Eastern Kentucky Democrats struggle to square support of coal industry and President Obama

Comments

• Mike Mansfield wrote on June 07, 2012 10:03 AM :

  Until we get these massive amounts of money out of the political process we are going to continue to see things get worse for the eastern Kentucky people. The mine operators know how to lie, publicize the lie, convince the people the lie is truth, then pay to bring hundreds of folk from eastern Kentucky to a hearing in Frankfort, even though there will also be a hearing in eastern Kentucky.

  The miners & families who were there obviously believed the lie or they would be angry with the mine operators and Governor Beshear instead of the EPA.

  The people of eastern Kentucky want clean, safe water. Without the EPA they’d be either seeing increased deaths from poison water or purchasing drinking water. Our governor and most of our representatives and senators in Kentucky are bought and paid for by BIG COAL. Even our universities (such as the University of Coal Kentucky) are bought and paid for by those who give less than a crap about the people, culture, or beauty of the mountains.

  Shame on big coal; but shame even more on our elected officials who cave any time they are afraid they’ll lose the next election because they cared more about the people than the wealthy.

• Bill Huff wrote on June 07, 2012 11:25 AM :

  Kudos to state Rep. Leslie Combs, D-Pikeville.

  Unfortunately, acrimony among past political party leaders as far back as Clarence Thomas hearing for a place on United States Supreme court has led to today’s present caustic political environment.

  It could be said the current battle between republicans and democratic leaders—-who acquiescened with republican Newt Gingrich’s 1994 behavior as Newt dismissed rules of political warfare destroying “decorum” making political survival the end to justify the means!

  Such a situation can said to have happened during Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination. That was only the first nomination that included “sexual harassment! During this battle new standards for acrimony and exposure of the most intimate details of a national figure’s life became fair political game!

  New political highs in disrespecting one another’s views emerged during President Clinton’s presidency. Republicans possessed pent up anger over how democrats treated President Reagan and Richard Nixon !

  To push plans that would benefit republican more to forward republican demands brought about introduction of using ethical allegation, congressional investigations and demands for appointment of special prosecutors. This behavior culminated in the House-impeaching a President.

  However, U.S. Senate republicans had a case to impeach President Clinton; i.e., Indonesia money chain—-but republicans made a deal (Senators’ Nichols and Lott) and sacrificed their case against Clinton rather than expose Kochs’ web of mega-dollar funding operations! The Best Democracy Money Can buy, Palast, p. 114

  In late 1999 both parties became entangled in more legal wars involving G.W. Bush and Al Gore over disputed 2000 Florida results! Such behaviors furthered abolishment of decorum, as did republican behaviors when they rammed re-districting lines through state legislatures in Colorado and Texas, because they simply had votes in those state legislatures.

  Meantime, on Capitol Hill after republicans simply denied hearings on Clinton nominees it opposed, democrats began repeatedly using filibuster to deny appointment of judicial nominees.

  Then a trendsetter took place in California—-recall of Governor Davis. California recall was only this nation’s second recall. First off, in California, which was one of the 17 states having such standards of recall, California’s only required 17 signatures to allow recall of a Governor. Polarization of voters took place bringing about election of a republican later on found to have been a sexual pervert.

  As a result of political battling that now has no restraint on political competition, both parties suffer. However, the voting public suffers from polarization and weakens America’s resilency to defend against electing a presidential candidate that fronts as someone they really are not.

  Until both parties’ leaders remember “why” there must be rules of political warfare, this madness will continue! Rules of political warfare protect one’s own side form atrocities that are inevitable when there are no standards except political survival.

  Today, in small towns all across America, there is an undercurrent held by both sides to annihilate political competition any way they can. This vitriol is fanned daily by local, state and federal elected leaders on both sides.

  What is needed are “cooler heads” that can develop and sell to all political participants political standards of behavior that protect us from ourselves. Yet, in 2012 state of Wisconsin has only the third Governor recall that cries out for leaders who understand the danger of continuing this road.