The Hightower Report

Pocketful of Coal

Old King Coal – what a dirty old soul!

Not dirty merely in terms of the gross pollution, mountain destruction, and mineworker deaths that the Appalachian coal giants are causing, but also in terms of the massive loads of campaign cash that they're shoveling into America's elections in a crass effort to get lawmakers who'll do their bidding in Congress.

In a letter to his corporate colleagues in the industry, a top executive of International Coal Group cited the recent Supreme Court decision allowing unlimited corporate funds to be spent for or against candidates of their choosing. Let's do it, he said, calling on them to create a huge pool of industry money "to defeat anti-coal incumbents in select races, as well as to elect pro-coal candidates." By pro-coal, he means Congresscritters who will oppose tougher regulations that can save workers' lives and stop environmental destruction.

Among the targeted races is Republican Elliott "Spike" Maynard's West Virginia effort to oust Democrat Nick Rahall. Maynard is a notorious industry sycophant and a crony of Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey Energy, one of the biggest and nastiest of the coal corporations. In 2006, Maynard, a former judge, was caught vacationing on the French Riviera with Blankenship, even as his court was about to consider a $50 million case against Massey Energy involving mineworker deaths. Later, no doubt refreshed by his jaunt to the Riviera with the coal baron, Maynard cast the deciding vote to overrule the $50 million judgment against Massey.

Now that's the kind of "pro-coal" congressman the industry has in mind! Along with ICG, Massey Energy is behind the push to flood several November elections with industry money. It's a blatant attempt to install unabashed servants who will coddle Old King Coal's dirty soul.

Go for the Feingold

If you look at the whole flock of 535 Congresscritters, it's hard not to giggle – or break out in uncontrollable sobs at the thought that, oh my God, this is the United States Congress. As Peggy Lee sang years ago: "Is that all there is?"

Well, no – within the manure pile, there are quite a few genuine gems, and one of the finest is a fellow who consistently stands for common sense and the common good. He's Russ Feingold, U.S. senator from Wisconsin.

He's a Democrat, but really he's a populist maverick who has refused to go along to get along, even when that means going against his own party and against what the political consultants tell him is in his own best interest. For example, he was the lone Senate vote against the autocratic, liberty-busting USA PATRIOT Act in 2001. Feingold also had the stuff to vote against Obama's escalation of the misguided war in Afghanistan, and not only did he oppose the 2008 bailout of Wall Street banksters, but he also said "no" this year to Obama's Wall Street regulatory reforms, blasting them as too weak and meek.

So, this sensible senator is now targeted for defeat by the moneyed elites. They've found a multimillionaire corporate Republican (who made a fortune in plastic) to use confused tea party forces as a ramrod to oust Russ. The corporate contender attacks Social Security as "a giant Ponzi scheme," calls health care reform "the greatest assault on our freedom in my lifetime," and insists that the science of global climate change is "unproven." If this guy gets any dumber, we'd have to water him twice a day!

But he's a rich corporate honcho, backed by the moneyed powers, so he could join the congressional manure pile – if we the people don't rally around one of our own. Connect with Feingold at www.russfeingold.org.