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Every morning The West Virginia Examiner swims through the headlines while you were sleeping and compiles a list of must-reads. What does Monday have in store?

WhoWhatWhy: Conflicts of Interest, and the Appearance Thereof

There was a time when the mere appearance of a conflict of interest was sufficient to rule out certain media practices. That time seems to have long passed. Take, for example, the alleged pay-for-play scandal at the American Conservative Union. The organization offered FedEx lobbying support in a labor dispute for a $2–3 million fee…

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Politico: A perilous search for 60 votes

For weeks, a bipartisan group of Finance Committee senators have met behind closed doors, huddled around a conference table stacked high with papers and data aimed at reworking America’s entire health care system. They have claimed numerous times that they were close to a deal, only to have an unexpected development set them back.

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The Martinsburg Journal: GOP can’t match fundraising

West Virginia’s Republican Party made fundraising a top priority in 2009, but infighting and the continuing recession have helped produce mixed results halfway through the year. The party’s main political fund attracted $83,213 from individual donors between January and June. When averaged, the monthly intake exceeds the $12,000 monthly goal set by Chairman Doug McKinney.

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The Beckley Register-Herald: No new taxes seen in bailout of pension

An ongoing effort to bail out municipal police and fire pensions mired deep in red ink isn’t looking at putting any new tax burden on West Virginia residents, one of the major stakeholders says. In fact, says Lisa Dooley, executive director of the West Virginia Municipal League, if and when Gov. Joe Manchin calls a special session to deal with some $650 million in unfunded liabilities spread across the state, he is adamant that no proposal contain higher taxes.

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