“I used to be an agitator, then an activist, now I am a hellraiser.”
Ken Hechler after being arrested for protesting mountaintop removal in 2009
As the Charleston Gazette-Mail reports:
Ken Hechler, whose life spanned more than a full century and whose political career lasted more than six decades, stretching from the White House to Congress to the West Virginia secretary of state’s office, died Saturday, according to friends. He was 102 years old. . . .
In . . .
The Intelligencer weighs in on the miner health and pension bill
We can't blame McConnell, he's a Republican!
From the conclusion of this morning's Intelligencer editorial:
That is politics at its worst. It appears the only way the mine retirees will get the immediate assistance is for lawmakers to go along with the McConnell plan or something like it. That being the situation, those resisting the idea will deserve all the blame if . . .
Fighting the Appalachian stereotype and poverty porn
I've linked to Daily Yonder previously (most notably here). The site looks at rural and small-town America in a refreshing (non-stereotypical) way. It recently carried an interesting article on a national news network's attempt to get help from an Appalachian non-profit for a pre-election story on Appalachia. Aaron Phelps explains:
. . .Posted in: appalachian sterotypepoverty porn
Is Senator Joe Manchin going to switch parties?
Enquiring minds want to know
West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin keeps getting asked if he is going to switch parties. From an interview in the Washington Examiner:
Joe Manchin said not a day goes by that someone doesn't ask him if he wants to switch from Democrat to Republican.
Every day? "Every day," he answers.
Hey, Joe, . . .
Posted in: joe manchin
Rounding up the usual suspects
Blaming liberals for conservative criticism of Trump
The local "newspapers" have come a long way on Donald Trump. They've moved from virtually ignoring him and his more outrageous statements, to blaming Democrats for his existence, to emphasizing his pro-coal agenda, and finally, to their current position -- defending him and his actions. The problem for them is that . . .
Hey, maybe there's something to be gained by beating that dead horse
Myer on flag burning
Halfway into today's column about flag burning on college campuses, the Intelligencer's Editor, Mike Myer, tells us that:
(F)lag burning is a protected form of free speech, under the First Amendment. That is right and proper. One thing that safeguards our freedom is our right to say just about anything, as long as it . . .
Posted in: flag burningmike myerpolitical correctness
Be careful what you wish and vote for, Shelley (with update)
Suddenly Senator Capito cares about what might happen if Republicans end Obamacare
Here is what I about wrote about Capito's position on Obamacare in 2014 when she was running for the U.S. Senate:
House Republicans, including Capito, have voted to end Obamacare at least 54 times. Earlier this year at her West Liberty University-sponsored political rally, she asserted that "everybody is unhappy" . . .
Posted in: obamacareshelley moore capito
