Democratic leader’s affiliation with Chamber raises eyebrows

[smbolisnch]

Nick Casey, chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party, is a registered legislative and administrative lobbyist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform.

Some critics are questioning Casey’s association with a national group that routinely supports Republican candidates.

Last year, the state Chamber of Commerce and West Virginia Medical Association worked together to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on television advertisements attacking incumbent Democratic Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw, who lost the election to Brent Benjamin.


The ads blamed McGraw and the Supreme Court for many of West Virginia’s economic ills.

Casey filed his lobbyist registration form with the state Ethics Commission on March 11.

-snip-

http://www.sundaygazettemail.com/section/News/2005061132

[mountaindem]

1. I'm not happy about this at all

How can our state chairman be trusted to push a democratic party platform that is supposed to be to help working men and women, when he is lobbying for a group that is out to take away legal rights from those same men and women?

I voted for Joe Manchin in 2004, I will not be voting for him in 2008.
At least with Monty Warner, I knew I would get a GOP stooge, with Joe and now his buddy Nick Casey, you get two wolves in sheeps clothing.
Pseudo-democrats who have done nothing but hurt working men and women in this state with their policies so far.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.
I'm not going to be fooled twice.

[theHandpuppet]

2. Ditto that!

I was totally pissed and demoralized by the effectiveness of the smear campaign waged against McGraw. You wouldn't believe the number of phone calls we received at our home (a staunchly DEM home!) during the last election from some group in UTAH, no less, claiming McGraw protected child molesters and we needed to "save our children" by voting for Benjamin. The GOP emptied the coffers to defeat McGraw, with the help of the WV Chamber of Commerce. I don't know how in hell Casey got to be party chairman, but I think a public explanation is in order. I'm thoroughly disgusted.

[hollowdweller]

3. Mc Graw

Is one of the few in the state that really ARE Democrats. That is why he was targeted.

Maybe I missed it, but I don't recall Manchin denouncing the attacks on Mc Graw.

I am so glad I voted Mountain Party last election in the Governors race. You look at Manchin and he is definately to the right of former Gov. Underwood, and seems to be trying to grab power like George Bush.

I have always been proud of our states Democratic leaders. Although many have been socially conservative, most have been pro labor pro individual rights. However this current crop we have in the governors slot and many in the house and senate are shills for the coal and insurance companies and it really makes me sick how far the party has gone from people like Jim Sprouse, Ken Hechler, Charlotte Pritt, Chuck Chambers and some of the more forward thinking leaders we used to have.

[mountaindem]

4. I was impressed

In my opinion, two members of the legislature (one in the House and the other in the Senate)really stood up and fought for the rights of average Mountaineers in this year's regular session.
Delegate Carrie Webster and Senator Jeff Kessler.

As for two of my representatives in the legislature, they showed they were nothing more than pseudo-dems.

I've thought about a run for House but it probably won't happen until at least 2008, if then because I'd like to work on the national campaign in some capacity in 2008.

As for Casey, I hope by then he's nowhere to be seen or heard from along with our fake democrat governor.
At least with me, people would know where I stood. I'd have clear convictions, what you see and hear is what you get.
I can't say the same for the bozo in the governor's mansion now.

[Hubert Flottz]

5. Careful...you'll hurt all the Bozos's or Bozi's feelings!

Our Governor always did campaign like a GOPer, so there may be something to what you say. He's usually trying to stampede the legislative process, like George W. Bonzo does. The Gov is pushing only bills that favor the bigger corporations the same way a GOPer does it. He's is soft on slime, I will give him that! He Quacks like a GOPer and demands that people snap to a rigid position of attention when the 'majestic one' walks into a room at the state house.

A good rule of thumb is...If it Acts like a GOPer and it Quacks like a GOPer, then it probably isn't a real hard core democrat.

[wallybarron]

6. Carrie Webster

is fantastic. What did Jeff Kessler do to impress you?

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

7. he's a plant-just like joe 'democrats for underwood' manchin

there is no democratic party in wv any more

just two branches of the GOP run by intertwined families - moores, manchins, etc

[mountaindem]

8. Kessler

he basically fought the same fights Webster did in the House.
He was one of the few senators to oppose Manchin/Casey/Insurance companies/the chamber of commerce on third party bad faith.

Came up with several amendments which would have made it harder to file the suits, but would not have abolished them, all of which were defeated soundly.

There was a rumor that he was going to run for governor a few years ago. He's a trial lawyer from Moundsville, but I don't know if a candidate from the northern panhandle could win.

I like Webster, I think her future could be bright in the democratic party.

[wallybarron]

9. Never thought

about Kessler fighting the good fight. He's not good on women's issues. West Virginians for Life consider his office, their office. Their was something about child support or custody a few years ago. The details have slipped my mind. It was right after his divorce so we (women) thought it was personal. Is it time for me to look past these issues to the larger issues? Maybe. Jon Blair Hunter is an excellent senator. He does not vote pro choice either though. He couldn't push his clean elections and environmental agenda if he did. I think the Senate is down to one pro choice member.