On Saturday afternoon, CNN fill-in host Jessica Dean provided an enthusiastic forum for Rolling Stone contributing editor Jeff Goodell to promote his article trashing moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin as a "grifter" who is corrupted by the coal industry.
Manchin might as well be a Republican. Leftists like Goodell can't see any positive motivation for opposing the left's efforts to shut down the coal industry.
Dean began by replaying a report from several months ago by correspondent Rene Marsh -- previously documented by NewsBusters -- which was critical of West Virginia residents being supportive of the coal industry in their state. Dean then introduced Goodell and began by bringing up a piece he wrote aggressively titled "Manchin's Coal Corruption Is So Much Worse Than You Knew."
The CNN host helpfully quoted from the article as she began by posing:
You write, quote, "The truth is, Manchin is best understood as a grifter from the ancestral home of King Coal. He is a man with coal dust in his veins who has used his political skills to enrich himself, not the people of his state."
So, given what you're writing there and what you say Senator Manchin's motives are, do you think any of this climate change legislation stands a chance of getting to the President's desk? There's been talk from some Democrats about trying to break it off since they can't get Build Back Better in its current form through. Do you think there's any chance of that, that he comes around any part of it?
Goodell soon complained:
...this is a man whose entire political history, political power and personal wealth is based on coal. And there's no question that taking action on climate means, you know, getting rid of coal. It is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel. To be serious about climate change, we have to be serious about shutting down coal plants.
He later added:
I can't speak to his sort of personal psychological motivations, but the man makes a half a million dollars a year brokering waste coal with one power plant in West Virginia. His entire political power is based on the coal industry. He works with -- very closely with the coal barons that are left in the state.
This lobbying for the left against the fossil fuel industry was sponsored in part by America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses. Their contact information is linked.
Transcript follows:
CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield
January 15, 2021
12:42 p.m. Eastern
RENE MARSH: Now, the woman in the piece who said, "Let it flood," that is an example of the commitment to coal in the face of climate change. She says, "because, historically, coal has been a reliable job source," but the reality is, the industry itself has been shedding jobs due to automation. It's a dying industry. Now, we reached out to Senator Manchin's office but received no comment. Rene Marsh, CNN, Washington.
JESSICA DEAN, FILL-IN HOST: Rene, thank you. And let's talk more about this with Jeff Goodell. He's a contributing editor for Rolling Stone. He's also the author of The Water Will Come. Jeff, great to have you. In your lengthy piece this week, titled, "Manchin's Coal Corruption Is So Much Worse Than You Knew." You write, quote, "The truth is, Manchin is best understood as a grifter from the ancestral home of King Coal. He is a man with coal dust in his veins who has used his political skills to enrich himself, not the people of his state."
So, given what you're writing there and what you say Senator Manchin's motives are, do you think any of this climate change legislation stands a chance of getting to the President's desk? There's been talk from some Democrats about trying to break it off since they can't get Build Back Better in its current form through. Do you think there's any chance of that, that he comes around any part of it?
JEFF GOODELL, ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE: Well, I don't know. I mean, I would certainly hope so -- make him break it loose. Manchin has indicated that, you know, he would get behind some of the climate aspects. You know, I take that with a grain of salt. I mean, you know, this is a man whose entire political history, political power and personal wealth is based on coal. And there's no question that taking action on climate means, you know, getting rid of coal. It is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel. To be serious about climate change, we have to be serious about shutting down coal plants.
(...)
DEAN: What do you believe is behind Senator Manchin's "no" decision? Obviously, he was saying no to the whole bill, and when we talked to him on Capitol Hill, he said a lot of this he doesn't believe should go through the process they were trying to use. But in terms of the climate part of it, where do you think he's getting hung up?
GOODELL: Well, you know, I can't speak to his sort of personal psychological motivations, but the man makes a half a million dollars a year brokering waste coal with one power plant in West Virginia. His entire political power is based on the coal industry. He works with -- very closely with the coal barons that are left in the state.
