PPP: McCain 55%, Obama 42% in West Virginia

Public Policy Polling surveyed 2,128 voters Wednesday and Thursday. The margin of error is +/-2.1%. The probability is virtually 100%.

McCain has picked up 5% from undecideds since PPP polled in the state earlier this month, Thursday's memo notes.

"Obama was never going to be able to win the state without exceeding 70% of the Democratic vote, and in this survey he leads just 65-31 among folks within his own party," it said.

“West Virginia was always going to be an uphill battle for Barack Obama,” adds the firm's president, Dean Debnam. “He’ll certainly be more competitive here in the general election than he was during the primary but it would be quite a shock if he’s able to take the state or even get it within five points.”

Election 2008: President

• The Cook Political Report has downgraded the competitiveness of the race in West Virginia from "Toss Up to Lean Republican."

• Larry Sabato includes West Virginia in Republican John McCain's column in his latest projection, titled "The Last Word -- Almost," which projects McCain winning 174 electoral votes to Democrat Barack Obama's 364.

• MetroNews' Talkline hears from Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean about Obama's chances in West Virginia and the overall state of the campaign. With audio.
  

Quote of the Day

"Me winning West Virginia would just be the same as putting a cherry on top of a beautiful cake."

-- quote attributed to presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., by Gov. Joe Manchin, as reported by the Charleston Daily Mail.

Election 2008: Congress

• U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and Democratic challenger Anne Barth squared off Wednesday at an Eastern Panhandle forum. Those with coverage include The Journal of Martinsburg, The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown (Md.), and MetroNews (with audio).

• Larry Sabato has downgraded the competitiveness of the 2nd District match-up to "Republican Hold" in an analysis that predicts the GOP will otherwise lose 26 to 35 seats in the U.S. House.
  

Voting in West Virginia (Updated)

A California-based group has posted a video that shows Jackson County's clerk demonstrating the sort of touch-screen voting machine that has prompted complaints of vote switching.

The video appears to show the device switching votes even after the clerk re-calibrates it, as election officials recommend be done in such situations. But the secretary of state's office tells both The Charleston Gazette and Public Broadcasting that the video "is false and defamatory, and is threatening to file a complaint against Video the Vote with the U.S. Department of Justice."

County Clerk Jeff Waybright agrees. "The part they are showing is a total misrepresentation and a fraud," he told The Gazette. "I misspoke during a part of that video. But the machine actually voted properly."

As Public Broadcasting explains, Waybright thought the machine was still mis-calibrated during the demonstration "but it’s not. It turns out the machine is doing what it’s supposed to do. It allowed him to override his straight Republican ticket because he selected (Ralph) Nader for president."

But an official with Video the Vote told Public Broadcasting that “If this is the guy who’s instructed with making sure the machines are calibrated and making sure voters know how to cast their ballots, and he can’t even get it right, how are they expecting voters to get it right on election day?”

The group has since posted the full half-hour interview with Waybright. Public Broadcasting also has audio of its report.

Update: The Associated Press has a story, as does the Charleston Daily Mail.

W.Va. Races Hit with Large, Last-Minute Ad Buys (Updated)

The Associated Press reports that the state Chamber of Commerce, with help from its national counterpart and allied groups, have spent nearly $700,000 on ads attacking Attorney General Darrell McGraw, a Democrat.

AP also reports that this chamber-led coalition has plunked down another $403,000 "on ads promoting Beth Walker, the sole Republican candidate in the two-seat state Supreme Court race."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, meanwhile, has reserved $775,000 worth of ad airtime to support party nominee Anne Barth in her race against Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, The Charleston Gazette reports.

But Capito is not without surrogates: the National Association of Realtors Political Action Committee "has spent nearly $700,000 on TV ads and direct mail advertising promoting Capito's re-election," that article said.

Update: W.Va. Chamber President Steve Roberts talks to MetroNews' Talkline about the ad buys (with audio), and an official from McGraw's office responds (also with audio).

Update II: The chamber has hired Mentzer Media Services, the chief producer of the Swift Boat ad campaign credited with assisting in the defeat of John Kerry in 2004.

W.Va. and the Road to the White House

The electoral projectors at FiveThirtyEight.com crunch an array of West Virginia statistics to weigh the presidential race in the state.

The analysis concludes that "In the context of a national landslide, West Virginia -- a state that gave its vote to Michael Dukakis in 1988 -- could go blue once again," but that "beyond the high Democratic partisan identification, Obama has few statistical factors working in his favor. "

The Financial Meltdown in W.Va.

The Charleston Daily Mail lists billions of dollars worth of projects slated for West Virginia that have been delayed or otherwise threatened by the financial turmoil affecting bond and credit markets.

It earlier reported that five banks operating in the state "announced they have either accepted or have been approved for federal cash infusions as part of the $700 billion rescue plan approved by Congress on Oct. 3." The paper updates that story today.

Election 2008: Mid-Week Roundup

• Former President Bill Clinton's scheduled visit to Beckley has been postponed to Saturday, MetroNews and others report.

• The Associated Press details the latest campaign finance reports in the races for Supreme Court, attorney general and secretary of state. So does The Charleston Gazette.

• Republican candidate for governor Russ Weeks tells The Register-Herald of Beckley and the Charleston Daily Mail that he is launching a TV ad statewide in the final days of that contest. The latter notes that Weeks had a campaign balance of $12,903 as of Oct. 19.

Election 2008: One Week To Go

• The Associated Press' Vicki Smith tours West Virginia's southern counties and while "racial slurs have hardly disappeared here," finds that "many voters in this 95 percent white, decidedly working-class state -- and presumably, elsewhere in America -- are fed up with a lousy economy and current leaders, and Democrats hope they will re-embrace their blue-collar and party roots, swallow any misgivings about race and support a black man for president."

• (Update) Public Broadcasting has also elicited opinions from around the state regarding the presidential race. With audio.
  

• MetroNews reports that the West Virginia Coal Association isn't endorsing a presidential candidate, while a group of veterans has formed to support Democrat Barack Obama.

• The state Democratic Party has filed electioneering communication reports showing it's spent nearly $41,000 on flyers attacking Republican incumbents in seven House of Delegates districts, The Charleston Gazette said.

• The Gazette also reports that The League of Conservation Voters has flunked U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, in its latest National Environmental Scorecard.

• The GOP's candidate challenging state Attorney General Darrell McGraw tells the Charleston Daily Mail that "at least $43,000 donated to McGraw's campaign this election comes either directly or indirectly from lawyers who've benefited from state lawsuits."

• Public Broadcasting has an item on the AG race as well, with audio and citing a recent poll that found McGraw ahead of Republican Dan Greear by just 2%.

