Nick Rahall’s War on Umbrellas
The chief economic staple of West Virginia is coal. But Congressman Nick Rahall has been in Washington so long he seems to have forgotten what coal looks like.
From Politico this morning: “As Rahall began speaking at the WRRDA presser, something suddenly caught his attention: “As a matter of fact, that looks like a lump of coal sitting right there,” he said, pointing to an object on a chair. “Is that what that black lump is?” A reporter replied that “it’s an umbrella,” eliciting laughter from Rahall and others in the room.” Politico Pro, Sleep apnea bill coming today – How to sell WRRDA – Vitter: Spend more on transport, Snider (9/12/13).
But Barack Obama, the EPA, and Nick Rahall aren’t waging a war on umbrellas – they are waging a war on coal. And yesterday, Bloomberg reported a new front opening in that war – the EPA is set to issue a rule that will completely halt the development of new coal-fueled plants by requiring they meet unachievable carbon standards. Bloomberg, Coal Industry Cries Foul Over Obama Emission Rules, Drajem (9/12/13).
And while Rahall may feign outrage to voters, facts are stubborn things. And the fact is that Nick Rahall endorsed Obama in 2008 and 2012, claimed that Obama wasn’t waging a war on coal in 2009, voted against a bill to rein in the EPA in 2011, and voted for a carbon tax in 2013.
Now West Virginia is paying the price for Rahall’s betrayal. Find out more at: www.rahallforcongress.com.
NRCC Comment: “When he’s campaigning in West Virginia Nick Rahall puts on a show of fake outrage at the EPA, but when he’s home in Washington his voting record sends a clear signal to President Obama that Rahall is on board with the war on coal. It’s obvious that Rahall is never going to stop giving the President the ‘benefit of the doubt’ in everything that he does and that makes Rahall unfit to continue to represent the 3rd District of West Virginia in Congress.” – NRCC Spokesman Ian Prior