95-year-old former Congressman runs for Byrds seat?

[CoolBreeze]

This is stupid on so many levels....

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Former Congressman and West Virginia Secretary of State Ken Hechler has entered the Democratic primary race against Gov. Joe Manchin.

The 95-year-old faxed paperwork to the Secretary of State's office this morning.

Throughout his career, Hechler has fought battles against strip mining and mountaintop removal. Last June, he was among demonstrators who were arrested at a Raleigh County mountaintop removal protest outside a Massey Energy preparation plant near Marsh Fork Elementary School.

Mountaintop removal will be the sole focus of his campaign, Hechler said Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm not running to get votes for myself," Hechler said. "I'm running to givepeople an opportunity to cast their votes against mountaintop removal. ... This is the only way I can get [the issue] on the ballot."

Hechler acknowledged he likely couldn't beat Manchin, but "I will not act as though I do not believe I will win."

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201007210412

[amayo]

While I respect your opinion, I would never call anything Ken Hechler does stupid. He has been a lifelong champion for West Virginia, and has always been unafraid to speak his mind. He has earned my respect, and that's not an easy thing to do if you're in politics. He obviously has a point of view, and is using the election as a platform for his beliefs. Why is that stupid? As long as he follows the law and does everything legally he has every right to run and a lot more reason than many candidates these days.

[jag]

Indeed. And, as always, very well put, Al.

[CoolBreeze]

Because he's wasting our time!

1... IF he were elected, he'd die in office.

2... He's running on a single issue: Stop mountaintop removal. Many coal miners would disagree with that issue.
That's the ONLY reason he's running, to bring attention to that one issue. If he wants to protest MTR, do it using the normal channels and not this. What a waste of time!

"Out-Of-State Ken" has been nothing but a professional protester for half his life... fine. But dont waste our money doing it.

[Dave Harman]

Because he's wasting our time!

1... IF he were elected, he'd die in office.

But look at how much fun we get to have when that happens.

[The Interpreter]

Wasting your money? He paid the one percent of yearly salary filing fee...$1740.

http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/con ... l?nav=5061

[genlock]

It costs very little to put another name on the ballot.
We coulda passed the hat and put Nunley's name on the ballot.
It worked for that Greene guy in South Carolina.

[Bob Campbell]

How can you not love the guy who wrote "Bridge at Remagen"?

[AmpedNow]

Isn't this a rather senile way of drawing attention to MTR?

Imagine if he actually won...

[CoolBreeze]

How can you not love the guy who wrote "Bridge at Remagen"?

I love the woman who wrote Frankenstein too, but she wasn't a West Virginian either and I wouldn't vote her into Congress.

[Bob Campbell]

How can you not love the guy who wrote "Bridge at Remagen"?

I love the woman who wrote Frankenstein too, but she wasn't a West Virginian either and I wouldn't vote her into Congress.

And she's been dead for 2 hundred years. On second thought, not that different from Hechler.

[CoolBreeze]

True....

[genlock]

So, If Hechler loses, that would be a voters affirmation on the practice of Mountain Top Removal mining methods?
If he wins it would mean the voting public does not like Mountain Top Removal methods.

I see now how this works