• (Update) Politico reports that "The Republican National Committee buys TV time in deep-red MONTANA and WEST VIRGINIA, a sign the party is scrambling to stave off a historic landslide a week from today." 'Tough environment,' one Republican official "says sardonically" in the item.
  

Voting in West Virginia

• Secretary of State Betty Ireland tells The Associated Press and others that additional testing has cleared touch-screen voting machines that have been dogged by a handful of complaints since early voting began Oct. 15. County clerks tell AP they're issuing stylus pointers to voters to help them tap the screens in the correct places. Others with coverage include The Charleston Gazette, MetroNews and The Register-Herald of Beckley.

• The Charleston Daily Mail highlights new U.S. citizens allowed to take their oaths earlier than scheduled, so they can vote Nov. 4.

• AP also reports that nearly 67,300 West Virginians cast in-personal early votes by Saturday, citing figures from Ireland's office. Democrats have outnumbered Republican among early voters by approximately 2-to-1, reflecting their shares of the overall voter rolls. Early voting ends on Nov. 1, a Saturday.
  

Byrd Again in the Bulls-Eye? (Updated)

Citing "Democratic insiders," Politico reports today that "Majority Leader Harry Reid is quietly preparing to ease 90-year-old Sen. Robert C. Byrd from his perch as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee."

Byrd, who turns 91 next month, "has been hospitalized several times in the past year, and Democratic senators and leadership aides say he is no longer capable of running the powerful Appropriations Committee," the article said.

Politico noted that such ouster speculation has dogged Byrd previously this year, adding that Reid, D-Nev., has previously supported his desire to remain chairman.

Now, the article said, Reid proposes that history's longest-serving U.S. senator "would become chairman emeritus, likely retaining coveted office space in the Capitol near the Senate floor," under Reid's alleged plan.

Fellow long-timer Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, would take over as chair, while Byrd "would also remain Senate president pro tempore, which leaves him third in line to the presidency even though his health now makes even routine public appearances both arduous and awkward," the article said.

Politico also observed that "Byrd traveled to Charleston last week to introduce Delaware Sen. Joe Biden at a morning rally, and he struggled to get through his written remarks — though his partisan spirit was still obvious, as was the home crowd’s affection for him."

Update: Byrd has responded, The Associated Press reports. "I am disappointed that, according to press accounts, the Majority Leader is talking to others about the chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee," Byrd told AP in a statement. "This is the sort of Washington back-room gossip which ill serves the Democratic Party in a year when Democratic unity should be paramount."

Reuters/Zogby: McCain 50%, Obama 40% in W.Va.

Conducted Oct. 23-26, the Zogby survey of 600 likely voters found 9% undecided.

The margin of error was +/- 4.1%, while its probability was close to 100%.

MSNBC speculates on the Democrat's chances in twice-red West Virginia, recapping Friday's visit by running mate Joe Biden.

Bill Clinton Coming to W.Va. (Updated)

Former President Bill Clinton plans to stump for fellow Democrat Barack Obama in Beckley on Saturday (updated; the visit was pushed back from Thursday), The Associated Press reports.

The morning appearance at Word Memorial Park is free to the public and does not require a ticket, the Obama campaign announced.

Daily Kos: McCain 49%, Obama 43% in W.Va.

The leading liberal political blog enlisted Research 2000 to survey 600 likely voters Oct. 22-24.

The margin of error is +/- 4%, and the probability is 93.76%.

West Virginia and the Road to the White House

Bloomberg is the latest to report from West Virginia on the Obama campaign's stepped-up efforts to wrest the state's five electoral votes from McCain's win column.

"West Virginia is still likely to end up in the Republican column on Election Day, and until recently, the state wasn't even on Obama's radar screen," the article said. But citing recent polling and interviews, it adds that "To close the gap, the Obama campaign is counting on the economy trumping cultural and social questions."

Election 2008: Monday Roundup

• The Associated Press details the pre-general finance reports from West Virginia's congressional candidates. Highlights include Democrat Anne Barth outraising Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, during the filing period, and Sen. Jay Rockefeller collecting a total of $6.7 million toward his re-election bid.

• AP also talks to Democrat Natalie Tennant and Republican Charles Minimah about their race for secretary of state.

• The Charleston Gazette relays additional complaints alleging electronic voting machines have switched early votes from Democratic to Republican candidates. The Gazette also reported earlier on the machines' manufacturer, Election Systems & Software.

• The Journal of Martinsburg offers separate coverage of Republican and Democratic rallies in the Eastern Panhandle. The latter featured former Govs. Bob Wise and Gaston Caperton, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., and Barth. The GOP event featured a prediction by the Berkeley County part chairman that "in the not too distant future, Republicans will hold all of the major offices, including governor, senators and house members."

• The Gazette reports on a weekend pro-Obama rally in Charleston.

• AP sets the stage for a Monday rally in support of Capito at Madison Coal & Supply in Charleston.

• GOP gubernatorial candidate Russ Weeks responds to The Register-Herald of Beckley after polling shows him well behind incumbent Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin.

• The Gazette reports on negative ad salvos between Sen. Clark Barnes, R-Randolph, and the Democrat seeking a rematch after his 2004 defeat, Mike Ross.
  

• The Bluefield Daily Telegraph talks to a Mercer County school bus driver whom friends say resembles Sarah Palin.
  

Biden in W.Va. (Updated)

Update: The Associated Press, MetroNews, WSAZ-TV and The Charleston Gazette are among those who covered Sen. Joe Biden's downtown rally Friday.

Charleston Police Lt. Jerry Hill told AP that he estimated the crowd's size at between 2,500 and 3,000.

Preceded by a roster that included Gov. Joe Manchin and a wheelchair-reliant Sen. Robert C. Byrd, Biden spoke for about a half-hour and then spent about 20 minutes greeting those in the crowd and shaking hands.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller told those at the rally that his longtime pollster has Obama a percentage point behind McCain in West Virginia. AP has cited recent polling in the state by national firms suggesting a gap of between 6% and 12%.

MetroNews and The Gazette also have photos. The former has audio as well, and a response from the McCain-Palin campaign.

WSAZ-TV has several video clips, as does WOWK-TV, while WCHS-TV has a report.

Update II: The Logan Banner reports that when he arrived late Thursday at Yeager Airport, "Biden chatted with coal miners, but snubbed newspaper, TV and radio reporters."

Original Post: MetroNews, The Charleston Gazette and The Associated Press are among those setting the stage for Friday's visit by Democratic running mate Joe Biden to Charleston for a morning rally downtown. The former two have photos.

The appearance marks the first one open to the general public by any of the figures on the two major tickets.

"The McCain-Palin campaign plans a counter-rally earlier Friday at its nearby Charleston office," AP notes.

