Maybe He Didn't Win, But He Got the Job Done

Russ Weeks fought a valiant campaign last fall. Underfunded, under covered, and under appreciated, Weeks put his all into the herculean task of dethroning Governor Manchin. The voters of the state chose to keep the incumbent.

However, eleven people and their families can thank Russ Weeks. For twice as long as he pursued the governor's mansion, Weeks fought for these people who tested positive for tuberculosis. These people contracted the disease at Pinecrest Hospital. Some worked there, some were patients, some simply visited the facility. Weeks exposed defective machinery and alleged other abuses. His campaign brought the spotlight of the state onto the hospital.

Those eleven people received half a million dollars in compensation due to the efforts of their lawyers and the publicity brought by Weeks. After his victory, Governor Manchin met with his former opponent to hear Weeks' concerns. Although they strenuously deny that there is an official investigation, the state has looked into some of the issues raised.

Weeks may not have achieved victory, but to eleven people he brought justice.

Russ Weeks

Russ Weeks is out of politics.

According to the Beckley Register-Herald, Russ Weeks has announced his intention to never involve himself in politics again.

All Weeks did was run one of the most ambitious campaigns in the history of this state. Against Joe Manchin's millions, Weeks pushed hard on a shoe string budget. The money never flowed in, except from individual Republican contributors who liked what they saw in the man. Anyone who met Russ understood that they were looking at a man of ability and also complete honesty.

Except for raising money, Weeks did everything right. He attacked the governor on vulnerable issues and remained relentless throughout the debating schedule. Weeks went to every county, attended almost every dinner, supported the party that could not do the same for him.

Weeks had to fight against West Virginia's lowered expectations. Manchin has not done badly as governor, but he has fallen far short of the business community's expectations. In West Virginia "not bad" or "decent" ranks him as one of the better ones in state history. Voting for Manchin meant sticking to the old paradigm. Weeks promised to do what Sarah Palin did in Alaska, clean out the influence of the special interests and reform government. Unfortunately few people paid enough attention to his message and politics has lost an honest man.

Like Cincinnatus (except the Roman Republican won in his battles) Weeks is returning home after the long campaign to tend to his property and rest.

Russ Weeks is out of politics.

And that is a crying shame.

Russ Weeks releases new campaign ad

How Dare You Question a Democratic Candidate!

Both the Democratic candidate for president and the incumbent governor of West Virginia appear to be easily rattled by scrutiny.

Joe Manchin tried, and failed, to trivialize the degree scandal at West Virginia University, then got his hackles up in response to Russ Weeks' criticism of West Virginia's economy. Barrack Obama lashed out venomously at Fox News for doing what every other news organization on earth has done to John McCain and Sarah Palin. Fox has looked at Obama's background, questioned his decisions, unearthed inconsistencies. It does the same to McCain and Palin, but rarely gets recognized for its diligence. Fox News gave the same kind of scrutiny to President Bush. When in 2004 the Democrats tried to unleash a November surprise against Bush, Fox reported it first. Hillary Clinton earlier this year admitted that Fox News was the most fair of the outlets.

Obama may hate Fox News, but his childish outburst reflects an arrogant man who believes the most fawning words the press prints about him. If elected he faces a factionalized party that voted not for him, but against George W. Bush. Is anyone counting how many times the man mentions Bush as opposed to McCain or Palin? On top of that most of the information that critics ridicule, such as the super complex latte drink he prefers, came from outlets such as the New York Times society writers who probably never dreamed that middle America would find that funny.

Joe Manchin has also not seen many hard questions tossed his way. It is revealing how much Russ Weeks, who supposedly has little chance, has gotten under the governor's skin. Maybe the governor knows something that the media and the voters do not.

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Joe Manchin may have made the most prescient comment about an Obama presidency in the entire campaign. He stated that Democrats can vote for Obama because it is unlikely Obama will be able to accomplish anything he actually wants to do. Obama wants to jack up taxes on professionals and small businessmen in addition to others whose earnings provide jobs. Other than that, he only promises vague change. To get what he wants, Obama would have to face a Democratic Congress whose newest members are much less liberal than their leadership. The vague promise of change will be interpreted differently by different individuals, most of which will be disappointed. Our foreign policy will be painful to watch as he first tries appeasement, then tries to look tough when that policy fails. The Supreme Court nominations would be disastrous, except for the fact that the Democrats for eight years instructed GOP senators on how to gum up the works.

