McKinley, Morris visit area

Dick Morris, who managed President Bill Clinton’s 1996 presidential campaign and is now a commentator for Fox News Channel, spoke at a rally for David McKinley, candidate for the 1st Congressional District seat.

Also speaking was U.S. Senate candidate John Raese of Morgantown, who won Saturday’s Republican primary for the unexpired term of Robert C. Byrd.

Morris said he became a Republican because what he was became extinct.

“I’m a conservative Democrat; many West Virginians are conservative Democrats but we’re extinct, a political dodo bird,” he said. “In Washington you are a Obama-Pelosi- Reid Democrat or a Republican.”

Morris said West Virginia has recently tripled in importance for this November with McKinley running for the 1st District seat and Raese running for Byrd’s unexpired term.

Morris said McKinley and Raese can win in November. Polls show while 70 percent of West Virginians approve what Gov. Joe Manchin has done as governor, only 48 percent of those want to see him become a U.S. senator, Morris said.

“I’ve told Raese what he should do to win,” Morris said. “His slogan should be ‘Manchin for Governor.'”

Raese said his campaign recently completed the largest television advertising buy in the history of West Virginia.

Morris said McKinley and Raese support the philosophy used by President Bill Clinton’s administration to create a budget surplus, cut spending while cutting taxes.

“We balanced the budget in 18 months instead of eight years as predicted,” he said. “We worked with the Republicans to cut spending and then they wanted a cut in the capital gains tax which Clinton supported. When it was cut from 28 percent to 20 percent we were awash with revenue.

“When you cut taxes, everyone has more money to spend and that makes the economy grow,” Morris said.

McKinley said he represents a change from the way things are now done in Washington.

“Do you want more of the same or have you had enough,” he said. “It’s not with individuals but with the leadership.”

In November, McKinley said, conservative Republicans will take control of the U.S. House and Senate and that will be the start of change.

“We will see sweeping changes across America,” he said. “There will be changes in America and the courage to speak out.”

McKinley’s opponent for the seat, state Sen. Mike Oliverio, D-Monongalia, released a statement Wednesday questioning McKinley’s selection of speakers, stating he was “flabbergasted McKinley would choose to align himself with two Republican spokesmen that boast high-profile sex scandals on their resumes.”

Oliverio said he questioned the standard McKinley is setting using Morris and U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, in his campaign.

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