Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Raese announced today that he will be attending a Rally for Coal this Sunday, September 30, 2012.  The event will be held at the Madison Veterans Memorial Building in Boone County, WV.  There will be music and food.

WHO:            Senate Candidate John Raese

WHAT:          Rally for Coal

WHEN:         1:00 PM, Sunday, September 30, 2012

WHERE:        Madison Veterans Memorial Building on Walnut Street Boone County, WV

For additional information on this event, please contact John Raese’s campaign chairman Donna Gosney, 304-369-1414 or dlgosney@suddenlink.net.

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Today, FreedomWorks PAC announced their endorsement of Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Raese for the 2012 General Election.

“FreedomWorks is one of the most prominent conservative organizations in America, and I am honored to receive their endorsement,” Raese said. “This election is crucial to the future of West Virginia and this great nation.  Until we change the lineup in Washington, we can expect the same results.  I plan to stand up for West Virginia and fight for the future of our children and grandchildren.”

Please see below from FreedomWorks:

FreedomWorks PAC endorsed John Raese in the West Virginia Senate race, following in-depth discussions with Raese and a detailed look at his record. FreedomWorks PAC believes John Raese to be the clear choice for voters who support free markets, fiscal responsibility, and constitutionally-limited government.

John Raese is a successful businessman and longtime citizen activist. For decades, he has been on the frontlines campaigning for pro-growth, fiscally responsible policies that will fix the nation’s economic problems.

As President and CEO of Greer Industries and Chairman of the Board for the West Virginia Radio Association, John spurred economic development in West Virginia. As the head of a mining company, Raese experienced firsthand how the government’s excessive regulations increase costs for businesses and make it difficult to create jobs.

“The choice between Senator Joe Manchin and John Raese is simple,” commented Max Pappas, Executive Director of FreedomWorks PAC. “Senator Manchin is a career politician who has little private sector experience. Since elected to the Senate, Senator Manchin has done little to support pro-growth economic reform. He voted against Cut, Cap, and Balance, a budget plan that would have balanced the budget in under a decade. He also voted against repealing the President’s health care law, against major trade agreements and against ending the corrupt practice of earmarking.”

Pappas continued, “John Raese spent his entire career in the business world, and understands how to put people to work. His expertise will be a welcome change to Washington, and he will be a leading voice for common sense and responsible economic policy.” FreedomWorks PAC has also endorsed the following U.S. Senate candidates: Jeff Flake (Arizona), Connie Mack (Florida), Ted Cruz (Texas), Richard Mourdock (Indiana), Tom Smith (Pennsylvania), George Allen

(Virginia), Dan Bongino (Maryland) and Josh Mandel (Ohio).

FreedomWorks PAC is a grassroots service center to a community of over 2 million activists nationwide dedicated to fighting for lower taxes, less government, and more freedom in every Congressional district in America. For more information about the PAC, please visit www.FreedomWorksPAC.org, or contact Executive Director Max Pappas at Max.Pappas@FreedomWorks.org.

SOURCE FreedomWorks PAC

Contact: Jackie Bodnar jbodnar@freedomworks.org 202-942-7652

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John Raese released the following statement today in response to Joe Manchin’s new television ad “Hair Cut:”

“While Joe Manchin was getting a haircut, the United States has taken a beating from his friends Harry Reid and Barack Obama,” John Raese said.

“As long as Joe Manchin supports these big spenders and their Washington policies, the spending problem will not stop.  Aside from the fact that Joe Manchin gave us an additional $5 Trillion in national debt by voting for Barack Obama in 2008, Joe Manchin gave us Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who refuses to pass a balanced budget amendment.  Now that Joe recently said he won’t support Mitt Romney, we must conclude the he will once again support Obama and Reid.

