Sen. Manchin Maintains Lucrative Ties to Family-Owned Coal Company

[Willinois]

It should come as no surprise that Joe Manchin has made millions from the coal industry. This is the guy who ran a commercial of himself shooting a copy of the cap-and-trade bill with a gun.

Quote:Manchin's support for coal-industry priorities encompasses an array of hot-button political issues, from his pushback at U.S. EPA plans for the regulation of coal ash as a hazardous waste to the agency's policy on mountaintop-removal mining.

The freshman senator's first bill this year aimed to stop EPA from retroactively vetoing mountaintop-removal permits, a key step in a broader bid by coal companies to roll back the Obama administration's more stringent oversight of mining projects.

Manchin is an embarrassment who damages the reputation of the entire Senate Democratic caucus by being associated with the party. He gives ammunition to Republicans and Greens who can point to him and claim "both parties do it."

It's inexcusable that Reid put him on an energy committee. He's representing the Democratic Party on energy issues. He should be removed from the energy committee and primaried.