MORNING AFTER…..Republicans need to fine tune the approach to special elections….the win by Democrats in PA 12 is the sixth straight GOP loss going back to 08.  Sorry Tad…..build on the great experience you had in PA12.  WV 1 may become a national battleground with...

Those watching 2012 developments will find the piece below that appeared in today’s   National Journal telling.  By Erin McPike Ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R) held a fundraiser in Manhattan last week and outperformed Pres. Obama's own cash grab a day later on behalf of...

Less than 24 hours until the polls open….the state of incumbency will be tested.   Republican David McKinley cannot be discounted in November…..Democrats are in trouble everywhere…..even non-incumbents.  First Lady Laura Bush new book is truly “Spoken from the...

Only a small news clip was in the local paper about the new cost of healthcare reform.  The Congressional Budget Office tells us that if Congress decides to fund all the provisions in the new law it could add at least $115 billion more to health care spending over the...

Charleston native Sara Feinberg has left Rahm Emanuel’s WH staff….but she leaves behind husband Dan Pfeiffer….he directs White House Communications.  Once worked on a project (non-political) with her….she is a first class operator.  It is construction season and...

(This post was delayed due to Internet difficulties) President Obama has created a bright future for Republicans.  He has not delivered on his promises, his management style turns out to be one of vacillation and his policies have created a polarized nation. The...

(This post was delayed due to Internet difficulties) Tea party groups have sprung up across the State.  This is a first experience in politics for most.  In talking with many they have ask “now what do we do”.  Some good advice was offered by Richard Viguerie which I...

(This post was delayed due to Internet difficulties) Combine arrogance and negativity and it may spell defeat.  An opinion piece in WSJ is a must read.

Voters in the West Virginia’s first congressional district are finding out why it has been so long since Rep. Alan B. Mollohan has had an opponent.  It is a costly thing seeking office….not only in reducing your personal assets but in reputation. This is particularly...

It has been apparent for sometime our relations with China are likely the most important in today’s world.  We have the issue of Taiwan, nuclear weapons, the internet, climate change and the global economy. With all the attention given to the growing economic leverage...

Republican National Chairman Michael Steele is dragging Republicans down and draining its bank account.  He has created controversy since his election more than a year ago. That’s not bad enough he even wrote a book in which he says Republicans will not in 2010 take...

West Virginia Facebook followers of former Governor Sarah Palin woke up this morning to learn she will be visiting our State.  The Fix a Washington Post political column reports she has targeted 20 congressional seats held by Democrats as we moved into the 2010...

President Obama wants lawmakers to remove state specific projects inserted in the health care legislation.  Congress should include a line-item veto provision in the reconciliation bill to force him to cut these – if the health care bill gets to his desk. His call for...

There is a bill moving the final days of the Legislature that makes no sense.  The Manchin administration had proposed using taxpayer’s money to finance the 2012 Supreme Court race. It now appears in a contested primary a candidate would get $200,000 of taxpayers’...

Senator Byrd is needed in the United States Senate more than ever.  He needs to be there to protect the Senate from itself.  It is well known the Obama administration is pressuring Congress to use a process known as reconciliation to pass health care reform.  After...

Today is the 108th birthday of Senator Jennings Randolph.  He was a man of vision and accomplishment.  He worked tirelessly for West Virginia. Jennings Randolph was a Senator for 26 years and a member of the House of Representatives for 14 years.  He never considered...

President Obama made it clear he does not care about the re-election of Democrats as he wrapped up the health care summit. After warning if there is not enough serious effort in a month’s time “….then I think we’ve got to go ahead and make some decisions,” the...

When consideration of health care reform started we were told President Obama did not want to make the same mistake as former President Clinton.  You will recall the Clinton administration presented its own bill to Congress.  President Obama turned the writing of...

Speculation has centered on House Speaker Rick Thompson (D-Wayne) as a candidate for the Democrat nomination for Governor in 2012.  He was elected Speaker in 2007 with the strong support of Labor.  Many political and business leaders have seen Labor's support as a...

It’s about the survival of those without jobs.  But that is not where President Obama spent his time since the election returns from the bluest of blue states on Tuesday. Instead he is pulling together those who helped him win in 2008.  The concern at The White House...

I have been reading “The Audacity to Win” a book by David Plouffe about the campaign of Barack Obama.  It is a firsthand account about the speeches, news conferences and messages he delivered.  This brought back his passionate promise of “change you can believe in”. ...

West Virginia’s lone Republican in Congress, Shelley Moore Capito, held a sit down meeting with Lisa Jackson Administrator of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).  Sometime ago Capito requested the “face to face” meeting to express concern about the...

Governor Manchin is preparing to lead a battle against the Obama Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after its decision to review 23 pending coal-mine permits.  He spoke with MetroNews Talkline from Berlin, Germany. Joining in the war Obama has declared on the...

Last Friday world leaders in Pittsburgh for the Group of 20 summit agreed to phase out fossil fuel subsides.  The Obama administration championed the wording of the statement according to The Washington Post. The wording of the statement was a signal from the world’s...