McConnell invites Obama to coal country

Saying it’s a side of the story “he won’t hear from California billionaires,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is inviting President Obama to visit with coal families to see the impact of his climate rule up close.

“I know the president will also be trying out a new PR campaign today to see what life is really like for the middle class — for those beyond the White House gates,” McConnell said on the Senate floor Thursday. “But he won’t see the consequences of his [Environmental Protection Agency] regulations at a political rally.”

{mosads}McConnell added: “If he is serious about this initiative, then he’ll come to Kentucky to see the tragic effects of his policies firsthand. I invite him to visit with coal families in my state and hear the other side of the story.”

The administration’s newly proposed standards mandate states cut carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants 30 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels, which McConnell claims will devastate energy jobs in Kentucky.

The rules, which are a signature piece of Obama’s second-term climate change legacy, have been packaged as a “war on coal” by McConnell, who faces a tough reelection battle this year.

McConnell also slammed red-state Democrats Thursday for joining the “war on coal” instead of standing up to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to push for votes on Keystone XL and anti-EPA measures.