In the upcoming issue of GQ there is a positively fascinating article about Robert Byrd. The 90 year old Senator from West Virginia has been serving longer than Amy Klobuchar (and Barack Obama) have been alive.
There are few people left in Washington who remember when Robert C. Byrd was not known for his oratory or his pork dispensing or even his longevity. Back then, they called him Bob (or Bobby, if they wished to be snide), and they’d say: Well, Bob Byrd sure knows how to make the trains run on time. The suggestion that he excelled only at herding bills through the Senate had riled Byrd. A self-taught scholar in British and Roman history, by God! A parliamentary master! Not to mention the best fiddler on Capitol Hill. Still, it was true: The man could count votes, accommodate favors, and maintain the Senate’s legislative rhythms like a metronome. Bob Byrd, as the line goes, would floor you with his punctuality.
Today, Robert C. Byrd is 90 and wheelchair-dependent. Time is no longer his ally. In any other town, this would not matter. People would spot a nonagenarian a few extra minutes. But inside the Beltway, nothing is so delicious as the public spectacle of power in decline.
Although he looks vaguely like Emperor Palpatine the longest serving member of the Senate sounds a lot more munificent in the article. Give it a gander.
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Anybody remember his anti-war speech?
It was outstanding!
Remember he was a member of the KKK at one time. I wonder if he still has his hood?
TRS I agree 100%
Thank you for letting these moonbats know this. Obviously none of them have ever heard that talking point before.
What is surprising is that more of us Minnesota Republicans have not posted this information on this thread over and over and over and over again, each time posting it as if nobody has ever heard of this before. You are the first, and that is so disappointing, because this was published much earlier. What took you Minnesota Republican bloggers 5 hours to get to this?!
If we Minnesota Republicans are going to win this election, we have to continue to beliddle, mock, insult, spin, and exaggerate as much as possible all the Democrats positions and do the same to their character, every one of ‘em. Because we Minnesota Republicans are well on our way to an easy victory this fall, we must continue to stalk Liberal websites and do this constantly.
Great Job TRS!!
Not only that, TRS, but during an interview with Tony Snow a few years back used the “N” word on television. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FIBJt-c2o0
P.S.
So, Bobby Byrd was the best fiddler on the hill?? I suppose Byrd fiddled while the crosses burned.
Minnesota Republican blogger Chris, I agree 100%,
What took you so long to get here and post the things everyone has heard over and over and over and over again?
CRIPES!!!
Well at least you’re adressing it now, by posting these facts as if nobody has ever heard them before.
Great Job Smartest Man In The Room Chris
I just think the difference in coverage is shocking between Byrd and Thurmond. Strom Thurmond renounced segregation years before Byrd did and even was the first southern Senator to hire African-Americans to work in his office. Yet he (and even those who honored him) was labelled a racist till the day he died.
Minnesota Republican blogger Chris, I agree 100%,
Nobody has even heard about Byrd being a member of the KKK, because we Minnesota Republican bloggers have posted this over and over and over again. It has been frequently mentioned on the huge Republican talk radio network, and often enough on some cable news stations, and all over the internet, but that has not been enough, because of the Liberal media.
Great Job Smartest Man In The Room Chris
Thurmond never explicitly renounced his support of segregation. Nice try, Chris.
Longest. Filibuster. Ever. Against the civil rights act.
lojasmo,
Thurmond was the first southern Senator who hired an African American to work in his Senate office. Thurmond supported both the Voting Rights Act and making MLK day a federal holiday. And speaking of filibusters, Byrd personally spent 14 hours filibustering the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Nice try, lojasmo.
The longest filibuster was sponsored by Thurmond. Though Byrd may have spend 14 hours filibustering the act, thurmond (who initiated the filibuster) spend 24 hours, 18 minutes filibustering the act.
Some of the other points you repeat. He hired a person of color…so what? He also Impregnated a black maid at the age of 22. Obviously, he is not a racist.
Thanks for opening my eyes by forcing me to do opposition research.
lojasmo,
So I guess Sheets Byrd is only 58% the racist that Thurmond was, since Byrd talked for 58% of the time Thurmond did? Only in your world do two wrongs make a right. Thurmond may have been a lot of things in his life, but he was not a Klansman and he didn’t refer to people as the N-word on national television like Byrd did.
Did Byrd ever use the “(c)” word, as in: “Hey! Chris!! Go (cheney) yourself!!!”?
Oh well. I guess I’ll have to.
Hey! Chris!! Go (cheney) yourself!!! Bootlicker.