So what do you get for voting Obama? Worst case scenario is that your taxes go up, employment goes down, and the United States is humiliated on the world stage by Jimmy Carter the sequel. Best case scenario? Nothing happens at all. An arrogant and frustrated Obama flails about as his own Congress refuses to implement the Communist Manifesto.

Voting John McCain gives us a president with a steady foreign policy hand who will keep us safe, a man with many more years of experience working with congressmen. McCain saw his tenure in the Senate as a priority, not a stepping stone for his ambition. As much fun as it would be to watch Obama flounder and take his party down with him a'la Carter, the country needs John McCain.

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

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.

If West Virginia's Obama Voters REALLY Want Change . . .

Sure they are a minority, but they will make up perhaps 40% of West Virginia's voters in this coming election. Obama voters have latched onto a candidate who has promised nothing substantial beyond "change." Yet those same voters will:

Vote to re-elect a Commissioner of Agriculture who has held the office since the days of Lyndon Johnson. Gus Douglass is not a bad guy. However J. Michael Teets has fresh ideas that will invigorate our agricultural sector and take advantage of emerging market opportunities in the "field."

Vote to return Joe Manchin for four more years as governor. Again, Joe Manchin is not a bad guy. He has not done a bad job, nor has he really made an impact on changing the political culture of the state. Russ Weeks promises to attack the culture of cronyism and corruption that strangles state government, but Obama voters will not choose his kind of change.

Vote to bring back Darrel McGraw for another term. McGraw launches frivolous lawsuits and distributes much of the money to political allies who in turn throw him major fundraisers. I guess we should not change that either.

Vote for Natalie Tennant instead of Charles Minimah for Secretary of State. Betty Ireland has been changing our state's political culture and Minimah has committed himself to continuing her fight. Minimah is outside of the traditional old boy network, also.

Vote for Democrats running in state legislative races. Now there is a vote for change. The same party has been pulling the same shenanigans for over seventy-five years. Definitely continue to vote for these guys if you seriously want change. Oh, by the way, while in charge, Democratic rule of West Virginia has seen our state plummet in population, economic indicators, and congressional representation. Thanks Ruling Party!

Obama liberals are entitled to vote for what they think is change (even though it is really for Chicago machine politics sporting a Cheshire cat grin.) However, they ought to at least be consistent. If they really want change, beneath that presidential box vote a straight Republican ticket. Now the GOP in West Virginia really is change we need.

Who Is Truly Ready to Make a Difference in West Virginia?

West Virginia received some good news today. Beth Walker's run for State Supreme Court has impressed exactly half of the state's voters. The most recent polls show that the race between Walker and the second place Democratic opponent remains too close to select a leader. In a state where 2/3 of the voters register with the Democratic Party, this is good news to anyone looking to change our anti-business climate.

A Walker victory means a shift away from our state's "judicial hellhole" reputation. She can join others on the bench who join many West Virginians in being tired of crackpot lawsuits and their damaging effect on our economy. Why would anyone want to do business in a state that does nothing to discourage the most ridiculous claims against honest business owners while allowing benefits to the friends of the powerful? We need rule of law in West Virginia, not rule of lawsuits.

On the other hand, Nancy Guthrie has swallowed the Obama change mantra hook, line and sinker. She has adapted it to her own political campaign, albeit clumsily according to Vic Sprouse's Change West Virginia blog. How West Virginia Democrats can run on a change platform is beyond my comprehension, unless they tell the whole state to do something it has rarely done in the past seventy-five years, vote Republican.

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They may have reached that decision anyway. With Democrats putting signs for Gary Howell, Dan Greear, Russ Weeks, Beth Walker, and others in their yards, maybe our state is finally fed up with seventy-five years of misrule.

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Has anyone else noticed the change in Obama lately? Mean spirited, sarcastic, no longer confident and pleasant looking. We may be seeing the real Obama here folks. As was said so eloquently on the movie Super Troopers, "desperation is a stinky cologne." The weird inability to stay on message is also a telling sign that the wheels fell off some time ago.