Election 2008: Governor

"Gov. Joe Manchin's re-election campaign has plowed more than $1.1 million into the race's closing weeks, while his Republican challenger has borrowed $10,000 to stay in the contest," The Associated Press reports.

Buoyed by a hefty balance and a continuing series of fundraising events, "Manchin had more than $901,700 on hand as of Sunday, a little more than two weeks ahead of the Nov. 4 election," the article said, while the GOP's Russ Weeks' balance "was just below $13,000."

Quote of the Week

"(N)early one in five of the survey participants continue to believe that Obama is a Muslim. Only 46.3 percent, almost the same percentage as the September survey, believe he is a Christian."

-- Memo from latest West Virginia Wesleyan poll of 600 state voters, as noted by Political Wire.

Election 2008: President

Amid a flurry of recent polling (here, here and here), Barack Obama's national campaign manager spoke to West Virginia reporters Wednesday about the Democratic presidential hopeful's chances in the Mountain State.

“I would term ourselves the underdog in West Virginia,” David Plouffe said. “But our view of it is that it’s a dead heat right now.”

The Associated Press, The Intelligencer of Wheeling, the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington, The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews (with audio) were among those in on the conference call.

AP also reports that the Obama campaign's optimism rises after West Virginians gave a record $130,300 to his campaign last month. The September haul raised his in-state total "above $483,500. That’s twice what McCain had raised from West Virginians before switching to public financing," AP reports.

AP, The Gazette and others also cite Friday's scheduled visit by running mate Joe Biden. The free 10:30 a.m. event "will be on Summers Street between Lee and Quarrier streets, and the public entrance will be from Capitol Street via Fife Street/Brawley Walkway, beginning at 8:30 a.m.," the latter reports.

Early Voting Update

Secretary of State Betty Ireland told The Associated Press and others Wednesday that touch-screen voting machines have been re-checked and will be checked again each morning as early balloting continues.

Ireland was responding to complaints, mainly from Putnam and Jackson counties, of the devices switching votes.

But The Charleston Gazette has fielded additional complaints from Berkeley County.

The Charleston Daily Mail, meanwhile, quizzes state Republican and Democratic party leaders over the concept of same-day voter registration.

AP and MetroNews report that more than 35,000 West Virginians have already voted. The latter also has audio. AP reported earlier on the state hitting a record 1.2 million registered voters, and offers details behind that number.

Update: Public Broadcasting also covered Ireland's press conference, and has audio. The Parkersburg News focuses on early voting in Wood County.

Pair of Local Polls Show Differing Results

A pair of polls released this week from in-state interests suggest tight races on several levels in West Virginia.

Rainmaker Media surveyed 600 likely voters and found 41.67% supported John McCain for president while 41.33% supported Barack Obama, a "dead heat" as MetroNews reports.

Orion Strategies polled 600 voters for West Virginia Wesleyan College and West Virginia Media registered 49.2% for McCain, and 43.5% for Obama.

The Orion polling also checked the race for state attorney general, and found incumbent Democrat Darrell McGraw with 47.2% and Republican challenger Dan Greear with 45%.

MetroNews has items on both polls as well, and also reports on Rainmaker polling in the state Supreme Court race. It showed 25.5% for Margaret Workman, 21.17% for fellow Democrat Menis Ketchum, 21% for Republican Beth Walker and nearly 30% undecided.

The presidential results coincide with recent results from national firms (here and here).

CNN/ORC: McCain 53%, Obama 41% in W.Va.

The Opinion Research Corp. survey had asked the 674 likely voters about third-party candidates Cynthia McKinney and Ralph Nader. When those polled were only asked about McCain v. Obama, McCain kept his 53% while Obama's support rose to 44%.

Conducted Sunday through Tuesday, the poll has a margin of error of +/- 4% and a probability of 99% for both sets of numbers (though the 53% to 41% finding is closer to 100%).

Election 2008: Roundup

Governor

• Polling by Rasmussen Reports suggests "Governor Joe Manchin appears headed for a crushing reelection win in West Virginia." This week's survey of 500 likely voters found 71% supported the Democratic incumbent, compared to 21% for Republican challenger Russ Weeks. Manchin "leads by nearly 40 percentage points among unaffiliated voters and even picks up 38% support from GOP voters," Rasmussen reported. He also had a 74% favorability rating, compared to 37% for Weeks. Nearly a fourth of those polled had no opinion of the Republican nominee.

Supreme Court

• The Register-Herald of Beckley profiles Democrats Margaret Workman and Menis Ketchum and Republican Beth Walker.

Congress

• Democrat Anne Barth talks to The Associated Press' Tom Breen about her challenge of Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd.

Legislature

• The Journal of Martinsburg hears from state Sen. Clark Barnes, R-Randolph, and his Democratic foe, former Sen. Mike Ross.

Other

• A Democratic candidate for Cabell County magistrate faces charges alleging she sold crack cocaine and "tried to bribe a Huntington police officer," the Herald-Dispatch reports.
  

Quote of the Day

"Hello, I'm calling for John McCain and the RNC because you need to know that Barack Obama has worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, whose organization bombed the US Capitol, the Pentagon, a judge's home, and killed Americans. And Democrats will enact an extreme leftist agenda if they take control of Washington. Barack Obama and his Democrat allies lack the judgment to lead our country."

-- Alleged robo-call script that McCain-Palin and the RNC paid a Weston call center to read to voters, prompting one employee to quit and talk to The Charleston Gazette. The Associated Press and others have questioned the GOP's allegations regarding Obama's ties to Ayers.

Update: Factcheck.org reviewed the robo-call and concluded, in part, that "to say that they 'worked closely' is an exaggeration." Its analysis also found other problems with the attack.

Here's what AP has reported on the topic:

In 1995, Ayers hosted a meet-the-candidate session at his home for Obama as he prepared to run for the state Senate. Later, the two worked with the same charity and social-service organizations in Chicago.

Obama has tried to minimize his link to Ayers, at one point saying he was just a guy who lived in the same neighborhood. But while there was more to the relationship than that, there is no evidence they were ever close friends or that Ayers advised Obama on policy. Obama has denounced Ayers' violent activities, which occurred when Obama was a child.

Race, West Virginia and the Road to the White House

The Washington Post traveled to Wheeling and offers an online multimedia report about how "local Democratic leaders in this old steel town have struggled to deal with their views on race and integrate their operations with the many minorities flooding the party in support of Barack Obama."

State Auditor Glen Gainer, meanwhile, is denying comments attributed to him by The Politico during the recent pro-Obama bus tour through southern West Virginia. The Charleston Daily Mail reports that Gainer suggests the remarks about racism in Logan County were uttered by someone else, while Politico stands by its story.

