The revolution begins: Mollohan gets thumped

Alan Mollohan becomes the first House incumbent to fall this election cycle. May many more Democrats join him. The revolution has begun

The revolution begins: Mollohan gets thumped

By News on the Net Friday, May 14, 2010
Pittsburgh Tribune Live Opinion

If there were any doubts that the 2010 midterm elections would be a startling rebuke of the Obama administration and the Democrats' stranglehold on the Congress, they evaporated early on primary election day in neighboring West Virginia.

Mountain State voters sent the supposedly beloved Democrat U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan packing after almost three decades. And this was no insignificant defeat of a local-yokel hill-jack congressman.

Mr. Mollohan, who held the 1st Congressional District Seat for 28 years (after his father, the late Robert Mollohan, held it for a total of 18 years), was one of the Democrats' slickster "cardinals," chairman of a House Appropriations subcommittee. The last time he faced a primary opponent was 1992.

Democrat state Sen. Mike Oliverio pounded Mollohan for a long string of ethical lapses. Voters rewarded Mr. Oliverio by pounding Mollohan with a 12-percentage-point loss. And never was such an arse-kicking so richly deserved.

Pundits from Charlie Cook to Dick Morris now say Republicans have a real chance of picking up the seat this November for the first time in more than 40 years. The GOP nominee is David McKinley, a state delegate.

Alan Mollohan becomes the first House incumbent to fall this election cycle. May many more Democrats join him. The revolution has begun.

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