Joe Manchin, John Raese Duel Over Obama
West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin and Republican John Raese had their only meeting Monday evening, in a debate in which the two Senate candidates sparred over the president, his most controversial legislation and the state's dominant coal industry.
With a national spotlight shining on the once-sleepy Senate race, Manchin and Raese tried to capitalize on their last opportunity to speak directly to voters, two weeks before Election Day. Public polls show a competitive race, and both political parties have zeroed in on the contest, pouring millions into the race.
A relaxed Raese frequently attacked Manchin, who often brought up his six years as governor when making his case that voters should send him to Washington to serve the remaining two years of the late Sen. Robert Byrd's term.
Manchin invoked Byrd twice during the debate in Morgantown, W. Va., recalling that the state's political legend would occasionally buck his party for the sake of his home state because he "didn't care who the president was."
A pair of third-party candidates rounded out the debate, for a total of four men being grilled in the West Virginia public broadcast studios, but another politician took center stage for most of the evening: President Barack Obama. In keeping with his strategy to tie Manchin to the unpopular president, Raese repeatedly brought up Obama throughout the hourlong session.
Manchin has tried to distance himself from Obama during the campaign, most notably during his latest television commercial, in which he fires a gun at the Democratic-sponsored cap-and-trade bill. Monday evening's meeting was no exception to the Obama dodging.
"I hate to inform my opponent, but Mr. Obama's name will not be on the ballot for the U.S. Senate in West Virginia. It will be me," said Manchin. "And my record has been very clear, and I've worked very hard."
Raese shot back: "That certainly sounds like a career politician to me."
At the crux of the Obama-centered debate was health care reform. Manchin initially supported the legislation and said publicly earlier this year that he would have voted for it. But more recently, Manchin has criticized the bill, and he announced in his latest television commercial that he would work to repeal parts of it. Pressed by the moderator, Manchin said he favored getting rid of the "onerous" small-business provisions and the mandates for coverage in the legislation.
Raese, for his part, said he would scrap the entire bill.
"I'd like to repeal every part of that because it is pure, unadulterated socialism," said Raese. "It is the worst bill that has ever come out of the United States Senate and House."
Raese also hit Manchin for another of Obama's signature pieces of legislation: the stimulus package. He questioned how the governor could accept funds from the stimulus bill and still claim to support a balanced federal budget.
"Mr. Manchin has accepted $1.4 [billion]; he's already used $500 million," Raese said. "So if this is his idea of how to save and cut spending, then it's rather odd to me."
Manchin quickly interrupted, noting that the state did not support a second stimulus package. He argued the funds were acceptable because "the federal government and state government should be your partner but not your provider."
Raese has recently come under fire for expressing opposition to the minimum wage — not a popular stance in West Virginia, with its high percentage of low-income and working-class families. Raese tried to explain his position in the debate, saying he wanted to get rid of the minimum wage because he wants "a better wage" for workers by eliminating the federal requirement for hourly pay.
"I want a better wage for everybody, and in order to get a better wage for everybody, we have to start lifting jobs and manufacturing where they should be," Raese said. "Not like Manchin and Obama — they enjoy people working for $7.25. Quite frankly, I don't."
Coal, one of the state's most dominant industries, also played heavily in the debate. Raese, who owns a mining company, said he thought coal has "almost 200 years of reserve" to satisfy the nation's energy needs. He also said he did not believe in global warming.
At the heart of the coal issue, however, was mine safety. The topic was a raw one, coming less than a week after dozens of miners in Chile were rescued after being trapped for months underground; meanwhile, West Virginia has endured several mine accidents with casualties in the past few years.
"As you know, the safety of our miners is the most important thing in my mind," said Manchin.
Raese, audibly angry, lamented why he — as an owner of a mining company — had never been asked by government officials to give insight about safety issues.
"I'm in the mining business; I'm in the coal mining business; I've served in the limestone mining business," said Raese. "You know, I have never in my life, ever, been asked by any bureaucrat, ever, about my input into safety, my input into what we can do."
Flanking the two third-party candidates on a closed television set, Manchin and Raese kept their distance from each other for most of the debate.
The two third-party candidates were also questioned by the panel of local journalists, although less frequently than Manchin or Raese.
At one point, a visibly nervous Constitution Party candidate, Jeff Becker, ranted about a conspiracy behind Sept. 11. A more polished Jesse Johnson, a Mountain Party candidate, railed against the environmental damage caused by coal mining through the mountaintop removal method.
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Sources: Politico, Google Maps
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