Governor cuts Ribbon on Potomac Valley Hospital

Governor Joe Manchin was in Keyser today to cut the ribbon on the new Potomac Valley Hospital. The Hospital is scheduled to open on December 5th of this year.

Shown in the picture is hospital owner Hal McBee, WV Governor Joe Manchin and Dave Vanscoy.

Governor Manchin announced that funding has been secured to install a new traffic light at the Pin Oak Lane enterance. Part of the funding will be supplied by the taxpayers of Mineral County through a "Tax Incrimental Financing" district, part by the hospital itself and remainer coming from the state.

The nearly 200 people where in attendence to hear the governors remarks. Liller Paving and the Candlewick Inn recieved recognition from the governor for sucess with their small businesses.

Last Word on the W Movie

No, I haven't seen it yet and I don't plan on doing so.

However I read a review in Fox News's website that was almost gushing about how even handed it was. Oliver Stone expressed sympathy towards President Bush in a manner that astounded the writer of the review. It was sympathy with a cruel edge though.

Oliver Stone is a master propagandist. His film about the president undermines George W. Bush's legacy in a manner much more effective than the juvenile Michael Moore could ever comprehend. Stone states that he felt sorry for President Bush, citing the effects of a domineering father and a supporting cast of evil geniuses such as Condoleeza Rice. Here is the final liberal position on George W. Bush, a good but weak man manipulated by evil conservatives. Such "sympathy" could destroy the historical legacy of this administration, at least in the short term.

Stone asserts that every statement made by the president in the movie is true and backed by at least two sources. Such is the basis for arguing against inaccuracy. However words can be given context or have context taken away. Words can be delivered by an actor in such a way as to change the original intent of the speaker.

George W. Bush's legacy will remain as controversial as that of Harry Truman. Both men will have their presidencies interpreted very differently for the foreseeable future. Take two of the many looks at Truman made in the past fifteen years. David McCullough's biography, Truman and Arnold Offner's Another Such Victory.

Offner condemns Truman as a backwards provincial whose narrow vision led to disastrous results. Those results included the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan and America's early moves in the Cold War. Using the same statements and facts, McCullough celebrates Truman's middle American common sense as a strong factor in a successful foreign policy. Both men look at the same man's words and deeds to produce wildly different conclusions. Those who disapprove of America's leadership role in world affairs will side with Offner, while those who see the US as a positive force shaping the world will agree with McCullough.

Typically, Offner brushes aside critics of his denunciation of Truman by claiming they are blinded by "Fourth of July" triumphalism. Any idea that someone could legitimately and intelligently believe that Truman made good decisions about US foreign policy is laughed off. One sees the same response to arguments that Reagan played some role in ending the Cold War or that George W. Bush made the nation safe from terror in his presidency.

Hopefully academics will look at Bush's presidency with eyes not blinded by hatred to see the accomplishments made. It took a long time for FDR to get any credit from Republicans. Only recently has Truman earned grudging respect. Reagan is only now being described in positive terms by such unlikely people as Obama. Bush's day should come, but it will be a very long time.

Peana to Host Reagan Dinner – A Red Tie Event

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release Contact: Lisa Peana

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 (304) 730 – 4599

Peana to Host Reagan Dinner – A Red Tie Event

Media Welcome

Ceredo, WV -17^th District House of Delegates candidate Lisa Peana next week will host a fundraiser entitled; “Reagan Dinner – A Red Tie Event”.

Special Guests will include: Dr. Doug McKinney, Chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party, Marty Gearheart, 3^rd District Congressional Candidate, and Kelli Sobonya, Delegate District 16.

Peana is not accepting contributions from special interests groups and is relying upon individual contributions to keep her campaign funded. “I don’t want to be beholden to any special interest group - the only interests that are special to me are those of Wayne County,” said Peana.

Individuals who would like to attend should RSVP immediately. “We’re thankful for the great response we’ve received so far and hope that many more will join us,” Peana said.

