Amy Harder of the National Journal reported that the UMWA has decided not to endorse either Obama or the Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, in 2012. In the 2008 election the UMWA endorsed candidate Obama in May of 2008. This endorsement came in spite of Obama’s campaign pledge to kill the coal industry. To recall, while Campaigning for President in 2008, Obama said that he would bankrupt coal-powered plants with new greenhouse gas rules. OBAMA: “So, if somebody wants to build a coal plant, they can — it’s just that it will bankrupt them, because they are going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Interview with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Editorial Board, San Francisco Chronicle, 1/17/08).

UMWA President Cecil Roberts shocked many earlier this year when he referred to the actions of EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson as terrorism. “The Navy SEALs shot Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and Lisa Jackson shot us in Washington,” Roberts said on a West Virginia radio show in April.

Why would a union that represents coal miners support a presidential candidate dedicated to kill the coal mining industry?  Why do dues paying coal miners let their union get away with this? The unions are so married to the Democrat Party that they cannot endorse the opponent of industry killing Obama. Maybe someday the hard-working miners will realize that they are victims of a corrupt union whose interests are in DC and not underground.