Update: MetroNews spoke to bus tour participants and offers audio from one, UMWA President Cecil Roberts. MetroNews also heard from a deputy director of the RNC who predicts a John McCain win in West Virginia. With audio.

Voting Concerns Persist in W.Va.

The Intelligencer of Wheeling talks to an Ohio County voter who reports trouble casting her ballot on a touch-screen machine there.

The Charleston Gazette, meanwhile, follows up with state election officials regarding their efforts to ensure the machines count votes correctly. Public Broadcasting also reports on the recent allegations of machines switching votes. With audio.

Rasmussen: McCain 52%, Obama 43% in W.Va.

Rasmussen Reports surveyed 500 likely voters on Monday. Another 4% were undecided.

The margin of error was +/- 4.5%. The probability was 98.09%.

Among the highlights:

• "McCain holds a dominant lead among unaffiliated voters in West Virginia, 57% to 36%."
• "He also leads 55% to 42% among men and 49% to 43% among women."
• "McCain is viewed favorably by 60% of West Virginia voters and unfavorably by 38%."
• "Obama’s numbers are 47% favorable, 51% unfavorable"
• President Bush's disapproval rating was 70%.
  

Election 2008: Shorts

• The Associated Press' Tom Breen talks to U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., about his campaign for a fifth term.

• The Register-Herald of Beckley hears from Jay Wolfe, Rockefeller's Republican challenger.

• The GOP candidate for agriculture commissioner, Mike Teets, plans to visit all 55 counties between Tuesday and Nov. 4 in his bid to unseat Democrat Gus Douglass, AP reports.

• The Charleston Gazette hears from Putnam County voters who say touch-screen machines switched their votes from Democrat to Republican. But Secretary of State Betty Ireland tells AP and MetroNews that this type of voting machine has been repeatedly tested, and that its maker is checking out the complaints.
  

Election 2008: Governor

• Gov. Joe Manchin outlined his energy policy to The Register-Herald of Beckley.
  

• The libertarian Cato Institute ranks Manchin among only three governors, and the only Democrat, deserving of an "A" for fiscal policy. As The Associated Press reports, Cato says Manchin "has enacted probably the most pro-growth tax reforms of any governor." The Charleston Gazette also has an item.

• Public Broadcasting has coverage and complete audio from Sunday's debate between Manchin, Republican Russ Weeks and the Mountain Party's Jesse Johnson.

• Weeks talks to The Register-Herald about his bid.

• The Beckley paper also hears from gubernatorial write-in candidate Butch Paugh of the Constitution Party.
  

Registered Voters in W.Va. at All-Time High

A record 1.2 million West Virginians are registered to vote in the general election, the secretary of state reports.

As The Associated Press notes, the last high was 1.17 million voters in 1952, when the state's population peaked at about 2 million. It now has about 1.8 million people.

Both AP and the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington note the influx of unaffiliated voters. "Other" voters now account for 15 percent of the state's total.

"Democrats remain the majority, with more than 675,300. They outnumber Republicans by just under two-to-one," AP notes.

Mason-Dixon: McCain 47%, Obama 41% in W.Va.

Mason-Dixon conducted the poll for NBC, and surveyed 625 likely state voters Oct. 16-17.

The numbers suggest 12% were undecided or chose other candidates. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 4%, and a probability of 94.55%.

Update: "Well, scratch West Virginia from the swing state list for the time being," opines FiveThirtyEight.com upon assessing this and the coincidental PPP poll.

"By no means is the state totally unwinnable for Obama," the statistical analysis site offers, "but in all probability, it is pretty far from the tipping point."

Election 2008: Governor

Gov. Joe Manchin, Republican Russ Weeks and Mountain Party nominee Jesse Johnson square off Sunday for the latest debate in the gubernatorial race, this one hosted by The Associated Press and West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

The latter will air the debate at 7 p.m. Sunday, and again at 9 p.m. Monday.

Update: AP has a report from the half-hour exchange.

AP recently profiled the three candidates, finding they have "several views in common, but are miles apart on others - including mountaintop removal, abortion, the death penalty and the leadership of the current administration."

Manchin also spoke to the editorial board of the Bluefield Daily-Telegraph about his record and his bid for a second term.

PPP: McCain 50%, Obama 42% in W.Va.

Public Policy Polling surveyed 1,223 likely voters Thursday and Friday, yielding a margin of error of +/- 2.8%. Undecideds were 8%. The probability is 99.83%.

Among the highlights:

• "Right now in almost every battleground state more than 60% of the electorate lists the economy as its top issue, something that very much plays to the Democrats’ advantage. But only 54% do in West Virginia, with moral and family values placing second at 15%, a much higher share than it is pulling anywhere else.
  

• "McCain’s advantage with those values voters? 87-7."

• Obama "leads McCain with voters in his own party just 62-29, at the same time that McCain is nailing down 85% of the Republican vote. McCain also has a strong advantage with independents, 53-36."

• Obama "is actually faring worse with older voters in the state than John Kerry did in 2004. Among those surveyed, 45% said they supported Kerry but only 41% say they support Obama."

The firm concluded that "Contrary to other recent polls that have found West Virginia too close to call," McCain "is likely to repeat the success George W. Bush had in the state in 2000 and 2004.”

The firm relies on automatic phone calls. "Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and weighting, may introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify," the polling memo notes.

The memo includes each question as asked and response rates.

Biden Coming to W.Va.

Barack Obama's campaign tells The Associated Press that running mate Joe Biden will campaign Friday in Charleston "to talk about the economy."

AP notes that Biden's planned appearance offers "the latest sign of Obama stepping up efforts in the Mountain State since polling suggested a close race with Republican John McCain."

The belief that West Virginia is in play likely prompted The Politico to accompany state Democratic leaders Saturday "on a winding, eight-county bus tour through the south of the state, " where "in one small mining town after another, they sold Barack Obama to small crowds of Democrats with remarkable directness."

The Charleston Gazette also covered the weekend coalfields trek. MetroNews, meanwhile, reports that "the NRA began advertising statewide against Democrat Barack Obama Saturday."

Update: A new poll puts McCain 8 percentage points ahead of Obama in West Virginia.

Update II: National Public Radio was also in Logan County.

Early West Virginia Voters Report Ballot Problems (Updated)

A trio of early voters who tried to cast their ballots in Jackson County this week tell The Charleston Gazette that touch-screen voting machines "kept switching their votes from Democratic to Republican candidates."

"When I touched the screen for Barack Obama, the check mark moved from his box to the box indicating a vote for John McCain," Virginia Matheney of Kenna told the newspaper.

Two other voters alleged the same problem while trying to cast their ballots for the Democrat. Matheney and one of these others also reported it occurred while trying to vote for the Democrats running for governor, the state Supreme Court and the local state Senate seat.

