What do a cap and trade shooting blue-dog, environmental watch-dog, tea party Palin pal, and a 9/11 conspirator all have in common?

John Raese’s residency is, again, being called into question with his wife’s inability to vote for him. This, in addition to an offensive ad released earlier this month, has caused his lead to slide in recent polls. Manchin leads coming into the closing weeks.

The mud is being slung and the stakes are getting higher in West Virginia as November nears. The Democrats can’t afford to lose West Virginia to the GOP, and the Republicans are savoring at this opportunity and doing everything they can to capitalize on it.

After losing the race to represent the Democrats in a special US Senate election, former Democratic politician (and arguably, institution as far as West Virginia is concerned) Ken Hechler has endorsed Jesse Johnson. Johnson is the nominee for US Senate of the Mountain Party, West Virginia’s affiliate of the Green Party.

Mountaintop removal mining opponent Jesse Johnson runs in the special election for the late U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd’s seat.

In honor of Thomas Jefferson’s 267th birthday, the Green Party of Florida and the People’s Lobby Coalition for Public Funding Only of All Elections will hold a forum on the influence of corporate lobbies on US elections. The speakers will discuss ‘Money Morality’ and the effect of corporate money on health care, energy, the economy, treatment of the poor, and other major issues, with an analysis of military expenditures in light of campaign contributions from defense contractors.