Alison Lundergan Grimes has tried to blame U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell for the Obama administration’s tough new environmental regulations on greenhouse gas emissions at new coal-fired power plants.
“We are tired of Senator McConnell’s Washington, out-of-touch regulations,” Grimes told a group of Democrats in Owensboro last weekend, according to a video on Time-Warner’s CN2 cable channel website.
“On his watch, since 1985, we have lost more coal jobs than the industry can account for,” Grimes said.
This is a nonsense attack coming from McConnell's right when his primary challenger Matt Bevin blames the guy for coal regs, but for Grimes to make the argument is not only disingenuous, it's stupid. Running away from President Obama isn't going to make Democrats in the state vote for her.
Whoever's running Team Grimes needs to get their head on straight. Even environmentalists here are laughing at her claims.
Environmental activists, who oppose McConnell on many environmental issues, say that Grimes has it wrong.
“That’s a laughable accusation,” said Sarah Lynn Cunningham, an environmental engineer and activist in Louisville. Cunningham said she couldn’t think of one time when McConnell has sided with the environment over the coal industry.
Furthermore, Cunningham said the courts have tied McConnell’s hands when it comes to restraining the EPA on the issue of climate change and greenhouse gases.
“I can’t believe that she doesn’t know the Supreme Court has twice issued major rulings saying the EPA should be regulating greenhouse gases per the (federal) Clean Air Act,” said Cunningham, a Democrat. “Mitch McConnell has one hell of a lot of power in Washington, but the Supreme Court, they’re the big boys.”
Grimes better figure out a smarter position on coal regs in Kentucky than "They're Mitch's fault." It's insultingly stupid to the people who would want to vote for her.
I imagine she comes from Clinton's DNC lineage. That's the only way they know how to play. They aren't known for vision and creativity. Whatever reason coal jobs are going away, I doubt the dimmest Kentuckian would blame Mitch. Why just not say anything about coal and attack Mitch on other issues? That requires vision and creativity.
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