern Panhandle tracks are losing customers to the new slot machine casinos in neighboring Pennsylvania.

The threat of such competition helped fuel the drive for casino table games by the West Virginia tracks. But whether Keystone State casinos will remain open has become an issue amid a stalemate over that state's new budget.

As AP reports, the failure to break the deadlock forced the furlough of more than 24,000 public workers and the shutdown of non-essential state offices.

"At least gamblers and employees of the state's five slot-machine parlors got a reprieve when a judge late Sunday granted a request by the casino owners to remain open, at least until a Tuesday hearing," the AP story said.

Bringing the Capital City Online

Or, at least part of it. The Sunday Gazette-Mail reports this morning that Charleston's East End Main Street group has landed a grant to supply wireless Internet access to that neighborhood.

"Lara Ramsburg, spokeswoman for Gov. Joe Manchin, confirmed that he and other city leaders would be announcing on Monday 'a significant Wi-Fi project that will benefit Charleston and its visitors,'" the newspaper reports.

The So-Called Surplus

West Virginia state government has about $47.3 million to play with after the latest budget year ended with more general revenue than expected.

This is at least the third straight year when the array of taxes and fees that fund the state's main budget exceeded estimates by a sizable amount.

All told, the state ended the fiscal year June 30 with $95.6 million over projections. As I note, state law requires that half of such a surplus must be deposited in the state's "rainy day" account.

Gov. Joe Manchin's office says they have not yet decided what to do with the rest. Past surpluses have helped close the yawning funding gap in the state's main teachers fund. But lawmakers are also looking for funding for "Community Participation Projects," the successor vehicle to the fabled Budget Digest for delivering funding earmark to their home districts.

I also note that the administration's 5-year projection predicts that spending will soon eclipse revenues, thanks largely to health care costs. The fiscal year that began July 1 must also weather revenue changes caused by the modest cuts to the food, business franchise and corporate net income taxes.

I drew my story for The Associated Press from the latest collections report from the Department of Revenue. Manchin also issued a press release on the topic, which is quoted by both AP and The Charleston Gazette.

MetroNews, meanwhile, spoke to state Budget Director Mike McKown.

John McClane Comes to W.Va....Sort of

West Virginia plays a bit part in the plot of Live Free or Die Hard, the latest installment of the Bruce Willis action franchise.

The Charleston Daily Mail reports that that Willis' cap-busting cop drives into the Mountain State at one point, to investigate an East Coast power outage that's traced to a fictional W.Va. town.

Though actually filmed in California, the scene shows Willis driving past a "West Virginia Open for Business" sign. No word yet on whether this revives or influences the debate over the slogan. As best I can tell, Willis does not shoot or blow up the sign, so I guess that's good for Gov. Joe Manchin.

Kessler Adds Name to SupCo Maybe List

In the event of an open seat, Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, tells the Wheeling News-Register that he might consider running for the Supreme Court in 2008.

The terms of Justices Elliott “Spike” Maynard and Larry Starcher are up next year, but the newspaper explains that while "Maynard has indicated he will seek re-election in 2008, Starcher has not."

Charleston lawyer Michael C. Allen and Robert Bastress Jr., a professor at West Virginia University's law school, have filed precandidacy papers for the court. Both are Democrats.

As noted here earlier, Delegate Tim Manchin, D-Marion and a cousin of Gov. Joe Manchin, told MetroNews' Talkline that he is in the same posture as Kessler regarding a possible run.

The Legislative Outing to Puerto Rico

Public Broadcasting spoke to those attended as well as to critics who deem the Council of State Governments conference a poor use of state tax dollars. Segment includes audio.

The Charleston Gazette reported earlier that West Virginia sent the largest delegation to the conference _ larger than even that of the host.

Table Games Update

The Charleston Gazette reports on the state's first big coup from the approval of casino table games by voters in Hancock and Ohio counties.

Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Resort in Chester and the Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center each paid the $1.5 million license fee required for operating such games. All fee revenue _ tracks must also pay $2.5 million annually for license renewals _ go to fund in-home care for seniors.

Both tracks sought table games to blunt competition from slot machine casinos opening in neighboring Pennsylvania. Mountaineer's owner, MTR Gaming Group Inc., also owns one of those Keystone State establishments, Presque Isle Downs near Erie.