"Why didn't she [the polling clerk] tell me before I even used the machine that might happen?" said Calvin Thomas, 81, of Ravenswood. "And how many people, especially my age, didn't notice that?"

Deputy Secretary of State Sarah Bailey told The Gazette that "When we received a call about this, we immediately called the county and told them to recalibrate the machines to make sure the finger-touch [area] lines up with the ballot..."Sometimes machines can become miscalibrated when they are moved from storage facilities to early voting areas. We get a couple of calls about this each election year."

Jackson County Clerk Jeff Waybright said his workers recalibrated the machines after getting the call, but also said voters may not be touching the right parts of the machine screens.

"People make mistakes more than the machines," he told the paper, "but I went in yesterday and recalibrated the machines. We are doing everything we can not to disenfranchise anybody."

Update: Voters in Putnam County report similar problems to The Gazette.

Judge Blocks W.Va. Election Ad Rules as Unconstitutional. Again.

The bulk of the Legislature's attempted fix of rules regulating political ads failed to pass muster Friday with a federal judge, The Associated Press reports.

"Johnston's order blocks the state from barring corporation-funded ads that use 'express advocacy' as defined as language that 'When considered in its entirety, the communication can only be interpreted by a reasonable person as advocating the election or defeat of one or more clearly identified candidates,'" AP explains.

It does leave a portion of the legislation's "express advocacy" ban intact, but "as with the federal ruling issued in April, Johnston's order rolls back the disclosure requirement for election-time ads to spots that air on radio and broadcast, cable and satellite TV," AP reports.

Legislative Republicans had been almost uniformly against the June special session measure.

"Certainly we had those concerns when the bill was brought before the Legislature," House Minority Leader Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, told AP. "I think we all felt we were all for disclosure but we wanted the type of disclosure that would hold constitutional scrutiny."

"Lawyers for the Center for Individual Freedom and West Virginians for Life challenged the law," the article said. "Both groups want to weigh in on the state Supreme Court race, while the center has also targeted state Attorney General Darrell McGraw in prior ads. But each said they would not if they had to disclose their contributors."

The Charleston Gazette also reports on Friday's ruling.

Update: Secretary of State Betty Ireland, as the state's chief elections officer, plans to appeal Friday's and is seeking a stay, AP and MetroNews report. She argues that "The relief granted by the injunction effectively rewrites West Virginia’s election law some 17 days before the general election, which will undoubtedly result in a free-for-all of mud-slinging campaign attack ads by special interest groups that have no duty to report their expenditures or their sources of funding."

Election 2008: Congress - 2nd District

• The Associated Press profiles U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, as she faces Democrat Anne Barth in her bid for a fifth term.

• AP also reports that "GOP leaders in Congress, the finance and insurance industries and health care interests" helped Capito raise nearly twice as much in PAC funds as Barth during the latest filing period.

• The Charleston Gazette reports on the back-and-forth between the two candidates in the competitive race.

• The Charleston Daily Mail looks at the negative ads that each campaign has launched against the other as Election Day nears.
  

Election 2008: Governor

Both The Journal of Martinsburg, WEPM radio and the Herald-Mail of Hagerstown (Md.) offer coverage from Thursday's debate pitting Gov. Joe Manchin against Republican challenger Russ Weeks and Mountain Party nominee Jesse Johnson. The former two helped sponsor the Hedgesville forum.

Obama Buys Ads in W.Va.

The Associated Press reports that Democrat Barack Obama has "extended his front-running campaign into West Virginia, a bastion of white, middle-class voters who rejected his primary season appeals, and confidently broached the subject of victory in a presidential contest playing out on Republican turf."

While noting Obama's lopsided loss to Hillary Clinton in the state's May primary, and President Bush's back-to-back electoral wins here, AP reports that economic concerns "and TV ads meant for neighboring Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia that spilled over onto West Virginia televisions have made the state competitive."

Republican John McCain and GOP forces, meanwhile, "are mostly focused on protecting states Bush won in 2004, including Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia," the article said.

Rating the Capito-Barth Race

The latest rankings from a pair of national political analysts include U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, among GOP House members vulnerable to Democratic gains. Each also offers a caveat.

Larry Sabato lists Capito among 55 House Republicans whose seats are "in play" (as opposed to 144 deemed "Safe/Solid R"). Capito's race is among 17 on that roster rated as "Likely R."

Stuart Rothenberg also includes the 2nd District seat among swing districts that should serve as bellweathers for the Democrats' fortunes on Election Day:

Thinking 30 seats-plus for Democrats? Capito’s district is a good place to look. Polling has shown that the Republican incumbent looks like winner, so if she is upset, you know something huge is happening.

IA: McCain 49%, Obama 47% in W.Va.

Insider Advantage surveyed 522 likely West Virginia voters Monday by phone, with the resulting margin of error at +/- 4%.

Undecideds amounted to 3%. The probability was 67.96%.

"Like all other major polling firms, data are weighted by age, race, gender and political party affiliation," the memo notes.

Election 2008: President (2nd Update)

MSNBC continues to speculate about West Virginia's status on the White House electoral map, this time citing a Tuesday visit to neighboring Ohio by Democratic running mate Joe Biden:

“Which way is West-By-God-Virginia?” Biden asked the crowd Ohio University Eastern Campus, about 10 miles west of that state's border with Ohio. “I want to send a message to West Virginia -- we’re going to win in West Virginia! … We’re going to shock the living devil out of y’all!”

The First Read blog had earlier linked to a sweeping ratings change by The Cook Political Report for the state, from "Solid R" to "Toss Up."

As for the other national political analysts:

• Congressional Quarterly: Leans McCain

• FiveThirtyEight.com: Light Red

• Pollster.com: Toss-Up

• The Rothenberg Political Report: Leans McCain

• Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball: Solid Republican

MetroNews hears from Dick Morris (with audio) and an analyst from Cook (also with audio) on the subject.

Update: Political Wire relays this observation from the blog for Public Policy Polling on the difficulty with querying voters in the Mountain State:

If someone can get me a random sample of people who voted in the 2004 general election, 2006 general election, or 2008 primary in West Virginia then we will poll it. Concern about being able to get a sample of sufficient quality there is what makes us, and I'm guessing other companies that do registration based sampling, hesitant to poll there. That's not a problem with most other states.

Update II: Insider Advantage has a new poll.

Election 2008: Governor

• The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown sets the stage for Thursday's debate in nearby Hedgesville featuring Gov. Joe Manchin, GOP challenger Russ Weeks and Jesse Johnson, the Mountain Party nominee.

• MetroNews recaps Monday's debate between Manchin and Weeks, held in Charleston.
  

