Capito to challenge Sen. Rockefeller in 2014

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

And the break from campaigning lasted three weeks

posted on Greta Van Xenu's blog:

Fox news has learned Capito, who just won her 7th House term, will announce Monday her candidacy for the US
senate seat occupied by democrat Jay Rockefeller since 1985.
Capito is a prochoice republican and as a woman her candidacy is attracting attention as a potential test of the GOP’s ability to expand it’s appeal to more voters, particularly women.
She will announce her candidacy at a 10am news conference.
Republican officials close to Capito confirm the announcement will take place in WV’s capital city of Charleston.

http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/2012/11/25/congresswoman-shelly-capito-2014-news-from-fnc-carl-cameron/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnewsinsider%2Fgretawire+%28Gretawire%29

Capito is a protege of Tom DeLay and Dick Cheney. She'll no doubt run an anti-Obama campaign against Rockefeller and scream hysterically about the "War on Coal," especially given Rockefeller's recent harsh words for the industry and pro-environmental stance.

[Panasonic]

1. I declare Capito's challenge failed.

She will lose to a teabagger, who then will lose to Rockfeller.

[mgcgulfcoast]

15. i agree, haha

[Tx4obama]

2. Here's a Politico.com link and a related tweet regarding which Dem might run...

Shelley Moore Capito plans Senate bid against Jay Rockefeller
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84211.html?hp=f3

Saw the below tweet on Twitter earlier tonight...

Daily Kos Elections ?@DKElections

If Jay Rockefeller retires, who might run instead for the Dems? Rep. Nick Rahall seems like a possibility, but won only 54% this yr #WVSen

https://twitter.com/DKElections/status/272889953736851456

[David__77]

4. We need Rockefeller to run again.

I hope that he can be enticed to stay on.

[mrmpa]

19. After Ted Kennedy died..........

I thought that Senator Rockefeller would step up as the liberal voice in the senate. He hasn't quite done that, but he is needed to stay as long as possible. He and the Democratic party also needs to be mentoring someone to step up, when Rockefeller leaves the Senate. That seat needs to remain in Democrat hands.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

5. no chance Rahall runs

Last edited Mon Nov 26, 2012, 04:19 AM - Edit history (1)

he's been in the House so long that moving to the senate would be a massive demotion.
and big coal has been going after him hard these past two cycles, so he'd have a hard run.

My guess is either former governors Wise or Caperton if Jay retires. Or, failing that, former temporary U.S. Senator Goodwin. WV SOS Natalie Tennett also a possibility. Being an off-year election, she would be free to run without giving up her statewide job.

The WV-02 seat will be a likely Dem pick-up. Capito only won 2000 in a fluke, and was able to get entrenched in following years purely due to a lack of funding for her challengers (thanks to certain Dems in leadership who were a little too chummy with her family)

The seat is in an area in WV that probably is a stronger fit for the Dems than others in the state, and the GOP has a very weak bench - whereas the Dems have plenty of high-profile candidates to chose from.

[cyclezealot]

7. A mystery to the outside world

Do West Virginian's so detest their own soil , they approve of Mountain top removal. Or do they just buy into the hype promoted by mass murderer , Massey Coal.

[Mr.Turnip]

10. Not much of a mystery, Coal is a really big employer in the state.

Easy for an industry to exert influence on a populace when a large segment of the population ether works for or is close to someone working for them.

[cyclezealot]

12. could not the coal be mined in a more responsible manner

instead of just blowing up stuff

[Mr.Turnip]

13. Well of course, but its easier to convince people otherwise when they have a direct stake

in the industry. It makes them more open to the Coal industries ad campaigns and to ridiculous accusations that the federal government is waging some war on coal and that's why the industry is in decline which is a total lie but scared people can easily be made to believe a lie.

