[Hoot Gibson]

It's ironic that you post this today. I had lunch with a very good friend just yesterday that had had lunch with W. Va. Gov. Joe Manchin just last week. He said that Manchin had told him that he had informed Obama that he will no longer be a supporter of either him or his policies. Wonder what Byrd's feelings are?

I have not seen Byrd in quite awhile but he is in such poor health, I do not believe that he is all that aware of his surroundings most of the time. A few years ago, Byrd would have been a vocal critic of Obama's energy policy but a few months ago he was endorsing it. I was never a fan of Byrd's but he was a pretty reliable friend of the coal industry until Obama took office.