In Washington, the only cut Manchin has supported was the $716 Billion cut from Medicare in Obamacare.  According to CBO figures, this cuts $3.98 billion from our seniors in West Virginia alone.  In 2013, in Senator Manchin’s hometown of Marion County, seniors who rely on Medicare for life saving medicines and procedures will get hit with a $1.12 million cut.  But it gets worse…. In 2014, Medicare cuts for Marion County seniors will be $4.66 million and the 10 year total for Marion County totals $132.75 million.

Always remember, Joe won’t be covered under Obamacare if he ever needs another left knee replacement.  This is because he is a preferred member of the “exclusive” congressional healthcare plan, where “lack of a spine” is the only pre-existing condition they won’t treat.

Joe Manchin may be cheap when it comes to his own money, but he spares no expense when it comes to your taxpayer dollars.  Throughout his career Joe Manchin has loved to say he is fiscally conservative, but his record shows he frivolously spent taxpayer dollars on his lavish lifestyle.”

Joe Manchin’s new TV ad conveniently leaves out numerous details about Joe Manchin’s fiscal record in West Virginia and Washington.
As our governor, Joe Manchin:

1. Left retired West Virginia public worker health care fund with a “budget busting” $8 billion in unfunded liabilities. (Editorial, “The Legislature Is Out Of Touch In W.Va.,” Charleston Daily Mail, 3/15/11)

2. Wanted to use $2 million in taxpayer dollars for an unneeded new state airplane. (Editorial, “Sky’s Not The Limit For State: Order For New Airplane Should Not Be Allowed To Get Off The Ground,” The [Morgantown, WV] Dominion Post, 1/29/09)

3. Spent MILLIONS renovating the governor’s mansion, including:

·         “West Virginians Are Being Kicked Off The Home Assistance Roles In Record Numbers, But The Governor Needs Marble Bathtubs” (Jane Wallace Claymore, Op-Ed, “Priorities; Mansion’s Upgrade Ostentatious, Tacky,” The Charleston [WV]Gazette, 6/29/06)

·         $29,000 In Plasma TVs (Jane Wallace Claymore, Op-Ed, “Priorities; Mansion’s Upgrade Ostentatious, Tacky,” The Charleston [WV] Gazette, 6/29/06)

·         A Banquet Hall (Jane Wallace Claymore, Op-Ed, “Priorities; Mansion’s Upgrade Ostentatious, Tacky,” The Charleston [WV] Gazette, 6/29/06)

·         A “Game Room And Media Center” With A 50-Inch Television In The Media Center, a wet bar and ELEVEN more flat-screeen televisions. “(Kris Wise, “Governor Gets Mansion Worthy Of His Name,” Charleston [WV] Daily Mail, 4/18/06)

·         A “Sit-Down Steam Shower And A Walk-In Closet.” (Kris Wise, “Governor Gets Mansion Worthy Of His Name,” Charleston Daily [WV] Mail, 4/18/06)

·          “$8,164 For ‘Four Tablecloths”And “$9,583 To ‘Reupholster Chairs In The Sunroom At The Mansion.’” (Phil Kabler, “Statehouse Beat: Mansion Kitchen Work Very Hush-Hush,” The Charleston [WV] Gazette, 4/28/08)

·         A Secret, No-Bid Kitchen Construction. (Phil Kabler, “Statehouse Beat: Mansion Kitchen Work Very Hush-Hush,” The Charleston [WV] Gazette, 4/28/08)

·         Manchin Had The State Lease A 2005 Lincoln Town Car And A 2005 GMC Yunkon XL Denali For Himself And His Wife, costing West Virginia taxpayers $22,000 A Year. (Eric Eyre, “State Leases Luxury Vehicles For Manchins,” The Charleston [WV] Gazette, 7/3/05)

·         Manchin Proposed, And Signed Into law a $55,000 a year pay increase, from $95,000 To $150,000.” (Lawrence Messina, “With Some Tweaking, Manchin’s Agenda Largely Approved,” The Associated Press, 3/13/06)

