“…Her outspoken opposition to the policies of a president of her own party reflects the unique politics of coal-mining states, which keep Congress stocked with industry allies even as mining jobs wane. In Kentucky, another coal state, Democrat Alison Grimes is siding with the industry as she battles for the seat of Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
“These Democrats can’t even get in the game unless they make sure voters know they don’t parrot the administration on energy and on coal policy in particular,” said Stu Rothenberg, editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report.
Despite vigorous environmental and public-health pressure to kill it off, coal remains stubbornly resilient. Though its share of U.S. power generation fell to 38 percent last year from almost half in 2007, it’s still the nation’s No. 1 fuel for making electricity — releasing twice the greenhouse gas emissions of natural gas for the amount of power generated. Globally, coal accounts for 40 percent of all power production and is growing in some markets, especially China and India…
RIELPOLITIK 