In Appalachia, coal remains king of the hill

Sigh. And this is why -- until there are jobs to replace those lost in the coal industry -- we face a real uphill battle for the Appalachian vote.

http://www.indianagazette.com/news/reg-national-world/in-appalachia-coal-remains-king-of-the-hill,20019270/
In Appalachia, coal remains king of the hill
by ADAM BEAM and JONATHAN MATTISE, Associated Press on June 09, 2014

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The coal industry is shedding thousands of jobs and facing the government’s most severe crackdown on carbon emissions yet. But king coal still flexes its political muscle in Kentucky and West Virginia, where Republicans and even Democrats try to out-coal one another by cozying up to the industry and slamming President Barack Obama.

In other coal-producing areas such as Ohio and Virginia, Democrats have been able to win even with the industry against them. That’s not an option for politicians in the heart of Appalachia.

Many people here still cling to coal as a source of work and cultural pride, so almost everyone running for office seeks the mantle of coal savior, or at least defender.

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Republican up for re-election, chided his Democratic opponent, Alison Lundergan Grimes, for accepting money from “anti-coal activists,” including a group that worked closely with the Obama administration on the regulations. Grimes counters that McConnell and his super PAC have taken campaign money from a group whose goals include reducing the number of coal-fired power plants in Texas.... MORE