I see that the political endorsement season is upon us.
Supreme Court candidates Menis Ketchum and Bob Bastress got the endorsement of the West Virginia Education Association. Ketchum and Margaret Workman got the endorsement of the AFL-CIO.
And Justice Elliott “Spike” Maynard got the endorsement of . . . ready for this?
The West Virginia Sheriff’s Association PAC.
I’ll pause writing, and wait until you stop laughing.
As the West Virginia Record reports:
Justice Maynard has the knowledge, experience and integrity to serve a second term as our Supreme Court Justice,” said West Virginia Sheriffs’ Association PAC president, Daniel Moore. “We were proud to endorse him almost 12 years ago and we are honored to endorse him again for another 12 years.”
Let’s put this endorsement in perspective. The WVEA represents thousands of teachers. The AFL-CIO represents thousands of blue-collar workers.
But I have no idea who the West Virginia Sheriff’s Association PAC represents. This isn’t the Sheriff’s Association, which represents the interests of the 55 county sheriffs (but not their deputies; that’s for the Deputy Sheriff’s Association).
No, it’s just a Political Action Committee, a group designed to spread cash around for political causes. In other words, Spike got the endorsement of a handful of people in charge of somebody’s else’s politically-generated pile of money. Not too impressive.
I talked to a reporter friend about the endorsement, and he posed a beautiful question to me:
Do you think the Sheriffs would’ve endorsed Spike Maynard if they knew he is currently being investigated by the FBI? And the IRS? And the U.S. Justice Department? All at the same time?
Let that question sink in. This reporter knows what he’s talking about. Now, anyone out there in the peanut gallery got any thoughts?
By thoughts, I mean rational thoughts. Not psychotic, discordant, rambling, Joseph Goebbels kind of thoughts that some readers of this blog like to spew. I’m looking for your honest, coherent thoughts. Feel free to e-mail me at bo.rumpole@gmail.com.
Maybe a reporter should ask the Sheriff’s Association PAC president that very question.
And the next time a PAC decides to spread its money around, maybe its members should ask Spike the same question . . . ’cause I think he’s gonna have some serious ’splainin to do . . .
Tags: Blankenship, Corruption, Politics, Spike Maynard, Supreme Court
