http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-elect/2006/nov/03/110306156.htmlCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The chief executive of West Virginia's largest coal company is tapping into his personal fortune to try to give Republicans control of the state Legislature - something they haven't enjoyed in more than seven decades.
Massey Energy Co. CEO Don Blankenship has spent more than $1.8 million to promote 41 GOP candidates through contributions and his personal political action committee, "And for the Sake of the Kids."
When talk turns to politics in West Virginia, it invariably leads to Blankenship and his agenda - parental notification of abortions for minors, increased spending for higher education, opposition to same-sex marriage and the elimination of the state's 5 percent food tax. The Blankenship factor is a staple of editorial pages and radio talk shows.
That has Democrats focusing more on Blankenship than their GOP opponents. Some have even enlisted support from popular Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin - a tactic seemingly unnecessary in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 2-1 ratio.
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