• The Register-Herald sought to follow up on Weeks' allegation that "an unnamed Division of Highways official landed a state road contract with the Manchin administration in violation of state law." Citing fear of "retribution"to the latter, "the former state senator refused to identify either the official allegedly involved or name the source of his information," the Beckley newspaper reported.
  

Election 2008 Shorts

• The Associated Press profiles Jay Wolfe, the Republican challenger to U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.

• The Charleston Daily Mail focuses on their respective stances on the financial meltdown and proposed solutions in the Rockefeller-Wolfe matchup.

• AP also reports that "Optical-scan voting machines in 19 counties need to be reprogrammed to fix errors caused when people who wish to vote a straight-ticket ballot also cast crossover votes in certain races."

• AP and The Charleston Gazette each covered the latest federal court hearing to air challenges to West Virginia's disclosure requirements for certain independent political ads.

• The Journal hears from Delegate John Doyle, D-Jefferson, as he seeks another term.

• The Martinsburg paper also checks in on U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, as her re-election campaign takes her to the Eastern Panhandle.

• The Gazette reports on a Kanawha Circuit Court judge who has "resigned so that he can start to draw his state pension." But as he is on the November ballot and is unopposed, "if he is re-elected, he could legally collect both his state pension and his salary as a judge if he decides to return to the bench," the article said.

Is W.Va. in Play?

MSNBC is the latest to raise the question, in part following the first (and only) published poll showing Democrat Barack Obama ahead of Republican John McCain among state voters.

"Something's happening in West Virginia -- yes, West Virginia -- because of the economic angst," Chuck Todd and others opine on First Read. "Obama's been buying a bunch of TV time in markets that bleed into West Virginia, and the numbers have been closing for a time."

The item also links to the Cook Political Report, which has recast West Virginia as a "Toss Up" state, all the way from "Solid R."

Local Republican operative Mark Blankenship predicts to MetroNews "a big, big victory for McCain or a narrow victory for Obama." With audio.

Election 2008: Governor

C-SPAN2 is among those with footage from Monday's debate between Gov. Joe Manchin and Republican challenger Russ Weeks, hosted by the West Virginia Broadcasters Association.

The public affairs channel is airing all such forums from the 11 states electing governors this year.

Others with coverage include WSAZ-TV, WCHS-TV (with video), WOWK-TV (also with video), MetroNews (with several audio clips), The Charleston Gazette and the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington.

Quote of the Day

“I think this is a trial run. A series of trial runs, to see if they can develop the technology that will allow them to cause a major widespread disruption."

- Delegate Ray Canterbury, R-Greenbrier, who told fellow lawmakers (and The Register-Herald of Beckley) that the recent jamming of the Legislature's web site could have been the Chinese military "in search of vulnerability in American computer networks."

Election 2008 Shorts

• The Associated Press sets the stage for the advent of early voting this week, and notes that the increase in new voters pales besides the rate seen nationally. Voter registration ends Tuesday.

• AP also reports on the relative absence of third-party ads heading into the home stretch of the state Supreme Court race. But that could suddenly change, according to a national analysis of judicial races.

• MetroNews previews Monday's 7 p.m. debate between Gov. Joe Manchin and GOP challenger Russ Weeks in Charleston. The Charleston Daily Mail and others had earlier reported on Mountain Party nominee Jesse Johnson losing his bid to participate.
  

Palin Coming to West Virginia

GOP running mate and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin plans on Sunday to "fly into Huntington, then cross the Ohio River into Ohio," The Charleston Gazette reports.

CNN and The Gazette, citing campaign officials, had earlier reported that Palin had "scheduled a bus tour for Sunday through West Virginia," with CNN viewing that as "another signal that the troubled economy is forcing John McCain’s campaign to play electoral map defense."

But McCain-Palin officials have since described a trip to The Gazette that would instead mirror McCain's previous stops in West Virginia: a brief appearance preceding a more lengthy and involved schedule in the Ohio battleground.

Sunday's appearance follows the first published poll to find Obama ahead of McCain among West Virginia voters.

Update: The Associated Press has an item on Sunday's visit, which lasted an estimated 25 minutes, while it and The Gazette report on Obama rallies spurred by the pit stop.

Hillary Clinton in W.Va.

The Associated Press has details from the former first lady's Friday visit to the University of Charleston in support of Democratic congressional nominee Anne Barth.

"The rally also featured a surprise appearance by Sen. Robert C. Byrd," Barth's former longtime boss, AP reports.

Update: The Charleston Gazette covered the event, as did MetroNews. Both offer photos, while the latter also has audio.

Vote-Buying Figure Denied Pension

The state Supreme Court has unanimously ruled against disgraced former longtime Lincoln County Assessor Jerry Weaver, in his bid for a public pension.

The decision creates new case law by further defining “less than honorable service," the standard for denying public retirement benefits.

The Road to the White House Takes the BBC thru W.Va.

As part of its "Talking America" bus tour, the BBC stopped in Madison and Charleston "to explore some of the dilemmas the new President will have to get to grips with: jobs versus the environment; coal-owner versus union; the need for coal versus the need not to have coal."

Besides the audio report, BBC also offers audio of both coal enthusiasts and opponents of mountaintop-removal mining.

WCHS-TV has a report and video on the visit.

(A) McCain in West Virginia

Joe McCain, a brother of the Republican presidential nominee, was slated to headline the Fayette County GOP's Lincoln Day Dinner on Thursday. MetroNews had a preview.

ARG: Obama 50%, McCain 42% in West Virginia

American Research Group's Oct. 4-8 survey of 600 likely voters may be the first poll to find Obama ahead in West Virginia.

Five percent (corrected figure) were undecided, and the margin of error was +/- 4%. The probability was 97.98%.

Among the findings:

• 54% of women favored Obama (vs. 36% for McCain);
• 49% of men favored McCain (vs. 46% for Obama);
• McCain had a slightly larger margin of Republicans than Obama did Democrats (79% to 76%);
• Obama edged out McCain among independents, 50% to 38%.

"(A)n especially odd result," observes Political Wire.

Quote of the Day

"We endorsed the governor four years ago when it really made a difference. At this point it looks like he will be reelected and we will continue to have a relationship with him."

-- West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee, explaining to MetroNews why the teachers' group has declined to endorse his bid for a second term.

W.Va. and the Financial Crisis, Cont'd

• The latest review of state finances by the Rockefeller Institute of Government shows that "West Virginia has bucked the national economic calamity, and has actually led the nation in economic growth since May," The Charleston Gazette reports.

• A canvass of West Virginia's 53 state-chartered banks found that seven are poised to lose a combined $12.4 million from Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac stock, "but those soured investments were spread around and the banks remain well-capitalized," the Charleston Daily Mail reports.

