Continuing his quest to destroy the United States economy, and the coal industry in particular, President Obama must be overjoyed today to learn that Alpha Coal is closing 8 mines and laying off 1200 bitter clingers - opps, I meant miners.

  "Crutchfield said the shutdowns and layoffs are a necessary part of ensuring Alpha survives in what has become a difficult U.S. market, where coal companies face a dual challenge: Power plants are shifting to cheap, abundant natural gas, while companies like his face "a regulatory environment that's aggressively aimed at constraining the use of coal."

Yeah, that regulatory environment that aggressively aimed at constraining the use of coal, that's Obama's work right there.

I have never seen a president before so hostile to cheap energy, and to industry in general.  It might be nice to send him packing in November, and hopefully those 1200 newly out of work miners think the same way.