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Updated: 3:48 PM Apr 26, 2010
Reaction to President Obama's Visit
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden made their way to Beckley Sunday to take part in the memorial to the 29 miners lost in the Upper Big Branch mine. Even though the visit wasn't about politics, politics always comes into play when a President is in town.
Posted: 10:22 PM Apr 25, 2010Reporter: Kallie Cart Email Address: kallie.cart@wsaz.com |
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BECKLEY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden made their way to Beckley Sunday to take part in the memorial to the 29 miners lost in the Upper Big Branch mine. Even though the visit wasn't about politics, politics always comes into play when a President is in town.
Several people at the memorial service wore Obama t-shirts.
Obama supporters say they are happy that he came to West Virginia and they came to support him and the miners' families.
"I can't even imagine the pain the immediate families felt," Cindy Bagwell says. "But just to know there's care and concern from the top, hopefully that will help ease their pain."
"This isn't just some event to see Obama," Nicholas Cogar of Webster County, who's a miner says. "This is to have a memorial service to these 29 men who lost their live to put our lights on, that's what we do. And they're trying to shut the coal industry down."
Obama has had a rocky relationship with the coal industry. His administration has stiffen the rules for mining companies to get permits, because of water quality concerns. He also took criticism for not coming to West Virginia when the disaster at Upper Big Branch first happened. But President Obama told Governor Manchin in those first days, he didn't want to take the focus off of the rescue efforts and onto himself.
At Sunday's memorial service he offered words of comfort, not controversy, praising the work that miners do.
"They will burrow into the coal, the fruits of their labor, so often we take for granted," President Obama says. "The electricity that lights up our convention centers, our churches, homes, schools, offices the energy that powers our country, our world."
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