McConnell visits Corbin business during campaign stop

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell spoke to supporters at Salem Tool Inc. near Corbin for a campaign stop Monday.

With the most recent polls showing that Kentucky’s Senate race remains a dead heat between Republican Senator Mitch McConnell and Democrat challenger Alison Lundergan-Grimes, McConnell returned to the Corbin area Thursday in an effort to separate himself from Grimes on one of the most high-profile issues – the coal industry.

McConnell along with Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, R-Ky., whose district includes the Corbin area, came to Salem Tool, Inc. for a rally with area supporters.

“Like you, I’m here to see that this man is elected the majority leader of the U.S. Senate,” Rogers said to a thunderous cheer as he introduced McConnell.

Rogers reminded the crowd that the, “War on Coal,” is real and that President Barack Obama with the help of democrats in the Senate have blocked McConnell’s efforts to pass legislation to help the coal industry.

According to Reuters News Service, McConnell introduced a bill in June that would seek to block legislation to curb carbon emissions from U.S. power plants.

In the language of the bill, the regulations would not go into effect unless the Environmental Protection Agency could prove that the regulations would not threaten electrical reliability, raise rates or eliminate jobs.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who controls legislation brought up for a vote in the Senate, blocked the bill from coming to the floor.

According to www.thehill.com, Reid promised the bill would be brought up for a vote, but did not say exactly when that would happen.

“We’ve passed bills on the House side to ease the war on coal and sent them to the Senate where they go into the waste basket,” Rogers said.

“I want a majority leader of the U.S. Senate, a Republican from Kentucky to stop the war on coal,” he said in introducing McConnell.

McConnell pointed to Salem Tool as an example of how it is more than the miners and their families that are hurt when there is a downturn in the coal industry.

The company manufactures tools and equipment for the industry and does contract mining.

Taylor Orr, at Salem Tool said his family-owned business has been in mining related business for 50 years. In the past five years the company has had to cut one-third of the work force (approximately 10 of 30 jobs) as a result of the downturn in the coal mining industry.

“This is one of many faces of the war on coal,” McConnell said, adding that 7,000 coal mining jobs have been lost in the last several years while Obama has been President. “For every coal mining job you know we lose three more jobs.”
McConnell laid the downturn at the feet of the President.

“We are going to send him a message two weeks from today,” McConnell said.

McConnell pointed out multiple instances of what he called disastrous legislation passed when the democrats controlled both houses of Congress and the White House such as the Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare) and the economic stimulus package.

In addition, McConnell blamed Obama for what he called, “The army of regulators crawling all over every business in America with the view that if you are making a profit, you are up to no good.”

McConnell said these are the things that are slowing the economy.

While reminding those in attendance that Obama will be in office until January 2017, McConnell said the way to change the direction is by changing the party that controls the Senate.

“The only thing to be done in 2014 is to change the Senate and begin to send this country in a different direction under new leadership from Kentucky,” McConnell said.

McConnell said his campaign has done everything it can with mailing out fliers, making phone calls and identifying residents who will support him at the polls.

The campaign is now in the hands of the people out in the precincts who will ensure the local support translates to the ballot box.

“We have identified more than enough people to win this race,” McConnell said. “The question is will they vote. That is where you all come in.”

“I’m counting on you, not for me but for you,” he said. “I’m counting on you to guarantee that Kentucky leads to the United States Senate next year.”

Janet Carroll, who came from Bell County to hear McConnell speak, said it was great to hear from him first-hand.

Carroll said the biggest issue for her is the coal industry as her father and grandfather were both coal miners.

“I just really wish Obama would stop the war on coal because that is all we have in industry in our area,” Carroll said. “We have to work within what we have in our area and coal is what we have.”