As for Biden, has anyone seen him at all lately? Do the Democrats have a bunker that they stuffed him into? What an inspired choice for them. It is almost as if they saw Biden as Obama's Dick Cheney. Taking pages from the Bush victory story is something I never thought I would see a Democrat attempt. Maybe they ought to listen to the Republican experts that say personally attacking Palin is a horrible idea. I can honestly say that Uncle Joe would have done that campaign a lot more good than Biden.

Personally I would almost bet that the Democrat power brokers have privately folded their tents. They will return to do penance at the Temple of Hillary, and wait for the next favorable time to unleash her on the electorate.

What It Takes to Lead

Imagine a candidate with small town roots, a hard worker that loves honesty and hates corruption. This candidate specialized in defeating incumbents that drank heavily from the wells of of big money and corruption. Now consider a candidate who is humble in demeanor but rich in life experience, a veteran of war. This candidate's experiences give him a dignity and perspective that make him a true leader.

You may think I am writing about the McCain/Palin ticket. Not this time. All of these attributes come in a candidate ready to lead our state, Russ Weeks.

If you have not read up on Russ Weeks, you owe yourself a few minutes to learn about him. Sarah Palin made headlines for putting the former governor's jet on Ebay. Weeks aims relentless criticism at the governor for gallivanting around on the state's dime in a helicopter. Palin defeated an entrenched incumbent thought to be unbeatable because the big business that preferred the status quo supported him. Like Palin, Russ Weeks believes that people, not dollars, vote in this state. He meets the people and listens to what they have to say.

Like John McCain, Weeks has a demeanor that shows the voters he will put the job ahead of himself. Weeks wants something better for West Virginia. He is passionate about changing not just the name on the Welcome to West Virginia signs, but also in changing our political culture. For Weeks it is about the state, not about himself.

Almost everyone agrees that the State of West Virginia needs a direction that takes us away from the failures of the past twenty years. How many people are willing to put their money where their mouth is and vote for a man that promises something different?

If you like West Virginia as it is run now, vote for the same people who have been ruining our state forever. If you think we can do better, put Russ Weeks in the governor's mansion. Alaska did it and 80% of them are thrilled with the results. We can too.

Obama's Chicago Problem

West Virginians will be very familiar with this kind of situation. When people from a certain political party want support for a statewide election, they must make a pilgrimage to see people they would probably rather not deal with (or should want to avoid anyway.) The southern coalfield bosses with their cheesy nicknames and tradition of corruption have helped manipulate results for politicians willing to "play ball" for many decades now. Some embrace the corruption, others do only what they must to get what they need. Few walk away untarnished.

Chicago is Southern West Virginia writ large. More money, more ruthless operators, and more sleaze. The main difference is that Southern West Virginia bosses may be corrupt, but none of them turned against their country.

Obama's biggest Chicago problem involves William Ayers. Today he has been embraced by left wing academics as an anti-war hero. In the 1960s and 70s he helped to organize and lead the notorious Weather Underground. This group targeted the US Capitol and police officers with the same kinds of bombs Al Quaeda uses in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ayers claims that his only regret lay in the fact that they were not more effective (i.e. violent.) Obama worked with Ayers on the board of a Chicago foundation and has been described by many as a friend of Ayers. A meeting with Ayers helped to kick off Obama's original Senate run. Robert C. Byrd was blackballed from consideration for national office because of his ties to domestic terrorism; now Obama has been shown to have ties as well.

Another problem lies in close Obama ties to disreputable slumlords in Chicago. He bought a house in Chicago under market value with a mortgage deal that average Americans could only dream about. These Obama friends are notorious in Chicago for providing substandard housing, at times they failed to keep the heat on for their poor tenants during the harsh Chicago winters. Obama jumped on McCain for not knowing how many houses he and his wife owned. However McCain used one of those houses to care for a child in need. Obama did not even use one room in his multi-million dollar mansion to house his half brother who lives in a Kenya hut on less than a dollar a month.

