Capito in Crosshairs

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is including U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, W.Va.-2nd, among 14 House GOP incumbents it plans to attack next week in a sort of Independence Day salvo.

As The Associated Press reports, the DCCC plans to launch this radio ad and pepper Capito's district with "robo-calls" to allege that she has voted against the interests of the troops and veterans.

But as I point out in the AP story, FactCheck.org has criticized at least one of the allegations leveled in the ad.

The Politico also has a story on the DCCC effort, as does The Hill.

The Charleston Gazette, meanwhile, reports that Anne Barth has decided not to consider challenging Capito in 2008. A longtime aide to Sen. Robert C. Byrd, Barth had been touted as a candidate for a field that already includes state Sen. John Unger, D-Berkeley.

Table Games

Slightly more than 1,600 Hancock County voters cast early ballots in advance of Saturday's special election on table games, County Clerk Eleanor Straight tells The Associated Press. The early voting turnout equaled about 7.5 percent of registered voters.

MetroNews also has a story on the upcoming election. In semi-related news, AP reports on the planned sale of Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel in Las Vegas by MTR Gaming Group Inc. MTR owns Chester's Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort, the intended beneficiary of Saturday's vote.

And Public Broadcasting finds few takers for new casino jobs in Ohio County, which approved table games earlier this month. "Classes started on Monday at WV Northern Community College to train dealers for casino jobs in Wheeling, but racetrack officials are disappointed in the low turnout,"Public Broadcasting reports.

Byrd Responds To Age Questions

U.S Sen. Robert C. Byrd gave a 20-minute floor speech this morning addressing recent media report that have scrutinized his age and health.

"I have had some time to become accustomed to the increasing distance between the year of my birth and the current date," the 89-year-old told colleagues.

The Associated Press has the story. Besides the earlier-referenced quote from the speech, Byrd also targeted today's youth-obsessed society.

""In a culture of botox, wrinkle cream and hair dye, we cannot imagine that becoming older is a good thing, an experience to look forward to and a state worthy of respect," he said.


MetroNews also has a story, with audio. I offer some background here.

Quote of the Day

My only adversity is age... I will continue to do this work until this old body just gives out and drops. Just don't expect that to be any time soon."

-- U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., during a Thursday floor speech addressing recent press scrutiny of his age and health.

They Voted For You: Immigration

U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., helped reject a bid to revive pending immigration legislation.

The 46-53 vote marks the second time this month that a majority of senators _ including Byrd and Rockefeller, helped derail the bill.

The Associated Press has a story on the latest.

They Voted For...Themselves?

U.S. Reps. Nick Rahall, D-3rd, and Alan Mollohan, D-1st, both voted to increase Congressional pay by about $4,400, to nearly $170,000 annually, according to The Associated Press.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, voted against the necessarily procedural question in the 244-181 roll call.

As AP reports, "Democrats and Republicans alike killed a bid by Reps. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, and Lee Terry, R-Neb., to get a direct vote to block the (cost of living allowance) _ , which is automatically awarded unless lawmakers vote to block it. "

AP also reports that the annual increase stalled the previous two years, partly because of partisan squabbling and partly because "Democrats last year fulfilled a campaign promise to deny themselves a pay hike until Congress raised the minimum wage. Delays in the minimum wage bill cost every lawmaker about $3,100 this year."

Mark Your Calendars

The West Virginia GOP will host Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan at the annual summer conference of its state executive committee July 14 in Huntington. Details here.

As for the Democrats, I'm told that such heavy hitters as U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (also a U.S. Rep., D-Md.) are co-sponsoring a Washington, D.C., fundraiser this evening for state Sen. John Unger. The Berkeley County Democrat plans to run against Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd., in 2008.

Gov. Joe Manchin, meanwhile, headlined a fundraiser for Kentucky's Democratic Party last night in Louisville, according to this redoubtable blog from the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Secretary of State Strikes a Different Sort of Gold

Here's a neat story that nicely coincides with West Virginia's birthday and the Fourth of July: a review of documents in a fire-proof vault at the Secretary of State's office revealed previously overlooked records from the state's founding and other historic events.

As The Associated Press reports, the trove includes the state's first executive journal (which begins with the first governor's 1863 oath of office), minutes of the 1872 State Constitutional Convention, and the 1936 certificate of announcement for the candidacy for Franklin D. Roosevelt.

"So many times we get wrapped up in the business of the office, we don't realize some of the treasures that are here," chief of staff Ben Beakes told AP.

The Register-Herald of Beckley also has the story, as does Public Broadcasting, offering this audio interview.

Secretary of State Betty Ireland also issued a release on the discovery.

Absent Lawmaker Responds

Delegate Ron Thompson, D-Raleigh, spoke to The Register-Herald of Beckley about his continued absence from the Legislature (background here).

Still under a doctor's care, Thompson said he does not know when he will be able to return but that “I am working myself back to be able to attend the interims."

The Associated Press has also picked up the story.

Tobacco Bonds

In this story from The Associated Press, I tried to provide some context to the recent $807 million tobacco bond deal that was made final Tuesday. I consulted the National Association of State Retirement Administrators to see how the influx of cash would improve the funding ranking of the teacher pension plan.

I also spoke to Attorney General Darrell McGraw, who made West Virginia just the third state to file the sort of lawsuit that resulted in the historic, multibillion-dollar settlement with the tobacco industry.

MetroNews covered the Tuesday event as well, as did The Charleston Gazette.

They Voted For You: Unions

West Virginia's Democratic U.S. Senators, Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, voted for the motion to advance the Employee Free Choice Act of 2007 toward a Senate vote on passage.

