A number of McDowell County residents traveled to Charleston September 20th to join their Democratic counterparts from throughout West Virginia for the 23rd Annual Jefferson-Jackson Celebration at the Charleston Civic Center.
Congressman Nick Rahall, Senator Jay Rockefeller and party leaders joined Governor Joe Manchin and the keynote speaker, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, in calling for “change” in the upcoming November 4th election.
Prior to introducing Kaine, Gov. Manchin reminded the crowd, “I believe in you more than you believe in yourselves. I know how good this state is.”
Manchin added that West Virginia has a 3.9 percent unemployment rate, as opposed to the 6.1 national average. Twenty three thousand jobs have been created, he said.
“We have created a new West Virginia that no one thought we could. Where do we take it from here? So much more needs to be done and we’re not going to quit,” Manchin stressed
Reiterating the call for change, Governor Kaine said that he is tired of the downward spiral “We’ve been drifting for the last eight years,” he opined. “Iraq has a surplus, but we are running a big deficit…Iraq cut a deal to sell oil to the Chinese. It’s all like a big joke,”

Pictured are several of the county residents who attended the J-J Celebration: Harold & Vicky McBride, Kathleen Dudley, Emily Yeager; (back row) Randall Patton, Judy and Bill Chapman. County Commissioner Gordon Lambert and Sen. & Mrs. John Fanning are not pictured (Photo by Cathy Patton)