Alison Lundergan Grimes is seriously losing out on the coal battle in Kentucky.
Between pushing outright lies about Sen. McConnell’s record on coal, fundraising with anti-coal Harry Reid, and laying out an overly broad and substance-lacking position on “clean coal,” no one is quite sure what she’s trying to get across.
Just this morning, the Courier Journal reported that in response to her baseless claims, environmental activists have called her bluff:
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.
“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.”
And remember, Bill Bissett, president of the Kentucky Coal Association, said Grimes has been basically MIA on coal until now, and most view Senator McConnell as the leader in the fight for Kentucky Coal:
“One person’s position on coal is defined and the other has yet to be,” says Bissett. “I would say our industry has looked at Sen. McConnell as the chief adversary of President Obama since he took office. I think you’ve seen Sen. McConnell be very engaged in coal and standing in the way of a lot the president’s policies as it relates to coal in Kentucky.”
Bissett adds that Grimes hasn’t said much about the subject until now and rarely was involved with the industry’s concerns or needs in her capacity as secretary of state.
So we think its time for Part-Time Grimes to close up shop. Because Kentuckians on both the left and the right aren’t buying what she’s selling.
