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A few weeks after the 2012 elections, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) set a short-term goal: keep 2014 retirements within his caucus to a minimum. In particular, Reid's attention was focused on Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.).

In this case, Reid's arm-twisting came up short.

Senator John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia, the scion of the Rockefeller family who established himself as a liberal voice in Congress, said on Friday that he would retire in 2014 at the completion of his fifth term in the Senate. [...]

The decision was not a surprise. In June, Mr. Rockefeller took to the Senate floor to oppose Republican efforts to block a regulation on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, declaring, "The coal industry today would rather attack false enemies and deny real problems than find solutions." The speech was greeted with shock in coal-dependent West Virginia and led immediately to speculation that he would not seek a sixth term in 2014.

Looking ahead, Rockefeller's retirement sets the stage for a very interesting contest next year. Ed Kilgore makes the case that the "landscape is unfavorable" to Senate Democrats in 2014, and that's certainly true, especially given dreadful Democratic voter-turnout rates in midterms.

It's worth noting, however, that West Virginia is fairly unique in this respect: President Obama is remarkably unpopular in the state, losing literally every West Virginia county in 2012, which skews the midterm model. Dems arguably have a slightly better shot at keeping the seat in 2014 with fewer conservative voters motivated to head to the polls to vote against the president.

Indeed, rumor has it Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) is letting folks know he's interested in running, which he wouldn't do if he thought the race was hopeless.

Complicating matters, the picture for Republicans is not as straightforward as it might seem.

About a month ago, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) announced she's running for the Senate, whether Rockefeller retired or not, which came as a great relief to the Republican establishment who rightfully sees her as the best GOP candidate in the state.

But as we talked about at the time, what the party establishment wants and what the party base will tolerate are not always in sync. West Virginia might very well become yet another proxy fight.

On day one of her candidacy, Capito received criticism from two conservative groups known for mounting primary challenges against establishment-backed Republicans: the Club for Growth and the Senate Conservatives Fund, a group founded by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

Chris Chocola, president of the Club, slammed her as an "establishment candidate," and Senate Conservatives Fund executive director Matt Hoskins said the group wouldn't endorse her.

For the record, Capito is pro-choice, she voted for S-CHIP, and she's voted to extend unemployment benefits, so some on the right are prepared to veto her candidacy, despite her otherwise-conservative credentials and strong poll numbers. Ideological purity, after all, comes at a high price.

Keep an eye on this one. West Virginia is likely to be one of the most important races of 2014.

After President Obama's re-election, one Ohio coal executive laid off 150 workers and blamed the administration's "war on coal."

Times are little better in Virginia. Governor Bob McDonnell has criticized Obama's energy policies as bad for Virginia's coal industry. Today, McDonnell's office sent out a press released titled: "Governor McDonnell Applauds Massive Call Backs and Hiring of Miners by Southern Coal Corporation: Effort will save 500 miners jobs; and another 650 new miners will be hired."

You can read the news coverage here. Or you can get it from the McDonnell press release, in full, after the jump.

Governor McDonnell made the following statement, following the announcement by Southern Coal Corporation of massive call backs and hiring of miners in Southwest Virginia, Southern West Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky. The company has worked over the last month with several customers to secure coal orders to be able to save jobs as well as reopen mines closed earlier this year. Southern Coal has entered into a multi-year agreement with one of the nation's largest utility providers, American Electric Power. Jim and Jay Justice, owners of Southern Coal, have been in constant negotiation with officials of American Electric Power to be able to save jobs and restart the mines.

"I want to thank the Southern Coal Corporation, American Electric Power, and Jim and Jay Justice for their proactive work to save jobs and support a critically important Virginia industry. This effort will save 500 miners jobs, and another 650 new miners will be hired as well. That is great news for those miners, their families, and our Commonwealth, as well as our neighboring states of West Virginia and Kentucky. Coal is an important part of our "all of the above" domestic energy strategy. The coal industry powers our economy, and it provides good-paying jobs for our citizens. Again, I want to thank Southern Coal Corporation, Jim and Jay Justice, American Electric Power, and every individual involved in this great example of cooperation in pursuit of job creation. This is a positive moment for Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and our nation's economy.

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Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.)

In 2010, Republican primary voters ignored the GOP establishment's wishes and several U.S. Senate races. The result was several winnable contests for Republicans -- including Nevada, Delaware, and Colorado -- in which Democrats prevailed. In 2012, it happened again in states like Missouri and Indiana.

Looking ahead, GOP leaders are desperate to prevent similar fiascoes, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee is eyeing a more prominent role in party primaries to prevent unelectable candidates from winning the party's nomination.

There is, however, a big problem -- far-right activists don't care what the establishment wants, don't like the candidates the NRSC supports, and don't see the problem with the status quo. This is likely to get ugly, and we're already watching the first proxy fight unfold.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito's (R-W.Va.) candidacy for a West Virginia Senate seat is already signaling that Republicans could face the same intra-party split that plagued them in primaries over the past two cycles.

On day one of her candidacy, Capito received criticism from two conservative groups known for mounting primary challenges against establishment-backed Republicans: the Club for Growth and the Senate Conservatives Fund, a group founded by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

Chris Chocola, president of the Club, slammed her as an "establishment candidate," and Senate Conservatives Fund executive director Matt Hoskins said the group wouldn't endorse her.

For the Republican establishment, Capito's announcement was fantastic news -- she's easily the most popular Republican in West Virginia and her campaign kickoff might pressure incumbent Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D) to retire. With Capito on the ballot in this once-blue-now-red state, the GOP sees this race a big step towards retaking the Senate majority.

But in keeping with the recent pattern, the party's right-wing base isn't satisfied.

Not even three weeks since the election, Capito's challenge to Democrat Sen. Jay Rockefeller is already shaping up as test case of whether Republicans can overcome deep fissures within the party and produce palatable general-election candidates who aren't fatally wounded by bruising primary battles.

"We never have been able to guarantee the most electable candidate can win a primary," acknowledged veteran GOP power broker Charlie Black. "There was all that talk after 2010 when we kicked three seats away and nothing changed."

Indeed, it's arguably getting worse. Capito is a godsend for the Republican Party, but she's pro-choice, voted for S-CHIP, and has voted to extend unemployment benefits, so the far-right is prepared to veto her candidacy, despite her otherwise-conservative credentials and strong poll numbers.

Ideological purity comes at a high price.

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West Virginia for "Elizabeth Warren."

Sue Thorn, an organizer for the Obama '08 campaign, wants to represent West Virginia in the U.S. Congress, from a seat won by the Republicans last year. For now, she's running for the Democratic nomination, and she's looking a lot like another rookie candidate with Obama ties. From Ms. Thorn's website:

Former West Virginia Congressman Harley Staggers, Jr. is enthused about Thorn's congressional race. "I have been watching coverage of Elizabeth Warren's Senate campaign in Massachusetts and when I first talked with Sue, I saw the same traits in her that I saw in Warren. Both are from working class families and understand the struggles facing families throughout the country. I think people are excited to support a real Democrat who will fight for working people," stated Staggers.

Ms. Thorn makes her official announcement on Wednesday. Back story here.