Fallout continues over the refusal of Republican legislators to suspend rules to speed up passage of legislation requiring disclosure of major contributors for election advocacy advertisements - a special session bill they believe is geared to helping Attorney General Darrell McGraw win re-election this fall.

By blocking rule suspension votes in the House and Senate, Republicans extended the special session by three days, at a cost approaching $120,000.

In the Senate, I'm told, Republicans had been willing to block just one rule-suspension vote to make their point that they believed the legislation was being ramrodded through.

However, that was before Senate Majority Leader Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, pointedly told Republicans that they would be costing taxpayers more than $37,000 a day if they voted against the suspension.

Chafin didn't soothe the hard feelings by telling the Williamson newspaper last week that the GOP had used "shameful tactics" to block the vote, adding, "For some reason, Republicans do not want full disclosure."

This might be one reason: In 2004, Massey chief executive Don Blankenship bankrolled the "And for the Sake of the Kids" campaign that targeted - and helped defeat - Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw.

In 2006, after the original version of the election advocacy disclosure law passed, Blankenship used the same organization to target 40 Democratic delegates for defeat - but that time had to disclose that he was underwriting the effort.

Result: Of the 40, only one, the late Margarette Leach, D-Cabell, was defeated, and probably only because she was too ill to campaign that fall.

While Gov. Joe Manchin isn't exactly best buddies with McGraw, indications are that he will sign the bill into law once he receives it.

Former state senator (and current candidate) Mike Ross, D-Randolph, hosted the annual open house at his estate to close out Coalton Days last week, complete with free food and drink, carnival rides and live bands.

Manchin was in attendance, but his appearance was overshadowed by celebrities including West Virginia University basketball coach Bob Huggins and actor Leslie Nielsen.

However, one reader from Elkins called to complain that while participating in the traditional tractor-pull races, Manchin did a "wheelie" on his tractor, which she thought was irresponsible, since kids might be inclined to copy his behavior.

Speaking of Manchin, one of the authors of the blog referenced here last week that has some critical things to say about the Manchins, Jack Swint, called to say that he can verify everything in the blog.

"I guess time will tell, but there's nothing in there that's not corroborated or backed up," Swint said.

By blocking rule suspension votes in the House and Senate, Republicans extended the special session by three days, at a cost approaching $120,000.

In the Senate, I'm told, Republicans had been willing to block just one rule-suspension vote to make their point that they believed the legislation was being ramrodded through.

However, that was before Senate Majority Leader Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, pointedly told Republicans that they would be costing taxpayers more than $37,000 a day if they voted against the suspension.

Chafin didn't soothe the hard feelings by telling the Williamson newspaper last week that the GOP had used "shameful tactics" to block the vote, adding, "For some reason, Republicans do not want full disclosure."

This might be one reason: In 2004, Massey chief executive Don Blankenship bankrolled the "And for the Sake of the Kids" campaign that targeted - and helped defeat - Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw.

In 2006, after the original version of the election advocacy disclosure law passed, Blankenship used the same organization to target 40 Democratic delegates for defeat - but that time had to disclose that he was underwriting the effort.

Result: Of the 40, only one, the late Margarette Leach, D-Cabell, was defeated, and probably only because she was too ill to campaign that fall.

While Gov. Joe Manchin isn't exactly best buddies with McGraw, indications are that he will sign the bill into law once he receives it.

Former state senator (and current candidate) Mike Ross, D-Randolph, hosted the annual open house at his estate to close out Coalton Days last week, complete with free food and drink, carnival rides and live bands.

Manchin was in attendance, but his appearance was overshadowed by celebrities including West Virginia University basketball coach Bob Huggins and actor Leslie Nielsen.

However, one reader from Elkins called to complain that while participating in the traditional tractor-pull races, Manchin did a "wheelie" on his tractor, which she thought was irresponsible, since kids might be inclined to copy his behavior.

Speaking of Manchin, one of the authors of the blog referenced here last week that has some critical things to say about the Manchins, Jack Swint, called to say that he can verify everything in the blog.

"I guess time will tell, but there's nothing in there that's not corroborated or backed up," Swint said.

He said he decided to write the blog after hearing from so many former Manchin supporters who initially had such high hopes for the administration.

"A lot of people are disgruntled, hurt and disappointed," he said.

Swint said he was well aware that the blog has been the buzz at the Capitol for the past two weeks.

In fact, he said he stopped by the secretary of state's office last week to pick up some documents - and noticed his blog on an employee's office computer screen.

Ran out of space Sunday for financial disclosures for candidates for one statewide race, but it was only agriculture commissioner. Here goes:

Commissioner Gus Douglass reports as sources of income over $1,000 his state salary as commissioner, Social Security retirement, a partnership in Douglass Farms (also his only business interest in excess of $10,000), interest and dividends from "various banks" and dividends from stocks in "various businesses."

His opponent, Republican Michael Teets, lists as both sources of income in excess of $1,000 and business investments in excess of $10,000, Teets Farms and Lost River Campground.

Libby White, longtime marketing director for the Lottery Commission, caught many by surprise when she retired last week. I thought sure she'd stick through to see the launch next month of the nationwide "Deal or No Deal" game.

Finally, regarding last week's call for Kanawha County readers to visit their neighborhood pubs to toast the proprietors for providing an atmosphere free of deadly chemical pollutants, a reader in Burnsville asked: "Do you mean to infer that the deadly chemical pollutants should be drank instead of smoked?"

Well, the only alcoholic beverage I know anything about is beer, and beer (at least the good-quality stuff) contains just water, barley, hops and yeast. (Which may be why Mitch, the Power Park beer man, touts it as "nature's perfect beverage ...".)

Nothing along the lines of benzene, formaldehyde, mercury, tar, nicotine, arsenic, cyanide, ammonia, etc., that bar patrons previously had to inhale.

Reach Phil Kabler at ph...@wvgazette.com or 348-1220.