Corruption, lack of compassion, and questionable competence continue to erode the Obama candidacy. The careful Clinton orchestration of the Democratic convention indicate that they are looking past the looming Democratic disaster of 2008 to a candidacy for Hillary at the end of John McCain's tenure in office. Meanwhile Barack Obama has gone from utopian uniter to just another corrupt Chicago political hack without the effectiveness of someone like "Old Man" Daley.

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By the way, take some time to visit www.nomomojo.org This site keeps you up to date on the campaign of Russ Weeks and the growing reasons why we need change at the top in West Virginia.

Have You Seen These People?

The following respected West Virginians have come up missing in the last few months. If anyone sees any reports on these people's whereabouts in the state media, Katie bar the door because it is a sure sign the Apocalypse is on the way.

Russ Weeks, Republican Nominee for Governor: This former Vietnam vet and state senator published a book and has toured the state using personal money. He has probably used a much higher percentage of his assets to run than some multi-millionaire incumbents. Weeks has strong positions against cronyism and corruption, but on any given day could be pushed off the news pages by reports of a cat stuck in a tree. Distinguishing characteristics include blunt honesty and a willingness to challenge the status quo.

Charles Minimah, Republican Nominee for Secretary of State: Another veteran, a successful businessman, and another candidate spending more time meeting the people than his opponent. While his opponent spent her youth in a mascot costume, Minimah was serving his country. Minimah is well known for promoting black heritage in the Kanawha Valley and is determined to help the handicapped have better access to voting. When the national media bashed West Virginia as a state of racists after the Democratic primary, you might think that proud newspapermen and women would have cited this gentleman as proof positive of the opposite. Distinguishing characteristics include a strong desire to continue Secretary Ireland's reforms and preventing the bosses from getting their rotten influence back.

Dan Greear, Republican Nominee for Attorney General: If you get your political news from Phil Kabler, you might assume that Greear's consultant Vic Sprouse was running for some sort of statewide office. Amazingly, Kabler's vendetta against Sprouse gets more attention than any of these people actually running for office this year. If you get your news from the Wall Street Journal, you know that Greear is West Virginia's best chance to overthrow an attorney general infamous even within his own party for questionable practices. Distinguishing characteristics include tremendous speaking ability and a passion for cleaning up state government and how the attorney general's office operates. If you see trial lawyers wandering around looking for job handouts, you will not find Greear in the vicinity.

J. Michael Teets, Republican Nominee for Commissioner of Agriculture: The entire country is entering a revolution in agri-energy. West Virginia should be poised to take a strong role in creating new products as well as providing raw materials. Teets may not have been in office for many, many, many years. However his home is in Hardy County where the capital city of state poultry production is located. Distinguishing characteristics include amazing energy and the constant presence and support of his wife, Joyce.

Jay Wolfe, Republican Nominee for United States Senate: Wolfe can be spotted on the correct side of energy debates. He supports the expansion of drilling for oil to reduce prices and foreign dependence. Wolfe also supports reforming the tax code to promote prosperity for all and making revenue collection more fair. Jay Wolfe is pretty easy to spot. He stands head and shoulder above a lot of politicians.

Beth Walker, Republican Nominee for West Virginia State Supreme Court of Appeals: Walker is an amazing individual among those seeking the position of justice. She regards the law as her guide rather than special interests or personal whims. When she joins Brent Benjamin on the bench, the state will finally have a strong and solid group on the bench dedicated to interpreting law correctly and fairly. Walker has legal experience in a wide variety of issues.

If you just read state newspapers (outside of The State Journal, The Charleston Daily Mail, the Mineral Daily News Tribune, and a few others) you won't know that these people even exist because of the bias that permeates the profession. It is up to you, the voters, to go out and educate yourselves since the press won't do it for you. Look up their websites. See what they stand for as individuals. Read non partisan blogs such as Lincoln Walks at Midnight or partisan outlets such as Change West Virginia or The Republican Gazette. In all these places you will see information that will balance the bias of the state news establishment. You know that every vote for the people described above is a vote against seventy-five years of Ruling Party mediocrity.

CNBC Rates West Virginia Three Spots Lower in 2008

Open for business? Not according to CNBC.

In the past year, West Virginia has dropped from 44th to 47th in the nation in terms of having a business friendly environment. While we rate very well in the cost of doing business, we rank 49th in technology and innovation and 50th in terms of business friendliness.

