Joe Manchin's Dead Aim
West Virginia is seriously unfriendly territory for President Obama these days. That's why it makes sense that even Democratic governor Joe Manchin would want to take a few shots at the Administration and its agenda in his bid for U.S. Senate. But we really didn't expect him to stray from the figurative into the literal. In this campaign ad, Manchin launches a rifle-toting tirade that culminates with him shooting a bullet clear through what's supposed to be a copy of the Democrats' now defunct cap-and-trade bill. Though taxing emissions will never be popular in coal-rich West Virginia, we're pretty sure that Manchin will want to use a subtler approach if he makes it to the Senate. The state motto may be "Mountaineers are always free," but any lawmaker who answers every Beltway frustration with hot lead won't remain that way for long.