It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Or really the worst of times if you're West Virginia Democrat Nick Rahall.
The 19-term Democrat is out with a new ad new ad hitting "out of state billionaires" for "lying" about his Cap and Trade record after a recent poll showed the Mountain State liberal badly trailing Republican challenger Evan Jenkins.
Putting aside the fact out of state anti-coal billionaires are bankrolling a pro-Rahall Super Pac, let's examine the ad's claim he "voted against the Cap and Trade bill."
Rahall did vote against one Cap and Trade bill (after much dithering) in late 2009, but conveniently omits he has supported the idea throughout his career. Even in the context of the 2009 no vote, Rahall explained his opposition by telling a local paper he favored a Cap and Trade system closer to President Obama's original proposal.
But now, fighting for political life, Rahall is trying to get voters into believing he does not support Cap and Trade. In a district where almost 20,000 voters are employed by the coal industry, it's a strategy likely to ring hollow.