• MetroNews gets an overview of the bailout's potential effects from Marshall University Vice President of Business and Economic Research Doctor Cal Kent. With audio.
  

Election 2008 Roundup

• The West Virginia Education Association has declined to endorse the re-election bid of Gov. Joe Manchin, though the teachers' group has also decided not to back his GOP opponent, either, MetroNews reports. The item notes that the WVEA had been the first major labor group to announce for Manchin in 2004, but that the governor "lashed out" at it during the fight over teacher pay raises earlier this year. With audio.

• Public Broadcasting has separate interviews with Democrat Natalie Tennant and Republican Charles Minimah in the Secretary of State's race, and also offers audio of the former broadcaster and the Charleston business owner.

• GOP agriculture commission candidate Mike Teets talks to The Intelligencer of Wheeling.

• State Democratic officials tell The Charleston Gazette that "Sen. Hillary Clinton's visit to Charleston Friday to endorse 2nd Congressional District nominee Anne Barth will be a boost for everyone on the ticket."

• The Journal of Martinsburg hears from Republican Bob Adams in the 16th District state Senate race.
  

Byrd Goes to Nashville

Sen. Robert C. Byrd received the "Dr. Perry Harris Award" during the Grand Master Fiddler Championship in Nashville over the weekend. A former longtime player who once perfomed on Hee Haw, the West Virginia Democrat was handed the award by colleague Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., whose staff posted the video.

Hillary Clinton Returning to W.Va.

Sen. Hillary Clinton is throwing her support behind fellow Democrat Anne Barth, planning to stump for the 2nd District congressional challenger Friday in Charleston, The Associated Press reports.

Clinton is slated to appear on Barth's behalf at an open event at the University of Charleston. As AP notes, she "last visited West Virginia just before her overwhelming win in the state's May presidential primary."

The former first lady defeated Barack Obama in that contest, but has since gotten behind his nomination. Update: The Charleston Gazette adds comments from "Tom Vogel, who heads Obama's presidential campaign in West Virginia," and who "said he wasn't sure how much Clinton would stump for Obama during her visit."

Lobbyist Spending on W.Va. Legislature Reaches $318k

Coca-Cola footed the hotel bill while House Speaker Rick Thompson, D-Wayne, attended NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 in May, and Chesapeake Energy Corp. spent nearly $118 per person on a July dinner for Thompson, Senate President Earl Tomblin, D-Logan, other lawmakers and their spouses, according to lobbyist spending reports scrutinized by The Charleston Gazette.

W.Va. Ad Disclosure Law Remains Under Fire

West Virginians for Life has joined the fight against reporting requirements for independent election-time political ads, The Charleston Gazette and others report.

The group has filed a separate federal lawsuit from the one launched earlier this year by the Center for Individual Freedom. The newer challenge seeks a judge's order blocking, at least temporarily, the spending disclosure provisions that became state law Oct. 1.

"James Bopp Jr., an Indiana lawyer who is representing (WVFL), said the new law limits his client's rights to free speech because it is afraid to publicize former state Supreme Court Justice Margaret Workman's authorship of a 1993 ruling that made the state pay for abortions for Medicaid recipients," The Gazette reported.

"We're objecting to being regulated in any way by this law," Bopp told that newspaper. "We don't want to be prohibited, we don't want to file [financial] reports, we don't want to do anything under this law."

The Times-West Virginian of Fairmont and The Associated Press also have items.

Election 2008: Legislature

Democrats running for the Legislature enjoy a three-to-one margin both for money raised and cash on hand over their GOP rivals for the last campaign finance filing period, an analysis by The Associated Press shows.

"Reports posted by the Secretary of State's office show legislative candidates collected more than $600,000 between May 26 and Sept. 21," the article said. "With most campaigns reporting cash left over from the primary, spending during the filing period left a collective balance of more than $1.5 million."

The Journal of Martinsburg, meanwhile, takes a closer look at the finance reports of Eastern Panhandle legislative hopefuls.

FSU to Host National Pundits

Bay Buchannon, political commentator and sister of Pat, will debate nationally syndicated columnist and radio host Roland S. Martin 7 p.m. Monday at the Turley Center Ballroom of Fairmont State University. The Times-West Virginian has additional details.

They Voted For You: The Bailout, Revised

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted for the Senate-passed version of "historic legislation providing $700 billion in government money to bring stability to reeling financial markets," as The Associated Press reports.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, opposed the measure, which prevailed 263-171.

AP reports that before the vote, "Member after member went to the well of the chamber to voice discomfort and displeasure with many aspects of the bailout legislation. But they also said said they would vote for it anyway. And nearly 30 who voted against it on Monday said they had changed their minds."

Update: Capito was among 108 Republicans to vote against the bill. They were joined by 63 Democrats.

Update II: President Bush signed the measure Friday. Those with coverage include Public Broadcasting (with audio), The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews.

Revisiting The Bailout: Update

Under debate in the House, the Senate-passed version of the bailout bill "advanced past a key hurdle on a 223-205 vote" Friday, The Associated Press reports.

The roll call lists Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voting for "providing for consideration of the Senate amendments." Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, voted against.

Manchin Weighing Wall Street Lawsuit

Gov. Joe Manchin tells The Associated Press that "West Virginia could end up suing investment firms at the center of the national financial crisis, and perhaps some of their former executives."

"Manchin says the firms should be held accountable if they breached their duties to shareholders," the article said. "He says the state may also target firm executives who pocketed hefty exit packages."

The state had holdings in all of the major firms that have been bought out, bailed out or bankrupted in the ongoing financial turmoil: Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, AIG and Washington Mutual.

The article also notes that these investments amount to a fraction of a percent of the state's nearly $11 billion portfolio.

In advance of Friday's possible House vote on a revised bailout package, Public Broadcasting (with audio) and MetroNews (also with audio) each hear from different West Virginia University economics professors on that proposal and the roots of the crisis.

Update: Manchin tells the Charleston Daily Mail that the "Wall Street turmoil is hampering the state's ability to raise money for a variety of needs ranging from highway projects to improvements at community and technical colleges."

U.S. House Revisits Bailout

Public Broadcasting reports that "Representative Shelley Moore Capito is signaling she may change her vote on a bailout package, as her chamber takes up the Senate-passed version (audio here).

Capito, R-2nd, has cast the sole "nay" vote among the state's five-member delegation on the bailout issue. But as The Associated Press reports, "Republicans and Democrats were jumping aboard the bailout as the House sped toward a make-or-break vote — a much-anticipated do-over after the plan met with a stunning defeat Monday, triggering a historic stock market plunge."

"It was still unclear, though, whether leaders would have the dozen or so supporters needed to pass the measure," the AP article continues.