The fundraiser will take place at Twin Silos Golf Club in Lavalette, WV. The reception begins at 6:00 p.m. and the dinner begins at 7:00 p.m.

Contributions will be graciously accepted.

Please call (304) 730-4599 or e-mail lisa_peana@yahoo.com to RSVP.

-30-

Paid for by Peana4WV, Jamison Jeffrey Treasurer

Public Employees Disregard

It's Only An Issue When I Say It Is!

All you need to know about the Manchin Administration came in his dismissal of the degree issue. After Russ Weeks clarified his opposition to cronyism in the gubernatorial debate, Manchin blasted Weeks. The governor asserted that West Virginia faced many other important issues that he preferred to discuss. He also claimed that he wished he could have called some of the plays run by the Mountaineers last Saturday, an interesting statement since WVU defeated a major rival by eleven points while playing an injured second string quarterback.

Four years ago, Monty Warner ran against Joe Manchin using an imaginative ploy. Warner created a campaign based upon the slogan "Status Quo Joe." In reality no one at the time had any idea what a Manchin Administration would look like. However, most Democratic governorships look pretty similar. Cronyism, small changes instead of real reform, and the perpetuation of Democratic rule without regard to the needs of West Virginians have dominated the Ruling Party's agenda for seventy-five years.

The degree scandal encapsulates all of the problems our state faces. A great institution gets embarassed by the culture of corruption that permeates every fiber of state government. Governor Manchin wants to avoid and minimize this issue because he cannot answer the questions about how and why this happened. The very fact that most West Virginians could not bring themselves to register surprise tells anyone how long the state has dealt with such problems. Until we address each and every instance of corruption as important, we will continue to not be surprised by "shocking" revelations and we will continue to not reach our potential as a state.

To move the state forward, we need Russ Weeks as governor.

Debate Coverage between Manchin and Weeks

The Great Depression

Since the media loves to talk about it so much these days, let's have an honest look at part of what caused our greatest economic crisis.

International factors: Europe entered a crisis of their own making way before the United States felt problems. The massive war debts hung on Germany at the end of World War I stymied the economic engine of Europe. Only US loans kept that country afloat in the 1920s. When credit was cut off after the stock market crash, Germany and the rest of Europe collapsed completely.

Domestic factors: Agriculture and industry produced way too many goods for the market in a time when foreign trade was restricted by tariffs. Surpluses built up by 1929 that resulted in factories cutting jobs and food prices dipping too low for small farmers to survive. The closest analogy to today's problems was the stock market bubble fueled by irresponsible lending practices that depended upon an ever expanding market.

The response: President Herbert Hoover preached a strong adherence to classical capitalist non intervention. The Federal Reserve Board did not step in to prop up banks as they began to fail by the hundreds. At the same time, Congress passed a higher tariff that cut foreign trade by 2/3 between 1929 and 1932. The tariff, of course, was not part of classical capitalist theory. above and beyond that, the economic crisis took on political and social dimensions. People were suffering in a way we cannot imagine today. This would loosen their commitment to capitalism and later even democracy. Democratic and capitalist governments failed in Europe while even in the United States some favored the tinpot, Latin American style dictatorship of Louisiana governor Huey Long.

President Bush and Congress acted this month in a way that Hoover did not. They stepped in to prop up the banking system which is the foundation of any capitalist economy. The public perception that something is being done addresses the social fears while the action should help restore confidence in financial markets. Also the crisis has produced effects that should balance out the problems and restore some equilibrium. Here in Keyser, gas has dropped almost fifty cents in the last ten days. This drops prices across the board and puts more money into consumer pockets to pay their bills, go Christmas shopping, or do anything else.

This is not the Great Depression. Government acted decisively to stop the bleeding and I pray it works. Government intervention is like medical care. You do not need a doctor to watch over you daily, but when you get really sick, sometimes you need help. I realize this is not going to reflect the opinions of most people I know, but it's my perspective on the issue.

