Challenger defiant against coal-backed McKinley
Candidate standing up to the coal barons in my state:
McKinley won’t have to dig into his own wallet this time: Like most elected officials in the state, he has plenty of cash from coal. The top five contributors to McKinley’s 2011-12 campaign committee are all coal mining or coal-dependent power companies, the CRP reports: Mepco, the International Coal Group, Alpha Natural Resources, American Electric Power and Murray Energy.
In turn, McKinley has had the industry’s back. For example, he opposed a mine safety bill that garnered the support of Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin and Jay Rockefeller as well as Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall.
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“When you take money from (Massey Energy CEO) Don Blankenship in 2010, and then you (oppose) coal mine safety (legislation) in 2011, then you’re not a friend of coal miners,” Thorn said.
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“I care about coal miners and that we have jobs. But it also is something that we aren’t going to have forever,” Thorn said. “We can’t wait until the last ton of coal has been dug before we decide what we’re going to do” for a sustainable state economy.
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