·          “[T]he Increase Comes At A Time When Gov. Joe Manchin Has Said He Would Not Increase The Base Salaries Of Teachers And Other State Government Employees, Citing Potential Revenue Shortages In Coming Years.” (Walt Williams, “Governor’s Annual Salary Jumps to $150,000,” The [WV]State Journal, 3/13/09)

4. Bought himself a $620,000 yacht called the “Black Tie” The yacht Has Two Staterooms, A Salon, Wet Bar, Washer And Dryer, Master Bath And Shower, And Entertainment Center. (Eric Eyre, “Manchin Brings 54-Foot Yacht To State ;Governor And Friends Took State Plane To Pick Up Boat In Alabama,” Charleston Gazette, 5/15/05)

1. “The Bedrooms Include Two Queen-Size Beds, An Electric Slide-Out Bed And Two Television Sets. There’s Also A Kitchen With A Microwave, Refrigerator And Coffee Maker. The Cabin Is Air-Conditioned Throughout.” (Eric Eyre, “Manchin Brings 54-Foot Yacht To State ;Governor And Friends Took State Plane To Pick Up Boat In Alabama,” Charleston Gazette, 5/15/05)

1. Manchin Supported A Plan To Build A Dock Outside The State Capitol.

·         “State officials are working on plans to install a boat dock in front of the state Capitol. The goal is to give boaters easy access to the Capitol grounds from the Kanawha River.” (“Boat Dock Will Be Built At Capitol,” Charleston Daily Mail, 8/13/10)

·         “Corporate donors will pay for construction of the dock itself. But the state will pay to build a ramp to make the dock handicap accessible. Estimates for that ramp project are as high as $400,000, according to Gov. Joe Manchin’s office.” (“Boat Dock Will Be Built At Capitol,” Charleston Daily Mail, 8/13/10)

·         Manchin, Who Owns A $620,000 Yacht, Was Supportive Of The Project. “‘The governor is very much supportive of the dock,’ said Manchin spokesman Melvin Smith.” (“Boat Dock Will Be Built At Capitol,” Charleston Daily Mail, 8/13/10)

1. As Governor, Joe Manchin accepted a $126 million stimulus grant to expand high-speed Internet across West Virginia.  $24 million of these funds were used to buy overpowered Cisco routers from Verizon at $22,600 each.  The handling of these funds is currently under investigation on the national level. (Eric Eyre, “Router bidding procedures questioned,”Charleston Gazette, 8/20/2012)

As our Senator, Joe Manchin:

1. Voted against repealing Obamacare.

·         In February 2011, Manchin Voted Against Repeal Of The Health Care Law. (S. 223, CQ Vote #9: Motion rejected 47-51: R 47-0; D 0-50; I 0-1, 2/2/11, Manchin Voted Nay)

·         Which CUT Medicare By $716 Billion

(Douglas W. Elmendorf, Director, CBO, “Letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner,” Congressional Budget Office, 7/24/12)

2. Voted FOR President Obama’s $447 billion “jobs bill” which raised taxes by $453 billion:

·          Manchin Voted For President Obama’s $447 Billion “Jobs Bill.” (S. 1660, CQ Vote #160: Motion rejected 50-49: R 0-46; D 48-3; I 2-0, 10/11/11, Manchin Voted Yea)

·          The Congressional Budget Office Said The Senate Version Of President Obama’s Jobs Bill Would Cost $447 Billion Over The Next Decade, But Would Be Offset With $453 Billion In New Taxes.(Congressional Budget Office Website, “Estimated Budgetary Impact Of Two Versions Of The American Jobs Act,” www.cboblog.cbo.gov, Accessed 11/18/11)

3. Voted FOR $50 billion on transportation and infrastructure spending

·          Manchin Voted For A Bill That Would Have Provided $50 Billion For Spending On Transportation And Infrastructure, And $10 Billion For The Establishment Of A National Infrastructure Bank. (S. 1769, CQ Vote #195: Motion rejected 51-49: R 0-47; D 50-1; I 1-1, 11/3/11, Manchin Voted Yea)

