W. Va. Democrats to skip convention

[a kennedy]

A trio of West Virginia Democrats will not attend the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. to formally re-nominate President Barack Obama this summer.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, Sen. Joe Manchin and Rep. Nick Rahall do not plan to attend the convention, according to state party chairman Larry Puccio, who released the state's convention delegation list today in accordance with party rules.

West Virginia's senior Sen. Jay Rockefeller will attend, the state party said.

Obama is highly unpopular in West Virginia, a fact most recently reflected in the state's May 8 presidential primary where a federal inmate won over 40% of the vote against him.

Manchin in particular has sought distance from the president. In April, Manchin said he was not committed to supporting Obama's re-election.

"I intend to spend this fall focused on the people of West Virginia, whether that's representing them in my official U.S. Senate duties or here at home, where I can hear about their concerns and ideas to solve the problems of this great nation," Manchin said in a statement regarding his decision to skip the convention. "I will remain focused on bringing people together for the next generation, not the next election. "

Rahall's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/06/obama-manchin-rahall-west-virginia-convention-charlotte/1#.T9-eSI6f-5Q

[Proud Liberal Dem]

1. With Dems like this

who needs Republicans..........*ugh*

[kenfrequed]

4. Seriously.

This is why I rail against such Blue Dog Bullshit. They constantly want leadership positions and committee positions and they screw us over at the drop of a hat when it comes to issues or votes. The worst of them gave cover to republican fillibusters.

Really bizarre is that their relative numbers compared to the progressive caucus is small and yet they still want their positions.

[Gman]

10. Suicide is painless, it brings on many changes

[LiberalFighter]

14. We need to offset losers like these with better Senators in other states.

That way their support is not too critical and they have to crawl and beg to get anything decent from party leadership.

[Blue_Tires]

26. +1

[JoePhilly]

2. Cut off all DNC funds to these folks.

[Blaukraut]

3. What a pack of assholes

They might as well make it official and switch party affiliation. Manchin was the biggest waste of effort to get elected on the Dems' part in a long time. Good for Rockefeller for bucking his state "Democrats" trend.

[leveymg]

5. WV has no jobs and its cultural head stuck in the '50s. They dislike everyone in DC.

They hurt, a lot. Who can blame them, really?

[MightyOkie]

17. I think they are a wee bit pissed over energy policy.

Just a guess...

[leveymg]

21. You mean, Obama doesn't call it "clean coal', anymore?

That too.

[onenote]

6. As lame as Manchin is, if I was in West VA I'd vote for him over his repub opponent in a heartbeat

Anyone who thinks that it would be just fine and dandy for Manchin to switch parties or to lose to a repub seems to be forgetting that holding onto the Senate, even by one vote, is important. And for all his flaws, Manchin is a hands down better than his repub opponent, John Raese. Manchin voted against Paul Ryan's budget and against defunding Planned Parenthood. His repub opponent wouldn't have done either of those things. And here are a few other tidbits about the repub some of you don't seem to mind getting elected if it gets Manchin out of the Senate: Raese has referred to Franklin Roosevelt as "Fidel" Roosevelt; he's saluted Ted Nugent as a "patriot" for attacking President Obama; and he has equated the required posting of "smoke free" environment signs on buildings that he owns to Hitler forcing Jews to wear Stars of David.

So, I don't think Manchin is going to be abandoned by the DNC anytime soon, nor should he be.

[AtomicKitten]

7. Inbred hayseeds.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

8. This is why we NEVER were going to get a public option. DUers need to understand that.

Blue Dogs/DLCers were never going to allow that to happen.

[hrmjustin]

9. Well than maybe democrats should remember in November!!!

[onenote]

19. and do what? Allow an incredibly reprehensible repub to get elected and possibly give the Senate

the repubs?

Yeah, that's the ticket.

[hrmjustin]

20. yes you are right I know but... n/t

[Robbins]

11. Well

It seems like Rockefeller Is closest thing they have to real democrat.

funny how Robert Byrd could renounce his racist past become democratic leader In the senate when Reagan was President,make motion
to dismiss Impeachment against Clinton In the senate,be one of strongest antiwar voices In senate with regard to Iraq,be very critical of Bush,and even endorse Obama In 2008.For having a racist path Byrd seemed to have more guts than these guys.Manchin will once
Lieberman ges be the democrat most likely to vote with republicans.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

25. Don't forget Manchin is still new

During Byrd's early years in the Senate, he consistently filibustered civil rights bills, tried to block the nomination of Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court and took Dixiecrat positions on a lot of issues. In fact he even exploited racism to get elected IIRC. As he developed clout and stature in WV, he was able to moderate his positions slightly and had the flexibility to mature to become the great statesman he ended up being

I'm not too fond of Manchin -and find this incessant anti-Obama pandering by both him and Earl Ray Tomblin to be absolutely pathetic and unnecessary (there are ways to distance yourself from the Democratic ticket without being as rude and disrespectful as particularly Tomblin has been) -but he has come through for Dems on some of the important issues and on some issues such as the DREAM Act and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", he chose to be absent rather than undermining the Democrats by voting against both measures. Hopefully as he grows in stature, he'll grow a bit in terms of political ideology and he'll have more flexibility

[KamaAina]

12. DINOs, all of them

It's been especially disappointing to see Rahall tend more and more DINO over the years.

[eyeofnewt]

13. It's sad...

when it comes down to Manchin or Raese. Of course Manchin is better than Raese...but not by much. I think the reason for the so- called Democrats doing what they do and voting like they do is Big Coal. They can't possibly win any election without that support. The concern for the environment takes a back seat to a job and way of life, and if the citizens perceive Obama as a threat to that, then he has no chance, and the democrats will sell out every time. I can't imagine this will ever change, not just in WV, but in all the large coal producing states. But, I don't think they are inbred hayseeds. To their way of thinking, any regulation threatens their livelihood. People all over the country vote against their own best interests. Need I say, Republican women?

[WI_DEM]

15. Good.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

16. C'mon guys

at least pretend to be proud to be Democrats whom support their President. Seems to me that they're basically running from themselves. "Fake it to make it, like they say!"

[KatChatter]

18. Sorry WV, Pres Obama is not going get any whiter

But he may get more conservative just to please the mouth breathers, non-liberals and non-progressives that are allowed, to the great dismay of many, into the Democratic Party.

[Arkana]

22. Manchin is seriously a reprehensible piece of shit.

Why does he bother associating at all with the Democratic Party? Why even run as a Democrat? Why not just switch parties if you have this level of hatred for the man who leads yours?

[ailsagirl]

23. Doesn't it make them look bad??

Not willing to be a part of what the rest of the party is doing smacks of sulking and childishness.
Morons

[KatChatter]

24. An ad today in my local paper is looking for Democratic Delegates to go to the convention

seems like people locally are bailing due to the choice of venue.

Don't blame them one bit.

I was informally asked but just laughed when I was and told them no thanks.

[MightyOkie]

27. Looks like more are skipping the party.

http://www.thedaily.com/page/2012/06/20/web-news-dems-distancing-from-obama/