Gov. Joe Manchin's Record as He Bids for Byrd's Senate Seat

When Manchin campaigned for governor 6 years ago he promised to improve the state climate for business in West Virginia. CNBC's state scoreboard says it all.

Since President Obama is focused on the economy, what does Manchin bring to the table? Only his "Open for Business" results .

Manchin cut taxes, good. But it was a food tax, which most states don't have. So he gets a C.

He managed the budget well, good, but only by bringing in casino table games to increase state revenues on top of lottery schemes. This increases revenues by defrauding others, their duped consent notwithstanding (what gambling is, and why its a crime until legalized, for the "house always wins"). And this trick was done by circumventing and violating the Constitution of West Virginia, as the WVU Law Professor interview proves (and the state supreme court refused to hear in appeal!) Only 4 of 55 counties got to vote.

clipped from politics.usnews.com West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin: Senate Run 'Highly Likely' clipped from www.cbsnews.com clipped from politics.usnews.com BOSTON — West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin said Friday that he'll make a decision next week on whether to run for the late Robert C. Byrd's Senate seat. "It's highly likely I will," he told The Associated Press at the National Governors Association meeting. clipped from www.pbase.com clipped from www.huntingtonnews.net EDITORIAL: What Exactly Has Manchin Accomplished to Merit U.S. Senate Seat? Six years later, Manchin has accomplished nothing like that helpful effort for West Virginia's business climate. clipped from www.cnbc.com #46 West Virginia Category Score 2010 Rank 2009 Rank Cost of Doing Business 283 15 10 Workforce 126 44 48 Quality of Life 117 40 39 Economy 134 24 11 Transportation & Infrastructure 82 38 39 Technology & Innovation 27 48 49 Education 71 34 35 Business Friendliness 4 50 50 Access to Capital 12 40 36 Cost of Living 17 17 15 OVERALL 873 46 46

Bob Bastress: by Far the Best Qualified for Supreme Court of West Virginia

clipped from wvgazette.com Bastress, Ketchum tops in Supreme Court survey Supreme Court hopefuls Bob Bastress and Menis Ketchum fared best among West Virginia lawyers quizzed about the 2008 judicial candidates. Chief Justice "Elliott'' Spike Maynard received the lowest overall score, and also elicited more responses than any other candidate in the survey. More than 1,620 lawyers, about 35 percent of the West Virginia Bar's membership, rated candidates for Supreme Court and circuit judge in the Bar's latest survey. Bastress, a West Virginia University law professor, and Ketchum, a Huntington lawyer, each rated "good'' for their overall qualifications for office. The survey asked lawyers to rank the candidates from "outstanding'' to "poor'' in such categories as legal ability, diligence, decisiveness and courtesy to others.

With this story last week the Charleston Gazette presented some of the strongest evidence to narrow the field for West Virginia Supreme Court Justice, which demonstrates by peer judgment who is most qualified in the race, measured by some very important standards.

And with this podcast below from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, in an investigative article by reporter Scott Finn, Ketchum's claims and record are brought into the light, showing his own claims to be more of the "mumbo jumbo" he claims to run against:

Ketchum’s claim not supported by evidence - [Podcast link] 4/23
By Scott Finn

A survey of lawyers by the WV State Bar rated the candidates for WV Supreme Court. Coming out on top were WVU law professor Bob Bastress and Huntington lawyer Menis Ketchum. Incumbent “Spike” Maynard ranked last, doing especially poorly on the question about “integrity, moral courage and impartiality.” The other candidates have escaped media scrutiny, but recently, Ketchum has made claims about his court experience that don’t seem to be true. (5:23) Transcript

This leaves Bob Bastress, whose key expertise and credentials are below, standing head and shoulders above the rest, and who is the most unbias, non-political candidate whose expertise in the West Virginia Constitution--which through the Supreme Court keeps in check the powers of legislature and Governor--would restore objective and scholarly impartiality into a Supreme Court held now in the sway of political maneuvering.

Bob Bastress, a candidate for the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, is best known as Professor of Law. He has been a faculty member at West Virginia University College of Law since 1978. Professor Bastress is an authority on Constitutional Law, focusing special attention on the First Amendment and the West Virginia Constitution. Courses he has taught include Constitutional Law, Labor and Employment law, Local Government Law, and Legal Skills. Bob Bastress presently serves as the John W. Fisher, II Professor of Law.

Professor Bastress has written the only book published to date that focuses on the West Virginia Constitution, a nationally prominent textbook on counseling and negotiating, textbooks for his courses on West Virginia Constitutional Law and on the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and numerous other professional publications.

(website) BOB BASTRESS for Supreme Court Justice