Does US Senator Joe Manchin Really Want Earl Ray Tomblin To Win

Is Manchin Using His Website To Support Governor Tomblins Election

“This is one of the oddest things to hit the internet in West Virginia.  If you go to what appears to be U.S. Senator Joe Manchin's website. What pops up immediately is a full-page endorsement by Manchin of Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin… HuntingtonNews.Net Editorial September 13, 2011

Manchin's endorsement has taken over the entirety of the website and is Manchin's statement, made as loud as possible, for his supporters to back Earl Ray in the October 4th Special Election for Governor.  Further, the issues listed otherwise on taxes and jobs, are all about Earl Ray, too.

Certainly, outgoing Democratic Governors have endorsed their successors in the past.  The endorsement itself is no big deal.  But the urgency by which it is presented on a website that should be engaging West Virginians on the top federal issues Manchin is working on in the U.S. Senate is striking.  Frankly, it comes across as a desperation play, as if Manchin is pleading with the reader in large font.

After a second look at the www.joemanchin.com website, one realizes that this is an Earl Ray Tomblin production, even though it has Joe's name attached.  But even so, Manchin had to have given Tomblin permission, not only to show his endorsement but, more importantly, to use Manchin's own name for this particular website.  Either way you cut it, Manchin is going way over the top in his support of Tomblin.

Why is that?

Manchin and Tomblin are both creatures of the West Virginia statehouse.  Tomblin owes his advantage as Acting Governor to Manchin, who vacated the job early to run for Byrd's unexpired term as U.S. Senator.  And they no doubt have had several conversations throughout this transition, including the obscure date for the upcoming Special Election, which should be a great benefit to Tomblin's chances over Republican Bill Maloney.

In exchange for giving Tomblin the keys to the kingdom, keys he could never get as a regional State Senator alone, what is Manchin getting in this political horse-trade?   Plenty, that's what.  As Manchin's handpicked, loyal successor, Tomblin likely knows where some of the bones are buried from the last administration, which was mired in a federal investigation for several months.  You can rest assured that, if Tomblin can help to keep any of those restless bones buried for Manchin, he will.

Everytime we see Joe Manchin sticking up for Earl Ray, just remember:  this is not just a lovefest between the two Democrats we're watching.  This is Joe Manchin taking out a very important insurance policy on his political career--and it's just one more reason to vote against Earl Ray Tomblin on October 4th.

Republican Bill Maloney will not stand in the way of any further federal probe of Manchin's time as Governor--and that has Manchin scrambling.

**This Editorial Was First Published By HuntingtonNews.Net On 9/13/2011**

End Of Story…

Jack Swint-Publisher

WV News 2011

(304) 982-7024

E-Mail:  WestVirginiaNews@gmail.com

Twitter:  @WVNewsOnline

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