Working in a coal mine - Updated

I'm not sure what to make of this statement from Mike Carey, the president of the Ohio Coal Association supporting the McCain campaign's last ditch smear against Obama. Clearly, he must have missed the fact that McCain made nearly the exact same argument about the coal industry back in June 2005 when he was pitching legislation to address global warming.

This association only represents owners so maybe it won't have much effect on the coal workers at this late date but I thought Mr. Carey should at least be informed of the existence of the McCain video available at the link so I contacted him myself, taking an educated guess at his personal email. I've also contacted the few news sources I've seen cover the press release and passed on the Think Progress link to them.

Probably a pointless exercise but I'm finding keeping busy is soothing my nerves.

Update: I apparently made a good guess. I've already received a reply from Mr. Carey thanking me for passing on the link. I have to say I'm surprised to have received a reply at all, much less such a prompt one. Of course, I wrote him back suggesting he amend his press release to reflect that both candidates made equally disturbing remarks about his industry and hoped he would consider that both might revise their thinking given the changing energy situation in the US over the intervening years.

As they say in the biz, developing....

Update Two: Well Mike -- yes, we're already on a first name basis --replied again. He informs me he has been critical of both candidates in the past and he apparently has no intention of issuing an amended statement. As I told him, I think it's clear why he would chose to issue such an incendiary statement on the eve of a hotly contested race, especially in a battleground state.

Again, I don't think his statement is going to make a big difference to the workers who suffer under the diminished safety standards that proliferated under a GOP administration and the owners are probably staunch Republicans anyway. In any event, it was an amusing way to pass the time while waiting for the big day.

[More posts daily at The Newshoggers and The Detroit News.]