Surely that is part and parcel of being in a traditionally neglected Appalachia, right? Not necessarily. Our neighboring states rate far better than we do. Virginia ranks 2nd, falling from number one last year. Ohio, usually cited as an underachieving state, rates 30th. Pennsylvania has a rating of 23rd and Maryland 36th. Even Kentucky earned a rating of 35th. Kentucky pulling ahead of Maryland is a surprise on the surface, but the left-liberal stranglehold on our northern neighbor cannot be helping it much.

These numbers desperately scream for a change. In this situation, change is not a platitude. Republican nominee for governor Russ Weeks and most GOP candidates for the legislature agree that West Virginia requires structural changes in the way it approaches the business sector. It is not just the law. We need to help transform people's basic attitudes about business. There is a mistrust there that goes back generations and this must be addressed. We also have people who prefer to keep West Virginia as it is because they see no need for economic development. They have their fortunes made and do not worry too much about the rest of us.

We must address this issue or continue to fall farther behind. Here is a link to the article from CNBC.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/25447869

The Internet is playing a greater role in WV politics

Russ Weeks candidate for West Virginia Governor spend most of last week touring the Potomac Highlands spreading his message. In case you missed him Russ has a new internet video.

Author Russ Weeks to Speak at Keyser Rotary

Senator Weeks, a Navy veteran who ran for office believing one man could make a difference, exposes the hypocrisy of state government in the Mountain State, and reveals an insider’s account of the true story behind:

Governor Joe Manchin’s handling of the Sago tragedy and the real reason behind the emergency mine legislation that followed the event.

The cover-ups and government interference regarding serious allegations at a West Virginia healthcare facility, and the heavy-handed efforts to stop Senator Weeks from pursuing the truth.

The charade of the lawmaking process, and how bills are often changed long after being approved by the legislature.

The real reason West Virginia ranks last in almost every category.

No Strings Attached is a riveting first-hand account of government malfeasance at its most shocking, told by the man who held the same Senate seat once occupied by Robert C. Byrd. And Senator Weeks issues a challenge: “Now that you know what’s going on with your elected officials, what are you going to do about it?”

Russ will speak to Keyser Rotary on Thursday June 5th at 12:00 at the Pines in Keyser.

How to Restore Faith in West Virginia University

Governor Joe Manchin faces desperate times in his quest for reelection as West Virginia's governor. His daughter who works for one of his biggest financial supporters received a faux MBA from a university run by his friend. Manchin also faces strong criticism over cuts to one of the state's most effective child development programs, Birth to Three. Russ Weeks has stepped up his campaigning and presents a serious challenge to the incumbent.

To restore confidence in West Virginia University and his own reputation, Manchin must turn to a man with experience that has no political ties to him. The best candidate to replace Garrison at West Virginia University (because right now everyone except Manchin seems to see the need for him to go) is Robin Capehart.

Capehart has the experience. He participated in a Fulbright exchange program with Romania and currently serves as president of West Liberty College near Wheeling. Almost as important, he has no political connections to Manchin or his friends. Capehart ran as a Republican candidate for governor in 2004, losing the nomination to Monty Warner. He also served briefly as Republican Party state chair. No stronger statement could be made concerning the de-politicization of West Virginia University than the appointment of the man who once sought to defeat him for governor. Capehart also has familiarity with West Virginia and its particular culture as well as familiarity with potential donors.

Make no mistake, our state university has developed a severe credibility problem and news outlets around the world have mentioned it. The appointment of a political adversary to the governor would go a long way towards restoring people's faith in WVU.

Gary Howell Fundraiser Last Friday

Last Friday night, Gary Howell held his first fundraiser of the campaign season. This event was organized by Christy Barnett with help from Gloria Howell and the good folks of the Old School Cafe. Campaign consultant Gary Abernathy hosted the event.

Gary was supported by a roomful of people who came to show their support and donate money. Included among Gary's local friends were State Senator Dave Sypolt and Republican nominee for governor Russ Weeks. Gary gave a tremendous speech that explained his priorities, namely economic reform in West Virginia to ensure a prosperous future.