[cyclezealot]

17. I recall reports that

about 1000 sq miles of W.VA have been laid to waste.. Satellite photos of so called reclaimed areas , post mining still look pretty bare. And another report that incidences of respiratory diseases are now more costly than the dollar benefits of mining.
And what about the wastes called 'valley fill,' waiting for some earthen dam to break sending toxic substances to the Potomac ..
DC allows it , they'll deserve to one day be without water..
Don't West Virginians fly over their state.. ? Doesn't show much love of their home state.
Time will tell , will West Virginians sometimes need forget the lyrics to Almost Heaven, West Virginia.

[Chan790]

21. DC doesn't particularly care...

the water intakes for DC Water are at Great Falls and Little Falls miles up river, far north of any WV head-watered tributary.

The state of Maryland will care because all that toxic shit will end up in the Bay. Unfortunately, MD doesn't really have the power to do much to compel WV to clean up its act. To know how much MD actually does care, look at how much stricter we are with our coal industry (yes, we have one. It's safely-regulated, quiet and about as environmentally-responsible as such things can be) and how much we spend on Bay preservation and clean-up. (Millions, with long-term commitments over a billion.)

Virginia cares too but only when the Governor's a Democrat. The current GOP shithead couldn't give a damn about anything but gifting business deals and tax breaks to his pals...those pals include Massey Energy.

[MadAnne]

18. Why would

Big Coal go after Rahall?

[Daniel537]

22. I don't think there's any such thing as "likely" for us in WV.

Dems have been going backwards there at most levels for a while now. Tomblin and Rahall narrowly got re-elected, despite their open hostility to Obama, and the Attorney General, a strong consumer advocate, lost his re-election, after massive out-of-state spending from conservative groups. We're gonna have to fight for everything we can get in that state.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

3. A pro-choice Rethug in WV?

Heh, this will be a test all right.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

6. she downplays her position successfully

and the WV 'pro-life' groups are all fronts for the GOP and give her a pass, whereas they go after pro-choice Dems hard.

[MadAnne]

20. and

Pro choice Dems are increasingly hard to find.

[Mr.Turnip]

8. Better hope Rockefeller doesn't retire, don't know who else we have that could win V Capito.

Provided she can make it through the primary and the evangelicals don't eat her for being kinda pro-choice.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

9. If she does squeeze out a victory, it won't mean the GOP has won the women back...

It will be a close race if she pushes the "War on Coal" meme.

Because here in East KY and West Virginia... it's the only political issue I hear people talk about.

[davidpdx]

11. That will be a tough one if Rockefeller retires

WV is not exactly one of the most friendly states for Democrats.

[Texin]

14. Yet they have a Democratic Governor (albeit in name only - or virtually so).

I think Rockefeller will probably be getting a lot of pressure from Reid and others within the party to stay put. He's not exactly distinguished himself in the Senate, or at least that's been my impression at any rate. If anyone else can provide any anecdotal tidbits that might better inform me of his record, that'd be appreciated. But I can't think of any single piece of legislation I've ever heard attributed to him in all the years I've followed politics. I'm not even aware of how he's voted on important pieces of legislation, but I'll confess I've not looked it into. That said, this news item is showcasing what the rethugs are going to be concentrating on over the next four years. They're starting their campaigns right now. I tend to agree with the OP, though, about the teabaggers' influence on rethug politics (even though they are nothing but the farthest right wing, racist lot of the rethug party, rebranded for anyone with any doubts about their personal belief system for easier processing and consumption by that electorate; i.e., same coin, different face thereof).

[Mr.Turnip]

16. Yup, and even that barely Dem Governor only narrowly won relection this year.

Did way worse than the polls were saying even, WV is just not friendly territory for us right now, but they don't seem to vote out incumbents much so Rockefeller running again is our best hope of retaining the seat.

As for Rockefellers politics, he's not the most liberal guy in the caucus but WAYYYY more Liberal than Manchin and just about the best we can probably get from WV, he's with us on the vast majority of issues and doesn't tend to grandstand for his vote like Manchin and Ben Nelson.