Dan Greear releases new TV Commercial

Ugly

Previously we discussed the new film documenting the life of college football great Ernie Davis. In trying to emphasize the racial barrier Davis broke, the filmmakers resorted to creating a false stereotype of West Virginians as racist barbarians. Is this not in and of itself somewhat racist?

Well, Hollywood is outdoing itself this fall when it comes to ugly non truths and prejudice. Oliver Stone directed a new release entitled W. We can be fairly sure that it follows history as accurately as any of Stone's other movies. The trailer itself is insulting. It describes a "trillion dollar mistake" as the highlight of a movie "based on a true story."

I doubt the Iraqis right now see the removal of the vicious dictator Hussein as a mistake now as they sit on the threshold of stable democracy. Even worse is the insult that such a statement directs at the hundreds of thousands of US servicemen who fought and sometimes died there. The trailer for this movie shows a flippant, foolish George W. Bush. Stone substitutes radical opinion for historical judgment and caricature for biography. Then he has the nerve to say "based on a true story."

Finally Hollywood treats us to Bill Maher's insulting satire of Jesus Christ. Why even bother discussing this. You are probably sick enough already. Hollywood needs to ask itself why the popularity of channels such as AMC, Turner Classic Movies, and Fox Movie Channel has skyrocketed in the last few years. It is here and here only that you see the classic war movies that emphasize the heroism of American soliders and celebrate the values that made this country great. Charlton Heston does not ridicule religion in The Ten Commandments, but celebrates the courage of one of the great men in history. In Planet of the Apes he attacks racism and authoritarianism in one fell swoop. No one needed to be insulted or lied about in these pictures. Where have you gone John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and others?

Hollywood has turned ugly. Out of all the hatchet jobs out there this month, Saw V looks like the best of the bunch. You also have to celebrate the courage of the conservative actors that joined together to lampoon Michael Moore in An American Carol. I hope that they will continue to work together, but in the future to make movies in the style of old Hollywood, grand pictures that celebrate this great country rather than attack it.

C-SPAN2 to Host WV Governor Debate at 7 PM Today

Today at 7pm (ET) on C-SPAN2
West Virginia Governor Debate: Gov. Joe Manchin (D) & Russ Weeks (R)

http://www.c-span.org/

The PHC Blog will host a poll as to who you believe won the debate. Be sure to log on after the debate.

Tot Mom

This piece today is not meant in any way, shape, or form to show sympathy for a woman who, if she did not actually kill her child, she showed amazing callousness in the face of her daughter's complete disappearance from her life.

That being said, can the news coverage provided by CNN Headline News' Nancy Grace be described as anything less than sickly obsessive? I do not tune in to her show every night, but I have seen it enough to know that this tragedy has been about the only thing she has discussed in months. Experts come on to mainly be shown how stupid they are against the awesome intellect of Her Grace. Over and over again the public is treated to racy photos of the attractive mother dancing suggestively with another young woman.

At what point does "coverage" metamorphize into exploitation? The very phrase "tot mom" reflects a dehumanization of the suspect who, in American justice, is supposedly innocent until proven guilty. Yes, she probably did it. Yes she is good looking. But is there not some other interesting case in this entire country that she could discuss? Should the show not try to educate about our justice system rather than constantly titillate viewers?

The night by night onslaught of invective against this young woman resembles a fictional series rather than news coverage. The difference lies in the fact that in a TV series, there is usually something going on. Many nights, Grace rambles about the fact that there is nothing happening. Is this not the cue for the program to find another subject?

The young woman in question has a constitutional right to be considered innocent until proven guilty. As a former court officer, Grace ought to respect that presumption. Instead she plumbs the depths of yellow journalism, mixing shocking true crime with sensationalist sexuality. Such "journalism" soils both the media and the audience.