Governor Manchin Names Old Family Friend as Senator to Replace Robert Byrd
Why 2014? That is when Sen. Rockefeller is up for reelection, and rumor has it that he may choose to retire instead. Rockefeller played a large role in pushing through the health care bill, and in a sit-down with constituents two months ago Rockefeller said that public option legislation could be considered next year. When push comes to shove Rockefeller has sided with the state and come out against tougher EPA clean water regulations that could hurt the state’s mining community, but he is for cap and trade legislation.
There are other Republicans interested in running should a special election occur. Businessman John Raese, who was soundly defeated by Byrd in 2006, has expressed interest. Former W.Va. Secretary of State Betty Ireland, who chose not to run for reelection in 2008, is also on the short list of possible candidates. The NRSC is already pumping money into the state party, which took out newspaper ads attacking Manchin this week.
The one thing that could hurt Manchin is his appointment of Goodwin as a temporary senator. Goodwin comes from a politically connected family, with a uncle as a federal judge and a cousin as a U.S. attorney. An aunt is state cabinet secretary, and his own wife is an aide to Sen. Rockefeller. Goodwin’s father, until his recent death, was chairman of the West Virginia University Board of Governors. The Goodwin and Manchin families have been close allies.
During the senior Goodwin’s tenure as WVU BOG chair, Michael Garrison, head of the Higher Education Policy Commission under Manchin, was selected as WVU president. Under his presidency it was revealed that Gov. Manchin’s daughter and Mylan Pharmaceuticals COO Heather Bresch had not earned a MBA degree she claimed to have had. Administration officials working for Garrison, a former classmate of Bresch’s and a former Mylan lobbyist, changed her grades to make it look as though she completed the required courses. A independent study took Garrison to task for the scandal and he resigned in 2008.
Carte in a press conference said he would not run in the special election. He also made it clear he would not vote in favor of cap and trade and is expected to vote the way Manchin wants him to.
“I want to thank the governor for entrusting me with this awesome responsibility,” Goodwin said. “In turn, it is now my responsibility to work every day to earn the trust of my fellow West Virginians. I have no agenda, other than fighting for my state and putting the interests of her people first. Robert C. Byrd, the greatest public servant West Virginia has ever known, and a true giant of American history, has left quite a legacy. I cannot begin to replace Senator Byrd, nor can I hope to ever fill his shoes. But what I can do is emulate his work ethic and his commitment to West Virginia.”
All the while, the state legislature is still working out bugs in the succession legislation crafted by Manchin. The special session will continue Saturday and maybe Sunday.
One thing is for sure: the death of Robert C. Byrd has left the state in political chaos and it remains to be seen which party will come out on top.
A giant? Never replace him? Heck, there are KKK members all over West by God. Pick one.
>Republicans have simply had trouble gaining traction in the state ever since its founding.
Nonsense. West Virginia was solidly Republican until the end of Reconstruction in the South (1876). It went Democratic for the rest of the 19th century, and then turned Republican again until the New Deal. It has only been reliably Democratic since the 1930′s.
I’m just surprised that Joe didn’t try to appoint himself in Byrd’s set.
““Regardless of whoever occupies this seat now and in the future, it will always be known as West Virginia’s United States Senate Seat that was occupied for nearly 52 years by our beloved, faithful public servant, Robert C. Byrd.”
“Robert C. Byrd, the greatest public servant West Virginia has ever known, and a true giant of American history, has left quite a legacy.”
Just wow. They really got out the extra strength bull**** this time.
There can be only one…no, wait, wrong fantasy…
Always two there are, and now that the Master is gone
the Apprentice must carry on the quest for absolute power.
I couldn’t resist; Byrd is a Dead Ringer for Emperor Palpatine,
and by all accounts the resemblance was more than skin deep.
But seriously folks, neither the state of West Virginia nor
the U. S. Senate needs anyone to carry on for Byrd; The game
he played so well for so long is over, and his successor will
find it a major task to help clean up the mess he left behind.
The new game is not Pork-barrel power politics as usual,
not really politics at all; In Hard Times, the states must
provide for themselves, and the first step is to select honest,
competent administrators, who can keep the basic functions of
government going, those that provide people with the necessities
of life.
