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Wood County GOP dinner feeds battle between Morrisey, Blankenship

PARKERSBURG — Thursday’s Wood County GOP Reagan Day Dinner ended with a bang when two of the candidates for the U.S. Senate launched into a debate concerning advertising in the campaign.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and former coal executive Don Blankenship traded shots over the truthfulness in their ads.

Morrisey was not expected to attend the dinner since he was at the Greenbrier resort with President Donald Trump, who was making his fourth visit to West Virginia. Also speaking were U.S. Senate candidates Tom Willis and Jack Newbrough and representatives for U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins, R-West Virginia 3rd District, and Bo Copley.

After each candidate gave a brief presentation at J.P. Henry’s, Blankenship got up and stated that Morrisey would not be able to defeat incumbent U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.

“Let me tell you, some of the ads are lies,” Blankenship said.

“Yes they are,” Morrisey said.

“The ads that are not lies, the wife of Mr. Morrisey does in fact own part of a firm that lobbies for Planned Parenthood,” Blankenship said. “This idea that we beat abortion, we lost 1 million last year to abortion; 700,000 of them were at the hands of Planned Parenthood.”

Blankenship said Morrisey’s claims about fighting the administration of former President Barack Obama were not true. “Ask southern West Virginia if we beat Obama or not,” he said. “Most of the jobs in the coal industry are gone.

“As far as who can beat Joe Manchin this is the least likely candidate to beat Joe Manchin,” Blankenship said, motioning to Morrisey.

Blankenship said Morrisey moved from out of state and began bullying people around.

“He is obviously not from southern West Virginia, because we don’t do that,” Blankenship said. “At the event in Berkeley County next week he has convinced the Republican Party to give him 25 minutes and they gave me three.”

Blankenship said Morrisey has said other candidates are in the race to draw votes away from him.

“I will make sure Mr. Morrisey does not win the Senate race,” he said. “It is unfortunate the truth leads to lies.”

Blankenship said Morrisey’s Superpac has produced an ad stating President Trump agrees Blankenship caused the deaths of 29 coal miners at Upper Big Branch.

“He (Trump) has not done that,” Blankenship said.

After Trump was elected, Blankenship said Obama’s Justice Department filed papers saying he received a fair trial.

“Sometime this year we’ll find that’s not the case,” he said.

Blankenship accused Morrisey of running a hostile campaign.

Blankenship said Morrisey has done some good things as attorney general.

“He appears to be a powerful attorney and a hard-working attorney,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of attorneys and I’ve never seen one create private industry jobs.”

Morrisey answered Blankenship’s accusations starting with those about Planned Parenthood.

“You deserve better,” Morrisey said, talking to the people in the audience. “My wife does not derive one penny, and let Mr. Blankenship understand this, not one penny from Planned Parenthood. Beyond attacking someone’s wife, which I think is inappropriate in politics, to make suggestions beyond she works with a firm that has a lot of clients; I think (Planned Parenthood) is a vile organization and I’ve said that; Mr. Blankenship should apologize.”

Morrisey said his wife has stated she does not want or has taken any money from Planned Parenthood.

“You have to respect that,” Morrisey said. “You who know me, you know my record, we are taking on the tough fights, we are going to prevail in this primary and we’re going to win and always stand for truth and you can make a choice.”

Morrisey said he does not know anything about the ads Blankenship referred to, saying it may have been a third party advertisement.

Morrisey said he wants the public to know truth from fiction.

Blankenship also stated Morrisey is not a conservative as he claims.

“He wouldn’t even be running in this state as a Republican had I not cleared the way for him; Evan Jenkins (who was not present last night) would not be a Republican had I not cleared the way for him,” Blankenship said. “What is more conservative than getting rid of a five and a half billion dollar bond levy, what is more conservative than getting rid of Warren McGraw and what is more conservative than cutting taxes and what is more of a proven track record than thousands of jobs at one of the most successful coal companies in the United States.”

Morrisey defended his record.

“In 2012 I was the only Republican elected statewide,” he said. “I was not one of those who had the trail paved for me quite frankly.”

Morrisey said people knew he made promises and was going to keep them to defend West Virginia.

Morrisey said he never attacked an opponent’s family in his campaigns. Morrisey said he has fought for life, fought for the Second Amendment and fought federal overreach.

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