4. Voted FOR $35 billion to fund public employee jobs.

·          Manchin Voted For A Bill That Would Have Provided $35 Billion To State And Local Governments For Public Employee Jobs. (S. 1723, CQ Vote #177: Motion rejected 50-50: R 0-47; D 49-2; I 1-1, 10/20/11, Manchin Voted Yea)

5. Voted multiple times to INCREASE the debt ceiling.

6. Manchin voted AGAINST the Cut, Cap and Balance Plan.

·         Manchin Voted To Kill The CAP Act, Which Included A Constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment, And Statutory Spending Caps. (H.R. 2560, CQ Vote #116: Motion agreed to 51-46: R 0-46; D 49-0; I 2-0, 7/22/11, Manchin Voted Yea)

7. Voted AGAINST $61.5 billion in spending cuts. (H.R. 1, CQ Vote #36: Rejected 44-56: R 44-3; D 0-51; I 0-2, 3/9/11, Manchin Voted Nay)

8. Opposed Permanently extending Bush tax cuts and repealing the estate tax. (H.R. 4853, CQ Vote #274: Motion rejected 37-63: R 36-6; D 1-55; I 0-2, 12/15/10, Manchin Voted Nay)

9. Voted AGAINST cutting off federal funding for Planned Parenthood. (H. Con. Res. 36, CQ Vote #60: Rejected 42-58: R 42-5; D 0-51; I 0-2, 4/14/11, Manchin Voted Nay)

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But Manchin Says He Definitely Will NOT Vote For Mitt Romney

Just two months before West Virginians go to the polls, Joe Manchin has finally let voters know that he will vote for Barack Obama.

Well, kind of.

Asked yesterday by The Hill if he would vote for President Obama in November, Manchin refused to answer:

“I’m not talking about people’s election, I’m talking about West Virginia, the economy, staying here and getting our job done. You should be worried about what we are doing here.”

Given his refusal to directly answer such a simple question, The Hill had an equally simple follow up: Will Joe Manchin support GOP nominee Mitt Romney in November?

Manchin didn’t have a problem answering this one:

“No.”

That one word tells West Virginians all they need to know about Joe Manchin.

If he’s not voting for Mitt Romney, he must be voting for Barack Obama.

“Joe Manchin has perpetuated a hoax on West Virginians,” John Raese said. “He is the classic politician talking out of both sides of his mouth, saying one thing in West Virginia but doing whatever Barack Obama and Harry Reid tell him to do when he is in Washington.”

Remember 2008? Joe Manchin could barely contain himself.

The lifetime Democrat practically tripped over himself to endorse and campaign for Barack Obama.

Joe Manchin did so despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of West Virginia Democrats voted for Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary.

Manchin’s blatant disregard for the will of West Virginians in 2008 was just a precursor to how he would behave in the Senate.

Since going to Washington in 2010 Joe Manchin has voted with President Obama 87% of the time.

That’s even more than Manchin has voted with his campaign sugar daddy Harry Reid (82%) who has given Manchin an eye-popping $20,000 in campaign contributions since 2010.

Joe Manchin’s actions in Washington leave no ambiguity as to where his loyalty lies.

Joe Manchin supports Obamacare that will cut $4 billion from West Virginia Medicare over the next ten years.

Joe Manchin has been a spectator in Barack Obama and Harry Reid’s War on Coal that is bankrupting West Virginia.

And Joe Manchin voted for middle-class tax increases multiple times, despite campaign promises not to raise taxes on anyone.

“Actions speak louder than words, and Joe Manchin’s actions in Washington leave no doubt that he is more concerned with what Barack Obama and Harry Reid want than what West Virginians need,” Raese continued. “The Manchin-Obama policies have put our state and our nation on the road to ruin and it’s time for a change. We need a new president and a new senator so we can finally get a new result for West Virginia.”

Full text of The Hill article is available here: http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/250761-sen-manchin-mum-on-obama-support

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Throughout his political career Joe Manchin has never been one to let the truth get in the way of a good story.

