Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) cocks his gun in a new ad out on Wednesday, but this time — unlike in the last ad where his rifle featured prominently — he doesn't shoot.
"I know what you're thinking, but I don't need to shoot the cap-and-trade bill. I already killed it," he says.
The ad, "Energy," is reminiscent of
one that caused a stir during the special election in 2010 because it featured Manchin loading and shooting a gun at the first page of a then-proposed cap-and-trade bill, which later failed to make it through Congress.
In the new ad, Manchin doesn't shoot. Instead, the presidents of the West Virginia Coal Association and United Mine Workers tout Manchin's defense of the coal industry.
"Joe Manchin is good for business and he's good for West Virgnina jobs," says Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association.
Though Manchin doesn't face much of a challenge from Republican candidate John Raese, he did recently come under fire from an ad released by Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) PAC that targeted his vote against legislation that would cut aid to Egypt, Pakistan and Libya.
The attack was likely launched more for Paul's potential benefit than to truly hit Manchin, but Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) came to his defense anyway, telling reporters that Manchin cast the right vote on the legislation.
