CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Maj. General Allen Tackett says he simply “misspoke” and was “trying to defuse the situation” when he told a coal miner in Logan County Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, supported President Barack Obama on “most of his policies.”
“Natalie doesn’t support most of Obama’s policies. She supports the things that are good for the people of West Virginia,” Tackett, the chair for the Tennant for U.S. Senate campaign, said on Wednesday’s MetroNews “Talkline” as he tried to explain his comment.
The exchange between Tennant, Tackett and the coal miner were captured on video Saturday by a tracker following Tennant on the campaign trail and posted to YouTube on Monday.
On the video, Tennant is asked repeatedly why she supported President Obama during his two Presidential campaigns. At one point, Tackett jumps in to say, “Because on most of his policies and stuff, she supports (him).”
In retrospect, Tackett retracted that statement.
“They were right up in Natalie’s face and becoming very obnoxious. They kept saying, ‘Why do you support Obama? Why do you support Obama?’ I just tried to come to her defense and I made the statement, ‘Well, because she supports some of the policies’ and I misspoke,” Tackett said.
“(I said it) Just in the heat of the moment, just trying to defuse the situation.”
But those with Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito’s (R-W.Va.) U.S. Senate campaign have a different take.
“Natalie Tennant might not be willing to tell the truth about her strong support of Obama and his policies, but her campaign chair is,” Amy Graham, spokesperson for the Capito campaign, told The Charleston Daily Mail earlier this week.
“The more Natalie Tennant tries to dodge her record of defending Obama’s anti-coal agenda, the more voters will see just how wrong she is for West Virginia.”
The full video is available here.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.