It sounds crazy now, but after the November elections prove just how
fed up people are with Tax-and-Spend, after taxes and Inflation start
to rise in January, and certainly after the first state government collapse,
probably in California before 2012, it will sound like good advice.
“”…certainly after the first state government collapse, probably in California before 2012, it will… “”
Fantasy. As long as the federal government is printing money, California will not be allowed to simply collapse. They will destroy the dollar before they let that happen. They are waiting until crunch time, because it will be so disasterous, but don’t entertain illusions they will not air drop freshly printed billion dollar bills on California to keep the leftist labratory experiment solvent. I know it’s illegal, against the constitution, yada yada , but we are not being governed by that document anymore. We are a nation of men, not laws.
Strange but true;
In the Sherlock Holmes story, the clue was the strange thing
the dog did not do in the night: The dog did not bark at the
visitor, because the dog knew the visitor.
TPTB know that Ca. will collapse, with levels of violence
typical of third world countries like Mexico, and they will
continue to ignore this familiar fact to avoid frightening
the children.
Of course, after it happens, the children will never trust
anything TPTB say, and that will increase the uncertainty
which is paralyzing private sector decision making;
What thing which just does not happen here will happen next ?
Paging Homer Stokes, Paging Homer Stokes…
Brothers! Oh, brothers! We have all gathered here, to preserve our hallowed culture and heritage! We aim to pull evil up by the root, before it chokes out the flower of our culture and heritage! And our women, let’s not forget those ladies, y’all. Looking to us for protection! From darkies, from Jews, from papists, and from all those smart-ass folks say we come descended from monkeys!
I have to say I admire the Democrats about the fact that they never leave anything to chance. You can bet your last dime that the Democrats have been planning on this maneuver for a long time and they have every possibility covered. However it plays out the Dems won’t lose this seat. It will still be in the D column for the foreseeable future.
This kind of crap is proof the government has jumped the shark and has no moral authority to tell us how to live.
52 years for the KKK member – but they complain about fake racists in the tea party.
Actually, KMarx, most West Virginians are remarkably unbigoted and unprejudiced against their black neighbors. The KKK is long gone and the “racial divide” is much less than you’d see in most northern blue states.
Off topic. Has anyone seen a picture of Harry Reid’s kid running for Governor, Rory Reid (Who hadn’t run an ad/ nor posted on his political website his family’s last name, due to the stink associated with it until ~10 days ago)?
Rory Reid looks more of a twerp than his old man! And these are the, ahem ‘Leaders’ of our nation? Rory looks like a prepubescent weakling. Governor!? hahahaha
Interesting that the poor hard working people of West Virginia will be represented by two American aristocrats, Jay Rockefeller and Carte Goodwin. It is so obvious that America is beginning to resemble the ancient regime of France. We are now totally controlled by the rich and privieged class with their Ivy League degrees and their private clubs and exclusive gated communities. No wonder the Obama regime looks down its long nose at the hoi polloi who pay the taxes that keep him and his family living the life of luxury and arrogance.
Remember, we are talking about “West, by God, Virginia”, the state Byrd built with our tax dollars. You cannot drive a mile, or so it seems, along any major highway without seeing a building with Byrd’s name attached to it. If you think for one minute, WVA is going to allow anyone to represent the state who is not in the same mold and mindset as Byrd, then you have no sense of the politics of WVA. After all, a man who was a member of the KKK and wrote praises about how much it was needed, had Obama singing his praises in the end. He was celebrated as a hero, forget about his past, never mind, nothing to see there.
Double standards? Ask Trent Lott about his innocent remarks during a speech praising Strom Thurmond. The freaking press, Democrats, liberals, NAACP, and every other far left organization in America was all over it and he was removed from his position in congress. But, Byrd? No past affiliation or actions were enough to warrant any criticism at all.
From what I read, West Virginia is in political chaos due to Byrd’s death. Manchin has the stooge, Carte Goodwin, essentially as a place holder until the November elections. However, this special election may well backfire on Manchin. The Nepotism with Byrd aide, Goodwin, also smells rotten to the core as well.
actually the KKK is still ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
robert c byrd will be greatly rememberd fer wat he did with the KKK. and he will never be fergotn. go KKK