Byrd was a member of the Klan for about two years from ages 19 to 21. He left the Klan and RENOUNCED it around WWII. It was an issue in his first run for Senate (yes in West Virginia) in the mid-50’s and he again renounced his membership. He has said over and over it was the worst mistake in his life and will be an albatross around his neck for eternity. Byrd’s use of the ‘N’ word was he description that he doesn’t think its a word to describe blacks, but an ignorant person, he said he knew a lot of white ‘N’s. Very impolitic of him, but no different than something Kanye West would say.
Thurmond led a walkout in the 1948 Democratic convention when the Democratic Party adopted a civil rights platform led by a young Minnesota Senator named Humphrey. Thurmond founded the Dixiecrats Party and ran for President on that ticket with the main platform of SEGREGATION. After that rouse, he and several other southern Democrats defected to the Republican party where they found a home for their views veiled in term conservative. This migration to the Republicans continued for the next 20 years as civil rights became a priority for Democrats and a tool for party building (the opposition of) for the Republicans.
While there were some moderate Republicans, mostly from the Northeast and West, for the most part they were the party of opposition to civil rights, voting rights, anti-lynching laws, poverty programs (which helped more whites but, was posed to help some blacks so they opposed it), de-segregation, affirmative action and programs that helped uplift urban America. Strom Thurmond has been a leader up until the last ten or fifteen years of his life in opposition of this. He and Democrat-turned-Republican Jesse Helms were unapologetic segregationist.
Byrd has admitted and in book after book, wrote about the mistakes of segregation. Thurmond died a hypocrite with the country’s discovery of his daughter.
Chris, you are an idiot. Your party got its mid-century injection of new blood from Segregationists and Racists at the same time purging out moderates like George Bush.
By “..moderates like George Bush” you mean Bush The Elder, and not Bush The Lesser?
I think we need to re-evaluate Strom Thurmond the Republican. After all he did support the child he fathered from raping a African American child that worked for his family as a servant. He never recognized her as his daughter, but he did provide money and an education that the 14 year old mother would never have been able to provide. If memory serves they did fire the servant girl for being pregnant by Strom Thurmond but what else would you expect from Republican’s with strong family values.
For some reason… I don’t think that Senator Robert Byrd has a skeleton in his closet that even remotely resembles the disgusting racist Republican Strom Thurmond and his child rape of an unfortunate servant girl.
hey Two Putz,
Since you like to talk so tough, F — k you too! I’d like to see you say it to my face, tough guy. It’s really sad you can’t say anything constructive or civil or even try to make an argument for yourself.
Marc,
You act as if Byrd changed his ways around WWII, but he didn’t. He too filibustered the 1964 Civil Rights Act for 14 hours, along with Al Gore Sr. and a bunch of Southern Democrats who STAYED Democrats. Byrd’s use of the N-word isn’t impolitic. It’s racist and dispicable. It doesn’t matter that he said it about white people. What he said was there are white people who are no better than the blacks. That’s appalling and racist. Rev. Sharpton was right to say that we need to eradicate that word from the English language.
Minnesota Republican blogger Chris, I agree 100%,
“Since you like to talk so tough, F — k you too! I’d like to see you say it to my face, tough guy.”
Thank you for representing the typical Minnesota Republican blogger perfectly. Norm Coleman is the perfect fit for people like us Minnesota Republican bloggers.
Great Job Most Intelligent Man In The Room Chris
What no love for child rapist Strom Thurmond? What did Senator Byrd ever do that was as evil as that? Come on Republican support the Grand Old Perverts!
I must say that I did appreciate Byrd leading the fight against approving Kyoto. It was a bad treaty for us to agree to, and Byrd did the right thing by, along with Hagel, making sure it didn’t pass.
amuseinc,
You mean you don’t think 16 year old girls should be able to control their bodies and make decisions about whether or not to have sex??? I’d say burning crosses and being involved with an organization which lynched people is much more evil than being in a romantic relationship with someone.
Chris you must live on another planet than this one.
At the time this happened in the South, no 30 year old wealthy and politically powerful white-man was having a romantic relationship with an illiterate 15 year old black house servant girl. To even suggest such a thing would have been more damaging to Strom than to the child. They would have locked him up in an insane asylum and thrown away the key. Sorry pal but you need to file your last post either under stupid or “what was I thinking”… I’m not sure which.
Perhaps a visit to the library or a rental of a documentary or two is the order for the day? Something about Reconstruction, Jim Crow or racial dynamics of the early 20th Century in South Carolina, maybe?
Chris,
He did filibuster the civil rights act. Not as long as Thurmond. During that time the paper went back over his time in the Klan and could not find a single incident or even a meeting. Those alive had a strong distaste for Byrd for selling them out and ‘using’ them for the brief time he was involved. He was a disgrace as far as they were concerned. That 44 years ago. You got any proof that the major press couldn’t find back when they use to do their job?