But a budget stalemate pitting Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, against the GOP-controlled state Senate threatens to shutter it and Pennsylvania's four other slot operations, The Associated Press reports.

"The fiscal year began Sunday without a new state budget in place, meaning that the government loses its authority to spend money on services it deems to be not essential to the health, safety and welfare of the state’s residents," the AP explains. "Rendell has said casinos would be shut down Monday with the rest of the state’s nonessential services, a scenario that Republican legislators say can be avoided."

Bush, W.Va. & the 4th of July - Updated

(Update: The White House supplied this photo from this morning's speech. Familiar faces include: U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and her husband Charles, far left; Adjutant General Allen E. Tacket of the W.Va. National Guard, right of the Capitos; and Delegate Jonathan Miller, R-Berkeley, second row behind the podium, far right)

President Bush marked Independence Day in West Virginia for the fourth time since taking office in 2001, addressing a crowd at the National Guard's 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg.

The Associated Press covered the event, and also spoke to those in attendance. Several AP members are also hosting AP Video from the morning speech (sites also here, here & here).

The Journal of Martinsburg has also posted its story from the visit. MetroNews has a story as well as audio.

The AP has an article as well on a planned protest to coincide with the president's appearance. The White House, meanwhile, has a transcript of his Martinsburg speech.

The Charleston Gazette helps celebrate the 4th with a package of interviews with some of our newer citizens. "(N)ot all Americans are born American," the Gazette notes. "For some, the fireworks and festivities on the Fourth of July are the mark of a new life in a new country."

The package also includes video of the interviews.

Others with Independence Day coverage include MetroNews, the Charleston Daily Mail and the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.

Six Months Old, And An Award

Lincoln Walks At Midnight hits the half-year mark this month, and I could not be more pleased. I believe it has kept its intended focus, as reflected on the masthead, while adding features and adapting over time.

I am also humbly grateful for the continuing comments and feedback from my peers and mentors in the blogosphere. I still have much to learn, but folks out there have been very kind.

And this milestone is marked by a pleasant surprise: an award.



The generous gang at Hillbilly Savants recommended Lincoln Walks At Midnight for a"Thinking Blogger Award," which "works on the principle that good bloggers know other good bloggers when they see'm."

Having been tapped for the award itself, Hillbilly Savants was asked to pick five other blogs for the honor and included Lincoln Walks At Midnight in its list.

The award originated here, and the rules are simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,

3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.

And in keeping with the rules, I nominate the following:

1. Hillbilly Savants. A well-rounded blog devoted to all things Appalachia, with a deep bench to boot. I gladly return the favor (and not surprisingly, am not the only one);

2. The Goat Rope. Perhaps the best-written, best-footnoted site on my blogroll. A whimsical dash of Aesop sets the tone;

3. The Republican Gazette. Faithfully updated, rich in nuggets of political dish and inside skinny. Often laugh-out-loud funny as well;

4.Mighty Max Update. As heart-wrenching as it is life-affirming, the online diary of a brave little boy with CHARGE syndrome;

5. On Location With Rick Lee. A blog devoted to photography, one of the most visually pleasant corners of cyberspace.

Note: As always, I express no opinions as to the points of view or political bents of any of these blogs. Rather, as the creator of the award put it, I chose blogs "with real merits, i.e. relative content, and above all - blogs that really get you thinking!"

Quote of the Day

"We believe we can win a more appropriate and favorable decision on appeal."

-- Don Blankenship, president, CEO and chairman of Massey Energy Co., responding to The Associated Press about the nearly $220 million verdict reached against the company Monday in a contract dispute with Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp.

Hillary To Hit Up W.Va.?

Citing unnamed sources, MetroNews reports today that Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., will visit West Virginia on July 27 to raise money for her presidential campaign at a Charleston luncheon.

Manchin Family Eyes W.Va.'s Remaining Branch

Delegate Tim Manchin, D-Fairmont and a cousin to Gov. Joe Manchin, is considering a 2008 bid for the state Supreme Court, the Charleston Daily Mail reports.

Manchin also told host Hoppy Kercheval on MetroNews Talkline today that he was "thinking pretty seriously" about running.