First he endorsed Barack Obama in 2008, and then he refused to even show up at the 2012 Democratic National Convention for his re-election party.

Manchin was against Obamacare before he voted for it.

And Manchin opposed any tax increases on the 2010 campaign trail but quickly voted to raise taxes once he got to Washington and partnered up with Harry Reid.

Speaking of Harry Reid, Joe Manchin’s latest “evolution” involved his preferred Senate Majority Leader’s contributions to his campaign.

When a constituent called Joe Manchin’s office to ask him if he had taken campaign money from Harry Reid they said “no.”

Listen to the caller here: [audio] – MetroNews Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval – 9.19.12

Unfortunately for Joe, the Federal Election Commission keeps pretty good records on these types of things and the records clearly show that Harry Reid has donated at least $20,000 to Joe Manchin since 2010:

“Joe Manchin can run, but he can’t hide from his real record,” said John Raese.  “The facts are simple: Joe Manchin endorsed Barack Obama’s candidacy after Obama said he would bankrupt coal. Manchin voted against repealing Obamacare and voted to raise taxes on the middle class. And Joe Manchin DID take $20,000 in campaign contributions from the same Harry Reid who said ‘coal makes us sick.’  Sen. Manchin needs to stop playing games and come clean with West Virginians.”

When Harry Met Joey: A Long Liberal Love Affair

When Manchin Appeared At A Press Conference With Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Reid Piled On The Praise, Noting Manchin “Returns His Phone Calls Very Quickly.” HARRY REID: “Now, the speaker mentioned Joe Manchin. I so admire this man. So admire his working with us. As I told people assembled a little earlier, he returns his phone calls very quickly. He is a person willing to take a stand on issues that are difficult and I think there are issues we all agree on. I so admire this man, I’ve gotten to know him and it is with a great deal of pleasure I call my friend, Governor Manchin of West Virginia.” (DNC Press Conference, 6/10/08)

MANCHIN: “Harry Reid Is The Most Decent Person.” “Gov. Joe Manchin said removing Sen. Robert Byrd from his post as chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee could be damaging to West Virginia. But Manchin said he isn’t sure if he believes the reports that Senate Majority Harry Reid, D-Nev., is plotting to quietly wrest the spot from Byrd, D-W.Va. ‘I know all the players,’ the governor said. ‘Harry Reid is the most decent person. I know his respect for Sen. Robert Byrd.’” (Jake Stump, “Manchin Doubts Byrd Reports,” The Charleston [WV] Daily Mail, 10/30/08)

Manchin Said Reid Was “Fantastic” To Work With. MANCHIN: “And if I might say both these leaders return their calls very quickly if they don’t pick them up on the first ring. I am so proud to be here with these two outstanding leaders and the leader of our Democrat National Committee, my good friend Governor Howard Dean and he is been somebody I’ve enjoyed working with. And with Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Reid here who has just been fantastic to work with.” (DNC Press Conference, 6/10/08)

Manchin Stood With Reid In Supporting Obama. “In a joint statement, Senate Majority Leader Reid, House Speaker Pelosi, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and Democratic Governors Association Chairman Joe Manchin said the deadline was needed ‘so that our party can stand united and begin our march toward reversing the eight years of failed Bush/McCain policies that have weakened our country.’” (Ben Schneider and Erin McPike, “Superdelegates Rush To Embrace Obama, Praise Clinton,” National Journal’s Congress Daily, 6/4/08)

Reid Said He Has Talked With Manchin “For Years.” “My colleague Manu Raju caught up with Reid on Monday, who confirmed that he spoke to Manchin – but not about replacing Byrd. ‘I’ve talked to the West Virginia governor for years. He was head of the national governors’ conference. We’ve talked about lots of things over the years,’ Reid said.” (Glenn Thrush, “As Byrd Improves, Democrats Fret,” Politico, 6/16/09)

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