FRANKFORT — An official with the United Mine Workers of America union lambasted a new TV ad by Republican Andy Barr on Monday because it features a Western Kentucky coal executive who appears to be speaking as an Eastern Kentucky miner.
In the ad, Heath Lovell, the vice president of River View Coal in Union County, accuses Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler of trying to destroy the coal industry. Lovell is wearing a t-shirt, bib overalls and a coal miner's helmet. He is identified by name only.
"I've never seen anything so appalling and deceitful from the coal industry and in a campaign," said Steve Earle, a regional vice president of the UMWA in Kentucky. "You have a pencil pusher acting like a coal miner."
Barr, a Lexington attorney, is the Republican nominee this year in Central Kentucky's 6th Congressional District race. He is trying to unseat Chandler after losing to the incumbent by only 647 votes two years ago.
In the ad, Lovell talks about the decline of coal trains in Ravenna in Estill County, which is in the 6th District. Lovell claims that Chandler, President Barack Obama and the federal Environmental Protection Agency "are destroying us.
"They are putting the coal industry out of business, and it's just devastating," he says
Lovell, who has contributed $2,500 to Republican Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, said in an interview that the ad is not misleading.
"I still consider myself a coal miner," he said. "I still go underground and keep up my training."
Lovell said he did the ad as "a friend of Andy Barr."
He disputed Earle's claim that Joe Craft, president and chief executive officer of Alliance Resource Partners, was connected to the ad. River View Coal is owned by Alliance Resource Partners.
"I didn't ask him if I could do it and he never told me to do it," Lovell said of Craft. "I don't know if he's even seen it."
Lovell said the ad was shot on railroad tracks in a small community outside of Richmond. He could not recall the name of the community.
Republicans have tried to link Chandler with Obama, who has been criticized in the coalfields for his administration's environmental policies
Who is the dude in the background ? His bibs still have the price tag on em prob going to take em back to the store after they make the ad get their money back. Should have at least rubbed a little coal dust on em and that brand new tape measure on his belt has to go, he can use that when he plays a carpenter in the next ad.
ReplyDeleteHey you can't expect them to get everything right as dirt, sweat and cold dust are just so grimy. After the shoot he probably had to slip out of them and head to a late meeting at the board room.
ReplyDeleteHeath Lovell is vice president and mine manager at River View Coal which was sued last year by EEOC for race discrimination. Makes you wonder what kind of friends Andy Barr surrounds himself with. Would hate to think these rascals have something against Obama other than his energy and EPA policy.
ReplyDeleteSo much of life these days is trying to separate the real from the fake. Here, Mass., we have Scott Brown he drives a truck even though he is the most highly paid senator from Wall Street. We are not supposed to be able to realize that.
ReplyDeleteHey Mike n EKy.....the dude in the back ground is Michael Duckworth and is a face boss on unit 7 at riverview you dumbass. Come on down to Union county and see it yourself. All yall are stupid ppl for thinking Heath is a posing coal miner. He started out young workin in the mines making his way from the bottom to top. Now hes a big wig hes helping us younger miners keep a job to support our family! So screw Ben Chandler and anyone thinking Heath Lovell is a poser.
ReplyDeleteMark Wilson unit #9 Riverview coal.......
Ky coal is making 7 billion selling coal to india. Doubtful the industry is going broke. Heath Lovell is a poser!
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