Alison Lundergan Grimes Says She Disagrees With Obama on Coal, Parts of Obamacare

Kentucky Secretary of State and U.S. Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes says she disagrees with portions of the federal healthcare overhaul, but voting to repeal it is a waste of time.Republicans in the House have voted dozens of times to repeal the law, but the movement hasn't gained traction in the Senate. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell—who Grimes is seeking to unseat from the Senate next year— has attempted to tie her candidacy to President Obama and his policies, including the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare).After a speech to the Kentucky Magistrates and Commissioners Association at the Galt House on Thursday, Grimes restated her previous point that while Kentuckians can't change who is in the White House in next year's election, they can change their representation.In addition to saying she differs from the President on portions of the healthcare law, Grimes also said she stands more firmly against him when it comes to coal.Grimes said she supports coal and touted an endorsement from the United Mine Workers of America she received during her campaign for Secretary of State in 2011.Update: Here's a response from McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton: "Secretary Grimes' bold pronouncement that efforts to repeal Obamacare are somehow a "waste" is cold comfort to the countless Kentuckians who will be negatively affected by this misguided law. And while she may play political games, the reality is she was recruited to run by Obama allies who are executing a war on coal. If she was elected, it would ensure that a Nevadan who says 'coal makes us sick' would set the agenda in the Senate instead of a Kentuckian who is a champion for coal."