The 51-48 vote fell short of the 60-vote margin needed for the cloture motion to prevail.

The Associated Press has a story on the vote, and also offers this sidebar that looks at at how unions have fared in recent organizing elections.

They Voted For You: Immigration Cloture

U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., voted against today's motion bringing the pending immigration bill back to the Senate floor.

The motion prevailed, 64-35.

The Associated Press is tracking the resurfacing of the legislation.

Table Games: Hancock County

The Wheeling newspapers have been tracking early voting in advance of Hancock County's special election Saturday on the table games question.

About 1,000 residents have already cast ballots, or about 4.6 percent of registered voters. Early voting ends Wednesday.

"One of the reasons behind the increase in early voters in Hancock County is the bus service Mountaineer (Race Track and Gaming Resort in Chester) is providing to the community," the Sunday News-Register reported. "The track is not only providing a shuttle service for its employees, but also for community members who don’t have a method of transportation."

Jefferson and nearby Ohio counties both saw early voting by more than 10 percent of their registered voters before the split decisions in their June 9 special elections.

Kanawha County also plans to hold early voting before its special balloting on Aug. 11.

The Associated Press, meanwhile reports that slot machines _ like the video lottery terminals hosted by West Virginia's four tracks _ "have done nothing to attract more people to horse racing" (and I suppose that would apply to dog racing as well).

This Just In: Byrd Old

In this story today from The Associated Press, I try to provide context to the latest conjecture brought on by the advanced age of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va.

I talked to Larry Sabato, who contrasted Byrd's recent appearances with that of the late Strom Thurmond, in the years before the South Carolina Republican left the Senate in 2003.

Sabato also cited history to opine that governors court voter wrath by arranging to have themselves appointed to open Senate seats.

This scenario has been bandied about regarding Byrd's seat since at least 1993, when Gaston Caperton was governor and I had a brief stint covering the statehouse.

I noted earlier the wave of stories spurred by Byrd's age. I should also note that his age was an issue before voters re-elected him to a record ninth term last year with 64 percent of the vote.

The first TV ad anywhere during the 2006 election cycle was an anti-Byrd spot from the Republican National Senatorial Committee, in an apparent effort to shake Byrd's resolve to run. His GOP opponent, John Raese, also played the age card by seizing on a radio interview Byrd did during the campaign.

Festivall

The Charleston Gazette offers this colorful interactive map for this weekend's Festivall 2007.

Its animated features include Gov. Joe Manchin and the first lady roaring off on a motorcycle.

Also, keep your eyes on the Veterans' Memorial and the University of Charleston tower.

Ireland's Office Responds to Tennant

If she is elected secretary of state in 2008, Democrat Natalie Tennant may not have to worry about addressing the balloting snafu that marked the 2004 party primary, according to information provided to The Register-Herald of Beckley by incumbent Secretary of State Betty Ireland's office.

Tennant expressed concern to The Associated Press at her Wednesday candidacy announcement that neither Ireland nor the Legislature have taken steps to address the improper formatting of ballots that occurred during her unsuccessful 2004 bid for the office.

But Ireland Chief of Staff Ben Beakes tells the Beckley paper that 1) state law "bars the type of ballot design that plagued the 2004 race," 2) "the advent of electronic voting machines" make such formatting a moot point, and 3) the Legislature passed Senate Bill 616 earlier this year "that changed a lot of the ballot design."

They Voted For You: Energy

U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., helped pass the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 in a 65-27 vote early this morning.

The Associated Press reports on the early-hours vote and the latest version of the bill.

They Voted For You: Contraception & Abortion

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, helped amend a foreign aid spending bill "to reverse a ban on contraception aid to groups overseas that offer abortions," as The Associated Press reports.

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan and Nick Rahall, D-1st and D-3rd, voted against the amendment from Rep. Nita Lowery, D-N.Y.

They were among only 24 House Democrats to do so in the 223-201 vote, while Capito was among only 16 GOP members to support the amendment.

Mollohan, Capito and Rahall all voted against passage of the bill, which prevailed 241-178. Each again bucked the partly line on that vote.

Manchin Expands Drug Testing of W.Va. Hires

Gov. Joe Manchin had proposed drug screens for all prospective state employees in his keynote speech to the Legislature earlier this year. He followed up with an executive order Thursday directing the state Division of Personnel to draw up the necessary policy.

As The Associated Press reports, the policy will apply to anyone hired at an executive branch agency that reports to the governor's office. Several departments _ the State Police and the Division of Corrections, for instance _ already require drug testing of new hires.

But as AP also reports, state worker groups offer mixed reactions. Those aligned with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees approve of the new policy. They also herald Manchin's inclusion of contract workers. But a separate group representing state employees say drug testing will hurt morale.

The Charleston Daily Mail has articles on both Manchin's new policy and reactions among state workers. MetroNews also has the story.

Mollohan Reminded of Federal Scrutiny

The Politico includes U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan in an article today, which highlights pending allegations against four key Capitol Hill "appropriators" to ask "if there is something endemic to the culture of the appropriations committees."

Chairman of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee on House Appropriations, Mollohan "is under investigation for steering money to nonprofits he was linked to, although he denies any wrongdoing," the article said. "Mollohan has recused himself from any matter related to the Justice Department, although Republicans continue to hit the Democrats over the Mollohan allegations, arguing that he should no longer chair the subcommittee."

The 1st District Democrat is grouped with Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and fellow Reps. John Doolittle and Jerry Lewis, both R-Calif.