Earlier this week, it was saddening and unfortunate to hear of two deaths in a Kentucky coal mine operation.  Two men were found dead in the Dotki Mine, in Hopkins Co, Kentucky. The mine is associated with Alliance Resources and is, yet again, a non-union operating mine.  Tragedy struck when the roof of a portion of the mine collapsed. 

The mine was reported to have had a large fire that caused a lot of damage back in 2004.  

Some may not recall that the Dotiki Mine was the scene of a major fire on Feb. 11, 2004. The blaze caused no injuries, but it took several days to extinguish the fire and several weeks to restore the mine. The effort also demanded considerable resources from MSHA.

source:  MSHA Staffer Kathy Snyder

The rise in mining related deaths in the recent month has prompted President Obama and his administration to take a deeper look at the MSHA organization and increasing mine safety in the U.S.

The Bush Administration did a poor job in improving MSHA and mine safety throughout the country.  Elain Chao, coincidentally Sen. Mitch McConnell's wife, was Secretary of Labor under Bush.

Once Elaine Chao, Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell's wife, became Secretary of Labor, which oversees the MSHA, she, according to Jack Spadaro, an MSHA engineer investigating the spill, put on the brakes. Two years later, Massey was assessed a slap-on-the-wrist $5,600 fine. The same year, Massey's PAC donated $100,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which was chaired by McConnell. And Massey's CEO Don Blankenship has personally donated millions to the campaigns of judges and politicians.

Courtesy of Arianna Huffington

Conflict of interest much?  I Shall let you draw your own conclusions.

Here is President Obama's statement after the Kentucky mine tragedy

I am deeply saddened by the loss of two miners in Kentucky, and my thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones they left behind. As I said after the tragedy in West Virginia, I refuse to accept any number of miner deaths as simply the cost of mining. It is the responsibility of all of us, from mine operators to the federal government, to prevent such tragedies from happening again. That is why my administration is taking steps to demand accountability for safety violations and strengthen mine safety so that all of our miners are protected.

Thanks to the Charleston Gazette, and everyone at Coal Tattoo, for the ongoing news and coverage of anything mine related in Appalachia.

Another source of information from Coal Tattoo is in regard to Massey Energy.  A federal criminal probe is currently underway after the Upper Big Branch mine disaster earlier in April that killed 29 miners in Raleigh County West Virginia.  

A federal law enforcement official says the FBI has interviewed nearly two dozen current and former employees of Massey Energy in a criminal probe of the West Virginia mine explosion that killed 29 men.The official says in the interviews over recent days the FBI has been looking for any evidence that the company engaged in criminal negligence.

Several other sources, besides this report from AP, are also commenting on the investigation including Reuters and NPR.  NPR aired news that there is an investigation going on involving bribery of federal MSHA officials, but according to sources at Coal Tattoo this is wrong/has not been confirmed. 

More updates to come I'm sure.

As I watch the motorcade taking the mortal remains of Senator Edward Moore Kennedy to Boston for viewing at the JFK Library this afternoon, I remember being a college student at St. Peter's College in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1968.  A 36 year old Senator Kennedy spoke at the college on the issues of the day: the war in Viet-Nam, civil rights and the campaign of his brother, Bobby, for President of the United States only a few months before his brother's violent death in California.

After the speech, he was taken to a blocked off section of the front cafeteria for a brief lunch before his return to Washington, DC.  Three of my friends and I, unable to find room in the larger back cafeteria, sat alone at a table in the front cafeteria and talked about what we had just witnessed, and what we thought of what Senator Kennedy had said.  Suddenly, the door opened and out came the Senator along with the college officials who had lunch with him.  He was still a very young man, broad-shouldered with a jaunt in his step and the awkward smile of youth on his face.  We were thrilled that he was going to pass us on his way out of the school.  Suddenly, he stopped at our table and, standing over us, asked us what we thought of his speech.  We were dumbfounded, but stuttered out our praise for what he had said.  Slowly, he pulled out a chair and sat with us for a few minutes to follow up on some of our observations. His easy manner and personable nature made us forget who we were talking to as we discussed with him the issues of the day, issues that would, in time, have a profound impact on our history and our own lives.  

"I'd better get going." he told us as he rose from his seat. "I think they are waiting for me." We rose too, and each shook his hand and thanked him for stopping to talk to us.  "Wait a minute." he said as we said our goodbyes.  He walked back into the private dining hall and returned with the floral centerpiece that was on his table.  "No sense in wasting this." he said, as he put it in the center of our table.  We thanked him as we watched him leave the room.  

His brother Jack had been brutally assassinated only a few years before.  Within a few months, his brother Bobby would be gone too. In retrospect, this incident is so trivial and so seemingly unimportant, that it barely seems worth mentioning. But,in that moment in time, the conversation between the Senator and a few college students had an importance all its own to each of us who sat at that table that day.

He went on to make a failed run for President of the United States as his brothers before him had done,to become a great Senator, the Lion of the Senate, to endorse the present president, Barak Obama, and to be the patriarch of the Kennedy clan. He will be pictured in the minds of many Americans as the senator with the thick grey main of hair, the craggy face that would be right at home on Mount Rushmore, and that broad Kennedy smile.  To the few of us that sat at that cafeteria table that day, he will be the awkward young idealist who didn't see himself as too important to sit with three college students and share a lunchtime discussion.

And that is a memory I will treasure forever.

There's more...

Forget about national polls for a second (even though it is a great concern). My feelings is that Obama will have a hard time winning the electoral college even if he had the lead.

Looking at the states:

FL is almost out of play. McCain was never behind in state polls for FL before the conventions. After the convention bounce, it doesn't seem likely Obama is going to win there.

OH is still possible, but has become a lot harder. Before the conventions, McCain had a slight lead (1-2%). The electorate there is a lot more socially conservative than most people think. The whole "bitter comment" thing hurts Obama in OH as well as PA. These are the people who literally are hurt very badly in the economy and cling to guns, religions, and anti-immigrant sentiments. Like one OH voter said on CNN, Obama just doesn't seem like a "real American" to him. I don't think PA is going to turn red, though.

VA has the best chance as a pick up for Obama. But it is traditionally a red state. McCain and Obama were actually tied before the conventions. I am very interested to see what will happen post-conventions.

Honestly, 60 days is still a long way to go. But if you really look at states by states, Obama has his work cut out for him.

There's more...

National Poll Numbers:

Rasmussen:

6/22    Obama 49%   McCain 42%  O + 7%
6/23    Obama 49%   McCain 43%  O + 6%
6/24    Obama 49%   McCain 44%  O + 5%
6/25    Obama 49%   McCain 45%  O + 4%

Gallup:

6/22 - 6/24  Obama 45%  McCain 45%  Tie

There's more...

The Page is just out with the topline numbers from the Bloomberg/LA Times National Poll: http://thepage.time.com/2008/06/24/la-ti mesbloomberg-national-poll-to-be-release d-at-5-pm-et/

Head-to-head: Obama 49, McCain 37

Four-man ballot with Ralph Nader and Bob Barr: Obama 48, McCain 33

Poll conducted June 19-23, error margin +/- 3%.

More information when I can find it from the source.

Update: Here is the full article from the LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-poll25-2008jun25,0,5763707.story

There's more...