I’ve explained his use of the N word. You’ll find that with African Americans, its the deeds that count. He votes the right way and support the legislation that affects most of them such as health care, education and economic opportunities for the poor. That’s where Republicans fall woefully short and therefore jump for joy if they get more than 10% of the African American vote. Empty words on equality are drowned out by the lack of support for anything that would remotely appear effective for the African American community. You don’t get it and won’t get it which again, is why 10% is considered a win.
I’d be happy to say that to your face, Chris. But, what’s really notable, is although you’re more than happy to rip Byrd for the “n” word, you got no problemo with a republiCon using the “(c)” word - which is just more proof GOP now stands for GreedOverPrinciples.
And what’s really sad, is your predictable and continual regurgitation of republiCon talking points. It would actually be refreshing to have a conversation with a conservative that believed facts actually mattered; until then I’ll settle for slappin’ bootlickers like you around.
amuseinc,
He wasn’t thirty, he was 23. Why don’t you read what his daughter says about the issue instead of making up whatever facts you want to suit your argument?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-01-26-thurmond-cover_x.htm
Marc,
So let me get this right, since Byrd filibustered for 14 hours and Thurmond filibustered for 24 hours, Byrd is not a racist? Or is he only 58% the racist that Thurmond was? As for your ridiculous notion that Byrd wasn’t really tied to the Klan, here’s what the Washington Post reported in an article titled “A Senator’s Shame”:
While Byrd provides the most detailed description of his early involvement with the Klan, conceding that he reflected “the fears and prejudices I had heard throughout my boyhood,” the account is not complete. He does not acknowledge the full length of time he spent as a Klan organizer and advocate. Nor does he make any mention of a particularly incendiary letter he wrote in 1945 complaining about efforts to integrate the military.
Byrd’s book offers a truncated description of his days with the Klan that does not completely square with contemporaneous newspaper accounts and letters that show he was involved with the Klan throughout much of the 1940s, and not merely for two or three years.
According to his book, Byrd wrote to Samuel Green, an Atlanta doctor and “Imperial Wizard” of the Ku Klux Klan, in late 1941 or early 1942, expressing interest in joining. Some time later, he received the letter from Baskin, the “Grand Dragon” of mid-Atlantic states, saying he would come to Byrd’s home in Crab Orchard whenever Byrd had rounded up 150 recruits for the Klan.
Byrd also held such positions as “Kleagle” the top recruiter for the Klan and “Exalted Cyclops” the top officer in the local Klan unit.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/18/AR2005061801105_pf.html
As for his use of the N-word, I’d let his words speak for themselves.
Tough Guy,
Since you like to talk about the “C” word, why is it that nobody in the press is reporting that they were present when McCain allegedly used the word as reported in a defamatory book?
Chris, it’s the “(c)” word. From when Cheney told Senator Leahy, in the senate: “Hey! Senator!! Go (cheney) yourself!!!”
Not the “C” word, that McCain used to his wife.
But it is important that neither Cheney nor Bushy McSame apologized for their language.
Bein’ a republiCon means never havin’ to admit ya done wrong.
Which is another reason why GOP stands for GreedOverPrinciples. And you’re the base, Chris!
Ummm Chris, in today’s Minnesota a 23 year old having sexual relations with a 15 year old will get maybe 20 years in the pen. What is it about you Republicans supporting the rape of children?
We haven’t even spoke of the power differences between a 15 year old black servant girl and a 23 year old white College graduate who is the scion of a family revered in the Old South. And what exactly do you expect the daughter of such a union to say… especially since as I have note Strom decently paid for the daughter’s education. I don’t think he had the mother fired either… what a guy.
Keep defending Strom Thurmond’s rape of child all you want… it still stinks to high heaven. Somewhere I don’t think Strom ever saw as anything but the far distance.
amuseinc,
My 82 year old grandfather married my 78 year old grandmother 62 years ago, which would have made my grandpa 20 at the time and my grandma 16 at the time. He was a Navy veteran and they got married when he got back from WWII. I guess that makes my grandpa a rapist too? Keep defending Robert Byrd’s racism.
Chris, I agree 100%,
Obviously, as most Minnesota Republican bloggers have proven, defending Strom Thurmon is very very important. Thank you for spending significant time and efford defending this fine example of the Republican base.
Great Job Smartest Man In The Room Chris
Chris, are you maintaining the Robert Byrd is a racist today? Or, are you trying to smear his character with ancient history? If you are maintaining Robert Byrd is a racist today, I’ll need some more proof. Not just a slip of the tongue of an old man but concrete actions that he’s taken recently that would warrent the charge of racism.
