blankenship's record speaks for itself.has a trail of death and destruction behind him at upper big branch, at aracoma, as you mentioned. he has scores of violations. it's the way he ran his business. and ultimately, even people who didn't work for him, didn't work around him, but merely lived in communities near his operations are suffering, feeling a health crisis that's expanding all over appalachia. >> don, 30 seconds. >> i'm trying to prevent other families from suffering, if the government doesn't give people with expertise the opportunity to run their mines. >> okay. bob kincaid from the appalachian community health emergency campaign, and don blankenship, former chairman and ceo of massey energy. thank you both for joining us. that's "all in" for this evening. "the rachel maddow show" begins now. >>> that was riveting. thanks to you at home for joining us the next hour. the great steve kornacki sitting in for chris hayes for the last hour because chris hayes is at home with his adorable new baby boy. and in a heartl

criminal charges brought against blankenship. be a powerful message to hold corporate executives accountable for the safety of the 90,000 americans who go to work in coal mines every dave in this country. dan. >> brian. thank you for the fascinating report. of next here on "nightline." why this surveillance video of the congress maybe and the kiss is causing a stir tonight. a little hint. that's not his wife. event, get a great deal on a jetta tdi. it gets 42 highway miles per gallon. and get a $1,000 fuel reward card. it's like two deals in one. volkswagen has the most tdi clean diesel models of any brand. hurry in and get a $1,000 fuel reward card and 0.9% apr for 60 months on tdi models. why let erectile dysfunction get in your way? talk to youroctor about viagra. ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain. it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate

blankenship? >> reporter: even before the mine disaster, don blankenship was despised and feared by many in coal country. this is how he once greeted abc news. >> let go of me. let go of me. >> reporter: but his reign as the ceo of massey energy came to an end after lax safety practices were blamed on the deaths of 29 men 4 years ago this week in the company's upper big branch mine. in west virginia. officials said most of the men, ages 20 to 61, working 1,000 feet underground, were trapped in small groups, starved of oxygen, after a massive explosion of built-up methane gas and coal dust. at the time, blankenship told diane sawyer, it was a safe mine. >> i think everything you do in life has risk. >> reporter: but federal investigators later concluded, if basic safety measures had been in place, there would have been no loss of life at the upper big branch mine. >> we'll prosecute whoever maybe responsible for the conditions that existed and that led to this very horrible tragedy. >> reporter: so

. >> reporter: even before the mine disaster, don blankenship was despised and feared by many in coal country. this is how he once greeted abc news, but his reign as ceo of massey energy came to an end after a lack of safety practices were blamed on the deaths of 29 men four years ago this week in the company's upper big branch mine in west virginia. officials said most of the men, age 20 to 61, working a thousand feet under ground were trapped in small groups, starved of oxygen after a massive explosion of build-up methane gas and coal dust. at the time, blankenship told diane sawyer it was a safe line. >> reporter: but it was later conclude fed basic safety measures had been if place there would have been no loss in life at the upper big branch mine. >> we will prosecute whoever. maybe responsible for the conditions that existed and that led to this very horrible tragedy. >> reporter: so this week facing possible charges, blankenship showed up at abc news, possibly gentler, but still begging the case he is misunderstood. >> like yourself m people despise your views, so it is normal.

. >> scott blankenship is founder and ceo of amplify. how did this come about?ank you for having me and playing the video. it came about two years ago. maybe a year and a half. i saw the causes and issues on facebook and change.org. i felt it wasn't good enough. like signing a petition wouldn't be as effective. i was looking around and realized there is no way for me to have my voice heard and for my politicians to know what my opinion is. i believe if we don't speak then we can't expect to have our voice heard. >> here's a question. isn't it more powerful when a congressman or congresswoman gets a call from a constituent directly? >> when you call a national or even a state legislator, they are keeping track of who calls and the problem is people don't call. what happens is you end up having a lot of activist organizations calling. they're not calling as a constituent. they don't have much of an incentive to actually listen to whatever opinion or how they want that elected official to vote. >> how can your business model really influence politicians when there

ones today, including his wife melissa, his daughter hanna, his parents edward tiller and jane blankenship, his step parents, bound tiller and forest blankenship, his siblings and many other beloved family members and friends. our country has lost a faithful and devoted hero with the passing of sergeant first class matthew s. sluss-tiller. i know my colleagues join me in expressing joit condolences to his family, for their loss and great gratitude to them for although d lending our country such an honorable and noble patriot. i hope hanna and all of matthew's loved ones know that america will always -- always -- be grateful for his sacrifice. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of h.r. 3979, which the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 333, h.r. 379, an act to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 and so forth. a senator: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call:

bob kincaid from the appalachian community health emergency campaign, and don blankenship, former chairman and ceo of massey energy. thank you both for joining us. that's "all in" for this evening. "the rachel maddow show" begins now. >>> that was riveting. thanks to you at home for joining us the next hour. the great steve kornacki sitting in for chris hayes for the last hour because chris hayes is at home with his adorable new baby boy. and in a heartless and shameless act, because chris is home with his new baby boy, i'm going to take advantage of the fact that chris is not here in the building by stealing from him the greatest piece of tape, the greatest assemblage of visual evidence that anybody has ever put together on the subject of obamacare. oh, yes, chris hayes. you may be a brand new father and everybody think it's adorable and i do, too, but >>> good evening from new york. i'm steve kornacki in for chris hayes tonight. we begin with news about the man who was identified as a key independent eyewitness into the investigation of chris christie that we saw last week. period of mon

. >> he never would have participated if he knew it was bankrolled by don blankenship, the former ceouestion. one of the targets of bill marr's flip a district campaign, new york republican -- >> michael grimm. >> michael grimm fought back this week is correct. 300 point question. politically active -- >> crystal? that's the end of the match. krystal has won for the national championship with 1400 points. the balloon drop begins. it falls on the wrong person. what a touch. krystal with 1400 points. the last question gives you the title. kate, 1100. here's somebody to congratulate you. and, krystal, before we talk to you for a second, our special guest tom coliccio will tell you what you just won. >> on behalf of everyone here at craft and coliccio, i wish to extend my most heartful and sign zero congratulations on his or her victory in up against the clock tournament of champions. we look forward to seeing you here for your victory dinner. >> this is your victory -- take this to coliccio's restaurant. this is krystall ball and her family. this is your up against the clock national cha

former massey coal ceo don blankenship is here. don, welcome to the program.o have you with us today. >> thank you. stuart: now, i dispute that your industry is on its back. the coal stocks, i got it, they're really depressed. but every ton of coal that you cannot sell to an american power station you're selling overseas. and you guys still, what, you've got about, what, 40, 45% or of the market for generating lek splits you're not doing so bad. >> it's pretty rough. we're not selling as much overseas a we were because of the australian dollar, a little bit of slowdown in china. but the big issue that obama's administration hasn't only attacked coal on the environmental side, they're attacking on the production side, so they've driven the cost up as well. stuart: all right. do you think it's all over? >> no. i think there's the u.s. industry which is in bad shape because of the way it's treated by the government, and then there's the world industry which is growing rapidly and providing the electricity that's allowing the growth in asia and throughout the rest