Many items were donated for the silent auction. Included was some truly "fabulous fudge" as it was called. Let me tell you, that was truth in advertising! Others baked some delicious looking pies. West Virginia University professor Russ Sobel, Abernathy, and Weeks also donated autographed copies of their books. Barnett donated Washington Senators tickets and Cheri Gannon donated a gift basket from the Keyser sandwich and coffee shop On Common Grounds. Many other donations (I wish I could remember from whom) helped Gary raise a substantial amount to help his senate bid.

The Republican Party has a vision for the state's future that involves a drastically different course than we are following now. We need to put the development of state business first and create a solid foundation for growth. Only through a GOP Legislature will this ever be achieved. Gary Howell can be a big part of the solution that West Virginia needs. A whole lot of his friends that showed last Friday agree with that idea.

WV GOP out of debt

State Party Chairman Doug McKinney proudly announced that the WV GOP is out of debt, at the Winter meeting held in South Charleston Saturday.

Many in the state party worked hard to pay of the debt lead by Larry Pack and Jim Reed. Bob Fish and the crew of the state Presidential Convention also deserve credit from bringing positive cash flow.

Many candidates were on hand for the event including US Senate Candidate Jay Wolfe, Gubernatorial Candidate Russ Weeks, Attorney General candidate Dan Greear, Secretary of State candidate Charles Minimah, and Agriculture Commissioner candidates Lawrence Beckerle and Michael Teets. The party is upbeat and ready to take on the Democrats in November.

Former senator kicks off race for governor at State Capitol Thursday

Former State Sen. Russ Weeks today announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor, pledging to restore integrity to state government and return its focus to the people rather than the powerful.

“I fully understand the daunting task before me, and the tremendous amount of time and effort required to run,” said Weeks in his remarks at the State Capitol. “But I am launching this campaign because I feel very strongly that for the future of our state, the voters must hear the truth about state government.”

Weeks, who recently authored a book, “No Strings Attached,” about his four years in the State Senate, added, “Throughout my life and career, nothing has been more important to me than my integrity. And nothing is more important than restoring the confidence of our

citizens in the integrity of our government.”

Weeks is a retired Navy veteran who defeated Senate Judiciary Chairman Bill Wooton in the biggest upset of the 2002 election.

He resides in Beckley, with his wife, Helen. They are the parents of two grown children, and have three granddaughters.

WVRC concludes candidate recruitment drive

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lisa Peana

January 28, 2008 304-730-4599

WVRC concludes candidate recruitment drive
Club vows gains in all three branches of state government

Charleston, WV – With the filing period to run for public office concluded, Republican activists are working to make gains in all three branches of West Virginia’s government in the November General Election.

“The West Virginia Republican Club is happy that more than ninety-five Republican candidates have filed for legislative and statewide offices, thanks to the efforts of various Republicans around the state." announced Lisa Peana, President of the West Virginia Republican Club.

Over eighty Republicans filed for legislative offices. The West Virginia Republican Club also assisted state party leaders in the recruitment of candidates for high-profile state-wide races.

“Russ Weeks' entry into the gubernatorial race was a pleasant surprise for us all. Russ is a terrific candidate that brings experience, passion and understanding of the issues most important to West Virginians.

“There are many other races that we are keeping a close eye on, such as the Attorney General’s primary, where we feel that whoever wins in May will defeat Darrell McGraw in the general election, whether it is Dan Greear or Hiram Lewis.”

The club hailed Charleston attorney Beth Walker as a candidate that can win a seat on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in November.

“Beth Walker is an excellent candidate to fill the vacancy left by Larry Starcher who has been an embarrassment to the high court,” said Peana.

Peana said that she was also aware of candidacy papers making their way through the postal system for two more statewide candidates, and at least five more House of Delegates candidates.

Peana believes that the West Virginia Republican Club will be able to meet its goals of winning the Attorney General and Supreme Court races, and making substantial gains in the West Virginia Legislature.

“We look forward to mobilizing our volunteer army to assist Republican candidates across the state in both local and statewide races,” added Peana.

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The 2008 Governor's race....

just became interesting...

Russ Weeks is a personal hero of mine. I will be reporting more on that soon.