That dispatch did not include Capito among those commenting on whether they may change their vote. She also did not appear in a roundup of House member views from Politico, or its earlier list of a dozen representatives who could help pass the revised legislation.

MetroNews hears from both Capito and Anne Barth, her Democratic challenger, in advance of Friday's expected vote.

Election 2008: Shorts

• The Mountain Party's candidate for governor, Jesse Johnson, has sued to get in on the West Virginia Broadcasters Association's gubernatorial debate set for Oct. 13, The Associated Press reports. Its 2004 nominee, "the Charleston actor and director failed four years ago in an attempt to get a court injunction to be included in that debate," AP notes. The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews also have items.

• U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-3rd, weighs in on the bailout issue with The Register-Herald of Beckley.

• U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, explains her vote on the bailout issue to a Capital High School audience, The Charleston Gazette reports.

• Public Broadcasting interviews Mike Teets, the GOP nominee for agriculture commissioner. With audio.
  

They Voted For You: Bailout, Part Deux

U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., each voted for the latest version of the $700 billion bailout/buy-in/rescue legislation sought to aid the financial services sector.

The measure prevailed 74-25. Fifteen Republicans, nine Democrats and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont voted against it. Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., did not vote.

"Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, made rare appearances to cast 'aye' votes, as did Obama’s running mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware," The Associated Press reports.

The Senate Banking Committee has the complete text of the bill, as well as a one-page summary and a section-by-section analysis.

Though dubbed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, what passed the Senate late Wednesday also includes an "Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008," and a "Tax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008."

As AP explains, "senators loaded the economic rescue bill with tax breaks and other sweeteners before passing it," including "$110 billion in tax breaks for businesses and the middle class, plus a provision to raise, from $100,000 to $250,000, the cap on federal deposit insurance."

But the measure's core contains what helped kill the House version on Monday: language that "lets the government spend billions of dollars to buy bad mortgage-related securities and other devalued assets held by troubled financial institutions," the AP article said.

"In the House, leaders were working feverishly to convert enough opponents of the bill to push it through by Friday," AP also reports. "President Bush issued a statement praising the Senate’s move."

Manchin Gets Pro-Life Nod

Gov. Joe Manchin has won the backing of West Virginians for Life heading into the final month of the general election season, the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington reports.

Having a similar stance on the subject as Manchin, GOP challenger Russ Weeks has sought to raise abortion as an issue in their race. Weeks argues that the governor "has been paying 'lip service' to anti-abortion forces since taking office in 2005," The Associated Press reported earlier.

Update: The Register-Herald of Beckley reports that "Weeks is disappointed the state’s largest anti-abortion vehicle, West Virginians for Life, has snubbed him in this year’s gubernatorial election in favor of Gov. Joe Manchin."

West Virginia & Wall St.

Gov. Joe Manchin and other state leaders have planned a Wednesday press conference at the Capitol "to address concerns over the financial health of West Virginia following this week's failure of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout proposal," The Associated Press reports.

Manchin has repeatedly sought to offer assurances regarding the state's "Rainy Day" fund and its annual budget, as The Intelligencer of Wheeling, the Charleston Daily Mail, WOWK-TV and others have reported.

The executive director of West Virginia's Investment Management Board earlier told AP that the the state's diversified portfolio has helped insulate it from the woes of Lehman Brothers, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the like.

MetroNews, meanwhile, has interviewed each of the state's U.S. House members about Monday's rejected bailout bill. It offers audio of Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st; Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd; and Nick Rahall, D-3rd.

The Charleston Gazette has the reaction of Democrat Anne Barth, Capito's challenger, to the current economic crisis.

Public Broadcasting (with audio) and The Intelligencer also report on the delegation's votes on the bill.

Looking ahead, AP has details of the pending Senate version of the bailout measure.

Election 2008 Roundup

• Gov. Joe Manchin has nearly $2 million on hand heading in to the final weeks of the election season, The Associated Press reports. AP has campaign finance figures for other Board of Public Works races, while both The Charleston Gazette and WSAZ-TV have items on the gubernatorial contest.

• Manchin's GOP opponent, Russ Weeks, talks to The (Shepherdstown) Observer about his campaign.

• AP also reports that while Manchin may have raised more cash, the candidates for state Supreme Court have spent more in that two-seat race. Republican Beth Walker begins the home stretch with a 2-to-1 cash advantage over both Democrats, Margaret Workman and Menis Ketchum.

• MetroNews interviewed Ketchum about that contest, and also hears from GOP agriculture commission candidate Mike Teets and (update) GOP candidate for attorney general Dan Greear (with audio).
  

They Voted For You: The Bailout

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, helped defeat the $700 billion bailout proposal meant to help Wall Street weather the latest financial crisis.

Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted for the "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008," which failed 205-228.

As President Bush had proposed the original bailout language and championed the bill's passage, "Monday's mind-numbing vote had been preceded by unusually aggressive White House lobbying," The Associated Press reports. "When the critical vote was tallied, too few members of the House were willing to support the unpopular measure with elections just five weeks away. Ample no votes came from both the Democratic and Republican sides of the aisle."

Update: The House Rules Committee offers both a summary and the full text of the failed measure.

Update II: Others with coverage include The Charleston Gazette, MetroNews and WOWK-TV.

Judge Allows W.Va. Electioneering "Fix" -- For Now (UPDATED)

A federal judge has agreed to rescind his earlier order blocking West Virginia's reporting requirements for certain independent political ads.

Secretary of State Betty Ireland had asked U.S. District Judge David Faber to dissolve the April decision, citing the recent special session legislation that aimed to address his constitutional concerns.

(Update) But as The Associated Press reports, "Monday’s order does not say the legislative fix passes constitutional muster. It instead notes that a Virginia group fighting disclosure can seek a new ruling."

The electioneering communications law mandates spending reports for individuals and groups not already covered by such requirements, for ads in an array of formats that refer to a clearly identified candidate.

Though the requirements cover ads within 60 days of the general election, the recent legislation does not take effect until Wednesday.

The Charleston Gazette also report's on Monday's ruling from Faber.

W.Va. and The Bailout

The Associated Press queried each member of West Virginia's congressional delegation about a dozen of the more prominent provisions of the various Wall Street rescue proposals under discussion on Capitol Hill.

U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., proved the most specific with his responses. Of the rest, there appeared a consensus that any bailout plan "should require independent oversight of its spending, and impose some limits on executive compensation at the banks seeking rescue," AP reports.

Of the challenger candidates this year, only Republican Marty Gearheart answered each question posed.

AP also details the bailout (or "buy-in") agreement, with a House vote expected Monday and the Senate's on Wednesday.

The Parkersburg News also hears from Rockefeller about the pending legislation.