I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout Robert Byrd… we are talking about Republican hero Strom Thurmond… in case you have not noticed Robert Byrd’s indiscretions of youth are not an excuse for Strom Thurmond’s sex crimes. While they happened in the same century, they do not have any relation to each other. If you think some 40 odd years later his KKK membership is a big deal… go for it. It is a part of history.
Now about Strom Thurmond’s rape of a child… Bluntly, you have to stop trying to define the “relationship” between a 23 year old white Southern landowner and a 15 year old illiterate Black servant girl in his house with your beloved grandparents. There was certainly no marriage ever implied or intended… in fact at the time both people could have been prosecuted for state and federal “race mixing” crimes. Please read some history once in a while. Your post insults every party concerned including anyone who is reading your drivel… even a cursory understanding of racial dynamics, let alone economic disparity, during the early 20th century in the South puts every one of your defenses as a lie.
amuseinc,
I’d take fornication over lyncing any day of the week, but nice try at covering up Byrd’s past. It’s pretty amazing how you can say Byrd’s decade-long involvement with the Klan is a youtful indiscretion but Strom’s fathering a child with a girl 7 or 8 years his junior is something to pillory him with. If you don’t think Byrd’s decade-long relationship with the Klan, which even the Washington Post has said he’s not been forthcoming about the extent of his involvement, doesn’t matter then you’re the one who has no understanding of racial politics during the early 20th centry. I’d like to know how many blacks were lynched by the people Robert Byrd recruited over the years.
Chris there is absolutely no evidence, citation or anything else to support your accusation. In a court it would be totally unsupportable… there is no evidence that Robert Byrd or his associates were ever involved in a lynching. In fact, I don’t think you can even find a newspaper article that would support your contention. You come close to libel on this one.
Strom Thurmond’s rape of a child and her later giving birth to a mixed race child of his is well documented and even admitted to by Thurmond and his biographers. No contest on that.
Thanks for playing but fact trumps lies and assumptions every time.
amuseinc,
What was the Klan doing in the 1940s besides terrorizing black people and lynching them? Please read “A Senator’s Shame” in the Washington Post to see how Byrd refuses to come to terms with his racist past. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/18/AR2005061801105_pf.html
Minnesota Republican blogger Chris, I agree 100%,
Thank you for keeping this argument alive. There is no doubt now in anyones mind that your defense of Strom Thurman has given you a case of the vapors that is unmatched. Lordy Lordy!!!! You must feel faint!!
Luckily for you, everyone knows you are 100% correct on this issue, and everyone who disagrees with you is 100% wrong.
That is why it is important to keep the circular arguments going on and on, over and over and over again saying the exact same thing, until everyone in MN Publius knows you have won, because you, Minnesota Republican blogger Chris, are so much smarter than anyone who disagrees with you.
Keep the argument alive, and please keep saying the same thing over and over to people as if they have never heard your argument before. That is the only way you can win.
Great Job, Typical Minnesota Republican blogger Chris
Hey #1 Internet Stalker,
It’s Strom Thurmond — not Thurman, not Thurmon. I normally don’t say anything about grammar and typos because we all make mistakes. But if you’re going to keep stalking my posts try to get it right.
Minnesota Republican blogger Chris I agree 100%,
Thank you for agreeing with me and my comments.
This important argument must not die. The defense of Strom Thurmond vs. the defense of every single Liberal we can broad brush as being no better than Robert Byrd is an important one.
I know your vapors about this are very strong, because it proves you are right, and will help us Minnesotan Republican bloggers win the permanent election campaign we have waged day after day, week after week, and year after year.
It is common knowledge that winning elections is the most important issue in the minds of every Minnesota Republican blogger, and the defense of Strom Thurmond is crucial to us winning.
Continue to stalk the blogs of people you disagree with and win arguments with ridicule, half-truths, exaggerations, smears, and fallicious arguments, because that is exactly how we Minnesota Republican bloggers win. That is the kind of leadership Minnesotans are hungry for.
The end justifies the means, Chris, doesn’t it, and winning isn’t just everything…..it is the ONLY thing.
Great Job Typical Minnesota Republican blogger Chris!!
Chris… do yourself a favor… ask any 10 people… hell make them Republicans for all I care… ask them if a 15 year old black, illiterate servant girl could make a legal and moral choice to sleep with the 23 year old scion of the rich family she worked for… add to this your contention it was a love story…
Get back to me on how many of these people feel that it was not…
1. Statutory Rape
2. An example of a powerful rich white man taking advantage of a poor, black child.
3. Indefensible in a court of law
4. Indefensible in the court of public opinion.
5. Immoral on the part of the 23 year old man.
6. A Christian sin against God
Use the majority opinion as your guide to common sense and the validity of your position.
Everyone knows when the majority of public opinion agrees with Liberals that is socialism.